This blog was written by Annie Coles & Stephen King – SDN Mesma Group Technical Education Specialists
The first wave of Ofsted reports under the new inspection toolkit have landed, and they’re already sparking conversations across the sector. Our Technical Education Specialists, Annie Coles and Stephen King, met to unpack their findings from the released reports and what they reveal about leadership and governance, and why some results were surprising.
Expected standards dominate, but context matters
To date, most FE & Skills providers (84%) have met the ‘expected standard’ for leadership and governance, with only one achieving a rating of ‘strong’. At first glance, this seems reassuring, but dig deeper, and you’ll notice a pattern: many of these providers operate with small learner numbers. That can help with consistency, though it can also mean there’s less room to test different approaches.
Inclusion: more than a buzzword
Inclusion emerged as a recurring theme across the reports, not confined to its dedicated section but woven throughout the findings, and particularly within the Leadership and Governance section, underscoring the need for greater depth and breadth in how Leaders and Governors embed inclusion.
In the majority of the 19 reports (89%), inclusion was rated as ‘expected standard’ or above, and the narrative often remained positive, demonstrating a high bar, statements include:
- ‘The needs of all learners, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully met’
- ‘Leaders have created an inclusive culture where learners and apprentices, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are welcomed and supported to succeed.’
- ‘Leaders review support regularly to ensure it is effective and make suitable adjustments when needed.’
Inclusion is clearly a priority, but there’s room for improvement in embedding expertise and the systematic planning, monitoring and tapering of support.
Culture and ambition drive success
Across the board, one word kept appearing in reports: ambition. Where providers received positive feedback or were rated highly, ambition was evident in:
- Curriculum design that stretches learners.
- Advisory board & employer influence in strategic decisions.
- Inclusive cultures that set high expectations for achievement.
A discussion point noted that if learners feel people expect them to achieve, they’re more likely to succeed. That cultural mindset, led by strong governance, sets the tone for the actions that follow.
Case study: leadership and management apprenticeship provider
The only provider to achieve a strong standard in leadership and governance was one specialising in leadership and management apprenticeships. This is not surprising, given their specialism, but still noteworthy. Their success was attributed to:
- Highly ambitious curricula, that responds to employers’ needs
- Strong insight and information sharing with advisory boards
- Leaders valuing their staff and creating a culture of wellbeing
Case study: motor vehicle apprenticeship & bootcamp provider
One of the most interesting findings came from a motor vehicle training provider. While their leadership and governance were rated as ‘expected standard’, their curriculum delivery and achievement stood out as strong. Here’s why
- Meaningful Adult achievement: Learners leave with increased opportunities and accredited qualifications that align with employer and industry needs.
- Curriculum design matters: Apprenticeship routes were chosen strategically, and initial assessments were used effectively to individualise training plans.
- Scale helps: With around 80 apprentices, this provider had enough learners to demonstrate robust outcomes compared to others with much smaller cohorts.
This case shows that strong achievement often starts with ambitious curriculum planning and personalised learning pathways but without consistency across provisions it does not necessarily indicate strong Leadership and Governance.
Key takeaways
- ‘Expected standard’ dominates, but strong ratings are possible with ambition and personalisation.
- Inclusion matters; “Inclusion planned well” is expected. “Inclusion with visible impact” is what inspectors seem to be highlighting.
- Understanding curriculum quality is a must for governors, to appropriately challenge and support providers.
- Culture and governance determine learner experience, and sustained outcomes.
Advice for leaders and governors:
- Expected is not enough: Aim for strong by embedding ambition and personalisation.
- Inclusion needs depth: Beyond tools, develop staff in their approach to inclusive practice, and how to review support plans systematically, with a view to tapering support over time.
- Culture drives outcomes: High expectations and ambition matter, but staff need the right support to succeed.
- Governance must add value: Boards should challenge and support educational quality, as an equal to compliance, financial strategy and performance.
Final thoughts
The first reports under the new toolkit suggest a sector largely meeting expectations, with pockets of excellence where ambition and culture shine through. We will monitor reports as they are published to see if these early trends hold, and as larger providers start to be inspected, whether this picture remains and which providers push beyond ‘expected’ to ‘strong’.
Learning from the first inspections under the revised Ofsted Education Inspection Framework
Shaped by the first batches of inspection reports, this free webinar helps you learn from inspections conducted under the revised Ofsted Education Inspection Framework. You’ll be hearing from a panel of speakers who have experienced inspection under the revised Ofsted framework.
Since “The Big Listen” consultation, SDN Mesma Group have hosted free-to-access webinars helping providers unpack the changes together with colleagues from across the sector. We look at how these changes shape future inspections, impact inclusion, and self-assessment, and consider the practical implications. With decades of experience in quality assurance and improvement, we take a practical, no-nonsense approach—helping you make sense of the proposals and, more importantly, what they mean in practice.
Access all the webinar recordings in this series and register for the next live webinar.