Blog
Highly Commended: Joe Armstrong – V Cert Aspiration Awards
Thursday 14 Jun 2018
We’re delighted to announce that Joe Armstrong, a learner at North Chadderton School, has been highly commended in our V Cert Aspiration Awards.
Highly Commended: Nicholas Earl-Phillipps – V Cert Aspiration Awards
Thursday 14 Jun 2018
We’re delighted to announce that Nicholas Earl-Phillipps, a learner at Bitterne Park School has been highly commended in our V Cert Aspiration Awards.
Farnborough Academy case study – V Cert Aspiration Awards
Thursday 14 Jun 2018
We’re delighted to announce that Farnborough Academy in Nottingham have been highly commended as part of our V Cert Aspiration Awards.
V Cert Aspiration Awards – Pupil of the Year announced
Wednesday 13 Jun 2018
2018 marked our first V Cert Aspiration Awards, recognising achievements by pupils with big aspirations. The scheme was launched to recognise learners who are using V Certs to help them reach their goals and make positive improvements to their life.
Are T Levels trained on the wrong target?
Monday 11 Jun 2018
A great deal of attention has rightly been focused on the long-awaited government response to the T Level consultation issued in November 2017. Much less notice has been taken of another document, also published by DfE in May and snappily titled ‘Post-16 education: highest level of achievement by age 25 (England)’.
A million pieces to a million pounds
Tuesday 29 May 2018
4 years ago, I left my second high school with no qualifications, a lack of direction and no ambition. Fast track 4 years later to May 2018, I’m now the Founding Investor and Director of Weeduu.co and YourCode Recruitment Group. The last few years have been interesting for me, and now understanding the various routes within education and how some students in the mainstream system can be neglected, I realise how lucky I was to not get caught up in the net.
Selecting the evidence
Wednesday 16 May 2018
Rob Halfon is a busy man. It’s been less than a year since his nomination and election as Chair of the Education Select Committee, and during this time year he’s launched 12 separate inquiries into various aspects of the Department for Education’s workload.
Adult Education Budget (AEB)
Wednesday 16 May 2018
At NCFE, we believe that lifelong learning is hugely important and we encourage our customers to make the most of their adult education budget (AEB) funding. There was a £63m underspend in the AEB in the last academic year and we’d like to see this reduce considerably this year.
Technical Award receives endorsement from the Society of Operations Engineers
Wednesday 16 May 2018
We’re delighted to announce that our Level 1 / 2 Technical Award in Engineering has received endorsement from the Society of Operations Engineers (SOE).
Do Applied Generals prepare learners for the workplace better than A Levels?
Tuesday 15 May 2018
The recent publication of the results of Ofqual’s annual survey, ‘Perceptions of qualifications in England: wave 16’, has found that Applied Generals are thought to better prepare learners for the workplace when compared to GCSE and A-Level qualifications.
A perfect fit – case study with River Tees Multi Academy Trust PRU
Tuesday 15 May 2018
Tom Rhatigan discusses his experience of delivering V Certs, including the Level 1 and Level 2 certificates in Health and Fitness, and how the qualification has allowed his pupils to find their strengths and excel.
NCFE joins the Joint Council for Qualifications
Tuesday 15 May 2018
We’re delighted to announce that we’ve joined the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), a membership body which comprises the eight, now nine, largest providers of qualifications in the UK.
Mental Health Awareness Week: Supporting students manage their mental wellbeing and exam work load
Monday 14 May 2018
In the run up to Mental Health Awareness Week we have been running our 12 Days of Exam Wellbeing campaign to encourage students, parents and teachers to prioritise mental wellbeing during exam periods.
Recent history should be a warning against changing the apprenticeship levy
Tuesday 01 May 2018
The ongoing slump in apprenticeship starts since the apprenticeship levy was introduced has emboldened the lobbyists, and those with vested interests.
My week of work experience at NCFE
Tuesday 24 Apr 2018
Last week I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to do some work experience at NCFE. I’m currently studying A-Level Sociology, Politics and BTEC Applied Law at Durham Sixth Form Centre. I spent two and a half days with the Policy team followed by two and a half days with the Marketing team. I really enjoyed my time with the teams and feel that I learned a lot about the type of work that is done in these areas.
Stress Awareness Month
Friday 20 Apr 2018
With Stress Awareness Month now underway, the NCFE Innovation team have been reflecting on the complex relationship between stress and technology. Undeniably, our hyper-connectivity with technology often fuels stress and is a regular culprit in the media for our struggle to relieve stress. However, we’ve been reviewing how we can harness the power of technology to help prevent and better manage our stress levels.
Focus on schools funding
Tuesday 17 Apr 2018
Following the publication of the Education and Policy Institute’s report on schools funding, it was reassuring that this report, once again, allowed this issue to become a focus of the media.
Rules out… for Easter
Tuesday 17 Apr 2018
Having eagerly awaited the latest version of the Adult Education Budget (AEB) Funding rules, we were delighted to see them published before the Easter break.
Fixing the foundations
Monday 16 Apr 2018
NCFE Policy Leader, Andrew Gladstone-Heighton examines skills growth and replacement in a post-Brexit economy in his newly published paper.
NCFE apprenticeships – let’s get to work
Monday 16 Apr 2018
The Department for Education (DfE) has halted turning off apprenticeship frameworks, saying that they won’t withdraw any further frameworks until 2020. This is welcome news from the DfE, after months of concern that reforms around content, procurement and funding are being rolled out too fast. It’s encouraging to see that the DfE are willing to hit the pause button and allow providers to choose what they see fit for their learners.
SEND pupils losing out on school places
Monday 16 Apr 2018
Recent press attention surrounding the lack of appropriate provision in schools for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pupils has highlighted a complex issue which seems to lack a solution for inclusivity for many children.
Functional Skills reform
Monday 16 Apr 2018
Functional Skills qualifications are changing and as an active member of the FAB Functional Skills Working Group, we want to keep you up to date with the latest developments.
NCFE Community Time Bank – giving back and making a difference
Wednesday 11 Apr 2018
In September, Stakeholder and Partnership Development Manager at NCFE, Warren Cresswell, started volunteering at his local primary school, Little Heath Primary School in Hertfordshire, as part of NCFE’s Community Time Bank.
Stress Awareness Month: recognising the signs of stress
Monday 09 Apr 2018
Christine Bennett is a practicing counsellor with an MSc. in Counselling Studies and extensive experience in recognising stress and trauma. In this article, Christine looks at the physical signs of stress which may manifest in yourself or your pupils, allowing you to approach and manage the situation.
Guest blog from Josh Dixon, Managing Director, YourCode Recruitment Group
Thursday 22 Mar 2018
We love hearing about how technical education can change people’s lives so when we met Josh Dixon, Managing Director at YourCode Recruitment Group, we just had to share his story.
Press releases, editorials and blogs
Have we got news for you! You can access our full bank of recent press releases, comment pieces and editorials all in one place. From partnerships and launches, to thought pieces on hot topics in the sector - the rise of digital, the role we play in social mobility, the changing labour market, a post Covid-19 education landscape and much more.
We also publish weekly blogs, keeping you up to date on the latest news within the education sector and beyond. Hear from a range of experts within the organisation, from our Senior Policy Specialists and Sector Specialists to our Chief Executive, as we unpick the issues that you care about the most. We also feature a range of guest bloggers from schools, colleges, training providers, the world of policy, and from industry.
Our brand
How we connect with people through our brand is essential to who we are and what we do. With this in mind, it’s important that our brand is applied correctly and consistently for the clarity of the organisations that we work with, as well as the learners completing our qualifications.
How to use our logos – this document was put together for our customers to give clear guidance on how to use our logos on both your printed and online materials.
Logos – If you’re an approved centre or partner of ours, we would be delighted if you would like to use our logo to showcase the fact that we are working together! To access our logos, simply email [email protected], stating your centre name and number as well as the logo that you require in line with what your centre is delivering (NCFE, CACHE, Accreditation & Employer Services, EPA Plus, Skills Forward). Please note, that if you stop working with us, we ask that you remove any logos or references to NCFE and its business units from your website and all collateral. This is to avoid confusion for learners about the qualifications and services that you are delivering.
Media contacts and information
- For more information about NCFE, our core purpose, our history and our future, please visit https://www.ncfe.org.uk/about-ncfe
- For all media enquiries, please contact Lindsay Plumpton, Marketing Operations Manager, with your request and she’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can reach Lindsay at [email protected]