New college support teams to raise standards and drive growth
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

Government introduces Regional Improvement Teams to help underperforming colleges to turn things around.

Around 70,000 college students will benefit from new Regional Improvement Teams in new standards push, which will help to break the link between background and success through the government’s Plan for Change

Government will also invest nearly £800m extra into funding for 16–19-year-olds next year (2026-7). Coming from the existing Spending Review settlement, this funding will support an additional 20,000 students.

This build on ambitious reforms announced in the Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper to ensure young people get good jobs and build better futures. It includes measures to support all colleges to drive up standards including new structured professional development for Further Education (FE) teachers and an expectation for colleges to deliver at least 100 hours of face-to-face English and maths teaching for those who haven’t passed those GCSEs, supported by targeted funding.

The new Regional Improvement Teams will analyse colleges’ performance in delivering on the priorities of a local area, including the skills local people need and improving outcomes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These changes will help tens of thousands of young people achieve and thrive.

All colleges will get access to best practice guidance and performance data and those with identified problems will get targeted support, including peer mentoring.

Made up of sector and industry experts, teams will offer support and advice for improving individual college performance, building stronger collaboration between colleges and universities in responding to local skills needs.

The teams will be rolled out nationally by the next academic year to break down barriers to opportunity for around 70,000 young people – with plans to reach underperforming colleges across the country.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

Every young person deserves a brilliant education, and these new teams will help to drive improvements and share best practice in colleges across the country.

By providing targeted support where it’s needed most, we’re delivering on our commitment to break down barriers to opportunity and give young people the best possible start in their careers.

This is about raising aspirations, improving outcomes and building the skilled workforce Britain needs for the future through our Plan for Change.

The government is also changing the rules so that for the first time, formal intervention to change the leadership of a college can also be triggered if Ofsted judges that a college’s contribution to meeting local skills needs requires ‘urgent improvement’.

These changes are a key part of plans to drive up the standard of further education across the country and put it on an equal footing to university – helping to deliver the Prime Minister’s new target for two-thirds of young people to participate in quality higher-level learning by age 25.

Last week, the Education Secretary visited City of Sunderland College, part of Education Partnership North East, to launch the new North East Construction Technical Excellence College (TEC).

The colleges in the partnership faced significant financial and performance challenges, but with the support of advisers, including incoming FE Commissioner Ellen Thinnesen OBE, the group has implemented a ‘Changemaking Curriculum’ aligned to regional and national priorities and focused on preparing students for employment, further study or independent living.

This regional collaboration as part of the Government’s TECs programme is an example of the work to raise standards and outcomes – which Regional Improvement Teams will supercharge as they are rolled out across the country.

Chief Executive of Education Partnership North East Ellen Thinnesen OBE said:

Regional Improvement Teams will enable us to have a more structured approach to raising standards and meeting area need in every part of England.

I am hugely looking forward to starting as Further Education Commissioner and working with sector colleagues across the country to drive improved outcomes for young people.

Similar to the support offered by new RISE teams in schools, new guidance published today (10 November) outlines how support will be matched to the level of need in colleges. Those falling the furthest below expected standards will get intensive intervention including regular monitoring visits and mandatory action plans.

The changes follow the move away from single headline Ofsted grades for colleges, with intervention now based on where Ofsted assesses that ‘urgent improvement’ is needed at provider level, retaining high standards of accountability.

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