Select Committee on Education and Skills Minutes of Evidence


Further memorandum submitted by the Association of Colleges (AoC)

THE WORK OF OFSTED—CONTEXT

  This submission addresses the work of Ofsted in the context of recent major developments:

    —  the publication of LSC quality assurance framework for colleges;

    —  the merger of Ofsted with the Adult Learning Inspectorate; and

    —  the implementation of proportionate Inspection.

SUMMARY

Quality of Ofsted's work

  Recent changes to the inspection arrangements are recognised as valuable by colleges.

Lighter touch

  AoC welcomes lighter touch, proportionate inspection, which acknowledges the improvements in the sector and its capacity to self improve, and supports colleges' goal of self-regulation.

Ofsted's professional judgement

  Colleges value the contribution that Ofsted has made to college demonstrable self improvement. Over the last two cycles, colleges have become confident with the decisions that Inspectors make. Their professional judgements are for the most part recognised as being fair and accurate.

Framework for Excellence

  AoC is pleased to see the greater alignment of the Framework for Excellence with the CIF, and the commitment to a single quality framework announced in the LSC publication (03/07) Framework for Excellence: Raising Standards and Informing Choice which reflects the responses to the original Framework consultation.

Self assessment and self regulation

  AoC welcomes the key role of self assessment and peer review envisaged in within the new arrangements for Framework for Excellence, and particularly welcomes the suggestion that Ofsted have a role in validating self assessment reports. Ofsted currently has a vital role in the validating of college self assessment under the inspection arrangements, and this external role in quality assurance should be retained and strengthened as colleges move towards self-regulation.

Funding Ofsted

  In view of the reduction in Ofsted's budget, and the expansion of its remit as a result of the merger with the Adult learning Inspectorate, AoC would suggest that its budget is reviewed in the light of the likely time—commitment which would be required if Ofsted were to now expand its role in validating self assessment report, as envisaged

ALI/Ofsted Merger

  The combined service is welcomed, but it is important that the FE sector is not lost or subsumed in the enlarged service. With the reduction in the Ofsted budget, recent and planned, AoC urges that this is closely monitored.

QUALITY OF OFSTED'S WORK

Proportionate inspection

  1.  The new inspection arrangements are risk-based: the lower performing colleges receive the most intensive inspection. Some colleges are now exempt from inspection, and we welcome this incremental and proportionate approach that Ofsted is taking, which is appropriate for a more mature sector.

  2.  Risk-based assessment means that colleges that have proved themselves are enabled to get on with minimal inspection to ensure inspection resources are devolved where they are most needed. This is consistent with colleges' goal of self-regulation.

The value of Ofsted's professional judgement

  3.  While welcoming these proportionate developments, AoC would also wish to see the continuation of the annual visit from Ofsted, as even outstanding colleges value the professional judgement that they have to come to expect of Ofsted.

  4.  AoC would like to emphasise that over the last two cycles colleges have become confident with the decisions that Inspectors make. Their professional judgements are for the most part recognised as being fair and accurate. AoC does not wish to see the expertise and vast body of experience which is the basis for sound professional judgement being lost with the introduction of Framework for Excellence.

The central role of Ofsted in validating colleges' self assessment

  5.  The college Self Assessment Report (SAR) is the centre of the current inspection arrangements. Ofsted is essentially making judgments about the accuracy of this report. In particular, the new and critical judgement, "capacity to improve", is largely made on the basis of how well a college is able to self-assess its own performance and implement effective action plans to improve.

  6.  We would like to emphasise that AoC sees Ofsted's role as the external assessor of colleges' performance as essential and critical. This is something that AoC would wish to remain even within a self-regulating system. The credibility and rigour would be important to retain, especially when colleges are working with peers to regulate themselves.

  7.  The self-assessment reports in the sector have received greater importance in inspection than ever before, as this is the main plank along which the self regulation agenda is built into the Framework for Excellence.

Framework for Excellence and a single quality system

  8.  We would like to see the growing alignment between the LSC and the Common Inspection frameworks continuing and strengthening .

  9.  AoC would like to go further in having greater simplicity in terms of quality assurance, which would align all standards within a single quality framework, so that one set of judgements could be used many times.

  10.  We have major concerns about the proliferation of different organisations, including the Sector Skills Councils, setting standards and making judgements about colleges. This is unhelpful in that it diverts their efforts away from what should be their priority—providing quality education and training for learners.

  11.  There is already a rigorous and independent set of standards embodied in the Common Inspection Framework, and AoC believes that this should be the basis for Ofsted, the LSC, SSCs and other agencies to form a single quality framework.

Remit of Ofsted post-merger

  12.  We have emphasised previously in our previous submissions to the Committee in October 2005, March 2006 and December 2006, the necessity for each division within the merged organisation to retain the specialist expertise that it needs to inspect different parts of the sector. We are particularly concerned that the interests of the 14-19 sector is given due importance within the organisation in view of the complex quality issues that arise as a result of the 14-19 Diploma developments and the consortia partnership arrangements between colleges, schools, and other institutions

May 2007





 
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