Sixth Form Colleges: the policy landscape ACVIC Conference
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Transcript Sixth Form Colleges: the policy landscape ACVIC Conference
SFCA Update
Chairs of Governors Workshop
James Kewin
SFCA Deputy Chief Executive
October 7th 2014
SFCA: our roles
The SFC sector
Policy context
An education success story
SFCs
are the most effective and efficient
providers of sixth form education attainment, value added, progression to
HE, Ofsted, but…
• Numbers are in decline: 123-93 since 1993
• School/academy/free school sixth forms
increasing in number (on better terms)
• SFCs hit harder than any other sector by
funding cuts
Conspiracy or cock up?
Strong
belief that every school and
academy should have a sixth form
Powerful schools lobby
“The more money we take from you, the
better you get”
A misunderstanding of how markets work
coupled with…
…a misplaced obsession with
brand
The future policy landscape
Election in 2015
Critical
to the future of the sector, but not
an education election
Conservatives:
• Better bedside manner, same medicine
• Less focus on provider type
• Funding and curriculum status quo
Lib
Dems:
• Focus on early years
• Will extend education ring-fence to 18
Election in 2015
Labour:
• Focus on ‘forgotten 50%’
• Accept 16-19 funding cuts and inequalities not
sustainable, but education ring-fence may go
• Positive plans for A level reform and national
baccalaureate
All
parties:
• Education not central
• FE = apprenticeships
SFCA manifesto
recommendations
Reverse
the decision to decouple AS
levels from A levels
Ensure all students can benefit from a full
time programme of study
Introduce a national funding formula based
on the actual cost of delivering the
curriculum
Drop the ‘learning tax’ by removing the
imposition of VAT on Sixth Form Colleges
SFCA manifesto
recommendations
Reform
the system for funding students
with high needs
Introduce a competitive process for
establishing new sixth form providers
Enable Sixth Form Colleges to expand
their collaborative activities
Looking ahead
Curriculum
and funding are the two
biggest policy battlegrounds – in that order
Continued uncertainty around both makes
planning extremely difficult for colleges
Potential funding cut this year, possible recoupling of A levels next year?
3 A levels as core offer?
Cliff edge in 2016/17
Engaging with politicians
Background
SFCA is
secretariat for All Party
Parliamentary Group for SFCs (38 MPs)
Additional group of supportive
parliamentarians
Big increase in written and oral questions
Debates on Sixth Form Colleges and
related issues
How to engage
your MPs – don’t forget
neighbouring constituencies
Invite them to the college
Identify
•
•
•
•
Build rapport
Identify their interests
Meet the students
Photo opportunities always welcome!
Ask
to join the APPG if they can
Keep lines of communication open
Get the content right
National
data important for consistency
Manifesto provides key themes but put the
college (particularly students) first
Template letters = template responses
We can help to draft letters
Use the updated manifesto section on our
website for data - a ‘how to’ guide will be
released with manifesto
Join in national campaigns
Building
of manifesto there will be joint
letter and petitions on behalf of the sector
Accept that these cannot be written by
committee!
Some signed by MPs, others by
Principals/Chairs
Important to keep pressure up through
campaign from above and below
Diversification and increasing
efficiency
Curriculum delivery and
teaching staff efficiency
Reduce management structure
70%
Increase class sizes
69%
Withdraw expensive/inefficient courses
62%
Reduce allowances/remission
56%
Restructure responsibilities to save allowances
53%
Reduce delivery hours for courses/subjects
Limit programme size for students
Increase contact time: weekly or by moving to
annualised hours
42%
37%
34%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Reducing non pay
costs/increasing income
Reduce all non pay budgets
74%
Grow student numbers
74%
59%
Reduce staff training budget
57%
Review all opportunities to generate non-EFA/SFA income
52%
Increase market share through enhanced promotions
45%
Use new technologies to reduce costs
Cancel or scale back refurbishment/replacement for buildings
& equipment
42%
23%
Introduce additional payments for books and other resources
22%
Shared services with other institutions
17%
Introduce/increase registration payment for new students
16%
Introduce fees for enrichment activities
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Diversifying income
All options have their pros and cons,
important that diversification fits with the
college’s mission:
International students
Higher education
Employer provision
Apprenticeships
Recruiting 14-16 year olds
Structural change
Become
an academy? Not allowed!
Sponsor an academy? May help at the
margins
Other options:
Soft
federation
Hard
federation
Merger
Thank You
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