3

We need plus-size prep for ‘big fat GCSE’, teachers say (p12) – Maths teachers are asking for the launch of the new 9-1 graded GCSEs to be delayed by a year to allow for sufficient preparation time, as no sample materials have been released to schools in advance of the GCSEs. The new ‘Big fat GCSEs’ will be rolled out from September 2015, and because of a row over standards, the practice and sample materials won’t be rolled out until April at the earliest. The Association of Teachers of Mathematics has written to Ofqual requesting that "it would be prudent to delay the introduction of the new GCSEs by a year."

Tweet

Apprenticeships is the topic on everyone’s lips at the moment, with cross-party pledges to increase the number of young people undertaking Apprenticeships following the General Election, and a successful Apprenticeship Week highlighting the benefits of the scheme to businesses, educational institutions and learners. The evidence supporting Apprenticeships as a viable education path to take continues to grow, as research has shown customers favour businesses with Apprentices over those who don’t use Apprenticeship schemes at all.

Tagged:

Tweet

Climate change is in the news again as the concern for the damage we may be doing to our planet increases. Recently it’s been reported that increases in temperature could bring mosquito-carried diseases to the UK, and that it could even affect the quality and taste of our food. In an effort to raise awareness of climate change and encourage people to actively participate in green activities, the WWF began Earth Hour in 2007. Over 162 countries worldwide now participate in the event, which involves turning off lights for an hour. Prominent landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and Big Ben have taken part in the past, reaching the attention of millions worldwide.

Tagged:

Tweet

A report by the Commons Health Committee has called for improvements to be made to the access available for social care at the end of life. Following the report which claimed there was “unacceptable variation” in the quality of care received across England, Care minister Norman Lamb said the government will now look closely at a policy of free end of life social care for all. Currently, families seeking free care for a dying relative at home have to go through a complex process of means testing and assessment to identify if they qualify for funded support for end of life care. As a result, more than half of deaths across England still occur in NHS hospitals, despite more than two-thirds of people saying they would prefer to spend their last days at home.

Tagged:

Tweet

Last week we celebrated the eighth National Apprenticeship Week, which saw more than 600 events held across the country, shining a national media spotlight on Apprenticeships; a spotlight which was only intensified by the build up to the general election. With a year of change behind us and a great deal of uncertainty still ahead in terms of the future for Apprenticeships, the week provided a welcomed opportunity to take stock and appreciate the true value that Apprenticeships have on the lives of learners, businesses and our economy. Co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, the week aims to help inspire more young people to become apprentices, whilst encouraging business to unlock the potential of Apprenticeships.

Tagged:

Tweet

Fellow North East-based educational charity Teach First have stated that all schools should have a professionally trained teacher delivering careers advice to their pupils. In their report titled ‘Careers education in the classroom: The role of teachers in making young people work-ready,’ the charity said that at least one teacher at a school should specialise in careers advice and employability, and that this should be at the core of each curriculum led by teachers, and supported by businesses and policy makers.

Tagged:

Tweet

As we get increasingly closer to May’s General Election, each of the major political parties are setting out their stall in terms of how they would improve education within Schools. With this in mind, it’s interesting to see Labour’s pledge to move arts to the heart of education, giving each child an entitlement to a creative learning experience. In his first major speech on the arts, Ed Miliband, Labour leader, told a gathering of cultural leaders that arts, culture and creativity would be integral to the next Labour government’s mission. He talked passionately about the “wider impact” these subjects can have on a young person’s education.

Tagged:

Tweet

Last month the Education committee published the report on PSHE and SRE in schools. Describing the government’s strategy for improving education in this area as weak and as a mismatch between rhetoric and the actual steps that have been taken to improve education in this area, the report didn’t exactly hold back.

Tagged:

Tweet

At NCFE, we see first-hand the benefits Apprenticeships bring to lives of learners, and the opportunities they offer to young people looking to succeed in the workplace. It’s our hope that this week’s spotlight on Apprenticeships will help inspire more young people to achieve their potential through work based training. What’s more, it should help encourage more business to take on apprentices by providing them with a greater understanding of the value that Apprenticeships can bring to their organisation.

Tagged:

Tweet

Government scraps ‘deterrent’ apprentice rule (p1) – the government has ‘scrapped’ the rule that requires Apprentices to re-sit any English & maths GCSEs they sat more than 5 years before the Apprenticeship start date. The “Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) confirmed it had removed the rule — in place since 2009 — from the latest version of the specification of apprenticeship standards for England (SASE), but individual frameworks will need to be amended to reflect the change.”

Tagged:

Tweet

Schools

Colleges

Training Providers

Employers

Learners

NCFE is a national Awarding Organisation

Blog Archives: March 2015

Policy Corner - 27 March 2015

Consumers trust employers delivering Apprenticeships

Earth Hour 2015 – Are you being Green?

A call for improvements to end of life care access

Apprenticeships - the week that was

The importance of quality careers advice

Embedding creativity in your curriculum

Life Lessons

National Apprenticeship Week 2015

Policy Corner - March 2015

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive

Blog Archives: March 2015

Subscribe

Authors

Lindsay Plumpton

David Grailey

Andrew Gladstone-Heighton

Esme Winch

Michael Lemin

Categories

Archive