Scrutton Bland Education Newsletter - Autumn 2016

Ofsted

Financial Sanctions for inappropriately assigning students to A-level courses (April 2016) During a Parliamentary sub-committee meeting (April 27 2016), Nick Boles, Skills Minister at the time, warned that Sixth Form Colleges could received financial sanctions if students are inappropriately assigned to A-level courses. Although schools and colleges currently receive 17.5 per cent less funding for students who repeat an A-level year, there is no financial sanction for students dropping out and transferring elsewhere. Malcolm Trobe, interim general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders provided a negative response and expressed that funding within the education sector is sufficiently “tight and complex”. Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, stated that after a 2013 Ofsted report found that three quarters of schools failed to equally promote vocational options, the Skills Minister’s comment was not a surprise. A Department for Education spokesperson said the department was “looking to examine” the incentives to schools for students to complete a full programme.

Ofsted is considering campus grades after area review (July 2016) Times Educational Supplement (TES) has reported that Ofsted is considering campus grades rather than grading colleges at corporation level, which is the current practice. This change is being considered in response to the likelihood of a smaller number of larger colleges, due to the area reviews. It is anticipated that colleges will be more likely to operate across several geographical locations and the suggestion is an attempt to improve local accountability.

Next Ofsted Chief Inspector (July 2016) The Education Secretary has announced that Ms. Amanda Spielman has been appointed as the next Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Service and Skills (HMCI). Ms. Spielman will take over from Sir Michael Wilshaw once his term of appointment has ended at the end of 2016.

E D U C A T I O N | S C R U T T O N B L A N D | 6

Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog