Extra FE funding is heartening POLICYVIEW By David Hughes


Less than a year after launching the #LoveOurColleges with a whole range of partners, including staff unions, staff, students and college leaders, it was exciting to hear the Chancellor of the Exchequer announce a £500 million funding package (including £100m in relation to teachers’ pensions) for further education in his spending review in August. It’s a concrete sign that the tide seems to finally be changing, even though we know there is much work still to be done. Colleges have been overlooked and underfunded for far too long and a one-off, one-year spending announcement won’t solve the problems caused by a decade of cuts and reforms. However, something bigger happened in that announcement which augurs well for the future. Colleges, further education and skills provision have become one of “the people’s priorities” according to the Chancellor. In a few years we have gone from being almost absent on a long list of funding needs to a political, economic and social priority. This hasn’t happened overnight – campaigning and local and national


lobbying have got us to this point. It is thanks to the hard work and dedication of college staff, their unions, students and campaign partners that government and politicians of all political stripes recognise the importance of colleges, funding and fair pay. This is vitally important as we look forward to next year’s spending review and possibly to a general election. Whatever happens with Brexit, colleges must be supported to deliver the training and skills for the future. We cannot afford to take our foot off the gas – an uncertain political


future means that we must continue our campaigning effort. The #LoveOurColleges campaign has raised the profile of colleges and won some new funding for the first time in a decade. However, key areas were missed in the funding announcement. Adult education, for a start, got no mention and we know it’s an area where funding is desperately needed. Numbers of adult learners have halved in the past 10 years, reducing opportunities for people returning to education later in life, retraining and upskilling. We need more investment like that to boost the economy and give thousands of people the chances they deserve to better their lives.


I am optimistic that we can work with government and officials for a longer-term settlement that invests more in colleges and a lifelong learning system fit for the future. But I know that we will have to continue to work hard to maintain the profile of colleges and ensure they remain a priority.


David Hughes is chief executive of the Association of Colleges. FURTHER INFORMATION


• The Association of Colleges is a not-for-profit membership organisation representing further education colleges which comprise 95 per cent of the FE sector in England. The AoC started the Love Our Colleges campaign to raise the profile of further education colleges and lobby for a fairer funding settlement for a sector that educates and trains millions of people every year. https://loveourcolleges.co.uk


WELCOME FROM MARTIN REID


There is a real buzz in the air in the further education sector this autumn. For a start there’s this bumper edition of inTuition, complete with its twin supplements on maths and English teaching and learning. We have so much great content it is difficult to know where to begin. We have an insightful interview with Ofsted’s Paul Joyce on page 10. Paul really does put flesh on the bones of the new Education Inspection Framework introduced this month. The research section is packed with insights into key teaching practices and practitioner research. And talking about practitioner research, please do have a read of the article on page 24 outlining the revamped Professional Standards research tool. Our maths and English supplements are full of fascinating, informative and useful articles from leading academics and practitioners alike. There is lots about the new Centres for Excellence in Maths (CfEM). Membership of SET is a great


way to keep yourself plugged into this thriving community of professional practice. And on 6 November hundreds


of SET members will gather in Birmingham for the second annual SET Conference. If you want to be part of something special book your ticket now. Details are on page 4 and on the SET website.


Martin Reid is director of SET. inTUITION ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 7


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