Highlights of the week ending 15 January 2021
Education remains at the forefront to the national news, be it calls for teacher vaccinations or the storm around food parcels to those on free school meals.
In addition to these issues, this week has seen Gavin Williamson set out to Ofqual more details around his call for teacher assessed grades. In the same letter, he also cancelled vocational exams (including BTEC) due to be taken in February and March. This drew criticism from Labour who had called for this earlier and said VQ students were an “afterthought”.
In another change of policy, Ofsted reversed its decision to inspect schools in person. DfE has also extended the deadline for responses to the latest phase of its review of Level 3 qualifications (now 31 January). This review could have far reaching consequences for the future of further education, as will the much anticipated White Paper which is due for publication any day now.
This week’s blog is by Ria Bhatti and considers the unintended consequences on the nursing profession of proposed changes to vocational qualifications at Level 3.
Finally this week, the deadline for entries for this year’s Teaching Awards has been extended to March 12. For more details visit teachingawards.com.