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Articles by Julia Belgutay
GCSE resits 2021: More students achieve grade 4
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes GCSE resit results: 39 per cent of resit students received at least a grade 4 in maths and 43 per cent achieved at least a grade 4 in English Julia Belgutay 12th August 2021 at 9:30am The proportion of GCSE resit students in England who achieved the...
Btec results day 2021: 230,000 get level 3 results
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Tens of thousands of learners are now able to take the next steps in their careers Julia Belgutay 10th August 2021 at 9:30am Over 230,000 Btec students will receive their Level 3 results today, allowing them to take the next steps in their career...
Btec results day 2021: No evidence of teacher bias in VTQs
There was no evidence of teacher bias in the assessment of vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) this year, exams regulator Ofqual has said. Equalities analysis of this year's results found no evidence of bias towards one group over another, but did identify some “small changes” in the results of some groups of students which are observed in normal years, “which may reflect the impact of the pandemic”.
Statement on the future of FE coverage in Tes
On 31 August 2021, Tes will stop its dedicated coverage of the further education and skills sector. As part of a shift in Tes’ focus towards more teaching and learning, research-based content for schools, there will no longer be FE news coverage or comment online, and the same will apply to the FE feature in the magazine. As a result, after over a decade covering the sector across the UK, I will be leaving Tes at the end of the month.
Ucas: Half of school leavers considering apprenticeship
One in five students who do not intend starting a traditional degree course this autumn have an apprenticeship as their main plan, university and college admissions service Ucas has found. According to a new report, more than three quarters (78 per cent) of students due to get their results next week, but who do not plan to immediately start a three-year full-time undergraduate degree, are interested in starting an apprenticeship.
Btecs: Scrapping qualifications an 'act of vandalism' - Baker
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Btecs are 'of particular help to disadvantaged young people', says former education secretary Lord Baker of Dorking Julia Belgutay 29th July 2021 at 11:59am Scrapping Btecs would be an "act of educational vandalism", former education secretary Kenneth...
Government proposes new skills fund for adult education
The government has set out its plans for reforming college funding, including a new skills fund for directly funded adult education and a simpler funding formula. It also proposes new "accountability agreements" to improve accountability while also giving colleges more freedom.
Staff at 15 FE colleges vote for strike action over pay
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes The pay increase offered by the Association of Colleges is not sufficient, says the UCU union Julia Belgutay 15th July 2021 at 2:22pm Members of the University and College Union (UCU) in 15 further education colleges in England have voted for strike...
Btec qualifications reform: Students 'may not get level 3'
Some students may find it more difficult to achieve level 3 qualifications in the future as a result of the government's reform programme, the Department for Education has said. In the impact assessment published along with the response to the consultation on level 3 reform, the DfE said it is working to “ensure a high-quality route into employment is available at level 2” for “those students that are not able to access level 3 in future, even with additional support”.
Lord Baker: The new skills bill cannot make up for school failure
The government's new Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will not be able to support young people out of disadvantage because it does not address the failures of education in England for 11 to 16 year-olds, a former education secretary has warned.
Keegan: Government won't 'clear up' after colleges
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan tells Tes why new intervention powers are needed and why the Skills Bill will introduce a 'culture of lifelong learning' Julia Belgutay 23rd June 2021 at 4:49pm The new intervention powers the Skills...
Schools must arrange for FE careers advice, says Lord Baker| Tes News
A statutory duty should be placed on schools to arrange for vocational education providers to have access to students to offer them careers advice, former education secretary Lord Baker has said. Speaking in the House of Lords on Tuesday on the government’s Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, Lord Baker said he would table an amendment to make the Baker Clause, implemented in 2017, a legal requirement for schools.
Ofqual: 'We're through the worst' on functional skills assessment
Opportunities for functional skills assessments are available now and the country is "through the worst of it" in terms of apprentices being held back from completing their qualifications, the Ofqual chief regulator has said.
The skills bill: FE finds a way to shine in these dark times
It is cold out there – and I don’t just mean the weather. I have been covering education for a decade and now, more than ever, people are telling me how tired or stressed they are, how they are struggling to sleep and leave work behind. I have talked many times in this space about the importance of kindness and looking out for each other – but I also know that this is getting harder all the time. It is not just about work, either.
The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill - what it actually says
This afternoon, the government's Skills and Post-16 Education Bill was formally presented to parliament. It forms the heart of the government's reform ambitions for the sector, and contains plans on a range of issues from employer engagement to government powers when it comes to institutions that are struggling or are seen to be failing to meet "local need".
FE podcast: Adult education funding, Ofsted inspections and Dame Ruth Silver
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes The Tes FE team discuss the hottest news from the sector, including adult education funding and Ofsted inspections Tes Reporter 30th April 2021 at 4:10pm In this week's podcast, the Tes FE team – Julia Belgutay and Kate Parker – talk about the...
Gillian Keegan: Adult education budget clawback plan 'gives colleges some leeway'
Apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan has said the government's planned approach to clawing back adult education funding is "fair". Colleges have urged the government to rethink the plans, which would see a clawback of adult education funding for institutions delivering below the 90 per cent threshold. That threshold had previously been at 68 per cent.
FE is full of great stories - but they need to be told
Today is, without question, one of my favourite days of the working year. At midnight, we published the shortlist for this year’s Tes FE Awards – a reflection of everything that is great about the sector, pulled together by a panel of judges that is unrivalled in its experience and expertise. The actual awards evening is brilliant, of course – what could be better than a night literally dedicated to applauding the very best of FE?
Jill Biden video: First lady says FE colleges inspire her
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes US first lady Jill Biden introduces herself as a 'community college professor of English' in new video Julia Belgutay 21st April 2021 at 2:15pm Further education institutions "meet students where they are", US first lady Jill Biden has said.
University access: Parents prefer vocational qualifications
Almost half of parents would prefer their child to get a vocational qualification after school – more that would like to see them attend university or start work. Polling for the Social Market Foundation and the Further Education Trust for Leadership found 48 per cent would prefer a vocational qualification for their child instead of them attending university (preferred by 37 per cent) or starting work (8 per cent).
WATCH: How to support students with Down's syndrome
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Down's syndrome campaigner Sam Ross has worked in a college for over a decade - and has some ideas on supporting learners Julia Belgutay 7th April 2021 at 6:39pm Sam Ross has missed her workplace during lockdown.
Kindness is easily overlooked – but it's crucial now
Last week, I had my spirits lifted by an elite sportsperson. It is a bit of a long story, but, essentially, I had taken part in an online rowing session the previous week and seriously struggled. I was kept going, however, by the medal-winning Olympian leading the session, and her ability to chat and motivate throughout, despite admitting that she herself felt a little nervous.
Shelagh Legrave: Who is the next FE commissioner?
Principal and chief executive of Chichester College Group Shelagh Legrave, has been appointed the next further education commissioner today. She will take up the post on October and will work with 18 deputies and advisers and the Education and Skills Funding Agency to support and strengthen the leadership and governance of colleges, the government said today. This comes as Ms Legrave's predecessor Sir Richard Atkins stepped down after over four years in post. So who is the new commissioner?
Btecs: Ofqual's plan for 2021 vocational assessment confirmed
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes The qualifications regulator has set out its contingency regulatory framework for vocational and technical qualifications - including what adaptations awarding organisations might make Julia Belgutay 24th March 2021 at 2:40pm Awarding organisations...
Why our colleges will come out of Covid stronger
'We're creating a truly collaborative sector' Bryony Evett-Hackfort, director of learning, teaching, technology and skills at Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion: The trauma, fear and uncertainty of the collective experience that has shaped every day since March 2020 has left a lasting impact that will shape society for years to come. In order to move forward, we have to embrace a collective recovery; we need to put ourselves back together, and taking time to do that is essential.
Staff need to feel valued - and pay is key to that
The grey cloud of industrial action is looming on the FE horizon across the UK just three months into 2021. While teaching staff in Northern Ireland's six further education colleges will take a day of strike action next week over pay and conditions, the University and College Union announced this week that a ballot was opening for strike action at prison education provider Novus.
University access: Colleges face recruitment battle
Colleges and universities could be drawn into “turf wars” over students, a new report has warned. The report, published today by the Social Market Foundation and supported by the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL), says leaders have warned of possible “hunger games” that would undermine cooperation between institutions. It predicts a higher risk of tension and conflict between the two sections unless ministers take action to clarify the roles of the two sectors.
Back to college: More students to return from 5 April
More students will return to colleges in Scotland from the early April, the Scottish government has announced. Setting out plans for an easing of coronavirus restrictions, the government said that from 5 April, there would be a return of college students “within the top three priority groups identified by Colleges Scotland as most likely not to complete this academic year”. This, the government said, was estimated as around 29 per cent of learners.
Colleges reopening: It is about striking a balance, says minister
The Scottish government will continue its slow, phased approach to students returning to colleges as it tries to "balance the harms" of longer absences from campus and increasing the risk of the coronavirus spreading, the country's further education, higher education and science minister has said.
WATCH: Colleges reopening - What has it been like for leaders?
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes As most students begin return to college for face-to-face teaching, Tes talks to leaders about the challenges they've faced Julia Belgutay & Kate Parker 8th March 2021 at 5:08pm Today was the day when colleges across England were due to reopen for all...
Spring Budget 2021: What it means for further education
This afternoon, chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out his plans for the budget, with funding announced for apprenticeships and traineeships, as well as training for SMEs. But what do his plans mean for those working and studying in the further education sector? We have gathered everything you need to know. Spring budget 2021: Sunak's plans for further education Background: Chancellor to announce £2bn job scheme for young people Rishi Sunak's Budget: what will it mean for FE?
Catch-up cash for 16-19 Tuition Fund announced
The government has announced a £102 million extension of the 16-19 Tuition Fund as part of a wider education catch-up package for England. The money, part of the £300 million in funding for catch-up tutoring originally announced by Boris Johnson in January, will extend the fund, set up to support students in English, maths and other vocational and academic subjects, for a further year.
Why were FE colleges an afterthought again this week?
Reading about the government's plans on a Sunday evening has become a regular occurrence even for those in the education sector who are well connected to the corridors of power in Westminster. Last weekend was no different. By just after 11pm on Sunday night, school staff, pupils and their parents and carers were able to turn to any number of national publications to find out what prime minister Boris Johnson would announce in parliament the next day.
Back to college: Masks to be worn in classrooms
College staff and students will be "advised" to wear face coverings in classrooms where social distancing cannot be maintained, the government has announced. Today, prime minister Boris Johnson set out his roadmap for England's move out of lockdown, announcing that schools and colleges would open from 8 March.
Colleges reopening: When the government expects students back
College students will return to face-to-face education from 8 March at the same time as school pupils, the prime minister has said. Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Boris Johnson said schools had been the last to be closed and would be the first to open. Colleges reopening: Masks to be worn in the classroom Covid-19 rapid testing: How will it work in FE?
Back to College: Everything you need to know
Colleges will re-open fully from 8 March, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed today. Rapid Covid tests will play a key role in the return to face-to-face teaching, with all students and staff due to receive four tests within the first two weeks of on-site delivery, and then twice weekly after that.
Back to college: When government expects students back
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Students in all colleges can return from 8 March, alongside their peers in schools, the prime minister has said Julia Belgutay 22nd February 2021 at 3:54pm More college students will return to face-to-face education from 8 March alongside their peers...
Covid vaccinations: 'Education should be prioritised'
Staff in early years settings, schools and colleges should be prioritised in phase 2 of the coronavirus vaccination programmes, education organisations and unions have urged. Their call comes as it is reported that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is recommending an age-based approach to the next stage of the rollout, rather than one based on occupation.
Covid catch-up cash 'should be targeted at most disadvantaged'
Catch-up funding to support young people who have lost learning through Covid disruption should be allocated on the basis of measures of deprivation to ensure that the resources are targeted effectively, the Association of Colleges has said.
Apprenticeships: MP Lia Nici to chair diversity network
Conservative MP Lia Nici has been appointed chair of the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network (ADCN). The network, set up in 2017, champions diversity among employers and encourages under-represented groups to consider apprenticeships. It is made up of 88 members, including large employers such as Channel 4, Siemens Plc, Lloyds Banking Group, and several NHS Trusts.
Augar Review: Government plans 'modular' approach to HE
The government plans to introduce a modular higher education offer in colleges and universities, it has announced. In its interim Conclusion of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding, published this morning, the government says it will move towards “modularisation of higher education” to offer a more flexible system that provides more opportunity for upskilling throughout people’s careers.
Skills White Paper FE sector's day in the sun, says Keegan
Today's Skills for Jobs White Paper is the further education sector's "day in the sun" and colleges will be instrumental in delivering the government's agenda, apprenticeships and skills minister Gillian Keegan has said. Instead of removing autonomy from colleges and providers, the government's proposals put colleges at the heart of delivering what the economy needed, she told Tes this afternoon.
The skills White Paper and the Augar and TEF reviews at a glance
Today the government published the long-awaited Skills for Jobs White Paper – setting out a large number of measures that it hopes will align the FE system more closely with the needs of the economy and learners of all ages. It also sets out changes to accountability and funding structures, along with plans for FE staff training.
GCSE results: Half of English students get grade 4
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes Results for the over 130,000 entries for English and maths GCSEs in the November exam series were published this morning Julia Belgutay 14th January 2021 at 10:34am Almost half of candidates who sat their English GCSE exam in November achieved at...
Btecs: Williamson refuses to u-turn on January exams
The education secretary has said colleges should not feel pressured to offer vocational exams this month - but should be able to continue to do so if they feel that is right. Gavin Williamson told parliament today students and staff had worked hard to prepare for the exams. "We want to allow schools and colleges continue to offer them where they feel it is right to do so".
Andy Burnham named as Tes FE Person of the Year
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes In the summer, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham went toe to toe against Ofqual on exam results Julia Belgutay 4th January 2021 at 10:28am Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham spent plenty of time in the spotlight this year.
Williamson insists January exams to go ahead as planned
Running vocational and technical exams in the middle of a national lockdown is "unfair" on staff and students, the chief executive has said. His comment comes as Tes understands the government plans to run the January exam season as planned, despite the national lockdown announced by the prime minister tonight.
Black Further Education Leadership Group recognised by Tes
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes This year, The Black Further Education Leadership Group put the spotlight on the sector’s shortcomings when it comes to racism Julia Belgutay 3rd January 2021 at 12:00pm The Black Further Education Leadership Group put the spotlight on the sector’s...
Ofsted's Paul Joyce named Tes FE Person of the Year
It is fair to say that Ofsted’s announcement that the inspectorate would carry out visits to schools and colleges from this autumn was not universally welcomed. In fact, in the schools sector, it was met with significant resistance. In FE, however, any objections to the decision, which followed the regulator’s suspension of inspections in March after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, were much more muted.
Williamson insists January exams to go ahead as planned
Jobs My jobs Job alerts My CV Career preferences Resources Downloads Saved resources Author dashboard Add resource My shop Tes Elements Courses Access courses News Magazine Subscriptions Payments About us My products Tes for schools Work for Tes College students will have sit their exams and assessments as planned from next week, despite changes to the planned reopening of colleges and schools Julia Belgutay 30th December 2020 at 4:41pm The January exam season will go ahead as planned, the...
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