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 is inspected by Ofsted under the Education and Inspection Framework, using the FE and Skills Inspection Handbook
- 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 September 2022, Ofsted ran a workshop for curriculum leaders in specialist colleges in the South West region. They have given us permission to share the slides used at the event with Natspec members.
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.
Inspection outcomes
Natspec collates and analyses findings from the Ofsted inspection reports of members on a regular basis.
- Analysis of Ofsted reports – summer term 2024 with an Appendix of inspection data
- Analysis of Ofsted reports – autumn term 2023 to spring term 2024
- Analysis of Ofsted reports – spring and summer terms 2023
- Analysis of Ofsted reports – autumn term 2022
- Analysis of inspection reports – spring and summer 2022
- Analysis of inspection reports – autumn 2021
- Log of Ofsted inspections – 2022-23
- Log of Ofsted inspections – summer term 2022
- Log of Ofsted inspections – spring term 2022
- Log of Ofsted inspections – autumn term 2021
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 Quality Times twice a year. It is focused on quality improvement across the breadth of specialist college provision and features articles written by members, partners and staff in the Natspec team.
- 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
RARPA
The RARPA Guide
The Education and Training Foundation commissioned Natspec to produce a comprehensive guide to the use of RARPA with students with SEND. It explains what effective practice looks like at each of the five stages and suggests some robust quality assurance measures to use at each stage. The guide clarifies the links between RARPA, EHC Plans, and Ofsted’s Education and Inspection Framework.
Further resources are available on our dedicated RARPA resources page.
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.
