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‘ofsted watch’

Where the axe might fall, and where it should

In light of the Chancellor’s announcement he wanted to see £900m of in-year savings split evenly between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DfE), Mick Fletcher considers how FE might be affected — and how to lessen that effect. What we know is that the two education departments, […]

Opinion

Ofsted scrapping of graded lesson observations ‘right’

Ofsted’s decision to scrap graded lesson observations for FE inspections has been described as the “right way to go” by Principals’ Professional Council (PPC) chair Sue Rimmer. A spokesperson for the education watchdog said on Friday (May 22) that it had consulted with FE providers and “conducted numerous pilot inspections to test the changes” before […]

News

AELP and UCU back Ofsted’s decision to scrap graded lesson observations for inspections

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) and University College Union (UCU) have welcomed Oftsed’s decision to scrap graded lesson observations for FE inspections from September. An Ofsted spokesperson said that it had “consulted with FE and skills providers” and “conducted numerous pilot inspections to test the changes” before deciding to go ahead with […]

News

Kwik Fit returns to outstanding status — but says ‘no plans’ to run traineeships again

Garage chain Kwik Fit today returned to its former outstanding status with publication of its latest Ofsted report, having previously dropped to a grade three rating. The employer provider, which had a January Skills Funding Agency allocation of £1.6m, had made “considerable improvements” since inspectors’ October 2013 visit, the result of which meant Kwik Fit had […]

News

Sam Parrett, principal, Bromley College

As her heart raced, her mouth dried and her imagination ran wild with the tragic scenes that could lay ahead after reports of a gunman on campus, Sam Parrett was calmed by the wise words of her then-principal. “No matter how much you’re panicking inside, all the people in that building are panicking much, much […]

Profiles

Functional Skills first reveals just 63pc achievement

Nearly 40 per cent of under 19 Functional Skills (FS) enrolments at general FE and tertiary colleges and independent learning providers (ILPs) failed to achieve their qualification last academic year, it has been revealed. The figure is based on the Skills Funding Agency success rates tables, published this month, which for the first time included […]

News

Closure of third-full UTC prompts wider review call

College sector leaders have called for a review of the drive for more University Technical Colleges (UTC) after one of the very first to open announced it was closing — on the same day the Prime Minister visited a UTC to promise one “within reach of every city”. Black Country UTC announced on Tuesday (April […]

News

New Bubbles’s Learning Revolution conference

Creative teaching and the role of research were discussed at the New Bubbles Learning Revolution Conference, which also saw calls for Ofsted to be abolished. Delegates heard from TV scientist Professor Robert Winston, a range of academics and principals as well as current and former Ofsted inspectors at the lively conference near Heathrow, London. Among […]

News

Provider hit with grade four rating after just one apprenticeship achievement in two years

An independent learning provider that has seen just one learner achieve an apprenticeship since it started running the programme almost two years ago is having its government funding withdrawn after it was branded inadequate by Ofsted. Kats Learning Ltd, a Hampshire-based company with 118 apprentices on hairdressing, business management and customer services frameworks, was issued with […]

News