Here's your latest round-up of news from the education press.
TES
1 January 2016
The biggest change to the schools system in 50 years (p8) - Ministers are considering publishing a whitepaper that will formalise its plans to convert every remaining state school in the country into an academy.
The process could be fraught with difficulties, as councils warn they’ll have no influence over spending on school places, that their education budgets would then be spent elsewhere and only 16% of primary schools are currently academies.
Leaderless Ofqual about to be hit by "Tsunami of reform" (p9) - The regulator Ofqual is about to be hit by a "Tsunami of reform" and new initiatives while no replacement has been lined up for outgoing CEO Glenys Stacey. This is set against a year of substantial reform for the education sector under Ofqual’s remit, including the establishment of the new GCSE and A Level examinations.
8 January 2016
College groups could face more inspections (p44) - Large college groups are in line for Ofsted inspections under new plans being considered by the inspectorate.
This is particularly timely as the area reviews will most likely lead to a waves of mergers across the country, leading to a smaller number of providers in large college groups.
The new inspections would need more funding, something the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has so far refused.
FE Week
8 January 2016
Area reviews already behind schedule (p1) - The ongoing area reviews of post-16 provision are already behind schedule, due to "unrealistic" timescales from the government. The first wave of reviews in Birmingham, Greater Manchester and the Sheffield City region are due to deliver next month, but are barely halfway through.
Those involved in the process have highlighted a tension between looking to complete the process as "quickly as possible", and the "more practical wisdom of how you achieve change at a local level".
The government has so far announced the details of 101 colleges and 54 sixth forms that are involved in 2 waves of the review covering 15 regions.
18 January 2016
Growth request jeopardy for Apprenticeships (p2) - Providers who have requested for growth in their 16 to 18 Apprenticeships delivery could lose out on the additional funding needed.
The Department for Education is holding up the growth request process, with providers having to "take a risk" on over delivering their allocations, in the hope the extra funding materialises.
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has set out that it is "not yet in a position to confirm support for [16 to 18 Apprenticeship growth] requests.
