Future of Beacon statusThe February Beacon newsletter will be the last e-newsletter, as a result of changes within LSIS designed to reflect our intention to put more funding directly into the sector, and to deal with the significant budget cut announced last year by BIS. We will continue in 2010 to award Beacon status to those organisations meeting the current criteria, but we are exploring some options for a revised award which will reflect the commitment, and achievements, of those organisations who demonstrate sector leadership through their active role in raising standards more widely across the sector as well as within their own organisations. In the meantime, Beacon innovation funding will be re-directed into the new LSIS Flexibility and Innovation Fund. The next bidding round for this closes at midday on 19 February, and you can find more information about it on the Excellence Gateway at http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=263452 . Beacon expertise sharing activity is now being managed through the Improvement Adviser Service, to create a more coherent approach to improving standards of performance. This, then, is the end of the Beacon status support programme, as it has so far existed, although not the end of the various key activities associated with the programme – awards, innovation, sharing expertise. 31 March will also bring to an end our contract with Nord Anglia Education, who have managed this for us since April 2007. I should like to take this opportunity to thank them for their professional support, and to their ready responsiveness to our various intentions and priorities across a diverse range of tasks. Finally, I should like to thank you, Beacons, for your work and support as the outstanding providers of the learning and skills sector. It’s been a great pleasure to meet you at our various events, and I look forward to that relationship continuing, albeit in different circumstances. William Lewis Head of Innovation
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