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University of Bath DOCTOR OF EDUCATION (EDD) An analysis of programme decision-making in further education colleges in England Walsh, Daisy Award date: 2018 Awarding institution: University of Bath Link to publication Alternative formats If you require this document in an alternative format, please contact: openaccess@bath.uk Copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Access is subject to the above licence, if given. If no licence is specified above, original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4. Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms.

Take down policy If you consider content within Bath's Research Portal to be in breach of UK law, please contact: openaccess@bath.uk with the details. Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item will be removed from public view as soon as possible. 2022 An analysis of programme decision-making in further education colleges in England Daisy Louisa Walsh A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Education University of Bath Department of Education COPYRIGHT Attention is drawn to the fact that copyright of this thesis rests with its author. A copy of this thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with the author and that they must not copy it or use material from it except as permitted by law or with the consent of the author.

This thesis may be made available for consultation within the University Library and may be photocopied or lent to other libraries for the purposes of consultation with effect from 1 Table of contents Summary of figures and tables …………………………………………. 5 Declaration of Authenticity for Doctoral Thesis ………………………. 7 List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………… 8 Chapter One: Introduction ………………………………………………. The problem to be investigated ………………………………….

Key changes to the purpose and organisation of FE since incorporation ………………………………………………………. The scope of the research enquiry ……………………………… 14 1. The structure of the thesis ………………………………………. 15 Chapter Two: Literature Review ………………………………………… 16 2.

Curriculum, programme and decision-making …………………. Decision-making models …………………………………………. Non-rational decision-making ……………………………………. A collaborative approach to decision-making ………………….

Leadership influences on decision-making ……………………. Funding in further education …. Accountability and decision-making ……………………………. Organisational structure in further education ………………….

Summary of literature review ……………………………………. A framework for programme decision-making in FE colleges. 31 Chapter Three: Methodology ……………………………………………. The aim of the study ……………………………………………… 33 3.

The research strategy: case study methodology ……………… 33 3. The suitability of qualitative research for programme decision-making …………………………………………………… 36 3. Design and implementation of the research ……………………. Credibility, dependability, transferability, confirmability ……….

Summary …………………………………………………………… 48 Chapter Four: Findings …………………………………………………. Emergent themes and sub-themes ………………………………49 4. Further education College A ……………………………………. Further education College B …………………………………….

Further education College C ……………………………………. Concluding summary of findings ………………………………… 80 Chapter Five: Discussion ………………………………………………… 83 5. Introduction ………………………………………………………… 83 2 Table of contents (continued) 5. Open systems framework: suitability for analysing programme decision-making …………………………………………………… 83 5.

The context of further education colleges ……………………… 84 5. Further education stakeholders …………………………………. The role of senior leaders and managers ………………………. Limitations of the research enquiry ……………………………… 95 5.

Summary of discussion, linking emergent themes to the research questions ………………………………………………. 96 Chapter Six: Conclusion …………………………………………………. Reflection: The research enquiry ………………………………. Reflection: The findings ………………………………………….

The research enquiry: contributions to knowledge and Practice ……………………………………………………………. 107 Appendix A: Letter of consent to research participants …………………. 117 Appendix B: Outline of research enquiry to willing participants …………. 118 Appendix C: Organisational structure common to most further education colleges showing leadership and management structure …………………………… 120 Appendix D: General description of key job roles relating to responsibilities of programme provision of the Principal/CEO, Vice Principal and curriculum managers in most further education colleges in England …………….121 3 Summary of figures and tables Figures Figure 1 A simple open systems framework showing categories for analysis of programme decision-making Page 31 Figure 2 Organisational structure showing leadership and management structure in red boundaries Page 120 Tables Table 1 Further education college research interviewees Page 41 Table 2 A summary of the internal and external factors in relation to the research questions Page 101 4 Acknowledgements My Education Doctoral journey was made possible by a number of dedicated people to whom I shall be forever indebted.

I would like to thank my mum and dad (Clarisse and David) for their constant encouragement. I have always valued the enormous sacrifices they made to give me the best education when I was growing up. Although they live thousands of miles away (in the Seychelles), their unconditional love, support and belief in me have kept me going. Huge thanks go to my two gorgeous daughters (Hannah and Ellie) for their support and understanding.

They allowed me the time to complete this educational journey without complaining. I hope I have inspired them to follow their dreams. Special thanks to both for putting up with my constant demands during the write-up for this thesis. Thank you to my critical friends: Stuart, Judy, Liz, Tina and Rob for reading various drafts of my thesis.

Sincere thanks go to my university supervisor, Professor Chris James, for his sound advice and wise words. His consistent encouragement has given me confidence in my ability and helped overcome my own doubts. His attention to detail has taught me to think more concisely. Finally, unlimited thanks to Ted for his unwavering support for the entire 9 years of my doctoral programme.

I owe a great deal to him. Without him, this milestone would have been impossible. He has been my rock, my constant companion, throughout my doctoral journey. 5 Declaration of Authenticity for Doctoral Thesis I hereby declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education, contains no material previously published or written in any medium by another person, except where appropriately reference or citation has been made.

6 Abstract The programme provision in a third of further education (FE) colleges in England is poorly designed, according to Ofsted which inspect colleges in England, and does not provide post-16-year-olds the skills needed for employment. The policy landscape shapes the complex FE college environment. Often programme decision-making at strategic level does not respond to stakeholders’ needs or achieve stability and sustainability of these institutions. The aim of this research was to analyse programme decision-making in FE colleges in England.

It focused on how FE colleges use the opportunities and constraints presented by their locality and context to tailor their programme provision whilst under pressure to meet the local needs for the provision of education and training and the expectations of the Ofsted inspection framework. A review of literature on the theories and models of decision-making led to the formation of research questions and a framework for the analysis of programme decision-making in FE college environment. Empirical data was collected by means of college principals and other senior managers in three contrasting FE colleges in England. Documentary analysis provided stimulus for interview questions and corroboration of evidence.

The research found that programme decision-making is influenced by the opportunities and constraints presented by the locality of the FE college and a number of internal and external factors. It shows that FE leaders and managers who prioritise leadership for learning, which is characterised by a strong focus on learners’ learning experience, implement management approaches to the organisation of programme provision. Such focus informs the strategic directions to achieve effectiveness of programme provision and accountability, increase engagement with stakeholders and improve the sustainability of the college. The study shows that effective programme decision-making requires a collaborative approach involving the participation of stakeholders to provide a solution-driven method to managing programme provision in FE colleges.

7 List of abbreviations AoC Association of Colleges BERA British Education Research Association BIS Department for Business, Innovation & Skills CEO Chief Executive Officer CIF Common Inspection Framework DfE Department of Education EdD Doctorate in Education EFA Education Funding Agency FE Further Education FEFC Further Education Funding Council FETL Further Education Trust for Leadership LEA Local Education Authority LEPs Local Employer Partnerships LSC Learning Skills Council LSIS Learning Skills and Improvement Service Ofsted Office for Standards in Education RQ Research Questions SAR Self-Assessment Reports SFA Skills Funding Agency UK United Kingdom 8 Chapter One: Introduction 1. Introduction The aim of the research was to analyse programme decision-making in FE colleges in England. The study considered programme decision-making as an important activity senior leaders and managers undertake when managing their college programme provision. Located in the wider social, political and economic contexts, this enquiry helped to understand what happened when leaders responded to the sector’s ever-changing political and economic landscape and over-regulated work of FE colleges.

From basic skills to postgraduate degrees, FE colleges cater for all ages from 14 upwards. They offer vocational, technical and academic teaching in a range of professions including: business, construction, creative arts, engineering, health care, hospitality and information technology. They offer a wide range of qualifications and training including: A-Levels, Apprenticeships, Entry-level training, Higher education, Traineeships and vocational qualifications. FE colleges often have links with companies, so that students studying vocational courses can combine classroom learning with valuable work experience.

Many FE colleges offer higher education in partnership with local or regional universities and increasingly, they design courses especially for students from other countries (AoC, 2015). Most FE colleges offer a range of programmes, courses and qualifications to diverse group of learners. From a wider social context, FE colleges occupy a pivotal space in the learning and skills landscape by offering education and training in a multiplicity of forms including full and part-time study, day release and evening classes, both in and out of the workplace. 744,000 16-to-18-year-olds chose to study at FE colleges compared with 433,000 in schools and 1.9 million adults benefitted from studying or training (AoC, 2015).

For many people who have floundered in the school system, FE colleges have been an alternative route to success, frequently providing another avenue to university education. FE colleges possess “a dual mission: to widen participation both into educational life and onwards into economic life” (FETL, 2015, p. This assertion leaves open how FE colleges should plan the programmes they offer within increasing constraints imposed by the government. The problem to be investigated The programme provision in a third of FE colleges in England is often poorly designed and does not provide post-16-year-olds with the skills and training they need to gain employment in key sectors of the economy (Ofsted, 2015a, 2016).

The leadership and management of these FE colleges are not making informed and robust decisions about the programmes they offer to respond to the needs of learners, employers and the local communities they serve. Programme decision- making at strategic level does not achieve stability and sustainability of FE colleges and there is not enough leadership capacity within the FE sector to enable improvement in education and training (Ofsted, 2015a). These concerns formed the rationale for this research enquiry into ‘an analysis of programme decision-making in FE colleges in England’. The focus of the study was predominantly on programme decision-making for the provision of post-16 learners in FE colleges.

9 Programme decision-making in FE colleges is a complex research to undertake. The advice of Sadler-Smith (2006, p.5) seems appropriate in urging researchers to “create an inquiring, reflective, contemplative and mindful approach [when undertaking research] in decision-making”. The following research questions (RQs) enabled the aim of this research enquiry to be achieved: i. What are the internal and external factors that affect programme offer in an FE college? ii.

How do these factors affect programme decision-making and why? iii. What are the consequences and the impacts of programme decision- making on FE colleges? The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), which inspects services that provide education and skills for all learners, reported weaknesses in the quality of provision which predominantly affects post-16 learners studying in FE colleges (Ofsted 2015a, 2016).