Children, Schools and Families written question – answered at on 5 January 2010.
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
(1) what assessment he has made of the experience of each of Ofsted's three regional contractors in respect of each of the services and organisations for which they are contracted to inspect; for how long each has been contracted in each case; and what assessment he has made of their performance;
(2) with which organisations Ofsted has contracts for the delivery of its services in its (a) North, (b) Midlands and (c) Southern regions;
(3) for the inspection of which services and organisations Ofsted is responsible.
These are matters for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and copies of her replies have been placed in the House Libraries.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated
Your recent parliamentary questions have been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
Contracts to Ofsted's three regional Inspection Service Providers were awarded in March 2009, following evaluation of competitive bids.
The evaluation criteria took into account the potential contractor's:
capacity to be a credible partner ability to deliver requirements methods to deliver high quality, user-focused inspections approach to risk management approach to business improvement acceptance of baseline documentation
These criteria accounted for 60% of the overall evaluation score, and price/financial terms accounted for 40%. During the prequalification stage of the competitive tender, references about each of the bidders were sought to inform the evaluations and these references were refreshed as part of the evidence for the consideration of the final tenders.
Under the criterion Delivering Requirements, potential contractors were invited to show how, when recruiting and training inspectors and staff, they would deal with the skills and experiences needed for different remits and how they would ensure that the practitioners meet requirements in all remits.
On the basis of the evaluation Ofsted was content to award contracts as specified to CfBT Education Trust to cover the contract area for the North, Serco Education to cover the contract area for the Midlands and Tribal Group to cover the contract area for the South. These contracts are in place for the period from the start of the 2009/10 academic year up to the end of the academic year 2014/15.
Each contract is evaluated regularly to ensure that key performance indicators are being met. These evaluations are formally reviewed by senior managers in Ofsted and shared with the Inspection Service Provider.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) was established in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and since
education in all maintained schools in England and schools run by Service Children's Education abroad education in approximately half of independent schools and boarding in all schools which provide it
Early Years and childcare provision
Children's homes, secure children's homes and secure training centres - welfare, and also education where this is also provided residential family centres adoption and fostering, including local authority and voluntary adoption agencies, independent fostering agencies, local authorities' private fostering arrangements learning and training in the post-16 sector including colleges, work-based learning, adult and community learning, and nextstep contracted employment provision for the Department of Work and Pensions initial teacher education and further education teacher training education and training in prisons and other secure establishments the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS) services for child protection, safeguarding and looked after children in local authorities.
Ofsted also:
has responsibility for regulation and registration of childcare and children's social care assesses the overall performance of children's services in local authorities evaluates serious case reviews monitors independent schools inspectorates.
A copy of this reply has been sent to Vernon Coaker MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and placed in the library of both Houses.
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