22 results on '"Further education colleges"'
Search Results
2. Professional 'lived' experiences of middle managers in Further Education (FE) colleges in Wales : a study of the impact of major change
- Author
-
Walford, Robert, Rowland, Caroline, and Moss, Danny
- Subjects
374 ,middle managers ,Further Education colleges - Abstract
Merger organizational change has been prolific across Wales and has significantly affected all Further Education (FE) colleges. The main merger driver was to reduce operational costs, whilst in the pursuit of increased organizational and departmental efficiencies and effectiveness. An imperative to widening access to education, an increase in the quality of curriculum provision and a need to reduce duplication of curriculum programmes were also important considerations. It is these changes that have shaped college organizations and the college middle manager role, post-merger, with a resulting impact on middle managers professional 'lived' experiences. The author's research examines the effect of merger on the middle manager role and the influence of the college context on the 'lived' experiences of middle managers managing curriculum departments. The review of the literature highlights key relationships between mainstream management and the college middle manager role, as well as the influences likely to have an impact on this role. The author has developed a conceptual model with key elements consisting of professional 'lived' experiences of middle managers and role construct and behaviour, management and leadership. This study is exploratory in nature and uses a social constructionist philosophical approach. A subjectivist epistemology was adopted for this study, with the researcher applying a thematic analysis and an investigation of multiple realities. Data for this research was collected from in-depth semi-structured interviewees, which gave interviewees the opportunity to highlight their specific day-to-day professional 'lived' work experiences. The research study outlines a number of conclusions, which accord with this study's specific research objectives and recommendations. In the post-merger era, the middle manager role has become more complex and challenging. Conclusions indicate a broader role for the middle manager, and a role defined by the college's professional context, which contributes to influencing the college middle manager role. This study contributes to the field of academic study, and to professional practice. It provides insights to understanding the role of middle managers in the FE sector and also offers recommendations for college strategy and policy. Finally, it highlights opportunities for further research in Wales and beyond.
- Published
- 2019
3. Who governs and why it matters. An analysis of race equality and diversity in the composition of further education college governing bodies across the UK.
- Author
-
Bathmaker, Ann-Marie and Pennacchia, Jodie
- Subjects
- *
RACISM , *BLACK Lives Matter movement , *PUBLIC demonstrations , *MINORITIES - Abstract
Concerns about racism and race equality have been widely reported in the first decades of the 21st century, following the Black Lives Matter protests and campaigns such as 'Rhodes Must Fall'. Yet 'race' remains largely absent from policy debate and research concerning further education colleges in the four countries of the UK, particularly in relationship to leadership and governance. The focus of this paper is on who governs and why it matters. Governors and trustees play an increasingly visible and significant role in public, private and charity sector organisations, but diversity on governing bodies of further education across the UK remains patchy and is seen as a major challenge. The paper reports on what is known about the composition of governing bodies and what this tells us about the involvement of governors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds at the present time, drawing on a three-year project which examined the processes and practices of governing in the four countries of the UK. The findings highlight the continuing absence of governors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds on college governing boards and suggest that normative, invisible assumptions of how governing gets done persist, with black and minority ethnic governors often little more than a token gesture of adding diversity to the faces on the board. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. An analysis of programme decision-making in further education colleges in England
- Author
-
Walsh, Daisy and James, Chris
- Subjects
370 ,Leadership and management ,Leadership for Learning ,further education colleges ,Programme decision-making ,Programme provision ,Ofsted ,Stakeholders - Abstract
The programme provision in a third of further education (FE) colleges in England is poorly designed, according to Ofsted which inspect colleges in England, and does not provide post-16-year-olds the skills needed for employment. The policy landscape shapes the complex FE college environment. Often programme decision-making at strategic level does not respond to stakeholders’ needs or achieve stability and sustainability of these institutions. The aim of this research was to analyse programme decision-making in FE colleges in England. It focused on how FE colleges use the opportunities and constraints presented by their locality and context to tailor their programme provision whilst under pressure to meet the local needs for the provision of education and training and the expectations of the Ofsted inspection framework. A review of literature on the theories and models of decision-making led to the formation of research questions and a framework for the analysis of programme decision-making in FE college environment. Empirical data was collected by means of college principals and other senior managers in three contrasting FE colleges in England. Documentary analysis provided stimulus for interview questions and corroboration of evidence. The research found that programme decision-making is influenced by the opportunities and constraints presented by the locality of the FE college and a number of internal and external factors. It shows that FE leaders and managers who prioritise leadership for learning, which is characterised by a strong focus on learners’ learning experience, implement management approaches to the organisation of programme provision. Such focus informs the strategic directions to achieve effectiveness of programme provision and accountability, increase engagement with stakeholders and improve the sustainability of the college. The study shows that effective programme decision-making requires a collaborative approach involving the participation of stakeholders to provide a solution-driven method to managing programme provision in FE colleges.
- Published
- 2018
5. Differences by degree: the access and participation plans of further education colleges and universities.
- Author
-
Baldwin, John, Raven, Neil, and Webber-Jones, Robin
- Subjects
CONTINUING education ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,TUITION ,STUDENT recruitment ,COLLEGES of Further Education (Great Britain) - Abstract
If an English higher education institution wishes to charge higher tuition fees it must produce an access and participation plan to indicate how it intends to recruit students from under-represented backgrounds. This article evaluates the impact that the regime for producing access and participation plans (APPs) in England has had on further education colleges [FECs] that offer higher education courses. It explores the history of the introduction of APPs and how they are produced. Comparisons are made of paired universities and further education colleges. In particular, consideration is given to the content of the plans and the work imposed on the institutions in producing plans, with questions raised over whether the same APP regime should be imposed on colleges considering the major differences in character and focus between FECs and universities. The article concludes by advocating changes to the process of completing APPs by colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Negotiating tensions between the high‐performing and socially just college: A consideration of the discursive construction of youth in English college governing boards.
- Author
-
Pennacchia, Jodie and Bathmaker, Ann‐Marie
- Subjects
- *
FURTHER education (Great Britain) , *YOUTH , *YOUNG adults , *SOCIAL justice , *CRITICAL discourse analysis - Abstract
The English further education (FE) sector caters for young learners who are regularly defined as at risk due to a range of economic and social challenges, as transitions from youth to adulthood become more protracted, and inequalities amongst young people and between generations persist and deepen. At a time when policy places increasing responsibilities on governors and leaders to balance college performance and cost‐effectiveness against FE's long‐standing social justice mission, this article analyses how this tension plays out through the discursive construction of young learners by two English college governing boards. We use a critical discourse analysis approach to connect how young learners are 'talked into being' through the micro‐level processes of governing within the wider context in which college governing operates. We argue that, despite a wider drive for governors to interact with learners, their understanding of learners is dominated by data, through which young learners in particular are constituted as a risk rather than at risk. We explore the discursive constructions of young learners that ensue in this data‐dominated context, and the social practices governing boards use to manage the risks posed by young learners. We highlight the different positionings of governors and college senior managers within these constitutive practices, arguing that the ways young learners are discursively constructed is revealing of a central tension in college governing practices—that between the high‐performing and the socially just college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. International Students and Further Education Colleges in England: The Context, Policy Tensions, and Some Aspects of Practice
- Author
-
Fisher, Roy, Saunders, Mike, Maclean, Rupert, Series editor, Tran, Ly Thi, editor, and Dempsey, Kate, editor
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. ‘Test n Treat (TnT)’– Rapid testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in sexually active further education college students: study protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility trial
- Author
-
Sarah Kerry-Barnard, Charlotte Fleming, Fiona Reid, Rachel Phillips, Vari M. Drennan, Elisabeth J. Adams, Wendy Majewska, Anjella Balendra, Emma Harding-Esch, Emma Cousins, S. Tariq Sadiq, and Pippa Oakeshott
- Subjects
Rapid chlamydia tests ,Screening ,Young people ,Further education colleges ,Test and treat ,Cluster randomised ,Medicine (General) ,R5-920 - Abstract
Abstract Background Sexually active young people attending London further education (FE) colleges have high rates of chlamydia, but screening rates are low. We will conduct a cluster randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid, on-site chlamydia testing and same-day treatment (Test and Treat (TnT)) in six FE colleges (with parallel qualitative and economic assessments) to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial to investigate if TnT reduces chlamydia rates. Methods We will recruit 80 sexually active students aged 16–24 years from public areas at each of six colleges. All participants (total n = 480) will be asked to provide samples (urine for males, self-taken vaginal swabs for females) and complete questionnaires on sexual lifestyle and healthcare use at baseline and after 7 months. Participants will be informed that baseline samples will not be tested for 7 months and be advised to get screened separately. Colleges will be randomly allocated to the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). One and 4 months after recruitment, participants at each intervention college (n = 3) will be texted and invited for on-site chlamydia tests using the 90-min Cepheid GeneXpert system. Students with positive results will be asked to see a visiting nurse health adviser for same-day treatment and partner notification, (backed by genitourinary medicine follow-up). Participants in control colleges (n = 3) will receive ‘thank you’ texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to students with positive results. Acceptability of TnT will be assessed by qualitative interviews of purposively sampled students (n = 30) and college staff (n = 12). We will collect data on costs of TnT and usual healthcare. Discussion Findings will provide key values to inform feasibility, sample size and timescales of a future definitive trial of TnT in FE colleges, including:Recruitment ratesTnT uptake ratesFollow-up ratesPrevalence of chlamydia in participants at baseline and 7 monthsAcceptability of TnT to students and college staffEstimate of the cost per person screened/treated in TnT versus usual care Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Registry, ID: ISRCTN58038795, Registered on 31 August 2016.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Area-based reviews and their aftermath: moving to a post-incorporation model for further education in England?
- Author
-
Spours, Ken, Hodgson, Ann, Grainger, Paul, and Smith, David
- Subjects
- *
FURTHER education (Great Britain) , *VOCATIONAL education , *SOCIAL skills , *GOVERNMENT policy - Abstract
This article draws on research into the further education (FE) Area-Based Review (ABR) process in London, England over the period 2016–2018 to suggest that the significance of ABRs can be judged as to the extent they reinforce or challenge the historical marketised model of FE. The implications of ABR are viewed historically through the conceptual lens of two governance continua – market/public (economic) and centralised/devolved (political). The research, involving repeated interviews with a range of FE social partners over a three-year period, developed the concept of two inter-related logics – a dominant 'Logic A' focused on FE college viability and merger and a subordinate 'Logic B' focused on regional skills strategies and greater collaboration between social partners. The significance of ABRs is assessed in relation to the wider English policy contexts that point to a need for greater skills coordination. At the same time, a comparison of ABRs in England with the 'regionalisation' of FE colleges in the other three countries of the UK highlights its relatively unplanned character. The article concludes with a discussion around the evolving relationship between the two Logics and argues that, albeit hesitantly, FE colleges in England may be moving towards a 'Post-Incorporation' phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. The recruitment of VET teachers and the failure of policy in England's further education sector.
- Author
-
Hanley, Pam and Orr, Kevin
- Subjects
- *
VOCATIONAL education , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *FURTHER education (Great Britain) , *PROFESSIONAL education , *CURRICULUM - Abstract
England's further education (FE) sector has been characterised by instability and policy churn for at least three decades during which time reform of vocational education and training (VET) has been piled on top of reform, with few resulting in lasting change. In the context of another ambitious new reform of VET in England, this article reports on a study that examined the chronic difficulties in recruiting teachers of vocational science, engineering and technology (SET) to FE colleges. We argue that these difficulties in recruiting SET teachers reveal persistent weaknesses in policy planning for the English VET sector and help to explain the serial failure of VET policy in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Beyond employer engagement and skills supply: building conditions for partnership working and skills co-production in the English context.
- Author
-
Hodgson, Ann, Spours, Ken, Smith, David, and Jeanes, Julia
- Subjects
- *
VOCATIONAL education , *EMPLOYERS , *APPRENTICESHIP programs , *EDUCATIONAL programs , *EMPLOYMENT - Abstract
Education providers and employers working together to prepare young people and adults for employment is internationally accepted as a key factor in effective technical and vocational education. In the English context, however, we argue that two related orthodoxies have prevailed – 'employer engagement' and 'skills supply' – in which education providers have striven to gain employer involvement in their programmes and meet their skills needs. The effectiveness of these twin orthodoxies has been limited by the 'New Low Skills Equilibrium' (NLSE) involving a symbiosis of weaknesses on both the education and employer sides. The article draws on findings of a two-year research and development programme in East London which explored the process of education-employer partnership working to support inclusive growth in key economic sectors. The research suggested that this aim was best supported by processes of 'co-production' that actively involved both partners in attempting to address features of the NLSE. The research also pointed to constraining factors. The article concludes by identifying the conditions required for the realisation of co-production approaches that include the development of new collaborative structures – High Progression and Skills Networks (HPSNs) – involving a wide range of social partners at the local and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. How much does a single graduation cohort from further education colleges contribute to an open regional economy?
- Author
-
Hermannsson, Kristinn, Lecca, Patrizio, and Swales, J. Kim
- Subjects
CONTINUING education ,FREE trade ,REGIONAL economics ,SPACE in economics ,ECONOMIC equilibrium - Abstract
Copyright of Spatial Economic Analysis is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Liberal studies and critical pedagogy in further education colleges: ‘where their eyes would be opened’ (sometimes).
- Author
-
Simmons, Robin
- Subjects
- *
CRITICAL pedagogy , *BACHELOR of liberal studies , *BRITISH education system , *DIALOGIC teaching , *TEACHING methods , *FURTHER education (Great Britain) - Abstract
This paper revisits the liberal studies movement, a significant feature of the English further education (FE) sector from the 1950s until the beginning of the 1980s. Its central argument is that liberal and general studies (LS/GS) and similar provision offered a vehicle where, at least in some circumstances, certain politically-motivated FE teachers were able to engage in forms of mutual, dialogic teaching and learning which can be conceptualised as critical pedagogy—or at least as close to critical pedagogy as can be achieved within the formal education system in a nation such as England. The paper draws on interviews with former FE lecturers who taught various forms of liberal studies to vocational students in FE colleges across England during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Whilst it is recognised that LS/GS was always contested terrain, data presented in this paper provide evidence to suggest that the spirit of critical pedagogy existed amongst a certain strand within the liberal studies movement, at least for a time—even if not all learners wished to be emancipated by their studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The challenges facing further education college governors in England.
- Author
-
Hill, Ron, James, Chris, and Forrest, Colin
- Subjects
- *
COLLEGES of Further Education (Great Britain) , *COLLEGE trustees , *EDUCATION - Abstract
‘Further education’ (FE) is a substantial sector in the education system in England. It has funding of approximately £8 billion annually and educates close to three million students. Within the sector are 231 FE colleges which provide a range of courses that are typically vocational/skills-based. They vary in scale and scope with the largest colleges having a turnover in excess of £100 million and over 15,000 students. For a variety of reasons, the FE sector is experiencing various pressures which are presenting FE college governors with a range of significant, substantial, simultaneous and synergistic challenges. In this article we describe and analyse the challenges and the implications. We make the point that these challenges are in addition to FE governors’ ongoing governing work. For FE governing bodies, the challenges may prove to be overwhelming and so they may proceed with undue caution. On the other hand, they may be an opportunity for governing bodies to strengthen college governance and leadership creatively and to enhance opportunities for their learners – again creatively - for the benefit of their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Part-time higher education in English colleges: Adult identities in diminishing spaces.
- Author
-
ESMOND, BILL
- Subjects
- *
NONTRADITIONAL college students , *PART-time college students , *VOCATIONAL education , *ADULT students , *IDENTITY (Psychology) , *HIGHER education , *ADULTS , *PSYCHOLOGY ,WORK & psychology - Abstract
Adult participation in higher education has frequently entailed mature students studying part time in lower-ranked institutions. In England, higher education policies have increasingly emphasised higher education provision in vocational further education colleges, settings which have extensive adult traditions but which mainly teach employment-based skills and are widely regarded as 'outside' higher education. This paper interrogates the significance of these dimensions of college higher education, through a qualitative study of identity formation by adult part-time students. Their accounts, developed through individual interviews and focus groups, emphasised the significance of work to their interpretations of higher education participation: these are compared here to a range of conceptualisations of identity that have been applied in relation to work organisations. This analysis indicates some of the ways in which pathways which adults may interpret as meaningful in terms of work-related identities may correspondingly be constrained by a narrow discourse of work-based skills and credentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Continuity and Change in English Further Education: A Century of Voluntarism and Permissive Adaptability.
- Author
-
Bailey, Bill and Unwin, Lorna
- Subjects
- *
FURTHER education (Great Britain) , *VOCATIONAL education , *UNIVERSITIES & colleges , *EDUCATIONAL change , *EDUCATION policy , *BRITISH education system , *TWENTIETH century , *HISTORY of education - Abstract
This paper argues that the evolution of further education colleges in England is marked by both continuities and change, and provides evidence to show that they retain many of the characteristics and the underlying rationale present at the turn of the twentieth century. A defining characteristic remains the colleges’ need to respond to student demand in a continued climate of voluntarism and lack of policy commitment to the education of young people beyond school-leaving age. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. ‘Test n Treat (TnT)’– Rapid testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in sexually active further education college students: study protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility trial
- Author
-
Kerry-Barnard, Sarah, Fleming, Charlotte, Reid, Fiona, Phillips, Rachel, Drennan, Vari M., Adams, Elisabeth J., Majewska, Wendy, Balendra, Anjella, Harding-Esch, Emma, Cousins, Emma, Tariq Sadiq, S., and Oakeshott, Pippa
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. ‘Test n Treat (TnT)’: a cluster-randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid-testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in high-risk further education college students: statistical analysis plan
- Author
-
Sarah Kerry-Barnard, Rachel Phillips, Pippa Oakeshott, and Fiona Reid
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Further education ,Male ,Statistical analysis plan ,Time Factors ,Rapid chlamydia tests ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Research & Experimental Medicine ,Feasibility study ,law.invention ,0302 clinical medicine ,Statistical Analysis Plan ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,TRACHOMATIS INFECTION ,Medicine ,Multicenter Studies as Topic ,Pharmacology (medical) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Young adult ,Further education colleges ,Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ,Randomised controlled trial ,lcsh:R5-920 ,Chlamydia ,WOMEN ,Test (assessment) ,KEY ,Treatment Outcome ,Medicine, Research & Experimental ,Patient Satisfaction ,Data Interpretation, Statistical ,Screening ,Young people ,Female ,lcsh:Medicine (General) ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Student Health Services ,Sexual Behavior ,030106 microbiology ,Disease cluster ,1102 Cardiovascular Medicine And Haematology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Patient satisfaction ,General & Internal Medicine ,Humans ,COHORT ,Students ,Test n treat ,Bacteriological Techniques ,Science & Technology ,business.industry ,1103 Clinical Sciences ,PERFORMANCE ,Chlamydia Infections ,medicine.disease ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology ,Family medicine ,Feasibility Studies ,business - Abstract
Background\ud \ud There are high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in ethnically diverse, sexually active students aged 16–24 years attending London further education (FE) colleges. However, uptake of chlamydia screening remains low. The TnT study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial in FE colleges to investigate if frequent, rapid, on-site testing and treatment (TnT) reduces chlamydia rates. This article presents the statistical analysis plan for the main study publication as approved and signed off by the Trial Management Group prior to the first data extraction for the final report.\ud \ud Methods/design\ud \ud TnT is a cluster-randomised feasibility trial conducted over 7 months with parallel qualitative and economic assessments. Colleges will be randomly allocated into the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). Six FE colleges in London will be included. At each college for 2 days, 80 consecutive sexually active students aged 16–24 years (total 480 students across all six colleges) will be recruited from public areas and asked to provide baseline samples. One and 4 months after recruitment intervention colleges will be visited on two consecutive days by the TnT team where participating students will be texted and invited to come for same-day, on-site, rapid chlamydia testing and, if positive, treatment. Participants in the control colleges will receive ‘thank you’ texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to participants with positive results. Key feasibility outcomes include: recruitment rates, testing and treatment uptake rates (at 1 and 4 months) and follow-up rates (at 7 months).\ud \ud Trial registration\ud \ud ISRCTN 58038795. Registered on 31 August 2016.
- Published
- 2018
19. 'Test n Treat (TnT)'- Rapid testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in sexually active further education college students: study protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility trial
- Author
-
Rachel Phillips, Pippa Oakeshott, Vari Drennan, Charlotte Fleming, Emma Cousins, S Tariq Sadiq, Anjella Balendra, Fiona Reid, Emma M. Harding-Esch, Elisabeth J Adams, Sarah Kerry-Barnard, and Wendy Majewska
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,Time Factors ,Rapid chlamydia tests ,Cluster randomised ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,0302 clinical medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Health care ,London ,Multicenter Studies as Topic ,Pharmacology (medical) ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Young adult ,Test and treat ,Further education colleges ,1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology ,Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ,lcsh:R5-920 ,Chlamydia ,Partner notification ,musculoskeletal system ,3. Good health ,Test (assessment) ,Treatment Outcome ,Patient Satisfaction ,Predictive value of tests ,Screening ,Female ,Young people ,lcsh:Medicine (General) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Adolescent ,Student Health Services ,Sexual Behavior ,030106 microbiology ,alliedhealth ,Disease cluster ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,Patient satisfaction ,Feasibility trial ,Predictive Value of Tests ,General & Internal Medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Students ,Bacteriological Techniques ,business.industry ,1103 Clinical Sciences ,Chlamydia Infections ,medicine.disease ,Cardiovascular System & Hematology ,Family medicine ,Feasibility Studies ,business - Abstract
Sexually active young people attending London further education (FE) colleges have high rates of chlamydia, but screening rates are low. We will conduct a cluster randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid, on-site chlamydia testing and same-day treatment (Test and Treat (TnT)) in six FE colleges (with parallel qualitative and economic assessments) to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial to investigate if TnT reduces chlamydia rates. We will recruit 80 sexually active students aged 16–24 years from public areas at each of six colleges. All participants (total n = 480) will be asked to provide samples (urine for males, self-taken vaginal swabs for females) and complete questionnaires on sexual lifestyle and healthcare use at baseline and after 7 months. Participants will be informed that baseline samples will not be tested for 7 months and be advised to get screened separately. Colleges will be randomly allocated to the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). One and 4 months after recruitment, participants at each intervention college (n = 3) will be texted and invited for on-site chlamydia tests using the 90-min Cepheid GeneXpert system. Students with positive results will be asked to see a visiting nurse health adviser for same-day treatment and partner notification, (backed by genitourinary medicine follow-up). Participants in control colleges (n = 3) will receive ‘thank you’ texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to students with positive results. Acceptability of TnT will be assessed by qualitative interviews of purposively sampled students (n = 30) and college staff (n = 12). We will collect data on costs of TnT and usual healthcare. Findings will provide key values to inform feasibility, sample size and timescales of a future definitive trial of TnT in FE colleges, including: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Registry, ID: ISRCTN58038795 , Registered on 31 August 2016.
- Published
- 2018
20. An analysis of programme decision-making in further education colleges in England
- Author
-
Walsh, Daisy Louisa
- Subjects
Programme decision-making ,Stakeholders ,Leadership and management ,further education colleges ,Ofsted ,Programme provision ,Leadership for Learning - Abstract
The programme provision in a third of further education (FE) colleges in England is poorly designed, according to Ofsted which inspect colleges in England, and does not provide post-16-year-olds the skills needed for employment. The policy landscape shapes the complex FE college environment. Often programme decision-making at strategic level does not respond to stakeholders’ needs or achieve stability and sustainability of these institutions.The aim of this research was to analyse programme decision-making in FE colleges in England. It focused on how FE colleges use the opportunities and constraints presented by their locality and context to tailor their programme provision whilst under pressure to meet the local needs for the provision of education and training and the expectations of the Ofsted inspection framework.A review of literature on the theories and models of decision-making led to the formation of research questions and a framework for the analysis of programme decision-making in FE college environment. Empirical data was collected by means of college principals and other senior managers in three contrasting FE colleges in England. Documentary analysis provided stimulus for interview questions and corroboration of evidence.The research found that programme decision-making is influenced by the opportunities and constraints presented by the locality of the FE college and a number of internal and external factors. It shows that FE leaders and managers who prioritise leadership for learning, which is characterised by a strong focus on learners’ learning experience, implement management approaches to the organisation of programme provision. Such focus informs the strategic directions to achieve effectiveness of programme provision and accountability, increase engagement with stakeholders and improve the sustainability of the college. The study shows that effective programme decision-making requires a collaborative approach involving the participation of stakeholders to provide a solution-driven method to managing programme provision in FE colleges.
- Published
- 2018
21. ADMINISTRATORS' POWERS AND DUTIES: Education administrators.
- Subjects
SCHOOL administrators ,BANKING laws ,FURTHER education (Great Britain) ,DUTY ,INTERNATIONAL banking industry - Published
- 2020
22. 'Test n Treat (TnT)': a cluster-randomised feasibility trial of frequent, rapid-testing and same-day, on-site treatment to reduce rates of chlamydia in high-risk further education college students: statistical analysis plan.
- Author
-
Phillips, Rachel, Oakeshott, Pippa, Kerry-Barnard, Sarah, and Reid, Fiona
- Subjects
- *
CHLAMYDIA infection treatment , *SEXUALLY transmitted diseases , *COLLEGE students' sexual behavior , *DATA extraction , *QUESTIONNAIRES - Abstract
Background: There are high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in ethnically diverse, sexually active students aged 16-24 years attending London further education (FE) colleges. However, uptake of chlamydia screening remains low. The TnT study aims to assess the feasibility of conducting a future trial in FE colleges to investigate if frequent, rapid, on-site testing and treatment (TnT) reduces chlamydia rates. This article presents the statistical analysis plan for the main study publication as approved and signed off by the Trial Management Group prior to the first data extraction for the final report.Methods/design: TnT is a cluster-randomised feasibility trial conducted over 7 months with parallel qualitative and economic assessments. Colleges will be randomly allocated into the intervention (TnT) or the control group (no TnT). Six FE colleges in London will be included. At each college for 2 days, 80 consecutive sexually active students aged 16-24 years (total 480 students across all six colleges) will be recruited from public areas and asked to provide baseline samples. One and 4 months after recruitment intervention colleges will be visited on two consecutive days by the TnT team where participating students will be texted and invited to come for same-day, on-site, rapid chlamydia testing and, if positive, treatment. Participants in the control colleges will receive 'thank you' texts 1 and 4 months after recruitment. Seven months after recruitment, participants from both groups will be invited to complete questionnaires and provide samples for TnT. All samples will be tested, and same-day treatment offered to participants with positive results. Key feasibility outcomes include: recruitment rates, testing and treatment uptake rates (at 1 and 4 months) and follow-up rates (at 7 months).Trial Registration: ISRCTN 58038795 . Registered on 31 August 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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