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‘ofsted’

Ofsted watch: Local authority provider leaps two grades

A local authority provider has leapt two grades from inadequate to good and an independent training provider has received a grade two on its first inspection in this week’s Ofsted reports. But otherwise ‘requires improvement’ has been the main story of the week. West Sussex County Council was praised for its progress since it was […]

News

Banned subcontracting hidden through widespread ‘associate partnerships’

Colleges and training providers are hiding banned subcontracting through the use of so-called ‘associate partnerships’, FE Week can reveal – potentially allowing millions of pounds-worth of public funds to change hands without proper scrutiny. A recent Ofsted report has for the first time listed “training provided by an associate partner” as an arrangement not “sanctioned […]

News

Fifteenth studio school set to close out of 36 nationwide

Another studio school is reported to be shutting its doors, making it the 15th of its kind to close and leaving just 35 open. Future Tech Studio School in Warrington, sponsored by Warrington Collegiate, will close at the end of the academic year, according to reports in the Warrington Guardian. The decision to close is […]

News

Apprenticeships: what are Ofsted inspectors looking for?

Apprenticeships are not vehicles to validate employees’ existing skills – our inspectors want to see that apprentices are learning something new, says Christopher Jones A sign outside a shop in my local market town reads: ‘the only constant in life is change’. I usually ignore such nuggets of wisdom, but this one stuck with me. […]

Opinion

Struggling college bailed out by SFA after bank refusal

A Warwickshire college in financial dire straits has been bailed out by the Skills Funding Agency, and is now seeking a merger partner following the departure of its principal. Stratford-Upon-Avon College was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in March 2015, but ran into money problems this year after planned projects which were expected to bring in […]

News

First sixth form college converts to academy status today

Hereford Sixth Form College has won the race to become the first to convert to academy status. The provider, which was rated outstanding by Ofsted when it was last inspected in 2008, completed the process to become a standalone academy today (March 1). It comes almost 16 months after former chancellor George Osborne first announced […]

News

Former ‘outstanding’ college’s Oftsed rating slumps after first inspection for decade

A college that went a decade without being inspected by Ofsted has crashed two grades. Bury College was rated as ‘requires improvement’ by the education watchdog in a report published today, following inspection from January 16 to 20. That inspection came almost exactly ten years after its previous full inspection, from February 5 to 9 […]

News

Ofsted watch: FE college overcomes ‘inadequate’ period

An FE college has climbed its way out of being ‘inadequate’ while an adult and community learning provider and a private provider boosted their provision upwards to ‘good’ in this week’s Ofsted reports. City College Coventry was rated ‘requires improvement’ in a report published Wednesday (February 22) following an ‘inadequate’ grade in November 2015. While […]

News

Manchester merger scrapped by FE Commissioner

One of just two mergers recommended in the troubled Manchester area review has been scrapped following intervention by the FE commissioner, FE Week understands. Plans to merge Tameside, Oldham and Stockport colleges have been called off after the FE commissioner Richard Atkins visited at least one of them – forcing them back to the drawing […]

News