Ofsted | FE Week

Chief executive standing down from troubled college group

Bradford College has confirmed that its group chief executive is stepping down after it received both a financial notice to improve and an Oftsed grade three in short succession. Andy Welsh, who became group chief executive in August 2014, is stepping down at the end of this academic year. The Education and Skills Funding Agency […]

Third FE college in six months rated Ofsted outstanding

A third general FE college has been rated ‘outstanding’ in the space of six months. Fareham College was recognised as grade one in all headline fields except adult learning programmes which was found to be ‘good’. The ‘outstanding’-overall report – up from its previous ‘good’ rating – is due to be published by Ofsted tomorrow, […]

Exclusive: Sixth form college performance fell 8% points, Ofsted expected to say

Sixth-form colleges have been driven to “tipping point” through repeated funding cuts, the body that represents them has said, after FE Week exposed a sharp drop in top Ofsted grades. Our exclusive analysis, using the same methodology as Ofsted’s own annual report, has shown an eight-point fall in those with a grade one or two […]

Milton appears to back subcontractor inspections

The skills minister has appeared to agree that Ofsted should inspect subcontractors during an exchange at education questions in the House of Commons today. Anne Milton seemed to echo the beliefs of her predecessor Robert Halfon when he asked her about subcontracting in Parliament. Mr Halfon, now the chair of the influential education select committee, […]

Major home health care employer provider branded ‘inadequate’

Ofsted has rated a major home healthcare employer-provider ‘inadequate’ across the board, in a report that condemns its “woefully low expectations”. Nestor Primecare Services, which was previously rated as ‘requires improvement’ overall, was inspected in September – and today’s excoriating report finds “no key strengths”. The company employs 125 apprentices, of whom “approximately a quarter […]

Ofsted boss worried about lack of subcontracting inspections

The head of Ofsted has acknowledged MPs’ concerns about how few subcontractors used by FE providers are inspected. Speaking at a meeting of the education select committee today, Amanda Spielman accepted that she had a “number of concerns” about apprenticeship provision, and wanted to ensure that “cowboys”, “sharks” and “bottom feeders” do not take advantage […]

Ex-learner guilty of rape at college criticised for safeguarding

A former student at a college that Ofsted identified as struggling from “endemic” sexualised behaviour has been found guilty of raping another pupil multiple times on the campus. Hereward College said this week that it was “deeply saddened” and extended its sympathies to the victim, after a 23-year-old man was convicted of four counts of […]

Learndirect and DfE scandal referred to NAO by Public Accounts Committee chair

The Learndirect scandal is expected to face a National Audit Office investigation following a request from the Public Accounts Committee, FE Week can reveal. In a series of events that will be familiar to FE Week readers, the largest training provider in the UK has been afforded special treatment by the DfE and retains all […]

Minister ‘misled’ MPs over apprenticeships at Learndirect

MPs were “misled” in Parliament by the skills minister Anne Milton today, after she claimed apprenticeships are “no longer offered” by Learndirect. The minister was grilled by Labour’s Wes Streeting on the controversy engulfing the nation’s largest FE provider, which is increasingly seen as being offered highly preferential treatment by the Department for Education. Even […]