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Supporting and Representing Further

Education:

The Role of the Association of Colleges in

Quality Improvement

Joy Mercer, Director of Policy

20th February 2013

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Association of CollegesKey facts

• 352 members - 97% of General Further Education, Tertiary, Specialist Colleges and 6th form Colleges

• Educate and Train 3 million students every year• 45,000 apprenticeships• 58,000 - 14-15 year olds• 33% of entrants to higher education• 257 Colleges deliver higher education about 10%

of all HE• 81% of HNCs and 59% of HNDs• 19,000 students from the EU; 23,000 from non EU

Title of the slideSecond line of the slideAoC - our role and actions

• Not for profit - College subscription plus commercially generated work to plough back into services and keep subscriptions low

• Represent and promote Colleges to government and its agencies and the public through - Portfolio groups, policy forums; MPs and ministers; representation on standing and ad hoc groups

• Enhance Colleges’ reputation - through media, research, supporting quality improvement

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Supporting Quality Improvement• Sharing practice - Conferences, seminars,

bespoke training; consultancy; College case studies, surveys, weekly briefings

• Government sponsored projects - models of Higher Apprenticeships; Credit accumulation and transfer in higher skills; College Careers hubs; 16-19 Study Programmes; Commission of Inquiry into Colleges in their Communities - Thinking outside the College; Improving Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Urban Colleges - with Ofsted; Informing Choice with BIS; FE Guild - sector wide support for professionalism

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Case Study 1 - Working with Ofsted The issue - Teaching and Learning

Sept 2010- Sept 2011

Sept 2011- Sept 2012Total 74 Total

56

1 5 7% 1 2 4% 2 31 42% 2 19 33%

3 35 47% 3 24 43%

4 3 4% 4 11 20%

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Case Study 1-Working with Ofsted - Urban Colleges• evaluate the challenging factors in improving

teaching, learning and assessment in urban colleges complexity and diversity of the student cohorts; range of ability on entry, difficulties identifying prior attainment, particularly for adult students; high proportion of students - English is not their first language; lack of stability in inner-city life; safeguarding concerns and mental health issues, economic and social deprivation and cultural influences on students’ attendance and punctuality, motivation, confidence and readiness to learn

.

Title of the slideSecond line of the slideCase Study 1 - Working with Ofsted - Urban Colleges

• Ofsted-resource; 2 inspectors for 2 weeks; report written; presentation at an AoC seminar

• AoC - writing the brief; identifying Colleges; dissemination

Key outcomes• Increasing attendance including widening the

definition of attendance• Improved use of formative assessment • Effective staff development• A curriculum delivery model that supports the

most disadvantaged learners• Attracting, training and inducting of staff• Improving inspectors awareness of critical

factors

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Case Study 2 - FE Public Information -The issue - Co investment needs good information

• National Improvement Partnership Board - 3 sector representative bodies - AoC; AELP and Holex

• Funding from Government Department (BIS)• Survey of students; parents; employers - What

information is useful to inform choice?• Fieldwork with providers• Template for presentation of information and

use of national indicators of learner satisfaction, employer satisfaction; success rates and learner destinations

• Test bed providers from each membership body• National conference• Further roll out

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Case Study 3 - FE GuildThe issue - Deregulation

• Deregulation of teaching qualifications in FE and membership of IfL

• BIS - Prospectus for an FE Guild - teaching qualifications; CPD; Improving teaching and learning, governance and leadership of learning

• AoC/ AELP sponsored initiative with support from all sector bodies; for the Sector by the Sector

• Office established at AoC• Regional seminars to develop a prospectus• Consultation on scope, membership;

governance; implementation and resources

Title of the slideSecond line of the slideWorking together

Advantages• Bottom up not top down • Decreased bureaucracy• Joint venture, joint buy in• From practice to policy• Potentially cost effectiveDisadvantages• Gaining consensus takes time• Hidden costs• Overcoming compliance culture• No one to blame