Framework for Excellence

The Framework for Excellence is the Government’s performance assessment framework for further education colleges and post-16 education and training providers who receive funding from the Learning and Skills Council.

The framework has been designed in consultation with the sector and our partners including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Ofsted and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

This website provides access to the latest news, updates and developments to the Framework, and we encourage all interested parties to check this website on a regular basis.

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Update on publication

Following the recent issues regarding Framework data, you may already be aware that it has been agreed to postpone the publication of the 2 Performance Indicators, (Qualification Success Rates and Learner Destinations) until July 2009. This is to ensure that all queries are responded to prior to publication.

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AoC Events - Rescheduled

Given the recent merger of the Departments for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) into the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) and the announcement of new ministers we have decided to reschedule the two Framework for Excellence AoC conferences originally planned for July 2009 until October 2009.

Moving the conferences will ensure a more informative and worthwhile day for delegates. Guidance on new commissioning and performance arrangements are currently in development and the LSC therefore believe it would be more useful to discuss the Framework as part of this broader context.

The conferences will follow the publication of our policy document in the summer.

Framework for Excellence - Qualification Success Rates (QSR) and Resource Efficiency Performance Indicators

As you may be aware from the communication issued by the Data Service (DS) on 27 May it has come to light that some incorrect input data relating to the success rates for 2007/08 FE short qualifications were supplied by the DS for use in calculating the Framework for Excellence scores and grades for Qualification Success Rates (QSRs).   

As a result, we have checked, and where necessary, re-calculated, scores and grades for providers that may be affected by the use of this incorrect data.  For a number of providers this has resulted in a change in their score for ‘short qualifications less than 25 weeks’ and subsequently their overall QSR scores.  The impact on overall QSR grades is minimal and affects only 17 colleges of which 15 will see an improvement in their QSR grade.

The period following dissemination of scores and grades on 15 May also highlighted an unrelated data issue affecting the Resource Efficiency Performance Indicator (PI) which resulted from the use of some erroneous data in the calculation of this PI.  We have recalculated the scores and grades using the correct data which has had an impact on the grades of approximately 170 colleges and providers out of the 1218 within the scope of the Framework.

On Monday 1 June, we issued an e-letter  to all providers advising them of this error and of the action we were taking as a consequence.   

We also took the opportunity to review the QSR calculations for all providers. Changes were applied to a very few providers resulting from a correction to the use of value-added (VA) data and the removal of some instances of the double counting of short ‘A’ Levels. Overall this resulted in changes to the grades of 9 colleges of which 7 will see an improvement in their QSR grade.

Any changes to a provider’s Framework for Excellence scores or grades were uploaded to the Framework application on the Provider Gateway on 2nd June 09 and the date for queries to be raised to ensure they are resolved prior to publication has been extended 12th June 09.  This will allow additional time for any outstanding queries relating to Framework scores and grades to be resolved prior to publication and for colleges and providers to feedback any queries relating to the two re-calculated PIs.  

We have revised our publication plans to accommodate these extended deadlines, however, we are still aiming to publish grades for QSRs and Learner Destinations by end June 2009.  

We would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience these changes may cause for providers, and to thank you for your continued support.  Please continue to raise any queries or concerns that you may have through your local LSC partnership team in the first instance.  They will direct questions to the Framework team where necessary and will co-ordinate responses back to you.

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