governance good practice guide

the White Paper

In March 2006, after consultation with the sector, the government produced its White Paper: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances in response to the Foster Report.

The White Paper contains an executive summary and is accompanied by a technical annex containing key data on the FE sector and a chart of proposed actions against Foster's proposals. The AoC has produced a useful commentary.

The White Paper:

• Emphasises standards and quality: raising the bar on inadequate provision, more robust intervention, one-year turn-around for weak providers and self-improvement. The aim is to reward high performers with growth and a lighter touch inspection, to spread success and eliminate failure.
• Supports Foster's call to establish a core purpose for FE and a clear economic mission for the whole post-compulsory education and training system. The emphasis is on 'skills and employability'.
• Encourages a clearer focus and specialisation, and introduces a more challenging Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) standard.
• Promotes 6th Form Colleges as a distinct brand.
• Encourages innovation and new structural models: federations, collaborative partnerships and trusts.
• Introduces a new Framework for Excellence: a comprehensive performance assessment framework for the FE system - seven key performance indicators which relate to the three dimensions of responsiveness, effectiveness and finance, enabling the measurement and benchmarking of learning and skills provision across FE. Results will be published as a league table.
• Requires local education authorities (LEAs) to lead on 14-19 provision; Learning and Skills Council (LSC) capital funding to be directed to FE provision for 14-19s in parallel with school funding; LSCs to work closely with local authorities on 14-19s, employers and economic regeneration.
• Promises simplified funding and planning, clarity of roles, less bureaucracy, improved communications.
• Requires the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to focus on strategic leadership and policy formulation.
• Requires the LSC, through Agenda for Change, to be responsible for planning and funding, and for its internal reform. LSC to strengthen regional capacity, work more broadly with local authorities and other partners, and strategically with colleges and other providers - with less involvement in administration.
• Requires reformed inspection through the merging of the two inspectorates - the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI).
• Promises new 19-25 Level three entitlement.
• Expects that by 2008 there will be 'a new dynamism within the system'.

Click here for further information on the Foster Report.

Click here for further information on the White Paper.

Click here to view the White Paper online at the Department for Education and Skills website.