December Insights 2024

Are leaders focusing sufficiently on achievement? This area for improvement identified in a recent report indicates a closer focus on achievement than recently seen. “Accelerate the pace of improvements in apprenticeships so that more apprentices achieve their qualifications on time.” Achievement is increasing in frequency in reports, and of course, we have the ‘achievement’ aspect […]

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – DEBUT ACADEMY

WHAT IS YOUR STORY ? Established in 2004 as a private training provider, I gained valuable experience and in 2011 secured a subcontract with a large training provider. Due to the instability of subcontracting funding, we found ourselves working with four prime contractors, learning both what to do and what to avoid. We adopted the […]

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY

WHAT IS YOUR STORY AS A PROVIDER? Like many universities, our apprenticeship provision developed organically through individual departments developing apprenticeship programmes without having a full understanding of apprenticeships and the systems in place to be able to ensure compliance with the funding rules. As the number of apprenticeships has increased, we realised that new governance […]

November Insights 2024

Are leaders sufficiently ambitious for their learners? The Inspection Handbook refers to and explores the concept of ambition in education, emphasising that while most tutors and coaches consider themselves ambitious for their learners, defining and measuring ambition can be challenging. Ambition varies based on subject matter, age, and specific knowledge of what learners should achieve […]

October Insights 2024

The revised Inspection Handbook refers to personal data Ofsted may hold. This includes information about staff employment and performance, staff’s personal opinions relevant to their work, details of previous employment/references from staff files, and other suitability checks. We find the reference to staff’s personal views about their work interesting and wonder how damaging any negative […]

FIN’s contribution to Big Listen

The Fellowship of Inspection Nominees (FIN) is very pleased that Ofsted has taken on board recommendations made in FIN’s Big Listen submission which was based on the experiences of nearly 200 nominees in training providers, employers, colleges and universities. To read the full article on FIN’s contribution to Big Listen click here. Quotes From Ofsted Publication […]

Functional Skills Qualification Reform Proposals

Major reform of Functional Skills Qualifications should result from Curriculum and Assessment Review, say inspection nominees The Fellowship of Inspection Nominees (FIN) has called for the attainment of Functional Skills Qualifications (FSQs) to remain part of a successful apprenticeship but wants FSQs to become much more relevant to suit the needs of employers and apprentices. […]

September Insights 2024

It’s been an interesting month as regards inspections. August saw many new providers enter the scene and receive their new provider monitoring visits; interestingly, all achieved at least reasonable progress. It may interest readers to know there are around 150 providers who have not been inspected under the EIF, with the earliest going back to […]

August Insights 2024

“There is no such thing as too much horsepower, just not enough traction.” – Carroll Shelby The above quote from Carroll Shelby, the renowned American car engineer famous for muscle cars such as the Shelby Cobra, invoked the thought, how many great new teaching initiatives or delivery ideas have been developed but have yet to […]

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