Strategic Leadership Under the Renewed Ofsted Framework

For College Principals, Vice Principals, Curriculum Directors, Quality Leads, and Governors

Course Outcomes

To equip FE leaders with the strategic insight and practical tools needed to lead confidently under Ofsted’s renewed inspection framework, effective from 10 November 2025.

Participants will:

• Understand the structural shift in inspection methodology and grading.
• Explore how leadership, inclusion, and safeguarding are now central to inspection.
• Learn how to prepare for Inspection Focus Areas and case sampling.
• Gain clarity on the planning phase and how to shape inspection outcomes through strategic leadership.

Course Overview

1. Strategic Overview of the Framework

• What’s changed and why it matters
• Implications for leadership and governance

2. Leading for Inclusion and Impact

• Inclusion as a core inspection lens
• Aligning college culture with inspection expectations

3. Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs)

• Replacing deep dives: what leaders need to know
• Shaping the narrative through planning calls

4. Preparing Your Teams

• Empowering curriculum and provision leads
• Evidence readiness and documentation strategy

5. Safeguarding and Governance

• Meeting statutory expectations
• Governor involvement and oversight

Presenter Profile

Stewart Jackson

Stewart worked as a Senior His Majesty's Inspector for the South East region in Further Education and Skills (FES) for eight years from 2016 to 2024, and previous to that as one of His Majesty’s inspectors (HMI) in the London region.

The main focus of his work was the quality of education and training across the provision types in the post-16 sector. He has developed leaders and aspiring leaders and trained both HMI and Ofsted inspectors (OIs).

He has a proven and effective track record of working with many different groups of stakeholders to improve quality, including provider chief executive officers and principals, governors and trustees, FES remit groups, the ESFA and local authorities. He has an interest in the curriculum and in particular how well it supports the learning, training and development of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged learners.

Prior to joining Ofsted, his background was centered on quality and curriculum improvement in senior and middle management roles in the college sector. Since leaving Ofsted, he has worked on a consultancy basis across the FES sector supporting improvement in quality at all levels and using his experience and expertise to help providers become inspection ready in an efficient manner.

KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• An in-depth understanding of the process and conduct of Ofsted inspections
• Quality improvement in post-16 education and training
• Training and development of leaders and managers in post-16 education and training
• Curriculum development to support skills and employment needs
• Effective collaboration and networking with post-16 stakeholders.

Cost: £150 per delegate

Booking Form

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