Successful bid-writing
FE Sussex regularly writes bids on behalf of other organisations. Our success rate is over 80% and over the past five years this has converted to over £11M funding.
Examples of success include writing winning bids which have resulted in contracts to:
- Deliver project management services for externally sponsored initiatives
- Evaluate training schemes
- Research the need for leadership training
- Upskill staff in quality assurance
- Draft curriculum documents for overseas colleges
- Conduct quality assurance assessment of projects
We are happy to share our expertise with other organisations on a commercial basis and regularly do this as part of our income generation activities. For more information, please contact janet@fesussex.org.uk
Quality health checks and test inspection services
As the consortium of Sussex colleges, FE Sussex has been helping its own member colleges and those in other areas to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment for over 20 years. In fact, quality improvement was the original mission of FE Sussex and it continues to be one of the major factors which bind our colleges together.
These projects have been delivered on both a local and national basis. Recent activities of work undertaken on behalf of other organisations include:
- Chairing and participating in SAR validation panels
- Driving success in maths and English
- Developing on-line resources for middle manager training
- Introducing digital learning technologies
- Strategies for quality improvement
- Bid writing and editing on behalf of other consortia/companies
- Preparing for Ofsted
- Devising and writing strategies for college International Operations
- Quality improvement for adult and community education providers
- Lesson observation and assessment of teacher performance
- Organisation and delivery of complete mock Ofsted inspections
- End Point Assessment and the winds of change
The expertise and experience gained by FE Sussex is available to external colleges and organisations.
External inspection services
We also service the needs of other colleges who want to benefit from our experience and expertise. Our own staff and external consultants can visit your organisation and provide advice and guidance on maximising the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
As a sector-owned and operated organisation our daily rates are excellent value for money.
Quality evaluations, health checks and improvement services
Using a team of current practising inspectors we are highly experienced in providing advice and guidance on improving the quality of teaching and learning, preparing for inspection, conducting mock inspections, judging learning walks, writing summary reports, conducting lesson observations and other such activities. We are used to working across the spectrum of post-16 providers including that of OLASS services.
Some clients have requested week-long inspections of their college with the findings being written into a final report which can be used as the basis for the quality improvement plan of the college. Others require a simple statistical summary of what has been found. Our activities will typically include:
- The production of a pre-inspection briefing document
- Lesson observations (and learning walks) and feedback to staff
- Visits to work-based learning learners and employers
- Joint-graded lesson observations and feedback to staff
- Meeting with learners and staff to obtain feedback on their experiences
- Meetings with managers
- Meetings with employers (a forum to be arranged by the college for companies who employ apprentices)
- Phone calls to a selection of employers and learners
- Sampling and review of the college’s SAR and check on progress since the last inspection
- Examination of records of internal quality checks on teaching, learning and assessment
- Review of the college’s QIP processes
- Sampling of learner feedback, its analysis and use to improve quality
- Any other focus of area as requested by the college
Whatever your requirements, we will be pleased to jointly develop an improvement plan which is bespoke to the requirements of your organisation and opportunities.
Sixth Form College provision
We can provide consultancy on how to create cultures that generate the highest quality with minimum effort. Although this is led by a former Sixth Form College Principal with experience of achieving Ofsted grade 1, the consultancy is based on enabling the recipient college to create its own pathway to success – there is no off-the-shelf solution!
Our consultants and associates
The team of consultants and associates we have established is extensive and some have worked with us for many years. They comprise former college principals (some of ‘Outstanding’ colleges), former inspectors, current inspectors and quality improvement staff from within our member colleges. They are fully experienced in all aspects of college management and curriculum delivery.
Here’s what some of our clients have said about us:
Eastleigh College: Across one working week six of FE Sussex’s team of registered inspectors undertook a national inspection of Eastleigh College’s work-based learning sub-contractors together with in-college apprenticeship provision and study programmes. A specialist report editor assisted the lead inspector to provide the college with 15 reports covering individual sub-contractor performance and in-college provision. These reports fed into the college’s quality improvement activities. Principal Dr Jan Edrich said “I was very pleased to work with FE Sussex. Their inspector team were highly professional and identified pertinent issues throughout the inspection week. It was highly effective both in terms of staff development and the insight that this external lens on the provision gave us for quality improvement planning. It was value for money and quickly got us to the place we needed to be”.
Weymouth College: The college commissioned FE Sussex’s registered inspector team to provide inspection services and lesson observations. The inspection report was used as part of the quality improvement strategy of the college. Principal Nigel Evans said “Using FE Sussex inspection services enabled us to use the inspection report to assist in compiling and implementing our quality strategy”
West Sussex County Council Adult and Community Learning: One of FE Sussex’s inspector team continues to assist West Sussex County Council to identify and assist in the performance improvement of one of their sub-contractors for Community Education. Danny Pell, Head of Business, Post-16 Provision and Skills Children, Adults, Families, Health and Education Directorate said “We are grateful for the assistance FE Sussex education and training quality improvement inspectors have given us. They bring the benefit of a wide range of experience of quality improvement and inspection improvement techniques”.
Other clients include:
- Association of South East Colleges (AOSEC)
- Plumpton College
- Fareham College
- The Education and Training Foundation
- Department for Education
- Learning Future
- Colleges of Excellence, Saudi Arabia
- Kent County Council Adult and Community Learning
For more information, examples of our work with previous clients and typical daily rates please contact: Janet Clark on janet@fesussex.org.uk