Monday, March 16 2009

OFSTED APPOINTS CfBT IN NORTH OF ENGLAND

CfBT Education Trust has been successful in bidding for the recent tender to manage inspection services on behalf of the government regulator for education standards, The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).

From 1 September 2009 CfBT will be responsible for delivering inspection services not only in schools (state and independent) but also colleges, prisons, work-based learning providers and teacher training institutions in the entire north of England for six years.

Neil McIntosh, chief executive of CfBT commented: “I am delighted that CfBT has been chosen to undertake inspections of behalf of Ofsted in the north of England. We have been successfully managing inspection services in part of the north of England since 2005 and thanks to the hard work, professionalism and dedication of colleagues in Skelmersdale and Reading we are well placed to deliver this larger contract.

During the past four years we have provided a first-class service – continually hitting all targets set and I am confident that we will continue to deliver the same high quality inspection services through this new, expanded contract.”

CfBT is now one of just three providers undertaking inspections on behalf of Ofsted in England and the inspection service will start to undergo a transition for staff transferring their employment to CfBT from the current provider. The current inspection workforce will also be strengthened to ensure CfBT can meet the challenge of this larger contract.

Under the new contract arrangements commencing in September 2009:

  • Contractual requirements for maintained schools will remain broadly the same.
  • Further Education colleges and non-association independent school inspections will be carried out by CfBT and the two other new contractors.
  • Contractors will provide additional inspectors to support survey work where required.
  • The scope of the contracts will now include: all work based, adult, and community learning, Initial Teacher Education, targeted inspections for Comprehensive Area Assessment, Early Years Foundation Stage and early years in maintained schools that are directly under the responsibility of a school’s governing body or where the provision is on a school site.
  • Support arrangements will bring all inspections broadly into line with current arrangements for maintained schools inspection.

Ends

Notes for Editors:

For more information on contract signing visit http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News/Press-and-media/2009/March/New-inspection-contracts-signed

CfBT Education Trust is a leading education consultancy and service organisation. Our object is to provide education for public benefit both in the UK and internationally. Established 40 years ago CfBT Education Trust now has an annual turnover exceeding £100 million and employs more than 2,500 staff worldwide who support educational reform, teach, advise, research and train. As a not-for-profit organisation we commit around £1million of our surpluses every year for practice-based educational research.

For more information contact:

Lindsay Thomas
Marketing Communications Officer
60 Queens Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 4BS
0118 902 1515
lthomas@cfbt.com

For more information on recruitment:
Please see the www.cfbt-inspections.com website.