DfE Response to the Wolf Report

1. DfE Response to the Wolf Report CIG Meeting 25th May 2011

2. Conclusions (18th March, KS4 focus) • All young people should receive a high quality core education avoiding premature specialisation at KS4 • The system should encourage variety, innovation and flexibility • Strengthen the links between vocational education and the labour market • Do far more, far more actively to help young people enter the labour market

3. Wolf Report - Government Response • Original eport published 3rd March • 197 Pages • Introduction • Social and Labour Market Context • Educational Context • An Audit of Current Provision • Recommendations (27 of these, 4 accepted immediately by SoS) • “A brilliant and groundbreaking report”

4. Wolf Report - Government Response • Published 12th May • 20 pages, 4 of which list the recommendations • A simple summary: “We accept all the recommendations” but…….. “We need to work out how to implement them”

5. Ten headings: • 14-19 Vocational Qualifications • 16-18 Curriculum • Lower Attaining Pupils • 16-18 Funding • Apprenticeships • Strengthening vocational teaching in schools • Enrolling students in colleges pre-16 • Work experience • Ofqual and Qualifications Design • Performance Indicators and Published Information

6. Vocational Education is immensely valuable: • “First, it is an essential part of a broad curriculum........If either academic or vocational study is over-emphasised, to the detriment of the other, we impoverish the opportunities available to young people in this country.”

7. Vocational Education is immensely valuable: 2. “Vocational education is a vital underpinning for our economy.......We must, therefore, put in place the reforms needed in our education system to address the long term weaknesses in practical learning.”

8. Three Key themes • Ensure that all young people study and achieve in English and maths, ideally to GCSE A*-C (but will identify high quality qualifications for those not immediately able to achieve this standard). • Reform performance tables and funding rules. Those vocational qualifications that attract performance points will be the very best – in terms of content, assessment and progression. • Simplify Apprenticeships, remove bureaucracy and make them easier for employers to offer.

9. KS4 Vocational Qualifications Preferred vocational qualifications in KS4 will: • Have rigorous assessment (including a % which is external) • Provide good progression opportunities to L3 • Offer rigour, breadth and depth • Be sized to complement the academic core • “The most important thing is that the choice of course or qualification is driven by what is best for the pupil, not the performance table score”

10. 16-18 Curriculum • Principles for a programme to include contact time, English & Maths issues, qualifications to be of “substantial size”, rigorous assessment, good progression opportunities • For those who fail to achieve GCSE En & Ma by age 16, consider whether there are other qualifications that provide significant progress towards future GCSE success

11. Lower Attaining Pupils • We must raise the attainment of the lowest performing so that more are well placed to progress • Post 16 programmes to support achievement in En, Ma and incorporate valuable work experience • Foundation Learning is too rigidly structured and qualification driven – independent evaluation (summer 2011) to inform recommendations to be published in December • New performance measures relating to progress

12. 16-18 Funding • Needs radical change to “remove perverse incentives to accumulate qualifications rather than provide sensible, balanced and broad programmes of study”. • Review to consider move from funding qualifications to funding learners.

13. Apprenticeships • Proposals in the autumn on adapting or supplementing Apprenticeship frameworks to reflect the importance of a broader programme of study • English and maths: GCSE or Functional Skills • Review role of Sector Skills Councils in developing frameworks

14. Work Experience • “Genuine work experience is an important part of a student’s programme of study while remaining in education, and we are committed to supporting schools and colleges in achieving this aim.” • Promotion of post 16 work experience, including consideration of reimbursing employers. • Removal of statutory duty to provide work related learning at KS4 for 2012/13

15. Performance Indicators and Published Information • “More information needs to be available to inform choice of provider post 14 and to support accountability” • “We will encourage the publication of more information, but not insist on it, and will re-visit the issue in future to see how many institutions have responded.”

16. What’s not mentioned • E Bacc • 80:20 split • “We want the vast majority of 14-16 year olds to be taught an academic core, which can be supplemented by a vocational element”

17. Wolf is about vocational education, but...... The DfE response points to big changes in GCSE: • To be a “more reliable indicator of achievement in the basics” • Reduced modularisation and fewer re-sits • Ensure exams are typically only taken at the end of the course • Strengthening SPAG

18. Wolf Report - Government Response • Page 15 timetable – it’s going to be a long, hot summer for some…………….

19. Discussion and feedback • How has your institution responded so far ? • What are the opportunities and challenges ? • What will be your next steps ? • What should our next steps be collectively ?

20. DfE Response to the Wolf Report CIG Meeting 25th May 2011