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This exhibition site brings together some of the most effective SEND materials available on the Excellence Gateway, as well as brand new material that will be of interest to practitioners, managers and leaders across the sector.

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The first of a series of exhibition sites - on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - launched this week as part of the Education and Training Foundation's redevelopment and renewal of the Excellence Gateway.

The new site features CPD resources that have been developed as part of a previous Foundation project alongside the Gateway's most relevant resources including the toolkit for creating accessible resources. The exhibition site also features links to useful websites and to departmental guidance for learning providers on meeting the needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, creating a one-stop shop for providers wanting to improve their practice.

The Children and Families Act set a new legislative framework for children and young people being implemented from 1 September 2014. This creates new responsibilities for FE providers, who will be required to adhere to the new SEND Code of Practice, and admit students if the institution is named in an Education Health and Care Plan (which will replace the Learning Difficulty Assessment).

The Foundation ran a programme between November 2013 and March 2014 aimed at supporting and developing the skills of staff working with learners with learning difficulties or disabilities (based on the RARPA process), and consulted extensively with the sector prior to redeveloping and renewing the resources available on the site.

Alison Boulton, Chief Executive, The Association of National Specialist Colleges (NATSPEC) said "Colleges have a lot to do in a very short time, with new duties to meet from September. They must use their 'best endeavours' to meet the needs of all students with learning difficulties or disabilities, with or without an Education Health and Care Plan, and need to think about what this means in practice. It may require a review of assessment, curriculum or personalised support, and further staff training and development. The new focus is on outcomes, in particular employment and living more independently - how will colleges ensure they support students to achieve their goals in these areas?"

As well as RARPA Quick Guides and Toolkits, visitors to the new site can access materials to support the process of review and staff self-evaluation, review learner progress, find advice on how to standardise RARPA across their organisation, and access descriptions of initial approaches to staff development, and some of the CPD approaches that have been developed.

Notes to Editors:

The full redevelopment of the Excellence Gateway will be complete by 31 st January 2015. ​To visit the SEND exhibition site please visit : http://send.excellencegateway.org.uk/

For more information about Recognising and recording progress and achievement (RARPA) please visit: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/25745

To read the guidance on the new legislative framework set out in The Children and Families Act please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implementing-the-0-to-25-special-needs-system-further-education

About the Education and Training Foundation

Set up to improve professionalism and standards in the further education and skills sectors, The Education and Training Foundation sets professional standards and provides support to ensure learners benefit from a well-qualified, effective and up-to-date professional workforce supported by good leadership, management and governance.
www.et-foundation.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter @E_T_Foundation

For more information, contact our Communications Team:
lindsay.wright@etfoundation.co.uk rachel.malic@etfoundation.co.uk

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Education and Training Foundation launches first new exhibition site - on SEND

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The first of a series of exhibition sites - on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) - launched this week as part of the Education and Training Foundation's redevelopment and renewal of the Excellence Gateway. The new site features CPD resources that have been developed as part of a previous Foundation project alongside the Gateway's most relevant resources including the toolkit for creating accessible resources.

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Bare essentials for embedding equality and diversity in teaching, learning and assessment

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Bare essentials for embedding equality and diversity in teaching, learning and assessment

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Information, tips and techniques that can help teachers quickly develop better practice in equality and diversity - in their curriculum and 'classroom' (or however you define the learning setting in your type of provision)  - and avoid (m)any more 'missed opportunities'.

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We realised that some basic information, tips and techniques can help teachers quickly develop better practice in equality and diversity - in their curriculum and 'classroom' (or however you define the learning setting in your type of provision) - and avoid (m)any more 'missed opportunities'.

Ask the right questions

Here are a few questions to consider as you start to develop your practice:

What are the equalities skills learners on your course need to become competent in?

How do you assess for equalities learning?

If you embed equalities in your teaching learning and assessment what will it look and feel like for:

You

Your learners

Your colleagues

Your observor

How do you liberate your curriculum?

What does differentiation across all protected groups look and feel like in the classroom/workplace?

Which teaching and learning methods will enable you and your learners to develop the equalities skills you want?

What exactly does Ofsted mean by 'missed opportunities'?

How do you develop the confidence and skills to manage well the unplanned equalities 'gifts' that coe your way every single day (be they easy or difficult, fun or distressing)?

Which teaching and learning methods will enable you and your learners to develop the equalities skills you want?

How can you turn your learners into the best possible equality and diversity resource you could ask for in the classroom/workplace?

What's the best approach to assessment of equalities learning and skills?

Top tips

Here are some ideas to help you start creating a more inclusive learning environment:

Identify the equalities skills learners on your course(s) need to become competent in and clearly identify the impact for learners of helping them to develop competence in equality and diversity as life or employability skills

Make sure you know enough about what the law requires of you and that you are meeting the Public Sector Equalitydefinition Duty (2010) in your teaching, learning and assessment

Assess for equalities learning

Liberate your curriculum

Develop conscious competence in embedding equality and diversity

Differentiate your teaching, learing and assessment across all protected groups - and know what this looks and feels like in the classroom/workplace

Work out which teaching and learning methods to use to help you and your learners develop the equalities skills they need

Develop your confidence and skills to manage well the unplanned equalities 'gifts' that come your way every single day (be they easy or difficult, fun or distressing) and avoid any more 'missed opportunities'

Turn your learners into the best possible equality and diversity resource you could ask for in the classroom/workplace

Design effective assessments of your learners skills in equalities

Contribute to your organisation's plan to improve your Ofsted grade/inspection report

Got you thinking?

Good, that's the plan. We've published the findings and recommendations from what you said on the 2014 Equalities Consultation Pop-up Tour, which we are sure will provide more food for thought.

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Embedding equality and diversity in teaching, learning and assessment

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We realised that some basic information, tips and techniques can help teachers quickly develop better practice in equality and diversity - in their curriculum and 'classroom' (or however you define the learning setting in your type of provision) - and avoid (m)any more 'missed opportunities'.

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Recording of the ELMAG Equalities Webinar on 30.3.15

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Recording of the ELMAG Equalities Webinar on 30.3.15

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Recording of the ELMAG equalities webinar for  providers of leadership, management and governance CPD opportunities for the education and training sector.

Please note there are some audio problems at the start of the recording and there is a 6-minute  gap in the recording where the technology failed (you can fast forward past it, or the slides are available as a standalone resource in the equalitiestoolkit resources collection)

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Recording of the ELMAG equalities webinar for providers of leadership, management and governance CPD opportunities for the education and training sector.

Please note there are some audio problems at the start of the recording and there is a 6-minute gap in the recording where the technology failed (you can fast forward past it, or the slides are available as a standalone resource in the equalitiestoolkit resources collection)

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Recording of the ELMAG equalities webinar for providers of leadership, management and governance CPD opportunities for the education and training sector.

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Perceptions and experiences of sexual
orientation and gender identity amongst
learners in post-school education.

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Perceptions and experiences of sexual
orientation and gender identity amongst
learners in post-school education.

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Learners and staff in further education (FE) were asked to complete an online survey exploring their perceptions and experiences of sexual orientation and gender identity in post-school education. The aim of the survey was to explore any differences between the experiences of learners and staff with different sexual orientations and gender identities.

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Make this academic year count - support your staff and learners (including yourself) so that they can be present as themselves - this is far more than a diary!

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Your 2016/17 Diversity Diary | Equalities Toolkit

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Full of equality and diversity information, tips and guidance on each page, not to mention monthly planners and summaries, inspection, legislation, protected characteristics, embedding tips, reminders for key equalities dates and more...

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In our rapidly changing world there is an imperative for the sector to advance equality of opportunity, increase workforce diversity, social mobility and improve capabilities around equality, diversity and inclusion.

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The Equalities Consultation Pop Up Tour 2014

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The Equalities Consultation Pop Up Tour 2014

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Find out what this innovative equality and diversity consultation discovered on a pop up tour around the country. Where the views of both the FACES workforce and learners were captured in graphics.

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So when it came to our approach to analysis and recommendations we invited the leads of 5 of the national sector equalities networks/groups, involved in the pop-up consultation, to take 'what you said' and via recorded peer-to-peer interviews provide expert commentary, analysis and recommendations to the Education and Training Foundation.

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What is Equalities Workforce Monitoring? Why is it important? How can you capture the information that's needed to facilitate change?

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ETF Workforce Equalities Monitoring | Equalities Toolkit

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We have found that sharing as much of the rationale as you can (while not making the process too long for people) positively helps to change people's attitudes to equalities monitoring and the specific questions we ask. It is especally helpful to help people understand the rationale for any questions that surprise them.

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This is the equality and diversity monitoring questionnaire that the Foundation uses to collect equality, diversity and social mobility data across all the work they commission, so that they can develop equitable and fair opportunities for workforce development in order to achieve greater diversity and social mobility in the sector.

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A parody of the ABBA song 'Thank You for the Music' for the education and training sector created by the national network of (sector) equalities networks for the Education and Training Foundation to support its work to increase workforce diversity and social mobility.

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Our parody of the ABBA song 'Thank You for the Music' for the education and training sector created by the national network of (sector) equalities networks for the Education and Training Foundation to support its work to increase workforce diversity and social mobility.

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Lou Mycroft and Kay Sidebottom reflect on their two year identities project at Northern College.

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Falling between the cracks We're coming to the end of our exciting Identities project - so far we've explored concepts of intersectionality and diversity; moving educators away from 'tick-box' equalities approaches to considered examinations of society's - and our own - limiting assumptions. Participants are taking part in individual coaching, community philosophy and dialogic approaches to...

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In the NUS Black Students Campaign National Students Survey, it was found that, '42 per cent did not believe their curriculum reflected issues of diversity, equality and discrimination.'

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The majority of population groups are described in terms of heritage; two are still described by ‘colour’. In the 21st century and onwards, it make sense for everyone to be described by heritage as explained in this livestream by Oz Eno, Founder of the bLack of Respect Campaign.

This is a recording from the livestream on 10 May 2016. It includes live closed captions.

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bLack of Respect: Heritage describes people as humans – 'colour' does not

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The majority of population groups are described in terms of heritage; two are still described by 'colour'. In the 21st century and onwards, it make sense for everyone to be described by heritage, not just some. The bLack of Respect campaign (BORC) is a campaign for equality to accord dignity and respect to all populations by describing everyone, not just the majority by heritage.

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The bLack of Respect campaign (BORC) is a campaign for equality to accord dignity and respect to all populations by describing everyone, not just the majority by heritage. The name is a pun on the term ‘lack of respect’ and is intended to denote the lack of respect inherent in describing population groups by colour instead of heritage, but the issue is deadly serious.

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Heritage describes people as humans - 'colour' doesn't.

The bLack of Respect Campaign (BORC) is a campaign for modernisation and positive change, a campaign for respect and true equality:

The majority of population groups are described in terms of heritage; two are still described by 'colour'. In the 21st century and onwards, it make sense for everyone to be described by heritage, not just some.
Aims:
To minimise racism, inadvertent or not, when referring to people of the African diaspora.

To unify the method and terminology used to describe all populations.

To accord dignity and respect to all populations by describing everyone, not just the majority, by heritage.

To stop perpetuating the negative and false skin 'colour' dichotomy or polarity of "black" and "white" in describing two specific population groups - people of direct African descent and those of European descent - which it can be argued evokes a specific history and perpetuates an old and specific form of racism.
Objectives:
Modernise the template the Office for National Statistics uses for ethnic categories, which is relied upon by institutions throughout the UK.

Remove from the Office for National Statistics lexicon the words "black" and "white" as the headline category to describe people of African and European descent respectively and use heritage-describing terminology as it does for other populations.

Replace "black" with a term that denotes and respects our heritage in terms of the common origin or roots of African, African-Caribbean, African-American etc. people, with these regional sub-categories listed below it. We suggest African or of African descent, as the generic heading but welcome other suggestions, the goal being a simple, succinct, easy-to-pronounce word or term. 'Afroic' has also been suggested. The word or term to be used in conversation and print as a generic global term to replace "black" for anyone of African descent. The specific regional categories African, African-Brazilian, African-American, African-Cuban, African-Caribbean, British Afroic etc. are there to use when you know the person's exact region of birth or their nationality.

Replace "white" with European as the single-word heading
Rationale:
As explained in the aims - uniformity, fairness, human dignity, respect, modernisation, closing another avenue for persistent racism

Precedents - we have already seen language use become increasingly modern and enlightened in the last 30 years in relation to other populations out of respect for them.

For example:

- terminology for people born to parents of different ethnic origin in the UK has moved from "half-caste" to "mixed race" in the 1990s to "mixed heritage" or "dual heritage" (or triple, quadruple etc. heritage)

- people from east and south-east Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines are no longer called "the yellow races" or "yellow people"

- Native American people are no longer called "red Indians"

So why not us? The name of the campaign is a pun on the term 'lack of respect' and is intended to emphasise the lack of respect inherent in conveniently describing people of African descent as "black" and routinely defining them as the opposite of Europeans and people of European descent, and the racist history that underpins it. In short, the descriptor is a misnomer and what's more, we are are not the "opposite" of Europeans or people of European descent any more than an Asian, Arab or other population is.
Holocaust-denial is rightly condemned and outlawed in countries that consider themselves civilised and forward-thinking. So should heritage-denial be.
In this 21st century we believe what we put forth promotes human dignity and falls into line with the ideals espoused by the UN Convention on Human Rights.

Please sign our online petition

at Change.org

We can be contacted at blackofrespect@hotmail.co.uk
www.facebook.com/blackofrespect www.twitter.com/blackofrespect
#i'mnoblack

#morethanjustacolour

#thinkdeeperthanskin

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Heritage describes people as humans - 'colour' doesn't. Aims: To minimise racism, inadvertent or not, when referring to people of the African diaspora. To unify the method and terminology used to describe all populations. To accord dignity and respect to all populations by describing everyone, not just the majority, by heritage.

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Developing a college values strategy - Bromley
College

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Developing a college values strategy - Bromley
College

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A presentation from a Bromley College student on how the college developed a Values Strategy and how they went on to implement it.

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Developing a college values strategy - Bromley College

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Film contribution from Bromley College at the Festival of #Identies at City Lit on 10 and 11 May 2016

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Lou Mycroft and colleagues at TeachNorthern share the origins of their 2 years of exciting work on the Identities Programme.
Recording from 25:00-end
This is a recording from the livestream on 10 May 2016. It includes live closed captions.

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Festival Identities Intro and I come from... Leeds

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Mark Malcomson, CEO at City Lit welcomes festival-goers and acts and describes why because equalities are important to City Lit they are hosting the 2-day Festival of #Identities. Lou Mycroft and colleagues at TeachNorthern share the origins of their 2 years of exciting work on the Identities Programme.

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Mark Malcomson, CEO at City Lit welcomes festival-goers and acts and describes why identities are so important to City Lit and to himself personally.
Recording from 00:00-06:15
This is a recording from the livestream on 10 May 2016. It includes live closed captions.

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Festival Identities Intro and I come from... Leeds

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Mark Malcomson, CEO at City Lit welcomes festival-goers and acts and describes why because equalities are important to City Lit they are hosting the 2-day Festival of #Identities. Lou Mycroft and colleagues at TeachNorthern share the origins of their 2 years of exciting work on the Identities Programme.

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Diversity and equality in education and training : why they matter and what the Foundation can do

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Diversity and equality in education and training : why they matter and what the Foundation can do

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Read a blog from the Foundation which explains why they are keen to have a much more diverse workforce and the steps they are taking to support this.

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Posted on March 3rd, 2015

What's the issue ?
England is a country of great diversity, and always has been. The full range and significance of the diversity of our people is understood, appreciated and codified as never before. In appreciating ethnicity, gender, age, languages, beliefs, abilities and many other dimensions, civil society moves inexorably - if unevenly - towards a world where equality for all is protected and diversity is not only celebrated but promoted.

This is as true of the beneficiaries of further education and training as of anyone. And it's true of the professional and para-professional staff in our sector too.

But not everything in the garden is rosy; not by some way.

The Foundation's recent workforce data for England suggests that the teaching population within the sector does not reflect the profile of learners nor does it reflect the profile of local populations. This is particularly true at leadership and governance level:

Women comprise 64-74% of the workforce across different types of settings, but hold only 48% of senior management roles.

84% of staff are of "white British" ethnic background - which rises to 91% for senior managers. 4% of staff are of Asian and 3.5% of African/Caribbean descent, but only 2.2% or 2.5% respectively out of senior managers. This contrasts with 8.2% and 6.4% of learners nationally.

People with disabilities are also under-represented amongst staff and governors, though comparisons with percentages of learners are more complex due to classification issues around learners with learning difficulties or other special educational needs.

We lack data on other protected minority characteristics; this is a problem in itself.

These are national statistics, and we know that there are even more pronounced differences at local levels.

It is surprising to me that anyone still asks why this matters. But they do.

Perhaps I should not be surprised; after all, despite the diversity of modern Britain there are a great many people who have been brought up in 'monocultural' and 'heteronormative' environments, perhaps with naïve beliefs about what equality of opportunity really means : for example, the well-meaning but frustratingly simplistic position of "it's simple, just treat everyone the same". (I can say this with feeling and without judgement, as I myself was once one of these people, arriving wide eyed and rather ignorant in London as a young man, some 20 years ago.)

But even in recent months a senior businessman asked me, in all sincerity, why it mattered if a College's staff did not remotely reflect the diversity of their students. We must never assume that everyone understands the issues, or that we're into 'delivery phase' now. The case - depressingly perhaps in 2015 - must still be made.

Is this really a priority ?
The case for increasing the diversity of the workforce, and of senior leadership especially - is two-fold. Front and centre is the business case. If an employer looks at a provider and does not see a diversity which reflects her own business or that of her customers, she is going to question whether that provider has the only thing that really matters : the ability to help her do her business more effectively. And if as a learner - or indeed a teacher - I look at the senior leadership of a college and can't see any sign of individuals like me, I may start to wonder whether this is a place where people like me can succeed. And in all these cases the likely result is the same : the business, learner or teacher goes elsewhere, taking their talent or their business with them. And that, as they say, is a Fail.

Behind the business case sits the moral case. The obligation on institutions is, we have come to understand as a society in recent decades, every bit as strong as the obligation on individuals to treat people respectfully and equitably (which is not the same as equally, in all cases). And indeed since 2010 this obligation on institutions is recognised and codified in law, in the form of the 2010 Equalities Act.

So what can the Foundation do to help ?
This month the Foundation launches its renewed strategy for equality and diversity. We have had high ambitions from our inception : our operational plan sets out that we wish to see the senior leadership of the sector reflect the student population in its diversity by 2020; a huge challenge. We have woven equality work into our processes from the beginning, and supported bespoke projects and specialist work in this field. But now we want to raise our game to a higher level.

A six point plan : practical actions within a strategic approach

1. First of all, we recognise that signals - or lack of them - matter. Equality and diversity can easily become an add-on concern that never breaks through into the mainstream discourse of an organisation. The Foundation will signal at every opportunity the importance of this agenda. From our visual branding - our little silhouette figures which clearly represent diversity - through the accessibility of our services and products. Our own data collection is uncompromising in its comprehensive approach to inclusion. Our questionnaire which we use internally and with all contractors has been compiled with equality experts to represent most up to date practice in equality-proofed data collection. This not only gives us actual data to monitor progress, it also in itself sends a powerful signal about the importance we place on equality. Confident mainstreaming of equality championing matters.

2. Next, we recognise and use the power of process. We are in essence a commissioning body, delivering through contracts. Our tendering and awarding processes are vital to our character and our success. We highlight, require and demand thoughtful and impactful approaches to equality and diversity at all stages of our tendering processes. You cannot win a contract from us without having a serious, credible plan for how you will make your work accessible and ensure that it is not only open to diversity but actively promotes it. Every contract we let is another chance to make inroads into inequality of opportunity by focussing hard on under-supported or under-represented groups.

3. Third, we will use our large programmes explicitly to pursue our ambitions on E&D, for example: our contract for Learning and development for leaders, managers and those involved in governance in the education and training sector (led by AELP), has E&D embedded through an accessible and inclusive approach to resource development, support and development for delivery partners in integrating E&D, the use of our E&D monitoring form and analysis of the resulting data.
our Professional Standards incorporate E&D explicitly as part of teachers' and trainers' professional development.
we support teachers and trainers in improving provision for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including high-quality resources on the Excellence Gateway;
Resources produced through our Traineeships and Apprenticeships Staff Support Programmes are supporting staff working with vulnerable learners.

4. Fourthly, for as long as it proves necessary and effective, we will go beyond the core strategy of skewing our big programmes towards under-represented groups and also have bespoke support projects. For example, we are currently funding a range of career development bursaries for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic education and training professionals in partnership with the Network for Black and Asian Professionals, as well as providing sponsored places for "future leaders" at the Women's Leadership Network annual conference.

5. Fifth, we will work to improve overall attitudes and data in our sector. We have conducted a nationwide strategic consultation with NIACE (see the excellent outputs here http://www.equalitiestoolkit.com/tour/ ) to understand better the attitudes and issues behind E&D across the sector. We have also worked with them to bring together a pan-equalities group of the many specialist organisations in education and training to drive deeper collaboration towards addressing these challenges.

6. And last but not least, we strive to set a good example in our own behaviour as an employer, both in our recruitment and in our ways of working. I am delighted, for example, that over the 13 months since I arrived at the Foundation we have started to look and feel more like an organisation representative of modern Britain in our own staffing. We will continue with that aim. Because, after all, the better the Foundation itself represents the diversity of our education and training system in all its glory, the better we will support it. And so the virtuous circle is born........

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Diversity and equality in education and training : why they matter and what the Foundation can do

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Posted on March 3rd, 2015 What's the issue ? England is a country of great diversity, and always has been. The full range and significance of the diversity of our people is understood, appreciated and codified as never before.