Government must boost accountability of education providers

The amount spent on the age group has risen to £6bn per year which, according to the Getting Value for Money from the Education for 16- to 18-year-olds report, led to an eight per cent increase in young people participating in education or training from 2002 to 2009. Achievement has also improved nationally over the past four years, although there is variation across different providers with learners in larger providers achieving, on average, better academic results.

The report also revealed that inconsistencies remain regarding accountability, performance and monitoring and intervention, especially between sixth-form schools and colleges.

While the Department for Education (DfE) has proposed to reduce the inconsistencies between providers by 2015, the report highlighted shortcomings in measuring performance management and accountability. It states that although Ofsted measures the quality of education and the Young People’s Learning Agency provides information on participation and achievement there is currently no review of how councils fulfil their responsibility for securing adequate provision or data on how providers contribute to wider outcomes such as preparing young people for employment.