Latest News
Do you want to know what's happening in education?
Below you can find our perspective on all the recent government updates, sector-wide trends and policy changes.
Announcing our Open Awards Bursary winner: Southport College
Open Awards are delighted to announce that our Trustees have awarded Southport College the Open Awards Bursary for their Access to Higher Education laboratory project. In response to this year’s theme of ‘Doing Things Differently’, Southport College proposed changing the delivery and assessment of their Access to HE healthcare diplomas by redeveloping their old laboratory […]
NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITY OF END-POINT ASSESSMENT FEES
Written by Robin Jackson, Director of Assessment at Open Awards Given the complexities of apprenticeships, trying to determine what Open Awards should charge for end-point assessment can, feel like a dark art. So how have we approached this, at times divisive, subject? Why we don’t just charge ‘the 20%’ It’s tempting to take the simple […]
SPOTLIGHT ON PASS: HOW WE’RE ENHANCING THE LEARNERS’ JOURNEY TOGETHER
At Open Awards, we take a 360-approach to supporting our learners on their education journey. A key part of this is obviously our qualifications, apprenticeship standards and courses. But, without additional resources, support and tools, a qualification can easily become just another piece of paper. To enable our learners to achieve more than just a […]
AWARD NOMINATION: QUALITY IMPROVEMENT COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
We are so proud to announce that our joint project, “The Knowledge Hub”, has been nominated for ‘Quality Improvement Collaboration of the Year’ at the Quality Professionals Awards! What is The Knowledge Hub? A joint project between Open Awards, OCN London, Agored and ECITB, The Knowledge Hub was designed to facilitate meaningful and proactive communication within the industry. Meeting quarterly, […]
OUR RESPONSE TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE’S CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON POST-16 EDUCATION
Written by Heather Akehurst OBE, in response to the Education Committee’s call for evidence on post-16 education. As an awarding body and non-profit organisation, Open Awards is committed to advocating for the needs of the learners. Our response provides practical advice on how The Education Committee can help all learners achieve their goals. We […]
NEURODIVERSITY IN EDUCATION: MY EXPERIENCE AS A PARENT AND WHAT PROVIDERS CAN DO TO SUPPORT LEARNERS
Written by Annette Edmondson, Business Development Officer at Open Awards With approximately 15-20% of the population having a neurological difference, it’s not just specialist educators who need the knowledge and skills to support neurodivergent learners. As a parent of a neurodivergent young man and a late-diagnosed neurodivergent person myself, I am sharing my advice on how […]
THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREER PLANNING IN INFORMATION, ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
Written by Teresa Wilson, Quality and Standards Advisor (QASA) at Open Awards Effective career planning is a crucial part of high-quality information, advice, and guidance (IAG), helping young people make informed decisions about their future. By embedding careers advice early, professionals can support individuals in understanding their strengths, interests, and the wide range of academic […]
ADVOCATING FOR IN-PERSON OBSERVATIONS FOR PHARMACY TECHNICIANS AND PHARMACY SUPPORT STAFF TRAINING
Written by Nina Hinton, Director of Business and Development at Open Awards, and Amy Laflin, Programme Lead for Pharmacy, Science and Dental at West Suffolk College/ Eastern Education Group The Importance of In-Person Observations for Pharmacy Technician and Pharmacy Support Staff Training At Open Awards, we love technology. Recently I was lucky enough to […]
THE IMPORTANCE OF CAREERS EDUCATION
Written by Ruth Crane, Access to HE Development Officer at Open Awards As we celebrate National Careers Week, I reflect on my time as a Careers and Progression Coordinator in FE and the importance of Careers Education. It goes without saying that providing relevant and impartial Information, Advice and Guidance is crucial for student progression and […]
FUNCTIONAL SKILLS IS ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT PROFIT
Written by Nina Hinton, Director of Business and Development at Open Awards Open Awards is, first and foremost, a charity with a mission to support educational achievement for all. Our mission is not about profit – it’s about people. Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths are one of our flagship products, designed to support […]