Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection 1 Day Course
This Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection course was completely rewritten in 2021, so that it covers the all the latest Ofsted thinking and guidelines. The underlying principles are based on the latest interpretation and implementation of the Ofsted EIF and the Ofsted FE Handbook, which are effective through 2022/23.
The course leaders are all skilled trainers and facilitators with an immense amount of Ofsted experience. They have a genuine passion and enthusiasm for their subject. As one delegate said:
“I never thought a day spent talking about inspection could be so engrossing.”
The course is for managers in the post 16 learning and skills sector who want to know more about how to present their work to Ofsted inspectors in the most advantageous way. This in depth and information-packed one-day course will prepare managers at all levels in the organisation, to present their work confidently and effectively to inspectors.
“The Call” for many managers is the cue for crisis mode, ushering in days (and nights) of hectic activity: torrents of emails, anxious double checking and urgent last-minute flapping. It doesn’t have to be like that. Although we don’t know in advance when Ofsted will come to inspect, we do know that they will come, either for a full inspection or for a short inspection or a monitoring visit.
Chartered Management Institute Recognised Training Centre for Manager and Director Training Courses
Ofsted inspection is challenging but it should not be stressful. This Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection course will help managers to feel prepared and confident about inspection. It will help them to ensure that the inspection week goes smoothly and to prepare them to benefit from the opportunity to learn from the experience.
This one-day workshop provides guidance on the ways in which managers in providers can be better prepared to present their organisation or department to best effect to inspectors, despite the possibly very short lead time. This course will provide clear guidance on the latest changes and will help you to prepare for inspections throughout 2021.
Providers should consider very clearly how they will approach their next inspection. It is not enough to deliver good provision; providers must be able to demonstrate that fact to the satisfaction of the Inspectors.
Poor performance at inspection can have disastrous consequences for contract renewals and business growth. All Providers, especially those anticipating an inspection in the near future, need therefore to think very carefully about how they will maintain or improve their grades.
Institute of Leadership and Management approved training centre for Manager and Director Training and Workshops
The course leaders for these Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection courses have extensive experience, both as inspectors and practitioners. They will draw on this expertise to give managers an insight into what Ofsted inspectors do and how best to apply and interpret the Education Inspection Framework in the context of their own provision. By the end of the course, the delegates will know much more about what to expect and what they need to do in order to be best prepared.
Please note that the workshop is developed and delivered by Excellence in Learning. It is not an official Ofsted event. Where official Ofsted Nominee Training is available, we would recommend attendance at both, as the content emphasis may differ.
Formal Certificates of Professional Development will be issued to all participants
These courses are recognised for CPD purposes by most professional institutes and associations including the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Institute of Directors, the Law Society, the CIM, the CMI, the ICAEW, the Institute of Learning and the CIPD.
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Outstanding Ofsted Courses Delegate Feedback
‘Very informative with very useful handouts and ideas to take back and practical.’
Quality Manager, Leeds City Council‘This was an extremely useful session, which highlighted useful pointers to prepare for new inspection. The deliverer was extremely knowledgeable and pragmatic and was very personable. Thank you.’
Head of F/S & LS, Chesterfield College‘Excellent overview of how to prepare, not just for inspection, but how to improve the whole provision.’
Quality Assurance Manager, Training for Travel‘Very detailed workshop about what to expect when notified of inspection. Excellent facilitator, encouraging wide ranging discussions.’
Business Improvement Director, JHP Group‘I would highly recommend it: It has opened my eyes to the Ofsted process and reassured/prepared me. It has also given me practical ideas for tackling Ofsted preparation.’
Lecturer, St Mary’s University College -
Preparing Managers for Inspection Course Overview
This course was completely rewritten in May 2021 and significantly enhanced throughout 2022, so that it covers all the latest Ofsted thinking and guidelines. It is specifically developed for managers in organisations subject to Ofsted FE Inspection. It looks at full inspection under the Education Inspection Framework. It also provides useful pointers for those who have experience under previous frameworks, about what is different.
The course leaders are all experienced inspectors and have significant recent experience in the sector across a wide range of provisions. They will draw on these experiences and expertise to bring the subject to life and to answer the questions that matter to you, making the course both informative and enjoyable. They have a genuine enthusiasm for their subject. As one delegate said:
“I never thought a day spent talking about inspection could be so engrossing.”
It offers guidance for those expecting short inspections or monitoring visits. By joining this course, delegates will learn or refresh their knowledge of inspection, so that they are able to prepare well in advance and anticipate and answer inspectors’ questions.
This full day course represents excellent value for money, giving enough time for delegates to reflect on their own provision and share insights and ideas with peers and the course leader. As well as preparing for inspection week itself, it will help delegates to identify any areas for improvement that they can address prior to inspection.
Ofsted inspection is challenging but it should not be stressful. This course will help managers to feel prepared and confident about inspection. It will help them to ensure that the inspection week goes smoothly and to prepare them to benefit from the opportunity to learn from the experience.
Colleges and Learning Providers aiming for good or outstanding inspection results cannot and will not compromise on the quality of their provision. It is therefore essential that managers and their nominee are fully conversant with the requirements of the latest interpretation and implementation of the Ofsted EIF and the Ofsted FE Handbook, which are effective through 2022/23. This course will ensure the delegates are familiar with all these key aspects.
It is however, almost as important to ensure that the inspection result accurately reflects the quality of that provision. This means that an in depth knowledge of how to present the provision and to provide a clear audit trail of evidence from the Ofsted requirements, through to your provision. This course will also help you in these presentational and evidence areas.
Please Click Here to explore running this as an In-House Course
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Course Leaders Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection
The original Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection course leader and presenter was an Ofsted Inspector, who was selected to continue to inspect with Ofsted after its September 2015 “cull”. He has personally taken part in hundreds of Ofsted inspections and is acknowledged as a leading authority within the Ofsted community. He also has experience as the Chair of a College Governing Body and earlier in his careers, was the Chief Executive of one of the UK’s largest specialist Training Providers.
All of the current Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection course leaders and presenters are equally talented and as highly experienced, with each having over thirty years of experience in the sector.
They are experienced Ofsted inspectors and have worked extensively in further education in roles in colleges, specialist colleges, independent learning providers and adult and community learning. They can help you to look at your own provision and inspection preparation, both from a provider perspective and from the perspective of an Ofsted inspector. The course leaders and presenters, either currently carry out work as Ofsted Inspectors, or have recently done so.
They can help you to look at your own provision and inspection preparation both from a provider perspective and from the perspective of an Ofsted inspector.
This means that these Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection courses are practical and packed with useful information. The presenters draw on their own experiences to help you to understand and interpret the inspection framework as it applies to the delivery of your provision. They will structure the sessions to allow you to discuss, absorb and reflect on the course content.
The course leaders are all skilled trainers and facilitators and they have a genuine enthusiasm for their subject. As one delegate said:
“I never thought a day spent talking about inspection could be so engrossing.”
Please Click Here to explore running this as an In-House Course
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Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection Course Content
- Planning the Ofsted inspection: from the first phone call to the start of inspection
This session enables delegates to become more familiar with how inspectors evaluate desk-based data to plan inspection. We will use questions and practical activities to reflect on:
- How the Lead Inspector uses information to plan the inspection and prepare a rationale.
- How Ofsted Inspectors use information to prepare for inspection.
- What information managers need to prepare.
- Delegates’ ability to articulate their own areas of work
- During the Ofsted inspection: inspection methodology
Delegates will explore how inspectors plan and conduct their inspection and will consider how these methods would apply in their setting and the implications for their inspection preparation:
- Deep dives
- Visits to learning environments
- Work scrutiny
- Review of data – what it is and what it isn’t
- Discussion with learners, teachers, managers and employers
- Review of documents
- During the Ofsted inspection: Evaluating evidence
How inspectors use the evidence generated to evaluate and reach judgements. This session includes an in-depth examination of the Education Inspection Framework, what it means in the context of different settings and the implications for inspection. Delegates will gain:
- experience of applying inspection methodology to answer questions posed by the EIF,
- an understanding of how inspectors arrive at their judgements,
- an opportunity to think about how to present their area during inspection
- help to evaluate their own provision and ideas to make improvements long before inspectors arrive
- The Ofsted inspection from arrival to departure: practical questions
Having worked through the long-term preparation for inspection, this session focusses on inspection week itself and how to manage it successfully:
- What happens when
- Surveys
- Meetings
- Internal communications/briefing staff
- Housekeeping, maps and timetables, domestics and safety
- Listening
- Influencing and challenging
- Following the Ofsted inspection
How do you make the most of the inspection to improve your provision: Reflection, communication and action-planning. What to do if things have gone wrong.
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Aims and Objectives Preparing Managers for Inspection
As a result of attending this Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection course
Delegates will be better able to:
- Understand the Ofsted inspection process and be able to anticipate questions by knowing:
- How inspectors use information about a provider to prepare for inspection
- The types of inspection and methods used by inspectors
- The evidence used for inspection – the Education Inspection Framework
- How inspectors arrive at their judgements
- Prepare their organisation for the Ofsted inspection by:
- Identifying strengths and weaknesses and address them through a realistic self-assessment and improvement planning cycle
- Briefing colleagues without causing information overload
- Collecting evidence routinely for presenting to inspectors, and for use in self-assessment
- Being “inspection-ready” in preparation for notification of inspection
- Manage the Ofsted inspection successfully by:
- Know what happens when during inspection week
- Preparing well organised communications between all of those involved
- Presenting evidence and, if necessary, challenging judgements
- Learning from the experience and action planning.
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Who Should Attend This Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection Course
This in depth one-day Preparing Managers for Ofsted Inspection workshop will be of value to managers and leaders at all levels from organisations, subject to inspection under the Education Inspection Framework for Further Education and Skills.
It is essential for managers responsible for teaching and learning who will have a direct role in presenting their work to inspectors. It is also of interest to those responsible for other areas, for example, employer engagement, learner support, human resources, finance and information who will also contribute to the inspection and need to understand the process. It is as relevant to managers from sub-contractor organisations as it is to those who hold direct contracts.
It is not intended for staff from schools or academies, which are subject to Section 5 inspections. Nor is it intended for safeguarding specialists.
Please Click Here to explore running this as an In-House Course
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In-House Course for Staff Training and Development
This training workshop, along with most of our other best practice training workshops, can be delivered as an internal training course at your premises. Even with groups as small as 6 delegates, the course fees per person for internal training workshops can be lower than for open events. The potential savings are even greater, if the travel time and the travel costs of the delegates are included.
Running training workshops internally is very convenient many of our clients and allows the participants to explore how key issues will impact on them and their organisation. Then as a team they can begin to agree upon development action plans and assign priorities. This approach is favoured by many of our clients as it combines a high quality service with excellent value for money and is a highly effective route for staff development.
Please Click Here to explore running this as an In-House Course
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Certificates of Professional Development
This course is recognised for CPD purposes by most professional institutes and associations including the Law Society, the CIM, the CMI, the ICAEW, the Institute of Learning and the CIPD. Formal Certificates of Professional Development will be issued to delegates who successfully complete this course. These certificates will enable participants to evidence the update of their CPD records. The workshop will consider how to best apply the knowledge gained by the delegates upon their return to the workplace. This element of the programme is designed to maximise the benefits of attending and enable participants to make valued judgements when recording CPD activities.
Please Click Here to explore running this as an In-House Course
