News
New FE Legislation from the Queen’s Speech 2021
The Queen's Speech outlined the government's priorities for the year ahead, as she officially reopened Parliament. This included legislation [...]
bksb takes on the Derbyshire Three Peaks Challenge
On Saturday 1 August, we completed the Derbyshire Three Peaks Challenge! This was a 20 mile hike covering the three [...]
Nelson and Colne College, Provider of the Year 2020
"Our aim at College is ‘to create the extraordinary’ and our vision is that all of our students will have [...]
Industry 4.0: The future of English and maths
From delivery robots in Milton Keynes to smart factories in Thailand, Industry 4.0 is changing the ways in which we [...]
T Levels: Department for Education Looking for 2022 Providers
The Department for Education are looking for further education providers to deliver the third wave of T Levels in 2022/23. [...]
Emma Hardy Appointed as New Shadow Further Education & Higher Education Minister
The Labour Party have appointed Emma Hardy, former teacher and Hull West and Hessle MP, as the new Shadow Further [...]
Over 100 Apprentices and Students Join WorldSkills UK Squad
137 apprentices and students across the country have been named to join WorldSkills UK squad. The talented young people in [...]
General Election 2019 – A Further Education Perspective
As the general election draws closer, the competition between the main three parties continues to increase. Below is a [...]
bksb at the 2019 Inspirational Women Conference
This week marked the 3rd annual Inspirational Women Conference by App4England. The conference celebrates and empowers women from all backgrounds [...]
WorldSkills Kazan 2019 – Team UK wins 19 medals
This week, the bi-yearly WorldSkills event took place in Kazan. Over 1,300 young professionals from 63 countries and regions gathered [...]
Ofsted Misses FE Inspection Target by More Than 10%
Ofsted posted its annual report and accounts for 2018/19 last week. The watchdog missed its FE inspection target by 10% as [...]
Minister of State for Apprenticeship and Skills Post Axed
The Department of Education has announced that there will no longer be a dedicated Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills. Gavin [...]
Boris Johnson: Funding for Further Education “It is vital we invest now”
Following his election as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said funding for further education is a priority: "Yes, it is a [...]
FE Choices Learner Satisfaction Survey 2018 – 2019
The 2018 to 2019 FE Choices Learner Satisfaction Survey from the Department for Education was published earlier last month. You can [...]
Anne Milton Resigns
Anne Milton resigns as Apprenticeship and Skills Minister following the appointment of the new Prime Minister. An avid [...]
New Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson
Gavin Williamson, former Secretary for Defence, has now been appointed as Secretary of State for Education following cabinet reshuffle. Williamson will [...]
EdTech in Focus: bksb
bksb Managing Director, Harvinder Atwal, was interviewed by plugd:in in April about her career and the inception of bksb. "I began working [...]
Plans for Free ESOL Courses in London from Next Year
The Greater London Authority will use its Adult Education Budget to provide free English for speakers of other languages (ESOL [...]
Digital Skills: Minister Announces New Free Courses
Apprenticeship and skills minister announces that adults with few or no digital skills will be given access to free courses. [...]
Free events to prepare for the functional skills reforms – coming to a city near you!
ALL REMAINING EVENTS ARE NOW FULL - PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BOOK ONTO A WEBINAR For [...]
The Skills Awards 2019 Winners
The Skills Awards ran for its second time this year. Focused specifically on the delivery of English and Maths. The Skills [...]
Over 400 delegates attend The Skills Conference 2019
Over 400 delegates attended The Skills Conference 2019 to discuss and debate key information on Functional Skills, including the reform [...]
English and maths pass rate drops for GCSE resits
The pass rate for students getting a grade 4 or above has fallen since November 2018. Students who do not [...]
Queen’s New Year Honours List 2019
The New Year Honours List 2019 recognises the contributions of those who work in the education and children’s services including [...]
Funding planned for the delivery of T levels
A consultation on T level funding was launched and is concerned with how the funding will be distributed to [...]
Love Our Colleges Campaign Demands Fairer Funding for FE
The ‘Love Our Colleges’ campaign saw colleges, education unions and students showcasing what they do and raising awareness of the [...]
Education Secretary Damian Hinds looks to European education models
The Education Secretary Damian Hinds visited Germany and the Netherlands. This follows the secretary's commitment to ensuring every child in [...]
FE funding has greater cut than funding for schools, pre-school or higher education
The first annual education spending report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that the new money for T levels [...]
£8,000 Project Funding to help with quality of Functional Skills delivery
There is an opportunity for FE teachers to develop innovative approaches for teaching new functional skills qualifications. The Education and [...]
Outcome of the GCSE results 2018
Amid the exam reforms, tens of thousands of teenagers received their GCSE results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In [...]
Outcome of the T-levels legal challenge
The Federation of Awarding Bodies initiated a judicial review proceeding in connection with the implementation of T-levels. The FAB insisted [...]
Research shows which students benefit from retaking maths and English GCSEs
The UK Government legislated that from September 2013 all young people who did not achieve a grade C in Mathematics [...]
Decisions on Functional Skills Reform
The Functional Skills Qualifications in English and mathematics are being reformed and will be introduced for September 2019. The Department [...]
Anne Milton “not worried” about T-level reforms
The T-level reforms will go ahead for a 2020 roll-out, against the advice of the lead civil servant at the [...]
Skills Minister’s Priorities for IfA
The skills minister, Anne Milton, has told the Institute for Apprenticeships to get ‘faster and better’ at approving apprenticeship standards. [...]
UK to Compete in EuroSkills 2018
After an incredible performance at the WorldSkills, Europe’s most talented young professionals are once again putting their abilities to the [...]
Basic Maths Premium Pilot for Post 16
The basic maths premium pilot will be open to post-16 providers and will run from late 2018 for two years. [...]
Functional Skills Reform: Your Opinion Matters!
Ofqual want your views on the proposals, draft rules and guidance being proposed for Functional Skills qualifications in English and [...]
Apprenticeship Starts Down Compared to Previous Year
The DfE announced in January 2018 that there were around 25,400 apprenticeships starts, compared to 36,700 apprenticeship starts in January [...]
Coming soon! bksbLIVE 2 interface upgrade
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the bksbLIVE 2 online learning platform, we are delighted to announce [...]
Ofqual guidance for new Functional Skills qualifications.
Following on from The Department of Education’s proposed subject content for English and maths Functional Skills, Ofqual have published a [...]
The Government’s new ESOL strategy
The government is aiming to support people who participate in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes through the [...]
Hundreds of delegates attend The Skills Conference 2018
Hundreds of delegates attended The Skills Conference 2018 to discuss and debate key information on Functional Skills, including the reform [...]
Maths and English Functional Skills Qualification Reforms
The Department for Education has published a consultation on the proposed subject content for English and maths Functional Skills. The [...]
The Skills Awards 2018 Winners
This year The Skills Conference hosted its first ever awards show to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The Skills Awards rewarded [...]
More Organisations to join RoATP
The number of providers that are registered as apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) has more than doubled since last year’s levy [...]
bksb Wins Bett Award “Company of the Year” for the Third Year
bksb are incredibly proud to announce that we have won the prestigious Bett Award in the ‘Company of the [...]
Skills and Apprenticeships Minister, Anne Milton, highlights importance of digital skills at the 2018 Bett show
Anne Milton, the Minister of State for Skills and Apprenticeships, spoke last week at the opening of the Bett 2018 [...]
Damian Hinds Replaces Justine Greening as New Education Secretary
Damian Hinds has been announced as England’s new Education Secretary. He will replace Justine Greening, who is leaving the government [...]
Employment Trends Survey Suggests Businesses Will Recruit More Apprentices
An Employment Trends Survey published by CBI/Pertemps Network Group suggests half of businesses will recruit more apprentices over the next [...]
Third College rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted
Ofsted have rated a third general FE college as ‘outstanding’ in the space of six months. The sector had faced [...]
Government to improve GCSE maths resits policy
Nearly £50 million has been set aside by the government to improve its controversial GCSE maths resits policy. The [...]
Milton suggests functional skills could be an alternative to GCSE resits
Anne Milton, Apprenticeship and Skills Minister, says the government is looking at functional skills as an alternative to English and [...]
bksb Announced as Bett Awards Finalists in Three Categories
bksb have been revealed as Bett Awards finalists in three categories for 2018. Following on from being named as “Company [...]
ETF launches hugely important survey
The ETF recently launched a first-of-its-scale survey to identify the training needs of everyone who works in the Further Education [...]
Report Recommends Free English and Maths Courses for Adults
An Education Policy Institute report, produced by Pearson, recommends the government launches “a high-profile national campaign” to promote free English [...]
Gold for UK at WorldSkills 2017
Known as the ‘Olympics of skills’, the WorldSkills finals are held every two years. The most talented people from over [...]
DfE Publishes Consultation on Functional Skills
The Department for Education wants your views on proposed subject content for reformed Functional Skills in English and mathematics. Anyone [...]
RoATP Accepting Applications for a Third Time
The register of apprenticeship training providers RoATP opened for a third time on Monday 25th September and will close on [...]
Ofqual Commissioned Employer Survey Investigates Perceptions on Functional Skills
An Ofqual commissioned survey released last month has provided an insight into the way Functional Skills, and other qualifications, are [...]
GCSE Resits: Pass Rates Improve for English but not Maths
Results from the final cohort of ‘legacy’ GCSE English retakes show an improvement on last year’s pass rates. 29% of [...]
Introducing bksb’s Brand New Look!
In 1994, bksb pioneered an innovative new approach to improving the English and maths skills of learners. This process of [...]
bksb Shortlisted for Regional Education and Business Accolade
We are delighted to announce that bksb has been shortlisted for yet another accolade – the East Midlands Chamber have [...]
GCSE English and maths resits numbers to rise – bksb
Ofqual are expecting increased numbers of GCSE English and maths resits next year due to the reformed GCSE grading system [...]
New Report Recommends GCSE Maths Resit Review
Professor Sir Adrian Smith, the author of a new government-commissioned report, has recommended that the post-16 GCSE Maths resit policy [...]
Apprenticeship Numbers Likely to Fall, New Research Reveals
The AELP have warned that apprenticeship providers are at risk of ‘going bust’ unless additional government investment is forthcoming. The [...]
Anne Milton: What the Skills Minister Said at AELP
There was some welcome news for apprenticeship providers at the AELP Annual Conference last week, as Anne Milton, the new [...]
Anne Milton to Become New Apprenticeships and Skills Minister
According to wide-spread reports, Anne Milton will replace Robert Halfon as Apprenticeships and Skills Minister as part of the cabinet [...]
Hundreds Attend bksb’s Annual Tour
Over the past couple of months, the bksb team have hosted fourteen events in seven cities and engaged with more [...]
16-18 Spending: What the Manifestos Say
The Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos have been released and each party has planned for extra spending for the [...]
First 9-1 Specification Maths Exam includes ‘Ridiculously Hard’ Questions
Following the reform of GCSE Maths and English qualifications, and the introduction of numerical grades, students have now taken the [...]
Key Educators Call for Change in English & Maths Policy
A number of prominent education professionals have called for the government’s GCSE English and Maths resit policy to be changed [...]
16-18 Education Faces the Largest Funding Cuts
According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, spending on education for 16-18 year olds has faced cuts too often, while [...]
Over 400 Delegates Attend The Skills Conference 2017
Functional Skills is an important qualification for learners and employers, and the reforms that are currently in process will increase [...]
Bett Award Winners bksb Named ICT Company of the Year Again
For the second year in succession, bksb has won the prestigious ‘ICT Company of the Year’ title at the Bett [...]
Sign Language Qualifications Approved as Functional Skills ALternative
From April 2017, British Sign Language qualifications will be accepted as an alternative to Functional Skills English within apprenticeships. The [...]
Take part in Institute for Apprenticeships Consultation
The Institute for Apprenticeships consultation has launched and will be live throughout January, with the Government inviting practitioners and employers [...]
Change in Post-16 English and Maths Requirements Looming?
Skills Minister Robert Halfon has admitted that GCSE English and maths qualifications are not always the best option for further [...]
Education Secretary: English and Maths a Key Challenge in FE
The Education Secretary highlighted improving the English and maths skills of post-16 learners as a key challenge as she spoke [...]
bksb Shortlisted for Two Bett Awards
We’re delighted to announce that bksb has been selected as a finalist in two different categories at the Bett Awards 2017. [...]
bksbLIVE 2 Update: New Reports Added
We have now released some new reports as listed below: End Test Report This can be accessed via the "End [...]
Is the Skills Gap holding the UK back?
The Tory politician and businessman, Lord Heseltine, gave his opinion on the UK's skills shortages to the Commons Business Innovation and [...]
AoC and AELP Release Autumn Statements
In the annual autumn statement, the chancellor updates MPs on the government's taxation and spending plans, based on the economic [...]
Mike Kane becomes Shadow Schools Minister
Mike Kane has been appointed shadow schools minister in the Labour reshuffle. Kane, a former primary school teacher at Springfield [...]
New Optional Feature: Log in with Facebook
We've now added the functionality for your users to login to their bksb account using Facebook. This is an optional [...]
Digital Skills to be Funded for Adults
Government has announced plans to make training in basic digital skills free for adults lacking relevant qualifications. According to the Office [...]
bksbLIVE 2 Updates: RESTful API and Activity Monitor
bksb RESTful API (TECHNICAL: Please pass this on to your dev team) We’re happy to announce the release of our [...]
Peter Lauener Appointed as Shadow CEO for Apprenticeships
The Department for Education announced earlier today (26 September) that Peter Lauener has been appointed Shadow Chief Executive for the [...]
Prime Minister Does Not ‘Recognise’ Apprenticeship Funding Cuts
The Prime Minister, Theresa May, has come under attack from Labour MP Richard Burden, over cuts to apprenticeship funding. In [...]
bksb Announced as ‘Runner Up’ for Technological Innovation of the Year
bksb has been announced 'RUNNER UP' for the Technological Innovation of the Year category in Teach Secondary's Technology & Innovation [...]
Is the Apprenticeship Programme Achieving Value for Money?
The National Audit Office (NAO) report on 'Delivering value through the apprenticeships programme' was released today. The report examines whether [...]
Cuts to Apprenticeship Funding
Fifty-five Labour MPs have written a letter to the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister to rethink inner-city apprenticeship funding cuts. Former [...]
GCSE Results 2016: Fall in Results Attributed to Resit Policy
The 2016 GCSE results show a fall of 2.1% in the pass rate, down to 66.9% for A*- C grades. [...]
bksbLIVE 2 Update: A Guide to Triggers
We have released an update to bksbLIVE 2 called TRIGGERS. Under Admin Settings/Admin Dashboard, you will find ‘triggers’. A trigger [...]
bksb Reaches Gold Standard Again for Work Experience
We are delighted to have been awarded 'Gold Standard' Work Experience accreditation from the Fair Train Organisation again for continuing our [...]
GCSE English End Tests
We are pleased to announce that GCSE English End Tests will be live from Friday (19/08/2016). For anyone who has [...]
Updates to the Apprenticeship Levy and Funding
The government's apprenticeship reform programme aims to deliver more and better quality apprenticeships. This will boost the skills of the [...]
Robert Halfon Responsible for Careers Guidance in Schools
It has been over three weeks since Robert Halfon announced that he had been given the apprenticeships and skills brief. Now [...]
GCSE 2017 Courses Are Now Live
GCSE courses to cover the new specifications for examinations from 2017 are now LIVE! Don't worry if you have some [...]
Robert Halfon Given Apprenticeships and Skills Brief
The Department for Education has now taken control of skills, apprenticeships and higher education in an expansion of its remit. [...]
bksb’s Managing Director wins Business Woman of the Year at the British Indian Awards
Harvinder Atwal pictured alongside the other award winners (seventh from the right) We are delighted and proud to announce that [...]
Department for Education taking over FE, Skills and Higher Education
The Department for Education's (DfE) responsibility for education and skills currently cuts off when pupils reach the age of 18, [...]
Nicky Morgan Out. Justine Greening In.
Justine Greening is the new Secretary of State for Education, replacing Nicky Morgan who has served in the role for [...]
MPs have “Significant Concerns” about Amanda Spielman as Head of Ofsted
The House of Commons education committee has rejected the government's proposal that Amanda Spielman become the next chief inspector of [...]
New GCSE Maths and English Course
We will be releasing GCSE courses to cover the new specifications for examinations from 2017 this month, but our existing [...]
Pat Glass Resigns as Education Shadow Secretary
The Shadow Education Secretary, Pat Glass, has resigned after just two days in the post. Ms Glass was appointed to [...]
Congratulations to Darlington College
bksb user, Darlington College, have gone from an 'inadequate' to a 'good' Ofsted rating. Ofsted deemed the provider to be [...]
Pat Glass Announced as New Shadow Education Secretary
Following the resignation of Lucy Powell, Pat Glass has been announced as Labour's new Shadow Education Secretary. Following a career [...]
Shadow Education Secretary Resigns From Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, has resigned from the Shadow Cabinet led by Jeremy Corbyn. Despite having been in the [...]
Amanda Spielman Named as Next Ofsted Chief Inspector
Amanda Spielman is to take over from Sir Michael Wilshaw as Ofsted's chief inspector at the end of the year. [...]
Antony Jenkins Appointed as Shadow Chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships
The government is committed to creating 3 million high-quality apprenticeships by 2020 as part of its drive to help all [...]
Lord Sugar Appointed as ‘Enterprise Tsar’ to Encourage Young People onto Apprenticeships
Lord Sugar has been appointed by the government as 'enterprise tsar' to encourage more young people onto apprenticeships. His role, [...]
Government Seeks Opinion on Functional Skills
The latest stage of the Functional Skills Reform Programme starts today - Wednesday 18th May - with the opening of [...]
Government Abandons Plans to Force All Schools to Become Academies
The controversial plans to require all schools to convert to academy status, or have plans to do so, by 2022 [...]
Skills White Paper Delay
The last 14-19 education skills white paper was released over 10 years. When can we expect a new skills white [...]
New Developments for ICT Now: Initial Assessments
We have been busy developing our Initial Assessments for ICT Now. What's new? NEW Initial Assessment: Images Initial Assessments are [...]
bksb User Receives First ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted Report Under New Inspection Framework
bksbLIVE 2 user, Truro and Penwith College, has become the first college to be rated outstanding since Ofsted introduced its [...]
Academies Show 2016: Nicky Morgan’s Speech
We had a great time at the Academies Show 2016 in London. Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, spoke about her vision [...]
New Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education
The government has announced that Jonathan Slater will be taking over from Chris Wormald as Permanent Secretary for the Department [...]
Pupil Premium: All Targets and No Support?
A survey from NASUWT: The Teachers' Union, which had over 2,600 responses, found teachers are being held to account for [...]
bksb Tour 2016
Assessing and Developing Skills Using the Next Generation eLearning Platform The bksb Tour 2016 is a series of FREE sessions for [...]
National Apprenticeship Week 2016
National Apprenticeship Week (14th – 18th March), which is led and co-ordinated by the National Apprenticeship Service, saw hundreds of [...]
White Paper Details Department for Education’s Five Year Plan
According to a white paper released by the Department for Education in March, even closer attention will be paid to [...]
bksb Sponsor AELP Functional Skills Special Interest Group
bksb are proud to announce a new partnership with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), having agreed to [...]
A-Level Maths: Study Suggests 2015 B Grade equates to 1960s E Grade
According to a Loughborough University paper published in the British Educational Research journal, students who achieve a B grade in [...]
bksb Named Education Resources Awards Finalist
bksb has been named as an Education Resources Awards finalist for the second year in succession. For 2016, the company [...]
Functional Skills Reform Programme Well Underway
The Functional Skills reform programme has been live for almost a month now, and the Education and Training Foundation, Pye [...]
bksb Wins Bett Award
bksb Ltd, the UK’s number one solution for Functional Skills and GCSE, has been selected as a Bett Award winner [...]
On-screen Maths Tests for Primary School Pupils
As the Government continues their drive towards numeracy and literacy excellence for all, it has been unveiled that a new [...]
Functional Skills Consultation to Begin on 14 January
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has announced that the consultation stage of their Functional Skills reform programme will begin [...]
bksb Selected as Bett Awards 2016 Finalist
We’re proud to announce that bksb has been selected as a Bett Awards finalist for a second consecutive year. This [...]
Adult Education Funding Petition Delivered to Downing Street
Having attracted over 10,000 signatures, a petition to stop further reductions in adult education funding will receive a response from [...]
Reform Process for Functional Skills to Begin this Year
A reform process for Functional Skills will begin this year, with a view to the updated qualifications being available in [...]
Important Maths and English Funding Information Released
Funding penalties for organisations who did not comply with funding conditions for English and maths in the 2014/15 academic year [...]
Support FE Colleges with GCSE English & Maths ‘Resit Levy’ Says Industry Think Tank
Industry think tank Policy Exchange has suggested introducing a ‘resit levy’ to help FE Colleges cope with the growing number, [...]
GCSE Results: Overall Improvement in English & Maths Grades
According to statistics for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, English and maths GCSE results have improved this year. A* - [...]
bksb’s Australian Distributor Visits UK
bksb’s Australian Distributor visited the UK last week, catching up with all of the company’s forthcoming developments in the process. [...]
AELP Release English & Maths Briefing
On Thursday (27 July), the Association of Education and Learning Providers (AELP) released a research briefing, outlining their thoughts and [...]
Education & Training Foundation to Produce Programme of Reform for Functional Skills
Nick Boles, the Minister for Skills and Equalities, has invited the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) to produce a programme [...]
The bksb Tour 2015: A resounding success
July can only mean one thing; the bksb Tour is over for another year. Almost 900 delegates attended the Tour [...]
Tough exam targets for ‘coasting schools’
Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has stated that schools in England are set to face tougher exam targets. Under plans announced [...]
bksb welcome High Commissioner of India, His Excellency, Mr Ranjan Mathai, to their Head Office
The High Commissioner of India, His Excellency, Mr Ranjan Mathai, and his First Secretary (Education), Mrs Madhu Sethi, visited the [...]
What Will a Conservative Majority Government Mean for Secondary Education?
With a newly elected majority Government in power, change is likely to take place across the UK, and the education [...]
Difficulty in Recruiting English & Maths Staff Expressed in ETF Survey
Over a third of Work Based Learning Providers have difficulty recruiting staff to teach Functional Skills according to the Education [...]
Functional Skills Success Rates Released by Skills Funding Agency
According to data released by the Skills Funding Agency, the average success rates for Functional Skills qualifications across the country [...]
Education and Training Foundation Report shows Functional Skills are Valued
Functional Skills are valuable qualifications according to research from the Education and Training Foundation. The ‘Making Maths and English Work [...]
FE Week Reports on The Skills Conference 2015
FE Week has reported the wide range of issues and topics raised at The Skills Conference 2015, which was held [...]
The Skills Conference 2015 attracts 400 education professionals
The Skills Conference returned for a seventh year on Tuesday (3 March) at The King Power Stadium in Leicester. The [...]
bksb Selected as Education Resources Awards 2015 Finalist
For the second time this academic year, bksb has been selected as a finalist for a prestigious industry accolade. The [...]
Time of Transition Reflected in Ofsted Ratings
The percentage of providers given grade three or four ratings by Ofsted this academic year has increased, as has the [...]
Ofqual set to Improve Functional Skills’ Quality and Assessment
Ofqual has announced plans to improve the quality of Functional Skills qualifications in order to meet employers’ needs more effectively. [...]
Twice as Many Schools not Reaching Government Benchmarks for GCSE
Twice as many schools in the UK are not reaching benchmarks set by the government for GCSE Grades according to [...]
bksb Training Centre Opens in India
bksb opened a brand new training centre in Chandigarh, India on Thursday 15 January. Led by Harvinder Atwal, Managing Director [...]
Employers to be in Control of Apprenticeship Funding
The Government have published their response to the ‘Future of Apprenticeships in England: Funding Reform Technical Consultation’ which proposes giving [...]
bksb Strike Gold with Work Experience Strategy
bksb has been awarded the Gold Standard for Work Experience Schemes by Fair Train. The Gold Standard signifies excellence in [...]
Qualifications should remain “as stable as possible”
Qualifications should remain “as stable as possible”, Ofqual Chief Glenys Stacey has warned Skills Minister Nick Boles. The statement comes [...]
bksb Selected as Bett Awards 2015 Finalist
It is with immense pride that we’re able to announce that bksb has been selected as a Bett Awards Finalist [...]
Dame Asha Khemka Wins GG2 Leadership Award
Dame Asha Khemka, Principal and Chief Executive of West Nottinghamshire College Group, has added a GG2 Leadership Award to her [...]
No Change in Funding for Students Lacking GCSE English and Maths C Grades
The Education Funding Agency (EFA) have confirmed that there will be no change in the funding rates for learners without [...]
Functional Skills Qualifications Are Important Says Skills Minister
Skills Minister Nick Boles has described Functional Skills qualifications as ‘important’ at a recent event organised to coincide with the [...]
Just 3% will obtain highest grade in new GCSE English and Maths
According to Ofqual, just 3% of pupils will obtain the highest grade when the new GCSE English and Maths exams [...]
The Skills Conference 2015: Save The Date
We’re delighted to announce that on 3 March 2015, The Skills Conference will return for its seventh year. Six months [...]
Nick Clegg Joins Dame Asha Khemka in India Visit as bksb India HQ Opens
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Dame Asha Khemka, Principal and Chief Executive of West Nottinghamshire College Group, were part [...]
GCSE Results: Increased Variance but Stable Averages
As suggested by Ofqual, this year’s GCSE results have seen more variance than in previous years. This may cause fluctuations [...]
New Ofsted Chairman Announced
The Department for Education has announced the new chairman of Ofsted as David Hoare, a man appointed for his vast [...]
Nick Boles replacing Matthew Hancock as Skills Minister
Earlier today it was confirmed that Conservative MP Nick Boles would be taking on a joint role at the Department [...]
Cabinet reshuffle sees Nicky Morgan become the new Education Secretary
Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan has replaced Michael Gove as the new Education Secretary. Following Michael Gove’s new role as Chief [...]
School leavers to be forced to retake GCSE English and maths if they achieve less than a C Grade
School leavers who fail to achieve a grade C or above in English and maths will be made to continue [...]
New A Level to Raise Maths Standards
A new ‘Core Maths’ A Level is due to be released in September in order to encourage progression with maths [...]
Celebrations begin for Adult Learners’ Week
Today sees the start of Adult Learners’ Week – an annual celebration of adult education organised by NIACE. Now in [...]
Ofsted to make unannounced visits to schools
The government have announced their intention to commission snap Ofsted inspections. The move comes in response to the allegations of [...]
bksb show off their skills on the field
On Friday (9 June), bksb staff took part in the West Nottinghamshire College World Cup 2014, at the college’s main [...]
Government to pilot new funding model for Apprenticeships
The government has announced the launch of a new pilot funding scheme for Apprenticeships. Under the new scheme employers will [...]
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office visit bksb
On Thursday 15 May, officials from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Department for Work and Pensions and Deputy [...]
Employers to Rate Skills Training and Education
Employers have been given the chance to rate skills training and education by Ofsted, in a move to increase employer [...]
Independent Survey Proves that bksb is the UK’s Number One Functional Skills Solution
According to recently released figures, bksb is the most popular solution for English and maths within FE Colleges. In fact, [...]
Significant Grant for New Adult Maths and English Research Facility
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has pledged a grant of £2.9 million for a new Adult Literacy [...]
bksb Tour 2014: Functional Skills or GCSE – How About an eLearning Solution for Both?
Throughout May and June, the bksb team will once again be touring the country, offering information, advice and guidance to [...]
Functional Skills a ‘Stepping Stone’: Surprising Decision?
With the amount of data that has been published in the past few months relating to the levels of English [...]
Add ‘Flexibility and Functionality’ to GCSEs
English and maths GCSEs need more flexibility and functionality according to the head of careers guidance at Ofsted. Karen Adriaanse [...]
Chinese Teachers to Raise Standards of Maths in England
As many as 60 teachers from Shanghai will be brought to England in order to raise standards of maths, the [...]
The Skills Conference 2014 – Biggest and Best Yet
On Tuesday (4 March) up to 350 delegates attended The Skills Conference 2014 at the East Midlands Conference Centre in [...]
The Skills Funding Statement 2013-2016: How does it Relate to Functional Skills?
The Skills Funding Statement is published annually and depicts the funding and budgetary priorities of the government for the FE [...]
Chinese teachers are ‘more effective’ than those in Britain, says the education minister
According to Mrs Truss, Chinese teachers are "more effective" than their British counterparts and their methods must be brought back [...]
Business, Innovation and Skills Committee Investigate UK Adult Literacy and Numeracy
Following last year’s survey by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee is [...]
Number of Apprenticeship Vacancies rise, but there are still twelve applications for each position.
National Apprenticeship Service figures from the start of the academic year show that there are, on average, twelve applicants for [...]
bksb welcome the Minister for Skills and Enterprise to Bett 2014
Bett celebrated its 30th birthday in style with the 2014 instalment of its annual learning technology exhibition. With more than [...]
Upgrade Your Skills or Lose Your Benefits – Labour
Jobseekers Claimants who lack basic English, maths and ICT skills should be made to take up training or lose their [...]
Our Week at Bett 2014
We enjoyed a productive few days at Bett 2014 - thanks to everyone who came to our stand.
Don’t Miss The Skills Conference 2014
bksb’s annual event for the Functional Skills sector is fast approaching. 2014 will be the sixth year in which we [...]
bksb @ Bett 2014
Bett 2014 begins on 22 January and bksb are excited to be exhibiting. Bett is the world’s largest exhibition for [...]
Asha Khemka awarded Damehood in New Year’s Honours
The Principal of West Nottinghamshire College has been appointed a Dame in the New Year's Honours list. Dame Asha Khemka, [...]
Our Christmas and New Year opening hours
Our office opening hours for Christmas and New Year are as follows: Monday 23rd December: 08.30 - 17.00 Christmas Eve: [...]
Thousands of teenagers do not achieve a pass grade in GCSE English and maths
Tens of thousands of teenagers in England do not have at least a C-grade at GCSE in English and maths [...]
bksb and eTracker produce outstanding data integration for education providers
eTracker™ is a highly innovative web-based ILP-designed for learners and teachers - which provides a one-stop shop for the tracking, [...]
Book your place on ‘The Skills Conference 2014’
In response to feedback from delegates at last year's conference, we have decided to move 'The Skills Conference' from its traditional [...]
Pupils who do not achieve good GCSEs in English and maths must continue to study the subjects in post-16 education
The Department for Education have announced that all pupils who fail to achieve a good pass - C or better [...]
A recent OECD study shows that there are 8.5 million adults in England and Northern Ireland with the numeracy level of 10-year-old
A major study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows how England's 16 to 24-year-olds are falling [...]
Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) attainment will be a requirement for apprentices
The Skills Funding Agency, Department for Education and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have outlined that an intermediate [...]
Government sets out plans to reform Apprenticeship funding
The Department for Education and The Department for Business Innovation and Skills are reviewing the current funding arrangements for Apprenticeships [...]
New Learning Resources for Entry Level 1 maths are now available!
We have developed a range of interactive learning resources for Entry Level 1 maths which are visual, easy to use [...]
New GCSE Screener in English and maths coming soon…
We will soon be launching the first part of our new GCSE product! The interactive GCSE Screener in English and [...]
New City and Guilds qualifications for English and maths
City and Guilds have launched two new qualifications, which act as stepping stones for learners who wish to progress on [...]
FE Teacher and Trainer qualifications review 2013
One of the main recommendations from the interim report of the Independent Review of Professionalism led by Lord Lingfield, was [...]
Nearly 1,000 delegates came along to the bksb functional skills tour
Our recent functional skills tour has now concluded and we would like to thank the 945 delegates who came along [...]
bksb is now iPad compatible!
bksb® is delighted to announce that, in response to demand, our bksbLIVE system is now compatible with the Apple iPad [...]
Modular versions of bksb ICT Initial Assessments are now available!
We have developed new modular versions of interactive ICT Initial Assessments for word processing, spreadsheets and database. These are accessible [...]