Frustration builds as Ofsted refuses to inspect paused providers

The indefinite pausing of Ofsted inspections could force an apprenticeship provider to make redundancies, its managing director has told FE Week.

Wiser Academy Ltd was suspended from recruiting new apprentices following an early monitoring visit last August which resulted in two ‘insufficient progress’ judgments.

Its “frustrated” leader, Crescens George (pictured), said the firm has 30 apprentices waiting in the pipeline but their ban, which has been enforced for almost a year, even though they were expecting a reinspection by March, is blocking them from signing up.

His company is now feeling the financial strain of the suspension and is desperate to take on new apprentices to ease cashflow issues and prevent redundancies.

The provider is one of “many” that have pleaded with Ofsted and the Education and Skills Funding Agency to find a solution, including by proposing a virtual inspection, but none has been forthcoming.

Under government policy, providers that are new to apprenticeships receive an early monitoring visit from Ofsted within 24 months of being funded.

If they score ‘insufficient progress’ in one or more theme they are temporarily banned from recruiting apprentices. The suspension will only by lifted once the watchdog returns for a full inspection – typically six to 12 months after the monitoring visit – and the provider scores at least a grade three.

Ofsted paused inspection activity in March owing to coronavirus and there is no date in sight for when they will resume.

There are currently 48 apprenticeship providers with a recruitment suspension. Sixteen of them have been waiting for a reinspection for at least nine months.

An Ofsted spokesperson said they “recognise” that this is a “frustrating situation for many providers” while the ESFA told FE Week it is also aware that a “small number of providers require an Ofsted inspection to determine whether they have made the necessary improvements to the quality of their provision to be able to take on new apprentices”.

Wiser Academy is based in Hampshire but trains apprentices in the insurance and financial services sector across the country.

It had around 110 apprentices on its books before being suspended from recruiting by government last August.

The provider’s director, George, told FE Week he has since put a new team in place who have made “tremendous progress” and he is “confident” a full inspection would result in an outcome that would lift their ban, which he was hoping would have taken place by March or June at the latest.

Wiser Academy currently has just over 50 apprentices still on programme and all of them have continued their training during lockdown.

The provider’s provision was mostly delivered virtually pre-Covid and they already had a “full remote facility” in place, according to George.

He wrote to Ofsted on May 19 asking for an update on when they could restart inspections and if they could possibly conduct a virtual inspection instead.

He explained that during Wiser’s monitoring visit, inspectors only spoke to his apprentices over the phone because they were dotted all over the country. He said this could be done again, inspectors could also “dive into a virtual classroom” and set up video conferences with their employers and his staff to conduct the inspection.

But Ofsted replied to say virtual inspections are not possible, adding they will aim to prioritise provider’s like his when they restart inspection activity. George says an inspection even as soon as the autumn term would be “too late” for his business.

“We have a pipeline of approximately 30 apprentices where businesses are ready to sign off. In fact, they are chasing us asking when can they register these people,” he told FE Week.

“My frustration is we can’t take on these new apprentices. Give it another two or three months we will really hit the financial pressure.”

He added that “everybody” is making exemptions to how business is carried out and businesses have adapted “so swiftly into remote working”, so he would “be very keen to find out in what way Ofsted has adapted to the current situation to at least keep a few things moving”.

“What have they done to adapt to current needs, or are they just waiting for all of this to subside and get back to business as normal?”

George said the ESFA could also come forward to “support businesses like us to say ‘we understand you had an insufficient progress, but given the current situation, we will allow you to add ten, 15 or 20 apprentices just to keep your business afloat, rather than dip into the other governmental financial aid’.”

Mark Dawe, chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, said his organisation is “aware Ofsted recognise this as an issue and are confident that their approach will tackle this issue in a way that meets these justifiable concerns”.

The ESFA said it is “important that we ensure all apprenticeships are high quality and every apprentice has access to excellent training to help them achieve occupational competence” and they are “working with Ofsted to determine the best way forward”.

Ofsted said: “No decision has been made about resuming inspection activity, but we are thinking carefully about how and when this will happen, working closely with government and the sector.”

Coronavirus covered: Coupland in conversation with FE Week

FE Week was joined by Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), during this week’s webcast on the response to the coronavirus pandemic for the FE and skills sector.

Here are the main takeaway points.

1) Temporary discretions and flexibilities for over 100 apprenticeship standards

Coupland outlined how external quality assurance bodies had agreed flexibilities to the delivery of end-point assessments (EPAs), such as by allowing online assessment, across more than 100 standards.

This included “fundamental” changes to around 30 assessment plans by, for example, replacing a workplace observation with a professional discussion.

She also pointed out that the IfATE is permitting the “re-sequencing” of the EPA process to enable the EPA to be taken before the functional skills calculated result is received.

Coupland said the institute wants to ensure there is “no cliff edge on these flexibilities” so they will keep them under review and assess them on a case-by-case basis.

2) ‘Deep dives’ planned for remote EPAs

The IfATE is looking to conduct “deep dives” into the operation of assessment flexibilities to ensure the “balance between flexibility and quality is being maintained”.

Coupland continued: “I think we would be remiss if we didn’t also look at things that actually we’re learning from doing things in a really innovative and creative way that actually might be better for the longer term.”

She is planning a “lessons learned exercise” with the sector to examine where improvements can be made to the system.

3) Monitoring the survival of EPA organisations

Coupland said the IfATE is working with the Education and Skills Funding Agency and Ofqual to look at the sustainability and viability of EPA organisations going forward.

She said they want to avoid a scenario where EPAOs have “gone to the wall” as a result of the pandemic and “we have gaps in the ability to assess apprentices against those standards”. The bodies are determining whether it is a widespread problem and are thinking about what actions they could take to mitigate the risks.

4) Backing for the PM’s ‘apprenticeship guarantee’

The chief executive claimed “you don’t really get much better” than the prime minister talking about apprenticeships, in reference to when Boris Johnson promised to “look at the idea” of giving young people aged 16 to 25 an apprenticeship guarantee.

She asserted it was “very early days” as IfATE will have to work “very” closely with the DfE to establish what it would “genuinely involve” and how it might be delivered.

5) Quickly adapting standards to meet new ways of working

Coupland said the IfATE has work under way to adjust to industry changes, the first of which is a “revisions process”. This will enable an employer group to update an individual standard rather than having to wait for a full-scale route review if there is “a whole new suite of things that people are being expected to do” where an industry has “moved on”.

The other is consideration of using different mechanisms to develop particular “novel” modules that could be “pulled off the shelf” and added to a standard in the event that something emerges quickly, such as new emerging technologies.

6) ‘Right decision’ made on frameworks switch-off

Coupland lent her support for the secretary of state’s decision to carry on with the July 31 date for turning off starts on frameworks, even in sectors where there is no viable replacement standard ready.

She said: “I think we’ve got really good coverage now of the economy with standards, so the 550 standards covers 90 per cent or more of the existing frameworks, and so on that basis I think that he [Gavin Williamson] has made the right decision to proceed with the timetable”.

She added that due to the long, seven-year run-up to the switch-off there “isn’t really any kind of excuse for being surprised” by the decision and that postponing moving to the system would mean “delaying the opportunity for all of those apprentices who would otherwise benefit” from the new standards Coupland describes as “more rigorous and better quality”. 

7) No regrets on business admin level 2 rejection

The IfATE boss was asked whether she regretted turning down the proposal for a level 2 business administration apprenticeship standard, which was developed by many high-profile employers, including the NHS, given the likely demand post-coronavirus from young people.

Coupland replied: “So we’ve got a live business administration level 3 standard and the take-up of that is really increasing rapidly. I think people will gain confidence that that is something young people are able to access as we go forward.

“I do not regret the decision to not pursue the level 2. I do think that, as we highlighted back in the Richard Review, as you start to increase standards in apprenticeships, there are going to be some things in the framework world that no longer meet those quality tests.”

She added that IfATE needs to ensure there is a wide range of training opportunities for young people and older adults who want to upskill and retrain if they’re affected negatively by Covid-19, but that “it can’t just be an apprenticeship solution to every skills problem”.

 

The transition to our new normal will not be straightforward

From next Monday, colleges and providers will have the flexibility to offer more students face-to-face learning, explains Gillian Keegan

Last month I virtually visited Weston College to meet students and staff. It was another incredible insight into how a college has been able to successfully move its learning and resources online at speed, with an impressive 88 per cent overall remote lesson attendance.

I know, from speaking with many across the sector, that FE is leading the way in digital delivery of education. Survey results from the Association of Colleges found that 70 per cent of providers have scheduled online lessons for most of their subjects and that 95 per cent of providers reported that all, or the majority, of their students are continuing their learning remotely.

As great as these efforts have been, we all know there is no substitute for being back in a classroom or workshop, particularly where that enables access to specialist facilities. That’s why we are giving colleges and providers the flexibility to offer a wider number of students and apprentices some face-toface support to supplement their remote learning from June 15.

This initially should focus on those aged 16-19-years-old, who are in the first year of a two-year study programme. We know that colleges and training providers are best placed to know the needs of their students, which is why we have given them the flexibility to prioritise who can attend based on who will benefit from it the most.

To help reduce the transmission risk, we are asking providers to limit the number of learners attending at any one time to no more than a quarter of that group. We have published a checklist, which sets out steps to ensure risks are minimised, including enhanced hygiene care, limiting movements around exit and entry points and staggered start and end times, to make sure staff and students are safe.

Our guidance also makes clear that as part of their planning, all providers should carry out a risk assessment to identify any issues associated with coronavirus, so that sensible measures can be put in place.

I know a great deal of you are already putting these plans in place, including Sunderland College. Their overall remote attendance has been exceptionally high, at 93 per cent and they are now preparing for the increase in classroom contact. They are providing dedicated support for vulnerable learners and inviting year 11 pupils in feeder schools to join virtual classes at the college to help with the transition. They plan to flex their college week, to provide catch-up support for learners who need it most, with dedicated coaches for those at risk of dropping out.

The TEC Partnership (formerly Grimsby Institute Group) has continued to offer high standards of education throughout lockdown with an amazing 89 per cent remote attendance rate and has also been considering re-opening since the very beginning. The partnership has worked out the maximum number of students who need to be on site whilst achieving social distancing, started installing extra sanitisation in rooms and is identifying where one-way systems would be required. Although there will continue to be a blended approach – of online and face to face learning – reopening presents a huge opportunity for the TEC Partnership, and more importantly the students, who I am sure will benefit from the additional face-to-face engagement in a college setting.

The transition to our new normal will not be straightforward, and so we are starting cautiously, focussing on smaller groups of students, and asking providers to make plans now that will work for them. These are the first steps to providing greater flexibility and ensuring we have the right delivery that meets the needs of every learner. No student should be held back from progressing because of the coronavirus, so it is vital that plans are put in place so we can make sure that doesn’t happen.

As we start our phased reopening, I want to thank everyone for their continued support and hard work. I know you all have the best interest of your students at heart, so I’m urging you all to work with us, continue to show leadership and take that first step.

DfE scraps provider quality criteria in final phase of T-level roll out

The requirement for colleges and other training providers to be rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted to deliver T-levels will be dropped by the government from 2023.

But those with ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ grades from the education watchdog will initially only be able to teach the T-level routes introduced in 2020 and 2021.

Only providers with the top two Ofsted ratings will be able to deliver the remaining T-level routes launched in 2022 and 2023.

The Department for Education announced the approach today after revealing the list of providers set to teach the qualifications in the third wave of their rollout.

T-levels are being hailed as the new, high-quality technical alternatives to A-levels. They will combine classroom theory, practical learning and a substantial industry placement lasting at least 315 hours.

They are being rolled out over the next three years. The first three will be available in September 2020, another seven in September 2021, another eight in September 2022 and the remaining seven in September 2023.

The DfE said it has taken a “phased approach” to the rollout by selecting “only a small group of providers” to deliver T-levels in the first few years, which “enabled us to work closely with them and ensure we could give them the support they needed as they prepared to deliver T-levels”.

All providers have had to hold a grade one or two Ofsted rating to deliver the qualifications in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The DfE said today that to “sustain momentum and reinforce T-levels as a mainstream offer for all students”, they are “increasing the number of providers able to deliver them”.

“To take this forward all providers currently delivering 16 to 19 study programmes will be eligible to deliver some of the available T-levels from September 2023: T-levels that were introduced in 2020 and 2021 will be able to be delivered by any providers delivering 16 to 19 study programmes; T-levels introduced in 2022 and 2023 will be able to be delivered by Ofsted ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ providers only.”

Providers will also no longer have to submit evidence of prior experience of delivering similar subjects or financial health.

The DfE added that it will announce how providers can register their intentions to deliver T-levels from 2023 in January 2021.

T-level wobble as another four providers cancel September launch plans

Four providers due to teach the first T-levels in just three months’ time have announced they will delay delivery for at least a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means the number of colleges, schools and other providers in England in wave one of the rollout of the new post-16 technical qualifications has fallen below 50, to just 46.

The providers pulling their plans are Access Creative College, Durham Sixth Form Centre, Salesian School and University College Birmingham.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We have always taken a gradual approach to rolling out T-levels to ensure we get the new high-quality qualifications right from the outset.

“Four of the 50 providers for 2020 are delaying delivery until 2021 in light of the current circumstances, but they remain fully committed to T-levels and we will continue to work closely with them.”

Another provider, York College, has also announced it will now only offer one T-level route – construction – this year instead of all three they had planned for.

Skills minister Gillian Keegan confirmed in April that the government would drive forward with plans to launch the first T-levels from September 2020 despite the disruption being caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.

She said that while providers have “rightly raised some issues” with delivery, “most wanted to continue to deliver the first T-levels this year” and “we owe it to these young people to find ways to continue to deliver the courses that they have chosen and that will offer them great progression opportunities”.

The initial rollout of T-levels will see providers teach three routes: digital, construction, and education and childcare. Health and science will be added in 2021.

This isn’t the first time providers have pulled out of or delayed T-level delivery. In October, education secretary Gavin Williamson’s old college, Scarborough Sixth Form, pulled out of offering construction and digital pathways from 2020 because of a lack of opportunities for the T-levels’ mandatory 315-hour work placements locally, and a shortage of good-quality teachers.

Three schools previously ditched plans to take part in the 2020 wave.

Access Creative College, a national creative college, is now scheduled to deliver the digital route next year.

Durham Sixth Form Centre is also still committed to teaching the digital route but from 2021, along with health and science.

Salesian School in Chertsey, which was awarded £1.1 million in T-level capital funding last year, will teach digital and education and childcare. The University College Birmingham will now deliver the education and childcare and health and science T-levels next year.

A spokesperson for the DfE said the four providers that have deferred delivery will now support students already signed up for September to find “other suitable courses”, and the department will keep in “close touch to support them to do this”.

The deferrals have been announced on the same day that the DfE revealed the list of providers due to deliver the third wave of T-levels in 2022. Full story here.

T-levels: The providers selected to run courses in 2022

The names of a further 88 colleges, training providers and schools chosen to deliver T-levels in the third wave of their rollout have been announced today.

They will teach the new post-16 technical qualifications from September 2022 in subjects including law, engineering and manufacturing, and legal, finance and accounting.

A total of 18 T-levels will be delivered from September 2022, which includes the four being rolled out from 2020 and 2021.

An initial 46 providers will teach T-levels in three months’ time after four deferred owing to the Covid-19 pandemic (click here for full story), while 67 will now deliver from 2021.

Unveiling those selected for wave three today, education secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) said: “Now, more than ever, it’s vital that young people across the country have access to high-quality technical education to provide them with the skills they need to succeed and employers with the workforce they need for the future.

“This third wave of further education providers will help us supercharge the roll-out of these new and pioneering qualifications and it’s fantastic to have them all on board. They will play a part in an unique opportunity to shape the lives of thousands of young people.”

T-levels have been designed to be the technical alternative and be on a par with A-levels. They combine classroom theory, practical learning and a substantial industry placement of at least 315 hours.

The first three T-levels to be taught this September will be in construction, digital production, design and development, and education and childcare, with a further seven including three in health and science taught from 2021.

Eight T-levels in subjects including legal, accounting, management and administration and engineering, manufacturing, processing and control will be taught from 2022.

The remaining seven T-levels, including courses in agriculture, environment and animal care, catering, creative and media, and hair and beauty, will be rolled out from 2023, bringing the total to 25.

The providers delivering from 2022 can be found here and below:

Ashton Sixth Form College

Basingstoke College of Technology   

Berkshire College of Agriculture

Biddulph High School    

Big Creative Training Ltd        

Birchwood Community High School    

Birkenhead Sixth Form College 

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School         

Boston College

Bromley College of Further and Higher Education 

Brooksby Melton College      

Burntwood School 

Burton and South Derbyshire College

Callywith College      

Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology  

Capital City Academy    

Carmel College

Chelmsford College 

Christ The King Sixth Form College

City College Plymouth  

Craven College

Crewe Engineering and Design UTC

Croydon College          

Darlington College       

Diss High School        

East Coast College        

East Durham College

East Riding College 

East Surrey College    

Ferndown Upper School      

Garforth Academy    

Gateway Sixth Form College 

Genii Engineering & Technology Training Limited       

Grace Academy Darlaston     

Grantham College     

Harris Academy South Norwood

Hedingham School and Sixth Form   

Hellesdon High School

Heston Community School   

Hope Academy

Isle of Wight College

King James I Academy Bishop Auckland

Kirklees College          

Leeds College of Building  

Leyton Sixth Form College    

Lincoln College

Lincoln UTC  

Macclesfield College 

Macmillan Academy 

Mendip Studio School 

Newbury College          

North Kent College     

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College  

Northampton College   

Norton Hill Academy    

Portsmouth College     

Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College    

Reaseheath College     

Riverside College      

Rosedale College      

Selby College 

South & City College Birmingham

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College       

Southport College      

Sparsholt College        

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College   

St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College  

St Philomena’s Catholic High School For Girls

Tameside College   

The Broxbourne School

The City of Liverpool College 

The Education Training Collective    

The Elizabethan Academy   

The Elmgreen School 

The Henley College   

The JCB Academy      

University Academy Holbeach   

University of Derby

University Technical College Norfolk

UTC Sheffield City Centre           

UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park        

UTC South Durham        

Wales High School        

Walsall Academy            

West Herts College        

Wiltshire College and University Centre

Wirral Metropolitan College    

WMG Academy for Young Engineers      

Multi-million pound cut to College Collaboration Fund as DfE reopens applications

The Department for Education has slashed the College Collaboration Fund (CCF) by more than a third as it reopens for applications.

The total pot on offer sat at £9 million when the fund was launched by education secretary Gavin Williamson in February, but this amount has now dropped to £5.4 million.

In confirming the reduction, the DfE told FE Week they have had to take some tough decisions and reprioritise planned activity in order to respond to new and developing priorities as a result of coronavirus.

The first round of the CCF was cancelled in March due to the pandemic. It reopened for applications today to “support FE colleges to respond to the current challenges around quality improvement and capitalise on good practice, including that developed through new ways of working”.

Eddie Playfair, senior policy manager at the Association of Colleges, said: “We are delighted that the CCF is able to go ahead.

“The fund is very welcome in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and the need for the college sector to navigate unprecedented rates of change to every aspect of their work.”

Groups of colleges can bid for grants of up to £500,000 but they will be expected to match at least 25 per cent of the total cost of the programme of work.

However, the DfE said today it may waive a proportionate amount of match funding contribution where a college is in formal intervention with Education and Skills Funding Agency, as asking for a contribution would “undermine a college’s financial viability”.

The minimum application has increased to £100,000 from £80,000. Each submission will need a lead applicant college with an ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ Ofsted grade and at least one other “improvement partner” college.

Merged colleges without an Ofsted rating can still apply, as long as one of the two previous colleges meets the criteria.

Each proposed programme of work must address at least one of the fund’s three “quality improvement themes” identified by DfE: quality of education, financial and resource management, and leadership and governance.

The 12-month CCF follows the Strategic College Improvement Fund – which ended last year after £12.3 million of the £15 million up for grabs was used to help 80 colleges rated ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ team up with better performing colleges.

Williamson previously said the new fund is needed because there “have been examples where colleges haven’t been getting it right and things that we are not comfortable with have been going on”.

“We mustn’t forget that is a minority,” he added. “Where we have got good we want to make them excellent, where we have got average we want to make them good and then to excellent, and where we have poor we want to make sure that they are actually really achieving the very best on that.”

Applications to the CCF must be submitted by 28 June 2020 and colleges will be notified about the outcome after 10 July 2020.

All colleges that receive the funding must complete their activities from it by the 31 March 2021. Successful colleges will receive payment of their grant by 18 September 2020.

 

 

ESFA ‘considering’ extensions to coronavirus supplier relief schemes

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is “considering” reopening its Covid-19 supplier relief after the Cabinet Office announced the scheme will continue until October 31.

The Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note (PPN 02/20), which allows public authorities to pay their suppliers in advance of delivering during the coronavirus pandemic, was due to end on July 31 but was extended yesterday.

In updated guidance named PPN 04/20, the Cabinet Office said all contracting authorities “should be reviewing existing arrangements as soon as reasonably possible”.

The ESFA’s own supplier relief scheme for non-levy apprenticeships and the adult education budget concluded last month and resulted in a third (107) of the 165 training providers that applied being awarded extra funding.

A separate relief scheme for European Social Fund providers was also run last month. The results are yet to be revealed.

Following the new Cabinet Office guidance, the agency tweeted today: “The Cabinet Office has published Procurement Policy Note 04/20. As a consequence we are considering the options for extending our Provider Relief Schemes, and will provide further information soon.”

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers’ chief executive Mark Dawe said the scheme “must reopen immediately”.

“With furloughing coming to an end, this is a timely intervention which ought to allow providers to plan through until the end of October and it’s absolutely essential that the DfE applies the latest guidance and extends the current relief scheme for non-levy apprenticeships, AEB and European Social Fund programmes,” he told FE Week.

“AELP has always maintained that the further we get into the summer, the situation with providers’ cash reserves is going to become critical and therefore the four-month extension could make a huge and positive difference.

“In our view, the DfE must reopen the relief application process immediately in the light of the Cabinet Office announcement.”

While non-levy apprenticeships were eligible for the ESFA’s relief scheme, any apprenticeships funded through the government’s digital system – mostly with levy-paying employers – were not.

The agency claimed this was because the contract is directly with the employer and provider rather than government. AELP challenged this legally but dropped the action last week after weighing up the costs.

Dawe said today that “we continue to struggle to understand why the DfE seems to be alone in not recognising that the supplier relief scheme should apply to all apprenticeships and other skills programmes”.

“It should be offering proper support instead of kicking the can down the road,” he added.

Karen Woodward, the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s deputy director for employer relations, told an FE Week webinar in May that many providers struggled to “prove need” for the financial support as a “number of them are not really facing huge cash flow problems at the moment”.

But she did acknowledge this situation could change beyond July as starts on new courses and apprenticeships dry up.

SPONSORED: Supporting the Further Education sector to achieve social distancing goals post-lock-down

At IPS Ltd we have already put measures into place for the return of our staff to work in a safe environment at our London Head Office. 

All businesses, including education providers, have spent many hours planning, creating and implementing post-lockdown recovery plans. For education, the consideration is not only for staff but also for students and ensuring they all have a safe environment for their return to college.

Additional plans will also have to be in place for the effective use of canteens, libraries and how to implement exam conditions not to mention the focus of next year’s student applications, open evenings and enrolment days that will need to take place.

 

We at IPS Ltd are passionate about the Further Education sector and many of you will have, no doubt, met our Managing Director, Robert Powell.

“I want to write to you as a business owner, a father and a supplier for the Further Education sector.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has changed my life both in outlook and in practice. The most pivotal moment for me was around the 8th week of lockdown when one of my friends contacted me to ask how I was coping. 

I had been ill and caring for the children at the same time had been challenging. I told them that I felt better and I was looking forward to everything going back to normal. He replied; “Rob, you need to get used to it, it will never go back to normal”.

As we have all come to realise, we exist in “new” normal times and acceptance, planning and change are all required, if we wish to adapt safely.

I am immensely proud of my team at IPS Ltd who have handled this crisis with dignity and commitment and will take this opportunity to tell them so. They comprise of innovators, thinkers and doers.

At the start of the lockdown, I called a meeting with my SLT team and asked them what position they thought we were in as a company, and how we would manage in the current situation, their answers were all positive and encouraging.

For many years we have designed and developed systems directly for the FE sector. Our focus has always been to help reduce processes, in the search for efficiency and improving service delivery. As a Managing Director, I am not trying to robotise FE, just simplify it.

It just so happens that the reduction of processes that our systems provide, also achieve social distancing goals and help to minimise human contact, as much as possible.

I, like you, value the face-to-face delivery of courses and the teaching methodology that you employ, to see students succeed and often excel, even sometimes in impossible circumstances.

To complement the teaching practices that you deliver, our systems enable students to get what they need, without effort, during their journey through college.

For 10 years, we have been building such systems and now in lockdown, we have perfected all of them. You will already have systems that do some of what ours do, but it’s the bit that they don’t do that matters. We consult with over 70 Colleges in a range of locations across the UK, that we currently supply to, to gain an understanding of what they need from our software.  

We have worked heavily with contactless ID cards, which of course, removes cash handling. We have already developed self-service kiosks that use facial recognition so staff and students can reset passwords or print replacement cards. We can create and delete user accounts as an automatic process for door systems, computer systems, payment systems and our register management system that applies live register marks against MIS systems.

All our systems help to support Safeguarding policies and procedures and minimise the workload of college staff, especially those who work in Reception, IT, Estates, Student Services, Finance and a range of other departments.

Our list of products continues to grow, and we are now focusing on further developments, including; newer messaging technologies, such as WhatsApp for colleges to communicate with students. We can already deliver many of the processes required to enrol a student online, to support face-to-face enrolment, but not replace it.

We are proud to be working in association with North Kent College and Hugh Baird College to release i-Asset, a system that will use RFID tagging to stocktake a room in less than a second, and an entire college as quick as you can walk around it.

It will manage loans of equipment, safety checks, usage statistics and so much more. Like I previously said, you may already have a system like this, but I would like you to see what ours does to highlight what yours doesn’t”.

 

Consider IPS Ltd with your Post-Lockdown Recovery Plans.

 

Each product works independently and joined together gives a robust end-to-end solution.

We install our systems onto your servers, meaning that we, as a company, don’t need to extract or retain any of your data, supporting both GDPR and Data Protection policies.

IPS Ltd.’s software integration solutions will provide you with, state-of-the-art technologies, confidence in simplifying your processes, supporting safeguarding and provide you with a wide range of reports that are suitable for Finance, Student Services, Catering and your MIS department.

“We have a large amount of IPS Ltd products, at Hugh Baird College, each one has enhanced and simplified the technology that we already had in place. 

The systems are easy to use, give a positive experience to our students and help us to implement our Safeguarding Policies”. John Billington, Head of Services, Hugh Baird College.

 

IPS Ltd customers do not deal with machines, they deal with people.

 

Our service doesn’t stop after installation, we provide you with full training, an Account Manager who will be in regular contact with you and our Support Team who will be there to resolve any issues that you may face. 

We are currently working on installing many systems for new FE customers remotely, with the help of a member of your IT team we do not have to come onto college premises, meaning that we maintain social distancing measures.

Our Prince2 certificated operations team will make sure that any project no matter how big or small is installed safely, efficiently and in no time at all.

 

IPS Ltd is here to support FE.

 

If you would like more information, advice or a free consultation from us click here to contact our experts. We are here to support you.