Today marks a new chapter in Ofsted’s relationship with the further education sector.

This morning, chief inspector Amanda Spielman will give her first major set-piece speech to an FE audience since her appointment in January.

And when she addresses the Association of Colleges’ Ofsted conference in London this morning, FErret expects a significant shift from the somewhat abrasive tone that characterised the approach towards the sector taken by her predecessor.

It’s fair to say that Sir Michael Wilshaw was never the biggest fan of FE. But, even by his own outspoken standards, he let rip on an unprecedented scale throughout 2016.

In January of that year he hit out at “large, impersonal and amorphous” colleges, and described post-16 provision for many young people as “inadequate at best and non-existent at worst”.

In March 2016, he made clear his view that 16-19 learning “should be done in a school-based environment, not in an FE institution”. And in July, he slammed the “alarming rate of underperformance and failure” in the FE sector.

In his final speech in December, Sir Michael was adamant that FE providers should not be “let off the hook” over the low pass rate in colleges for GCSE English and maths resits - despite speaking at the launch of the inspectorate’s annual report, which took a rather more sympathetic stance.

Little wonder that several inspectors subsequently voiced their frustrations to FErret.

Constructive relationship

However, Ms Spielman, has already been at pains to stress her desire for a more constructive relationship with the sector.

She even went as far as to attend the TES FE Awards last month, and happily chatted with guests at the celebration of the FE sector’s many success stories - a prospect that would have been enough to bring her predecessor out in a cold sweat.

So FErret looks forward to hearing what the new HMCI has to say. And Amanda, whatever nasty things those frightful bullies at the Commons Education Select Committee may have said about you, FErret’s having none of it. Welcome to FE.

Share your gossip, scandal and intrigue with FErret by emailing ferret@tesglobal.com