Framework for Excellence Pilot Institutions Announced

25 May 2007

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) today reveals the 100 institutions that will pilot the
Framework for Excellence. The Framework for Excellence is a new system developed to
rate a college’s performance and the quality of its provision. This is a key element of the
LSC’s agenda for change programme, which aims to raise the reputation of the FE system
by encouraging excellence, economic success and simplification. This pilot programme
follows extensive consultation and testing, and will run from summer 2007 to summer
2008.
The 100 pilot institutions have been selected as a representative, statistical sample from a
cross-section of the national FE system, comprising organisations of differing sizes, types
of provision, and levels of performance. The sample group also includes a number of
National Employer Service providers and those that have recently been involved in
mergers, to ensure that providers that form part of a consortium are represented.
Henry Ball, LSC South East Regional Director and Senior Responsible Officer for the
Framework said:
“This is an extremely exciting time in the development of the Framework. The enthusiasm
and support of providers as we enter the piloting phase of the project is crucial to its
success.
“We remain enormously indebted to the individuals and institutions that are committed to
ensuring that the Framework for Excellence is a success, and gives providers, employers,
learners and the wider FE system what it wants and needs.”
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The Minister for Further, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, Bill Rammell MP said:
"Further Education makes a huge contribution to our economy and society. This
important Framework underpins the sweeping FE reforms we announced last year and
will help us realise Lord Leitch's vision for skills set out for our future competitiveness.
“This measure will better enable colleges and providers to manage their own
improvement. Taken with the QIA Improvement Strategy and our intervention policy
Framework for Excellence adds up to a powerful support package, showing colleges and
providers where they are and helping them get to where they want to be."
From summer 2008, the first version of the Framework for Excellence will apply to all
colleges and work-based learning providers, and therefore it is these providers that form
the majority of the institutions in the pilot list. Colleges and providers not selected for the
pilot are encouraged to follow the development of the Framework for Excellence closely,
as it will eventually be the principal mechanism by which all LSC-funded provision is
assessed (with some exceptions).
Also, from the summer of 2008, a second pilot programme will focus more widely on other
types of provision, such as specialist colleges, adult education and voluntary sector
providers.
For the full list of 100 pilot institutions that will be applying the Framework for Excellence
performance indicators in 2007/08, please visit: ffe.lsc.gov.uk.