City College Peterborough

Published date 18 November 2011 Inspection Number 375494 Unique reference number: 53865

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Name of lead inspector: Harmesh Manghra HMI

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Information about the provider

1. Peterborough City Council provides adult and community learning provision under the auspices of City College Peterborough. Under contract to the Skills Funding Agency, it provides accredited and non-accredited programmes in further education, learning for personal and social development, family literacy, language and numeracy, and wider family learning. Other government-funded contracts are held with the University for Industry, the Young People’s Learning Agency and the National Apprenticeship Service to provide learndirect courses, Foundation Learning programmes for learners aged 16-18 and apprenticeships.

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Information about the provider

2. The newly appointed principal of the college manages the service with support from the recently appointed senior leadership team and 14 curriculum area managers/coordinators. The college has its own governing body and is responsible for its own financial management. The principal also reports to the director of Peterborough City Council’s children’s services department. The college employs 112 permanent staff and 183 sessional tutors.

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Information about the provider

3. The college provides learning in all subject areas. Some 90% of the provision is at level 1 or below and 71% of the learners are female. The college works with 70 partners. The college has two main sites in Peterborough which are two miles apart. In addition, it provides learning at 52 employers’ premises and a range of community venues. Some 6,534 users benfited from the services of the college in 2010/11.

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Information about the provider

4. The current population estimate for the city of Peterborough is 173,400. Over the past four years, a significant number of Eastern European migrant workers have moved into the city. The 2001 Census indicates a minority ethnic population of 11%; however 33% of the school pupils speak English as an additional language. In 2010, 45.5% of young people within the Peterborough Unitary Authority achieved five or more GCSE qualifications at A*-C including English and mathematics, compared with the England average of 55.2%.

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Provision for young learners:

Foundation learning, including Entry to Employment 148 part-time learners

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Provision for adult learners:

Learning for social and personal development 1,333 part-time learners

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Summary report

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

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Grade

Leadership and management 2 Safeguarding Equality and diversity

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Learning for qualifications Grade

Literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

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Overall effectiveness

5. The college has significantly improved its provision since its last inspection and many areas are now good. A very high proportion of learners complete their programmes successfully. Many develop useful personal and employability skills to help them progress into jobs or further education. Attendance rates are high. Apprentices develop good levels of skills. Most apprentices complete their qualifications in the planned time. However, dental nurses and business administration apprentices make slow progress. Outcomes for apprentices in business administration are poor.

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Overall effectiveness

6. The quality of teaching and learning is good with many outstanding features. No inadequate lessons were observed during the inspection. Most tutors are highly experienced professionals who take great pride in providing first rate teaching. They use information and learning technology (ILT) competently to make lessons fun and challenging for learners. The main site of the college is the hub of the community. It is easily accessible, welcoming and safe. The range of provision is excellent and run at convenient times including at weekends. Learners can progress from taster courses to higher level courses. The college works in close partnership with the voluntary, public and private sectors to meet learners’ needs. Care, guidance and support for learners are good. The quality of work-based learning is satisfactory.

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Overall effectiveness

7. The college has a very clear strategic direction and vision. It conducts thorough background and suitability checks on its entire staff. The college is outstanding at seeking learners’ and partners’ views to make improvements; however it has been less effective at seeking employers’ views. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. With the exception of apprentices, all learner groups achieve their learning objectives and qualifications equally well. The college knows its provision thoroughly. The quality improvement plan is robust. The college has a good capacity to maintain strengths of the provision and deal with the areas for improvement. The college provides good value for money.

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Main findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Achievement of qualifications in ESOL, learndirect and counselling are outstanding. Outcomes for learners in Foundation Learning and non-accredited courses, mainly in arts and crafts, are excellent. Learners meet and exceed their expectations in achieving their personal objectives.  Overall success rates for apprentices in motor vehicle, hairdressing, and childcare and for advanced apprentices in dental nursing have improved and are now satisfactory. However, success rates are inadequate for apprentices in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and business administration. Many apprentices in business administration and dental nursing make slow progress.  Learners improve their economic and social well-being to a good level. Closely targeted provision engages disadvantaged groups and has had substantial impact on their health, social life and employment prospects. Learners

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Main findings

thoroughly enjoy their classes and speak highly of the wide range of personal benefits from their learning such as improved confidence and the acquisition of new skills and knowledge.  Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Much teaching and learning is outstanding in counselling, in arts and crafts classes and Foundation Learning. Tutors plan lessons thoroughly and use a wide variety of stimulating and exciting strategies including ILT to motivate learners. Assessment and feedback are good overall. Coaching, training and assessment for apprentices are satisfactory.  The range of provision is excellent at meeting the needs and interests of learners and users. The college is highly responsive to the needs of its community and provides an extensive range of provision in all subject areas. It is highly pro-active in seeking learners’, partners’ and other users’ views. It has established valuable provision in conjunction with other providers.

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Main findings

 The college works very productively with an extensive range of partners. It makes an excellent contribution to both local and regional priorities by targeting the provision at priority groups. Partners from the voluntary sector and other services within the city council work very effectively with the college to research the needs, share resources and expertise to benefit the residents of Peterborough.  Care, guidance and support are good overall, are outstanding for young learners and are satisfactory for apprentices. Dyslexia support is excellent. Initial assessment to identify barriers to learning is sound. Most staff including volunteers have a high level of awareness of the barriers facing learners and they provide highly effective classroom and pastoral support promptly. Initial advice and guidance are good.  The senior leadership team has set ambitious targets and has provided very effective leadership to create a culture of excellence, inclusion and high

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Main findings

standards. It has established a broad range of communication channels to encourage participation by all stakeholders in the college’s life. Staff work very effectively to make learning an enjoyable and empowering experience for all learners.  The college has developed an in-house management information system that is particularly robust and flexible. Managers are adept at using it for both the performance management of staff and to monitor the performance of groups of learners or the progress of an individual. Managers use it extensively to monitor performance and set targets for improvement.  Coaching and mentoring for tutors is particularly strong. The college has invested significant amounts of time and effort to improve the quality of its teaching and learning. All tutors performing at satisfactory level or below have received extensive coaching and mentoring and the proportion of good teaching

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Main findings

and learning has improved. This support is now available to all tutors.  The governing body is particularly effective. It comprises a representative cross-section of the local community including an elected student governor and a local councillor. The members bring substantial experience and expertise from wide ranging fields. They act as critical friends and monitor the college’s performance, provide ample challenge and useful professional advice.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The curriculum prioritises programmes to support those most in need including young people not yet ready for employment or entry into further or higher education. Equality and diversity are well embedded in teaching and learning. Learners play a significant role in quality improvement and in decision making.  Staff involvement in the self assessment process is good. The college has produced an informative handbook on the process, which staff are using to

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Main findings

evaluate their own subject areas. The current draft position statements for all aspects and subject areas are highly accurate and self-critical.

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further?

 Improve outcomes for apprentices by setting challenging targets for learners and monitoring them closely to ensure that qualifications are completed within the planned timescale.  Raise the standards of teaching and learning from good to outstanding by extending the coaching and mentoring arrangements to include all tutors.

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What learners like:

 the friendly, safe and welcoming atmosphere in the college  the good quality of teaching, support, care and guidance  obtaining qualifications to improve skills and get a job  the increase in self-confidence gained from learning new skills and knowledge  the opportunity to meet and make new friends and learn  the supportive, patient and approachable tutors  the extensive range of classes that includes fun activities and interesting topics  the ability to influence the range of courses offered and the way they are delivered.

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What learners would like to see improved:

 better ventilation in a few rooms that are too hot  the cost of some courses - it is too high for some learners  larger rooms for a few classes.

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What employers/partners like:

 the improvements and good gains in knowledge and skills of the apprentices  the highly responsive approach to deliver courses that meet industry needs  the professional attitude and approach of the apprentices in the workplace  the flexibility and the speed of response to meet the needs of Peterborough residents  the ‘can-do’ attitude of the staff  the true partnership approach that is mutually beneficial.

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What employers/partners would like to see improved:

 better communication, particularly about the progress of their apprentices.

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Grade 2

8. Since the last inspection in 2008, the college has improved most aspects of its provision. At the last inspection eight of the ten subject areas were satisfactory and two were good. Employability training has now improved to outstanding. The grades for the subject areas with the largest numbers of learners inspected have improved, with two of the four graded as outstanding. All three aspects of the overall provision have improved and are now good. Despite significant improvements in success rates for employer responsive provision in many areas, overall learner outcomes remain inadequate. The poorly performing provision constitutes three per cent of the total college budget.

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Grade 2

9. Using a new, robust and flexible management information system, managers monitor performance and set targets to drive improvement. This, combined with improved recording of learning outcomes, has had a major impact on improving attendance, retention, progress monitoring and achievement of qualifications. Robust observation of teaching and learning combined with a highly effective mentoring process for tutors has improved the quality of teaching and learning.

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Grade 2

10. The senior leadership team enjoys the full support of the college staff and the governors. The team works extremely well to provide the most positive experience for the learners. The self-assessment process and quality improvement arrangements are thorough and include appropriate use of learners’ views. Staff morale is high. Team working is excellent. The restructured organisation now has an appropriate management structure and sufficient staff and resources to carry out its plans for further improvement.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

11. Outcomes for learners overall are good with all groups, except for apprentices, achieving equally well. Success rates for learners aged from 16 to 18 and those over the age of 19 have improved to 82% and 80% respectively in the last year, with the younger learners making greater improvement. Success rates on short courses, which were considerably lower, have improved significantly to 91%. Long course success rates are satisfactory at 74% for 16-18 year old learners and 76% for those aged 19 or over. Achievements of qualifications on learndirect courses are excellent in ICT, Skills for Life and business administration. Achievement rates on the accredited qualifications for ESOL learners are excellent and constitute 40% of the learner responsive provision.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

12. On most non-accredited programmes, learners successfully achieve their personal learning objectives. These include much improved confidence, the acquisition of a wide range of new skills and greater development of knowledge and understanding of their chosen topics and subjects. Retention rates are high in learner responsive provision but are lower in non-accredited learning. Attendance rates are high.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

13. Apprentices produce better quality work and demonstrate a higher degree of interpersonal and professional skills in their job roles. Success rates for apprenticeship programmes have improved to satisfactory levels in most subject areas. However inadequate outcomes for apprentices in business administration have resulted in inadequate overall success rates for employer provision.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

14. Learners on foreign language programmes develop good listening skills and a sound understanding of the structure and vocabulary of the target language. Active retired learners learn to use computer technology effectively to stay in touch with their families using emails, digital cameras and the internet. Learners on sports-related programmes gain positive health benefits such as improvements in flexibility and mobility, their ability to relax and a reduction in stress levels.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

15. Learners feel safe in the centres, classes and workplaces due to sound health and safety procedures and risk assessments. Risk assessment of activities and learners is particularly strong for learners with learning disabilities and/or difficulties.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

16. Improvement of economic and social well-being is considerable for the learners. Clearly targeted provision engages disadvantaged groups and impacts positively on their social and employability skills. Many craft learners develop their skills to highly professional standards and some 20% of them sell their products and services commercially.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

17. Learners make an outstanding contribution to community projects as a direct result of their learning and participation on courses. These include participation in various high profile shows and charity events such as ‘trashion show’, a show to demonstrate how trash can be used for fashion. Learners have raised funds for Help for Heroes, for the homeless and for several national events such as Children in Need and Sports Relief. Foundation learners have re-created a safe garden environment at the main site and have volunteered for many activities. A small number of learners from the local Muslim community have become tutors to teach religious studies using modern teaching methods.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

18. The college provides a high standard of teaching, learning and assessment in most subject areas. The majority of tutors are well qualified and have extensive specialist skills and knowledge. They provide a very broad perspective and stimulus to develop the learners’ skills and knowledge to motivate and inspire them. The quality of work based training and assessment is satisfactory. 19. Provision is excellent at meeting the needs and interests of learners. The college provision is extensive and is available on a flexible basis at different times of the day, evenings and at weekends. The college carries out effective research and runs many taster courses and other bespoke courses at the request of the learners and community groups such as the University of the Third Age and Age Concern. Learners decide the content of the course and their personal objectives. A significant proportion of provision is for high priority

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The quality of provision Grade 2

community groups and many of them progress from these courses to further accredited learning.The college has established several courses within the community such as the Saturday school for Polish parents at a local academy.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

20. The extensive range of partners works well jointly to improve the quality of life for the residents of Peterborough. As part of the city council, the college plays a crucial role in the single delivery plan for the Greater Peterborough Partnership, helping to meet its short, medium and long-term agenda. The college is helping to build the capacity of the voluntary community sector through its non- accredited courses. The college works closely with the police and the probation service to prevent crime. The college establishes progression courses at the main site in conjunction with other providers.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

21. Care, guidance and support for learners are good. Tutors provide good subject specific and individual support to learners. They provide good initial advice and guidance. Initial assessment is effective and used well by tutors on most courses to plan learning activities. Learners are fully involved in completing their individual learning plans which include learning objectives with specific and time-bound targets. Well trained volunteers provide good individual support to learners. Learning materials and technology are used well by tutors to produce resources that meet the learners’ needs well.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

22. The new senior leadership team has clarifed its focus and has established a culture of excellence in all aspects of the learners’ experience. It has provided strong challenge and support to all its staff. Managers have reviewed and revised all high level strategies and policies to develop learning programmes to meet local and national priorities. In the current economic climate the college has done well to maintain its extensive offer which includes non-accredited learning and apprenticeship programmes. All senior managers now use the improved management information system to manage performance and set targets for improvement in attendance, retention and achievement of qualifications. They measure performance against those targets from whole organisation down to individual staff member or learner level for all provision except the small employer responsive element. Internal communications are now particularly strong. Improved curriculum planning has greatly reduced the

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Leadership and management Grade 2

number of courses offered but not taken up at the start of the current academic year. 23. After significant changes in the management team over 18 months, the newly established team for employer responsive provision has taken supportive and strong action to deal with the poor performance of some staff and programmes. The college has increased the capacity of the assessment and training team by appointing two additional full-time assessors and an administration worker. They have increased the pace and level of assessment and training. Overall success rates have improved in the last six months by 20%. More apprentices are now completing their programme in the planned time. They have introduced greater employer consultation, closer monitoring and target setting and better sharing of good practice from the other parts of the college. The current learners are making faster progress.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

24. The governing body provides strong monitoring and challenge to the college senior leadership team. The inclusion on the board of elected councillors and senior council officers from other council departments ensures that the college priorities remain closely aligned with those of the council. The current board members have been carefully selected for their professional expertise and experience to provide valued advice and guidance to the senior leadership team. The college has also joined the local authority’s schools’ governor training scheme.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

25. Safeguarding arrangements are good. The college submits all staff to enhanced CRB checks on appointment and at three-yearly intervals thereafter. All staff and governors have undertaken appropriate levels of safeguarding training. Safeguarding policies and procedures are comprehensive and implemented well. In addition to the reporting of actual safeguarding cases, the college keeps thorough records of instances where staff remain concerned about an unsubstantiated case. Learners’ awareness of safeguarding is good. Their understanding is reinforced through the learner handbook, on notice boards and in appropriate formats for learners with learning difficulties. The college places particular emphasis within teaching and learning in the discrete provision for the most vulnerable groups of learners to ensure their full understanding of safeguarding and reporting procedures. The college uses a cartoon bee emblem

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Leadership and management Grade 2

on staff badges and office doors as part of its ‘Bee Safe’ campaign to indicate where or to whom learners should take any concerns.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

26. Equality and diversity are central to the ethos of the college. The principal chairs the college equality and diversity task group. The group carries out impact measures on all new policies and is currently reviewing existing ones. The college uses data well to measure the performance of different groups of learners and to close the achievement gaps. Equality and diversity are well embedded in lessons. Observers pay particular attention to this through the observation of teaching and learning scheme. Good use of pictures, symbols and simplified language make the revised curriculum booklet and relevant policies more accessible to learners with literacy and language support needs. The college is pursuing an innovative solution to reduce the impact of the long waiting list for ESOL provision by selecting and training suitable individuals from the city’s minority ethnic communities, to deliver survival ESOL within those

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Leadership and management Grade 2

communities. 27. The college actively seeks the views of users. Learners give their views directly to tutors or managers or through their elected representatives and are now represented on the governing board by a student governor. The college considers their views thoroughly and acts on them promptly to exceed learners’ expectations. These included new programmes, changes to the rooms, times of classes and negotiated learning objectives. In recent months, the college has also established an employer forum to give feedback and make suggestions for further improvements. This has led to changes such as increased level of training and clearer communications.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

28. The self assessment process is now robust and inclusive. In addition to incorporating the views of users, staff involvement at all levels is good. Staff have received good training and are given an excellent handbook detailing the purpose and methodology of self assessment. The present self-assessment draft reports at curriculum level are self-critical and accurate. These demonstrate a thorough understanding of the college’s current position and recognise the work still to do.The quality improvement plan produced in December 2010 has successfully dealt with all areas for improvement except for those in work-based learning.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

29. The college demonstrates good value for money. Many learners progress from a very low start point to achieve their learning outcomes. The quality of teaching resources in the classrooms is good and tutors make good use of interactive whiteboards and other technology. The college has decommissioned its virtual learning environment and has made alternative plans to replace it.

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Learning for qualifications in employment

Other learning for qualificat ions in employment provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded: information and communication technology; business administration; motor vehicle; hairdressing.

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Context

30. Of the 58 apprentices currently in learning, 48 are advanced apprentices in dental nursing. A further two apprentices and eight advanced apprentices are working towards qualifications in childcare. Employers are based in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Peterborough. The college is the only established provider of dental nursing in the region. In April 2011, the college appointed a new programme management team, two new assessors and a full- time administrator. The assessors provide off-the-job training and assessment.

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Key findings

 Success rates have improved and are currently satisfactory. Apprentices in childcare complete their qualifications in the planned time. Success rates in childcare have improved significantly in 2010/11 to around the national average. Success rates for advanced apprentices in dental nursing have improved to a satisfactory level and are now above the national average.  Dental nurses make slow progress. However, recent management action has led to faster progress for all apprentices. Apprentices making the slowest progress are scheduled to complete their qualifications in the next three months. Many employers have not released their apprentices for the required biannual external tests, adversely affecting their ability to achieve qualifications within the planned time.  The standard of learners’ work is good. All apprentices develop good vocational skills and acquire a high level of technical knowledge. The boost in their

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Key findings

confidence helps apprentices to apply their knowledge in the workplace. They develop strong interpersonal skills to deal with the clients and children.  Learners feel safe and adopt safe and professional working practices in line with current requirements in both childcare and dentistry. They take pride in their work and apply newly acquired knowledge and understanding to improve their working practices.  Teaching, learning and assessment are satisfactory in dental nursing and good in childcare. Assessors provide good coaching and support to the apprentices through productive professional discussions during their visits to the nurseries and in some dental practices. These help apprentices to develop sound interpersonal, professional and social skills. All apprentices receive effective verbal feedback to focus them on tasks and goals.  The tracking of learners’ progress is good in childcare but ineffective in dental

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Key findings

nursing with wide variations in its quality. Assessors do not accurately record the needs of the apprentices and their progress. Apprentices have developed broader technical knowledge and skills, but they are not fully aware of the progress made. This impedes progress for dental nurses.  Partnerships with employers are strong in both childcare and dental nursing. Programmes meet the needs of the employers and learners well. Employers are very pleased with the provision, support and flexibility provided by the assessors. Dental employers have reaffirmed their commitment to release apprentices from work to sit their external tests.  Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Key skills support is good in childcare, where learners receive good additional learning support. However in dental nursing, some learners do not receive enough support and are not sufficiently aware of their progress in key skills.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Managers have accurately identified problems within the apprenticeship programmes and have taken strong action to make improvements. This includes a detailed action plan to monitor assessors’ performance and to support staff adequately, sharing good practice from within other parts of the college. The quality improvement plan is accurate and working well.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good in childcare. Apprentices are well aware of the differences and the varying needs of the children and provide a sensitive and supportive care. Assessors do not sufficiently check dental nurses’ understanding of equality and diversity issues and how they can improve their services to their clients.

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What does Peterborough City Council needs to do to improve further?

 Improve success rates by rigorously monitoring apprentices’ progress through robust tracking, providing timely support and rigorous recording of assessment.  Improve strategies for embedding equality and diversity by increasing the confidence of assessors through further training. Ensure that staff check the apprentices’ understanding of such issues and challenge them and their employers, where appropriate, to further improve their services to clients.  Further strengthen partnerships with the dental nursing employers so that they fully understand their role in training and the negative impact of not releasing their apprentices for the external tests.

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Learning for qualifications

Other learning for qualifications provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded: business administration

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Context

31. The college offers part-time courses in literacy, numeracy and ESOL from entry level 1 to level 2. Some 264 learners are currently enrolled on ESOL, and 182 on literacy and numeracy programmes. Most courses are externally accredited and delivered on the main college site, during the day and in the evenings. In 2010/11, some 460 learners attended ESOL and a further 700 attended literacy or numeracy courses on the main site or in the workplace. The provision is led by two full-time curriculum managers, supported by 15 full- and part-time teaching staff and two operations managers.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Success rates are excellent on ESOL programmes. Attendance is good. Retention rates are excellent for ESOL learners and good for literacy and numeracy programmes.  Success rates on literacy level 1 and numeracy level 2 courses are poor. Many of the numeracy learners had language support needs and did not fully understand the questions during examinations. Poor success rates on literacy level 1 courses relate to a large number of learners who lost their jobs with a local hospital and were unable to continue with the programme.  The standard of learners' work is good. ESOL learners understand the language structures well on level 1 and level 2 courses. Most learners on entry level programmes are able to self-correct and use language accurately. Literacy learners understand punctuation, sentence and paragraph structures sufficiently well to compose letters and reports. Learners progress well through programme

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Key findings

levels, to more advanced qualifications and into new or better employment.  Learners significantly improve their employability and social skills. They are highly motivated and thoroughly enjoy their lessons. Numeracy learners on entry level 3 courses have a better understanding of their bank statements. ESOL learners communicate more effectively with colleagues, school teachers and neighbours. Learners on literacy programmes report the positive impact of their learning on the motivation of their children.  Teaching and learning are good. Learners participate well and enjoy helping each other. Lessons have a challenging pace; learning is set in meaningful life contexts and stimulating activities capture learners’ interest and attention. Tutors carefully design staged tasks and extension activities for the more able learners. The less effective aspects of sessions include too many tutor-led, controlled activities which restrict the flow of learning.

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Key findings

 The range of learning opportunities is good and includes clear progression routes and a good range of enrichment activities. Programme times and durations have been effectively reviewed to meet learners’ needs more closely. For example, the college plans to reduce the long waiting lists for ESOL courses through innovative use of minority groups to provide survival English.  Partnership working is well established with a wide range of local organisations such as the housing association, primary schools, employers and the social inclusion department in the city council. The partnerships help the college to widen participation and recruit new learners onto programmes.  Support for learners is good and includes comprehensive monitoring of attendance, an effective induction and frequent feedback to learners on their progress. Initial assessment is particularly effective in assessing learners' starting points so that they are placed on appropriate courses. Learners take

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Key findings

full responsibility for their individual learning plans and keep comprehensive records of their progress.  Leadership and management are good. Managers have been highly effective in bringing about improvements and in providing good and timely support for staff. The curriculum offer has been significantly changed so that it closely matches ever-changing local needs. Managers now access and use data effectively to monitor, analyse and improve performance.  Quality improvement is effective. The college has raised success rates for ESOL to well above the national averages. Managers have taken swift action to deal with the low retention and achievement rates on literacy and numeracy courses. The self-assessment process is thorough and includes the views of all interested parties. Inspectors agree with most of the key findings in the self- assessment report.  The observation of teaching and learning is now more robust with detailed

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Key findings

action planning to improve teaching and learning. A well developed and supportive mentoring programme has been particularly effective in improving many aspects of teaching through the sharing of best practice. However tutors do not share good practice sufficiently within their team.  Equality and diversity is promoted well in the classroom. Learners enjoy working alongside and collaboratively with others from different backgrounds. The ethos of respect for people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures permeate throughout the college.

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What does Peterborough City Council needs to do to improve further?

 Improve success rates on numeracy level 2 courses by enhancing language support for ESOL learners on these programmes. Ensure that the numeracy tutors adapt their teaching style appropriately, taking greater account of the literacy and language support needs of all learners.  Increase the amount of good or better teaching by more focussed support to tutors in their specialist field including greater sharing of good practice within their teams.

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Context

32. Currently 116 learners are on the Foundation Learning programme, of which 57% are male, 27% are from a minority ethnic background and 27% have an identified learning difficulty and/or disability or serious health problem. All learners are aged 16 to 18 and the majority study full-time. The great majority undertake courses in functional skills, personal and social development and vocational options in motor vehicle, construction, hairdressing, childcare, office skills and catering. A minority of learners take part in a preliminary course to prepare them for vocational study.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are outstanding and have been maintained at the high level of the previous Entry to Employment programme. Learners overcome a large range of social and personal barriers to learning. For many, this is the first time they have experienced success. Success rates for the recently introduced functional skills examinations in English and mathematics are satisfactory.  The progress of most learners is outstanding. In 2010/11, the first full year of the programme, 73% of leavers moved on to further education, training or employment. The great majority of leavers achieved all of their key qualification objectives. Most of the learners who did not progress positively have either left the area or are unknown to the college.  Learners make excellent progress in the development of vocational skills and an understanding of the attitudes and behaviours needed to gain and sustain employment. Hairdressing learners work well with their clients. Office skills

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Key findings

learners provide a valuable service dealing with job requests from staff. Most learners improve their confidence, self-esteem and communication skills well.  Teaching and learning are good overall and in a few cases outstanding. Lessons are lively, fun and challenging. Tutors make strong use of information learning technology and a wide variety of activities to stimulate and motivate previously reluctant learners. Classrooms are bright, welcoming, well-equipped and with a very high standard of informative wall displays.  The initial assessment of learners is good. An extended six-week assessment period provides staff with a good level of additional information on learners. Literacy diagnostic assessment results provide very clear guidance on learners’ areas for development. On-going assessment of learners’ progress takes place regularly and provides learners with valuable feedback on how to improve their

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Key findings

work and behaviour.  The programme is good at meeting the needs of learners with a choice of six vocational areas and a pre-foundation programme. Through productive links with other learning providers, the college has now established progression routes to level 2 programmes in all vocational areas. However, literacy, numeracy and language skills are not sufficiently reinforced in all elements of the programme.  Learners take part in a wide range of stimulating enrichment activities. They produce a high quality poetry booklet annually and present their poems at a local theatre. Staff and learner football matches foster good team working. Several groups of learners have visited London museums to support their project work. For many this was their first trip to the capital.  Partnership working is good. The college works extremely well with partners to benefit learners including involvement in a regional group for learners not in

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Key findings

employment, education or training. Very productive links with Connexions and the Youth Offending Service are used to provide good support to learners. Close working with the local police service has improved learners’ attitudes towards law enforcement.  Pastoral support for learners is outstanding. The college has strong and productive links with a wide range of support agencies. Support for learners’ health and well-being is excellent. Two support workers monitor attendance and punctuality regularly. Attendance has steadily improved. Each learner is aware of their own attendance record and, where appropriate, has targets and support strategies to improve.  Safeguarding arrangements are outstanding. A comprehensive range of procedures are well established to support learners and staff. Staff regularly conduct sensitive checks during reviews. Relevant staff attend a weekly case meeting where they share information and take swift action to reduce the risks

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Key findings

of vulnerability to their learners that might adversely affect their progress.  Leadership and management are outstanding. Managers have a very strong commitment to continual improvement. Highly personalised support for staff and regular monthly performance meetings drives improvement. Team working is very strong. All staff are highly committed to provide the very best for the learners. Managers use data extremely well to monitor and analyse the provision and set targets for progressions and improvement.  The processes for self-assessment and quality improvement are highly effective. The robust and accurate observation of teaching process has resulted in improvements to programme delivery. Learners are fully involved in the delivery and development of the programme including recruitment of key staff. Resources for learners are excellent including a recently opened motor vehicle workshop.

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What does Peterborough City Council needs to do to improve further?

 Reinforce the support for learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs through better planning and monitoring of skills development within all sessions.

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Learning for social and personal development

Other social and personal development learning provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded: languages, literature and culture; history, philosophy and theology; sports, leisure and recreation; information and communications technology.

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Context

33. Some 359 learners are attending 29 part-time courses including watercolour painting, pottery, sculpture, guitar, singing for pleasure and ballroom dancing. Most classes take place at the main site, but some community venues are used when appropriate. Most courses are of two hours duration and run for 10 weeks. Twelve continuing learners are on a very small accredited provision, ranging from levels 1 to 4. Thirteen tutors and two learning support assistants teach on courses. One full-time curriculum manager and operations manager manage the provision.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are outstanding. Learner retention and achievement of learning goals are excellent at 94% and 98% respectively. Learners agree challenging, specific and measurable objectives and meet them extremely well. The tracking and monitoring of progress is robust, with clearly set group and individual objectives. Learners overcome social isolation by making friends, and improve their fitness, concentration, dexterity and mental health.  The standard of learners’ work, particularly in ceramics, sculpture, drawing, painting and pottery work is outstanding. Learners pay meticulous attention to detail on both large and small scale pieces. A significant proportion of learners have exhibited their work and many have successfully sold their ceramics, jewellery and paintings commercially. Other learners have won prestigious national awards.  Learners make excellent contributions to their communities. They become

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Key findings

valued members of society through their active participation in various charity activities. They have, for example, sold their work to raise funds for local and national causes and participated in sponsored social dances. Links with community partners enhance and add value to the learners’ experience.  Teaching and learning are good overall with some outstanding features. Tutors plan their lessons thoroughly and use a wide range of activities to fully challenge all learners. Lessons have a brisk pace and individual support for learners is inspirational. This helps learners to develop strong independent learning skills, and a deep understanding of key concepts resulting in professional quality work.  The courses meet and exceed learners’ expectations, often delighting them with the experience. Learners benefit from excellent enrichment activities, including international trips, support to establish their own businesses and visits to

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Key findings

external galleries and museums. The college enters a high number of entrants to the Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Inspired By” competition, many of whom win awards.  The good quality of written and verbal feedback is very helpful to learners. Developmental points are made well and learners value their tutors’ comments. Learners use the regular feedback to make progress in their own work, leading to notable improvements and, in some instances, the production of outstanding, commercially-viable pieces.  Learners particularly value the exceptionally innovative use of individual learning plan sketchbooks in craft classes. Learners are fully involved in devising the individual and group learning plans. Learners see these as supporting and inspiring the learning process. They track their learning well and proudly demonstrate their progress.  Curriculum leadership is good. Highly effective support is given to tutors.

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Key findings

Communication within the staff team is good. Tutors make particularly effective use of learners’ feedback to design and improve the provision. The safeguarding of learners is promoted well throughout the team. Learning resources are good and deployed well.  Equality and diversity issues are well embedded in the classes which include good examples from around the world. However, the classes are attended mainly by older white females. The college has correctly recognised that participation by men, younger adults and those from minority ethnic groups is low. The action plan to improve the situation has not yet had sufficient impact.  The support for learners is good and enables learners to pursue their passion for learning and enrich their lives. The college helps learners make considerable savings when purchasing materials and consumables and arranges access to some museums at a reduced cost. Several learners have sold their work and

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Key findings

have used the proceeds to pay for their on-going learning.  Quality improvement arrangements are highly effective. Tutors benefit from a highly effective mentoring programme and excellent sharing of best practice. Tutors take great pride in their work. They routinely evaluate their performance and make improvements. Observations of teaching and learning are thorough. The college uses the findings from observations to design and deliver staff development to further develop tutor skills.  The self-assessment process is well established, with all tutors and managers actively involved. The self-assessment report is accurate and self-critical. Tutors and managers make good use of timely and accurate data to set and monitor challenging targets. All identified areas of weakness at the last inspection have been addressed successfully and are now good. Learners’ feedback is used extremely well to improve the provision.

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What does Peterborough City Council needs to do to improve further?

 Fully implement the equality and diversity impact measures and review the curriculum offer to increase the recruitment of learners from under-represented groups.

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Information about the inspection

34. Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and four additional inspectors, assisted by City College Peterborough’s Vice Principal as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors also took account of the provider’s most recent self- assessment report and development plans, comments from the funding bodies, Framework for Excellence indicators, the previous inspection report, reports from the inspectorate’s monitoring visit and data on learners and their achievement over the period since the previous inspection.

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Information about the inspection

35. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and emails to gather the views of learners. They looked at questionnaires that learners and employers had completed on behalf of the college. They also visited learning sessions, assessments or progress reviews. Inspectors collected evidence from programmes in each of the subjects the college offers. Record of Main Findings (RMF)

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Peterborough City Council

Learning types: 14-16: Young apprenticeships; Diplomas; 16-18 Learner responsive: FE full- and part-time courses, Foundation learning tier, including Entry to Employment; 19+ responsive: FE full- and part-time courses; Employer responsive: Train to Gain, apprenticeships. Social and personal development: all adult safeguarded provision

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Peterborough City Council

Outcomes for learners 2 1 2 4 1 How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 How well do learners attain their learning goals? How well do learners progress? How well do learners improve their economic and social well- being through learning and development? Do learners feel safe? 2 Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and well being?* How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* Quality of provision 2 2 2 3 1 How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning and development? How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of users? How well do partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and others lead to benefits for learners? How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in helping them to achieve? Leadership and management 2 1 2 3 1 How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations and

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Peterborough City Council

promote ambition throughout the organisation? How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide leadership, direction and challenge?* How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of learners? How effectively does the provider actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? How effectively does the provider engage with users to support and promote improvement? How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the provision and outcomes for learners? How efficiently and effectively does the provider use its available resources to secure value for money? *where applicable to the type of provision Grades using the 4 point scale 1: Outstanding; 2: Good; 3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate Overall 16-18 Learner responsive 19+ Learner responsive Employer responsive Social and personal development

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Peterborough City Council

Approximate number of enrolled learners Full-time learners Part-time learners Overall effectiveness 2 1 2 3 1 Capacity to improve 2 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you

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Peterborough City Council

give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Ofsted

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Peterborough City Council

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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