Memorandum submitted by the Association
of Colleges
SUMMARY
1. The Association of Colleges (AoC) welcomes
the opportunity to comment on cross-border provision between England
and Wales. AoC is the representative body for the 400 further
education colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This
submission relates to the Wales-domiciled learners studying in
English colleges. Our sister organisation in Wales, fforwm, plans
to submit a response relating to Welsh-domiciled learners studying
at English colleges.
2. In 2006-07 there were 3,761 Welsh domiciled
students studying at English further education colleges. 11 colleges
account for two-thirds of these students, including colleges in
Cheshire, Shropshire and Gloucestershire which are a few miles
from the border.
3. Learners choose where to study by considering
the curriculum available, its quality and the travel to study
distance rather than the position of the Wales/England border.
4. This response identifies a number of
areas where the rules applying to English colleges limits the
choices of those living in Wales, particularly those living within
a short distance of the border. Often those on the Welsh side
live only a few miles from an institution in England but many
more miles from an institution in Wales.
5. We recommend that the Select Committee
consider ways in which the Welsh Assembly Government and the authorities
in England improve the co-ordination of cross-border 16-19 and
post-19 provision and reconsider the rules that apply to funding,
transport and marketing.
WELSH DOMICILED
STUDENTS IN
ENGLISH COLLEGES
6. In 2006-07 there were 3,761 Welsh domiciled
students studying at English further education colleges. 11 colleges
account for two-thirds of these students, including colleges in
Cheshire. Shropshire and Gloucestershire which are a few miles
from the border. Some, more distant, colleges provide very specific
courses which attract an unusually large number of Welsh-domiciled
students.
Table 1
LEARNERS FROM WALES IN FE COLLEGES IN ENGLAND,
2006-07
Provider Name
|
Number of
16-18 students
|
Number of
19+ students
|
Total | % of Welsh
domiciled
students in
English
colleges
|
West Cheshire College | 90
| 725 | 815 | 21.7
|
| Walford and North Shropshire College | 132
| 251 | 383 | 10.2
|
| City of Bristol College | 27
| 230 | 257 | 6.8
|
Manchester College of Arts and Technology (Mancat)
|
22 |
228 |
250
|
6.6 |
| Herefordshire College of Technology | 84
| 111 | 195 | 5.2
|
| Blackpool and the Fylde College | 9
| 163 | 172 | 4.6
|
| Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology |
35 | 118 | 153 |
4.1 |
| Ruskin College Oxford | 0 |
110 | 110 | 2.9
|
| Solihull College | 0 | 90
| 90 | 2.4 |
| Royal Forest of Dean College | 52
| 35 | 87 | 2.3
|
| Telford College of Arts and Technology |
0 | 76 | 76 |
2.0 |
| Others (135 Colleges) | 207
| 906 | 1,173 | 31.2
|
| |
| | |
7. Table 2 illustrates the comparison with the previous
year and particularly a sharp fall in post-19 numbers as a result
of the changes to Learning and Skills Council funding rules. These
reductions are not particular to Wales-domiciled students and
have affected all colleges in England in a similar way. There
was a reduction of 700,000 further education students in English
colleges between 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Table 2
TOTAL NUMBERS OF WALES-DOMICILED LEARNERS STUDYING IN
COLLEGES IN ENGLAND
| |
2005-06 |
2006-07 | %
difference
|
16-18 | 763 |
718 | -5.9 |
| 19+ | 4,013 | 3,043
| -24.2 |
| Total | 4,776 | 3,761
| -21.3 |
| |
| |
ENROLMENT OF
STUDENTS
8. Most further education colleges recruit from a local
catchment area with students travelling to study from their home
or workplace. The English Welsh border follows natural boundaries
at most points but cuts across normal daily travel routes in the
North and the South (between Cheshire and Flintshire/Sir Y Fflint
and between Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire/ Sir Y Fynwy). This
would not create a problem were it not for Learning and Skills
Council funding rules and processes.
9. According to LSC funding guidance, enrolment of Welsh
learners should only take place in "exceptional circumstances"
and "it is not expected that colleges in England will
recruit entire groups of learners from outside their local area"
(LSC Learner Eligibility Guidance 2007-08, 17 May 2007) Funding
allocations are calculated on English demographics even though
colleges close to the border are serving communities in Wales.
10. The people who lose out from these rules and processes
are Welsh-domiciled learners. English colleges are restricted
in their ability to recruit and tailor their courses to local
students, who are thereby pushed to study at Welsh colleges even
if less convenient or less suitable. This applies in reverse to
English domiciled learners who live close to Welsh colleges (for
example near the Shropshire/Powys border).
11. The different approach taken to funding and pay also
has an impact on staffing in colleges. Staff in Welsh colleges
are often better paid than their counterparts in England as a
result of the Welsh Assembly Government's decision to ensure parity
with schools. A college near the border reports that these differences
have caused staff to leave for colleges in Wales and has made
it more difficult to recruit new people.
12. The position could be further complicated by the
UK Government proposals to abolish the Learning and Skills Council
and transfer responsibility for funding 16-19 provision to local
authorities. AoC hopes that the new funding rules are flexible
so that college learners in England and Wales are not disadvantaged
and the border does not become a barrier to learning. The Government's
recent consultation paper "Raising Expectations: enabling
the system to deliver" (Cm 7348) may provide an opportunity
for the Westminster Government and the Welsh Assembly Government
to give a view about the future of cross-border FE provision.
SUPPORT FOR
BUSINESSES
13. Colleges close to the border with Wales are unable
to offer employer initiatives such as Train to Gain, through which
Government subsidises staff training, to businesses in Wales although
many of them may have major skills gaps. Colleges are able to
offer commercial provision (ie fully paid for by the employer)
but are not supposed to market the Government-funded programmes
direct to Welsh businesses so are responsive rather than proactive.
14. Separately funded initiatives (for example the European
Social Fund) cannot be delivered across the border in Wales by
colleges based in England. This makes it more difficult for border
colleges to support deprived communities in their areas and more
likely that funds will be directed elsewhere.
15. Learners often travel across the border to access
specialisms which are not available in their "home"
nation. For example, learners who live in west or central Cheshire
who want to study aerospace engineering would probably choose
Deeside College as no nearby college in England offers this course.
Equally, if a potential student in North Wales wants to study
hospital pharmacy they would choose West Cheshire College as no
local Welsh college offers it. A primary objective of the education
system in both England and Wales must be that these learners are
able to access the courses of their choice.
16. The figures in Table 1 demonstrate that some colleges,
although not near the border, attract a significant number of
Wales-domiciled students. For example Blackpool and the Fylde
College has 163 learners aged over 19 from Wales. Only three of
these learners are funded by the Learning and Skills Council with
the majority studying, at full-cost, at the College's specialist
Nautical Campus. For example 53% of the total number in the Offshore
School and 29% in the Maritime School are Wales-domiciled.
TRANSPORT
17. Transport provision for Wales-domiciled students
who choose to learn at colleges in England can often present problems.
The Welsh Assembly Government is clear that it does not fund provision
for Welsh learners who choose to study outside Wales and this
rule also covers transport.
18. The issue is complicated by the role of local authorities
which is responsible for transport of 16-19 year olds in full-time
education. Decisions of local authorities are a major issue when
it comes to ensuring learners from both sides of the border are
able to access the course of their choice. We have heard from
colleges in England whose learners have been affected by a decision
of a local authority in Wales to amend the funding rules regarding
transport.
19. A further issue which has been reported to us is
England domiciled learners in rural areas receiving free transport
to Welsh colleges whereas if they travel to the English college
of their choice, in their home county, they have to pay a contribution
towards their travel costs.
CONCLUSION
20. Further education college students on both sides
of the England/Wales border need to access the best choice of
course to enable their personal advancement and achievement.
21. Sometimes a student's course of choice is only available
on the "other" side of the border. In these circumstances
it is important that every reasonable effort is made by the education
providers themselves, the funding bodies and local authorities
to ensure that the student is able to exercise their choice.
22. The rules regarding funding of Wales-domiciled students
in English colleges, and the transport available, are not clear.
AoC recommends that the Westminster Government, in conjunction
with the Welsh Assembly Government, uses the recent consultation
document on the Machinery of Government changes to clarify the
approach local authorities and the funding bodies should take
to cross-border post-16 provision.
March 2008
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