SERVICE AND APPROACH
If you are intending to set-up as a private provider / college
and wish to access international and domestic student
markets then the route has become more complex, but
remains viable if you are clear about your target market and
niche. Ideally, the starting point for most new providers
ahould be BAC Accreditation (6 months Student Visitor Visa)
route.
We are currently working with new and existing private
colleges on BAC Accreditaion, awarding body approval, QAA
REO Self Evaluation and Review, ISI EO inspections, QAA
Review for Specific Course Designation, QAA HER+ and
developing a diversified and sustainable education and
training portfolio - one based on the quality assurance
systems inherent in the public sector, but with a fraction of the
bureaucracy.
You will deal directly with the Director, who will project
manage your consultancy solution from commencement to
completion and provide regular progress reports.
We provide a discrete and confidential service to all our
clients and therefore do not publish a client list on our website
or in our marketing materials. Client references can be
provided on request. We adopt an ethical approach and
hence have on occasion declined consultancy assignments
that we did not consider to be in the client’s best interest.
Owner and Director :
Nabeel Zaidi, LLB (Hons) (QM), LLM (UCL), Pg.Dip. (City), DMS, MBA (LE), Cert. Ed. (IoE), MIfL, Barrister
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
We offer a range of consultancy and training services in equality
and diversity to the education sector. Examples include:
•
Equality Impact Assessments / Equality Analysis
•
Equality and Diversity Audits
•
Meeting the equality and diversity requirements in
schools, further education sector and for international
students
•
Embedding equality and diversity at curriculum level
•
Coaching and mentoring in equality and diversity for
education professionals
Existing training programmes :
•
E & D Limiting Grades: Understanding and Meeting
2012 Inspection Requirements.
•
E & D Limiting Grades: Narrowing the Learner
Achievement Gap.
•
E & D Limiting Grades: Embedding Equality and
Diversity at Curriculum Level and Assessing its Impact.
Bespoke equality and diversity training programmes can be
designed to suit your particular organisational needs.
QAA / ISI EDUCATIONAL OVERSIGHT
We have successfully implemented consultancy
solutions for private colleges seeking QAA or ISI
educational oversight under the QAA and ISI Tier 4
educational oversight arrangements and HTS. We
have also developed a consultancy package for new
colleges seeking to obtain Tier 4 for the first time and
those that intend to apply for QAA Higher Education
Review (HER and HER+) in order to access Student
Loans funding or retain specific course designation for
such funding.
We provide consultancy solutions for gaining approval
and accreditation from some of the largest and well
established awarding bodies and advise on strategic
and business synergies achievable in order to
maximise student performance and college revenue.
QAA
Since March 2011, ASIC and BAC no longer offer accreditation for private colleges seeking
to provide Tier 4 sponsorship. On behalf of the UK Borders Agency (UKBA), QAA introduced
a review for private colleges providing predominantly higher education programmes. The
UKBA labelled this as Tier 4 educational oversight. QAA publishes an annual review for
educational oversight handbook, providing details of the educational oversight requirements.
ISI
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is responsible for Tier 4 educational oversight
inspections of private colleges providing predominantly or exclusively English Language
and/or further education programmes or programmes based on QCF/NQF to international
students.
AWARDING ORGANISATION APPROVAL / RECOGNITION
We have a successful track record in gaining approval for QCF level 4-7 programmes from
some of the largest and well known awarding bodies. We have been engaged either at the
start of the process or when colleges have failed to gain approval/accreditation by
themselves. The accreditation/approval requirements have increased and are likley to
continue to do so.
QAA REVIEW FOR SPECIFIC COURSE DESIGNATION
We provide consultancy on QAA HER+ and the related BIS process in order to make certain
higher education programmes, such as the Edexcel BTEC HNC/HND, eligible for Student
Loans funding / financing. It is, in our opinion, a complex process which requires expert input
to make sure the process runs smoothly and within a reasonable time frame. (See further:
source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4.)
BAC Accreditation
We possess a strong track record of preparing new and existing colleges for BAC
Accreditation across stages 1 to 3 and provide end-to-end consultancy from initial contact
with BAC to preparing the relevant paperwork, self-evaluation reports and post-accreditation
action plan, if required.
ASIC Accreditation
ASIC is not our preferred accreditation method, but if you require support during the process
then we can assist.
SETTING UP A PRIVATE COLLEGE / DIVERSIFYING PROGRAMME PORTFOLIO
Setting up a private college can be a complex and daunting affair, with unexpected
hurdles causing unnecessary delay and expense. We can provide consultancy on:
•
Targeting the domestic student market
•
Strategic curriculum mix
•
BAC accreditation (for 6 months Student Visitor Visa)
•
ISI Educational Oversight (ISI EO) (for Tier 4) (for mainly further education)
•
QAA Higher Education Review Plus (HER+) (Student Loans and Tier 4) (for
mainly higher education provision - levels 4-8)
•
Quality assurance systems
•
Awarding body approval / recognition
•
Marketing, website design and basic SEO techniques
•
Specific course designation (Student Loans Company financing) and
preparing for HEFCE review
CURRICULUM OFFER
With an array of awarding bodies on the market, it can be difficult to identify the most attractive and sustainable
curriculum offer. We have worked and advised a range of private colleges on their curriculum offer and
successfully gained awarding body approval from some of the largest awarding bodies, including those favoured
by state funded further and higher education colleges.
The process of seeking awarding body approval and accreditation from the largest awarding bodies can be
complicated, often requiring a combination of business acumen, effective negotiation, relationship management
and project management skills and academic and technical expertise.
CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT
We provide bespoke coaching, mentoring and training to lecturers
delivering a range of Business and Management programmes across QCF
levels 2-7 (public and private sectors).
We identify and develop strategies to minimise barriers to learning
experienced by international students and for learners from diverse ethnic
backgrounds.
If you are preparing for an Ofsted inspection, we can source experienced
part-time Ofsted inspectors to provide support by way of consultancy and
training.
INTERNATIONAL LEARNERS
With an increasingly competitive international student market and
the drive towards improving quality of provision, the need to identify
and overcome barriers to learning has never been greater.
We provide a range of training and consultancy solutions in reducing
barriers to learning and embedding equality and diversity in the
curriculum.
Existing training programme:
“International Students: Improving success rates”
Bespoke training and consultancy can be provided in the following
areas:
•
Reducing barriers to learning for international learners
•
Embedding equality and diversity in the curriculum
•
Internationalising the curriculum
•
Assignment brief design
•
Effective assessment methods
•
Developing early intervention and high impact systems
Providing end-to-end solutions in education, training and consultancy
Have you failed or under-performed at ISI or QAA Educational Oversight inspection? or
require a QAA REO or QAA HER/HER+ Self Evaluation or consultancy for the entire
process? Are you considering setting-up a private college in the UK or diversifying your
programme portfolio? Are you seeking specific course designation to make your
programmes eligible for Student Loans funding? If so, we can assist. Some of our work
is on a contingency / success fee basis. (We have successfully completed the entire
QAA REO and ISI EO process for established providers and a QAA REO annual
monitoring visit and are familiar with the specific course designation processes.) We are
also familiar with QAA HER and HER+ methods, which are now required for obtaining
and retaining specific course designation / Student Loans funding.
Copyright: Education and Training Consultants Ltd (QAA, QAA REO, QAA RSCD, ISI, ISI EO, Educational
Oversight, Accreditation, BAC, ASIC, HTS, UKBA, Ofsted, Equality and Diversity)
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