The new National Improvement Strategy for the further education system

In the White Paper Further education: raising skills, improving life chances (March 2006), QIA was asked by the government to lead the development of an integrated National Improvement Strategy (NIS) that would support the further education system in its drive for excellence and help it implement the government's major reform programme.

The original NIS, Pursuing Excellence, was published in January 2007 and a One Year On review was carried out in February 2008.

There is a commitment from government for the new Learning and Skills Improvement Service to undertake a full review of the NIS during spring/summer 2008 and publish a new NIS in the autumn.

The new NIS will signal a different way of way of working. The role of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service will be to support the sector to deliver the change.

It will be your strategy – you need to take ownership and drive the NIS. Please tell us and our partners what support you want to do that.

Consultation

Consultation on the revised strategy was launched at the first 2008 QIA/CEL summer conference by Kate Anderson, QIA's acting chief executive and group director, Improvement and Strategy.

View her presentation here

Keep in touch

You can also join the NIS forum on the Excellence Gateway here

(If you are not already registered on the Gateway, please register. Click on 'General Forums' to join the discussion).

Supporting the National Improvement Strategy: a synthesis of resources and research findings

In November 2007 QIA commissioned an ambitious project to bring together existing evidence-based intelligence on improvement in the further education system.

Project materials to support improvement in the sector have been produced in the form of 'catalogues' of selected materials and summaries of key improvement messages for each of 10 themes.

To find out more about the project and access the resources, click here

Learning from the Legacy

QIA is handing on its legacy of success to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.

Learning from the Legacy sets out seven key ideas to support the further education and skills sector in bringing. Find out more here