James Stockdale

Francis review sparks English and maths shake-up Review response also reveals incoming guidance for colleges on enrichment

⌛ College performance measures for English and maths will be changed so the government can monitor how much time students have in learning before they are entered for resit exams

feweek.co.uk/francis-revi...

My daughters school are trying to put in place an award scheme which recognise ‘exemplifying the core values’. I love this idea. I’m less sure of the ‘rewards’ which are ‘a celebratory lunch with teachers’… At that age I wouldn’t have wanted to win anything if that was the prize…

I always really enjoy it when @tottenhamhotspur.com beat Everton. Well done the mighty #Spurs

Really interesting appointment. BIG job ahead to drive #SEG forward. www.skillsandeducationgroup.co.uk/skills-and-e...

#PrimeMinister is looking for a new Private Secretary…

Brilliant summary @feweek.bsky.social summary of the post-16 White Paper far easier to digest than the 71 pages…

Check out our latest Weekly Round-Up! A look back at the main education news and policy stories appearing last week and a peek forward at what's coming up in the next seven days https://buff.ly/jeG7gBI #ednews #edpolicy #ukedchat

This T-levels Week, let’s commit to unlocking the potential of all our young people As we heard in the Prime Minister’s party conference speech, increasing the esteem of technical careers is deeply personal to him, particularly giv...

On a day when V levels have been grabbing the headlines, it's great to see this article from Dr Sam Rushworth MP on the importance of T Levels, which shares his unique insight as a former FE lecturer and Chair of the T Levels APPG. www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

Excellent post from @geoffchapman.bsky.social around the concerning sale of one of our beloved institutions #CityandGuilds

You can try and spin headlines and the narrative; but this feels very sad to me. The investment will come but the investment will come with the driver to make profit, and quick. As an age old institution - which has been well respected - this is a very sad day.

Also, if this is happening to one of the ‘biggest’ of the vocational awarding bodies - will we now start a phase of mergers & acquisitions in the sector? Assessment is expensive business. With all the reforms, many AO boards will be feeling unsettled, and looking closely at balance sheets.

This is absolutely massive news… I also think quite sad news for the UK awarding sector. Just shows that money talks no matter the sector…

Currently looking for my next C-suite role. In doing so I’m engaging with recruiters. It’s given an insight into best & worst practice from a ‘candidate’ perspective. Ghosting &non-communication is common. I certainly know which agencies I won’t be using when I’m a CEO again for my recruitment needs

Id also be very surprised if many UK companies calculated their energy usage…

Really interesting post by @geoffchapman.bsky.social - and when he refers to ‘Exam Owners’ he means, I think, awarding bodies. I would be VERY surprised if the number of AOs that are aware of their energy usage - or even how to calculate it, gets to double digits…

OCN London Welcomes James Stockdale as New Chair of Trustees - OCN London

Delighted to announce that I am stepping into the role of Chairman of the OCN London Board. A really exciting time for the organisation, and I’m excited to work with Carlos the CEO and the team over the coming years. ocnlondon.org.uk/news/ocn-lon...

I’ve had to read this a few times… OMG!!! We really like making things complicated don’t we…

Seriously - does anybody still read this…?

Great article, and absolutely spot on. For as long as I can remember career guidance in schools has been painfully poor. Even my recent own experience with my eldest daughter demonstrated this. Money, effort and thought must go into impartial career advice for young people. #FENews #Careersadvice

Just reflecting on the PMs announcement yesterday about FE/skills/Apprenticeships and the investment which I think is great. But from an awarding body perspective there are still massive challenges getting assessors and staff in place. This jobs board is always filled with roles…

Agree - much thought also needed about employer input where apprenticeships are concerned…

This feels like good news for the sector - but I’m sure we are all waiting for the detail… #FE #Skills

I’m not advocating for Andy Burnham as PM and I wish all the discussion about this would all quieten down as it’s distracting from the real issues faced. But… Why do you say that ‘no one with any knowledge or serious influence thinks he would make a good PM’?

I can see the logic; but I fear skills will get side-lined…

He’s not wrong…

What are assessment professionals actually telling us? A review of the TPAC assessment conference organised by Peridot Partners, Eintech, and Kaplan Assessments.

The exam sector is haunted by fears of fulfilling special accommodations, grappling with AI and evolving social norms. Read how this week's TPAC conference revealed the sector's concerns, but gave hope for the future. www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-a... via @LinkedIn

Really interesting session at #TPAC chaired by Tim Burnett looking at #AI in #Assessment. Really interesting.

My learned and very knowledgeable friend @geoffchapman.bsky.social taking part in the #TPAC conference discussing the overcoming the challenges of assessor and examiner recruitment to awarding organisations.

When I probed a little further, whilst one college was good and said that it was because of my daughter’s subject choices, with the other two colleges it became clear that the exhibitors didn’t know what the T-Levels were. They certainly weren’t selling them as an option.