Provider Review

The Dance and Drama Awards were introduced in 1999. The design of the Awards includes reviews of providers, courses and Awards allocations. The Awards are intended for the 'most talented' students and we try to ensure that these students receive the best training and preparation available. The review process is designed to support the Secretary of State in identifying the best available quality and mix of providers and courses to offer the Awards.

All Awards providers are subject to external inspections conducted by the Office for Standards in Education (OfSTED). Following a number of mandatory criteria, the results of these inspections are of primary importance in the reviews.

The Review Group considers a range of information about the operation of the Awards. Information from Inspectors and the evaluation inform the Review Group in making decisions. The Review Group considers, alongside the requirements and criteria published in the provider application forms for review, the nature and suitability of the provider and places on offer and the mix of places available to students.

The main areas for consideration are:

1. the operation of each school;
2. the type and quality of training offered;
3. the qualifications offered; and
4. available performance, external quality assurance and inspection data.

Using this information the Review Group will make decisions based on the following main criteria:

1. Is the training offered relevant to the needs of the industry?
2. Is the training offered of a demonstrably high quality?
3. Does the training offered lead to a qualification which has been approved for the Awards?
4. Do the review group believe that the training is necessary for the Awards?
5. Does the training provider meet all the requirements for the Awards?
6. Is the training provider operating on a financially sound basis?

Where the Review Group recommended that a new provider would be a useful addition to the Awards, further evidence in support of points (2) and (5) above will be required. The school concerned will have to undergo an external inspection and gain a satisfactory report before any offer of Awards is made.

The school must offer training leading to one of the National Diploma suite of qualifications which are awarded and assessed by Trinity College London. No other qualification has as yet been approved for the Awards. Please see Qualifications for further information and contact details.

Schools should note that we do not currently require either National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) or Council for Dance Education and Training (CDET) accreditation for courses which lead to further education qualifications.

The Provider Review currently takes place on a 3-year cycle. The last Provider Review took place in 2006.