Memorandum submitted by the Association
of Colleges (AoC)
AoC (the Association of Colleges) is the representative
body for colleges of further education, including general FE colleges,
sixth-form colleges and specialist colleges in England, Wales
(through our association with fforwm) and Northern Ireland
(through our association with ANIC). AoC was established in 1996
by the colleges themselves to provide a voice for further education
at national and regional levels. Some 98% of the 400-plus general
FE colleges, sixth-form colleges and specialist colleges in the
three countries are in membership. These colleges are the largest
providers of post-16 general and vocational education and training
in the UK. They serve over four million of the six million learners
participating in post-statutory education and training, offering
lifelong learning opportunities for school leavers and adults
over a vast range of academic and vocational qualifications. Levels
of study range from the basic skills needed to remedy disadvantage,
through to professional qualifications and higher education degrees.
The key role played by the sector and its 250,000
staff in raising the level of skills and competitiveness of the
nation's workforce makes colleges central to the Government's
national and regional agenda for economic prosperity and social
inclusion. AoC works in close partnership with the Government
and all other key national and regional agencies to assist policy
development, continuously to improve quality and to secure the
best possible provision for post-16 education and training.
SUMMARY
— Ofsted now has a very large remit.
AoC seeks assurance that the interests of the post-16 sector receive
the same status as that accorded to the schools sector and that
this is reflected in the senior appointments in the new organisation.
— AoC seeks assurance that the specific
expertise in adult and vocational learning of the Adult Learning
Inspectorate is incorporated into the structure of Ofsted and
accorded significant value.
— AoC wishes to see a fairer and more
equitable way to ensure that all institutions are compared with
institutions that have a similar cohort of learners.
— AoC seeks assurance that Ofsted will
ensure the promised "level playing field" in terms of
rigour, development of success rates and reporting of inspection
outcomes between FE colleges and school sixth forms.
— Feedback to AoC indicates that the
new lighter touch inspection arrangements based on an assessment
of risk have been well received by the further education sector.
AoC looks forward to working with the organisation to ensure that
Ofsted resources are directed to the areas of most need, and that
these are fairly identified.
— AoC will be interested to hear progress
towards changes in Ofsted's governance, as proposed in the original
consultation.
1. AoC was generally supportive of the proposal
to merge into Ofsted those inspectorates which had a particular
remit for inspecting services for children: the children's services
work of the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Children
and Families Court Advisory and Support Services inspection remit
of HMI of Court Administration. It was felt that this would improve
the prospects of integration and a "joined-up" approach
that should help to ensure the safety and well-being of children
and young people.
2. It is vital that Ofsted's post-16 unit
is accorded due status and prominence within the organisation.
Given the increased volume of work and responsibility, AoC has
sought assurances that the future structure of the new organisation
should give due regard for the importance and distinctiveness
of this area of its work, and reflect it at senior level; AoC
wishes to ensure that the post-16 sector is accorded a sufficiently
prominent status within Ofsted, and that its interests do not
become subservient to the demands of schools and very young people.
3. Although broadly supportive of the decision
to merge the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) remit into that
of Ofsted, we have some concerns about this. Whilst we recognise
that this may improve consistency in the delivery and outcomes
of inspections, we feel there is a debate over Ofsted's capacity
to regulate adult skills effectively unless it ensures the effective
transfer of expertise from the ALI. With the absorption of ALI
into Ofsted, it is vital that the focus on post-16 learners is
not lost or subsumed by the greater emphasis on children. The
"adult" remit of a new Ofsted will represent less than
a tenth of its child protection and school inspection work.
4. We are concerned that there are still
differences in the making of inspection judgements and their reporting
between school sixth forms and colleges and we would expect the
new organisation to address this inconsistency at the earliest
opportunity, in the interests of fairness in reporting and equal
opportunities for young people. In particular, the definition
of success for school sixth forms is still not comparable to that
of colleges. Whilst colleges' success rates reflect not only the
achievement of their students but their retention rates, schools
are judged solely on achievements. No account is taken of their
"drop-out" rates. In fact, many of the students who
fail to complete their courses in the sixth form at school, subsequently
transfer to colleges.
5. AoC has been in discussion with Ofsted
and LSC to try to ensure that a fairer and more equitable way
is found to ensure that all institutions are compared with institutions
that have a similar cohort of learners. We believe that those
that accommodate and address the learning needs of the most challenging
young people, with the fewest prior attainments, are particularly
disadvantaged themselves. We will be seeking to continue to work
with Ofsted and LSC, which is currently updating the widening
participation factor. However, we do not believe that this will
be sufficient in itself to ensure fair comparisons are made, and
will be pressing for differentiation in learner attainment to
be more accurately reflected in success rate reporting.
6. In addition, the level of scrutiny of
the inspection of school sixth forms has been far lighter than
that of colleges. With the adoption of a common framework for
both, we seek assurance that these inequities will cease.
7. The new inspection regime differentiates
the intensity of inspection according to the risk posed by the
institution. Colleges where the risk has been judged low in the
light of the previous inspection have received a lighter touch
inspection, with fewer inspectors over a shorter period of time.
AoC welcomes the greater synergy between the work of the inspectorate
and the funding body. On the whole, Annual Assessment Visits appear
to be proving an effective means of identifying changes in performance,
and are being used by LSC as a means of confirming and verifying
their own opinions on colleges' capacity to deliver, in addition
being used by Ofsted to trigger an earlier inspection where performance
trends are in decline.
8. AoC is pleased to see this development
which it has been advocating for a long time. It is our view that
the FE sector is sufficiently mature in its self-assessment processes
to provide, in the great majority of cases, reliable indicators
of quality to inspectors, which combined with available data,
give an accurate picture of the quality of provision. A lighter
touch is clearly appropriate for colleges posing little risk.
AoC welcomes this differentiation as appropriate in the light
of the increasing drive towards self-regulation.
9. In addition, the quality of provision
in the sector is showing every sign of improving at a rapid pace.
Currently, the number of inadequate colleges is around 2.9%. This
is better than the school sector. All colleges previously judged
inadequate have turned themselves around and are now at least
satisfactory. Significant numbers of unsatisfactory curriculum
areas have, on re-inspection, improved by two grades, from unsatisfactory
to good.
10. A change in Ofsted's governance was
suggested in the consultation. Ofsted's Chief Inspector was not
accountable to a board providing direction and guidance. It is
highly desirable that there is a separation of the executive and
strategic functions which would accord with the principles of
good governance practice in both public and private sectors. A
non-executive chair and board would, it is hoped, address some
of the issues over which the Select Committee has in the past
shown concern. Thses have included some criticism of Ofsted's
own internal quality processes. We look forward to observing how
these weaknesses have been addressed within the new organisation.
March 2006
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