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People need to keep their eyes and ears open. The SFA are about to finish off their funding methodology simplification and streamlining. There are a bunch of SFA publications which should be on their web site going back at least a year if not more on their intentions and plans. It looks like there are going to be less programme weightings which now ESOL has lost its uplift probably won't mean a lot for ESOL. I also understand that the provider factor which is a basket of factors, from ALS to most disadvantage also goes. This could impact on ESOL. The main change is that funding based on guided learning hours go and is replaced probably by linking the course to QCF units. Could be better or could be worse. There are always losers and winners in any funding methodology. The danger is that providers may try to bring a course up into the next QCF unit band or lower it to get rid of a few units. It will be worth people trying to talk to whoever is onto top of funding in your management and seeing what the impact they think will be on ESOL. Obviously as I understand it better I will let people know. The EFA (formerly the YPLA) is also undertaking a funding methodology simplification. That one is much more about meeting the Wolf recommendation that funding should be for a study programme rather than a qualification. Probably a good idea. The EFA however are still talking about guided learning hours with 600 for study programme being what Wolf recommended. This would include all activities that would need paid staff. Ie enrichments studies/activities. I would imagine other aspects might mirror SFA's approach eg fewer programme weightings. Not sure when we will get news of this as it is with Ministers.

And whilst i have your attention, providers have their final funding allocations for next academic year. They are already sending out 181 notices. These are intention to consult over redundancies. This means lost jobs and courses. I am happy to act as a collecting point for this data so if you hear what your college is doing let me know.

Universal Credit: the new benefit system to be introduced in April 2013. Fiendishly complex and wipes out the differences between in work benefits - housing benefit working tax credits and out of work benefits JSA ESA Income support Disability and incapacity benefit. This means wiping out all the categories of benefit to which fee remission was attached. Everybody will remember last year's attempt to distinguish active and inactive claimants and the impact that would have had on ESOL. Well we fought it off and there was a change of policy leaving it to colleges to decide who they would give fee remission. That was to remain until the introduction of Universal Credit. Hence this piece. BIS have been talking to DWP about a new set of rules for studying on benefit what are called proxies. I have been genning up Universal Benefit and talking to AoC NIACE NUS and others about whether we could suggest something to BIS which would make things better and allow more students into fee remission. Very difficult. The parameters are somewhat set in that the best indicator for fee remission might be previous education achievement. But the data on which to base this is not robust enough. Most adults may not know what their previous education achievements are and in the case of ESOL students would it matter as I assume ESOL need depends on ability to speak English not previous educational achievement. Anyway that would probably take us back to something like the old entitlements to full 1st level 2s and 3s. They have been restricted and the govt wouldn't reopen this. What we are thinking of is perhaps to say to leave it to providers to decide. This is what happened with the policy change last summer and would fit the govt's agenda about localism and freedoms. TO prevent a post code lottery some some sort of national guidelines would be needed. We might also say what's the rush. Universal Credit is being rolled out nationally with new claimants 1st so the 1st adults on it probably won't turn up until October 2013. Finally we are also trying to find out what BIS want out of a policy on fee remission as what they want can determine the final proxies. For example if the govt's intention is to help the most disadvantaged then there may 1 set of rules. However if it wanted to help those nearest work it could mean another set of rules. Let me know what you think. As ever there is the dilemma of do we ask for what would really help but almost certainly we won't get or do we try to put up something that may be accepted and help some. I have drafted a briefing paper for UCU and when it has been oked I will post it somewhere and circulate it

-----Original Message-----
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Bass
Sent: 31 May 2012 09:11
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PLANNING

Hi

ESOL qualifications remain load banded till 2013 / 2014 - when the likelihood is a move to listed qualifications

So providers can determine how many hours they allow per qualifications

With funding decreasing year on year the hours allocated are decreasing in line with this

It's a no win situation - the less funding - less hours - less achievement - lower success - the less funding ......



-----Original Message-----
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stevenson, Alexander
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 5:39 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: PLANNING

Hi

No information on the L1 and L2 reading from Edexcel either. Not surprising, as we have only just been told they have changed the E1 - E3 speaking and listening assessments during the middle of our exams!

Regarding hours, our evening students do 102 but in this time most of them can only achieve speaking and listening in a year. Our daytime students do 204 hours and even then many struggle to do the full qualification in a year, especially if they have weaker literacy skills.
This can be frustrating for students who want to complete the whole level in a year but don't get enough hours to do so. On the other hand, it suits some who are developing their language skills over a longer period of time.

Alex

Alexander Stevenson
HOD - External/Employer Facing Essential Skills (inc ESOL) Oldham College
T: 0161 785 3144

E: [log in to unmask]
W: www.oldham.ac.uk
www.oldhambusinesscentre.co.uk
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-----Original Message-----
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Johnson, Jackie
Sent: 30 May 2012 15:16
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: PLANNING

I am currently trying to belatedly plan for 12/13 while a number of big changes are taking place both in our college and in ESOL.

Could anyone tell me the latest news re L1 AND 2 ESOL exams? I have heard different information from different boards. I know the adult lit exam for reading has gone but I have also heard that at those levels other skills exams are being replaced and wondered what other colleges were planning.

We are also having our number of learning hours cut for Skills for Life exams at Entry level to 108 and wondered how that compares with other delivery models?

Any contributions gratefully received.

Jackie Johnson Liverpool



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ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
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ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html
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*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]