Area reviews Information about inspections to inform area review steering groups and providers involved in area reviews

 Ofsted will inspect in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework and the Further education and skills handbook published in August 2015  Ofsted will continue to contribute regular independent quality assessment of providers throughout the period when area reviews will take place  Ofsted will continue to offer ‘support and challenge’ visits with respect to providers found to be inadequate or judged ‘requires improvement’. Our role (1).

Ofsted will:  be represented on the area based review advisory group  provide inspection outcome data on post-16 providers to the joint unit for the use of the area review steering groups. Ofsted will not:  be a part of the area review steering groups  be involved in any decision making with respect to the outcomes of area reviews.   A new inspection methodology  Short inspections for the majority of good FES providers approximately every three years (a full inspection only if risk assessment suggests this is necessary). We will:  Do everything we can to remove the pressure for providers to ‘get ready for inspection’ – we want to see what you do daily for all of your learners. Our role (2).

Ofsted will:  inspect all providers in accordance with the timescales and frequencies as detailed in the Further education and skills inspection handbook  normally inspect providers judged as requiring improvement between 12 and 24 months following their most recent inspection  normally inspect providers judged as inadequate within 15 months of their most recent inspection  complete inspections within the above timescales, prior to any merger taking place, wherever possible.  Inspection activity (1).

Ofsted will:  normally inspect good providers during the area review process if they are selected for inspection as a result of risk assessment or if scheduled for a short inspection  normally not inspect outstanding providers unless they are selected for inspection as a result of risk assessment  complete the above inspections throughout the area review process up until the point of any merger(s) Inspection activity (2).

Ofsted will:  normally inspect any merged college(s) within three years of the merger. Ofsted may:  conduct monitoring or support and challenge visits at any time following any merger(s). Inspection post merger (1).

Ofsted will:  continue to inspect colleges at FE Corporation level and hence provide a single inspection that will produce one report and set of grades regardless of the size, geographical location or type of provision offered. Ofsted is:  in discussions with BIS and DFE about how a future inspection regime may provide for individual ‘campus level’ grades and reports as well as at ‘corporation’ level. Inspections post merger (2).

 We will publish any further information in our regular sector update on our website  Information about area reviews is available at cations/post-16-education-and-training- institutions-area-based-reviews cations/post-16-education-and-training- institutions-area-based-reviews Further information.