SFCA in the News: 2019
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November
Colleges outstrip grammar schools on university offers, TES First college rated outstanding in new Ofsted framework, TES First ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating for FE college under new framework, FE Week£120 million to help deliver expensive but crucial subjects, FE News
College funding: Which subjects will get £120m boost?, TES
Revealed: The subjects that qualify for extra post-16 funding, Schools Week
ESFA announce 16-18 funding uplift for ‘crucial’ subjects, FE Week
Protect BTECs and boost sixth-form funding say colleges, TES
Funding ban for new level 3 and below qualifications, FE Week
October
Providers risk handing back £38m in next 20 years if they quit T-levels, FE Week
Sixth form staff march across Westminster to protest for fairer college funding, FE Week
Union to present £700m sixth form college invoice to DfE, FE Week
Sixth-form college staff strike over pay and conditions, TES
September
Sector reacts to education secretary’s promise to ‘supercharge’ FE , FE Week
Funding pledge leaves schools where they were 13 years ago – report , itv newsBoris Johnson’s school funding pledge exposed as unprecedented ‘squeeze on schools’, The London EconomicFunding pledge leaves schools where they were 13 years ago – report, BT newsColleges still £1.1bn short since 2010 despite chancellor’s boost, IFS finds, FE weekIFS: £1.1bn needed to reverse FE funding cuts, TES
Boris Johnson pledges spending boost for education, Financial Times
New ESFA system to spot college financial crises sooner, TES
ESFA to simplify the way colleges submit their data, Gov.uk
‘Colleges still running out of money’, claims top ESFA official, FE Week
Chancellor of the Exchequer’s speech detailing the #SpendingReview - Sector Response, FE NewsSpending review: Extra £10m for ESOL courses, FE Week
£10m for Esol as Javid vows to 'start transforming' FE, TES
August
College funding boost to be announced tomorrow, TES FE base rate to increase from August 2020 for first time since 2013 to £4,188, FE Week£400m boost for colleges: 16-18 funding finally raised, TES
Colleges receive £400m boost from chancellor Sajid Javid, FE Week
MPs call for 16-19 funding to be 'urgently' increased, TES
Unions demand increase in special education funding, The Guardian
BTECs: Entries rise despite doubts over future, TES
A-level results 2019 | Live blog, FE Week
Education Secretary wishes pupils and teachers good luck for #ALevelResults2019, FENews
A-level results day: FE sector pleas for more funding, TES
Young people more sceptical of need to go to university, poll finds, The Guardian
Labour pledges to ditch predicted grades from university admissions, FE Week
July
Funding axed for more than 160 level 3 qualifications , TES MPs urge DfE to ‘urgently’ raise the 16-18 rate and develop a 10-year funding plan, FE WeekRaise the rate for 16-19 funding, say MPs, TES
DfE officially reopens academisation option for sixth-form colleges , FE Week
May urges Johnson to make FE funding increase happen, TESTheresa May uses last PMQs to plead with Boris Johnson to invest more in FE, FE Week
Sector pays tribute as Minister resigns, TES
Funding axed for more than 160 level 3 qualifications, TES
Raise the 16-18 funding rate urges Education Select Committee, TES
MPs urge DfE to ‘urgently’ raise the 16-18 rate by £760, FE Week
Academisation for sixth form colleges – is it worth it? , FE Week
Haringey Sixth Form College Celebrates Stunning Success at Their Vocational Graduation 2019 , FE NewsHaringey Sixth Form College Celebrates a Wonderfully Planned and Executed National Art Show, FE News
June
Together for Education, Morning Star
17 colleges awarded £2.5M from final round of the Strategic College Improvement Fund (SCIF), FE News
PM frontrunner pledges greater investment in ‘our amazing FE colleges’, FE Week
Barton Peveril Sixth Form College Win National Award for Independent Learning, FE News
Revealed: The 17 colleges to share £2.5m in final strategic improvement funding round , FE Week
Why the battle to save BTECs must be won, TES
May
Schools failing to promote vocational qualifications face government crackdown, Independent
Ofsted’s New Education Inspection Framework 2019 - Sector Response, FE News
Academy option reopened for sixth-form colleges, Schools Week
DfE set to reopen academisation option for sixth-form colleges, FE Week EPI: Proportion of sixth form colleges with in-year deficits rockets fivefold in six-year period, FE Week
EPI: Colleges stung by 'sharp, real-terms decline in funding,' TES
April
Thelma Walker: Take action now over the funding crisis , Yorkshire Post
Increase 16-19 funding by ‘significant amount’, Social Mobility Commission urges, FE Week
Why we should look beyond schools for arts education, TES
Government to fully-fund college pension cost increase, FE Week
Select committee chair and skills minister clash over Spending Review strategy, FE Week
What happens when A-level funding for languages fall?, Study International
March
Scrapping popular qualifications would be ‘reckless’, EdExec
Scrapping BTECs 'rash and reckless' warn principals, TESTes FE Awards 2019 winners crowned, TES
Revealed: The 13 colleges to share £1.8m strategic improvement funding, FE Week
13 colleges to share £1.8m in improvement funds, TESColleges to receive £1.8 million funding boost to help raise standards, FE NewsA-level courses 'cut in sixth-form funding squeeze', BBC NewsFrench rocks — this is no time for schools to drop your ouis and nons, Evening StandardGovernment creates new student mental health taskforce, Gov.ukSixth forms drop languages A-levels due to inadequate funding, The GuardianLearning languages is about more than vocabulary tests – it gives you insight into a culture beyond your own, i NewsLBC Interview with SFCA CEO Bill Watkin on the Funding Impact SurveyNew survey highlights damaging impact of funding cuts on sixth form students, FE NewsGateway radio interview with SFCA's Deputy Chief Executive, James Kewin on the Funding Impact SurveyHalf of sixth forms forced to drop modern languages, EdexecGovernment consults on plans to withdraw funding for applied generals including BTECs, FE Week
Government consults on plans to withdraw funding for BTECs, Schools Week
DfE launches crackdown on post-16 courses, TESGibb hints at 16-18 funding boost in spending review, TES
AoC increases funding rate demands after crunching the T-level numbers, FE Week
Cash-strapped sixth forms dropping language A-levels, The WeekHalf of sixth forms cut language courses, TES Funding impact survey exposes cuts to mental health and careers support, Fe WeekCatholic sixth forms suffer 'double discrimination', TESMinister says write to me about shortage of money, Henley StandardNew mental health taskforce created to support students, The Mancunion
February
164 MPs lobbying Chancellor for more FE funding, FE Week
The future of applied generals hangs in the balance, TES FE
January 2019Ofsted plans overhaul of inspections to look beyond exam results New Ofsted framework to be less reliant on achievement rate data, FE Week New Ofsted Inspection Framework, what's changing? Schools Week
Ofsted to launch consultation on new inspection framework at SFCA Winter Conference, FE Week
College brings in four-day timetable for students to reduce 'trapped time', TES FEFE's battle for fair funding is only half won, TES
December 2018
Exams boards told to ‘strengthen controls’ after ‘unwarranted’ rise in BTEC grades, Schools Week
Sixth form funding rates to remain unchanged in 2019-20, Schools Week
16-18 funding remains frozen for seventh year, TES FE
FE sector welcomes Ofsted's funding 'wake-up call', TES FE
November 2018
'Protests at the deadline for sixth form colleges’ conversion to academies' - feweek.co.uk
'We need to prepare for the surge of sixth formers' - tes.com
'DfE reopens £15m strategic college improvement fund before finalising first round' - feweek.co.uk
'May challenged on 16-18 funding' - tes.com
October 2018
'Cuts to funding affecting FE quality, says Ofsted' - tes.com
'Ofsted boss backs calls for more 16-to-18 cash to combat falling standards' - feweek.co.uk
'Time is running out for Hinds on college funding' - tes.com
'Budget 2018: What it means for further education' - tes.com
'Campaign launched to ‘Raise the Rate’ of sixth form funding' - feweek.co.uk
'We need more core funding not ‘initiative mania’, sector leaders tell MPs' - feweek.co.uk
'Sixth form college students 'getting short straw'' - The Guardian
SFCA to launch campaign calling for huge 16 to 18 funding rate increase - feweek.co.uk
Pensions hike to cost colleges £140 per student - tes.com
September 2018
'Exclusive: No pay rise for teachers in sixth-form colleges' - tes.com
'College performance improving, Ofsted reveals' - tes.com
'College pension contributions set to rise and could cause ‘financial crisis’ in FE' - feweek.co.uk