FE Week Reporter | FE Week

[download#101]

[download#100]

A new focus for governors in a new era

On the first day, conference chair Professor Bill Lucas and Exeter College principal Richard Atkins talked about the sector’s renewed focus on teaching and learning. Delegates also heard more about the new Ofsted common inspection framework from senior inspector Beverley Barlow. They also took part in interactive and workshop sessions. The major theme of the […]

Why all workplaces are sites of learning

“Have you been sent here as a reward . . . or as a punishment?” Lorna Unwin asked more than 100 delegates at a LSIS leadership and management conference in London late last month. Throughout the day, delegates heard how leadership could support excellent learning, and how to lead outstanding learning. Professor Unwin, of the […]

Keep up with the changes, governors told

The chief executive of the Network for Black Professionals has challenged FE and college governors to respond to change more quickly and effectively. This need for change, says Robin Landman OBE (pictured right), can be seen in the response of FE governance to the new Ofsted framework, launched last September. “One of the big challenges […]

What to do when you want to move up a level

The prospect of making the leap into leadership without any guidance can be daunting for senior staff. “I’d been challenged by my then chief executive, who said “Do you want to be a principal or not?’” says Esme Winch. “And having decided I did, I thought the LSIS senior leadership and management development course would […]

Freedoms and flexibilities bring extra responsibility

The government gave college leaders greater scope to shape provision and the future of their institutions with its New Challenges, New Chances policy document. But those increased flexibilities have brought with them added responsibilities and that means governance has to be the best it possibly can be, says Rob Wye For me, there are two […]

Getting the outside view

Sheila Selwood finds it easy to explain the inspiration for the Learning Board, LSIS’s support for governing bodies. “We don’t always see ourselves as others see us,” says the director of governance at West Herts College. The support programme developed when West Herts governors approached LSIS after realising that they wanted more than the internal […]

The governance challenge

Huge responsibilities, you don’t get paid and there’s little in the way of a public profile — why would anybody want to be a college governors’ chair? The role of governance has been nudged into the spotlight by a joint report from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) and Ofsted, and by a new […]