Association of Colleges

23 March 2011

Julian Gravatt, Association of Colleges Assistant Chief Executive, said:

“This is a valuable and insightful report from the National Audit Office which confirms some longstanding problems in 16-19 education that result in poor value for money.

“The report rightly makes the economic and quality arguments against a proliferation of smaller school sixth forms in an area. It also highlights the continuing and pernicious problem of partial advice and guidance given to some school pupils. Rightly, the report questions the extra funding given to schools compared to colleges.

“We are encouraged by Department for Education promises to end the funding gap between college and school sixth forms by 2015 and their plan to bring school sixth form data up to the standard of colleges by the 2012-13 academic year. As the NAO report suggests, the beneficiaries will be the taxpayer, parents and young people themselves – as long as all institutions teaching students of this age (including University Technical Colleges and Free Schools) are subject to the same performance and data standards.”