The 157 Group has responded to the publication today of the latest annual report from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector.
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said “It is good to see the continued improvement of teaching, learning and assessment in FE Colleges. 79% of General Further Education Colleges are now good or outstanding – an improvement on last year’s figure which demonstrates the hard work and commitment of College leaders, teachers and staff to providing high quality education.
“The fact that the vast majority of Colleges are now good or outstanding, as the report points out, reflects improvement right across Colleges with Governors and leaders playing a key role. It is absolutely right that the report highlights the importance of increased attention to staff development as a factor driving College improvement. A world class skills system can only be built on the skills of its teachers.
“It is particularly welcome that Ofsted have acknowledged the importance of partnerships and the need for local solutions in driving continued improvement and the threat of competition between institutions to that improvement. Many Colleges are already taking the lead on establishing partnerships at the local level and we are working with our members to ensure that collaboration continues to be seen as the best route to success.”
Sarah Robinson OBE, chair of the 157 Group and Principal of Stoke-on-Trent College, said “The range of challenges facing Colleges presented in the report reflects the pace of change over this Parliament and the growing recognition that the FE sector is crucial in meeting the economic challenges the country faces. All Colleges are working hard to improve performance in English and maths, to be ever more responsive to the needs of employers and the local economy and to ensure that young people, in particular, are placed on challenging study programmes which will enable them to achieve their potential. The fact that they are doing this in the face of significant cuts to public funding should not be overlooked.
“Ofsted have acknowledged the breadth of the challenges - what we now need in Colleges is policy stability so that we can focus on those areas where we know that further improvements can be made.”