News

Businesses want the education system to improve at giving young people the skills they need for work, says the 2014 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills survey.

In the survey of 291 companies employing nearly 1.5 million people, over half (61%) are concerned about the resilience and self-management of school leavers and a third (33%) with their attitude to work. By contrast, nearly all firms (96%) are satisfied with young peoples’ IT abilities when they enter the workplace.

Firms want primary schools to focus on developing literacy and numeracy (85%) with around one-third not satisfied with these skills among school leavers. Half (52%) are urging schools to develop a greater awareness of working life among 14-19 year olds with support from businesses. Companies are prepared to play their part with two-thirds (66%) willing to take on a larger role in the school careers system.

read more

Ofqual has accepted Pearson's application to be recognised to offer the new GCSE 9 to 1 qualifications. Confirmation was received on 13 May 2014.

New qualifications in English language, English literature and mathematics will be rolled out from September 2015, subject to accreditation, with the first awards being made in the summer of 2017. Further subjects will follow a year later. The reformed qualifications will have a numbered grading system, from 9 to 1 (with 9 being the highest grade available).

read more

The BBC and Pearson College have joined forces to launch a Higher Apprenticeship and degree programme for business management in the creative industries.

• This is a unique opportunity for talented young apprentices to earn while they learn and get a high-quality university degree.
• Participants gain both a Pearson College Business Management Degree and a Leadership and Management Higher Apprenticeship.
• Work placements at the BBC will provide enviable experience of working at the heart of the media industry.
• First degree-level Business scheme to be offered by the BBC.
• Two-year scheme opens up entry to the brightest from all backgrounds.
• Applications are open from 14 April until 4 May 2014.

The two-year scheme targets those without a degree and opens up entry into the creative industries to the broadest range of backgrounds.

Alongside teaching at Pearson College to understand key aspects of business – from management and leadership to business law – successful candidates will have the opportunity to develop hands-on experience through three placements within the BBC. These will take place within three of five areas: Television, Marketing and Audiences, Future Media, Policy and Strategy, or Worldwide.

The scheme provides a Leadership and Management Higher Apprenticeship incorporating a Pearson College BA (Hons) Business Management* degree with all fees paid, validated by Ashridge Business School, one of the world's leading business schools.

read more

A new report published today urges the government to radically overhaul the way the current school curriculum is developed to ensure it better meets the needs of the future economy.

The report, 'Making Education Work,' follows a six-month review of England’s education system by an independent advisory group consisting of prominent business leaders and chaired by leading academic Professor Sir Roy Anderson.

The report's key recommendations are:

• A cross-party body should ensure the school curriculum is aligned to the future economy.
• A levels should be slowly replaced with a Baccalaureate system.
• The importance of interpersonal skills should be recognised and evidenced.
  

With the content of the school curriculum continuing to change with each new administration, the report recommends the establishment of a new independent body, made up of teachers, employers, higher education and importantly, political parties. The new group would aim to establish a long-term political consensus on the school curriculum, with ultimate responsibility for delivering and assessing that curriculum continuing to be vested in the government.

The Making Education Work report also recommends:

• The A level system should slowly change to a baccalaureate-type system which supports a broader curriculum, to keep career options open and enable flexibility in later life.
• England should formally adopt a formal framework for key competences, to include important attributes like team working, which are predicted to become increasingly important in the job market.
• The testing of higher level reasoning skills, rather than just knowledge of theory or facts, should carry greater weight in qualifications, as more roles in the future will require these skills.

read more

Here’s our comment on the Department for Education and Ofqual's decisions on GCSE reform, including changing the grading structure and removing coursework.

read more