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Quality Improvement: Learning and Skills Standards Fund 2002/03
A NIACE Response to the Learning and Skills Council Circular 02/02
Published: April 2002
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1. The NIACE response:
1.1 NIACE welcomes this circular which reflects some very good decisions of the LSC to:
 | reduce the number of initiatives; |
| offer information about allocations early on in a financial year; |
| make sure the basis for allocation is transparent; |
| include all providers. |
1.2 NIACE is concerned that because the vast majority of the funds will be provided by local LSCs there may be uneven use of them and an insufficient strategic approach. For example, the Local Standards Fund will be used to fund national training in literacy, numeracy and ESOL and is a national priority. The current funding from the DfES for this giant initiative is being passed to the LSC for its standards fund. The intention is to ensure that most of the Standards Fund is devolved to local LSCs. It is not clear how consistency in national training can be maintained.
1.3 NIACE urges the LSC to make clear to providers that the “measurable improvements in quality” which providers must show following receipt of Standards Fund money (para 10) includes qualitative as well as quantitative measures.
1.4 The timetable for the Standards Fund annual cycle is helpful. Care will need to be taken to make sure that new providers are included in the process early enough and that priorities are published in November in order to give time for providers’ plans to take account of them.
1.5 NIACE regrets the LSC’s decision not to consult on these arrangements more widely but instead to inform providers locally and through the circular, and only to consult on a future national timetable. This does not feel like enough consultation.
2. What the Circular says
2.1 The circular sets out the arrangements for the Standards Fund, which is available for all providers funded by the LSC. This is very good news. There are three elements:
| local Standards Fund to be allocated by local LSC providers in their area (the bulk of the whole fund); |
| investment fund to be held nationally but used by local councils; |
| national priorities to be held back for national training and development. |
2.2 The local standards fund will
| be linked with self assessment reports and development plans; |
| enable the LLSCs to fund , ‘providers’ development plans, where they consider this is needed by providers”; |
| disseminate good practice locally; |
| fund new initiatives designed to raise standards; |
| address providers’ development needs or national/local priorities. |
The national priorities for 2002/03 are
| raising learners’ achievement; |
| improving teaching and learning especially for those working with; |
| diverse groups of learners; |
| unqualified teachers/trainers; |
| teachers/trainers to improve IT skills. |
| improving teaching and learning in literacy, numeracy and ESOL; |
| improving skills on leadership and management; |
| encouraging collaboration (schools, colleges, work-based learning providers) to ensure accessibility and progression; |
| improving quality assurance and continuous improvement. |
2.3 Local LSCs will monitor progress of development plans and standards funds, report progress through performance review (see circular 02/05) and work on targets. Providers receiving funding will be expected to show “measurable improvements in quality”. “Measurable” is not defined.
2.4 Every provider will want to see improvements in one or more of the national priorities, as well as in their own priorities. Providers are expected to fund their own normal development needs but the Standards Fund should pay for those additional developments which lead to quality improvement for learners. Because all providers are included in, and the process is relatively simple, the allocation of funding is likely to be less difficult.
2.5 The second strand, the Investment Fund, is to be used for
| development and implementation of post area inspection action plans; |
| the Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) programme; |
| ‘extremely significant weaknesses’ in an individual provider; |
| recognising and sharing excellence nationally. |
2.6 The third strand is the national Priorities Fund. This element of the Fund will be held back for government and national priorities. This year it includes
| training for black managers and staff in FE colleges; |
| training for governors, principals and senior managers (leading up to leadership college) from a range of providers; |
| dissemination of good practice (eg to address weak areas identified by inspectorates); |
| the basic skills quality initiative; |
| the raising quality and achievement programme. |
2.7. Briefing events have been held and providers will receive “indicative funding allocations” from their local LSC.
2.8.The LSC will expect providers to prepare development plans in November/December 2002, return them to the LSC by next January, receive approval and provisional allocations in February/March and final allocations in April. This will mean knowing what the national priorities are in November. The circular asks only for comments on the timetable and this by 1 May. Respond to LSC: Bettina Bullock (fax 024 7670 3334)
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