We’re all ears: What next for the future of Ofsted in FE & Skills?

The Ofsted Big Listen was welcome and timely, coinciding with a new government in situ with much to prove.

The backdrop to events that pre-dated the largest consultation exercise in the inspectorate’s history is well documented. Listening to the sister of the Headteacher Ruth Perry speak with dignity, intellect and emotion last week was difficult. I admire her greatly for the role she has played in seeking change in such a balanced and informed way.

For FE & Skills providers specifically, it seems like we are often a bolt-on to the main narrative surrounding Ofsted, regularly greeting announcements with the stock question “but what about FE?” In reality, the sector makes up approximately 3% of Ofsted’s inspection responsibilities, a mere 2000 organisations in comparison to the 70000+ that sit elsewhere within their education and care remit. However, FE & Skills has an eye-wateringly complex brief and, as Ofsted itself says, “This sector underpins employment and growth in the most disadvantaged areas. The most vulnerable young people and adults, including those with SEND, are also overrepresented in FE & Skills.” Your feedback matters and thankfully, the Big Listen shows that you have a voice.

In reading through the findings, it was positive to see that in comparison to our colleagues in schools, a significantly higher proportion of those who responded from FE stated they trust Ofsted to get it right. I have seen firsthand many examples of the positive impact of a balanced inspection to drive change or give cause for celebration. Yet there is room for improvement and that has been recognised in the consultation.

Here are my top five takeaways. I’ve ignored the proposed report card for now as I’m remaining healthily cynical about what it really means in practice.

1. Removing the overall single grade. It won’t surprise anyone that I am delighted to see the removal of the overall grade for schools, and I look forward to the same following soon for FE & Skills. It puts Ofsted and those they inspect on an unnecessary collision course. Whilst educators are inclined to dig under a single headline grade, most working outside of education won’t. It is a single badge of perceived honour or dishonour with consequences. Good riddance to it. It is a force for limited, tunnel vision, rather than one that informs sustainable improvement.
2. Consulting on a specific FE & Skills framework. The research that informed the current Education Inspection Framework was primarily conducted in schools. Whilst there is much cross-over, it doesn’t fully fit nor reflect the breadth of FE provision. A limited understanding of the role of employers and the lack of nuance in careers guidance are just two examples. Through the lens of the recent riots and the exceptional response of many providers, I hope the importance of democracy, rule of law, liberty, respect, and tolerance are not swept away. FE plays an important role in this space for both young people and adults alike. We should be aiming to do more, not less.
3. Revisiting notice periods. If there is a decision in recent years that I think has been the wrong one, it is the increase to five days’ notice for some providers but not others. It struck me as deeply unfair and has left the inspectorate open to avoidable criticism for the rationale behind who gets more notice and who doesn’t. It is right for it to be reconsidered in the forthcoming changes, as the model that exists now is ill-thought through.
4. Scope of provision. I expected Ofsted would seek the inclusion of HTQs in its mandate and likely gives a nod towards where many of us envisage the revised Skills Levy will head. But in doing so, there is increasingly a blurring of accountability lines between Ofsted and the Office for Students. One must question at what point the government grasps the nettle and reviews the entire post-16 regulatory landscape.
5. Removing barriers for learners with SEND or those from a disadvantaged background. This is a significant and important statement of intent. Excellent work takes place in many schools and FE providers that would be valuable to understand better to build capacity in the system through shared learning. I’m fortunate enough to be close to the best of it. But there is far more to do, and Ofsted can play an important role in shining a light on good and poor practice.

Above all else what we need to remind ourselves is great provision is great provision. An inspection framework doesn’t change that of its own accord. It holds a mirror up to what we do to achieve our goals, led by our values and ambition for learners. At its best, it should use its’ power to inform the quality of provision, by pouring relevant research into the content of whatever succeeds the EIF, developing our collective understanding of how young people and adults learn in a range of different settings, underpinned by the activities of organisations who facilitate learning best. What we have lacked in FE & Skills is a framework that seeks to understand what we do before it seeks to evaluate what we do. I am sensing a new dawn of collaborative working, without shying away from the bedrock of accountability that we should not only expect but demand from all types of education provision.

By Louise Doyle, CEO, Mesma