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15 April 2026

Tag: Ofsted

Seventh time unlucky: Training provider rated ‘inadequate’ after six consecutive grade threes

A private provider has been hit with the lowest possible Ofsted rating after receiving six consecutive ‘requires improvement’ ratings since opening its doors. Nottinghamshire Training Network was rated ‘inadequate’ today after the education watchdog found the “principles” of apprenticeship provision were not being met, such as apprentices not receiving their entitlement to “well-planned” off-the-job training. […]

Ofsted watch: 8 out of 10 providers celebrate positive reports

It has been a very successful week for FE providers, with eight out of the 10 reports published by Ofsted showcasing great strides in their provision. The most glowing report came in for First Intuition Cambridge Limited, a private provider which was found making ‘significant progress’ in all themes judged during an early monitoring visit […]

Ofsted watch: UTC jumps from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’

A university technical college was celebrating this week after it climbed its way up from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’, while six other providers also secured grade two ratings. But the week wasn’t without its lows, as one provider dropped to ‘inadequate’, three received ‘insufficient’ ratings in early monitoring reports, and another fell from grade one to […]

Ofsted watch: Mixed results for FE providers

It has been a varied week in the FE sector, with three providers receiving ‘good’ grades from Ofsted while three others were told they require improvement. The education watchdog also published four monitoring visits, where two providers were found making ‘significant progress’. Good news came in for the Open University and the University of Sheffield, […]

Ofsted watch: Four providers improve to ‘good’ in busy week for FE

Four providers – including a major college – have boosted their grades from three to two this week, while seven others either maintained the ‘good’ rating or achieved it in either their first inspection. Elsewhere it’s been a busy week for monitoring visits, with 16 reports published – 14 for new apprenticeship visits which produced […]

Damning Ofsted visit finds provider not knowing who its apprentices are

A training provider has been heavily criticised for not knowing accurately enough who their apprentices are, in an Ofsted monitoring report which rated it ‘insufficient’ across the board. Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was today accused of failing to understand what constitutes a “high quality apprenticeship programme”. Ofsted found that managers are “unable to provide […]

If it works for apprentices and employers, it works for Ofsted

Over a six-year period, our college rating for apprenticeships improved from ‘inadequate’ to ‘outstanding’ – and we weren’t even focusing on inspections, says Jacqui Canton. Do the right things for the right reasons and good results will follow It’s not often that I gain management inspiration from cult films of the 1990s, but Ofsted definitely […]

2019: The year ahead in FE and skills

2019 is set to be a big year for the FE and skills sector. While it’s still not clear what impact the biggest event of the year – Brexit – will have (on anything!), we’ve taken a look ahead at some of the other key developments expected over the coming 12 months – including the […]