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‘ofsted’

Ofsted and improvement: living up to expectations?

As the time for the next Chief Inspector’s Annual Report approaches, three members of the Policy Consortium — which provides professional policy analysis for learning and skills — look for messages that may emerge about the past year, as well as some of the possible implications they might have. Colin Forrest, Carolyn Medlin and Mike […]

Opinion

Looking at the bigger college picture

A new focus on teaching and learning may well have become the valued hallmark of Ofsted’s current common inspection framework, but, asks Lynne Sedgmore, is there scope for a wider examination of the college offer? Over this past year, mention of Ofsted has generated mixed emotions in many colleges. Some ill-informed remarks have been made, […]

Opinion

Matthew Coffey, director of FE and skills, Ofsted

There’s a choice of comfy little red sofa with two small armchairs either side, or a cold but smart table and chairs next to the window. My bag is plonked, hopefully, by the welcoming sofa and I hover nearby before Matthew Coffey, Ofsted’s director of further education and skills, walks in. He stands next to […]

Profiles

FE and Skills Inspections : 2012/13 review

Download your free copy of the FE Week 16-page special report on Ofsted inspections in 2012/13 Click here to download (20mb) Introduction It seems like just yesterday the FE sector was gearing up for bloodshed under a new Ofsted common inspection framework (CIF). Ominously, a toughened-up regime was promised with the hallmark of, among others, […]

Supplements

Older and wiser on inspection

Ofsted’s criticism of the college sector last year was a bitter pill to swallow and the toughened up common inspection framework offered little hope for sector praise. However, it hasn’t quite worked out like that says Joy Mercer. It this time last year, colleges felt they had not weathered an Ofsted storm but were beached, […]

Opinion

The hunt for an FE Commissioner goes on

The new FE Commissioner post is due be re-advertised next week with an appointment expected before the first Ofsted inspections reports in October, FE Week can reveal. The role was advertised in May, but no-one was appointed despite a number of interviews. A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) confirmed new […]

News

College turns down 16 to 18 traineeships

A York college that will be running traineeships for 19 to 24-year-olds has said no to putting the programme on for 16 to 18-year-olds because of a lack of government funding, FE Week can reveal. The 2,000-student Askham Bryan College was rated as good by Ofsted early last year and so can run the government’s […]

News

Skills Funding Agency warnings on the rise

The number of notices of concern slapped on colleges rose by 25 per cent in 2012/13 from nine notices in 2011/12. Notices of concern are triggered by inadequate Ofsted results or fears over the college’s financial health or controls. A Freedom of Information request by FE Week has uncovered that that as of May 15 […]

News

Serving the apprenticeship time

It’s just over a year since the minimum duration rule was applied, meaning most apprenticeships would have to last at least a year. Phil Hatton looks at whether the rule offers the quality assurance it was hoped for. I was one of the two authors of the first NVQ back in 1987, which really changed […]

Opinion