Latest details about cessation of LSIS’s services

At the end of 2013 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills told us that it would cease funding our services at the end of the 2012/13 academic year.

Following this news, we began to plan a managed exit from our delivery of improvement services for the further education and skills sector, by end of July 2013.

We are now able to confirm that the majority of our work will continue as planned until the end of March, and that a phased ending to our services will take place during the summer term.

We are also considering the future and timescales for LSIS Accounts, and details relating to this will be released shortly. We are encouraging those who have an LSIS Account allocation to make full use of this, and the opportunity to access LSIS services, whilst these are still available.

It is clear that the sector has really benefitted from LSIS; there are senior college staff who successfully completed leadership and management training provided by LSIS and are now principals who are contributing to improvement in the sector. There are also providers who are now classed as ‘outstanding’ who have recognised that support from LSIS has contributed to their achievements. 

Finally, I’d like to reiterate that we remain committed to supporting the sector. We are working with BIS and partner organisations to ensure that where possible some services and programmes, currently provided by LSIS, may continue to benefit the sector beyond August 2013 through other routes and organisations.

Rob Wye is chief executive of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service, which aims to accelerate the drive for excellence in the further education and skills sector