|
Full
Site Search
To search the entire TransWorld Education Site for both
articles and college details please use the form below.
Warning: Results can be extensive.
|
CIFE
Quality in Further Education and Accreditation
CIFE is the professional association for
the 34 independent sixth form and tutorial colleges in Great
Britain. About half of the colleges are in London, with others
in Oxford, Cambridge, Birmingham, Manchester and other provincial
towns. All colleges are inspected on a regular basis, and
accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC) or by
the Independent Schools Council.
For colleges where there are students under
the age of sixteen, further inspections are conducted by the
Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). With such
regular and critical appraisal of the colleges, the teaching
and standards achieved by pupils is a key factor in ensuring
a continuing reputation for quality in further education.
All examination results published by CIFE are audited by BAC
for accuracy, and published nationally each year. It is vital
to ensure that the high quality of our colleges and other
teaching institutions is maintained.
Students and their families need to be assured
that they will be provided with a suitable range of courses,
that they are well taught by qualified staff, and are able
to work in a safe and secure environment. Regular inspections
by the accreditation bodies of BAC, ISC and the DfEE provide
a valuable health check for all schools and colleges, not
just those with in CIFE. On a regular cycle of five or six
years, teams of inspectors visit the schools and colleges
throughout the country. They carry out thorough inspections
of the quality of teaching, curriculum provision, range of
extra curricular opportunities, and aspects of health and
safety. Inspection and areas for improvement are identified.
There are always areas of improvement, even for the very best
of institutions.
The inspections are completed within one week,
and some last for only two or three days. Though intensive,
the process is thorough, and the short time scale means less
disruption for staff and students. With the confidence which
comes from accreditation by regular inspections, the 34 colleges
within CIFE regularly achieve outstanding results, particularly
for students taking A Levels for the first time, or seeking
to improve their A Level grades. Dedicated teachers working
with small groups of students is the key to the successes
achieved in CIFE colleges.
We provide a very broad range of subjects, good
pastoral care and support for students, and help with finding
safe and comfortable accommodation; a few colleges have accommodation
on site. One college, St. Claire's College in Oxford, offers
the full Baccalaureate programme. Yuliya, from the Ukraine,
came to a CIFE college in London to further her studies, and
found her college "warm and friendly. The class sizes at home
are larger than here, and the teachers here are very friendly."
Yuliua attended the Davies, Laing & Dick college in London.
Whether you are looking to start new courses or improve your
grades to gain a place on a university course, a CIFE college
can help you achieve your ambition. Be assured that accreditation
is an important indication of quality - you should always
look for it.
For further information, contact the Secretary
of CIFE on 020 8767 8666, or fax 020 8767 9444.
Email enquiries@cife.org.uk.
Website: www.cife.org.uk
|
