Kerry identifies weak oversight as a common thread behind institutional failure. External governors should set clear expectations for sustainable improvement.
In further education (FE) and skills provision, the term governance often conjures images of formal processes, structural diagrams and polished board reports. But the real engine of institutional success lies not in procedural compliance, but in something more dynamic: oversight. The kind that is independent, informed and unapologetically inquisitive.
Many providers do actively engage external governance professionals. Colleges in particular are known for rigorous and often exhaustive recruitment cycles for governors and board members. There is also recently updated DfE guidance to support them in this regard. Independent training providers, universities and other institutions tend to enjoy greater flexibility in whom they recruit and how. But amid this spectrum of engagement, one key question lingers: what motivates these choices? And perhaps more importantly, what consequences arise from them?
Have you considered how the comfortable path of mediocrity is chosen over a rocky road to the top? Leadership teams instinctively know, in their heart of hearts, whether they have opted for the comfortable route or embraced the rocky road of resilience and success. Appointing governance that flatters, nods politely and remains silent in the face of challenge and tows the party line at inspection may be pleasant, but it’s also perfunctory. And often, it’s pointless.
Indeed, weak oversight is a common thread behind institutional failure. When financial irregularities surface, when poor Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs) are exposed, or when staff morale flatlines, it is rarely a mystery. More often, it’s the result of oversight lacking the rigour to ask hard questions or the courage to disrupt the status quo.
Accountability can be uncomfortable
Accountability isn’t a friendly business; it can be tough and uncomfortable. The Fellowship of Inspection Nominees (FIN) provides governance or oversight for providers nationally, including a significant number achieving Outstanding. And we are very clear with every partner: we are not your friends. We are here to advise, guide and challenge based on forensic scrutiny and professional judgment.
Great external oversight can demand discomfort, speaking directly to learners, interrogating data, tracking individual learner progress and engaging with outcomes in granular detail. Passive governance reviews might tick boxes, but proactive oversight changes lives.
Effective oversight requires consequence management. When leadership teams follow their own path regardless of findings, or worse, stifle the ability of external governors to investigate independently, governance will never reach greatness. It takes a resolute external governor to call out poor performance, even at the risk of being replaced or vilified.
Proper oversight drives sustainable improvement
That’s where motivation becomes critical. Are providers seeking oversight that holds a mirror up to uncomfortable truths, or are they appointing governance for appearances to ‘get them through’ inspection? The former can drive sustainable improvement. The latter sets the institution and learners up for long-term failure.
Looking through the learner lens is critical to ensure oversight has an impact. Ultimately, every governance choice must answer one question: How does this benefit learners?
Oversight must be relentless in its pursuit of learner outcomes, scrutinising progress, identifying gaps and demanding clarity on what is being done and why. It must go beyond dashboards and audits by delving into the lived learner experience.
Recent research from FIN highlights a clear correlation between high-impact external oversight and positive learner outcomes. From multi-site colleges to niche private providers, our interventions have restored financial health, improved Ofsted outcomes and fostered cultures of excellence.
At the heart of this success lies detailed scrutiny, sector expertise and unflinching challenge. Whether it’s stabilising failing boards or sharpening strategic focus, we have shown that the right external voice can steer even the heaviest ships through stormy seas.
External governors must set clear expectations
External governors must go beyond observing; they must interrogate. They must set clear expectations around learner progression, financial resilience, safeguarding rigour and staff development. Targets may include:
- Specific improvement in QARs or achievement gaps
- Consistency of teaching and learning scores
- Evidence of learner voice in strategic decisions
- Timeliness and accuracy of data reporting
- Robust plans for future growth and market relevance.
The key is not just to set expectations, but to monitor them actively, asking: are these targets alive and visible throughout the provider or buried in a board paper?
Perhaps it’s time to ask a hard question: Are some senior leaders in colleges too comfortable? And more importantly: do governors really scrutinise in the interest of the public purse?
Colleges operate with significant public funding and carry the enormous responsibility of shaping future generations. Oversight should reflect this urgency. Yet, in some cases, governance has become an echo chamber of reassurance rather than a driver of meaningful accountability.
Where governance is strong, its impact should not remain hidden behind closed doors. It should be documented, shared and celebrated. Sector-wide collaboration must include opportunities to showcase what works, whether that’s through published case studies, peer learning events, or participation in best practice networks, such as our own.
Providers should seek evaluation of their governance structures
Our experience with providers has demonstrated how important an evaluation of their governance structures is by identifying key gaps and development opportunities. A proper evaluation should cover: governor selection and recruitment; effective board training models; and building high-impact oversight cultures.
Too often, excellent governance lives in isolation. If the sector is serious about improvement, we must spotlight the instances where those who provide expert oversight go beyond routine and providers who welcome rigorous oversight as a catalyst for growth.
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