Ian Pryce CBE

It is a shame the TIMSS survey results get less attention than PISA given they are at least as robust. Good to see England the top non-Asian country at grade 8 for both Maths & Science (5th/6th in world). Says much about the quality of our teachers

I was really proud that the Bedford College Group was a trailblazer for sustainability even 15 years ago. First college to win Green Gown, first to offer training in Photovoltaics/solar water installation, first U.K. BREAMM excellent retrofit. Good film short

Also pleased see cash reserves at record levels, despite £38m of capital investment in last two years, and low, sustainable, staff costs while annual report shows above-national-achievement-rate for 16-18s, adults & apprentices. Lucky to have such great staff & exceptional leadership team

Pleased to see hot-off-press audited accounts for 23-24, covering my last six months The Bedford College Group show record income at £87m, compared to £10m when I started & college remained outstanding throughout the 26 years, despite five acquisitions of financially poor institutions

We know it is important that we invest in skills to achieve growth. The FE finance record for 2022-23 shows college assets depreciating by £503m p.a. That’s the investment needed just to stand still. Colleges like NCG & LTE need £14m & £11m alone each and every year

And would the public (or even most FE folk) realise that England's biggest sixth forms include Chichester, Bedford & Exeter? Does Ofsted consider scale v population when judging our economic contribution?

64,000 students (5% of national total) are served by just two medium-sized colleges by income - WEA & City Lit. Both Nelson & Colne and Bedford enrol more students than say LTE group.

Looking at FE finance record for 2022-23 the spread of student numbers is interesting. For those included in the record (201 colleges) they had 1.4m funded students. But the biggest 20 account for 0.4m (about 30%) & despite sector consolidation, 19 have < 2k students & 70 < 5k

As the college group expanded fast & wide (£30m to £100m, 1 major town to 8) it made sense to transfer the academy trust to an organisation more focused on younger people. Pleased Knowledge Schools Trust is now taking forward the development of education for the Wixams community

And so a chapter in Bedford College history ends. The involvement in school education covered Bridges (900 14-16s from 18 schools), sponsoring first local academy (Bedford Academy), project managing The Bedford Free School and creating Wixams schools. Total £80m inward investment!

Shelagh has done an amazing job for the sector. Despite the challenges we‘ve now far more colleges judged outstanding than in intervention & emphasis on support, especially post-intervention, is key. Often people drawn to intervening find reasons to keep doing so, not so here, very refreshing

YouTube video by Ian Pryce Subterranean Lockdown Blues

Absolutely loved A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan film, so much I wanted immediately to do an FE version of one of Bob's songs. Then realised I did during lockdown - weird looking back - Ofqual algorithms & Trump out!
youtu.be/_0knSw2LNAU?...

This is so sad. Sarah was so young. She was an excellent journalist, passionate about the importance of local media & professional investigative journalism. A friend of the college but not afraid to rightly criticise when appropriate. She had integrity plus humanity. Love to her family

Last Christmas may be No 1, but first Christmas is even better! Have a good break

In 70s wrote a song Rock Dreams with future brother-in-law, & was touched that my son’s band added it to their set list in 2000s. Now his dream has come true, landing job teaching future rock stars on multi-instruments. That formative insistence he become the next Mike Oldfield finally paying off!

They weren't just "job-ready", the majority of bootcampers had jobs-already, looking at the data!

Not sure about the latter, but agree on the former. A nearby college to Bedford got same results on half the taught hours, in part due to it increasing attendance levels. Imposing "how" to do something, rather than "what" always ends in tears - and eliminates innovation

Yes, sadly Stephen. A condition of funding should ideally come with generous funding, but if money is tight governments usually increase the number of duties (conditions without funding!) as a cheaper option

The attention & support has been critical Julian, I agree, but I don't believe a fair number who didn't want to do resits but subsequently achieved grade 4+, would have done so without the condition. The big variation in general L2 to L3 progression suggests variable ambition among colleges?

Yes I agree! Of 16 year olds w/out L2 English & maths, 1 in 3 now have it at age 19. Up from 1 in 10 ten years ago. This is a huge success! Not popular when it was introduced. And we can do better through more investment. But let's celebrate progress & march on. Not row back in e.g. apprenticeships.

Given sheer scale of the policy, the action taken by colleges after introduction of the maths & English condition of funding - creating whole new depts, increasing supply of specialist teachers etc - is one of education’s most impressive success stories. Yet it’s over criticised & under celebrated

Have always thought that schools insisting branded uniform is wholly & exclusively required, should meet that cost & provide it, as they would for any branded staff uniform for receptionists or security staff etc

I found it a very shallow evaluation Stephen. You are right on targeting. 40% dropout rate on “short, flexible” courses is dire. And no surprise that if you want to get a level 3 outcome it helps if you are already over-qualified, and have good fortune in terms of health and location!

Researchers win prestigious Public Health Journal Paper of the Year Award with research on gambling advertising and public health - Sheffield Addictions Research Group A team of researchers, including members of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), has been honoured with the prestigious Public Health Journal Paper of the Year award.

Very proud of son Rob for contributing to the research that has won the award for journal paper of the year
sarg-sheffield.ac.uk/news-media/r...

I’ll look up Homelands Julian. You’ll enjoy Money, it’s very witty given the subject. That’s what prompted me to read The Wizard of Oz, which I’d never thought of as an economics allegory!

And finally, plays can be read as well as seen. A magnificent dozen of favourites this year. Alternative recommendations welcome in return

And, as an avid reader of crime fiction, the variation in style across these writers will explain why!

These my top dozen general fiction, all exceptional reads

So many fantastic books this year. These my pick of the non-fiction if you’re looking for something well-written & thought-provoking

YouTube video by Warner Bros. Classics Meet Me In St. Louis | Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Warner Classics

Don’t think this has ever been bettered Smita, always works for me. Hope you enjoy some good downtime youtu.be/CreWsnhQwzY?...