Intuition - Winter 2021

The journal for professional teachers, trainers and leaders in the further education and training sector

Issue 46 Winter 2021

set.et-foundation.co.uk

PLAYING OUR PART The different ways FE can help the UK’s quest to reach net zero

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Greater safeguarding measures against abuse

Local authorities and their vital role

Highlights from the SET Conference 2021

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CONTENTS

WINTER 2021

UPFRONT

THE KNOWLEDGE

05 NEWS

30 LOOKING FORWARD

The government has promised extra funding to roll out T Levels

Examining the findings of recent ETF research on future jobs and skills

08 OPINION

34 TECHNICAL SKILLS

Views from David Russell, Mark Murphy and Nafisah Graham-Brown

A recent OTLA project shows the importance of being able to use digital learning tools

12 INTERVIEW

37 FACING THE CAMERA

Shadow skills and further education minister Toby Perkins scrutinises the government’s plans

The use of cameras has proved a sticking point in online learning sessions.

What are the real issues at stake?

14 ADVICE How to network online and share knowledge

MEMBERS’ CORNER

16 FEATURES 16 PLAYING OUR PART Climate change is set to become a defining feature of the next decade and beyond. The FE sector needs to ensure we have the skills needed to make a difference

20 UNDER SCRUTINY 40 THE FORUM

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SET’s new head of membership explains her goals for the coming months

Serious cases of abuse in schools and colleges have led Ofsted to review its safeguarding measures. We explore the impact on the FE sector

24 SECTOR FOCUS – LOCAL AUTHORITIES 42 MY LIFE IN TEACHING Elaine Butterworth on working with Deaf children and bringing tuition up to scratch

Local authorities form an integral part of the FE sector, delivering specific courses in response to community needs. We explore how this works in practice

27 SET CONFERENCE The second online SET Conference took place in November, attracting 460 delegates. We give a round-up of the essential events of the day

43 BOOK REVIEWS The latest educational titles reviewed

InTuition is published on behalf of the Society for Education and Training Redactive Publishing Ltd +44 (0)20 7880 6200 redactive.co.uk

EDITOR: Nick Martindale

DIRECTOR: Martin Reid

LEAD DESIGNER: David Twardawa

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Mike Morgan-Giles

SUBEDITORS: James Hundleby, Rob Loveday

COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR: Julia Faulks

PICTURE RESEARCHER: Claire Echavarry

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: Sophie Miller

PRODUCTION: Jane Easterman jane.easterman@redactive.co.uk +44 (0)20 7880 6248

HEAD OF CURRICULUM DESIGN PROJECTS: Paul Kessell-Holland PRINTED BY Precision Colour Printing, Telford

157-197 Buckingham Palace Road London, SW1W 9SP membership.enquiries@ etfoundation.co.uk set.et-foundation.co.uk

While every care has been taken in the compilation of this magazine, errors or omissions are not the responsibility of the publishers.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers or editorial staff. All rights reserved.

Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentioned are not formally endorsed by the Society for Education and Training or the Education and Training Foundation, which do not guarantee or endorse or accept any liability for any goods and/or services featured in this publication.

ISSN: 2050-8980

WINTER 2021 INTUITION 3

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WELCOME

FIRST WORDS

MARTIN REID

Time to act As with every other element of society, the further education sector needs to play its part in helping to shape a more sustainable future he recent COP26 summit has certainly served to focus attention on the challenges we all face around protecting the future of our planet. It is no exaggeration to say this is the biggest issue of our time, and one that will dominate every aspect of our lives for the foreseeable future.

It’s only right, then, that the further education (FE) sector should consider its role in this, and how it can help make a difference. FE has a central role to play in developing the skills that will be needed to help create a low-carbon world, from designing energy-efficient buildings and products to training car mechanics to fix batterypowered cars. But FE also manages a large footprint of buildings itself, and needs to get its own house in order around emissions, recycling and catering. You can read about how some in the sector are already embracing this in our cover feature on page 16.

Safeguarding, rightly, is another issue growing in prominence, after the online revelations of widespread abuse in schools and colleges. The responsibilities of providers and teachers are growing, and it’s important that anyone in the sector understands what they are required to do and that they are able to provide the right framework for anyone to come forward to report issues. You can find out more about this on page 20.

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at the local authority sector of FE, which is playing a pivotal part in helping ensure everyone has the potential to learn, including adults. This,

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of course, is a key theme of the government’s post-pandemic recovery plan, and you can read what the shadow skills and FE minister, Labour MP Toby Perkins, makes of that and wider FE reforms in our exclusive Q&A on page 12.

There’s also plenty of practical advice for practitioners to get their teeth into. Emma Procter-Legg and Chloë Hynes offer tips on how to make the most of online networking opportunities on page 14, while our Knowledge section features a piece by Joe Wydrzynski from Basingstoke College of Technology, who discusses making digital learning work as well as it could during the pandemic (page 34). You’ll also find our latest Technical Education supplement bound into this issue, showcasing the impact FE professionals are having in shaping the STEM skills that are so in demand.

I’d also like to thank everyone who attended the SET conference in November. This was the second year in a row we have held this virtually, and the event featured a wide range of valuable content, with more than 450 attendees. You can read some of the highlights from the day on page 27.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This has been another challenging year, and I hope you all find time to relax and recharge ahead of 2022.

FE NEEDS TO GET ITS OWN HOUSE IN ORDER AROUND EMISSIONS, RECYCLING AND CATERING

MARTIN REID, director, SET

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LATEST UPDATES FROM SET AND THE ETF

NEWS BUDGET

FUNDING BOOST FOR T LEVELS he government’s budget commitment to provide an extra £1.6 billion pledge to education for 16- to 19-yearolds, including delivering more hours of teaching for T Levels, has been welcomed by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).

Rishi Sunak’s autumn During his autumn budget, budget has boosted chancellor of the exchequer Rishi T Level funding Sunak said the T Level funding is part of a skills revolution that will transform post-16 education.

“While expanding T Levels has the The chancellor also announced: potential to enhance our education system, they will only be as good as £830 million to continue a the staff who teach them. It is also five-year scheme to revamp and important to support our brilliant modernise colleges teachers and enhance the prestige £550 million investment for adult of teaching in further education, skills in England and the ETF’s T Level Professional £170 million extra for apprenticeships Development offer aims to do just that.” and training.

The first T Levels, taught by a small group of colleges and schools, Jenny Jarvis, deputy CEO of the ETF, launched in September 2020 and said: “T Levels offer a new opportunity for were expanded to include a new young people to realise their potential. As range of subjects 12 months later. well as providing a way for employers to More subjects will be introduced address skills gaps, they are also critical to in 2022 and 2023. the government’s levelling-up agenda.

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MENTORING APPLICATIONS STILL OPEN Two mentoring opportunities from the ETF, available at no charge, are still open for applications.

The Chairs’ Mentoring Programme is aimed at chairs of boards of FE and sixth form colleges. It offers participants up to four one-to-one, one-hour sessions of private mentoring support over a period of six months, focusing on skills, strategies and challenges.

The sessions will be conducted online with one of two experts, Andrew Baird or Sandra Prail.

The Governance Professionals Executive Coaching and Mentoring is aimed at clerks, directors of governance and governance professionals of FE boards.

It also offers participants up to four one-to-one, one-hour private mentoring support sessions over six months.

The sessions will be led by governance consultants Beyond Governance and Kay White.

The mentoring is being provided in response to a need for one-to-one support identified

by The Unseen Strategic Leader research project.

For further details and to book a place, please visit the ETF booking site

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NEWS

SECTOR UPDATE S TO ETFUNBSCRIBE EWSLET Receiv e regu TERS lar up the

ETF o n new dates from CPD c and u ourse pdate s and d well a reso s sele cted to urces as p ic are Sig as. et-fou n up at ndatio n.co.u newsle k/ tters

TRAINING

DIGITAL SKILLS CHAMPIONS APPOINTED ix new Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Champions have been appointed from the FE and training sector after a strong response to a recent grant call from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF).

The champions will contribute to the ETF’s EDS professional development programme, which supports the teaching of essential digital skills for life and work based on the national standards, and advocate for essential digital skills provision across the sector.

The EDS Champion role is for individuals, but the grant is made to organisations to support their champions.

The six selected organisations and individuals represent a cross-section of the FE and training sector:

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Birmingham Adult Education Service – Anke Jacobs Havant and South Downs College – David Galloway New City College, London – Andy Greaves Our Newham Learning & Skills, London – Farhad Esfandiari Runway Apprenticeships Limited t/a Runway Training, South East – Leanne Selway WEA, East Midlands – Nusrat Bhatti The programme launched with a series of Live Chats, which take place every Wednesday lunchtime at 1pm. The short online sessions give an opportunity to meet the EDS Champions, who will share experience, ideas and resources.

To book for the Live Chat sessions, visit the ETF booking site. For ongoing guidance and support from the EDS Champions, join the EDS online Community of Practice

NEW LEARNING ALLIANCE LAUNCHES

The number of adults participating in English and maths learning in England has dropped by over 60 per cent since 2012, according to a new report by the Learning and Work Institute.

This report also marks the launch of the new Skills for Life Alliance, of which the ETF’s Chief Executive David Russell is a member. The Skills for Life Alliance of researchers and sector experts will use its collective voice to highlight the importance of basic skills and explore ways to improve participation.

The Skills for Life Alliance consists of: Stephen Evans (Learning and Work Institute co-chair), Sue Pember (Holex cochair), Sally Dicketts (Association of Colleges president and chief executive of Activate Learning), Rachel Oner (NATECLA), Alex Stevenson (Learning and Work Institute), David Russell (Education and Training Foundation), Jane Hickie (AELP), Helen George (Sheffield City Region) and David Gallagher (NCFE). The Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions are observers.

You can explore the full impact by reading the report on the Learning and Work Institute website at learningandwork.org.uk/resources

MENTORING SUPPORT FOR BAME SENIOR LEADERS Senior leaders with BAME backgrounds in ESFA-funded organisations can now access mentoring support to assist them with current challenges and further leadership development.

The support, which is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and delivered by the Education and Training

Foundation (ETF), is available to CEOs, principals, finance directors and other roles. Mentors will work in a flexible way in terms of both timings and the choice of topics the mentee wishes to discuss.

It is independent and confidential.

The mentoring is offered as part of the ETF’s remit to provide sector workforce development. The DfE is funding these programmes because it understands

that senior leaders and principals will be facing multiple challenges as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For details of the ETF’s wider support offer for leaders, please visit the leadership hub on the ETF website.

If you are interested in taking up this offer, please email ETF performance manager Apinder Sidhu at apinder.sidhu@etfoundation.co.uk

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SECTOR UPDATE

S P E C I A L E D U C AT I O N A L N E E D S A N D D I S A B I L I T I E S

IMPROVING PROSPECTS FOR LEARNERS WITH SEND he Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is delighted to announce that it has extended its Centres for Excellence in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities offer by commissioning eight new employer spokes across the country.

The new spokes are being hosted by eight FE providers that have particularly strong relationships with a wide range of employers, including those with a track record of employing learners with SEND. They will bring together FE providers and employers from different industries to show how businesses can benefit from diversifying their workforce.

The eight employer spokes are led by the following FE providers: LTE Group, with an offer led by NHS and start-up businesses Oldham College, with an offer led by a range of trend-setting SMEs National Star, with an offer led by wealth management, facilities management and learner self-employment

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Luminate Group, with an offer led by museums and art galleries Activate Learning, with an offer led by National Grid and its learning companies Hampshire County Council, with an offer led by construction (highways) and employment hubs London South East Colleges, with an offer led by theatres and sports Dynamic Training, with an offer led by health and social care, and focusing on supported apprenticeships.

The spokes will host activities and events where employers will talk about the difference employing learners with SEND has made to their business and workforce.

They will also discuss the benefits of working closely with FE providers to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of the modern workplace.

Learners with SEND will host one of these activities to showcase their skills.

Sessions will be open to all employers and FE providers to pick up ideas so that they too might improve their learners’ employability prospects.

NEW SET CORPORATE PARTNERS This quarter, the Society for Education and Training (SET) was delighted to welcome a number of new Corporate Partners. These are: South and City College, Birmingham Capital City College Group City College, Plymouth Babington These groups became SET partners as part of their commitment to the learning and development of their teaching staff. As new SET members,

the teaching staff within these groups will be joining the largest professional network of teachers and trainers in the FE sector, with opportunities to share expertise with their peers.

They will also benefit from a valuable range of professional development opportunities, including access to exclusive content, research, webinars, events and discounts.

NEWS

NEWSINNUMBERS

40%

UK adults aware that free basic skills courses exist, a survey by the Learning and Work Institute finds

£500

Difference in spending per student in further education and sixthform colleges in 2022-23 (£6,500) compared with 2009-10 (£7,000)

100,000

Number of students the government has based its T Level funding projects for 2024 on, according to the recent Spending Review

260,000 Number of additional 16-19-year-olds expected in education in the coming years, according to The Sixth Form Colleges Association

£560m

Amount pledged in the government Spending Review for the Multiply scheme, aimed at improving the numeracy of 500,000 adults

Further information about SET Corporate Partnerships can be found on the SET website

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OPINION

DAVID RUSSELL

SPENDING ON SKILLS

Centre stage The welcome increase in government spending on further education (FE) is growing evidence of just how vital this part of the education sector is for the UK’s prosperity, says David Russell he dust has now settled on the chancellor’s Budget Statement, and more importantly the three-year Spending Review announcement that has set the targets for government spending up to March 2025.

So, did we do well?

The first thing is to say is that this is the best settlement that FE and adult education have had for a while. It represents a real increase. However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown that – unlike schools – FE will not be brought back up to where spending was in 2010 by 2024-25. So, an end to austerity perhaps, but not a rapid reversal. The same applies to adult education when taken in isolation. So, two cheers, perhaps, for the chancellor.

But this is not the whole story. What is even more noticeable than the headline numbers is that the rhetoric of skills is very high in the mix for this government.

There was a question mark over whether ‘skills’ would retain its political priority following the September reshuffle.

It certainly has, and more. Not only Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, but also the chancellor and the prime

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THIS IS THE BEST SETTLEMENT THAT FE AND ADULT EDUCATION HAVE HAD FOR A WHILE

minister continue to talk enthusiastically about skills and the role they play in the government’s agenda.

There are at least five reasons for this, in my view, and they all tell us something interesting about Britain in 2021. The first is Covid. The slogan of ‘Build Back Better’ (now associated in the UK with postpandemic recovery) cleverly encapsulates a very practical sense of not just planning, doing and improving but literally building – a technical and vocational flavour of ‘getting stuff done in the real world’ which fits a skills narrative.

The second is Brexit. Of course, political uncertainty rumbles on in the aftermath of our departure from the EU, not least about trade, international relations and economic impact. One of the sharpest edges of this is the profound problem of our recent reliance on immigrant labour in certain sectors of the economy.

This is a not a party-political point – after all, it was the last Labour prime minister and arch-Remainer Gordon Brown who first coined the phrase ‘British jobs for British workers’. A narrative of investing in skills can potentially turn the Brexit story around from one of deficit and loss into one of domestic opportunity and growth.

The third is ‘levelling up’. There may still be some ambiguity or vagueness about quite what this cross-government strategy really means in practical terms, but one thing it clearly encapsulates is the idea of prioritising people and places that have not been winners from the government’s methodology for public investment over recent decades.

And that means a focus on technical

and vocational education, among other things.

The fourth is the so-called ‘culture wars’ – a nebulous concept, and something that people only ever accuse others of engaging in. But if it can be pinned down at all, it includes a sense from some in government that we have gone too far in this country with university-based academic education.

Specifically, there is a view that many undergraduates study degrees that are of little value – practical or otherwise – and that we need a correction away from a culture of ‘woke’ and woolly studies and back towards practical training that equips young people with real-world skills.

Whether one agrees with this position or not, I am fairly confident that it is one ingredient in the current government’s enthusiasm for the skills agenda.

But the fifth is the most fundamental and will remain as a rock-solid motivation even if the political narratives that drive reasons one to four have moved on: our productivity crisis. The UK is, and has been for some time, badly lagging other nations in productivity. Several factors combine to create this problem, but it is no coincidence that we score very poorly on the proportion of the workforce with higher-level technical qualifications and are still quite weak on basic skills for adults.

What’s more, the productivity conundrum is now even more complex, as we no longer nurture the 200-yearold aspiration to maximise economic growth at all costs, but have finally woken up to the fact that only environmentally sustainable growth is desirable and beneficial. Of course, growth and productivity are not the same thing – one can enhance productivity by, for example, producing the same output in fewer working hours and spending those nonworking hours gained walking outdoors, visiting the lonely or planting trees. But that is another story altogether…

DAVID RUSSELL is chief executive of the Education and Training Foundation

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MARK MURPHY

FE RECRUITMENT

Mind the age gap Compared to other parts of the education sector, FE is struggling to attract younger people to the profession. More needs to be done to avert a crisis, says Mark Murphy have worked in education for eight years across a number of branches of the education sector. Initially, I started in secondary schools, moving onto alternative provision/prison settings. I currently work across two further education (FE) colleges, one in a London borough and the other in the south-east. At the age of 28, I am still the youngest teaching/training professional among my teams and the organisations’ staffing as a whole.

During my time in FE, I have seen an absence of younger teaching professionals and even support staff within the sector. Professionals under the age of 30 appear very under-represented collectively in the FE workforce. I have seen this absence first-hand, both as a line manager conducting interviews for recruitment and a trade union membership secretary attending new staff inductions.

I often wonder why. Is the role not enticing younger professionals, or are they not aware of the many opportunities in the first instance?

The desire for teaching does not come from the pay or holidays (maybe sometimes) but the reward and pleasure of educating others.

I do not believe that this issue has its roots at an organisational level, but more widely. The focus of the media campaigns is on secondary teaching, and many training routes and financial incentives steer towards this too. I cannot recall an advert or campaign material promoting work in FE or

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THE FOCUS OF THE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS IS ON SECONDARY TEACHING higher education, and the ‘Get Into Teaching’ campaign is secondary school-focused.

Yet there are many different routes into FE teaching, which are far more flexible and individualised in comparison. Training routes can be more tailored too, unlike the recent changes that we have now seen to the NQT year for primary school teachers. There are also funding and apprenticeship routes available to support the transition and training process on the job.

Recently, after sitting in an ‘all-staff briefing’ and looking round the room, I wondered what the data was (the health and social care lecturer in me came out). I found the Department for Education’s college staff survey, released in 2018, which echoed my observations. It showed that only 26 per cent of the teachers working in FE were aged 34 and under, while 57 per cent were aged 45 and over. The leaders workforce in FE was only 8 per cent for those aged 34 and under, while 65 per cent are aged 45 and over.

OPINION

A National Foundation for Educational Research report in the same year found that 34 per cent of fulltime teachers in primary and secondary schools were under 34. And this does not reflect part-time teachers.

This data highlights the gap, which will continue to increase unless changes are implemented. More needs to be done. Does FE run the risk of being under-represented or face further recruitment issues as the bulk of its teaching workforce leave or retire at the same time?

The vocational ethos of FE is to tailor and draw upon industry knowledge and experience, which for me is recent and being maintained through continuing to work as a youth support worker in the evenings. Learners feel encouraged by seeing a young teaching professional, which shows a ‘can do’ approach. A comment was made earlier this month by a learner, who said she thought it was good how a young male teacher was delivering an equality and diversity unit and said it showed diversity. She explained that health and social care is often female-dominated, and there were also not many young male teachers in the college.

I love teaching in FE and would always encourage it as a career route for working in education. As a young professional, I found the Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status route with the Society for Education and Training (SET) a highly valuable and a rewarding experience.

The status has not only strengthened my confidence and added to my skillset, but also provides further recognition towards my vocational experience, training and knowledge. Teaching in FE has enabled me to be far more creative and ‘hands on’, with the lifelong learning applying not just to my learners but to me too.

MARK MURPHY is a senior lecturer/deputy head of faculty and a member of SET. He achieved his QTLS in 2018

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OPINION

DR NAFISAH GRAHAM-BROWN

A D U LT B A S I C S K I L L S

Participation drive Levels of adult basic skills participation are falling dramatically. The government, providers and teachers all have a role to play in helping to overturn this, says Dr Nafisah Graham-Brown ecent reviews into adult basic skills participation in England reveal a concerning trend. The Learning and Work Institute (LWI) has reported a decrease in participation of 63 per cent in English, 63 per cent in maths and 17 per cent in ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) since 2012.

Another report by the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL) estimated that there are nine million working-age adults in the UK with low basic skills and that our levels of adult literacy and numeracy are much lower than adult averages in other OECD countries.

So what is the answer to increasing participation in adult basic skills, and adult learning generally? Many voices in the sector say that the value and status of the sector needs to change. But we still need to do more to promote learning as a lifelong activity and to engage more people to develop their skills. What can we do as FE professionals?

We often say we are good at engaging ‘hard-to-reach’ learners. However, much has been written about how this term is problematic and implies blame for a homogeneous group of people for being unreachable or unwilling to engage in education and training.

In fact, when researchers investigate why groups are considered hard to reach, it is usually that systems of support don’t serve them well enough and exclude people. Teachers in FE regularly go over and above for our learners as we know that’s what they need to achieve well.

How about if that support was the norm?

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IF LEARNERS FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THEIR PLACES OF LEARNING, THEY WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO LEARN AND ACHIEVE Could that mean more young people and adults being able to learn and achieve?

My recent research looked at the concept of belonging, defining it as feeling at ease with oneself and one’s surroundings, as part of being inclusive.

If learners feel comfortable and at ease in their places of learning, they will be in a better position to learn and achieve.

Teachers can think about how we organise our classrooms and courses in the different aspects of belonging, including making learners feel welcome and consciously creating a culture of collaboration and support, placing importance on relationship-building between learners and peers, and the organisation.

The involvement of learners in decision-making can also greatly impact their feeling of belonging. Feedback from and co-design by learners can help us design better programmes and we may engage those who are underserved.

To find out why adults are not in basic

skills learning, providers and teachers can ask those in learning what they think would help encourage people they know to take part, and to help us ask those not in learning the same questions.

At London forums of the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA), we often talk about challenges to supporting ESOL learners achieve and progress. Many teachers have ideas to expand the curriculum and support for their learners but are restricted by what the funding framework or their institution stipulates.

As professionals, our voices are also important. If we are the experts in teaching and learning of our subject areas, we shouldn’t be afraid to challenge the status quo and work together with other teachers as part of campaigns for more funding, better-quality education and support for our learners. You can join organisations representing your professional body such as NATECLA. Another way to make our voices heard is through doing and promoting practitioner research. SET provides many opportunities for teachers to take part in research. There’s nothing better than having research that backs calls for more support/funding for our learners.

In conclusion, I believe that to engage adults back into learning we all need to play our part: The government, through a wellthought-out strategy and investment Providers, through making courses more accessible and flexible to support those who can’t attend regular mainstream courses Teachers, through considering how we are supporting those who are often excluded, listening to our learners’ voices, and using our own voices to raise issues that we, as specialists, have knowledge about, and ideas to help improve.

DR NAFISAH GRAHAM-BROWN is head of life skills and community at ELATT, and national co-chair of࣢NATECLA

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Q&A

TOBY PERKINS

The further education (FE) White Paper unveiled earlier this year outlined steps to help ensure the sector can meet learners’ needs. What did you make of it?

Q& A

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Critical thinking

Toby Perkins: It was welcome that the government recognised the need for change within the FE sector. Having said that, we felt the White Paper lacked ambition and was a bit of a missed opportunity. In terms of the Skills Bill, we are concerned that it is too narrow in influencing the direction of FE, specifically around things such as the Local Skills Improvement Plans.

We think these should bring together educational providers and the business sector – but also employers more widely, including public sector employers – and hear from learners, private providers and local FE colleges. The way it’s currently envisaged to work – which appears to be for the local Chambers of Commerce to dictate the local, strategic approach to skills – is too limited.

As shadow skills and further education minister, Labour MP Toby Perkins has an important role to play in scrutinising government plans for the sector

The omission of adult learning institutions has attracted criticism. How do you see this sector fitting into an educational recovery post-Covid?

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P H O T O G R A P H Y: C HR I S M C A ND R E W S

TP: It’s very important because lifelong learning has got to be more than just a catchphrase. Adult learning institutions are a great example of places that have really changed lives and supported people in their careers.

But we’ve felt for some time that this government sees skills and broader vocational qualifications as being directly linked to the job at the end of it. Vocational education always needs to be mindful of work outcomes, but lifelong learning isn’t just about that.

There is still a role for those institutions and they should be seen as an important part of the sector, as should independent providers, which were largely ignored too.

How important is the FE sector in helping to ensure people can take part in lifelong learning and meet the needs of employers in a fastchanging, post-Covid landscape?

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TP: It’s absolutely crucial. Everyone says that, but we’ve seen bigger cuts to the

BY NICK MARTINDALE

FE sector than almost any other aspect of government spending over the past 11 years. Just expecting the market to always decide is an approach that will fail. We need to work collectively with employers rather than the approach of the past, which was very much providerled, or the approach of now, which seems to be about letting employers decide.

What do you make of the current mix of post-16 qualifications, including T Levels?

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TP: We’re very critical of the idea of scrapping BTECs before T Levels have finished their pilots. If the government is going to remove all the Level 3 qualifications in which there is considered to be overlap, then we’re going to see far fewer Level 3

qualifications being studied, and we think that will be a significant mistake.

We’re not opposed to T Levels – in fact, we’ve been calling for something along these lines all the time that I’ve been in Parliament – but they need to prove themselves. For them to have equality of esteem with A Levels, they need to be a potential route to higher as well as vocational education.

How important are apprenticeships in helping to develop work-ready people?

What changes would Labour make to the current system?

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TP: We think apprenticeships should be the gold standard in work-based learning.

We have concerns with the way the system is working currently. The first of these

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TOBY PERKINS

Q&A

WE’RE VERY CRITICAL OF THE IDEA THAT YOU SCRAP BTECS BEFORE T LEVELS HAVE FINISHED THEIR PILOTS to play in attracting and retaining staff. High standards of continuous professional development are really important, and both the ETF and SET play an important role in that.

With the recent COP26 summit, there’s obviously a big focus on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. What do you see as the role of the FE sector in this?

Q

TP: It’s a central question of our time.

It needs an industrial strategy bringing together investment in the sector, and making sure that where investment is private you have value for money, but also a long-term approach that businesses and investors can rely on.

The pandemic has created a serious challenge in terms of education recovery. What do you believe should be the priorities for FE teachers and leaders over the next few years?

Q

is the apprenticeship levy. If the only businesses able to get funding are those who happen to be large enough to pay the levy, then a huge amount of the sector will be shut out, and that’s exactly what’s happened. Far too few small businesses are now offering apprenticeships, and far too much of the levy is not being spent at entry level, so we’ve seen a reduction in the number of 16- to 18-year-olds doing apprenticeships since the reforms.

We need recognition that there needs to be enough money paid into the system by the apprenticeship levy, and it shouldn’t necessarily be the case that the people who pay the levy are the ones who spend it. One of the big mistakes that government made was to remove public funding for apprenticeships when the levy was introduced, because it meant

that a lot of smaller businesses just thought they could no longer do that.

How can we ensure there are consistently high professional standards across the FE workforce?

What role do bodies such as the ETF and SET play here?

Q

TP: There has been a real talent flight out of the FE sector over the past 11 years because of what feels like a permanent pay freeze due to below real-term pay awards. We know that large numbers of high-quality college lecturers have left the sector as a result. But it’s not just about funding. There needs to be a more strategic approach and a recognition that employers, education providers, local communities, private sector and independent providers all have a role

TP: The first priority is to make sure FE retains and increases its relevance, so we have a sustainable sector that delivers for employers and learners. At a time when we have huge skills and staff shortages, we need to maximise local opportunities for people to study in ways that are economically useful and support their own career development. We need real recognition that the pandemic has widened the attainment gap between wealthier and poorer learners, and we need to ensure resources for tutoring and other measures are directed to those that most need them.

NICK MARTINDALE is editor of inTuition

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ADVICE

DIGITAL NETWORKING

IDENTIFY THE RIGHT GROUP Joining an online group can be daunting; you may be worried about online safety, need advice on creating a professional digital identity, or worried about how you represent your organisation online.

Luckily, there is plenty of support* out there.

Whether you are already part of a community or just getting started, here are some practical ideas:

Online interaction

Networking is an important part of a strong FE community. Emma Procter-Legg and Chloë Hynes outline how to take advantage of the wide range of online opportunities that can help you learn and share knowledge with peers ver the past 18 months many of us have benefited from connecting with others online. This expansion of digital interactions has opened up new spaces in FE, breaking down geographical barriers and connecting us to colleagues throughout the sector.

If you are looking for advice on how to engage and support your learners, expanding your digital community can help. Maybe you’re new to FE and are looking for support and guidance. Or perhaps you want to connect with colleagues teaching

O

the same curriculum, or trying to find online CPD opportunities but aren’t sure where to look. These goals can be achieved by joining online communities and increasing your digital connections.

There are a wide range of FE-relevant digital groups and communities in a wide range of social media spaces. The recent AmplifyFE Sector Audit Report* identified 130 such communities. These groups exist in many spaces including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MS Teams and others. Here’s how you can get started.

Facebook Search for private Facebook groups that interest you – such as SET Facebook communities* – and connect with your peers, share ideas and resources. Check the group settings to ensure any posts you make are only seen by the group and not all your Facebook friends.

Twitter If you don’t already have a Twitter account, sign up for one. Add a short bio (in 160 characters) with both professional and personal interests so your peers can get to know you. Add the hashtag #FE to your Twitter name to help your peers identify you, and explore FErelated hashtags such as #JoyFE, #EnglishFE, #TeachHortUK, #APConnect, #FEspeaks, #OTLA, #AmplifyFE and many more. FE communities spring up all the time, changing and adapting to the needs of the sector.

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ONLINE LEARNING

ADVICE

EXPANDING YOUR NETWORK There are many Twitter networks, groups and communities enabling you to keep up to date.

These provide access to research, news from across the sector and regular events and conferences. These include: DigiLearn Sector*; a sectorwide hub for collaboration and knowledge exchange Communities related to FE research, such as #FEResearchMeet (@feresearchmeet),

#FEresearchCircle, BERA Independent Researchers’ Forum (@bera_irf ), the Learning and Skills Research Network (@LSRNetwork), and the Research College Group (@RCGResearch) Subject-specific associations with regional branches and forums such as @NATECLA or @EnglishAssoc Follow @AmplifyFE and sign up for the mailing list* Follow @PDNorth_FE and sign up to #FEtapestry*

JOIN A REGULAR CHAT ON TWITTER Whether you are new to Twitter or have been using it for a while, Twitter chats are a great way to connect with peers. These are live chats based around a number of questions that invite you to share ideas, reflect on your practice and support your peers. One of the most popular and long-standing FE Twitter chats is #UKFEChat, held weekly on Thursdays at 9pm.

Twitter chats can be based around a subject or interest, such as ESOL (#ESOLchat), or teaching and learning (#advancedhe_chat), or revolutionary education (#revEDlution); vEDlution); with a bit of research arch you will find the right one for you. Here are a few more e tips on how to make the mostt of a Twitter chat: Read ad a previous one first by following wing the Twitter chat hashtag.

Don’t n’t be put off by the speed of replies. ies. You can just watch!

When hen answering a question, startt your Tweet with the question stion number A1, A2, A3 etc.

Remember member to include the Twitter your tter chat hashtag in yo our rreply. eply ep ly..

At first, you may feel mo most ostt comfortable fortable respondingg to peers eers you know.

Connect nnect to those you don’t know by following ollowing them m on Twitter.

SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW Maybe you would like to share your wisdom with others, fancy writing a blog, taking part in a podcast or something else? It’s important to recognise that you may know more than you think!

Perhaps investigate some of the following opportunities: Run a #DigiLearnSector* webinar Submit an article to #JoyFE or attend one of their #IdeasRooms* Write a blog post for PDN’s #FEtapestry* Add your profile to #FEConnect* Share something at #FESwapShop* Take part in a podcast on #JoyFM* These opportunities are run by practitioners with a passion for the FE sector. Hollie (FEswapShop*), Sammy (Opportunities*) and Lucy (FEthinks and ThinkHub*) set up hashtags and events fuelled by the continual support of their peers. Perhaps you might like to set up your own hashtag, record a podcast or organise an event. If you do, don’t forget to add your new community to the pop popular AmplifyFE map.

All hashtags, Twitter handles and links indicated with a * in the article can be accessed via linktr.ee/ DigitalNetworking or by scanning the QR code

EMMA PROCTER-LEGG is a digital skills teacher, education consultant and Amplify FE project lead

CHLOË HYNES is

FEtapestry lead, digital specialist and mentor for Claire Collins Consultancy

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FEATURE

SUSTAINABILITY IN FE

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Climate change is set to become the defining era of the next decade and beyond. The FE sector needs to do its bit in ensuring we have the skills needed to make a difference, as well as leading by example, says Elizabeth Holmes

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SUSTAINABILITY IN FE

ith the undeniable need to place sustainability front and centre of absolutely everything we do in education and beyond, doing our bit in further education (FE) is more crucial now than ever before.

Reducing carbon emissions in order to reach the UK’s target of being net zero (completely negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activity) by 2050 is something we all need to be onboard with, but the path ahead can seem overwhelming.

Sustainability is an issue that touches the whole of the FE sector, but colleges have a huge impact due to their size and the breadth of teaching they undertake.

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Voices heard Charlotte Bonner is national head of education for sustainable development at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). “FE settings are taking sustainability onboard from a number of angles,” she says. “That might be through the curriculum, teaching and learning, through leadership, or through the estate side of things. This could be through any of the courses on offer in FE.” Iain Patton is the CEO of EAUC – The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education – which is the national network for sustainability leadership. It currently has all universities and around 40 per cent of FE colleges signed up, with an additional one or two signing up each month. “We are a big network of over 7,000 people,” Patton says.

“Students can join too, to ensure that the student voice is heard.”

Patton was the first sustainability manager in FE. “Sustainability is an area where people are willing to share,” he says. “The FE sector has now moved into a more optimistic space. This talk of green skills and environmental tech is what FE is about. We have brought the leadership of colleges through the Association of Colleges and Universities UK together and created a Climate Commission. One of the things to come out of this was the Climate Action Roadmap for FE. We currently have over

FEATURE

100 colleges using it, and following our steps for FE learning organisations.”

WE SUGGEST THAT YOU GO DOWN THE CLIMATE ROAD TO GET STARTED. IT’S WHAT YOUR LEARNERS WANT

Starting point There is a bigger picture when it comes to sustainability in FE. A number of organisations appointed sustainability leads, but many lost their jobs when funds were tight. As Patton explains, “Education can take us down some very narrow pathways, but there are new skillsets and ways of thinking and working that we need to embrace.

“The Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs] are a great resource.

S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T

TAKING ACTION SUE FIELDING, managing director of GFT, an independent training provider in the West Midlands Our increasing focus on education for sustainable development evolved from when GFT was taken over by PQMS, part of the Swedish organisation Hexatronic Group.

Sustainability was very high on their agenda so it was important that we embraced it in our work in the UK. In March 2020 I was invited to be part of the sustainability working group and visited Sweden to learn more about it and the ways in which we can embrace education for sustainable development.

We have a sustainability roadmap which covers the group’s goals to improve climate change, business ethics, health and wellbeing, and education. To show commitment from the top, we have embedded these GFT sustainable development goals into our own business plan.

This is not just about car-sharing and recycling – it’s about educating about all the other sustainable development goals.

There are still a lot of things we can do to improve, but we have made a good start. It is great to see that quite a few end-point projects by our learners have been focused on sustainability issues.

Our young people have embraced this.

Education for sustainable development is the right thing to do. We are working on making sure that it is a central concern for our tutors. We bring up sustainability at our tutor standardisation meetings where tutors talk about what they are doing in their࣢teaching.

We plan to build on these foundations through staff development and through the drive that comes from Hexatronic. Our work so far shows that young people are taking this onboard, so the more we can empower their tutors with knowledge to pass on, the better.

‘OUR WORK SO FAR SHOWS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TAKING THIS ONBOARD’

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FEATURE

SUSTAINABILITY IN FE

LEARNERS NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE KEY ISSUES REGARDING SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FIELDS THEY ARE STUDYING They help people to think in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary way which is highly valuable. This helps to lead to teaching in an interconnected way. Interesting things happen when disciplines meet. We are thinking differently about manufacturing, for example. Traditional manufacturing is linear, with waste and inefficiency built in, but in a circular economy we need to use a different mindset.”

While some organisations are struggling just to stay afloat, basic needs must be met. For those, sustainability can be overwhelming.

“The issue can seem too big,” Patton explains. “That’s why we suggest that you go down the climate road to get started. It’s what your learners want.

Then you can make a start on the other SDGs, and get everyone across the college excited and engaged for whole college sustainability action.”

Closer to home Bonner is positive about the fact that specialist sustainability skills can be taught to all learners, regardless of the course they are studying. While some courses such as travel and tourism, electrical engineering and catering lend themselves more obviously to learning about sustainability, the SDGs can be applied to all subjects.

“The role we play at the ETF is to signpost educators and leaders to finding out more about the role we all play in sustainable development,” she says. “Learners need to be able to understand the key issues regarding sustainability in the fields they are studying as well as in their own lives.”

When it comes to colleges or other providers tackling their own emissions,

there is probably more happening than anyone realises, says Patton.

He suggests doing a mapping exercise as a starting point, outlining initiatives already being undertaken in areas such as energy usage and catering, and identifying any gaps.

“This helps to start the conversation,” he says. “And you can gather views from staff and students. It also gives people confidence and encourages easy target-setting to help focus minds.

This can galvanise and inspire people and it can become a wholecollege agenda.”

The key takeaway message is that you are not alone on this journey to

TOWA R D S N E T Z E R O

CLIMATE ACTION ROADMAP In order to assist colleges in addressing climate change and ecological destruction, and to meet the UK government’s target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education was established in November 2019.

Its goal is to develop a strategic, sector-wide approach to tackle the climate emergency.

The roadmap includes three ‘levels’ of approaches colleges can take to sustainability: emerging, established and leading. Each ‘level’ contains a series of initiatives

colleges can implement. Each initiative has a cost and time rating. The initiatives are in the following categories: Leadership and governance Learning, teaching and research Estates and operations Partnerships and engagement Data collection.

The roadmap is used by college principals and their leadership teams, learners and other members of the college community.

You can find out more about the roadmap at eauc.org.uk/fe_roadmap

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SUSTAINABILITY IN FE

FEATURE

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y TA R G E T S

MAKING AN IMPACT MATTHEW GREEN, head of commercial services at South Devon College We formed a sustainability steering group with staff over two years ago. We realised that we had lots of ideas between us so we drafted a short-, medium- and long-term plan. Our action plan grew over time and we became aware that there were many people already doing a lot towards࣢sustainability.

We gave ourselves a 10year strategy with specifically planned events along the way.

We used data to plan and started with raising awareness through selected catering outlets, by going meat and plastic-free.

We have done so much but there is more to do.

Using tutor time to educate about sustainability has been a success. We use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to show how they link to college life and what we can do to contribute to them. As a college we also use these goals to support our own community, for example with a focus on poverty where we help with food and travel expenses for students in need. We use our grounds for conservation projects and regularly monitor species on campus. This raises awareness about what is on our doorstep and what we can do to preserve and protect it.

We then looked at the assignments that were being

set in our higher education courses and linking them to the SDGs. We will be exploring how we can do this in FE too.

The signage we use around campus is linked to the SDGs, so for example, we ask students to only use lights if necessary and put a link to the relevant SDG on the sign.

Again, this raises awareness.

But it is not just about bins and lights. It’s about plastic in oceans, climate change, sustainability and society. We now have sustainability on the agenda of all meetings and we have three people who are leads for sustainability – lead governor, a lead on the college team and a lead on the senior leadership team.

This extensive commitment to sustainability has been well received across the board. We have to set targets but it is really about the journey. It’s about what you do every day.

If other organisations are starting off on this path, I suggest you start off as a small group of passionate people. Get into students’ tutor time to talk about topics that they can then take home to their parents. Communicate about sustainability through newsletters, updated webpages, a ‘make do and mend’ mentality – rethinking our throwaway society. This will help senior leadership teams to recognise sustainability so that you can࣢gain momentum.

‘START OFF AS A SMALL GROUP OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE’

sustainability.

There are many people out in the communities that organisations serve that can be connected, and there is a tremendous amount of support for colleges and other providers from within the FE sector. Strong collaborations can work really well on this path, so it’s worth exploring the potential to partner with other local providers too.

ELIZABETH HOLMES is a freelance journalist specialising in the education sector

The Education and Training Foundation website carries extensive information on education for sustainable development (ESD) as well as tools and resources to help providers, leaders and practitioners develop ESD work: et-foundation.co.uk/ESD The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ sustainable-development-goals

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FEATURE

SAFEGUARDING

Revelations of serious cases of abuse in schools and colleges has led Ofsted to review existing safeguarding measures, with greater expectations and responsibilities falling on organisations and teachers. Jo Faragher explores the impact on the further education sector here was a collective intake of breath amid education providers in March 2021, when a website called ‘Everyone’s Invited’ revealed thousands of testimonies of learners who had experienced misogyny, sexual harassment and even assault. To date, more than 54,000 anonymous testimonies have been recorded on the site, alongside a list of schools, colleges and other learning settings where incidents have occurred.

In May 2021, Ofsted began a rapid review of schools and colleges in light of the allegations, looking at whether

P H O T O G R A P H Y: I S T O C K

T

existing safeguarding frameworks were strong enough to ensure learners felt comfortable reporting sexual abuse, and how relationship, sex and health education was embedded into the wider curriculum.

Its key recommendation was that schools and colleges act as though sexual harassment (whether physical, online or verbal) is happening, even if there are no specific reports. Furthermore, organisations’ readiness to deal with safeguarding incidents, the structure of their reporting processes, and levels of staff knowledge on the issues form part of Ofsted’s assessment.

Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the key piece of statutory guidance that educational settings must follow in carrying out their safeguarding duties, was also updated this summer in light of the Everyone’s Invited movement.

It urges staff to recognise the signs of peer-on-peer abuse (rather than simply accepting it exists) and includes an expansive list of behaviours to look out for, including learners downplaying sexual comments as “just banter”, sharing nude images on messaging platforms without consent and upskirting.

“What’s changed is the expectation around the evidence they’ll look for

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SAFEGUARDING

on staff knowledge,” explains Dai Durbridge, who leads the education team on safeguarding at law firm Browne Jacobson. “In the past, a designated safeguarding lead might update staff through an inset day, providing a presentation they could tick off. But the guidance is now more focused on evidencing staff knowledge rather than a tick-box exercise.”

Greater responsibility The responsibilities placed on designated safeguarding leads (DSL) in further education (FE) settings have been growing for some time, explains Isabelle King, national head of safeguarding at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). But variations in local authority funding and priorities means provision is not always consistent.

Some officers may be running safeguarding at the ‘side of their desk’ while carrying out another role, while others might have sophisticated structures in place for reporting and dealing with stakeholders in other agencies. “The KCSIE guidance is written for anyone engaging with children

under the age of 18, but there are many differences between a secondary school and a sixth-form college, or an FE college and a training provider,” says King. “These are different landscapes. With learners over 16, you’re adding in discussions about understanding consent and there’s an incremental increase in our expectations of learners’ self-governance.”

Furthermore, Ofsted’s rapid review was based on visits to 32 educational settings, but just two of them were colleges, and none were training

WHAT’S CHANGED IS THE EXPECTATION AROUND THE EVIDENCE THEY’LL LOOK FOR ON STAFF KNOWLEDGE

FEATURE

providers. Alex Miles, managing director of WYLP, a network of independent training providers in Yorkshire, agrees: “The requirements often refer to ‘schools and colleges’ or ‘young people’ so some providers think it doesn’t apply to them, but that’s a blinkered view. We need to take this guidance and shift it into the work-based learning context.”

Step-change “The specific focus on sexual harassment and peer-on-peer abuse is new territory for us,” says Bianca Sawle, head of safeguarding and welfare at Newham College in east London. “Previously we had a safeguarding policy that covered everything and included a paragraph on sexual harassment, but now we have a full policy extending to several pages on it. It outlines everyone’s role, from the leadership team to the person who receives a report to what the team will do with that information.”

Staff training has been increased to respond to Newham’s evolving responsibilities in this area, there is an online learner module detailing what constitutes peer-on-peer abuse, and an

CAS E S T U DY

SAFEGUARDING IN ACTION At Leeds City College, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and specialist support sits in its ‘student life’ provision, which also includes counselling, mental health and overall wellbeing.

The college employs around 1,800 people, so updating staff on current issues has to happen at scale.

“It all starts with the culture and tone of the college, right from when a student starts,” explains Andrew Ottey, head of safeguarding and wellbeing. “At inductions, we

make sure they know how to report a concern and all staff are trained in safeguarding to various degrees so they know how to respond if a learner discloses something.”

There is a dedicated team that responds to concerns and liaises with appropriate agencies, but also 60 staff who have been trained as safeguarding officers. If learners feel uncomfortable talking to a member of staff, they can report issues via a ‘Report It’ button on the website,

accessible through QR codes posted around the college, that goes straight to the safeguarding team. The college also has three police officers on site whose role is to develop relationships with learners and support with topical discussions.

“Our size and scale makes it a challenge but also means we have huge resources to draw upon,” says Ottey.

To build a culture where both staff and learners feel safe reporting issues, there

is a focus on restorative practice, explains Lauren Turnbull, health and behaviour lead. Teaching staff are encouraged to deal with lower-level behaviours by challenging appropriately.

“It’s about zero tolerance but also helping students to change their behaviour, to understand how what they say might affect other people,” she says. “We encourage staff and students to be upstanders rather than bystanders.”

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FEATURE

SAFEGUARDING

external party in or an invested party annual safeguarding week. One aspect from a safeguarding or pastoral team. of the Ofsted guidance Sawle feels less It’s not about asking people to do what comfortable with is the onus on teaching they feel uncomfortable with, but staff to conduct tutorials on safeguarding making sure it gets done.” issues. She adds: “If you’re there to Harrow argues that creating a culture teach construction, how confident and where there is a “collaborative, allcomfortable would you be discussing a organisation approach” rather than sexual harassment issue? We’d rather do resting safeguarding on one person’s it through our team as we can deliver a shoulders helps teaching staff grasp more open conversation.” those opportunities and recognise the Depending on the learning setting, importance of safeguarding more broadly. safeguarding teams could be dealing with communications from young learners under the age of 18, adults Adult safeguarding on apprenticeship courses who only Making safeguarding part of business as spend a certain proportion of their time usual has helped the Adult Community in college, or vulnerable adults with Learning (ACL) team at Essex County specific needs. Sixth-form colleges and Council to create an environment institutions providing education for 14- to where it’s everyone’s responsibility to 16-year-olds are under pass on concerns. Jill a statutory requirement Newton, safeguarding to include teaching on and wellbeing lead, relationships and sex says ACL has “always education, for example. looked on safeguarding Similarly, colleges are as something that goes The number of testimonies required to act in loco on anywhere”, so it’s recorded so far on the parentis for learners on the agenda of every Everyone’s Invited site under the age of 18 (as staff meeting and there in act in place of parents are multiple reporting should something go wrong). “This mechanisms if someone has a concern. means we have to tailor our messaging,” ACL has learners from a range of says Sawle, “or if someone is over the age vulnerable people, from those who have of 18 we need to gain their permission to mild learning disabilities despite being pass on their concern.” Staff are trained independent through to vulnerable in “contextualised safeguarding”, she adults who may be attached to social care adds, looking beyond what happens services. “Our concerns [with a vulnerable in college to how learners are doing at adult] would be different around neglect, home and in other environments such for example, than they would be for a as work or socialising. child,” says Newton. “Or perhaps English is The requirement to embed discussions not a learner’s first language and they wish around sex and relationships into to report sexual harassment, which can learning can be a challenge for some staff, be difficult. It’s a question of empowering however, as for many it will feel outside someone to get their own outcome and their remit. “There are expectations taking their wishes into account.” that we use opportunities to teach about Ofsted is yet to deliver its first issues such as consent and healthy assessments since the review and updated relationships, and if they occur naturally guidance was released this summer, so that’s great,” says Polly Harrow, chair of FE settings must wait to see which areas the National Association for Managers of of safeguarding attract the most focus.

Student Services and assistant principal What is certain is that the urgency and for inclusion and safeguarding at complexity of safeguarding – particularly Kirklees College. around sexual harassment – is not likely “But we also need to play to people’s to disappear any time soon. strengths. So if someone needs more development to tackle such topics we JO FARAGHER is a freelance journalist and former editor of TES Magazine support them, or perhaps bring an

54,000

ACTION POINTS

BUILDING A CULTURE OF SAFEGUARDING Ofsted has indicated that educational settings should take an organisationwide approach to safeguarding, creating a “safe space” where any member of staff should know what to do if someone approaches them with a concern. Alex Miles, managing director of independent training provider network WYLP, offers the following advice: Seek opportunities: Look at the curriculum or standards you are teaching and think about how you can tie these in with conversations on behaviour. British values teaching is part of many curricula, for example, and could offer opportunities for discussion on respect and tolerance.

Make it organic: Don’t react after an incident happens. Use opportunities to discuss issues rather than bolting this on to core learning.

Contextualise: Apprentices or work-based learners may require a different focus than college learners, so discuss safeguarding with their main environment in mind.

Network: There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Talk to other colleges or learning providers about how they set up safeguarding and the policies they use.

The ETF runs a number of professional development events on safeguarding. For more information visit: et-foundation. co.uk/supporting/professionaldevelopment/inclusion/prevent/

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AWARDS

QTLS

ROLL OF HONOUR The following people have successfully achieved QTLS status. Congratulations to all!

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Christiana Bello Christina Nikki Ed-Johnson Christine Fitch-Bonney Christopher Egwuma Christopher Logan Christopher Penny Christopher Percival Claire Dahill-Nicholls Claire Daw Claire Mills Claire Redstone Clarissa Curtis Clark Mccallum Connor Kelly Dan Cooper Daniel McGowan Danielle Knight Danielle Salfrais Danny Grant Darren Greensmith David Dickins David Dogue David Wells Debbie Overton Derek Hume Devorah Birnbaum Dolores Gonzalez Flores Donna Bromfield Dorelle Scott Dorina-Oana Iliesi Duncan Perry Edward Birch Elizabeth Evers Elizabeth Wilson Ella Cooper Emily Bate Emily Masters Emily Peers Emily Sharp Emma Albeck Emma Austin Emma Roberts Erin Shakespeare Fampiola Dima Farihah Qureshi Farzana Rowshan Fathiya Ahmed Fatima Latif Fatimah Alyas Faye Villers Fiona Wallace Frederick Otu-Sarpong Fumbamyomo Mhlanga Gail Roberts Gareth Scorer Gayle Neale George Butler Georgina Galloway

Gillian Artmann Glen Hardie Grace Last Graham Thomas Greg Davison Gregory Jefferys Gulnaz Khatoon Niazi Hanane Ech-Charif Hanife Koumis Hannah Harrison Hannah Nicholas Hayleigh Taylor Hayley Byrne Hayley Horton Hayley Wiggins Heidi Scheiblecker Helen Clutterham Helen Dixon Helen Greensmith Helen Partridge Helen Waters Hollie Barnes Howard Biswell Humaymah Patel Iain Turner Idrees Rasheed Inna Harutyunyan Iroabueke Nwadinobi Jabeen Maqbool Jacqueline Sordy Jade Richards Jake Simpson James Bower James Cotter James Dunnill James Venney Jane Moffat Jared Brighten Jasvir Grewal Jemma White Jen Phoenix Jenna Foster Jenna Webb Jennifer Obeng Jennifer Wilson Jenny Jarvis Jessica Thersby Jo Bowles Joab Lawlor Jo-Anne Innes Joanne Jones Jodie Diver Joe Dyer Joe Karchud John Holland John Yeandle Jon Psaila Jonathan Hymanforth

Jonathan Shackleton Jordan Senior Joseph Leahy Joshua Bamberg Judith Gammon Justin Barber Justine Webb Kaius Ikejezie Karen Feakin Karolyn Wright Kasia Mills Katherine Ambler Kathryn Chaplin Kathryn Taras Katie Furness Katy Anderson Kay Mullett Kayley Mccourt Keiron Seeds Kelle Benney Kelly Smyth Kerrie Halpin Khilan Shah Khouloud Zribi Ep Pogia Kim Symonds Kimberley Pestridge Kiran Dingri Kirstie Loh Kirsty Wade Lahija Usher Lara Iannaccone Laura Cowell Laura Green Laura Woods Lauren Woodford Leah Palmer Leanne Kyle Leanne Taylor Leigh Champion Lena Jones Leon Trudgeon Lewis Cowlishaw Libby Whiteside Lisa Barry Lori Gilbert Lorraine Croissant Lorraine Sela Louise Corbett Louise Davison Lucy Allanson Lucy Archer Luke Roberts Luke Robinson Lynn Weir Mahbuba Ahmed Maisie Meredith Manjari Dave Marcus Archer

Maria Thorne Mariam Bodi Marian Oyedoh Marie-Louise Robinson Marija Apostolidu Mark Beckett Mark Bresland Mark Soady Martin Breadmore Maryam Nawaz Matt Roles Matthew Blackwell Matthew Sanders Maud Saglio Zizzi Maxine Mitchell Megan Cross Megan Hill Megan Stack Meire Gransaull Melanie Booth Melanie Insall Michael Cole Michael Foley Michael Storer Michaela Shaw Michelle Eaton Millie Young Mitchell Heneghan Mohamed Elshikh Mohammed Salim Mojca Volavsek Nafisha Patel Naomi Kohn Naryse Storey Neena Nyneshwar Gaunekar Nicholas Humphrey Nick Barley Nico Coetzee Nicola Churcher Nisha Bhanderi Nnedimma Osuji Nowrin Alim Olayi Lasisi Olga Fox Olia Clow Oliver Ball Olivia Linton-Perry Olusimbo Nuga Ozgun Doganbaloglu Pantea Ghavidel Patrick Robinson Patrycja Pluta Paul Boothman Paulina BroszkiewiczEnosabata Polly Coates Polly Mallender Poppy Stevens

Rachel Mullins Rachel Robertson Rachel Varley Rajeshwar Seepersad Raphoel Shlomo Fulda Rayeeda Sultana Sabur Rebecca Collins Rebecca Morris Reece Whittaker Regina Simmini Rejaul Islam Rhiannon Edwards Richard Iain Lowe Ridhi Dargan Rivkah Rodal Robert Bowen Robert Gibbard Robert Mathews Robert Taylor Robert Turner Robert Walker Robyn Keech Rolanda Dolcy-Campbell Rosanna Amy Smith Ross Buttery Rozanna Walecki Ruby Kaur Russell Beacham Ryan Patrick Morley Sabrina Shariff Sally Doman Sally Killick Sally West Sally Wilson Sam Quearns Samantha Andrews Samantha Aspey Samia Henly Samuel Isaacs-Johnson Samuel Voight Sandra Rivero-Fernandez Sara Kachani Sarah Benham Sarah Bowden Sarah Johnson Sarah Lawn Sarah Shepherd Sarah Stuart Sarah Towers Scarlet Reid Scott Townshend Sean Archibald Sean Robson Shafeen Akhtar Shama Ahmed Shannon McDonald Sharareh Ariaee Shad Sharon Gray

Sharon Moore Sharon Scriven Shona Khan Shumaila Danish Sikander Ayub Soharwardy Simon Glickman Sobia Nawaz Sonia Sonam Masih Sophie Crawford Sophie George Sophie Sheffield Sotiris Zannettou Sownia Ramzan Stefano Sopranzi Stephanie Bolitho-Jones Steven Crowdy Steven Ingham Steven Murphy Subrata Blanche Sukhvinder Guhman Sultana Chowdhury Sundeep Ghattaura Suzanne Jury Thomas Boyle Toni-Anne Eagles Tova Hackenbroch Una Moore Valentine Kaddy Vianne Gibbons Vicki Baron Victoria Lang Victoria Springett Victoria Zurakowski Victoria-Leigh Herridge Vivienne Tarleton Waqas Awad William Tranter William Wheeler Yasser Majid Yocheved Jacobson Yusufali Jan Dhirani Yvette Stainsby Zahra Evans Zahra Malik Zainul Mussa Zeinab Mohamed Zeshan Ansari Zeyad Mohammed Zoe Mumford

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SECTOR FOCUS

LOCAL AUTHORITIES

s every inTuition reader should know, provision of adult community learning (ACL) is enormously important to a huge range of learners, including people in difficultto-reach or deprived communities; those learning English as a second language; and learners with SEND. It can be transformational for individuals, as a route towards employment and as a way to help improve physical and mental health. It can also deliver multiple social and economic benefits to local communities and to wider society.

The tangled history of local education institutions and changes in education policy mean the structures for ACL funding and provision are complex. Most local authority adult education budgets in England come from the Department for Education via the Education and Skills Funding Agency, but the devolved authorities take funding direct from government. Some local authorities, particularly those geographically close to each other or sharing similar goals in relation to specific groups of learners, have formed partnerships or joint organisations to deliver some FE services, including ACL. Grant funding for ACL may also come from multiple sources, including other government agencies.

But all local authorities use one or both of two provision models: direct delivery by the council, or subcontracting services to commercial or third-sector providers.

This article focuses on authorities using direct delivery for all or most services.

A

Direct approach With direct delivery, strategies determining the mix of provision may be more strongly influenced by a local authority’s wider goals and integrated into its overall economic and social strategies for a specific local area or particular groups of learners.

Sue Pember, policy director at HOLEX, the trade association for adult education providers, says keeping services in-house may enable local authorities to adapt to changing circumstances more quickly, such as being able to roll out specialist services to serve newly arrived refugees.

“You can’t do that if you’re tied into a set

CLOSE TO HOME

Local authorities form an integral part of the FE sector, delivering specific courses in response to community needs. David Adams explores how this works in practice of contracts,” she says. She also suggests it may be easier to monitor the quality of teaching staff if councils are directly involved in their recruitment. But in other circumstances a local authority may want to use a subcontractor, in part because this means it will avoid having to recruit and manage teaching staff itself.

Subcontracting may also make it easier to access very specific expertise quickly when it is required.

One local authority ACL provider that uses a mix of direct and subcontracted provision weighted more towards the former is Cambridgeshire Skills, part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

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LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Combined Authority, a devolved authority created in 2017. Tanya Meadows, Cambridgeshire Skills’ head of service, says the mix between inhouse and subcontracted adult learning provision has changed significantly over the past two years, from around 80 per cent contracted out and 20 per cent inhouse to almost the exact reverse today.

Meadows says bringing more provision back in-house makes it easier to ensure the curriculum is correctly designed to meet learners’ needs. Services can also be provided at low cost from the network of council-owned buildings the service uses.

“If provision has been set up for years and continues to meet the needs of the community for social or economic wellbeing, we will fund it,” says Meadows. “We don’t want to duplicate our offer, so we target that 20 per cent very creatively into those areas that we can’t reach, or that are very niche.”

P H O T O G R A P H Y: L ON D O N B OR O U G H O F H A R IN G E Y

Flexible model Lesley Spain is principal learning manager of Skills and Learning, an adult learning service created via a partnership between Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. Here too, most services are delivered in-house, but some are contracted out. Spain cites the flexibility to cater for changing local learning needs as one advantage of this arrangement; alongside a close relationship with the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, which has enabled the organisation “to get to the root of the local skills need”.

She also highlights operational benefits. “Being within the councils’ infrastructure and delivery priorities gives us security and allows us to be really connected to the public and the community,” she says. “It links us to other council services. We can complement their work, they support us; and we have more clout when it comes to bidding [for grant funding]: we have this network of people across Dorset.”

Spain thinks the fact the service is not-for-profit also makes a significant difference to strategy and the way staff work. “What differentiates us from a private training provider is that we’re doing this because we have a public

‘WE TRY THINGS NOT BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL RETURN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY IMPACT IT WILL HAVE’ sector duty to reach people who would benefit most from learning,” she says.

“We try things not because of the financial return, but because of the community impact it will have. “[Council] staff are much more driven by job satisfaction and impact,” she says. “They know they are bringing people along a journey to achieve their potential, as opposed to for a company to achieve a profit. We have lower staff turnover as people really buy into this.”

Mutual benefits Simon Beer, head of service at Haringey Adult Learning Services (HALS) in North London, says its close links with Haringey Council are hugely beneficial for both parties. HALS is integrated with the council’s regeneration and local economic redevelopment programme.

Members of Beer’s team work across the borough, including areas suffering from severe social and economic deprivation, alongside councillors who have a strong understanding of community needs.

In Northumberland Park, one of the most deprived council wards in England, Haringey Council identified a need to run digital skills courses for selfemployed people working from home during lockdown. “That was successful because it was so closely integrated with economic social regeneration teams working for the council,” says Beer.

A joint project with Haringey’s libraries, community integration and public health services saw the establishment of a citizen-led community information station,

SECTOR FOCUS

producing blogs, news, videos and podcasts, to help trusted community voices disseminate accurate public health information and discuss other important local topics during lockdown.

Beer also stresses the advantages for the council of HALS building strong relationships with local communities.

“Local councils often don’t have a particularly good reputation with residents; communication with them may be experienced as being heavy-handed or bureaucratic,” he says. “We have a really close relationship with 5,000 residents per year and they are having a positive experience in a council building.”

He says policymakers should consider the holistic nature of these services and the outcomes they can achieve. “An efficient local authority learning service makes the council better,” he says. “It helps the council listen to residents and can be a platform for people to feed into local decision-making.”

Future funding and national education policies remain sources of concern, in part because society still seems to attach so much importance to clearly defined and visible outcomes.

“You may not be able to see the impact of community learning straight away, but it’s so crucial,” says Meadows.

“We go into communities that are the hardest to reach and engage, but who have the most to gain. If that money is cut, that is only going to mean decreased participation.”

Pember says that, above all, it is essential to keep spreading the message that ACL is effective and successful, pointing out that recent research shows that 92 per cent of providers are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted. “That demonstrates that the model they are using is working for them,” she says, adding that HOLEX research shows this is the case both for direct delivery and subcontracted services. “It didn’t matter whether they were outsourcing or not: quality was good in all of them.”

DAVID ADAMS is a freelance journalist The ETF runs a number of regional ACL groups. For more information visit bit.ly/ACLgroups

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23/11/2021 11:36

SET CONFERENCE 2021

FEATURE

ATTENDEE FEEDBACK Just some of our attendees’ highlights from 2021

“It was hard to choose from such a great range of workshops! But thanks to the on-demand videos, I was able to catch up on them after the event”

S E T C O N F E R E N C E 2 0 21

A DAY TO REMEMBER The second online SET Conference took place in November, attracting 460 delegates with plenty more viewing sessions after the event.

Here’s your round-up of the day’s highlights he SET team was delighted to host another successful conference in November, which was attended by 460 delegates and described by attendees as “an incredible day of reflection”.

Hosted by the hugely popular and entertaining Sarah Simons, the online conference featured four high-profile keynote speakers and 16 practical breakout sessions covering themes on English, maths, SEND, sustainability, leadership, mentoring, offender learning, technical teaching, EdTech, assessment, research, mental health, professional development, learner motivations, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Throughout the day, more than 130 questions were asked in the live Q&A

T

sessions that tackled challenges, hot topics and thoughts affecting those working in the FE and training sector.

“I was thrilled with how the day went and how engaged our delegates were with the sessions,” said Martin Reid, director of professionalism and customer experience at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). “We also had the highest engagement rates across social media for a SET Conference day, which really highlighted the insightful and inspiring quotes, topics and information that were shared and how much resonated with SET members.”

The feedback speaks for itself: 93 per cent of delegates said they were very satisfied with the conference and a similar number said it will positively affect their professional practice.

“As a student teacher I am very new to this area, so I enjoyed the subject matter and thought the questions asked delved deeper into areas that I was also questioning”

“Thank you for an informative and engaging conference, which has now made me want to understand more about why black mathematicians are missing from our history”

“This was an utterly inspiring day and I have already signed up for newsletters and more information”

“It is great to hear that good is good enough.

Perfection is not realistic and this is something in education we need to recognise”

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FEATURE

SET CONFERENCE 2021

FIVE OF THE BEST The most popular sessions from the conference

1 The One Thing: Martine Ellis

Martine Ellis, professional development manager at the Guernsey Institute, talked about an evidence-informed, lecturer-led approach to professional development, using an approach titled ‘The One Thing’.

a culture of 2 Embedding wellbeing: Bridgend College

Bridgend College described how it embedded a whole college approach to mental health and wellbeing and the positive impact it has had for both staff and learners.

Sam Morgan (left) and Catherine Luff explained how this approach can be adapted to suit other organisations.

digital inclusion: 3 Understanding Good Things Foundation

Francesca Coleman, head of partnerships and fundraising at Good Things Foundation, looked at digital inclusion, common barriers, and actions for individuals to consider how they can embed digital inclusion into service delivery.

Diversity and inclusion: 4to improve working with learners curriculum and quality Ellisha Soanes (right), consultant and EDI coordinator at West Suffolk College, and Kam Nandra, director at Nandra Consultancy, discussed how they used quality improvement frameworks and learner-led approaches to improve the experiences of BAME learners and their colleges’ curriculum.

good to great – the benefits 5 From of reflective exploration

Mark Beetlestone and Tanya Richardson from Fareham College shared the positive impacts of an EdTech project undertaken in 2021. The idea behind this project was to give teachers and practitioners the breathing space to reflect and share best practice, and to focus on personal and professional development.

FAB FOUR A round-up of the four keynote sessions

Towards a better understanding A discussion on of cognitive demands of educational recovery practical assessments KEN SPOURS, emeritus professor of YASMINE EL MASRI, research manager, AQA Assessments should provide candidates with opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. However, some questions can pose challenges because of how they are formulated or presented.

In this fascinating session, Yasmine El Masri shared her thoughts on how the design of an assessment dictates its success and how the key to improving assessments often lies in how we ask the question.

post-compulsory education, UCL Institute of Education, BALLY KAUR, researcher for technical and vocational education, University of Derby and DAVID RUSSELL, CEO, Education and Training Foundation (ETF) In this session, Ken, Bally and David discussed recent research into harm and mitigation with FE following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Throughout the session, they discussed the road to educational recovery, and questioned whether going ‘back to normal’ is the goal, or should it be a hybrid of what we’ve learnt so far?

Life on and off the rugby pitch NIGEL OWENS MBE Nigel Owens gave a truly inspirational and insightful keynote session, as he talked about his life both on and off the rugby pitch. Through a powerful account of his own childhood and growing up in rural Wales, we learn of his struggles with his identity and his mental health, and how he now is a patron of the award-winning charity Bullies Out. Nigel also shared heartwarming highlights of his career, including memorable matches.

Teaching skills: Motivating yourself, motivating others GEOFF PETTY, author and teacher We can all agree it’s been a challenging 20 months for everyone in the teaching profession. In this session, Geoff Petty examined his research on motivation at work, what motivates people as professionals, and how to motivate others. As everyone is either managed or a manager, this session offered helpful insights to everyone in the FE sector.

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SET CONFERENCE 2021

ACC SET C ESSING ONFE VIDE RENC OS A E ND S LIDE The SE S

LEADERBOARD CHALLENGE WINNERS Congratulations to Sean O’Dell, Kara Durn and Elaine Battams (pictured left to right), who came in first, second and third in place respectively on our Leaderboard Challenge. Sean is the staff training and development manager at Progress Education. He is responsible for overseeing training programmes, staff development, and leading the

FEATURE

implementation of training systems.

Kara has worked in the FE sector for the past 17 years, both as a teacher and as a senior leader.

She is currently the head of school for the ESOL, adult and community department at West Herts College, Barnfield. Elaine is advanced learning practitioner at Barnfield College.

T H A NK YO U TO O U R S P ONSORS! A huge thank you goes to the sponsors of the SET Conference 2021, including our gold sponsors Essential Teaching UK and NCFE, along with AlphaPlus as an event supporter.

“We really enjoyed the conference and were proud to be the gold sponsors of such an inspiring and successful event,” said a spokesperson for Essential Teaching UK. “As this was our first virtual conference, we weren’t sure what to expect but we would be extremely enthusiastic about doing this again in the future. The support team has been extremely helpful, and this has continued post-event. The platform was really engaging and easy to use and we felt the organisation of the event was outstanding.”

closed T Conferenc e follow ing a m platform ha to catc s now onth-lo h up o n n the s the sli ession g opportunit d e s and y s. So, Apart downlo what h from p ad appen lannin which s g n f or nex will be ext? t held o be pub n 3 No year’s confe lishing rence, v e m a selec ber 20 blogs tion of 22, we that w il t will l h e o xpand ught-p topics rovokin on key from t d h g is e cussio day, so websit ns and keep a e, our n s e ocial m ye on and sig the edia c n up to hanne t h e ls, S p Digest e c ia l Interes s via y ou t Dashb r MySET oard.

AND FINALLY… Other sessions from an action-packed day ran on the following topics: Engaging hard-to-reach young people in community settings and effective models for youth custody Practical approaches to embedding sustainability Working with learners to improve curriculum and quality Moving from SEND to inclusion Understanding digital inclusion

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

Embedding Emb a culture of wellbeing w Investigating your ESOL practice Talking technical teaching and learning te The black heroes of mathematics Listening L to those with lived experience Harmonising Ha for diversity Development and delivery of courses to support mentoring in FE Leading a trauma-informed approach to teaching and learning

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RESEARCH AND INSIGHT FROM THE FURTHER EDUCATION SECTOR

of this research: future jobs and skills and the implications of this for planning and delivering the post-16 curriculum, and provides an overview of some of the resources available.

1

Looking forward A recent ETF research project explored the potential for a professional development programme for leaders. Rhys Davies outlines the findings of one element of that, looking at future jobs and skills

arlier this year, the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) commissioned research into the viability and potential scope of a programme of professional development for leaders responsible for curriculum and quality in the post-16 further education and training (FET) sector in England.

The research involved an extensive trawl through the literature and discussions with numerous senior sector leaders, directors of influential think tanks from the UK and elsewhere, and academics with specialisms in the sector. The CPD programme – the Curriculum Senior Leaders Programme – will run as a pilot between January and April 2022. This piece presents a summary of one aspect

E

Meeting short-term challenges: Covid-19 and Brexit

The economic impact of Covid-19 on labour markets remains uncertain.

Compared with early dire warnings, predictions have improved but uncertainty remains. What is undisputed is that the impact of the lockdowns on job prospects has been felt more keenly among the young.

Analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, for example, shows that 30 per cent of employees in lockeddown sectors were under 25.

The same report also highlights that those sectors hit hardest by the lockdowns, including non-food retail, restaurants and hotels, passenger transport, personal services and arts and leisure services, are those that predominantly employ women, younger people and those with lower skills. The lockdowns also resulted in 12 per cent fewer apprentices completing their apprenticeships compared with

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FUTURE SKILLS

pre-pandemic levels and a 46 per cent reduction in the number of those who started apprenticeships.

A good starting point for senior leaders wanting to determine the impact of Brexit on the UK labour market is the Resolution Foundation’s report Home and Away: the UK labour market in a post-Brexit world. The report points out that workforce shortages will likely first be observed in sectors that employ a larger-than-average share of EU-born workers in roles that fall outside the government’s list of eligible occupations for a skilled worker visa and that have a higher-than-average turnover rate.

For example, in the food manufacturing sector EU-born workers comprise around 10 per cent of operatives, packers, canners and bottlers, and none of these occupations are eligible for a skilled worker visa. The report also points to regional impacts, with London – where migrants make up 43 per cent of those in work – being particularly affected.

2

Addressing longer-term considerations

A review of the literature points to a clear consensus around the issues facing advanced global economies in the mediumto long-term: Meeting the challenges of the commitment to environmental sustainability and green energy Preparing workers for Industrial Revolution 4.0, with an accelerating trend towards the use of automation and artificial intelligence Addressing the implications of an ageing population and widening dependency ratios Increasing urbanisation, globalisation, widening inequality and political uncertainty

RHYS DAVIES is ETF associate for leadership programmes and director of Equip Consultancy Ltd

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) online library contains many resources, including policy and research papers, which are freely accessible to those interested in a global skills perspective. For example, Figure 1, which is from a recently published OECD paper, shows that skills traditionally

Figure 1: OECD countries face widening skills imbalances

THE KNOWLEDGE

linked to trade occupations – such as controlling and monitoring industrial operations, or equipment maintenance – are already experiencing surpluses.

By contrast, cognitive and socioemotional skills such as reading, writing, critical thinking and active learning are increasingly in short supply.

In terms of the shift towards automation, a review of the available literature reveals differences of opinion around the degree to which this will displace jobs. However, there is a clear consensus that increasing automation is changing the way we work and increasing the demands for digital skills among the current and future workforce.

The McKinsey Institute points to the impact on the UK labour market, predicting that twothirds of the workforce could be lacking basic digital skills by 2030.

Meanwhile, a report from the Office for National Statistics shows that people aged 20-24 are most likely to be at risk of having their job automated compared with other age groups.

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Note: Average values for 33 OECD countries. “First year” represents the initial application of the respective survey, whereas “Final year’ represents its latest application. Positive values represent shortages (e.g. unsatisfied labour market demand for the analysed skills. Negative values represent surpluses (supply exceeds labour market demand for the analysed skill). Results are presented on a scale ranging from -1 to +1. The maximum value represents the greatest shortage observed across the 33 countries and skill areas

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THE KNOWLEDGE

FUTURE SKILLS

Freely available summary papers from leading think-tanks such as The Skills Network, The Edge Foundation, The Institute for Public Policy Research and the McKinsey Institute provide more of a national focus.

The literature points to a close match between labour and skills needs in England and other economically advanced nations.

For example, there is a close correlation in future demand in areas such as nursing and caring, energy conservation and digital technology.

The McKinsey Global Institute assessed growth in jobs by level of skill, analysing the projected growth in employment of 369 different occupations from 2017 to 2030. This occupation-byoccupation modelling suggests that demand for roles in the top quintile of projected employment growth will increase by an average of about 19 per cent from 2017-2030, which equates to 1.4 per cent per year. This quintile includes occupations such as management roles in a host of sectors, as well as professional roles in information and communication technology, engineering, health and teaching.

Over the same period, demand for occupations in the bottom quintile, which includes administrative and secretarial roles, is projected to shrink by about 17 per cent.

There is, and will continue to be, strong demand for higher technical skills and there is a significant shortage of young

people qualified to levels 4 and 5.

This ‘missing middle’ is a concern of academics and policymakers alike and features strongly in the government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper.

From a review of the literature from the UK and other OECD countries, we can determine a set

Key considerations for planning an effective post-16 curriculum How can leaders draw upon government-led initiatives, such as the Lifelong Skills Guarantee and employerled skills bootcamps, to help those workers most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to find work? And how can leaders reconfigure apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programmes to aid the recovery?

How will leaders respond to the challenges posed by Brexit when strategically planning the curriculum?

How can senior leaders best engage with local employers to ensure a

curriculum that meets local skills and labour needs? Are senior leaders aware of the challenges in developing employers’ input into curriculum design and implementation, and do they have the skills and capacity to address these?

How does the sector address the conundrum of the ‘missing middle’ through the expansion of high-quality Higher Technical Qualifications?

How can leaders best engage adult learners with training, including flexible delivery options and accessing and deploying centralised funded initiatives?

How can leaders ensure they offer a curriculum that is broader than just qualifications – building social capital and equipping learners with the skills and attributes they need to realise their potential in the 21st century?

How can curriculum leaders adopt delivery models, such as distance learning, that maximise efficiencies without compromising on quality?

How can leaders provide a curriculum that meets the needs of employers, and in particular the growing demand for proficiency in the use of digital skills?

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FUTURE SKILLS

THE IMPACT OF THE LOCKDOWNS ON JOB PROSPECTS HAS BEEN FELT MORE KEENLY AMONG THE YOUNG

of skills for which there will be an increasing demand over the next 10 years: Basic literacy, communication and numeracy skills Digital or technological skills (basic and higher-level skills) Personal and socioemotional skills Higher cognitive skills Skills associated explicitly with science, technology, engineering and maths.

3

The regional perspective

Colleges and other training providers in England have always had a clear remit to deliver a curriculum that meets the skills needs of local and regional stakeholders. As the Foster Review of Colleges in England (2005) puts it: “The FE college of the future must be absolutely clear about its primary purpose: to improve employability and skills in its local area contributing to economic growth and social inclusion.”

The Skills for Jobs White Paper emphasises the importance of

working with local employers in shaping the curriculum offer, a sentiment that has been echoed with successive reviews of further education since the Wolf Review of 2011. The White Paper states that to ensure technical skills provision is “responsive to local labour market needs”, Local Skills Improvement Plans, led by accredited Chambers of Commerce and involving employers, colleges and training providers, will see employers setting out a “credibly articulated and evidence-based assessment of skills needs to which providers will be empowered to respond”.

In 2018, the government published its intentions to introduce 36 Skills Advisory Boards, the purpose of which are to play a key role in determining local skills needs and how FET providers can meet these needs.

Typically, Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) have been established within mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) or local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).

SAPs are intended to help MCAs and LEPs understand the current and future local skills landscape.

The data that the SAPs provide can prove to be extremely helpful to senior leaders in ensuring that their curriculum models meet local and regional skills needs.

The White Paper places a spotlight on the role of Chambers of Commerce but says very little about LEPs. All 38 LEPs in England have a skills board, the primary responsibility of which is meeting the skills development priorities in the LEP region. It is through representation at these boards that FET providers have been working with their LEPs in recent years in helping to shape the skills curriculum offer at regional level.

These boards are well placed to work with senior FE leaders and must surely continue to feature in local and regional planning.

Considering the prevailing winds and having the ability to

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keep sight of immediate and longer-term trends are essential attributes for leaders of the post-16 curriculum in England.

The new senior leaders programme of professional development will encourage participants to consider and reflect on best practice around the management of quality and the curriculum, using professional communities of practice, action research, mentoring and a blend of online and face-to-face training.

The Curriculum Senior Leaders Programme will begin in January 2022.

Find out more at et-foundation.co.uk

References and further information Gatsby Foundation (2020) Youth Unemployment: Lessons to learn (available at gatsby.org.uk) International Public Policy Observatory (2021) data quoted in FE News, 10 September 2021 Resolution Foundation (2020) Home and Away: the UK labour market in a postBrexit world (available at resolutionfoundation.org) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2021) Teachers and Leaders in Vocational Education and Training (available at oecdilibrary.org/education) McKinsey & Company (2019) Tackling shortages in the UK workforce by rethinking skills and the future of work (available at mckinsey.com) Office for National Statistics (2019) Which occupations are at highest risk of being automated? (available at ons.gov.uk) Foster, A (2005) Realising the Potential (available at dera. ioe.ac.uk) For further details, go to Skills Advisory Panels at www.gov.uk

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DIGITAL LEARNING

Technical skills The Covid-19 pandemic underlined the importance of teachers and learners being able to use digital learning.

For one college, a recent OTLA project meant they were better placed to do this effectively.

Joe Wydrzynski explains how they went about it

his year, my college took part in an action research project funded by the Outstanding Teaching Learning Assessment group (OTLA), on behalf of the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). Our project was mentored by the supportive and exemplary Lynne Taylerson.

The project’s premise was to use an action research approach to investigate digital learning and the effectiveness of learner-led digital activities. This includes not just what software and devices work best, but also which methods of delivery. We have focused on the use of technology with our learners for a number of years.

For the academic year 2020-21, we intended to refine our practice while receiving promising results.

Firstly, we aimed to detail what methods of delivery are best suited to fully engage further education (FE) GCSE maths re-sit learners. Looking at how learners participate in lessons and how

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this affects their progression is a passion of the maths team.

As a vocational FE college with minimal entry requirements, we get a diverse resitting learner cohort. The college’s policy is that all learners follow a GCSE pathway within their study programmes if they have Grade 1-3, while those with no GCSE grade are entered for Functional Skills.

With this in mind, we wanted to establish the best strategies for digital participation with our learners. We believe that planned flipped learning helps define the learner’s maths experience at the college and provides an alternative process to school.

This includes looking into how learners work independently within our framework. We wanted to gather evidence on all of this and gauge effectiveness.

Secondly, due to the pandemic, we also wanted to ensure continued high learner engagement for a potential year of remote learning.

Keeping up motivation was an

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imperative aspect of our planning for the academic year 2020-21.

Having a large mix of learners with widely varying socioeconomic backgrounds, we understood that some would have difficulties accessing work online. Some only had access to a mobile device, others had little access to a stable Wi-Fi connection. Therefore, we wanted to ensure our package of delivery was as inclusive as possible. From what programmes are easiest to access to what resources are most engaging, we used the project to identify how to turn a turbulent year into one of our most successful yet.

Lastly, we wanted to improve digital confidence and competency in the teaching team. The team included members who had put up barriers against moving into the digital learning era. We also wanted to stretch the knowledge and capability of staff already selfassured in technology.

Figure 1: Process for assessing and surveying learners Learners take initial survey.

Includes questions about taking part in the project and asks for permission to use learner data and feedback Conventional teacher-led session

Digital learner-led flipped session

Take online Google Form assessment on lesson’s topics

Learners from digital learner-led flipped lesson take specifically designed survey

Learners from conventional teacher-led lesson take specifically designed survey

Project lead then analyses the data and makes assumptions in reports

Devising the plan The project’s focus was always on how we can help our learners, considering factors such as their socioeconomic backgrounds and previous grades. We decided to target general improvement in digital fluency rather than focus on a particular tool or app. The reasons for this are varied, but are essentially due to us wanting to ascertain what software works best and not wanting to be limited in scope, thereby increasing learners’ motivation to experiment with all things digital.

The investigation compared what works in a conventional teacher-led approach with digital learner-led flipped learning methodology. We hoped to see how this influences engagement and achievement.

At the beginning of the project, we had an ideal of what teacherled learning entailed and what learner-led flipped digital learning would involve. Teacher-led learning

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JOE WYDRZYNSKI is project leader and lecturer at Basingstoke College of Technology (BCOT)

is essentially what happens in an average GCSE maths class.

A teacher lectures, presenting a variety of topics. Learners use a paper workbook. The teacher might wander around checking learners’ work and go through some model answers on the board. The lesson may then include a plenary exercise or assessment at the end.

Learner-led flipped digital learning is the opposite in many regards; it is somewhat asynchronous but always occurs with a teacher present. A teacher informs learners where to locate resources and then can spend the rest of the lesson supporting and working preventively. Learners take the lead in learning, dictating the speed (timeframe suggestions are provided) and order, and are also given some freedoms on work presentation. Tutoring can be performed via videos and slides.

Answers are often located digitally and are sometimes timed, so the teacher can spend

time focusing on stretching the knowledge of some learners or spend more time with others who are struggling. While often heavily structured, the learner-led element comes from learners not having everything directly presented in a lecture and instead independence is encouraged. At the end of a session, the teacher then has learners take an assessment (Nouri, 2016).

Later in the year, especially when moving to remote learning, we switched to teacher-led digital lessons for almost all learners.

When appropriate, these sessions became learner-led for particular topics. This developing pedagogy altered our feedback focus, too; the allocated weeks are detailed in the report appendices.

A word of warning for those intending to take part in a similar project: be careful during the initial week when you introduce new technology. Start simpler than you might first intend and slowly build fluency.

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DIGITAL LEARNING

Project outcomes We have changed many aspects of our curriculum to include many of the positive elements we diagnosed throughout the project.

These include lesson structure, the professional presentation of our workbooks, what digital tools work best, what videos engage our learners, the importance of one-to-one sessions and how essential it is to have a robust target-setting procedure.

The feedback from learners has been incredibly detailed, and has both humbled and inspired us.

For example: “It is great that the college want to get better, to help us to get better” “Taking part made me feel like I’m involved in something that will make me actually get a Grade 4” “I’ve never felt so good at using computers” We also have had hugely positive survey results for digital learning, as well as independent studying. The following percentages are for surveys given to the cohort during the academic year:

Learners feel their computer skills have improved because of the project (71 per cent).

Two-thirds (67 per cent) feel their ability to use technology in maths increased over the year as a result of taking part in the project.

Almost as many (65 per cent) feel they are more likely to try to revise independently at home, and 69 per cent managed to do so via digital mediums.

Nearly three quarters (74 per cent) say they are more confident in using learning-related software.

More than four out of five (81 per cent) say that they have to be skilled in digital areas, in order to flourish in their futures (up from 48 per cent in the first term).

Other prominent statistics: More than four out of five (81 per cent ) of learners say they are more likely to try using technology to learn maths independently in lessons Around 63 per cent say they are more likely to want to use technology in all lessons (including vocational)

REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT We also highlighted the need to make It is fair to say I entered the digital lessons learner-centric, with interactive revolution that we now find ourselves in engagement. The need to create the right dragging my heels. I was not the most learning environment, and have enthusiastic advocate for the a growth mindset and positive use of technology, when the attitude, were also important in exam is on paper! Then Covid-19 shaping the project. happened and we all found This process has made ourselves in a different place. me realise the importance of I have completed some truly listening, understanding and wonderful CPD with the ETF, SOPHIE GEORGE growing. In the past, I have and I cannot thank the OTLA is GCSE maths not had confidence in my enough for all the support they course director, own ability to use technology. have given me and the team.

Basingstoke However, completing the project A particular highlight was the College of Technology has allowed me to take time two development days that I and reflect, leaving me ready to completed – I became aware of take on more. I want to continue to strive the stresses my own learners must feel when learning online and using technology to do my best for the learners and as leader of the maths team. to which they were not accustomed.

Learners have become happier using the Century Tech website, and 71 per cent would recommend it to a friend. By contrast, a few years ago most learners disliked using this AI learning website.

This has resulted in a more confident teaching team in terms of digital skills and the desire to try innovative pedagogical methods.

Embedding the perseverance to grow with learners and adapt to new techniques has been an emerging theme from the year.

Newer team members have developed fresh confidence in their abilities and are happier making decisions, from picking out differentiated tasks to creating shared presentation resources.

More senior staff members, who were formerly less comfortable with their technical abilities, have now grown and improved to the point where they are willingly trying new software then introducing it to the rest of the team. The project has helped the team develop and become more determined. As a result, we have enhanced our skills to support our specialist area.

During the academic year 2020-21, for the first time staff: Made ‘live’ digital workbooks Created online self-marking assessments Used Jamboard (via iPads) as a teaching tool as well as a learning platform Tried new websites, such as Mathwhiteboard and Mathsbot Learnt how to use the marking tool Rubric.

In conclusion, our mix of digital methods alongside traditional approaches has resulted in one of the most positive experiences the department has had in many years.

The success is all the more notable due to the fact that it took place during the global pandemic. We are extremely proud of what we have achieved.

Read the full report and appendices at bit.ly/MathsTechStudy

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he start of 2020; a year everyone felt excited for, a new decade. Then the pandemic hit.

Personal experiences have been similar in many ways but also very different, and for those in education the challenge was set.

How do we teach online during a global pandemic? How do we support learners who are not only going through the uncertainties of childhood or adolescence, but also a global pandemic? How do we look

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after ourselves so that we have the resilience to care for everyone else?

So many questions, and nobody had the answer. Goal posts changed daily, by the hour, sometimes even by the minute. What are we dealing with now, next, later?

Inequality was suddenly magnified. Rich or poor, nourished or neglected, educated during lockdown or ignored: the gap had widened. We have a new generation – Generation Covid– and the impact will be seen for

CATHERINE ROBERTS is head of

section for health and social care and foundation at Coleg Sir Gâr, a member college of the Research College Group

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decades to come. Remote delivery, blended learning, “you’re on mute”, “Cameras on, somebody answer me, please talk!” Who could have predicted these would become the new buzzwords in education?

Having been thrown into remote delivery in March 2020, Google Meet was our lifeline. It was a way to maintain contact with learners not only verbally but also to ‘see’ them. There was no time to stop and think. We continued teaching a cohort of learners who had bonded as a group.

Expectations had been embedded, self-esteem and confidence had been developed, and – more importantly – relationships had been formed: there was trust.

But even with all of this in

Facing the camera Remote learning led to a rush to get teachers and learners to engage with online lessons. But for many, cameras proved a sticking point.

Catherine Roberts set about finding out what the issues really were, and what can be learned from the whole experience WINTER 2021 INTUITION 37

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LOCKDOWN LESSONS

place, there was still anxiety surrounding being on-screen.

“Everyone isn’t always looking at me when we sit in class” was a response given when I asked about the lack of use of cameras.

My research, as part of my professional development within my college group, was set: cameras on or cameras off ?

In focus

By September 2020, online lessons were the norm. I followed the discussion on Twitter: cameras on for safeguarding, cameras off for safeguarding. Cameras on for the duration of the lesson for learning. Cameras on for the start of the lesson, then off for learning. Cameras off for learning: pre-recorded videos only. It was a discussion I regularly had with staff and learners.

Learners responded in the same way they would when asked if they liked Marmite. They either felt OK having the camera on or they hated it. Very few said they didn’t mind. Staff wanted cameras on, and when I delved deeper into the reason for this, the answer was usually linked to being able to see the learners: “We need to see them; we can’t teach while talking to blank screens.”

This was followed up with the focus moved onto the ability to check engagement and learning.

“We need to see they are there, engaging and learning; we can’t do that with cameras off.” I thought about this a lot. I felt uncomfortable teaching a group I could not see, and as I reflected I began to question whether the cameras were on for my own benefit; to make me feel better in my delivery, or for the benefit of learners. Was I relying too heavily on the techniques and skills I used in the classroom?

How would I evolve as an online teacher?

Techniques to engage and monitor learning during online delivery was my first area to research. I needed to experiment with new strategies and techniques. As I adapted, Google Classroom and Meet also evolved.

Raised hands were introduced along with polls, breakout rooms and Q&As. Jamboards were a live tool to monitor engagement and understanding – “Don’t forget to add your name to the note”, I quickly learnt to say.

Mute all, end all; host controls were game-changers. Flipgrid and Kahoot! always lifted the mood and encouraged learners to interact with each other. Google Chat offered the option of asking

WAS I RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON THE TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS I USED IN THE CLASSROOM?

a question in Meet sessions, in a group or on a one-to-one basis.

The learners also started to adjust, and together we kept learning.

Search for evidence I needed some data. A Google form was created, and learners – mainly 16-to-18-year-olds on health and social care programmes – were asked to complete it voluntarily and anonymously. The results, from 130 learners, were interesting. On average, 52 per cent said they felt uncomfortable when the camera was on.

Interestingly, this increased when asked about confidence – 60 per cent lacked confidence with the camera on. This made me think: is this a skillset that needs to be taught and developed, rather than just assuming they can do it? Do we need to teach them more than just how to join a meet and turn their cameras on?

Gradually increasing learner confidence in being seen online in a formal environment is similar to developing their skills and confidence by having them give a presentation in class. Many learners would rather miss a day, week or month of lessons than stand in front of a class and give a presentation. Does the same happen when cameras need to be on during a lesson? Learners can’t see themselves standing there while giving a presentation in class, their image isn’t staring back at them: they are not watching themselves work.

In terms of comfort, in a classroom you can see if someone is looking directly at you, watching you work. How often have you dealt with an argument between learners because “they were looking at me”? However, when they are on-screen, how do they know if someone is looking directly at them, watching them work? This is the reality of working online with the camera on, in full glare of everyone. We

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support learners in building up their skills and confidence to deliver a presentation; why not do the same for cameras?

Almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of the questionnaire respondents said they preferred to work with the camera off.

Common reasons for not having the camera on were anxiety, a lack of confidence, feeling uncomfortable with being seen online, and how they felt about their appearance. Indeed, these are the answers one would expect. However, there may have been other reasons that we had not considered: What about Muslim learners who do not wear their hijab at home but now have to in order to be seen online?

For learners who have body dysmorphic disorder or those suffering from anxiety, depression and low self-esteem, having a camera on makes it worse. How do we support mental health in these situations?

Has our learners’ privacy been invaded? We can see into their room, their family, their home and all that happens there. There may be parents working from home or young siblings running around. We no longer control the learning environment.

What about learners who find it difficult to concentrate and focus, or those who find social situations difficult? Being able to switch off the camera, remove those distractions and focus on work had a positive impact. They can relax and learn, without other distracting thoughts and worries.

Finally, I looked at the impact it had on their ability to engage in the lesson; 80 per cent felt they were able to actively participate in the lesson with their camera off.

The results made me reflect on the questions again. It started simply as a way to gauge whether having cameras on or

DO WE NEED TO TEACH THEM MORE THAN JUST HOW TO JOIN A MEET AND TURN THEIR CAMERAS ON? off affected teaching and learning; I’m now thinking about the impact cameras have on mental health and wellbeing. For those who suffer from poor mental health, having cameras on makes it worse. For learners who live in a volatile household, the worry and stress of people being able to see and hear inside their house would surely take its toll.

Positive view But what about the positives of online learning without cameras on?

On a bad day, those who experience anxiety or depression, or learners who need to stay at home to care for others, may not attend college.

With remote delivery, they are able to engage with learning at home. They can fully take part without cameras on by using chat,

THE KNOWLEDGE

polls and Q&As. Could this lead to greater success in completing courses? Would this success boost their mental health? Is education no longer a barrier to those who feel safer at home or need to stay home to support family?

This takes me back to my original question: cameras on, or cameras off ? There is no definitive answer to that, given the many factors that can affect this. If we are to take a person-centred approach to learning, we need to apply the same approach to the question. Over the pandemic I have changed as a teacher, as have my methods of measuring engagement and learning.

What would have been a learner’s smile or nod in the classroom to say they understand the task became a raised hand on Meet.

Google Chat allowed me to check their understanding. Individual learners used messaging tools to ask me a question or ask for help during lessons without other learners knowing. This informed me of any misunderstandings early on in the task, and I could ask questions to the class without mentioning who it came from but offer the reassurance that it was a great question. This led to more questions from the learners, increasing their confidence to ask.

Walking around the class to observe learners’ work became a quick look on Classroom to check they had all opened the work and were responding. Instant feedback asking if they needed help to get started could be left without anyone else knowing. The chat function on Meet also allowed all learners to respond to a question all at once. I had added more tools to my toolkit.

The world has changed, learners have changed and so have I. Lockdown was considered to be a barrier to education and learning for many. But it has been a bridge for some learners, and has helped them onto the road to success.

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TIPS AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERS’ CORNER

GET SOCIAL

Plea follo se use a n w ou r has d htag to se et featu he latest res inTu from ition

#SETi nTuiti on THE FORUM

Time of change s ever, just like the rest of the further education and training sector, here at the Society for Education and Training (SET), teams change and evolve, and I am thrilled to have joined the organisation as the new head of membership. I am looking forward to connecting with more of you over the coming months.

Since you received your autumn issue of inTuition, the team has been in full planning mode for SET’s fourth annual conference. We’ve also continued to host our lunchtime digital Special Interest Group events, with Babington College discussing how it went about breaking down barriers between managers and colleagues to openly discuss mental health and wellbeing, and the activities the college undertook to stimulate those conversations. Please keep an eye out for your invitation to attend our member-only online events by logging into your My SET dashboard on the SET website and updating your special interests.

The membership team also hosted the second Trainee Teacher Advisory Group (TTAG) meeting.

TTAG is one of SET’s three advisory bodies, made up of members who are

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either studying their initial teacher education (ITE) or are in their first year post-qualification.

We discussed what CPD would be most beneficial during the ITE process and the content we provide for student members. With such a diverse sector, we wanted to expand the voices we are hearing to cater more to our diverse student population, so we also grew the TTAG following a recruitment drive.

Finally, we would like to offer a warm welcome to our new Corporate Partners and new SET members joining us from Walsall College, Capital City College Group, Barnet & Southgate College, South & City College Group Birmingham, Hull College, Babington College, and City College Plymouth. We look forward to supporting you when it comes to sharing your expertise and experience with peers.

We have also recently welcomed five new members of our Practitioner Advisory Group (PAG). Details of new and existing PAG members can be found on the SET website, along with information about how this group supports the work we do.

JANE GALBRAITH is head of membership at SET

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ONLINE RESOURCES

WEBINAR

T H E E D U C AT I O N AND TRAINING F O U N D AT I O N PODCAST

Ask Geoff Petty In October we ran a live webinar event with teacher and author Geoff Petty where you were invited to send in any question in advance of the session. Here we look at three of the questions and answers from the event. You can catch up on the on-demand session by visiting the resources section on the SET website and searching for ‘Ask Geoff Petty’.

What tips do you have for trainee and newly qualified further education (FE) teachers to help them build their confidence and skills in the classroom?

I’ve always been impressed by an idea that John Biggs had, which was that teachers seem to change their focus during their career. When they first start teaching, they’re obsessed with the question ‘What should I do when I’m standing in front of the class?’ This is fairly understandable, but once that’s out of the way and the lessons are being planned, the next question should be ‘What should my students do?’ That has more impact in many ways.

Eventually, the question should be ‘What have my students learned and not learned?’

The eventual mindset that teachers should have is to monitor learning as it’s going on, working out whether the students have got it or not, and responding, if they haven’t.

One thing that can really help novice teachers is to try and move them as quickly as possible through those mindsets so that they’re thinking more about what their students have learnt.

I’m a teacher working with students who have had trauma in their backgrounds.

Do you have any tips on how to teach inference? We also have a number of students on the autistic spectrum.

Some people on the autism spectrum can have difficulty empathising or

MEMBERS’ CORNER

understanding what things look like from other people’s point of view, so inference would be particularly challenging for them.

There is a brilliant book by Peter Westwood, called Commonsense Methods for Children with Special Educational Needs. Don’t be put off by the word ‘children’. It works for adult learners too.

Westwood says that behaviour modification works best – that’s where you set a very clear objective to the students and you concentrate on praise rather than criticism.

To what extent has evidence-based practice shifted since you wrote your book, in terms of determining which teaching techniques or practices are still deemed to be the most effective?

There have been some recent moves I’d like to talk about, such as the idea of effect size, which has come under some criticism, and research on cognitive science. What’s happening is that we’re getting a bit more sense of certainty about the findings, which I think is a good thing.

The basic findings remain the same, in terms of which teaching methods work best, because the research has been done over 30 or 40 years and the way people learn hasn’t really changed. There might be a bit more emphasis on things like getting students to recall stuff and not forget things (often referred to as ‘spaced practice’).

The ETF Podcast covers a range of themes: equality, diversity and inclusion; technical education; professional development; sustainability; and health and wellbeing. Each podcast is accompanied by a transcript or edited article, offered for accessibility purposes, or simply as another way to digest the information.

Here are some of the latest episodes now available to access via our website, iTunes or SoundCloud: Jeff Greenwich and Mark Wright: Leading with love – the key to an inclusive culture The Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) diary: Entry #1, Jacqueline Browne and Lynne Baker Experiences of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the FE and training࣢sector Teacher dialogue and professionalism with Paul Tully and Tony Davis Supported experiments and professionalism with Paul Tully and Joanne Miles In conversation with: Toby Osborne, digital T Level lead

Introduction to SET membership We have been holding ‘Introduction to SET membership’ sessions for Initial Teacher Educator (ITE) leads. If you would like to book your students in for a future session (students are eligible for free SET membership), then please let us know by emailing amanda.parkes@etfoundation.co.uk

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MY LIFE IN TEACHING

What made you want to get into teaching?

For three years, I worked for different design companies. I found it difficult to work with hearing managers because they often made negative comments about Deaf people, such as not being able to use the phone or communicate with clients. That’s why I became a teacher, to educate hearing learners to help change their thinking and attitude towards the Deaf community.

How did you go about this?

I was asked to cover for a classroom assistant who was on maternity leave, supporting a Teacher of the Deaf (TOD) to teach Deaf children in the classroom.

While I was there, I noticed the TOD’s signing skills were not at a suitable level for the children, so I had to take over to ensure that they understood. I then realised that I wanted to be a teacher.

Where has your career taken you so far?

I worked at the local college as a Deaf tutor for nearly 11 years, and I studied teaching courses including the Certificate in Education, then an MA in Deaf education. I also worked with Deaf children in schools for three years. I have been a freelance Deaf awareness teacher for different companies all over the UK and I also teach British Sign Language (BSL) courses at Levels 1 and 2. Recently, I was interviewed by BSL Zone for the ‘This is Deaf’ series to discuss education.

What is your current position?

I’m now working for Interpreting Solutions 2UK. I have three roles: Deaf awareness teacher, BSL tutor and specialist support professional.

Can you run me through a typical day?

I don’t have a typical day as each day is always different.

However, the most important part is to have plenty of goodquality coffee first thing in the morning! Since Covid, I mostly work with learners in remote sessions. My hearing colleague, Heather, acts as a

signs of sirens, such as cars moving to the side, so we know when emergency vehicles are coming.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

Completing a master’s in Deaf education was my hardest challenge. It had me in tears at times when I was struggling, but a great support network from family, friends and colleagues got me through.

TACKLING PREJUDICE Realising the sign language used with Deaf children wasn’t up to scratch pushed Elaine Butterworth to move into teaching communication support worker as some Deaf learners are not BSL users. I amend their grammar and make sure their assignments are at academic level. I teach BSL enrichment at many different schools and colleges for six to 12 weeks as well.

What’s the strangest question you’ve had from a learner?

The one that comes to mind is ‘Can you drive?’ This really shows that some people still don’t realise that we, Deaf people, can drive quite well due to always using our eyes.

For example, we use our common sense by watching out for the

How has the Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status helped you?

QTLS helped me to improve my teaching skills. It also pushed me to study BSL linguistics in greater depth, in order to teach learners in different ways to ensure that they understand and sign naturally.

How would you like your career to develop?

I’ve started a Level 6 in BSL, and want to focus especially on linguistics to become a mentor for trainee interpreters. I have set up a Level 3 course in communication support for Deaf learners. If you are keen to find out more, please visit interpretingsolutions2uk.com What three characteristics do you feel makes a good teacher?

Being knowledgeable, a good listener and a great motivator.

What do you most love about࣢teaching?

I always enjoy watching learners’ facial expressions when they learn BSL – a mixture of delight and happiness.

What do you get up to outside work?

I am a great fan of sci-fi films, and I have enjoyed travelling around the world, including Vietnam and Thailand, on my own. Drinking red wine is mandatory.

If you would like to be featured in My Life in Teaching, email intuition@redactive.co.uk

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BOOK REVIEWS

BOOK REVIEWS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM: A JOURNEY TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM

MEMBERS’ CORNER

All books have been reviewed by DR ANNE DAVIS , who has worked as a sixth-form maths teacher and head of maths in south-east England. She is also a private tutor, teaching maths, chemistry and physics, specialising in the 16+ age group.

She is a cycling and kayaking coach, with experience of coaching disabled athletes

HOMEWORK WITH IMPACT

BECOMING A TEACHER

By Andrew B Jones Routledge, 2022

By Alan Newland Crown House Publishing, 2021

The back cover for this book has a headline: ‘If you think you understand how autism presents, think again.’ It sucked me right in as I have wished on numerous times that someone would publish an account to debunk the ‘Rain Man’ stereotype of autism.

The authors have both previously worked as headteachers in schools specialising in educating autistic young people.

Aimed at those working in both mainstream and specialist organisations, this book covers a range of everyday areas impacted by autism, including sensory differences, communication, behaviour and socialisation.

Real-life case studies are used as examples, which are rather heart-warming at times and described sympathetically.

I was initially disappointed by the very small section on autism in girls and a discussion on the differences in the genders. But it is clear from the book as a whole that the condition is being described in terms of its presentations and not stereotypes applied to young people in general. And this is all based on the very real experience of these experts in their field.

Andrew Jones is an experienced secondary teacher and a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. Although this book is primarily aimed at schoolteachers, it contains important development points for teachers in further education as well.

Starting with a review of the debate around homework, the author supports its use and asserts his belief in a rigorous homework programme. He draws on references to academic studies that justify the impact of homework on learning and achievement, backed up by current evidence from cognitive psychology on retrieval practice, spacing and interleaving to the setting of homework.

This book also addresses which types of homework and their content have the most positive impact on learning, outlining practical ideas, strategies and activities that teachers can implement, trial and adopt in their own classrooms. It also explores how organisations can support learners with homework as well as the importance of having a crystalclear homework policy.

Feedback and assessment of homework for educators and learners are also covered, including an overview of how teachers can effectively check homework.

Although this book is a sizeable read on first impression, weighing in at 361 pages, it is very well presented and an initial flick through will make you want to read it if you have any interest in the teaching profession.

It is broken down into six chapters, defining teaching and exploring the legal, ethical and moral challenges facing the profession today. It features a constructive examination of the Teachers’ Standards and shares a series of illustrative scenarios and responses that will equip teachers to deal with some of the contentious and sensitive issues that they are likely to encounter.

The author also uses examples from his own career to explain and highlight dilemmas faced by teachers on a regular basis. He is honest about where he’s made mistakes in his career, which is refreshing and reassuring. And he is not afraid to explore some controversial issues along the way.

This book is relevant to all educators in today’s classrooms and lecture theatres, including trainee teachers but also tutors, lecturers, mentors and CPD leads.

It also includes useful appendices, featuring codes for professional practice, useful links and resources, and extended discussion of issues around spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code SPECTRUM20 at bloomsbury.com (valid until 14 January)

InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code APR20 at routledge.com (valid until 30 January)

InTuition readers receive a 20% discount on this book with the code inTuition20 at crownhouse.co.uk

By Francine Brower and Keith MacKenzie Cox Bloomsbury, 2021

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