Our response to BIS consultation on Chartered Status for Further Education Institutions

The Policy Consortium has submiited a formal response to the consultation issued by BIS on Chartered Status for the Further Education Sector: Proposals to Create a Chartered Status Scheme for Further Education Institutions:

The Policy Consortium strongly endorses the BIS goals for the chartered status arrangements – namely to help institutions within the FE sector celebrate their success, build their reputation and status, and gain recognition for what they have achieved within their communities…

However, we do have real concerns with fundamental aspects of the proposals as they currently stand. These concerns relate to the nature of status and how it is earned in the eyes of the public, and the relationship with other pre-existing marks and indicators – both those that are proposed to form part of the criteria for chartered status and those that will sit separately alongside that. We believe these concerns are shared widely amongst governors, senior managers and staff of sector institutions. Unless they can be addressed in the way the scheme is conceived and implemented we fear the outcome could easily be an award that is both confusing to the general public and lacking in meaning and value to the sector. 

Here is a copy of our full response [DOC].