As a loud and proud FE fanatic, FErret doesn’t take kindly to outsiders dissing his ’hood. Accordingly, Sir Michael Wilshaw has rarely made it anywhere near, let alone into, FErret’s good books since he was appointed Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector in 2012.
It has felt to many in the sector as though there has been attack after attack from Ofsted: “FE is in a mess”; “All 16- to 19-year-olds should be taught in schools”; “Vulnerable young people end up ignored in large and amorphous colleges”; “Curricula are irrelevant to the world of employment”; “College restaurants are secretly staffed by Satanist monkeys who don’t wash their hands”. You know, the usual stuff.
It was no surprise that there was more of the same at the launch event for the inspectorate’s annual report. Sir Michael’s parting shot to the sector was that it should not be “let off the hook” over GCSE English and maths resits (but schools that fail to help their learners get a C grade after 11 years in education are, apparently, absolutely fine). The country, he continued, could “no longer afford to accept mediocrity on such a grand scale”. Righto.
Little wonder, then, that some in the sector have dismissed Sir Michael’s comments as - in the words of TES contributor Ben Verinder - “the ramblings of a soon-to-be retiree who wouldn’t know FE if it fell on his head”. FErret is inclined to agree. It has got to the stage where the potshots from Aviation House are like water off a polecat’s back. Look at this furry little face. Bovvered?
But, after Sir Michael’s grand send-off last week at the launch of the final Ofsted annual report during his tenure, it seems that FErret’s approach of indifference towards the chief inspector is not mutual. Shortly before he stepped on to the stage, Sir Michael was heard asking a TES colleague: “Who is FErret?”
Now that, Sir Michael, is a closely guarded secret (roughly on a par with the location of the Holy Grail and the precise blend of spices in the Colonel’s secret recipe). But here’s the deal: say something nice about the FE sector before you retire and FErret might just consider giving you a clue…
Taking Europe by storm
While the UK may be pulling down the shutters and sticking its fingers in its ears as far as the outside world is concerned, our FE sector prizes its place at the heart of the global WorldSkills movement. Just as the nation prepares for its exit from the European Union, Team UK have done themselves and the nation proud at the biennial EuroSkills competition, held in the Swedish city of Gothenburg last week.
And while Brexiteers may be keen to depart from the European stage as swiftly as possible, the 22 heroic members of Team UK were having none of it. In fact, during the opening ceremony, they enacted an impromptu stage invasion, much to the bemusement of the officials.
Given the months of intense training and mind-bogglingly hard work that went into their preparations for Gothenburg, FErret reckons they were fully deserving of their moment in the spotlight. Well played, Team UK.
Share your gossip, scandal and intrigue with FErret by emailing ferret@tesglobal.com
