Five FE providers managed to secure an Ofsted grade increase last year after initially being handed the wrong judgement, FE Week can reveal.
Complaints from the further education sector about inspections conducted by the watchdog have also almost doubled since 2018 – although they remain well below the level in schools.
It comes against a backdrop of increasing legal challenges against Ofsted ratings from FE providers, while the inspectorate also rolls out changes to its complaints procedure – after admitting it is “not fit for purpose”.
Data obtained by FE Week through a Freedom of Information request revealed there have been eight changes to FE providers’ Ofsted grade since 2018. Two were in 2019/20, one was in 2021/22, and five were in 2022/23.
