Ofsted has announced a programme of "visits" to colleges and other FE providers this autumn.
The visits, which will take place from September and will be piloted with volunteer institutions, will not be inspections, the inspectorate stressed, but will aim to "reassure parents, ministers and the public" about how colleges are managing the return to full education.
Ofsted stopped all routine inspections in March, owing to the coronavirus pandemic. A return to full education inspection is planned for January 2021, although this date will be kept under review.
Outcomes published in a letter
Ofsted stressed that the visits announced today would not be graded, and that instead, the outcomes of the discussions with college leaders will be published in a letter.
Information published by Ofsted alongside the announcement said that visits will “look at how effectively leaders are enabling provision to resume fully following an extended break in formal education, including considering remote education and safeguarding”.
They will focus on all providers with “inadequate” or “requires improvement” inspection grades, as well as “providers that we have identified risks or concerns about”. Ofsted said it would also visit “a sample of good and outstanding providers”.
“Visits will be based around a series of professional conversations with senior and middle leaders, staff and learners, with a focus on identifying the barriers that colleges and other further education and skills providers have faced and are still facing in managing the return to full education for learners.”
The curriculum and how it meets the “reasonable needs” of learners and stakeholders will be another focus, said the inspectorate, along with the approaches used to develop learner’s knowledge and skills and safeguarding arrangements.
“These visits are not ‘inspections'. They will not use the education inspection framework and further education and skills inspection handbook, but we will publish a brief operational note in September about how we will carry out visits,” said Ofsted, adding they would also “not result in any grade or progress judgement”.
“We will publish a letter explaining why we visited, what we found, and the next steps leaders should take.”
Ofsted said it would also not judge providers on their response to Covid-19 during the spring and summer terms of 2020, would not require any pre-written planning or other documentation for the visit, or ask providers for documents or records in a certain format. Staff will not have to prepare any lesson plans or examples of assessment, or put up any displays for the visit. Visits will not involve a general review of policies and procedures, said Ofsted.
“We will give further education and skills providers up to two working days’ notice of a visit, but occasionally longer where necessary.”
Monitoring visits
Also from September, the inspectorate will carry out an additional monitoring visit, "covering the three usual themes", to new providers that have one or more existing "insufficient progress" judgements and that would have been due a full inspection up to and during this interim period. "These visits will follow our established format," said Ofsted.
“New provider monitoring visits will not result in an overall inspection grade for a provider. However, inspectors will make a progress judgement for each of the themes examined, and we will publish a brief report.”
Chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: “When schools and colleges open their doors fully in September, they will face a new set of challenges, but also a huge opportunity to rekindle children’s love of learning.
“Ofsted will be part of the rebuilding effort from September. Our visits will help parents understand how schools and colleges are getting children and students back up to speed after so long at home. And we want to help schools, by having constructive conversations and not passing judgement. We all share the same aim – helping this unique generation make up for lost time and get the high-quality education they deserve.”
