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<p>The quality of further education (FE) provision is assessed by Ofsted under their
published inspection framework. Currently the 3 major FE colleges in Wigan local authority
area, including Leigh, are rated by Ofsted as Outstanding or Good for Overall Effectiveness.</p><p>
</p><p>In July 2015, the government announced a rolling programme of around 40 local
area reviews, to be completed by March 2017, covering all FE colleges in England.
The reviews were designed to ensure that colleges are financially stable into the
long term, that they are run efficiently, and are well-positioned to meet the present
and future needs of individual students and the demands of employers. In November
2016, the Greater Manchester Area Review report was published at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greater-manchester-further-education-area-review-report"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greater-manchester-further-education-area-review-report</a>.
This review did not recommend the need for any significant structural changes for
further education provision in the Wigan area.</p><p> </p><p>The new ‘College Oversight:
Support and Intervention’ document<em>, </em>which was published at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/college-oversight-support-and-intervention"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/college-oversight-support-and-intervention</a>
on 1 April 2019, sets out how we will work with FE colleges to identify financial
and quality issues early. It sets out the support and advice available to colleges
when they need it from the FE Commissioner and the Education and Skills Funding Agency
(ESFA), who assess financial and quality issues on an ongoing basis. This support
includes the potential for FE Commissioner-led local provision reviews, the need for
which may arise from a number of challenges that affect a college and/or further education
provision in a local area, such as:</p><ul><li>Weakness or failure of existing providers
(including risk of insolvency)</li><li>Increased competition</li><li>Declining learner
recruitment</li><li>Inadequate quality</li><li>Significant financial challenges</li><li>Changes
in local demographics and/or local skills needs</li></ul><p> </p><p>The ESFA works
with local authorities where there are concerns about gaps in suitable and accessible
local FE provision for young people. Local authorities have broad duties to encourage,
enable and assist young people to participate in education or training, including
to secure sufficient suitable education and training provision for all young people
in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19 or aged 19 to 25 and
for whom an Education, Health and Care plan is maintained, as set out at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-of-young-people-education-employment-and-training"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-of-young-people-education-employment-and-training</a>.
A concern has not been formally raised to ESFA by Wigan local authority in respect
of adequacy of further education provision in Leigh.</p><p> </p><p>From August 2019,
responsibility for the funding and adequacy of adult FE provision for residents in
Wigan (including Leigh) will pass to Greater Manchester Combined Authority under devolution
arrangements.</p>
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