Latest News

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Following the Department for Education’s announcement on Tuesday (11th February 2025) to remove the mandatory requirement for apprentices over the age of 19 at the start of their Apprenticeship training to complete Level 2 English and Maths as part of their apprenticeship, as an Awarding Organisation offering Functional Skills, there are some key points for […]

Written by Heather Akehurst, CEO at Open Awards   Functional skills within apprenticeships are one of the most talked about issues for DfE to consider and after much debate, the government has finally announced that functional skills will no longer be a requirement for apprentices over 19. While we await further details, it’s important that we bear in […]

Written by Andrew Bardsley, Head of Quality at Open Awards   Having been through several OFSTED inspections during my time in FE, I appreciate the pressures that all staff face when being inspected. With the recent release of the consultation period concerning the Ofsted reforms, I was hopeful that the changes would reduce the burden on staff and lighten the stress […]

We’re thrilled to share the incredible impact we’ve made over the past year at Open Awards! It’s been a momentous year and we’re beyond proud of the ways we’ve supported our learners, providers, and employers. This year, we’ve continued our mission to make learning accessible, attainable, and actionable. The report reinforces our commitment to supporting […]

Written by Teri Greaves, Business Development Manager at Open Awards   The Department of Education has released some new flexibilities within the Early Years sector to support the ongoing recruitment crisis for staff trained to Level 3. They have introduced a new ‘Experience-based’ route- Experience-based route for early years practitioners: response This route will allow managers […]