157 Group welcomes Ofsted's view of college's role in post-16 progression
23rd August 2011
For immediate release: Tuesday 23 August 2011
157 Group welcomes Ofsted's view of colleges' role in post-16 progression
BEGINS
The 157 Group has welcomed the latest Ofsted report, "Progression Post-16 for learners with learning difficulties/or disabilities". Ofsted inspectors visited 32 colleges, independent learning providers and local authority providers of adult and community learning to evaluate the arrangements for transition from school and the opportunities offered to learners up to the age of 25 with learning difficulties or disabilities. The report highlights the positive role that further education colleges play in post-16 progression, despite various barriers, such as local authorities not passing on information about student needs, which leads to duplication for colleges. Ofsted found that the qualification and funding systems were causing some concerns among providers of post-16 learning about restricting access to courses that were most suitable for some learners.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, "We encourage improved information sharing by local authorities to enable young people to have access to programmes that will help them to progress successfully, whether this is into apprenticeships, employment, greater independence, further learning or community engagements. Closer working between local authorities and the FE sector will maximise learners' chances in life. Also, foundation learning arrangements need to be more flexible, to ensure that learners secure the best paths for progression."
Frank McLoughlin CBE, principal of City and Islington College and chair of the 157 Group, said, "The report is positive about the role colleges play and very importantly highlights how they could do even more for learners if certain barriers were removed. In particular, it reinforces the arguments made by the 157 Group, and supports the need for greater flexibility in various funding and learning arrangements, to secure choice for learners."
ENDS
Notes for editors
About the 157 Group
The 157 Group represents 27 of the most influential colleges in the FE sector. It was formed in 2006 in response to paragraph 157 of Sir Andrew Foster's report on the future of further education colleges, in which he argued that principals of large successful colleges should play a greater role in policymaking.
CONTACT
Gemma Knott
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The 157 Group Limited
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Website: www.157group.co.uk
