What Does Outstanding
Look Like?
Alison O’Brien, K&A Associates.
Anne Price, Director of Education and
Life skills, David Lewis
So what does outstanding look
like?
How do we get there.....................??
It is Difficult to Get!
Between 2001-2011
only 143 providers in the
FE sector were rated
outstanding
Even Harder to sustain
Only 38% managed to
retain their outstanding
grade at re-inspection
Outstanding ISCs
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Derwen College
Foxes
Beaumont College
Linkage
Thornbeck
Ruskin Mill
Can we Describe it?
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It is better than good
It is great outcomes
It’s learner centred
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Will it look different with the new
CIF?
• What will be different?
• Do you understand the differences?
• How do you keep up to date in the changing
landscape?
• Being inspection ready – providing the
evidence
Doing things Right and Doing
the Right Thing
“ The difference between efficiency and effectiveness”
“Efficiency is concerned with doing things right.
Effectiveness is doing the right things”.
“There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which
should not be done at all.” Peter F. Drucker
Efficiency is outputs
Effectiveness is outcomes
Outstanding providers do both!
Doing things Right
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Quality Assurance comprehensive and rigorous
Commitment to E&D. Equalities legislation,
Staff Training
Observation of teaching and learning
Detailed risk assessments
Strategic plan, development plan action plan clearly
reviewed
Links and partnerships
Comprehensive safeguarding procedures
Compliance and promotion of health and safety
Adaptation of equipment
Doing things right can change over time
That is when it can feel like the goal posts keep moving!
Doing the right thing is more
constant
Some fundamentals..
Some tablets of
stone?
What do we know about doing
the right thing?
• Further Education Funding Council :Good
Practice Guide – 1996
• Adult Learning Inspectorate – Greater
Expectations,2007
• Ofsted Report - Progression post-16 for
learners with learning difficulties and/or
disabilities
Key Areas
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Delivering Outcomes drives the rest
Curriculum
Planning Learning and Reviewing Progress
Delivering learning (Aspect B delivers Aspect A)
Workforce (how do they promote independence / allow learners to
make mistakes but then learn from them?)
• Outcomes including Destinations
• Consistency (L&M at all levels / taking responsibility for delivering
high quality first time)
Curriculum
Ofsted says:
"Too few young people with learning
difficulties and/or disabilities progress from
school to complete programmes of learning
in post-16 settings which develop greater
independence; lead to further study,
supported or open employment; or provide
skills for independent living".
Making the Best of Foundation
Learning
Ofsted says;
“The programmes reviewed by inspectors were too narrowly
focused on accreditation and were not effective in enabling
learners to progress to open or supported employment,
independent living or community engagement.”
“Foundation learning programmes were successful for learners
whose main goal was to progress to level 2 provision or higher.
But for those learners for whom this was not a main goal, they
were too narrowly focused on accreditation. The programmes
seen offered too few meaningful opportunities for work
experience and other practical learning situations in which to
develop skills.”
Curriculum Key Themes
The Curriculum is:
• The mechanism by which we translate the aspirations of
the person centred plan and the students vision for the
future into meaningful outcomes and destinations.
• Prioritises skills which are directly related to their future
lives
• Has an employability focus with work related skills and
appropriate qualifications
• Embeds “skills for life” in practical activities
• Sets clear and challenging targets
• Focus on development of social and independence skills
• Is modified in response to learners needs
Planning Learning and Reviewing
Progress
Ofsted Says
"In reviewing learners’ individual learning plans, a common area for
improvement identified by inspectors was that, although the plans
identified support needs clearly, the goals for learners on the
foundation programmes were frequently expressed solely in terms of
qualifications. The generic goals that learners might develop as a
result of taking different units, such as social skills, were not clearly
identified or tracked“
"ensure that teaching and learning focus on providing meaningful
practical activities that match individual needs"
"offer programmes which provide an appropriate level of challenge
and prepare learners for progression to the destinations that match
their long term goals"
Planning Learning and reviewing
progress
• A relentless focus on long term goals
and outcomes?
• A clear line of sight between those long term
goals and learning activities
• The learning as a means not an end
• Capture all learning – formal, incidental
• Focus on purpose with detailed and regular
feedback from learners, parents and carers
Delivery
Ofsted Says
• "Too few practical, real work opportunities were available to learners
on foundation programmes..
• "In the less effective sessions, areas for improvement included poorly
planned support, low expectations of learners and too much focus on
achievement of units, rather than generic goals such as social skills
that would prepare learners for their future destinations."
• "successful outcomes are more likely to occur where learners spend
significant amounts of time gaining work experience as part of their
learning programme“
• "explore ways to provide job coaching and internships to prepare
learners for open or supported employment and apprenticeships"
Delivery -Key themes
• Delivery in real, relevant and practical contexts wherever
possible
• Acquire skills through real rather than simulated
activities
• Adopt innovative delivery approaches
• Teaching is consistently good or better
• Specialism is developed and deployed effectively
particularly in assessment
Workforce
Ofsted says
“the roles of the support staff on mainstream
courses had gradually evolved into specialists
who enabled learners to develop strategies for
learning, rather than primarily assisting in the
classroom”.
“an indication of training required for tutors and
support staff working with the learner on ILPs”
“guidance for staff about effective strategies
and ways of working with the learner”
(including those in service areas)
Workforce Development – Key Themes
• More than compliance
• Development clearly linked to the needs of
the learners
• Specialist!!
• Clarity about respective roles and
responsibilities and how to work together to
support progress
Measuring Progress and Outcomes
Ofsted says
“Too
little is known about the destinations of learners once they leave post-16
provision
“The survey visits identified that all providers had started to collect data about
destinations, although very few could provide year on year comparisons about
sustained employment. Employment outcomes were relatively low from entry
level provision.”
“Very few providers included comprehensive information about the extent to
which learners met their long-term destination and aspirational goals “
“The reliance on qualification success rates as the sole indicator of the
effectiveness of provision is not appropriate for learners on entry and pre-entry
level programmes. It is also not appropriate as the sole indicator for supported
learners at levels 2 and 3, where the support required may relate to enabling a
young person to manage social situations as well as the academic aspects of a
course. “
“provide more detail in their self-assessment reports about outcomes, including
learners’ destinations and the distance travelled by them from the start of their
programme to achieve their long-term goals”
Measuring Progress
• What might a range of comprehensive information
look like?
• How do we create a better balance between the
use of data for the purposes of external
accountability (measurement) and that which
provides feedback for organisational
improvement. How do we measure what matters
as well as what can be counted?
• How do we evidence an understanding the
learners journey through the college, as part the
self assessment activity to get under the skin of
the pattern, and effectiveness, of the provision.
Activity
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Taking one of key themes, work in groups to
discuss:
What is outstanding? – do you agree with
our suggestions and what would you add?
How? – what has or is helping you to do that
well? Examples?
Action points? – what are the key action
points/areas for further development in your
college?
Agree key things to feedback to the group