• New providers
• How we work with you
• All the latest
• Our programmes
• Logos and design guidelines
• Measuring quality
• Financial information and guidance
• Funding documents
• Funding Rules
• Funding Simplification
• Minimum Contract Levels
• Provider Access Project
• SIS Briefings
• Subcontracting

Measuring quality

Our mission is to ensure that people and businesses can access the skills training they need to succeed in playing their part in society and in growing England’s economy. We do this in the context of policy set by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and informed by the needs of businesses, communities and sector and industry bodies. We work to an annual budget, targets and priorities set by the Department. In order to achieve our mission and meet these targets and priorities, we monitor and measure quality and performance using the following frameworks and standards.

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Equality and Diversity

In April 2012, we published a new Single Equality Scheme, which sets out how we propose to meet our legal equality duties, and go beyond them where practicable. It covers all the protected characteristics in the Equality Act, and it covers both the learners we fund, and our staff. In October 2011, we published an equality progress report, which outlines the progress we are making. If you would like any further information, please email equality@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk.

Learner Equality Survey – Religion and Belief

The Agency has commissioned Babcock to undertake an evaluation of learners’ views of the relationship between religion and/or belief and their experiences in further education. This important piece of work will provide evidence to inform provider good practice in light of the Equality Act.

Babcock are contacting providers in spring 2012 to ask them to promote the survey amongst their learners.

For further information, please email Research@babcock.co.uk or equality@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk

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Equality information

On 31 January 2012, the Agency and Data Service published a report analysing participation and success rates of adult learners (aged 19 and above) in 2008/09 and 2009/10, by ethnicity, gender, disability and age, using data from the Individualised Learner Record. Key findings for 2009/10 included:

• 18.2 per cent of adult learners were from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) group.
• 57.4 per cent of adult learners were female.
• 10.7 per cent of learners declared a learning difficulty/disability.

The full report is available in the Data Service Management Information Reports Library. We would be grateful for any feedback on the content and format of the report, to inform an update which will be published later in 2012. Please email equality@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk with any comments.

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Research into Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality in Adult Learning

In August 2011, the Skills Funding Agency published research into Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality in Adult Learning. The research is intended to fill a knowledge gap in the sector as to how well the Further Education sector meets the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender learners, and also how the sexual orientation and gender identity of learners might inform the choices they make.

It shows that there is much to celebrate in adult learning, with the experience of respondents, including past, current and potential learners, being mostly positive. When asked to rate how welcoming their college or provider is, the average score given by respondents was over seven out of ten. However, there are recommendations for change from the research that should make significant improvements to creating a more equal and inclusive environment.

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FE Public Information Framework

The prime purpose of the FE Public Information Framework is to provide public, comparable information for publicly funded FE colleges and training providers. The overarching ambition is to offer a clear and coherent approach, giving employers, learners, parents and careers and guidance advisers better information about the quality of the provision available, helping them make more informed choices.

The Framework provides a core set of centrally collected consistent information on key performance indicators (PIs) for providers. Users can search for providers and find out about their scores in four key performance areas:  Success Rates, Learner Destinations, Learner Satisfaction and Employer Satisfaction on our public comparison website. They can also view the latest Ofsted grade for each provider and compare the performance of providers against one another.  Over time the core indicators will be supplemented by more information published in a consistent format by providers themselves.

If you would like to know more about the FE Public Information Framework visit our FE Public Information pages.

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Minimum Levels of Performance

Minimum Levels of Performance are a series of reports which provide an analysis of a providers qualification success rates. They show the volume of provision which falls below a particular threshold, expressed as a percentage. Currently there are different thresholds, varying according to level, duration and funding type – see below. Minimum Levels of Performance represent the absolute minimum success-rate performance. Providers are expected to exceed these levels, as meeting the levels is not necessarily enough to guarantee continued funding.

As there has been no change to the policy on Minimum Levels of Performance, please refer to Addendum to the MLP Guidance published on 21 December 2010 – Minimum Levels of Performance and Notices to Improve Guidance applying to 2012/13 academic year.

Minimum Levels of Performance and Notices to Improve Guidance applying to the 2011/12 academic year: version 2 - This version was published on the 21 December 2010 and replaces the version published on the 14 December 2010. 

Minimum Levels of Performance and Notices to Improve - Technical Annex - Published December 2010.

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Ofsted

Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, regulate and inspect to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. Ofsted regulate and inspect a variety of services in England, some of which are in receipt of funding from the Skills Funding Agency. These are Further Education, publicly funded adult skills and employment based training and learning in prisons, the secure estate and probation. The findings are then communicated to all who share the objectives of Ofsted, from service providers to policy-makers.

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Personal Learning Record

The Personal Learning Record will be enhanced and available from early October 2010, and will underpin the operation of the Qualifications and Credit Framework by offering a simple facility to record all Qualifications and Credit Framework learner achievement. The new services which will be offered by the Personal Learning Record are important tools in facilitating the delivery and full benefits of the Qualifications and Credit Framework. The data in the Personal Learning Record will support the accumulation and transfer of achievement for vocational qualifications within the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

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Qualifications and Credit Framework

The Qualifications and Credit Framework is a new way of recognising achievement through the award of credit for the achievement of units and qualifications. The Qualifications and Credit Framework provides a simple and rational organising framework that presents learner achievement and qualifications in a way that is easy to understand, measure and compare. It gives individuals the opportunity to learn in a more flexible way and enables a wider range of organisations including employers, to have their training recognised. The Qualifications and Credit Framework is a key strand of the government’s Vocational Qualification Reform programme. The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for implementing the framework across the wider post-19 skills system in England and for delivering the changes made to the Personal Learning Record to support the additional Qualifications and Credit Framework services which will operate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you would like to know more about how we work with the Qualifications and Credit Framework, visit our Qualifications and Credit Framework pages.

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Training Quality Standard

The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has taken a decision to withdraw its funding of the Training Quality Standard. The Skills Funding Agency is therefore working with the certification bodies to wind down the accreditation process in light of the withdrawal of funding.

Further information can be found on the Investors in Excellence website and G4S Assessment website.