Press release from QAA and Ofsted

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Ofsted and QAA forge alliance to improve higher and further education

Two of the most influential bodies in education have joined forces in a major new partnership to reduce red tape and increase efficiency in the drive to raise academic standards.

Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Ofsted and Peter Williams, Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) signed a pledge to work closer together.

Their new memorandum of understanding marked a major step forward in the way the two organisations operate.

The bodies, which both review colleges and universities, share a mission to raise standards, ensure qualifications are sound and encourage continuous improvement for the benefit of learners. The new concordat is designed to further reduce any unnecessary overlap in their work.

It is aimed at tackling the risk of duplicating reviews and inspections in cases, for example, where Higher Education Institutions offer Further Education (FE) provision and where FE colleges offer Higher Education provision.

To cut out any overlap, Ofsted and QAA have agreed to coordinate their activities through a joint consultative committee that will share information and jointly plan inspections and reviews.

 'This is a good day for both Ofsted and QAA,' said Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

'I am very pleased we are signing the memorandum. It will make it easier for our two organisations to work together, and co-ordinate effort while minimising the overlap of inspection and review in the institutions involved. This will help us to make more efficient use of the information and evidence available, but still provide an assessment of quality for learners, parents and employers.'

Peter Williams said: 'I am delighted to be establishing a closer relationship with Ofsted through the memorandum. As a result, both organisations will be more effective and efficient, and will be able to offer a better and less burdensome review service to providers of higher and further education.

'It’s a situation from which everybody will benefit.'

Ends

For further information please contact Susan Hogan, Communications Officer
t: 01452 557047 e: s.hogan@qaa.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1 QAA was established in 1997 and is responsible for safeguarding the public interest in sound standards of higher education qualifications and for informing and encouraging continuous improvement in the management of the quality of higher education in the United Kingdom.

2 From 1 April 2007 a new single inspectorate for children and learners came into being. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has the responsibility for the inspection of adult learning and training - work formerly undertaken by the Adult Learning Inspectorate; the regulation and inspection of children's social care - work formerly undertaken by the Commission for Social Care Inspection; the inspection of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service - work formerly undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration; and the existing regulatory and inspection activities of Ofsted.

3 Both Ofsted and QAA are also signatories to the Higher Education Regulation Review Group’s (HERRG) Concordat and are committed to achieving the Concordat’s aims of proportionate and cost effective review activity