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CfEM Live Conference Wednesday 29  June - online: Mathematics Resilience (2 of 3)

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CfEM Live Conference Wednesday 29  June - online: Mathematics Resilience (2 of 3)

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ETF Booking

For booking enquiries, please contact:

Join the CfEM Live 202 2 series of online events which see maths practitioners from across England sharing and celebrating outcomes from their latest action research projects. There are a total of three events, each focusing on a different theme.

Today’s theme is Mathematical Resilience: helping learners overcome negative attitudes and the various ways teams and organisations have developed a culture in which everyone believes all students can achieve.

Please see here for further details of Day 1 (Teaching for Mastery) and here for Day 3 (Responsive Teaching)

Upcoming

Online - #CfEMLive22 - Mathematical Resilience (2 of 3)

Date: 29/06/2022

Price: no charge

Booking Close Date: 28/06/2022

Session 1 : Webinar/Online

Date: 29/06/2022 09:45 - 15:15

No suitable dates or locations? Please register your interest and we will let you know about new events as they are announced.

Who is this for?

For everyone interested in the latest evidence into effective practice for FE maths learners in England on the topic of teaching for mathematical resilience.

The event will be of particular interest to:

All participants in the CfEM programme (2018 to 2022)

Maths teachers and support staff from the FE and Training sector

Maths curriculum leads

Independent consultants working with the FE maths sector or/and with practitioner researchers

Policy makers

Training aim

Mathematical resilience is one of three CFEM Live 2022  online flexible events.

Hot off the press, find out about the innovations that CfEM teachers and support staff from across England have tried out this academic year.

Hear their research evidence and conclusions on ‘what works’ in FE maths teaching, learning and assessment.

Also learn how these FE maths teachers successfully use action research as a model of professional development to make focused and sustainable improvements to their own practice.

You can view the details of the topics covered in each of the provider-led presentations here. This document also includes details of provider-led presentations for Day 1 (Teaching for Mastery) and Day 3 (Responsive Teaching), as well as booking links for those events, should you wish to attend.

Outcomes

You will have knowledge and confidence to:

Celebrate and give voice to the practitioner groups involved in CfEM collaborative action research.

Learn and understand implications for your own practice and thinking, based on the most recent action research cycles conducted by FE teachers on the theme of ‘Mathematical resilience’.

Connect with a wider FE maths community.

Be inspired to do your own action research projects.

Length

This is an online event which will run from approximately 9:45 – 3.15pm.

Please do feel free to join at the relevant hour if you cannot make the entire event.

We would love to see you at the online event.

Please note:

This event is the second of three days in the CfEM Live 2022 conference:

Day 1. Teaching for Mastery: enabling students to develop fluency and understanding of key ideas and mathematical structure.

Friday 24 June 2022 (9.45am – 3.15pm tbc)

Book here

Day 2. Mathematical Resilience: helping learners overcome negative attitudes and the various ways teams and organisations have developed a culture in which everyone believes all students can achieve.

Wednesday 29 June 2022 (9.45am – 2.45pm tbc)

Book here

Day 3. Responsive Teaching : helping teachers value and build on students’ prior learning and address individual needs.

Friday 1 July 2022 (9.45am – 2.45pm tbc)

Book here

Contact us

If this course is not currently available at a suitable date/location, please register your interest and we will let you know about new events as they are announced.

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#CfEMLive22 - Mathematical Resilience (2 of 3) | ETF Booking

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ETF Booking - #CfEMLive22 - Mathematical Resilience (2 of 3) - Course Details

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Yorkshire Accord Coaching & Mentoring Scheme

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The Yorkshire Accord Coaching & Mentoring Scheme is a partnership operarting in the Yorkshire area. It provides both coaching & mentoring training and 1-2-1 coaching & mentoring support opportunities for staff of it's partner organisations

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Following on from their presentation at last year's Forum and the excellent feedback received on the Digital Learning Design Framework and Toolkit, which information of the practical tools developed for teaching practitioners and leaders to embed readily into their course design and development through the Systematic Learning Design used at Teesside University.

The session will provide an update on the continuing evaluation and development of the framework and toolkit, supported by Jisc, following initial feedback from users along with an insight into future developments and changing influences in Further and Higher Education.

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3. Using Microsoft Teams effectively as a Marking Tool (Rubrics) - Chris Goswami, Middlesbrough College and Maximising Blended Delivery using Microsoft Sway - Marie Andrews, Stockton Riverside College.

Current Access to HE Providers will be showcasing their use of Microsoft programmes as effective tools in both blended delivery, online feedback and grading judgements.

How can Practitioners begin to make sense of virtual learning environments?

How can Practitioners create, manage, and deliver inclusive virtual learning experiences now and into the future?

This session is presented in three parts. First, we will focus on how online learning environments can be managed by ascertaining existing relationships between pedagogy and technology. Secondly, we discuss how to identify interactive capability(ies) and make sense of remote learning environs. Third, we explore specific Higher Education practitioner context(s), analyse, and evaluate how these can inform design, development and delivery of online learning environments that are accessible, creative, inclusive, engaging, and safe for student learner communities.

To summarise, workshop activities will demonstrate, how, interactive, pedagogically based online learning can be managed and built to encourage virtual student-centred-learning, engagement, and practice.

In this session we will explore how to:

Manage the relationship(s) between pedagogy and technology

Identify what interactive elements exist in the learning environment and learning community

Re-centre online classroom interactions from Teacher-centric to Student-led

Allow multiple voices to be heard and validated

Link participants' ideas and experiences to theory(ies)

Incorporate active co-creation and co-production in online classes

We will conclude by returning to and re-examining the key question: How can Practitioners create and manage inclusive and accessible online learning experiences in Higher Education?

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Following on from their presentation at last year's Forum and the excellent feedback received on the Digital Learning Design Framework and Toolkit, which information of the practical tools developed for teaching practitioners and leaders to embed readily into their course design and development through the Systematic Learning Design used at Teesside University.

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The AP Network on Slack -  a new community beginning April 2022

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The AP Network on Slack -  a new community beginning April 2022

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Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organized, and more secure than email.

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AP Network - a new community for April 2022 - join on Slack

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AP Network - a new community for April 2022 - join on Slack

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Whoop!

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Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organized, and more secure than email.

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The Adult and Community Education Conference 2022, 29th June, online. Public Sector Rate: £399, Voluntary Sector Rate: £329

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The Adult and Community Education Conference 2022, 29th June, online. Public Sector Rate: £399, Voluntary Sector Rate: £329

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Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference, June 16th, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00+VAT

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Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference, June 16th, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00+VAT

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National T Levels Conference, May 10th, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00

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National T Levels Conference, May 10th, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00

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The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Conference 2022, 4th May, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00 + VAT

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The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Conference 2022, 4th May, online. Public Sector Rate: £399.00 + VAT

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ETF: Integrating maths into vocational courses, 26th April 3-5 pm , online

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ETF: Integrating maths into vocational courses, 26th April 3-5 pm , online

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Presenting maths in a contextualised or embedded way increases motivation and improves learning.

This interactive course will support technical and vocational tutors, trainers, and assessors to identify naturally occurring opportunities to develop learners' maths skills needed to successfully complete their study programme, apprenticeship, or vocational or technical course. A range of resources and best practice approaches will be discussed.

Upcoming

No suitable dates or locations? Please register your interest and we will let you know about new events as they are announced.

Who is this for?

This course is primarily for practitioners in the Further Education and Training sector involved with teaching maths as part of a vocational or technical course. In particular, it will be useful for vocational tutors or assessors who want to embed maths into other teaching.

Training aim

To provide you with a range of strategies and activities to support vocational and technical learners in developing their understanding and confidence in using maths.

Outcomes

On this course you will:

examine strategies for engaging learners in the development of their maths skills

identify naturally occurring maths learning opportunities and explore how to maximise these

compare task led and criterion led mapping.

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Presenting maths in a contextualised or embedded way increases motivation and improves learning. This interactive course will support technical and vocational tutors, trainers, and assessors to identify naturally occurring opportunities to develop learners' maths skills needed to successfully complete their study programme, apprenticeship, or vocational or technical course.

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ETF: Integrating English into vocational training, 20th April 3-5 pm, online

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ETF: Integrating English into vocational training, 20th April 3-5 pm, online

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On this course, you will:

explore and share strategies for engaging learners in the development of their English skills

identify naturally occurring English learning opportunities and explore how to maximise these

explore how to plan and develop holistic English learning activities in authentic workplace practice

develop practical strategies for building workplace vocabulary, reading and writing skills

identify and share strategies for motivating learners by using their vocational subject as a starting point for English activities.

By the end of this course, you will be able to devise and plan holistic activities which use the learner's vocational area as their starting point.

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On this course, you will: explore and share strategies for engaging learners in the development of their English skills identify naturally occurring English learning opportunities and explore how to maximise these explore how to plan and develop holistic English learning activities in authentic workplace practice develop practical strategies for building workplace vocabulary, reading and writing skills identify and share strategies for motivating learners by using their vocational subject as a starting point for English activities.

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Wakelet in Further Education webinar with Chloe Hynes, Beth Derbyshire and the Wakelet team - Thurs March 10th, 5 p.m.

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Wakelet in Further Education webinar with Chloe Hynes, Beth Derbyshire and the Wakelet team - Thurs March 10th, 5 p.m.

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AFBELive conference,  22nd April at the IET Savoy Place, London.

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AFBELive conference,  22nd April at the IET Savoy Place, London.

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A first-of-its-kind networking event which will bring together engineers and technologists for a fantastic day of discussions, panel discussions and the Next Big Idea Competition. Confirmed speakers include top government officials, TV hosts, leaders in STEM,

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Have you got your Early Bird Ticket yet?

Early bird tickets for the much anticipated AFBELive conference are now available. Tell a friend to tell another friend! You cannot afford to miss this conference, the first of its kind, happening on the 22nd of April at the IET Savoy Place, London. The AFBELive! Conference is a first-of-its-kind networking event which will bring together engineers and technologists for a fantastic day of discussions, panel discussions and the Next Big Idea Competition - a "Dragon's Den" styled programme to promote innovation by students and professionals. This event presents an amazing networking opportunity for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals and high achieving students of all ethnicities, as well as individuals and organisations promoting STEM careers.

Why should you register?

I am a student

Access to job opportunities from various employer round tables (bring your CV with you during the roundtable session).

An opportunity to win £750, £500, and £250 in the Next Big Idea Innovation competition. Get your ideas in quick, you don't have to have it all figured out!

Win mentors to guide you in making the right decisions for your career.

Network with fellow students and professionals. Your network is your net worth remember!

I am a professional

Network an exceptional list of high profile speakers, professionals and community leaders, a range of employers and thought leaders

Win three top global engineering leaders handpicked for you to help you drive through your ambitions. They have agreed to meeting with you monthly!

Network with other professionals from a variety of UK organizations

Insight and Inspiration into innovative ideas within engineering and technology

Gain tools that you can use to help your employer become more inclusive!

Ticket prices will rise by 25% closer to the conference date. Get yours ASAP!
Speakers for the conference We have an amazing list of confirmed speakers that includes top government officials, TV hosts, leaders in STEM, and diversity. Identify your favorite speaker below and let us know who you are looking forward to seeing and hearing from! Our Sponsors Confirmed sponsors include the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Net Zero Technology Centre, RS Components among others. We can't wait to welcome you in!

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The AFBELive! Conference - a first-of-its-kind networking event

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Early bird tickets for the much anticipated AFBELive conference are now available. Tell a friend to tell another friend! You cannot afford to miss this conference, the first of its kind, happening on the 22nd of April at the IET Savoy Place, London. The AFBELive!

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Supporting Effective Delivery of Functional Skills in maths - AELP webinar, 7th April 1000-1130

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Supporting Effective Delivery of Functional Skills in maths - AELP webinar, 7th April 1000-1130

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UK University Search - Friday 29th April 2022 - Aintree Racecourse, Spring Fair

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UK University Search - Friday 29th April 2022 - Aintree Racecourse, Spring Fair

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A wide range of seminars including: UCAS Personal Statement & Application Advice, Why take an Apprenticeship, Choosing a University Course, Higher and Degree Apprenticeships and Student Finance.

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#FEParents - Created to support parents in FE, currently has a Whatsapp community space and a Wakelet of resources. 

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#FEParents - Created to support parents in FE, currently has a Whatsapp community space and a Wakelet of resources. 

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We've detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser. Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using twitter.com. You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center.
Help Center

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CfEM Live Conference Friday 1st July online: Responsive Teaching (3 of 3) 

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CfEM Live Conference Friday 1st July online: Responsive Teaching (3 of 3) 

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This is an online event which will run from approximately 9:45 - 3.15pm.

Please do feel free to join at the relevant hour if you cannot make the entire event.

We would love to see you at the online event.

Please note:

This event is the first of three days in the CfEM Live 2022 conference:

Day 1. Teaching for Mastery: enabling students to develop fluency and understanding of key ideas and mathematical structure.

Friday 24 June 2022 (9.45am - 3.15pm tbc)

Day 2. Mathematical Resilience: helping learners overcome negative attitudes and the various ways teams and organisations have developed a culture in which everyone believes all students can achieve.

Wednesday 29 June 2022 (9.45am - 2.45pm tbc)

Day 3. Responsive Teaching : helping teachers value and build on students' prior learning and address individual needs.

Friday 1 July 2022 (9.45am - 2.45pm tbc)

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This is an online event which will run from approximately 9:45 - 3.15pm. Please do feel free to join at the relevant hour if you cannot make the entire event. We would love to see you at the online event. Please note: This event is the first of three days in the CfEM Live 2022 conference: Day 1.

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CfEM Live Conference Friday 24th June - online: Teaching for Mastery (1 of 3)

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CfEM Live Conference Friday 24th June - online: Teaching for Mastery (1 of 3)

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This is an online event which will run from approximately 9:45 - 3.15pm.

Please do feel free to join at the relevant hour if you cannot make the entire event.

We would love to see you at the online event.

Please note:

This event is the first of three days in the CfEM Live 2022 conference:

Day 1. Teaching for Mastery: enabling students to develop fluency and understanding of key ideas and mathematical structure.

Friday 24 June 2022 (9.45am - 3.15pm tbc)

Day 2. Mathematical Resilience: helping learners overcome negative attitudes and the various ways teams and organisations have developed a culture in which everyone believes all students can achieve.

Wednesday 29 June 2022 (9.45am - 2.45pm tbc)

Day 3. Responsive Teaching : helping teachers value and build on students' prior learning and address individual needs.

Friday 1 July 2022 (9.45am - 2.45pm tbc)

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This is an online event which will run from approximately 9:45 - 3.15pm. Please do feel free to join at the relevant hour if you cannot make the entire event. We would love to see you at the online event. Please note: This event is the first of three days in the CfEM Live 2022 conference: Day 1.

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SET Practitioner Research SIG digest - to join contact Jane Galbraith at membership.communications@set-etfoundation.co.uk

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SET Practitioner Research SIG digest - to join contact Jane Galbraith at membership.communications@set-etfoundation.co.uk

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Society for Education and Training (SET) members are invited to sign up for a new Practitioner Research special interest digest. SET is the professional body for the FE and training sector. Jane Galbraith will be delighted to hear from FE Action Researchers (CfEM, OTLA, APConnect, SUNCETT etc) at membership.communications@set-etfoundation.co.uk

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Jisc/UCL CANology conference online/UCL London, 11-13th May

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Jisc/UCL CANology conference online/UCL London, 11-13th May

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Co-hosts: Jisc

Wednesday 11th May: Reviewing the student-staff partnership landscape (half day online)
Thursday 12th May: Reconnecting the student-staff partnership community (full day in-person)
Friday 13th May: New horizons for student-staff partnerships (half day online).

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CAN 2022 | Sustaining Partnerships in Transformative Times

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Co-hosts: Jisc Wednesday 11th May: Reviewing the student-staff partnership landscape (half day online) Thursday 12th May: Reconnecting the student-staff partnership community (full day in-person) Friday 13th May: New horizons for student-staff partnerships (half day online).

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#YouToo22 - Women's Leadership Network annual conference and #IWD2022 celebrations

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#YouToo22 - Women's Leadership Network annual conference and #IWD2022 celebrations

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Eventbrite - Women's Leadership Network (WLN) presents #YouToo22 #ChangingTheWorkplace - Thursday, 31 March 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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Jisc Community Fringe events - March and April 2022

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Jisc Community Fringe events - March and April 2022

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15 events for FE and HE educators around the themes of Changing for Good, Working Together and Shaping a Sustainable Future

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Join us for meetups with Jisc communities to explore topics from our annual conferences.

Our community fringe meetups give you a chance to continue discussions and share your experiences around topics relating to teaching and learning, networking and infrastructure, research and more.

We do not have any community fringe events planned, but you can join our mailing list to get updates.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about our communities, you can view the full list or read about what support we can offer.

If you have any questions, please contact Carolina Barnes (carolina.barnes@jisc.ac.uk).

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Join us for meetups with Jisc communities to explore topics from our annual conferences. Our community fringe meetups give you a chance to continue discussions and share your experiences around topics relating to teaching and learning, networking and infrastructure, research and more.

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Enhance - pre-recorded EDS workshop videos

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Enhance - pre-recorded EDS workshop videos

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Events | Enhance Digital Teaching Platform

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Taking learning to the next level - the Enhance Digital Teaching Platform for teachers and trainers in the FE and Training sector

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You can insert any Cultural/Creative task into this to check whether it is going to be rewarding at all levels!

--Josh

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This is going to be an amazing space to listen and do your best thinking around the big issues that are important in Education. Part of #skylarkchoir series

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Kirklees College invites you to #ThinkFest 2. A space to think and talk about the big stuff in education.

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Calderdale College Sharespace - Thursday 3rd March 4.15 p.m.

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Calderdale College Sharespace - Thursday 3rd March 4.15 p.m.

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Ffve themes to consider with an opportunity to share, learn and collaborate.

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Issue #20

the joy of leadership

future of education

NEW FEATURE! THE JOYFUL SECRET TEACHER

THE JOYFUL REMAKING OF EDUCATION

feature articles

wellbeing

dear jackie

joyfe

stories of joy

welcome to Joyfe #20

POCKETS OF JOY - what brings YOU joy? Hello readers, I'm so happy you are here! Can we start a trend where we list the things that bring us joy? I find that many of us struggle with joy. Sometimes we know what it is, but we might not have it in our lives. It's the feeling of happiness, pure bliss, being present in the moment whether you're by yourself or with others. I wanted to share some pockets of joy from my day that light me up. I believe that each day comes with a few moments of goodness and we deserve to enjoy them. My greatest joy is to watch my kids being kind, watching more sunsets than Netflix, the person I am becoming makes me happy, and a fresh cup of coffee ohh... Instant joy! A lot of us are stuck in jobs we don't enjoy, feel overworked and stressed, or don't feel accomplished enough. What are we doing? Focus on the light amidst all the chaos. We live in a society obsessed with our own pain. If we can shift our focus more to how we can connect with others it will channel some of that pain within ourselves. Let's get outside our comfort zones and try something new and so do more of what makes us happy. Do more of what brings you joy because it is through that joy that you can make an impact in this world big or small. In our 20th edition, we focus on values-led practice, people-centred leadership, pedagogy of care, and human connection. We bring you this through stories of joy and wellbeing, snippets of joy, book reviews and powerful articles, written by people from across the sector. We are uplifted and energised by the work of many, and love to amplify voices from the sector across all dimensions of difference. We hope you enjoy this edition! This is your permission to be nervous, to be scared but to do it anyway! Everyone is invited to come to facilitate in our #IdeasRoom, read and write for our #JoyFEMag, listen to live broadcasts on Facebook #JoyAM or review what you've read. Be brave! Our supportive team will help you polish your skills and help you feel confident too. Let's graft and enact our potentia by contributing and encouraging others to join our collective as equal thinkers to spread joy, diversity, and hope. EnJOY our vibe - and join us! Much love, Hina

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stories of joy

5

wellbeing

7

13

12

dear jackie

21

in this issue

the joy of leadership

7

4

book review

9

future of education

New feature! The Joyful Secret Teacher

feature articles

3

10

Julie Shackleton @shackattackuk

Compiled by Heather Booth martin

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STORIES OF JOY...

The joy of learning I speak for myself here and my own journey into serious study that has been challenging and joyful. As an artist working with adults who have a learning disability, I felt that my approach needed more structure. Lifelong learning has provided that. I now have a critical and questioning approach to my work. Looking for references to bold statements. Feeling that my fellow colleagues need a more reflective and challenging approach and expressing this to current management. I look forward to using my new found powers in the future and to carry on learning.

by stefanie wilkinson @stef_wilkinson

As I work with colleges, I notice several things, but the main one is that often we are trying to spin too many plates. We are in a sector in which there are so many things to think about, emerging themes, initiatives, projects. At last there has been a period of time where there has been large pots of money to tap into to support us, however the impact is that we are doing lots of things and sometimes we are not doing some of them very well, or we do them superficially, or in some instances we have stayed stagnant with some of the fundamentals, because we have been focusing on other things. The shiny things always get our attention. Money always gets our attention. Being at the front of innovation and thinking about what makes us stand out can consume our attention. We need to have regular checks on all of the plates that we are spinning and make sure we are spinning the ones that are going to keep the workings of the machine solid. There is something about not assuming that the fundamentals will just spin themselves. This is where intelligent and adaptive quality assurance comes in, to make sure that we have the intelligence of what's working and what's not quite hitting the mark, without the overburden of quality monitoring and auditing. I've found that spending a day in a curriculum area doing a supportive 'peer to peer' exploration, can tell you a huge amount, which then can allow you as a team to review the Quality Improvement Plan (QIPS) and consider the priorities. As part of this, we have to REALLY ask how much is possible in one term, for example. I see QIPS that are often totally overwhelming and not realistic, I also see a lack of 'HOW' in the actions that are going to be taken. (Often the action is more measuring..... And we all know that because we measure the pig, it doesn't get fatter!) Just because we tell people that something needs to be improved, does not mean that it will improve. We really have to consider the how, and spoiler alert, running a CPD session does not address the complexities of quality improvement. There are many sources of reading that give us an understanding of evidence-based approaches to improvement and sometimes we don't even apply the things we do with students to quality improvement approaches with staff teams. Here are a few things to consider: Collaboration - involve curriculum managers in the reviewing of quality, through cross college peer to peer quality explorations. Include whole staff teams in the development of the issue, developing an agreed vision of what we are trying to achieve as a standard. It is often useful to allow curriculum teams the space to contextualize the area of development to their areas, as there are many subject specific nuances and good practices that can be incorporated easily if we allow them the space to be aired and considered. Regular reflection space - to consider the focus of the term, the actions being taken, what is working in terms of development, 'how do you know if something is improving?' is a question that often gets a blank response, but needs to be part of the quality improvement strategy and quality processes need to align and help to provide the evidence if something is working or not. Again if done well, there does not need to be more auditing, scrutiny or burden for anyone. Feedback and appreciation - generally we get more of what we focus on, so if we continue to focus on where it's not working, we just know where and what's not working. People can feel beaten with the message of 'what's not working'. We have to balance this with the powerful practice of constantly and consistently communicating what is working, where it is working well and appreciating people's efforts to implement change for the better. As part of the improvement loop, the informal, curious and important process of seeing the developments in practice is often missing. This part has to be focused and planned in. Every space I have been in recently where we have talked about spinning the plates, there has been an agreement that often we are spinning too many plates and addressing the improvements that we want to make rather superficially. So I am promoting critical reflection of the plates that are being spun, to see if there is a way to reduce the number of plates but spin them better, in a more focused and intentional way until there is marked forward momentum with a specific area of focus, before we then go onto another thing. I've found having 3 or 4 big themes at a time seems to be working well. The benefits are a more cohesive approach, better connection of teams working together on the issues, but also more bandwidth for people to consider things more critically. Too many plates means our minds are constantly overloaded, so we must be brave and decide what we can stop doing, what we can put on hold for a little while and what will really make the biggest difference. Clarity is powerful.

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spinning the plates

the joy of leadership

Coming soon.... Joyful Education offerings on innovative supportive cultures. For now come and join us in the IdeasRoom on Wednesdays at 8pm to see some of the principles of innovation in action.

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A voice, an echo, a thought, a pair of eyes on the front line, gaining insight (first hand) of the inequalities, frustration, hierarchies, hypocrisy in FE at an organisational level. I am frightened to speak up, I mean what will happen? Will I be one of those staff members who just disappears and nobody talks about it? The person who all of a sudden has a story about them but one sided, others only assume 'they must have done something really bad'. I have seen this happen so many times at my workplace, I think I may have been close to it myself...until I 'shut up'! Is this right? Is this fair? Is there equality? Can you see why I am the Secret FE Teacher? This is by no means a method of ranting and moaning, it's a way of highlighting the problems BUT more importantly how can these experiences be flipped, how can we find joy, peace, and ignite our passion for FE? I have felt like a little minion at the bottom, no voice, constant negativity, can't do anything right and a huge dry stone wall anything above a subject lead - and if I wanted to speak to anyone directly above me I was basically told - 'I'll pass the message on for you' , 'don't email them' - I wanted to ask about attending a training course to support my teaching and learning mentor role. The message got back to me, as expected it was a 'no, it's not in our organisational priorities'. That was it - no real explanation, no opportunity for me to justify the reasons why I wanted to go - just NO!!! In my annoyance it got me thinking about the management structures and who I could turn to - there was no-one. It dawned on me that all my direct points of contact are men, all managers and all lunch together, make decisions between them in a very autocratic manner and I realised - I have no voice here! This was not the first time something like this had happened, that my professionalism was not taken seriously, that the college idea of 'we value the development of our staff' was a misinterpretation of 'staff will develop when and how we want them to'. For many years (and it gets worse each year) college values such as integrity, trust, equality get lost and only become applicable to top of the concrete structures. Clearly, there is a work culture of 'you are on a need to know basis' and 'we are in'. As I sit here, spinning around in my chair, looking at the college structure I have doodled (through frustration) on my whiteboard, I feel small. Actually the facts point in the direction that it is not likely I will develop in this college - everyone above teaching level is white and mainly the management level is male. Will I ever be trusted? Treated like a professional? Have my voice heard? What might an organisation look like as a practice of equality? I am a professional. I am ambitious. I have ideas bursting to be used. Thankfully, there are external communities - these places are amazing. I have participated in different communities of practice for a couple of years, been involved in projects, events, writing and reading groups - they have meant a lot to me, I have flourished, I feel equal, trusted and happy - they bring me joy. Having networks within these spaces never feels like work, you can come and go as and when you feel, if you have an idea EVERYONE is excited, there is no competition or race to the top - there is no top. We cheer each other on, we encourage, support and the direction of my thoughts changes when I look at the opportunities I have had and what there is to look forward to. I look at my whiteboard again, on the opposite side there are circles, connected in all kinds of ways - through people, projects, activism and very importantly EQUALITY. I am not looking up, I am looking round and suddenly FE is a community through the outward lens I am wearing - as for the organisation, I will continue to leak through joy, into my classroom for the students, in training for the teachers - I will never be stopped from doing that. Until the next time, keep spreading the Joy!

the joyful Secret teacher

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WHO AM I? @secret_FE_teach

8

11

well-being

It was the weekend of 14-15 March 2020, my dad had just come out of hospital after a seven week stint in hospital following a fall down the stairs. We had had four very difficult months at work, which were about to get worse. I was meant to be in Carlisle with a friend, but she had got a cough and we weren't sure what it was and she had gone into self-isolation. Having been intrigued by crochet for a long time and thinking I wanted to learn, I bought myself some crochet hooks, found some videos online and started to learn. Thank goodness I did, with all that came from there on in. Living on my own, with work not great, I am so pleased I took that step - crochet really did get me through the tough times. It was the way that I made sure I closed down at the end of the day, it was something else I could concentrate on and didn't mean I was worrying 24/7 about work (that did change slightly in July 2020)! It was also what kept me going when I was made redundant, getting me through the first month where I just needed to recuperate and heal from the trauma of my organisation closing, and giving me pauses in between looking for new jobs. Then my sister sent me a crochet pattern for a set of pumpkins. I thought let's put these in my window rather than getting real ones and carving, and I got some lights, just like Jack O' Lanterns almost. A pattern for poppies caught my eye and thought I could add in, then it got me thinking about December. I had seen the tins of biscuits that were houses in M&S and thought I could do a street scene, and make crochet gingerbread houses too. Onward to a theme a month perhaps - could I make a monthly display. They were bringing me joy, people on social media loved me sharing the photos, and I hoped I was bringing smiles to those passing by my front window too. From there my windows took off, I got through the 12 months building a season at a time. I am still adding to them now, which helps me to relax and brings a smile to face every time I walk into my kitchen and see the display each month, and I may have finally got a dream of becoming a window dresser!

By Helen Osborne @h157_helen

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11

Wellbeing Windows

by mike scott and poppy gibson

The Future of Education... what if ...more fe students sign up for online/blended higher education degrees

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has promoted the shift for many Higher Education (HE) institutions to offer online learning and 'blended' degrees that combine face to face and virtual teaching and learning opportunities. Not all FE leavers will go on to HE studies, but there must be consideration for how we can best prepare those students who do. The co-authors of this piece, coming from both FE and HE backgrounds, offer a consideration of how we can best support students at FE level to handle the transition to HE when the course they sign up for may be mostly online. Get into good habits of study Studying a blended degree will need determination, commitment, and good organisation. Time management and schedules either electronically through a calendar or hanging a calendar in a space suitable for study. Curate a space in your home that you're able to study free from distractions. Having mobile phones on silent or away from the desk will help you avoid procrastination. Additionally, creating to-do lists or notes on your desk will help when you come back to studying after a period of time as it will enable you to pick up where you left off. Create communities of learners Encourage students to make profiles on social platforms such as Twitter or LinkedIn. Having a professional Twitter can help make connections and networks to other people with the same interests. Twitter can also link people with similar interests outside of the classroom. Having virtual 'champions' to encourage us and support us with our learning can help us to stay motivated and engaged in our studies. Equally, when studying a blended degree, there are less face to face opportunities for discussion and unpicking of material; having these online 'third spaces' to share ideas can help students feel supported in lieu of classroom time. Communicate! How to be effective online There are a couple of ways that you can speak with your peers, i.e., through a VLE like MS Teams chat, as this is a more secure way of talking with your peers. However, if you feel more comfortable you may wish to form a WhatsApp group in which you can talk more casually about your course and everything in-between. There may be several ways to contact your tutor when doing an online/blended course, consider the level of need and urgency. Is it important enough that it cannot wait till your next session? Are you able to talk about it with your peers? If afterwards, you still want to speak to your tutor, you may wish to also consider the options i.e. in person, more so if it's a personal matter, through a VLE like Microsoft Teams chat- this is useful for a query about a singular question, and email for more formal or multiple questions that may need further information such as attachments. Keep in contact with your tutor regularly but know their preferences and choose which method is appropriate, the tutor will appreciate it and are more likely to respond faster this way. When emailing tutors please consider their working hours and availability, if in doubt send an email politely asking them. Tutors are not expected to answer emails outside their given working hours so be patient, if it is urgent you may want to consider ringing their office and leaving a message instead. Find interests to enjoy offline Enrolling on a blended degree may mean several hours a week watching recorded lectures and engaging with seminar PowerPoint slides; this can be quite a change from face-to-face FE teaching. Recommend students to find interests they will be able to maintain and enjoy offline. Having time to enjoy a hobby or go for a walk will help your brain relax from periods of study. A short break in-between 1-2 hours of study will allow your mind to reset. Join an extracurricular group, or find something that has an easy level of activity to it so you can pick it up whenever you feel the need to - like painting? Moving from FE to HE can seem huge, but if educators are on the same page and students are supported on either side of the crossing, this transition can be made much easier.

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11

I used to attend a book club based in the café of a small, independent bookshop in the East Midlands. I loved it, not only for the books and the interesting conversation but also for the people who filled the seats. The book club was attended by 'proper readers' including; the ex-grammar-school teacher, the author, the soon to be published author, the care-free Ukrainian philosopher who never read any of the books but always had a contribution, the librarian, the shop owner, the retired paramedic and me. It was not only a literature buff's happy place it was also a dream for any anthropologist. One evening the inevitable book club question reared its head; "What's the best book ever written?" Answers ranged from Don Quixote to Great Expectations, 1984 appeared and so did The Color Purple. Each member nodded their head sagely. Then something excellent happened, "Without a doubt the best book ever written is The Very Hungry Caterpillar." At first, I laughed thinking it must be a joke but when I was met with a stern-faced sponsor of the text, I had to cough to cover my clearly inappropriate behaviour - this was before Covid so coughing was still socially acceptable. The sponsor continued, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a seminal text. It narrates a voracious hunger for more. The book shows a disrespectful use of natural resources, the caterpillar takes only a little of each piece of fruit before moving on to processed food but is still not satisfied. Worse still the protagonist suffers a great deal of pain because of their greed. Carle saves the book by highlighting the cure for this horrific set of circumstances is hibernation, a complete detox from society and all of its temptations. It's an anti-capitalist propaganda piece protected by illustrations. We have a lot to learn from the book." With such a strong argument in its favour, maybe we can look at The Very Hungry Caterpillar again, especially as we move into a new year. At this time there is a temptation to look inwardly and find ourselves deficient; the "new year, new you" narrative takes hold and we start to make plans to improve ourselves. As January hits we seem to have a hunger for a better version of ourselves. We are disrespectful towards ourselves in the name of improvement (that we don't need). By spring we have belly ache from the changes. In the way that Carle saves the book, maybe we can save ourselves the belly ache. We can't hibernate from life; we can snooze the self-criticism. The Very Hungry Caterpillar might well be a seminal text, what lesson will it teach you?

BY CHARLOTTE mARSHALL @HEYTEACHONLINE

title : THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

book review

12

BY jenny drain

I hate intolerance. It often leaves me feeling frustrated and powerless. "How dare they treat someone like that!" I cry, "Don't they understand they are human beings?" With all this in mind, I am therefore considerate to all and mindful of their needs...aren't I? Well, no. I am intolerant of intolerance. I have little tolerance for those students who I consider to have offensive or backwards views. And yet these are precisely the students on whom I am most harsh when challenging their views and almost demanding they see things my way. I am therefore displaying completely the opposite behaviour to that which I would have them display. Do as I say, not as I do. How do I know this? I am taking part in this year's #APConnect programme, Constellations. Investigating projects of our own choosing, researching and discussing findings and methods with advanced practitioners from all over the country. My project is entitled "Intolerant of intolerance- changing attitudes through English" . What does this mean? I decided back in the summer of 2021 to investigate why one particular cohort of students seemed to be so lacking in tolerance and empathy towards anyone who wasn't, well, them. We had often spoken about this issue in the staff room. Texts would be chosen for the English Language GCSE that would stimulate thought and discussion whilst also allowing access to the exam questions. Texts that we thought would engage our reluctant FE learners. Articles on racism, gang wars, climate change etc. Time after time our experience was negative when using these texts with this particular cohort. Inappropriate comments would be made, loudly. Attempts to encourage empathy and tolerance were quickly shouted down and ridiculed. Why, we wondered, was this particular cohort so lacking in empathy and tolerance? Why could they not consider the needs , viewpoints or feelings of anyone they considered "other" and why did they always express their views with such passion and vitriol? When developing material to use with this group, I decided to go for the direct approach. We looked at women's rights for AQA paper 2 Q2 and Q4. We examined how women are treated globally as well as in the UK and we looked at the excellent Oxfam quiz that highlights the shocking statistics in women's rights across the world. Questions such as "How many women are married before the age of 18?" and "What percentage of the world's illiterate population are women?" were met with outdated, and offensive (sometimes very offensive) comments. Thanks to an enlightening discussion with Andrew Moffat, primary school teacher and founder of the No Outsiders charity, I realised that these students were themselves, outsiders. They felt marginalised, under threat and at odds with the zeitgeist. Views that had been held for generations in their close knit families were being questioned and the small communities and worlds they inhabited no longer seemed to represent the majority view. They were on the outside not only because of viewpoints, but also their way of life. This was about them not understanding the world they lived in because they were not exposed to anyone different to them. What could be done about this? In order to encourage and display empathy and tolerance, I have to model the behaviours. To try and improve these skills in my learners, I need to pause/think and consider my reponses. It needs to be said that this isn't simply about increasing empathy and tolerance, although that is cause enough, but many of these students simply cannot access the texts and therefore the exam because of this lack of understanding. They can't write about the writer's viewpoints and perspectives for Q4 because they simply don't understand or appreciate the viewpoint that is different to theirs, and they can't get past it. So what to do? How do I/we encourage empathy and tolerance whilst acknowledging and dealing with the fact that we also need empathy and tolerance, even under extreme duress! What does this look like as a practice of care (to quote the lovely Dr Lou Mycroft!)? I'm working on it, when I have some answers I'll be back. Please be tolerant whilst you wait!

i am intolerant of intolerance

ARTICLE

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Find out more about No Outsiders: https://no-outsiders.com/

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15

Too many find their work being 'sabotaged', undermined, stopped, 'stolen' or 'hijacked' to be claimed as the work of someone else. I have witnessed, and myself been subjected to, bullying tactics over months. I have listened to plenty of teachers as they have told me of their horrendous experiences of being bullied or harassed. The stress is visible. Physical. Emotional. Practical. It swallows up days, weeks of energy. Bullying and harassment happen in deeply hierarchically entrenched competitive environments. Typically in a culture where individual 'career' stagnation has been allowed to occur, where the source of bullying or harassment comes from those who have learned the ways to use and abuse their power to exploit others' expertise in order to advantage themselves and /or 'keep themselves safe'. In order to do this they have to simultaneously undermine the source of expertise that otherwise would undermine them and expose their own inadequacies and flaws. Woven into this are other intersectional power-strands in operation that the bully manipulates in order to isolate and humiliate-if they can. The perpetrator of this 'bad' extraordinary behaviour will go to great aggressive lengths, will spin convoluted tale-telling in order to corner power, exert it over their 'victim' - as indeed this is what the person can become - in order to isolate them, make them question themselves and their self-confidence. The consequences of such behaviours are lethal in the workplace. They breed a culture of fear, mistrust, suspicion. Because in this process the person who is being victimised experiences anxiety and worry, their sense of job-security, career development, starts to be undermined while it is being actively blocked, prevented as much as possible by the bully. They are scared to talk about it. The bully will often operate by working on others around them to collude in their twisted perceptions. These 'others' may find themselves colluding as they don't want to lose their 'position' in the competition to 'get on' or 'keep their job'. All the 'victim' has done is in all likelihood be really good at what they do but in their professional performance they threaten the territory of the bully. And that can be a dangerous thing. The person being harassed or bullied can become silenced, marginalised, isolated, framed in a situation of deep stress. It devastates well-being and brings ill health. What can be done to rid ourselves of the bully, the harasser? Practically, as an individual, before you start any new job always check through the organisations policies, practices, mission statement and codes of behaviour. Know the claimed expectations, standards. Know your rights in the workplace. And. Join a union. Secondly, together, all of us need to work on changing the culture in the workplace to ensure that there is integrity of action built into infrastructure that match policies, procedures, codes of conduct, mission statements. A practice of care enshrined. If inappropriate behaviour - or worse - is witnessed then it needs to be called out without fear of repercussions and work must create a culture for this to happen. If you are working somewhere where you know such behaviours are going on - call them out, support the person /persons who are being dragged through such experiences. Safety in numbers. They need to be given a protective shield, if not by colleagues then friends, family, anyone 'outside' the workplace who can provide support, listen to what they are going through. Perpetrators need to be deterred by showing them they cannot get away with it- there is accountability and consequence for such behaviours. We see this encouragement for action in the #MeToo campaign; the JoyFE practice of care, speaking out 'microjoys', assertive actions in 'I would prefer not to.' Silence must be broken in 'safety', positive actions formed in experiences of felt solidarity. We should not have to be brave to call out what is wrong. Moving work-culture takes 'training' on 'how to deal with bullying and harassment' . Let's not be complicit. There must be intervention at every level. Silence is the worst enemy in all of this. Some useful sources of help/advice: Information and advice about all forms of bullying (nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk) Workplace bullying and harassment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Mental Health Advice and Support Related to Bullying (nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk) https://rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/advice-lines/

ARTICLE

Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace : Silence is the Worst Enemy

BY Elizabeth Draper @draperel

16

Education in Wales is changing - this is an exciting time! Curriculum for Wales comes as the most significant change in education since 1988, with full legal and practical implementation from September 2022. The new approach to learning affords schools the freedom and creativity to design their own curricula, but in the midst of a global pandemic, this is no mean feat! As a lecturer for Coleg Sir Gâr in South Wales, I am undertaking a year-long research project - a first-hand analysis and case study that looks at the process of how Ysgol Gynradd Nantgaredig (a Welsh medium primary school in Carmarthenshire) will design, plan and implement CfW - with an appreciation of the challenges along the way. As a decent runner, at the age of 40 with knee preservation in mind, I bought a road bike. Now a joyful cyclist, I am training for my first century ride! Much like the challenge that lies ahead for educators in Wales, the Tour de Môn will be no picnic. With the daunting thought of eight hours in a saddle on race day, I can draw parallels between my own challenge and that of the challenge for schools in Wales, preparing for this dramatic educational overhaul. Much like my training, schools are putting in hard graft and are frequently challenged by unforeseen events (the dreaded puncture!) and some teachers (like the beginner cyclist), will feel completely out of their comfort zone. The new approach to learning is considered a stark contrast from the current National Curriculum, now deemed wholly out of date. CfW is based on Four Core Purposes, with six equal Areas of Learning. Wellbeing is one of them and widely accepted as a necessary and progressive move towards improving the mental health of children in Wales. Curriculum for Wales places a heavier emphasis on delivering skills over content (to an extent), but the fact that each school must design their own localised curricula could be considered controversial. Each school will have a different curriculum albeit within a meaningful context, but will this create potential discrepancies among childrens' educational experiences in Wales? Should I upgrade my bike, considering the 'discrepancies' among my fellow century riders?

BY Nicky Abraham @abs_nicky @ysgolnant

ARTICLE

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Curriculum for Wales - an exciting, but somewhat bumpy ride!

18

Many aspects of CfW have been well received by the class teachers of Ysgol Nantgaredig, particularly the arrival of Progression Steps, that replace the current Learning Outcomes - a 'checklist' of what a child should be able to do by a certain age. But spare a thought for the NQT - it will take a confident and well supported newly qualified teacher to try out new ideas, rather than to follow the detailed guidelines of the current curriculum. Education in Wales looks significantly different from a decade ago, but after the outbreak of Covid-19, education now differs from the past two years. In a time when schools are overwhelmed and have to respond daily to unexpected developments, planning for the future will certainly be compromised. To design and implement a new curriculum is arguably tricky, for even the most dynamic and efficient of schools. Experienced headteacher Steffan Griffiths (a very decent cyclist) describes this transition as 'A once in a career curriculum development opportunity, where focus on the wellbeing of learners is paramount.' On cycling, Mr G advised me 'to eat regularly' - class teachers of Wales are also going to need their rocket fuel to ride out this academic year. Despite the pandemic, the date for implementation remains. Therefore, the preparations will look very different from originally anticipated in pre-covid times. All is not lost, evolving by nature, Curriculum for Wales will involve continuous review and evaluation. In the short term, educational practitioners might even use some of their experiences from the pandemic to inform planning and designing their curricula. Long-term, CfW will adapt to the changing needs of schools' learners and wider community. It is unknown how this educational reform will manifest itself practically speaking. In uncertain times, the only certainty is that for many schools, the ride towards Curriculum for Wales will indeed be a bumpy one! Rather than a deadline to deliver a finished product, perhaps it is more realistic to regard September 2022 as just the beginning...

ARTICLE

by Lou mycroft @loumycroft

Slow Activism: Waiting for the Coins to Drop

The 2p Cascade at seaside arcades is an iconic piece of kit. No wonder it's the most popular of the "slots", as we called them in my Yorkshire childhood. I'm still obsessed. At 55 years old I stand transfixed for hours in Whitby or Cromer, holding the little paper cup full of coins. No way will I be coaxed away until the Smurf keyring is mine. That kind of super-focus is an occasional bonus of my wiring, but rarely elsewhere do I spend hours in an almost meditative state. I always feel hopeful of getting that win; and at 2p a shot, I'm never tempted to gamble more than I can afford to lose. I don't think I could ever get bored of it. It strikes me that activism - in the sense we mean it at JoyFE - is like the 2p Cascade. I've had some breathless times marching down Whitehall back in the day but that kind of activism never really appealed (I'd defend to the death people's right to protest in that way). I have learned to unleash my potentia - my joyful activist energy - in quieter, persistent and more consistent ways: one of them being JoyFE. Like most analogies, you can't push it too far. I go to the slots maybe once a year; I'm an activist all the time. But that focused practice of pushing the 2ps in the slot helps me understand the rhythm of my own potentia, which tries to shift the big stuff (the Smurf keyring) through the repetition of what Erin Manning calls "minor gestures." We have written in these pages about "microjoys" and their capacity for countering the subtle (and not-so-subtle) microaggressions of daily life, across all dimensions of difference. And we need to hit the jackpot occasionally, to maintain our momentum: a new keyring a year, a perceptible culture shift in the organisation. Don't underestimate the power and impact of those 2ps.

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You have to be consistent. Nobody ever won a Smurf keyring by banging the side of the machine; well, not often and you might get kicked out of the arcade if you do. And because it's not flashy to quietly practice your values each day, not noisy to create a space where everyone is heard, and because the whole point of joy is that something that refreshes you because you are part of a community, you can get under the radar. By the time anyone tries to stop you, it's done. Don't underestimate the power and impact of those 2ps.

20

By Jackie Rossa

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Dear Jackie

I am a part time lecturer, and Mondays are my day off. To be honest, I tend to spend Mondays planning, preparing and researching which I love, so even though I am not technically at work, I am still working. I have never minded that until now. Last week, a senior leader asked me to write a section of a document to go to governors. The request came early Monday morning, and the deadline was Monday afternoon. I was flattered to be asked, and did the work, which took me most of Monday. The leader was really pleased with the work I had produced, and thanked me. I then asked my manager if I could claim back half a day to go and see my niece's art show. This was during my admin time, so no class cover was needed. I was shocked when the request was rebuffed on the basis that 'teaching staff are not allowed to claim time off in lieu during term time'. When I pursued this I was told that they could not 'set a precedent' by giving me this time, but would do it just this once. My manager also said that the senior leader didn't know about Mondays, so it was my fault for not telling him. I now feel like I only want to work my set hours. I don't like feeling like this, but somehow the joy has gone out of my work and I feel really used. Jackie says I am so sorry you feel like this. You have been treated badly by your manager and senior leader. I understand why you feel that you should work to rule, however I suspect that this is hurting you more than those who have upset you. It might be useful to ask to meet your manager and explain how you feel. It would be good to do this at a time when you feel calm, and you can set out what happened, how you feel and why. It can be helpful to also put this in writing. It might be too late to see your niece's art show, but you will have put a marker in the sand for future requests. I would continue to do the things you love on a Monday, as these seem to give you joy, and perhaps remember that these things are for you and your development, not just for the college. Dark Jackie says Did you know you can get huge stopwatches on ebay? I would suggest you get one of these, preferably with a loud alarm and carry it with you everywhere. As soon as you start work, start the watch, loudly shouting 'starting work now' and stop it whenever/if you have a break. As soon as you reach the end of your allotted hours for that day, regardless of what you are doing, stand up, shout 'times up' and walk out. If you can arrange to do this at inappropriate times, such as during team meetings etc. so much the better.

contributors

Want more joy? Click here for our linktree.

Team: @jackierossa_ @stef_wilkinson @katheryncocker1 @heatherbmartin @islaflood @loumycroft @SusannaBrandon @draperel

Want to be part of the #JoyFE conversation? Join our #JoyFE Facebook group AND Join us on Zoom for the #IdeasRoom on Wednesday evenings at 8pm (term time on Friday mornings at 9am) using the Thinking Environment to explore ideas (DM @JoyfulFE for the password). OR Why not write an article ? Submissions always welcome EMAIL: joyfulfe@gmail.com

Guests @suleman_hina @heyteachonline @Secret_FE_Teach @abs_nicky @ysgolnant @nomadicMScott @poppygibsonuk @jenny_drain @h157_helen @shackattackuk

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Issue #20 the joy of leadership future of education NEW FEATURE! THE JOYFUL SECRET TEACHER THE JOYFUL REMAKING OF EDUCATION feature articles wellbeing dear jackie joyfe stories of joy welcome to Joyfe #20 POCKETS OF JOY - what brings YOU joy? Hello readers, I'm so happy you are here!

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By Enfield Centre, Leeds City College

A fusion of cultures, coming together to create a new kind of community.

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By Enfield Centre, Leeds City College

Augustine: my story so far

Augustine arrived in the UK in 2018. In this episode, he shares his journey of studying ESOL and GCSEs and moving on to Level 2 Health, Science and Social Care. He currently combines study with supporting other students by working at Leeds City College Students' Union. Augustine hopes to go to university next and to eventually work in a hospital or care environment where he can help people.

2022 © Spotify AB

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By Enfield Centre, Leeds City College Augustine: my story so far Augustine arrived in the UK in 2018. In this episode, he shares his journey of studying ESOL and GCSEs and moving on to Level 2 Health, Science and Social Care. He currently combines study with supporting other students by working at Leeds City College Students' Union.

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Happy2Host - EdTech for all: 11th March 1300-1430

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Happy2Host - EdTech for all: 11th March 1300-1430

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Looking for the latest EdTech? Or do you find it all a bit overwhelming? Join us to explore, whatever your starting point.

We are delighted to have Lawrence Tijani from Happy2Host Education joining us for this workshop. Whatever your starting point, join Lawrence as he shares strategies that you can implement across your college as well as try straight away in your teaching.

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Are you looking for the latest EdTech? Or do you find it all a bit overwhelming? Join us to explore, whatever your starting point.

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Integrity Coaching - Tolerating uncertainty and building confidence: March 3rd, 1600-1700

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Integrity Coaching - Tolerating uncertainty and building confidence: March 3rd, 1600-1700

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Julie Sinclair from Integrity Coaching and Training is hosting another wonderful workshop as part of our Festival Fridays programme.

How well do we tolerate uncertainty? Find out how this can affect how we behave at work and in our personal lives. Take away some strategies to help build up confidence and resilience to support wellbeing.

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integrity coaching - tolerating uncertainty and building confidence

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integrity coaching - tolerating uncertainty and building confidence tickets

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Integrity Coaching - Tolerating uncertainty and building confidence

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Eventbrite - touchconsulting Ltd presents Integrity Coaching - Tolerating uncertainty and building confidence - Thursday, 3 March 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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VocTeach project is creating an online platform where vocational educators can find and share resources for their blended teaching.

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The best
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right for you
Get early access Login

About Vocteach

Making it quick and easy to locate quality vocational teaching resources.

The VocTeach project is creating an online platform where vocational educators can find and share resources for their blended teaching. Teachers can locate curriculum-relevant content and software tools, and use ratings and reviews to find the resources which will be most useful to them.

Teachers can contribute their own resources, as well as reviewing and commenting on resources hosted on the platform. We aim to support a community of educators in sharing their ideas and experiences, and improving their students' learning.

Initially, VocTeach supports educators by curating and recommending the resources they need to teach English and Maths Functional Skills. More skillsets will be added in due course.

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The bestteaching contentright for you Get early access Login The VocTeach project is creating an online platform where vocational educators can find and share resources for their blended teaching. Teachers can locate curriculum-relevant content and software tools, and use ratings and reviews to find the resources which will be most useful to them.

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Attend/run regular get togethers and peer led webinars.

Read/write for our open blog.

Watch/create a digital teachmeet.

Contribute to the newsletter/Twitter
Check out the website including past newsletters.

Sign up to the monthly newsletter

If you’d like to set up a a forum, write a blog or create a teachmeet video, email Chloë: chloeh@pdnorth.org.uk @PDNorth_FE @ChloeFibonacci

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Based in the north but for everyone in FE!

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Magazine published monthly, sign up to receive new issues and read past issues here
Twitter: @JoyfulFE @LouMycroft  @StefWilkinson

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The #JoyFE💛 Magazine launched in April 2020 as one of our first lockdown initiatives. It was immediately popular with educators wanting to find hope and inspiration in each other.

Available in digital form, it tells joyful stories of FE and is not afraid to be critical (though we are never cynical). From the very beginning, the magazine has focused on how FE can be not only re-imagined, but re-made. Our strapline is 'The Joyful Remaking of Education' 💛

The magazine is produced as a collective but is not a closed shop. The editorial team welcome new voices. If you've got something to say, please

You can use the form below to get the monthly magazine direct to your inbox!

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The #JoyFE💛 Magazine launched in April 2020 as one of our first lockdown initiatives. It was immediately popular with educators wanting to find hope and inspiration in each other. Available in digital form, it tells joyful stories of FE and is not afraid to be critical (though we are never cynical).

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A new radio station for teachers - all phases of ed. Operates on weekends.  Jo and Alistair have a show called #PodcastPickOf TheWeek on this station reviewing education and non education podcasts.  Get in touch if you have a podcast to share!
Twitter: @TeacherHugRadio @alistairteaches

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Teacher Hug Radio - The soundtrack to your teaching career

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A free and democratic model for building and supporting engagement with research in further education, led by practitioners, for practitioners. It is a hashtag, a movement and a model to work with to connect with others and to showcase research in the sector.

Run your own meet, online, in real life, large or small scale events. Up to you.
Twitter #FEresearchmeet @FEresearchmeet - SamJones, Founder @jfletchersaxon @kmscattergood  @amy_woodrow1
Podcast - https://linktr.ee/feresearchpodcast

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A free and democratic movement building and supporting engagement with research in FE, led by practitioners, for practitioners

CONTACT #FERESEARCHMEET

Get in touch with #FEResearchMeet to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.

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A free and democratic movement building and supporting engagement with research in FE, led by practitioners, for practitioners CONTACT #FERESEARCHMEET Get in touch with #FEResearchMeet to learn more about our work and how you can get involved.

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Contact Graeme Edwards @g_d_e

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Conceived by Daryn Simon and Ed Finch. Informal gatherings of teachers and educators - usually in a pub - for a day of learning from each other. There are BrewEd events all over the country and online and they often have a theme. Our theme is quite simply ‘FE’. Pints and Pedagogy!
BrewEdFE YouTube channel
Twitter: @BrewEdFE Graham Pitchforth

@Grahamhd86 Jo Fletcher-Saxon

@jfletchersaxon

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education "further education" "fe research" "fe research podcast" "fe research meet" "brew ed fe" teaching

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FE Research UK (channel host Jo Fletcher-Saxon)

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Welcome. This channel hosts content and live streamed events for #FEresearchpodcast #FEResearchMeet and #BrewEdFE. We will also happily host content relating to FE research from the wider FE sector in the UK.

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A network to connect and amplify communities of practice for digital learning, teaching and assessment in vocational educatiion.
Twitter @AmplifyFE and #amplifyFE

Add your hashtag to the #amplifyFE Community Map
Sign up to the mailing list

Email: amplifyFE@alt.ac.uk

Via Twitter @AmplifyFE @EmmaProcterLegg @MarenDeepwell

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Welcome to AmplifyFE!

AmplifyFE launched in October 2020 and already connects over 1800 professionals in Further Education and Vocational Education, providing a strong networking community for them to share, collaborate and learn. From here you can:

Not sure where to start? Head to our getting started page for help.

Who are we?

Led by the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) and funded by Ufi, the initial project produced valuable resources for the sector, including a well received Communities of Practice Sector Audit Report which was conducted during the unprecedented period of disruption that has been the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings and recommendations put forward were particularly timely and insightful in identifying those factors which are strongly associated with establishing and sustaining effective and collegiate Communities of Practice.

Working in a long-term strategic partnership, ALT and Ufi are now putting those insights into practice, with the aim to support and sustain the AmplifyFE network.

The network enables vocational teaching staff to acquire, develop and share the digital and digital pedagogical skills they need, with the ultimate aim of catalysing change across the UK so that significant scale can be achieved in digital vocational learning for adults. As the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK, with nearly 30 years of experience in supporting such communities, ALT is well placed to lead on this development.

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AmplifyFE launched in October 2020 and already connects over 1800 professionals in Further Education and Vocational Education, providing a strong networking community for them to share, collaborate and learn. From here you can: Not sure where to start? Head to our getting started page for help.

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A national campaign ‘born’ in a #JoyFE ideas room in 2020. Seeks to put ‘Adult Community Education back into the national conversation’.
Contribute a piece to #52weeks52speaks?   Email your article or creative endeavours.
Contact adultconversations2021@gmail.com

or via Twitter: @jfletchersaxon @mellenehan @Loumycroft

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How it Started, How it's Going Mel Lenehen

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ETF funded professional development for those operating in AP-type roles. Now in its 3rd year and delivered by the touchconsulting Ltd team.
Sign up to AP Comms
View the AP Toolkit and 5 guides

Email info@touchconsulting.net

Twitter contacts: @JossKang @Lou Mycroft

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LSRN aims to help people, in going about their professional practice, engage with research and development by:   demonstrating the value of research and development, helping build the capacity of the sector, exploring ways of increasing the influence of findings since 1997.

The are regional reps all over the UK - volunteers called Convenors who run events and help people connect with each other. LSRN is a great intersection for HE and FE.

Email Andrew Morris a.j.morris@ucl.ac.uk to get on the circulation list for the newsletter.

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The Bowerbird, in partnership with #joyFE, Writing Rooms - every Sunday 0900-1030 am and every Tuesday 8-930 pm. DM @JoyfulFE for the Zoom link to join - all welcome!

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The Bowerbird, in partnership with #joyFE, Writing Rooms - every Sunday 0900-1030 am and every Tuesday 8-930 pm. DM @JoyfulFE for the Zoom link to join - all welcome!

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ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS DURING COVID, THRIVING OR SURVIVING? by Colin Forrest, Joss Kang, Fraser Mycroft, Lou Mycroft and Sammy White

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ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS DURING COVID, THRIVING OR SURVIVING? by Colin Forrest, Joss Kang, Fraser Mycroft, Lou Mycroft and Sammy White

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RE-THINKING THE ROLE OF THE ADVANCED PRACTITIONER: APCONNECT YEAR 3 EVALUATION STRAND FINAL REPORT

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RE-THINKING THE ROLE OF THE ADVANCED PRACTITIONER: APCONNECT YEAR 3 EVALUATION STRAND FINAL REPORT

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FACILITATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS THROUGH SITUATED LEARNING by Ian Grayling

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FACILITATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS THROUGH SITUATED LEARNING by Ian Grayling

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USING COACHING AND MENTORING TO SUPPORT COLLEAGUES: CORE PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES by Jon Thedham

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USING COACHING AND MENTORING TO SUPPORT COLLEAGUES: CORE PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES by Jon Thedham

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CREATING SPACES TO THINK IN FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING by Lou Mycroft and Kay Sidebottom

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CREATING SPACES TO THINK IN FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING by Lou Mycroft and Kay Sidebottom

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COACHING AND MENTORING IN ACTION: ADDITIONAL APPROACHES, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES by Jon Thedham

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COACHING AND MENTORING IN ACTION: ADDITIONAL APPROACHES, TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES by Jon Thedham

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HOW MANAGERS CAN SUPPORT AND DEVELOP ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS – AN ORGANISATIONAL APPROACH by Jon Thedham

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HOW MANAGERS CAN SUPPORT AND DEVELOP ADVANCED PRACTITIONERS – AN ORGANISATIONAL APPROACH by Jon Thedham

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AP Toolkit and Research publications can be found on this page 

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AP Toolkit and Research publications can be found on this page 

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https://touchconsulting.net/apconnect-resources/

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We kicked off with four guides in 2018 (all complementing the 'Developing APs' CPD content) and one set of AP cards repurposed from the National Teaching and Learning programme. During 2020 we added a fifth guide designed for managers leading APs across their organisations.

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English and Maths Booth: A podcast by teachers, for teacher E&M in Further Education 

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English and Maths Booth: A podcast by teachers, for teacher E&M in Further Education 

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Sammy White, Maths EdTecher (@WhatTheTrigMath)

A podcast by teachers, for teachers within the Further Education sector. Discussing real, day to day experiences, trials and tribulations and what life is like teaching E nglish & Maths in the Post 16 sector.

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#APConnect national conference, 25th March  2022: A Story of Advanced Practice: Rethinking the Role of the Advanced Practitioner

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#APConnect national conference, 25th March  2022: A Story of Advanced Practice: Rethinking the Role of the Advanced Practitioner

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STCG Advanced Practitioner Network – Spring Term: South Thames Colleges Group on 25th February, 2-4.45 p.m. online    #skylarkchoir

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STCG Advanced Practitioner Network – Spring Term: South Thames Colleges Group on 25th February, 2-4.45 p.m. online    #skylarkchoir

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: How do I disseminate my findings? Opportunities for publication from blogs and magazines to journals and conferences - 7th June 4-5 p.m.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: How do I disseminate my findings? Opportunities for publication from blogs and magazines to journals and conferences - 7th June 4-5 p.m.

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fe research workshops with sai loo tickets

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Eventbrite - Jo Fletcher-Saxon presents FE Research Workshops with Sai Loo - Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: What do I do with this data? Analysing your data -  26th April 4-5 p.m.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: What do I do with this data? Analysing your data -  26th April 4-5 p.m.

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fe research workshops with sai loo tickets

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Eventbrite - Jo Fletcher-Saxon presents FE Research Workshops with Sai Loo - Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: How do I collect some data? Research methods - 15th February, 4-5 p.m.

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LSRN FE Research Workshops: How do I collect some data? Research methods - 15th February, 4-5 p.m.

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fe research workshops with sai loo tickets

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Eventbrite - Jo Fletcher-Saxon presents FE Research Workshops with Sai Loo - Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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World Engineering Day (4th March) STEM resources

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World Engineering Day (4th March) STEM resources

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This collection of videos from the Royal Academy of Engineering showcase the exciting range of work that Engineers are involved in!

"From the shoes you wear and the phone in your hand, through to the music you listen to and the games you play, engineering is at the heart of everything. It brings ideas to...

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This collection of videos from the Royal Academy of Engineering showcase the exciting range of work that Engineers are involved in! "From the shoes you wear and the phone in your hand, through to the music you listen to and the games you play, engineering is at the heart of everything.

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World Wildlife Day - 3rd March - STEM resources

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World Wildlife Day - 3rd March - STEM resources

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Planet Earth podcasts, from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and hosted by Planet Earth online, cover a variety of topics about the world around us. Each podcast reports on two to four different stories, describing research projects and studies, dangers to the environment and wildlife, and proposed...

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Planet Earth podcasts, from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and hosted by Planet Earth online, cover a variety of topics about the world around us. Each podcast reports on two to four different stories, describing research projects and studies, dangers to the environment and wildlife, and proposed...

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Interactive webinar for leaders/managers, mentors and mentees - 10th February 4-5 pm

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Interactive webinar for leaders/managers, mentors and mentees - 10th February 4-5 pm

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Leader:

Recognise the features of an organisational infrastructure for developmental mentoring. Analyse the role of the mentoring co-ordinator and the importance of training for all parties involved. Explain the benefits to be gained from enhancing your organisation's developmental mentoring. Locate the ETF mentoring framework guides and further CPD activity.

Mentor:

Explain effective practice in developmental mentoring. Explore tools and strategies for developmental mentoring including the ONSIDE model. Locate the ETF mentoring framework guides and further CPD activity.

Mentee:

Describe effective practice in developmental mentoring. Analyse effective mentee behaviour and mindset. Locate the ETF mentoring framework guides and further CPD activity.

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Leader: Recognise the features of an organisational infrastructure for developmental mentoring. Analyse the role of the mentoring co-ordinator and the importance of training for all parties involved. Explain the benefits to be gained from enhancing your organisation's developmental mentoring. Locate the ETF mentoring framework guides and further CPD activity.

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Digital Skills Matter event 3 - 21 March, 1pm–3.30pm: Strategies to help ESOL learners overcome barriers to developing Essential Digital Skills

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Digital Skills Matter event 3 - 21 March, 1pm–3.30pm: Strategies to help ESOL learners overcome barriers to developing Essential Digital Skills

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Posted on January 25th, 2022

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has launched a new series of 'Digital Skills Matter' events which are focused on effective practice in developing digital skills at Entry and Level 1 for those with no or low digital skills, in line with the new digital entitlement.

The events are being run by six learning providers who have participated in the ETF's Essential Digital Skills (EDS) Champions programme. This pilot programme has supported staff from the FE and Training sector to focus on opportunities around the national standards for digital skills for life and work, which were introduced in April 2019. In each organisation, an EDS Champion has led a 'reflective exploration' project to consider effective practice in digital skills delivery aligned with the national standards. The six Champions have also led CPD events in the ETF's national EDS professional development programme and have taken a lead on the ETF's online community of practice for digital skills.

At the Digital Skills Matter events, the EDS Champions and their colleagues will share the most significant aspects of their experience - what has worked, what has not worked, and key learning points. The events are aimed at those who are planning delivery or in the early stages of delivering new EDS qualifications and at those who are embedding digital skills in vocational, ESOL, Preparation for Life and Work, or similar courses. The events are funded by the Department for Education as part of the EDS programme and there is no charge to attend.

Vikki Liogier, the ETF's National Head of EdTech and Digital Skills, said:

"It is part of our mission at the ETF to help as many learning providers as possible to offer the new digital entitlement to give adult learners and those aged 16-19 the essential digital skills they need for life and work. The Digital Skills Matter events are an important opportunity to hear about six projects that have been focusing on effective practice in developing digital literacy. I hope that colleagues from the sector will take this opportunity to attend the events and contribute to the conversation."

Three Digital Skills Matter events are now available to book, each with a different theme:

9 February, 3pm-5pm, online webinar
Theme: Sharing practice from on-the-ground delivery
Practitioners from New City College will share their reflective practice projects with practical take-away tips for delivering digital skills in a variety of settings. Presenters have first-hand experience and will share what has worked well based on learner feedback.

14 February, 4.30pm-6.30pm, Havant and South Downs College
Theme: CPD - coffee, projects and doughnuts
Based on the theory that the best CPD happens informally over a coffee and in corridor conversations, this event creates opportunities for those involved in digital skills delivery to share ideas and reflections over a coffee and a doughnut.

21 March, 1pm-3.30pm, online webinar
Theme: Strategies to help ESOL learners overcome barriers to developing Essential Digital Skills
Colleagues from the WEA will share the various approaches that the WEA has developed to support practitioners in building confidence in digital skills with their ESOL learners. This event will highlight some of the best practice and examples of materials that have been developed.

For details of all the upcoming events EDS events, please visit the Enhance website.

For full details of the ETF's Essential Digital Skills programme, please our edtech and digital skills pages.

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Digital Skills Matter Events - The Education and Training Foundation

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Posted on January 25th, 2022 The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has launched a new series of 'Digital Skills Matter' events which are focused on effective practice in developing digital skills at Entry and Level 1 for those with no or low digital skills, in line with the new digital entitlement.

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Digital Skills Matter Event 2 - 14th February 4.30-6.30 pm: CPD – coffee, projects and doughnuts

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Digital Skills Matter Event 2 - 14th February 4.30-6.30 pm: CPD – coffee, projects and doughnuts

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Digital Skills Matter event 1 - 9th February 3-5 pm: Sharing Practice from On-The-Ground Delivery

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Digital Skills Matter event 1 - 9th February 3-5 pm: Sharing Practice from On-The-Ground Delivery

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Vocational Communities of Practice Launch Event - Thursday 3rd February 3.30 - 5pm

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Vocational Communities of Practice Launch Event - Thursday 3rd February 3.30 - 5pm

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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CfEM: Maths Teacher Development Groups - begins Feb 4th, runs into March 2022

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CfEM: Maths Teacher Development Groups - begins Feb 4th, runs into March 2022

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Sustainability Teach-meet, Monday February 21st 3-5pm on Teams

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Sustainability Teach-meet, Monday February 21st 3-5pm on Teams

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Email karen.gowlett@essex.gov.uk for details

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Another one from SET which I have booked on to attend and may be of interest to others (Donna Wilson)

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Society for Education and Training (SET) is a community of practitioners and professionals across post-14 education. This is your opportunity to connect and interact with peers and practitioners from across the sector with shared topical interests.

Join us online for this SEND event to:

Hear from Peter Benyon, Project and Delivery Manager for the Centre for Excellence in SEND at Derby College, who will be exploring behaviour and what that means in education.

' We often use the word "behaviour" without questioning, challenging or exploring what it means and how we influence it in our society, our organisations and our learning spaces.

Behaviour has become even more prevalent in our language due to the inclusion of "Behaviour and Attitudes" in the Education Inspection Framework.'

In this session we will explore how acts of behaviour come to take place and what our influence and accountability can be as educators and supporters and introduce the purpose driven model of behaviour intervention.

Participate in interactive roundtable discussion to further explore the key elements of Peters session with a focus around expectations of behaviour in a learning space, taking the opportunity to reflect, share, explore ideas and learn from fellow attendees.
Speaker
Peter Benyon starting his professional journey in education as a temporary librarian in 2002, he has performed many different roles in FE: mentor, coach, child protection officer, prison liaison, support coordinator, and behaviour lead. Peter is currently the Project and Delivery Manager for the Centre for Excellence in SEND at DCG.

His passions are wide and varied but mainly focus on:

neurodiversity

behaviour

personalisation, and

positive decision making

Outside of the professional sphere Peter enjoys spending time with his young family and their dog, being outdoors, reading, writing, listening to music and watching 80s/90s action films.
Please note, places for this event are limited. We recommend booking now if you would like to attend. Click 'details' to book your free ticket now.

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so what do we mean by “behaviour”? - set special interest groups

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so what do we mean by “behaviour”? - set special interest groups tickets

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So what do we mean by "Behaviour"? - SET Special Interest Groups

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Society for Education and Training (SET) is a community of practitioners and professionals across post-14 education. This is your opportunity to connect and interact with peers and practitioners from across the sector with shared topical interests.

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Making your questioning inclusive and interactive, with Geoff Petty - SET webinar https://set-etfoundation.co.uk/1SMO-7P8N3-WQ3HGZ-4OL21A-1/c.aspx 

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Making your questioning inclusive and interactive, with Geoff Petty - SET webinar https://set-etfoundation.co.uk/1SMO-7P8N3-WQ3HGZ-4OL21A-1/c.aspx 

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Hope this is ok to add - was having trouble signing into my padlet account due to having a new phone thanks (Donna Wilson)

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Oldham College - ETF Centres for Excellence in SEND: Employer Spokes - The benefits to your business of diversifying your workforce, 26th January 1400-1530

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Oldham College - ETF Centres for Excellence in SEND: Employer Spokes - The benefits to your business of diversifying your workforce, 26th January 1400-1530

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Oldham College is joined by Oldham-based employers, who will share their experiences of taking on a young person with SEND and the positive impact this has had on their businesses.

This workshop includes a Q&A/discussion session, to give attendees the chance to share their thoughts and gain a deeper understanding of how taking on a young person with SEND will diversify and strengthen their workforce.

Upcoming

Who is this for?

Training aim

Outcomes

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Oldham College is joined by Oldham-based employers, who will share their experiences of taking on a young person with SEND and the positive impact this has had on their businesses. This workshop includes a Q&A/discussion session, to give attendees the chance to share their thoughts and gain a deeper understanding of how taking on a young person with SEND will diversify and strengthen their workforce.

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Kirklees College - Thinkfest: Thurs 24th January 4.30-6 p.m.

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Kirklees College - Thinkfest: Thurs 24th January 4.30-6 p.m.

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Kirklees College invites you to #ThinkFest. A space to think and talk about the big stuff in education.

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#FEresearchCircle meeting on the final Wednesday of the month in term time from 12-1.30pm. 

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#FEresearchCircle meeting on the final Wednesday of the month in term time from 12-1.30pm. 

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This new regulation states that you need to give consent for us to hold your details and contact you.

We will only use the information given by yourself to share with PDN and send you communications regarding this programme. We will not reveal your details to anybody else or use it for anything other than described. We will only collect the minimum amount of data needed.

All data will be processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.

All data that is no longer required will be removed.

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Welcome to the FE Research Circle (formally known as the practitioner action research network). The aim of the FE Research Circle is to provide a supportive space for anyone who is interested or involved in practitioner led research to come and talk about their work and learn from others too.

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 #FEreadingCircle Meeting fortnightly on Thursdays at 8pm

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 #FEreadingCircle Meeting fortnightly on Thursdays at 8pm

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Contact Chloe Hynes for joining details.

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PRIA@40 The Story of Participatory Research: History and Future 16th December webinar 2-4 p.m.

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PRIA@40 The Story of Participatory Research: History and Future 16th December webinar 2-4 p.m.

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Education and training statistics for the UK, 2021

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Education and training statistics for the UK, 2021

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This is a new service - your Beta feedback will help us to improve it.

This is the latest data National statistics

Published

Last updated

This release compiles information on education systems across the United Kingdom. Education is devolved in the UK, so each part of the United Kingdom has a separate education system, with different attainment measures.

In this release, there are sections focusing on the school system: numbers of schools, pupils and teachers and pupil teacher ratios.

This is followed by sections looking at post-compulsory education, which includes the number of further and higher education institutions and the number of students. There is also a section on young adults (aged between 16-24) who are not in education or employment.

The next sections focus on students' qualifications, typically taken at ages 16 and 18 (although given the different qualifications systems and headline measures, it is not suitable to present a direct comparative picture of pupil performance across the UK), as well as the highest qualifications held by adults in the UK (aged 19-64).

Finally there is a section showing government education expenditure in the UK.

Data downloads

Supporting information

Past releases

Reporting Year 2021

See other releases (10)

Methodologies

Headline facts and figures - 2021

Pupil numbers in secondary and special schools increased in every part of the UK, however primary pupil numbers fell in all parts except Wales. Teacher numbers rose in every part of the UK at every level, except nursery level.

Pupil-teacher ratios in maintained schools were lowest in Scotland (13.3)and similar in England (18.0), Wales (19.2) and Northern Ireland (18.0).

All data used in this release is available as open data for download

Open data

Browse and download individual open data files from this release in our data catalogue

Guidance

Learn more about the data files used in this release using our online guidance

Create your own tables

You can view featured tables that we have built for you, or create your own tables from the open data using our table tool

In 2020/21, there were 29,644 maintained schools across the UK, an increase of 20 compared to 2019/20, driven by an increase at nursery level in Scotland and in special schools in England. There were 32,163 schools overall (excluding independent schools in Scotland).

Data on the number of schools in each part of the UK (and each region of England) is available in the underlying data.

The number of pupils in maintained schools continued to rise in 2020/21 across the UK, with an increase of 0.3% in England, 1.2% in Wales and 1.0% in Northern Ireland. There was a fall of 0.3% in Scotland, but this is driven mainly by a decrease in the number of pupils in nurseries; when nurseries were removed, the number of pupils increased by 0.6%.

The number of pupils in state-funded nurseries decreased by 10.1% in England and 6.5% in Scotland. This may be due to a reduction in enrolments in nursery as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, although there is also likely to be some effect from demographic changes. The number of pupils aged between 5 and 11 fell by 0.7% across all maintained schools in the UK, whereas the number of pupils aged 12 and above rose by 3.3%.

Similarly, the number of pupils in maintained secondary and special schools across the UK increased by 2.5% and 2.4% respectively, whereas the number of pupils in primary schools fell by 1.1% overall. Wales was the only area of the UK where the number of pupils in primary schools rose between 2019/20 and 2020/21. In Wales, there was also an increase of 7.5% in the number of pupils in middle schools.

Data on the number of pupils by gender and school type in each part of the UK (and each region of England) is available in the underlying data along with data by age and school type at a UK level.

The number of full-time equivalent teachers across maintained schools increased by 1.7% between 2019/20 and 2020/21 across the UK, with increases in each part of the UK at every level, except nursery schools.

Northern Ireland saw the largest increase (2.7%), followed by Scotland (2.2%), England (1.6%) and Wales (1.5%).

The impact of changes in both teacher and pupil numbers can be seen in the section on pupil teacher ratios.

Data on the number of teachers by gender and in each part of the UK (and each region of England) is available in the underlying data.

Pupil teacher ratios (PTR) show the number of pupils for every teacher. Across the UK the PTRs follow a similar pattern across all phases, with Scotland having the lowest PTRs and England, Wales and Northern Ireland all having very similar PTRs.

PTRs for all maintained schools fell slightly in each part of the UK, driven by PTRs in primary schools. This means there were slightly fewer pupils per teacher in primary schools in each part of the UK.

PTRs in secondary and special schools remained stable, suggesting teacher numbers have roughly reacted to changes in pupil numbers.

In 2019/20 there were 2.7 million students doing higher education at UK higher education providers and further education colleges. About two thirds of these were studying first degrees (also known as bachelor's degrees), 1 in 5 studying a masters or other postgraduate aims, 1 in 25 doing a PhD and 1 in 10 on other undergraduate courses.

Females made up 57% of the overall student population and made up a greater share at every level except PhDs (49.5%). This has remained stable between 2018/19 and 2019/20.

The most popular subject group studied in higher education in the UK is business and management with 447,000 students (17% of all students), followed by subjects allied to medicine (12%) and social sciences (10%).

There are clear differences in the subject group figures by gender:

Females were more likely to enrol in both subjects allied to medicine and social sciences than males. 16% of all female students enrolled in subjects allied to medicine and 12% in social sciences whereas for males the figures were 6% and 8% respectively.

For males the most popular subjects were business and management (20% of all male students) followed by engineering and technology (13%) and computing (10%). Only 2% of female students enrolled in each of these subjects.

These figures are available in the underlying data by level of education and mode of study.

The number of overseas students studying higher education in the UK continued to increase in 2019/20, rising by 12% to 559,000 overall. Although this follows a rising trend, this was a larger increase than in recent years.

The total number of students in further education in the UK continued to decrease in 2019/20, falling in every part of the UK and by 11.4% overall compared to 2018/19. The number of students fell by 11.9% in England, by 8.4% in Scotland, by 8.1% in Wales and by 7.2% in Northern Ireland. The decrease in the number of students in further education in Scotland in 2019/20 follows year-on-year increases between 2015/16 and 2018/19. The 2019/20 data covers the early months of the global COVID-19 crisis and the nationwide lockdown. This may have affected enrolment figures and therefore extra care should be taken in comparing and interpreting trends over time.

Further information on the demographics of further education students (gender, age and mode of study), as well as the number of colleges, can be found in the underlying data.

The percentage of 16-24 year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK was 9.3% in April-June 2021, down from 10.8% in the previous quarter and 11.3% in the same quarter last year.

The trend was similar for males and females :

The percentage of males who were NEET was 9.8% in April-June 2021, a decrease of 1.8 percentage points compared to April-June 2020

The percentage of females who were NEET was 8.7% in April-June 2021, a decrease of 2.2 percentage points compared to April-June 2020

However, there has been a difference in the magnitude of the decrease in the NEET when looking at age groups.

The percentage of 16-17 year-olds who were NEET was 3.7% in April-June 2021, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points compared to April-June 2020

The percentage of 18-24 year olds who were NEET was 10.8% in April-June 2021, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points compared to April-June 2020

More information on these statistics is available from the Office of National Statistics. Statistics for each part of the UK are available at:
England - Statistics: NEET and participation Scotland's Labour Market: People, Places and Regions Wales - Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) Northern Ireland - Quarterly Labour Force Survey Tables

Given the different qualifications systems and headline measures, it is not suitable to present a direct comparative picture of pupil performance across the UK.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in all parts of the UK in 2020. As a result most of the headline measures across the UK have either been significantly affected or not calculated and published for 2019/20. The data that has been published should not be directly compared to attainment data from previous years for the purposes of measuring change in student performance.

In England pupils were awarded either a centre assessment grade (based on what the school or college believed the student would most likely have achieved had exams gone ahead) or their calculated grade using a model developed by Ofqual - whichever was the higher of the two.

In Scotland the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) did not collect coursework or mark coursework that had already been collected. As a result, grades awarded in 2020 were instead based on teacher estimates.

In Wales all qualifications that would have been sat as examinations in the 2019/20 summer term were replaced with the best of either the centre assessed grade or the standardised grade calculated by the Welsh Joint Education Committee.

In Northern Ireland results awarded by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) for GCSEs were based solely on the Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs) provided by schools and colleges. Results awarded for A-Levels were the higher of the CAG or the grade initially awarded by CCEA on 13 August 2020.

More detail on how each part of the UK awarded and presented its performance measures can be found at the relevant sources for each part of the UK and each level of education:
England - Key stage 4 performance England - A level and other 16 to 18 results Scotland - Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations Wales - Examination results Northern Ireland - School performance

Across the UK, 83% of adults aged 19-64 have a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level of 2 or above. This decreases to 66% with NQF level 3 or above and 47% at level 4 or above.

A higher percentage of females are qualified to each of these levels than males.

The percentage of those aged 25 to 29 who hold NQF level 2 or above, or NQF level 3 or above, is the highest of any age group; this then decreases with each older age group. For NQF level 4 or above the percentages of those aged 25 to 29 and 30 to 39 are the highest, this percentage also decreases with each older age group.

The amount of government expenditure on education rose by 6% from 2019-20 to 2020-21, with an increase of 2% on primary education and a 7% increase in spend on secondary education.

Expenditure in real terms fell by 0.4% over the same period, but as a percentage of GDP it rose from 4.0% to 4.5%, the highest it has been since 2013/14.

Help and support

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority designated these statistics as National Statistics in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Designation signifying their compliance with the authority's Code of Practice for Statistics which broadly means these statistics are:

managed impartially and objectively in the public interest

meet identified user needs

produced according to sound methods

well explained and readily accessible

Once designated as National Statistics it's a statutory requirement for statistics to follow and comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics to be observed.

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.

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Education and training statistics for the UK, Reporting Year 2021

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This release compiles information on education systems across the United Kingdom. Education is devolved in the UK, so each part of the United Kingdom has a separate education system, with different attainment measures. In this release, there are sections focusing on the school system: numbers of schools, pupils and teachers and pupil teacher ratios.

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ETF National English Network next event - 11th January 1600-1730

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ETF National English Network next event - 11th January 1600-1730

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Includes approaches to teaching non-fiction and combatting exam anxiety.

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Spring is springing Matrix readers! Remember this is your Padlet, so please add any FE events that peers or the teachers they work with may be interested in.

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Spring is springing Matrix readers! Remember this is your Padlet, so please add any FE events that peers or the teachers they work with may be interested in.

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Breaking News English - Easier News Lessons

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Breaking News English Lessons - 3,369 FREE Easy News English lesson plans. EFL/ESL graded news lessons, news in 7 levels, current events.

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FS English and maths event: 26th January 1300-1730

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FS English and maths event: 26th January 1300-1730

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Join Mars Maths, Isla Flood, Hollie Barnes, Emma Bell and Sammy White (EdTech50) as they chat all things FE, functional skills and more.

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We're NCFE: an educational charity and leader in vocational and technical learning. We combine over 170 years of education experience with deep insight, working with a network of expert collaborators to galvanise the technical and vocational education sector around the greatest learning needs and to shape smarter solutions. In doing this, we're working for a fairer education system for all learners to power inclusivity and choice.

In 1848, we were born from the belief that no learner was left behind. Today, we're taking up that cause with fresh energy.

We provide Functional Skills qualifications that provide an alternative route to students for English and maths, from entry level 1 to level 2. Our Functional Skills come with 6 day results turnaround for all our on demand assessments, including paper-based, online and remote invigilated assessments.

Our Core Maths qualification is ideal for students who have achieved a Grade 4 or above in GCSE mathematics and would like to do a maths qualification that supports them in everyday applications of maths. This level 3 certificate supports post-16 students, particularly those affected by loss of learning in the past 2 years, with the development of their maths knowledge which will allow them to improve their achievement in other subjects and enable them to progress to further academic or vocational education, or employment.

We also offer bite-sized English and maths solutions allow you to build a flexible learning programme that can be used as intervention, confidence building and as alternative qualifications. These qualifications are ideal for SEND, ESOL and disengaged learners who will benefit from content that's practical in nature and come without the need for a final assessment. You can mix and match these from a huge range of units.

Find out more about NCFE on this link to their website.

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Thank you for joining us on the 26th. This event would not have been possible without our sponsors NCFE and FEpod. Please find a recording of the whole event below, along with a schedule of the day linked to each part in the video.

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Festival of Education: Wellington College, Thursday 7-8 July 2022.

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Festival of Education: Wellington College, Thursday 7-8 July 2022.

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Call for speakers open until Friday 14th January 2022!

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Bukky Yusuf - Getting mentoring right - Friday 10th December 1 - 2.30 pm

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Bukky Yusuf - Getting mentoring right - Friday 10th December 1 - 2.30 pm

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bukky yusuf - getting mentoring right tickets

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Eventbrite - touchconsulting Ltd presents Bukky Yusuf - Getting mentoring right - Friday, 10 December 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

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BAMEed Workshops - Blogging & publishing - March 4th 1-3 pm

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BAMEed Workshops - Blogging & publishing - March 4th 1-3 pm

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bameed  workshops - blogging & publishing

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bameed  workshops - blogging & publishing tickets

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BAMEed Workshops - Blogging & publishing

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Eventbrite - touchconsulting Ltd presents BAMEed Workshops - Blogging & publishing - Friday, 4 March 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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BAMEed Workshops - Personal branding and social media - 4th February 1-3 pm

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BAMEed Workshops - Personal branding and social media - 4th February 1-3 pm

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BAMEed Workshops - Personal branding and social media

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This workshop is prioritised for practitioners from BAMEed communities. You can read more about our rationale on our website

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WLN workshop - Introduction to Intersectional Accessibility- 21st January 1-2.30 pm

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WLN workshop - Introduction to Intersectional Accessibility- 21st January 1-2.30 pm

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WLN workshop - Introduction to Intersectional Accessibility

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In this workshop you will explore intersectional accessibility, what this means for you, your organisation and your future work.

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JoyFE workshop - Facilitating an Ideas Room - 20th January 7-8.30 pm

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JoyFE workshop - Facilitating an Ideas Room - 20th January 7-8.30 pm

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joyfe workshop -  facilitating an ideas room

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joyfe workshop -  facilitating an ideas room tickets

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JoyFE workshop - Facilitating an Ideas Room

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Eventbrite - touchconsulting Ltd presents JoyFE workshop - Facilitating an Ideas Room - Thursday, 20 January 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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EQuality Training workshop - Supported Conversations - Friday 14th January 1-2.30 pm

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EQuality Training workshop - Supported Conversations - Friday 14th January 1-2.30 pm

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equality training workshop - supported conversations

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equality training workshop - supported conversations tickets

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EQuality Training workshop - Supported Conversations

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If you've been afraid of talking about disability, unsure what to say, or scared of offending others, this is the time for you.

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BAMEed workshops - Who are you? Authentic Leadership and Identity - Fiday 7th January 1-3 pm

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BAMEed workshops - Who are you? Authentic Leadership and Identity - Fiday 7th January 1-3 pm

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bameed workshops - who are you? authentic leadership and identity

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bameed workshops - who are you? authentic leadership and identity tickets

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BAMEed workshops - Who are you? Authentic Leadership and Identity

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Eventbrite - touchconsulting Ltd presents BAMEed workshops - Who are you? Authentic Leadership and Identity - Friday, 7 January 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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touchconsulting Ltd is a small organisation that co-designs and delivers big quality improvement programmes for the education and training profession. The team at touchconsulting Ltd work exclusively within the diverse post-14 education sector. We work with individuals, teams and organisations to support all practitioners to deliver an excellent educational experience for learners.

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Festival Friday Wellbeing Workshop with Nic Owen from Zennic Wellbeing - 9th December 1900-2030

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Festival Friday Wellbeing Workshop with Nic Owen from Zennic Wellbeing - 9th December 1900-2030

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zennic wellbeing workshop - work life harmony

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zennic wellbeing workshop - work life harmony tickets

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Zennic Wellbeing workshop - Work Life Harmony

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We know self care is important but we may not put it first on our list. Join Nic as she guides you through how to create time for you.

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STCG Advanced Practitioner Networking Event - Monday 13th December 

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STCG Advanced Practitioner Networking Event - Monday 13th December 

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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STEM Resources to support The Royal Institution - Christmas Lectures, December/January 2021-22 - Going Viral - How Covid changed science forever

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STEM Resources to support The Royal Institution - Christmas Lectures, December/January 2021-22 - Going Viral - How Covid changed science forever

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The Invisible Enemy (Viruses, immune system and testing.)

The Perfect Storm (Epidemiology, mathematical and behavioural modelling, future technology)

Winning the War (Vaccines, genetics, the role of technology)

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Published by the Wellcome Trust, the 'Big Picture' explores issues around biology and medicine.

This resource looks at several aspects of the immune system including:

The non-specific immune response

Specific immune response and antigen recognition

T cells and B cells

...

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Published by the Wellcome Trust, the 'Big Picture' explores issues around biology and medicine. This resource looks at several aspects of the immune system including: The non-specific immune response Specific immune response and antigen recognition T cells and B cells ...

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WomenEd South West: Leadership Journey - Nov 27th 1000-1200 BS37 4DX

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WomenEd South West: Leadership Journey - Nov 27th 1000-1200 BS37 4DX

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WomenEd South West invites you to join us in celebrating the leadership journey of women in every stage of their career.

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#womened south west: leadership  journey; different stages of careers

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#womened south west: leadership  journey; different stages of careers tickets

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#womened south west: leadership  journey; different stages of careers yate

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#womened south west: leadership  journey; different stages of careers yate tickets

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#WomenEd South West: Leadership Journey; Different Stages of Careers

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Eventbrite - @WomenEdSW presents #WomenEd South West: Leadership Journey; Different Stages of Careers - Saturday, 27 November 2021 at Yate Academy, Yate, England. Find event and ticket information.

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FE Voices with BAME network - past, recorded and forthcoming EDI events 

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FE Voices with BAME network - past, recorded and forthcoming EDI events 

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A series of events in which participants can deconstruct the challenge of racism in FE to evolve the agenda and face the issue together.

FE Voices was set up to provide question and answer sessions as a way of getting to the bottom of how racism affects our sector. Staff, students, experts and organisations alike have come together to share concerns and ideas on ways in which we can recruit and progress more diversely.

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Welcome to #FEVoices, a series of events and resources focusing on equality, diversity and inclusion that seek to deconstruct the challenges within the FE sector.

The first series looks at the challenge of racism in FE and how to evolve the agenda and face the issue together. Staff, students, experts and organisations alike have come together to share concerns and ideas on ways in which we can recruit and progress more diversely.

Watch our first three sessions below, 'The Lived Experience', 'Looking In' and 'The Reformers'.

The second series focuses on good practice from across the sector, showcasing how some colleges have identified issues around inclusive practice, barriers that have been faced and how they were overcome, the work that has been done and their future aspirations.

As we promised in the first series, being able to openly talk about the issues is just the start, the work that we do together to improve outcomes for all is the ambition.

#FEVoices S1, Session 1 - The Lived Experience

For a full transcript of the session please click here.

Time to listen and learn

The modern tendency to dismiss experts when we don't like what they say is a disturbing one. Social media has given rise to a strangely cacophonous form of democracy where everyone can shout their views all at once on any subject, no voice louder than another regardless of knowledge or the lack thereof. The other, more positive side of this coin is that individuals have a greater belief that their views deserve to be heard, and organisations - be they businesses, charities or membership groups - are discovering that listening to their audiences is something they must do. The days are gone when people "in charge" told those whose lives they impact what was good for them.

FE Voices is about precisely that. A series of three discussions around the issues of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the FE sector, we have brought people together to hear about their lived experience of inequality, uniformity and omission - how it feels and how it affects their aspirations, their progress and their sense of self.

This is an issue which affects us all. Limiting what individuals can achieve by happenstance of colour, religion, disability, neurodiversity etc., limits what society can itself accomplish. It's not just about morality and fairness. The business case for everyone being treated the same is incontrovertible; if you limit the talent pool from which you look to recruit along such arbitrary lines as someone's faith or the pigment of their skin you're going to miss out on a lot of productive people.

Of course, EDI is about much more than that. It's about the fundamentals of human decency; it's about learning to walk in another's shoes and most importantly of all, it's about treating others with the same degree of fairness and understanding with which we would wish to be treated ourselves.

In our first session we bring together people with first hand experience of the FE sector, as students and staff, to hear what their lived experiences are and have been. Some of the things they have enjoyed and endured may surprise or shock you. Some may produce a lightbulb moment about ways to help us all make others who are different from us feel more comfortable. All the panellists live their own lives, and their insights are enlightening.

They are:
Sayeda Meghjee - HR Director, Luton Sixth Form College Sineeha Maheshwari - Student, Milton Keynes College Aniesa Shah - Teaching & Learning Development Manager, Milton Keynes College Group Haroon Bashir - Deputy designated Safeguarding Lead and Equality Manager, Halesowen College James Corbin - Broadcast Digital Producer, Fashion Model & Activist Kimmy Kimani - Student Engagement Officer, Milton Keynes College

#FEVoices S1, Session 2 - Looking In

For a full transcript of the session please click here.
Seeing ourselves as others see us
In Shakespeare's Henry V, the king goes among his soldiers in disguise on the eve of the battle of Agincourt to find out what they really think of him - and not everything they say is to his liking. It's all too easy when cocooned within a movement or organisation to assume you're doing what's right, without necessarily checking with the people impacted by your decisions.

In the second of our FE voices panel discussions, we bring together people from outside the world of colleges to say what they see when Looking In on us. The messages of FE have many audiences beyond the obvious ones of staff and students. There are the businesses with which we collaborate, be it in terms of making sure our curriculum provision teaches students the skills they need or as partners in traineeships or apprenticeships. There are the charities - the allied organisations also working towards improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in society. There are the schools, our providing pipeline for the bulk of our students. There are the wider communities we serve with their great mixture of faiths, cultures, politics, levels of depravation or wealth.

All have a view on how we could be doing what we're doing more effectively, more fairly, more productively. FE's job is to give students the skills they need to launch good careers which contribute to society and help them to lead a happy and fulfilled life. But it's also to help transform lives, not just through education but also in allowing them the space and stimulus to grow into good, happy members of our wider community. That's what we think we're doing, but how do we actually look to those on the outside?

Our panellists for this session are:
Sufian Sadiq - Director of the Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust (panel chair)
Shalom Lloyd - Founder & MD, Naturally Tribal Skincare Ltd
Oba Akinwale - Direction of Operations, Loud Speaker
Rev Paul Oxley - St Mark's Church, Milton Keynes
Rehana Faisal - Founder & Chair, Lantern
Shahida Aslam - Director of Operations, Helena Kennedy Foundation
Dawn Fitt OBE - Deputy Head of School, Milton Keynes College Group
Jason Holt CBE - Holts Group of Companies
Majid Al-Kader - CEO, MX Reality Ltd

#FEVoices S1, Session 3 - The Reformers

For a full transcript of the session please click here.

Deciding what to teach

If one thread has been woven consistently into the thoughts of the panellists we've listened to in this FE Voices series, it is representation. In FE Voices 3 we wanted to hear from the Reformers, those individuals in positions of authority in further education whose stated aim is to make things better. Not all change is top down, but it's an awful lot easier to reform behaviours and outcomes if the people in charge are on board with the idea. What does representation mean to them, and how do they try to make their own institutions more representative?

We also wanted to look at curriculum. Not so very long ago, school atlases in Britain and the Commonwealth were printed with a very different colour scheme from those published in other nations. Great swathes of land from Australia to India to Africa were illustrated in a deep red colour, a powerful visual reminder of Empire and dominion. Generations of school children had their view of the world entirely shaped by those crimson land masses. Curriculum matters.

What we see, not just in school books but in people, sculpts our view of the world. Think of the face mask, that ubiquitous symbol of the pandemic. A couple of years ago it felt a bit odd, perhaps even slightly uncomfortable, to encounter people from China wearing masks on our streets. Today if we walk into a supermarket, we are more likely to feel disconcerted when other shoppers aren't wearing masks at all. Perceptions can be changed, and often what we see is the biggest driver towards that altered state of mind.
Panel: Altaf Hussain - Principal & CEO, Luton Sixth Form College The session was hosted by Arv Kaushal and chaired by Rajinder Mann OBE - Board Member of the Institute for FE.
Jeff Greenidge - Director of Diversity, Education & Training Foundation
Julie Mills OBE - CEO, Milton Keynes College Group
Solat Chaudhry - Group Chief Executive, National Centre for Diversity
Cindy Rampersaud - Senior Vice President, Pearson BTEC & Apprenticeships
Shelagh Legrave OBE - FE Commissioner Designate

#FEVoices S2, Session 1 - Arv Kaushal, MK College Group

This first session of #FEVoices series 2 looks at how MK College Group is developing their new strategy and his hosted and presented by Arv Kaushal. Joining him are Dr Julie Mills (CEO), Liz Marr (EDI link Governor), Lee Parker (Director of Marketing & Communications), Jason Mansell (Senior Operations Director and Alex Warner (Principal) who all give their unique perspectives on their role and commitment to delivering that 'fairer future' for all.

#FEVoices S2, Session 2 - Sam Coles, Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMET)

Diversity and Inclusion underpins BMet's vision, values and goals enabling the college to be an inspiring place to work and to provide excellent learning opportunities for Birmingham and the city region. The college aims to lead in best practices where diversity is genuinely desired and sought and where inclusion is nurtured through trust and engagement. As an example of their culture change programme two members of staff talk about their work around LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Sue Hopewell, Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality

Reflecting on my career I would not change many things. Starting in the travel industry when I was 18 was a great experience and provided me with the opportunity to visit so many places. I still love travelling and try and take as many breaks and holidays to different places as possible.

I came into further education by accident through a conversation with a customer when I was booking their holiday. I have never looked back and after spending the first 16 years furthering my education, gaining numerous relevant qualifications including a Master's Degree, I really value the sector we work in and appreciate the doors it can open for many young people and adults. Working closely with colleagues we continually strive to deliver a high quality learning experience for all those studying with the college and ensure that our communities feel valued and listened to. For me the students have to be at the heart of all we do.
Sam Coles, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

As a young person I developed a very strong sense of social justice and there's always been a focus of advancing equality, diversity and inclusion throughout my working and personal life, for example: campaigning for temporary worker's rights, establishing a lesbian parents group in Cambridge in the 90s, working in outreach settings with racially and socially marginalised women and volunteering as a visitor for detainees in an immigration removal centre.

I made good use of further education evening classes while working and joined a large college in 2006 initially employed as an information services practitioner to set up a resource centre to support basic skills teachers. I became a chartered librarian but took the opportunity of a permanent EDI role in 2012 and 4 years ago moved to BMet. I love, love, love further education and everything we stand for and I am proud to be part of a college that is working hard to improve people's lives.

#FEVoices S2 Session 3 - Ellisha Soanes, West Suffolk College & Jeff Greenidge, AoC & ETF

West Suffolk College became the first FE college to embed an all-year-round Black History curriculum on the back of a student-led project after the murder of George Floyd. Although those events were the catalyst, they were not the reasons why having a all-year-round approach is so important.

This third session with guest presenter Ellisha Soanes seeks to explore why their approach has had such a positive impact not just for their learners but for their staff and the wider community. Joining Ellisha is Jeff Greenidge, Director of Diversity at the Association of Colleges, who offers a cross-sector context to this work and more broadly around why inclusive approaches are so important.

#FEVoices S2 Session 4 - Jaspal Dhaliwal, Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES)

REGISTER FOR UPCOMING SESSIONS:

Supported by the Education & Training Foundation

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Welcome to #FEVoices, a series of events and resources focusing on equality, diversity and inclusion that seek to deconstruct the challenges within the FE sector. The first series looks at the challenge of racism in FE and how to evolve the agenda and face the issue together.

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Open Scholarship: Opening Up Education - What can Libraries Do? 30th November

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Open Scholarship: Opening Up Education - What can Libraries Do? 30th November

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opening up education: what can libraries do?

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opening up education: what can libraries do? tickets

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Opening up Education: What can Libraries do?

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Eventbrite - LAI Open Scholarship Group presents Opening up Education: What can Libraries do? - Tuesday, 30 November 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

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VocTech Workshops: Technology and Learning for a Society in Transition - 16th November 1100-1200

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VocTech Workshops: Technology and Learning for a Society in Transition - 16th November 1100-1200

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Chief Research and Impact Officer, The RSA

Anthony leads the RSA 's Research and Impact team, overseeing their research, policy, publications and practical innovation. Anthony is an award winning policy and social innovator. He leads the RSA's social change work covering economic security, future of work, education, lifelong learning, local democracy and regenerative futures. He has been a leading voice, writer and presenter on the RSA's platforms for almost a decade.

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Technology and learning for a society in transition | #WeekofVocTech

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Chief Research and Impact Officer, The RSA Anthony leads the RSA 's Research and Impact team, overseeing their research, policy, publications and practical innovation. Anthony is an award winning policy and social innovator. He leads the RSA's social change work covering economic security, future of work, education, lifelong learning, local democracy and regenerative futures.

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Curriculum Thinking Masterclasses (£70) - 6 and 7 January

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Curriculum Thinking Masterclasses (£70) - 6 and 7 January

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curriculum thinking: six  masterclasses tickets

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Eventbrite - Tom Sherrington presents Curriculum Thinking: Six Masterclasses - Thursday, 6 January 2022 | Friday, 7 January 2022 - Find event and ticket information.

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In-action video Masterclasses: 6th December - Research-informed Teaching in Action (£70)

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In-action video Masterclasses: 6th December - Research-informed Teaching in Action (£70)

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Here's an update on the Masterclasses currently live for bookings. The format for each event gives you the option to watch live or to receive recordings to view later. These can be shared within a school as a support for CPD events. A choice of book is included with each ticket and you will only need one ticket for your school.

Curriculum Masterclasses November 18-19: Ended.

In Action Masterclasses. December 6-7

Curriculum Masterclasses January 6-7

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Here's an update on the Masterclasses currently live for bookings. The format for each event gives you the option to watch live or to receive recordings to view later. These can be shared within a school as a support for CPD events. A choice of book is included with each ticket and you will only...

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LSRN FE Research Workshops - Nov 23, Feb 15, 26 Apr, 7 June

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LSRN FE Research Workshops - Nov 23, Feb 15, 26 Apr, 7 June

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fe research workshops with sai loo tickets

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Eventbrite - Jo Fletcher-Saxon presents FE Research Workshops with Sai Loo - Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Tuesday, June 7, 2022 - Find event and ticket information.