Highlights of the week ending 19 November
This week Nadhim Zahawi announced, during the Second Reading of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, that the Government’s level 3 reform timetable would be extended by a year, meaning no funding will be removed from qualifications overlapping with T Levels until 2024 at the earliest. Though this was welcomed, many also felt the extension did not go far enough. During the debate many MPs spoke in favour of retaining high quality Applied General and BTEC qualifications. The Secretary of State also announced relaxations relating to English and maths exist requirements for T Levels, in order to encourage more students to take the new qualifications.
Ofsted is to accelerate inspections to consider how schools and colleges are recovering from the pandemic. Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, in a speech to the AoC, set this policy out. She also highlighted the role Ofsted will be playing in the government’s new Local Skills Inspection Plans
And as part of anti-bullying week, Children’s Minister Will Quince announced funding to support anti-bullying initiatives and provided schools with money to promote pupil wellbeing.