All about the role of ... College tutor

Colleges of Further Education offer a wide range of courses for 14-to 19-year-olds and mature learners at Levels 1 to 4. They also offer apprenticeships and sometimes foundation degrees. Childcare and education courses focus on areas such as children and young people's care, development, learning and health, and teaching and learning support. These courses are verified by awarding bodies such as CACHE, Edexel and City and Guilds.

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting colleges and courses to evaluate how efficiently and effectively the education and training provision meets the needs of students. Areas that are inspected include: the range of teaching methods used; tutors' learning plans and progress reviews; the degree of access students are given to information, advice and guidance; the arrangements for assessment and internal verification; and strategies used to improve and maintain the attendance and retention of students. A tutor may be observed during teaching sessions to identify his or her strengths and areas for improvement. Inspectors highlight good practice and decide the steps to be taken to improve provision further.