Ofsted reveals north-south divide behind college failure

Citation

(2005), "Ofsted reveals north-south divide behind college failure", Education + Training, Vol. 47 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2005.00447cab.004

Ofsted reveals north-south divide behind college failure

Nearly three times as many colleges are failing in the south of England as in the north, and they are all general further-education (GFE) colleges. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of the best colleges in the country are sixth-form colleges, according to two reports published by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). Almost one-fifth of colleges in the south, and 12 per cent of colleges nationally, are failing. Eight per cent of colleges are outstanding.

The reports' findings are based on evidence from the current three-year college inspection cycle, which began in April 2001 when Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) assumed responsibility for college inspections. During this time, 308 GFE, tertiary and sixth-form colleges in England have been inspected. Thirty-seven GFE, tertiary and specialist colleges failed their inspection, 12 of which have been reinspected two years after their original inspection – with only one remaining inadequate.

The area south of, but not including, Birmingham is home to 29 – or 80 per cent – of these failing colleges. The Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, said: “Ofsted inspections highlight a number of possible reasons for this striking difference. Almost all the colleges in the south are in local-authority areas where there is very intensive competition among post-16 providers and where the general further-education college is often the institution of last resort, particularly for school leavers. It is possible that colleges in the north have a greater understanding of how to educate and train the artisans of the 21st century because they are rooted in the industrial heartland of the country. He also noted that a general further-education college's intake is non-selective and increasingly they cater for students whose previous academic achievements have been minimal because their education has been fragmented or largely non-existent. “Almost without exception, inadequate colleges have too few teaching staff able to deal with the particular challenges that such students bring.”

Twenty-nine colleges were judged to be outstanding, of which 17 are sixth-form colleges, nine are GFE or tertiary colleges and three are specialist colleges, including one independent specialist college. Geographically, these 29 colleges are located in all parts of the country, with 14 in the north of England and 15 in the south. The colleges are not restricted to affluent areas. Mr Bell said: “The reasons for the success of these 29 colleges are, despite their different roles and locations, very similar. All have a clear understanding of the particular nature of their mission and pursue its realization single-mindedly”. A significant common feature of outstanding colleges is that they understand the importance of investing in qualified specialist staff, to whom they give ample opportunities for continuous professional development.

The Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Kim Howells, welcomed Ofsted's evidence that there are many excellent sixth-form and general further-education colleges and detailed reports on some of the factors that make for success or underlie failure. He noted that the Government is aware that some colleges are unsatisfactory and stressed that the Government's Success for All strategy embraces plans to accelerate quality improvement in the post-16 sector.