This older LSDA document is useful for those involved in quality assurance in Further Education.

What is college improvement ? It is not about re-inventing teaching of principles of curriculum design but rather about how to select and apply these principles in specific contexts. It is about putting students first and striking the right balance between high expectations and deepening student motivation. And teachers and managers all over the sector are confident that they have discovered strategies that work, and can be adapted and transferred. Drawing on evidence from over 80 colleges, including many with significant proportions of students from deprived communities, this report summarises some of those successful strategies to raise achievement and improve retention.