This page links to the websites of the Institute for Learning's (IfL) partner organisations.
Ten of these organisations have nominated representatives on our Council, click here to see which partners contribute to IfL Council.
FE and skills sector organisations
- 157 Group
- www.157group.co.uk
- The 157 Group is a collective of the country's highest performing colleges. The group take their name from paragraph 157 of the infamous Foster Review.
- Association of Colleges (AoC)
- www.aoc.co.uk
- The AoC aims to promote the interests of Further Education colleges in England and Wales. It provides a broad range of services to its subscribers. It represents their interests locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
- Association of College Managers (ACM)
- www.acm.uk.com/
- The ACM is a TUC affiliated trade union and professional association which represents managers of post 16 education and training. The primary purpose of the Association is to support the interests, values and views of education and training managers.
- Association of Learning Providers (ALP)
- www.learningproviders.org.uk/
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The purpose of the ALP is to influence the education and training agenda to in order to: influence and secure a national skills strategy; secure the 14-19 learning curriculum opportunities for learning throughout life and demonstrate a government-supported learning market open to all providers offering high quality learning.
- Association of National Specialist Colleges (NATSPEC)
- www.natspec.org.uk
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NATSPEC works in partnership with others to promote the provision of a wide choice of innovative, high quality, cost-effective education and training to meet the needs of people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
- Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL)
- www.atl.org.uk
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ATL is the only education union to represent teachers and lecturers in schools, FE colleges and sixth form colleges. ATL uses its members' voice to influence policy, impacting positively on pay, conditions and career development.
- Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) - see Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS)
- http://excellence.qia.org.uk/cett
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CETTs are networks of partnerships of organisations involved in ITT and CPD in the learning and skills sector. CETTs operate in different areas in England and most of them are led by universities, with a few led by colleges and other organisations in the learning and skills sector.
- Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS)
- www.dcsf.gov.uk/index.htm
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DCSF is one of three new government departments set up by the Prime Minister in June 2007. It focuses on raising standards so that more children and young people reach expected levels, lifting more children out of poverty and re-engaging disaffected young people. In addition to its direct responsibilities, DCSF will lead work across Government to improve outcomes for children, including work on children's health and child poverty.
- Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)
- www.dius.gov.uk
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The Government has created a new Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) whose key role will be to build Britain’s capabilities to compete in the global economy. The Department will be created by merging BERR and DIUS.
The merger has created a single department committed to building Britain’s future economic strengths. To compete in a global economy and create the jobs of the future Britain requires a regulatory environment that encourages enterprise, skilled people, innovation, and world-class science and research. The merger of BERR and DIUS brings together the parts of the government with key expertise in these areas.
- Employment National Training Organisation (ENTO)
- www.ento.co.uk
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ENTO is fully committed to the principle of developing individuals in the workplace through the use of National Occupational Standards and other means and, where appropriate, recognises that development through formal accreditation results in the achievement of qualifications. ENTO provides information, advice, guidance and support for those who use their National Occupational Standards, as well as support products and services to support their implementation.
- General Teaching Council of England (GTCE)
- www.gtce.org.uk
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The GTC is the professional body for teaching in England. Its overall purpose is to help improve standards of teaching and the quality of learning in the public interest. It works for children, through teachers.
- Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
- www.lsc.gov.uk
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The LSC is a non-departmental public body which aims to improve the skills of England's young people and adults to ensure we have a workforce of world-class standard. They are responsible for planning and funding high quality education and training for everyone in England other than those in universities.
- Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS)
- www.lsis.org.uk
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The Learning and Skills Improvement Service is the new sectorowned body, formed from CEL and QIA to develop excellent and sustainable FE provision across the sector. LSIS will work in partnership with all parts of the sector to provide vision, leadership, clarity and high quality support; practising and enabling continuous selfimprovement and capacity building.
- Learning and Skills Network (LSN)
- www.lsneducation.org.uk
- LSN is an independent not-for-profit organisation. It aims to deliver quality improvement and staff development programmes that support specific government initiatives, through research, training and consultancy; and by supplying services directly to schools, colleges and training organisations
- Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) - formerly the Further Education National Training Organisation*
- www.lluk.org
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LLUK is the Sector Skills Council responsible for the professional development of all those working in Adult and Community Learning, Further Education, Higher Education, Libraries, Archives and Information Services and Work-based Learning.
- National Union of Students (NUS)
- www.nus.org.uk
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NUS promotes, defends and extends the rights of students, and develops and champions strong students unions by fighting barriers to education, empowering students to shape both a quality learning experience and the world around them, and supporting influential, democratic and well-resourced students unions.
- Network for Black Professionals (NBP)
- www.nbp.org.uk
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The nbp's purpose is to address the under-representation of Black staff in the FE sector, particularly the small numbers of managers, senior staff and principals.
- Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED)
- www.ofsted.gov.uk
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OFSTED is the government department responsible for reviewing and monitoring the standards of education and training.
- Principals' Professional Council (PPC) - merged with the NAHT)
- www.naht.org.uk
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The PPC is the only organisation dedicated to Principals and other Senior Post Holders in Further Education.
- Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)
- www.qca.org.uk
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The QCA is involved in the progress of standards in education and training. They work with others to maintain and develop the school curriculum and associated assessments and to accredit and monitor qualifications in schools, colleges and in the workplace.
- Sixth Form Colleges Forum (SFCF)
- www.sfcf.org.uk
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All Sixth Form Colleges are members of the SFCF. It lobbies on behalf of Sixth Form College interests and provides them with advice and information.
- Standards Verification UK (SVUK)
- www.standardsverificationuk.org
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SVUK is the subsidiary of Lifelong Learning UK responsible for the verification of initial teacher training plus other forms of workforce training and development.
- Standing Committee for the Education and Training of Teachers (SCETT)
- www.scett.org.uk
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SCETT provides a forum for all the partners engaged in the education and training of teachers and in their continuing professional development, whether it be in schools, colleges of further education or in higher education institutions.
- UNISON
- www.unison.org.uk
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UNISON is Britain and Europe's biggest public sector union with more than 1.3 million members who work in the public services, for private contractors providing public services and in the essential utilities.
- Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET)
- www.ucet.ac.uk
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UCET acts as a national forum for the discussion of matters relating to the education of teachers and professional educators, and to the study of education in the university sector and contributes to the formulation of policy in these fields. Its members are UK universities involved in teacher education, and a number of colleges of higher education in the university sector.
- Universities and Colleges Union (UCU)
- www.ucu.org.uk
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UCU is the largest trade union and professional association for academics, lecturers, trainers, researchers, and academic-related staff working in Further and Higher Education throughout the UK.
