November is shaping up to be a crucial month for further education and skills. In less than a fortnight, the Association of Colleges (AoC) annual conference - the biggest event in the calendar for principals across the country - will get underway.
It will be the first conference under recently appointed AoC chief executive David Hughes. It will be the first chance for most college leaders to hear from two key government figures: apprenticeships and skills minister Robert Halfon and education secretary Justine Greening.
Many fear the chancellor could be set to deliver bad news
The conference could also offer clues to an even more significant event: Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement as chancellor on 23 November. It’s difficult to think of a time when there has been more riding on the announcements to be made at the House of Commons dispatch box. It comes, of course, during a hugely uncertain period, with no detail yet disclosed about how Britain’s departure from the EU might affect the FE sector.
Here’s the TES guide to the main issues that will be addressed in the coming weeks.
Sainsbury review
On the first day of the conference, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, chair of the Independent Panel on Technical Education, will take the stage. The panel’s report, published in July, resulted in the government’s Post-16 Skills Plan, which recommended that, at the age of 16, students should choose between an academic or technical route. Within the technical route they would be able to opt for a two-year college-based course or an apprenticeship.
Former skills minister Nick Boles vowed that the government would implement all the proposals “where that is possible within current budget constraints”. But given the prospect of Brexit-related economic uncertainty - not to mention a wholesale ministerial shuffle - colleges will be keen to hear what the future holds for these plans.
Sixth forms
Department for Education guidance earlier this year set out that new school sixth forms should be created only in schools rated “good “or better, with a broad curriculum offer and the expectation of enrolling 200 or more students. However, the AoC initiated a judicial review, arguing that the DfE’s decision to fund a new school sixth form in Essex was not in line with the guidance. On Tuesday, it emerged that a settlement had been reached after the school withdrew its plans. This should result in a warmer welcome for national schools commissioner Sir David Carter on the first day of the AoC conference.
English and maths resits
The 2015-16 academic year was the first in which it was a condition of colleges’ funding that students who had not previously achieved a C grade at English or maths GCSE had to retake the qualification. As a result, the overall number of resits in colleges rose by 40 per cent, according to the AoC, topping 200,000 for the first time.
Colleges have struggled to deal with the huge increase in numbers, with many unable to recruit teachers for both subjects, as well as having to rent large halls and community spaces to provide sufficient exam-hall space. Given the level of concern across the sector, resits are likely to dominate much of the discussion at the conference.
Apprenticeships
The most talked-about speech at last year’s AoC conference was the address by then skills minister Mr Boles. In it, he saluted the work of some private training providers in delivering two-thirds of apprenticeships (although the Association of Employment and Learning Providers later argued that the true proportion was even higher), but asked college leaders: “Why on earth are you letting these guys nick your lunch?” With apprenticeships and the levy still very much a hot topic, delegates will now be keen to hear what Peter Lauener, recently appointed chief executive of the new Institute for Apprenticeships, has to say on the final day of the conference.
Mental health
AoC president Ian Ashman wants to make his term in office “the year of mental health” in the sector. Speaking to TES in September, the former principal of Hackney Community College called for a concerted effort to tackle the issue, stressing that the incidence of mental ill health was at record levels in colleges. “The question is, how do we get them all the support they need?” he said. The matter will be a focus of the second day of the conference, with contributions from mental health campaigner and actress Ruby Wax, as well as scientist, writer and broadcaster Baroness Greenfield.
Funding
In last year’s spending review, the college sector was spared the severe funding cuts that were widely anticipated. Instead, then chancellor George Osborne said the adult FE budget was to be protected in cash terms for the next four years. However, funding remains stretched and colleges are expected to become more efficient through the area review process. With the financial climate likely to become even more uncertain as Brexit negotiations commence in the spring, many are concerned that Mr Hammond could be set to deliver bad news.
New faces
The final day of the conference will mark the first time that delegates have been addressed by Ms Greening and Mr Halfon. Speaking to TES in his first interview as minister, Mr Halfon highlighted the vital role played by colleges, and the importance of apprenticeships. There will also be a familiar face appearing in an unfamiliar capacity: former AoC president and Exeter College principal Richard Atkins will make his first appearance since being appointed FE commissioner.
