Natspec has collated these resources to support members and the wider sector to continuously improve the quality of further education for students with learning difficulties and / or disabilities.
Table of contents
Inspection
Key inspection documents
In England:
- education provision in England in receipt of DfE funding is inspected by Ofsted under the Education and Inspection Framework, using the Further education and skills inspection toolkit
- residential colleges offering regulated activities are inspected by CQC, using the Key Lines of Enquiry for Adult Social Care Services
- residential provision for 16-18 year olds offered by colleges who are NOT inspected by CQC is inspected by Ofsted under the Social Care Common Inspection Framework.
In Wales:
- education provision is inspected by Estyn under the common inspection framework, using the guidance handbook for the inspection of independent specialist colleges
- residential colleges offering regulated services are inspected by CIW using the code of practice for inspection.
Quality audit
Natspec has created a set of questions and an accompanying self-audit tool to support newer colleges to reflect on the quality of their provision and identify ways to improve.
Quality Times
Natspec publishes a regular series of articles which focus on quality improvement. We invite staff from member colleges, partners, and the Natspec team to contribute. All the articles are available on our website.
We previously published Quality Times as a twice yearly periodical. View the back issues below:
- Quality Times Issue 10 – March 2024
- Quality Times Issue 9 – September 2023
- Quality Times Issue 8 – February 2023
- Quality Times Issue 7 – July 2022
- Quality Times Issue 6 – January 2022
- Quality Times Issue 5 – June 2021
- Quality Times Issue 4 – January 2020
- Quality Times Issue 3 – June 2019
Provision for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties
Guidance including a self-assessment framework for providers offering or setting up provision for learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Commissioned from Natspec by the ETF, it can be used to support the quality assurance of PMLD provision.
Natspec also runs Developing the PMLD curriculum for learners aged 16-25 which may be helpful to those looking to develop their PMLD provision.
Other resources that may interest you
The following pages contain further resources that will support you in improving the quality of your provision.
