Setting out our priorities
On Tuesday 6 March we published a refined version of our emerging strategy for LSIS, setting out our three priorities for the sector for the future.
In Refining our Strategy 2012 to 2015 we stated that our three priorities are: to drive forward outstanding teaching and learning; to forge excellent leadership and management; and to move with powerful intervention both to avoid and resolve cases of failure.
This publication confirms our commitment to providing innovative services for the Further Education and Skills sector, which will add significant and long-lasting value and impact. Our sector is facing a challenging time in the current economic climate, therefore LSIS’s three priorities will focus on the areas that require the most support, and will achieve the greatest improvements.
Our strategic priorities have been shaped by the mandate we received from our Council, to be the agent of improvement for the sector. We have also heard messages from Ofsted, BIS and the SFA. We have then analysed these insights in line with John Hayes’ new mandate for the sector, and our directions are clearer and firmer as a result.
In the coming year we will be delivering a highly focused set of innovative services, targeted to the greatest areas of need, whilst still being able to respond quickly to new issues as they arise.
Evidence from Ofsted shows that there is a growing need for improved teaching and learning, therefore we will be supporting a number of initiatives such as the new independent Commission on Adult Education and Vocational Pedagogy working with the Institute for Learning. And this month LSIS held its Technology for Success Conference which showcased many examples of innovation and inventive practice in the Further Education and Skills sector, with a clear focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning.
The roles of governance and exemplary leadership and management have been acknowledged by all as critical to the future of the sector. We will be developing strategic talent management programmes for the sector, and will work with BIS, AoC, the 157 Group and NIACE to disseminate new governance models in line with the new freedoms and flexibilities set out for the sector in New Challenges, New Chances.
Whilst we will build on the achievements of existing ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ performance across the sector we will also be prioritising the support we offer for those who are under-performing. This will be done by the introduction of a new Intensive Escalation Process for those in the greatest difficulty, and by continuing to offer ‘health checks’ to organisations that wish to receive feedback in order to help them meet their current and future strategic improvement requirements.
The sector will be updated further when we publish the detailed plans for delivery of our full strategy ahead of the new academic year.
Rob Wye is chief executive of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, which aims to accelerate the drive for excellence in the learning and skills sector
Read other FE News articles by Rob Wye:
Celebrating the value of vocational courses
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