York College
‘ofsted watch’
Two sixth form colleges have been declared ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, with one retaining their top grade after more than a decade without inspection. Meanwhile, a publicly-owned private provider has dropped to a grade three after nine years as a grade one. After its last inspection in 2008, Peter Symonds College yet again achieved a grade […]
News
A major energy firm was among six training providers to be rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in a positive week for the sector. SSE Services PLC, the national utility company which providers energy to nine million households, kept its ‘good’ rating following a short inspection. The employer provider has just over 150 apprentices who “benefit from […]
The government is reviewing whether a large college group approved to start delivering T-levels from 2021 should be kicked off the programme after receiving a grade three from Ofsted. United Colleges Group, which is lined up to offer the digital and construction courses, was told it ‘requires improvement’ in a report released this week. The […]
The government will write to all colleges and universities with residential learners aged 16 to 18 after officials found “data inaccuracies” which have prevented Ofsted from conducting inspections. It follows an FE Week investigation that revealed how a tower block with Grenfell-style cladding that houses students at Highbury College and failed a fire safety test […]
A college has questioned the “rationale” of Ofsted inspecting them within days of the new academic year starting. However, others believe there are advantages to it – so, should the watchdog be visiting providers in September? Fraser Whieldon investigates The Sheffield College (pictured) received an inspection between September 24 and 27, with inspectors reporting learners […]
Jess Staufenberg meets an education researcher with a unique and singular focus on teaching in further education Professor Kevin Orr of the University of Huddersfield has spent his whole career teaching or researching into teaching in the further education sector. Listening to his soft Belfast lilt as he eloquently explains both roles, it strikes me […]
Profiles
A college has begun moving classes and residents out of their tower block as they prepare for a multi-million pound renovation to replace Grenfell-style cladding that failed a fire safety test. Work to remove non-compliant panelling at Highbury College is planned to get underway in the spring and is anticipated to take up to 12 […]
A sixth form college was lauded as ‘outstanding’ in a mixed week for FE, which saw one private provider plummet to ‘inadequate’ while another dropped two grades to ‘requires improvement’. Godalming College was given the top rating by Ofsted in its first inspection since converting to a 16 to 19 academy in January 2018. The […]
Parents are lobbying the government to restart funding for an arts and media provider that trained mostly high-needs learners. The Education and Skills Funding Agency terminated its contracts with Sheffield Independent Film and Television (SHIFT) last year, after it was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted. A report by the education watchdog, published in February 2019, said […]
