York College
‘ofsted’
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has confirmed that publication of the next round of nationwide qualification achievement rates will be delayed by around two months, FE Week can reveal. The final Qualification Success Rates (QSR) figures for 2013/14 were published in January this year. But a note sent to providers by the SFA’s central delivery […]
News
Weymouth College has jumped from an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating to ‘good’ following intervention from the FE Commissioner. The latest Ofsted report on the college was published this morning (December 15), with inspectors rating it ‘good’ across-the-board. It represented a significant improvement on the ‘requires improvement’ rating handed out by the inspectorate in June 2013, and […]
What a year it has been for FE and skills. Over the past 12 months we’ve had a General Election and seen the announcement of a 3m apprenticeships starts target by 2020, among plenty of other goings on. But with Christmas being a time to spend with loved ones and to enjoy festivities, some familiar […]
The removal of rules allowing only providers rated outstanding or good by Ofsted to get lead contracts for traineeships from next academic year has received a mixed response from the sector. Grade three (‘requires improvement’) and non-inspected providers can also deliver the programme, but only as subcontractors. However, the government revealed on Monday (December 7), in […]
The strain of getting vocational learners over the GCSE English and maths finish line is behind much strain in the FE and skills sector, as recognised not least in Ofsted’s annual report. But behind the policy is a view of GCSEs and the workplace that needs rethinking says Mark Flinn. Last month, FE Week stated […]
Opinion
The Ofsted annual report criticised Traineeships for a lack of success with helping young people progress to apprenticeships or employment. But Angela Middleton explains why she still thinks they have a lot to offer, so long as they are delivered by the right providers. Ofsted chief inspector Michael Wilshaw has recently identified a problem with […]
Apprenticeships reforms are rapidly metamorphosing into pantomime. When the ugly sisters Hancock and Richard undertook their review, they ruled out ‘evidence’ from awarding organisers and independent learning providers (ILPs) as ‘biased from vested interests’. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) recently published the results of an independent Process Evaluation of Apprenticeship Trailblazers by […]
Uncategorized
Two visits from FE Commissioner Dr David Collins triggered first by financial problems and secondly by an Ofsted inadequate rating was the scene into which Tim Eyton-Jones stepped in February. Dr Collins has since drawn a line under his involvement and inspectors have also seen improvements. Mr Eyton-Jones spells out what’s been happening at Barnfield. […]
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw has called on employer groups to “take ownership” over localised apprenticeship recruitment as the Government pushes to create 3m apprenticeship starts by 2020. He spoke of his support for the apprenticeship levy and said that a clearer structure for delivering apprenticeships at a local level was needed, in a speech […]
