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‘ofsted watch’

Ofsted success leads to government support call

The government has been urged to do more to promote sixth-form colleges after the sector’s second outstanding grade under Ofsted’s tough new inspection regime. Rochdale Sixth Form College, which has around 1,000 students, got grade one rankings across the education watchdog’s headline fields following its first inspection. “Teaching is energetic and often inspirational, and builds […]

News

Colleges hit with Skills Funding Agency warnings

Two of England’s biggest colleges have been slapped with notices of concern by the Skills Funding Agency following inadequate gradings from Ofsted. City of Liverpool College got grade fours in every one of the education watchdog’s headline fields last month, just four years after it was praised as outstanding. And, more recently, City of Bristol […]

News

WonderWalsall

The first general FE college to achieve an outstanding grade under Ofsted’s tough new inspection regime has been announced. Walsall College, in the West Midlands, won glowing praise from the education watchdog across its headline fields. Its success means the college is also the first to get a published Ofsted report with outstanding for teaching […]

News

Ofsted report criticises colleges for jobs ‘failure’

Ofsted has criticised colleges for missing skills targets and failing to prepare learners for local job opportunities. The education watchdog found that of the 17 colleges it visited for a survey on local accountability and autonomy, just three were offering a curriculum tailored to their areas. It conducted its survey to find out how the […]

News

‘Excellent’ grade dismissed

FE bosses have urged Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw to be cautious about creating an “excellent” Ofsted grade for college governors working in disadvantaged communities. The education watchdog told FE Week that Sir Michael was interested in “exploring” a rating to top the ‘outstanding’ mark for leadership in colleges. He recently introduced the concept […]

News

A capital in crisis?

Tumbling inspection grades over the last two years have begged the question ‘is London learning?’ Chris Henwood looks at what’s happening to the capital’s big colleges. Are London colleges failing city learners? It’s a simple, but critical question based on a “worrying” trend in Ofsted judgements over the last two years. Of the nine inspections […]

News

Paul Phillips, principal, Weston College

Wrestling fan, booker of TV celebrities and former disco promoter — it’s a picture of North Somerset principal Paul Phillips that not many will recognise. Mention instead the honorary doctorate of letters from Bath Spa University for promoting higher education in FE, an Ofsted additional inspector’s post, or the 13 years he’s spent at the […]

Profiles

Plea for Ofsted to inspect school advice

The government has been urged to “bite the bullet” and call Ofsted in to inspect careers guidance services after concerns over the quality and objectivity of advice given to young people. Association of Colleges policy director Joy Mercer said the watchdog should look at careers guidance during school inspections following a report on the subject […]

News

A framework for Ofsted success

The fear an Ofsted inspection can strike into the hearts of principals is well-known in FE. But could that be changing under the new way of assessing colleges? Stuart Rimmer explains his experience of the revamped inspection framework and the improvements he sees within it. “They are coming” — it was a simple statement from […]

Opinion