Tag Archives: university progression

The narrative of the ‘poor bright child’.

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life. Jane Addams. Earlier this month the government announced a £23m ‘future talent fund’ targeted at ‘bright’ … Continue reading →

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The East End’s ‘engine of progression’.

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The East End’s ‘engine of progression’. In September, the Mail Online and others published articles extolling the achievements of the ‘Eton of the East End’, one of the highly selective sixth forms in Newham which have opened in recent years. … Continue reading →

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Being honoured

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

I was honoured to attend the 2017 Graduation ceremony for University of East London’s Sir John Cass School of Education and Communities on 1st November 2017. The ceremony granted UEL degrees in Early Childhood Studies, Education Studies, Social Work , … Continue reading →

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NewVIc class of 2017 progress to university.

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

The NewVIc class of 2017. Our class of 2017 was a diverse and ambitious cohort, full of great young people preparing to make a positive contribution by acquiring a range of professional skills and qualifications: 661 students progressed to higher … Continue reading →

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Oxbridge admissions – time for action.

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Last week’s news that Oxford and Cambridge universities are failing to diversify and broaden their undergraduate intakes to reflect British society was deeply depressing for anyone who believes in university access and participation as a social good. The story broke … Continue reading →

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NewVIc results 2017

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Students and staff at Newham Sixth Form College (NewVIc) are celebrating another year of improvement in A-level pass rates and top grades, all of which have continued to increase faster than nationally. NewVIc’s A-level pass rate is up 1% on … Continue reading →

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The NewVIc class of 2016

Posted on August 16, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

As we prepare to celebrate the achievement and progression of our 2017 leavers on their results day, it’s worth looking back at our most recent previous cohort and where they progressed. As usual, the class of 2016 was a brilliant … Continue reading →

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Newham’s outstanding record of widening participation

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Disadvantaged young people in Newham are more than twice as likely to progress to university than in England as a whole and their progression rate is the 4th highest of all local authorities in the country. The ‘disadvantage gap’ between … Continue reading →

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Informed careers education.

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Using our data to inform excellent careers education information advice and guidance. In common with all post-16 providers, we want all our students to be ambitious and progress to positive outcomes. It’s one of our key values – Ambition: we have … Continue reading →

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University for all

Posted on September 11, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

This August I was asked to contribute a short piece for our local newspaper, the Newham Recorder, as part of a debate about the benefits of a university education. I did my best to summarise the case in 220 words … Continue reading →

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Overlooked and left behind?

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The latest report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Social Mobility runs to over 100 pages and makes some worthy points. However, it seems to support the idea that education in itself can improve mobility and fairness in the … Continue reading →

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16-19 education: from independence to interdependence.

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

I want to say a little about where we’ve been, where we find ourselves today and where we might be heading. When I say ‘we’ I am referring to 16-19 provision in colleges and most specifically sixth form colleges, although … Continue reading →

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The college of the future.

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

Launch of NewVIc 2020 at The ArcelorMittal Orbit, Stratford. 16th March 2016. This is both a celebration and a launch. A celebration of what NewVIc has achieved since it opened 24 years ago and also the launch of our vision … Continue reading →

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Is vocational education in England really ‘inadequate’?

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

The case for the prosecution: “Educational provision for the many children who do not succeed at 16 or who would prefer an alternative to higher education, is inadequate at best and non-existent at worst.” Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector … Continue reading →

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Reducing London’s disadvantage gap.

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Eddie Playfair

There is much talk of the educational performance gap between disadvantaged students, eligible for free school meals (FSM), and their peers. One measure of success for sixth form students is progression to university of students reaching the end of their … Continue reading →

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