Orchard Hill College

Published date 14 April 2011 Inspection Number 363252 Unique reference number: 131948

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Name of lead inspector: Diane Stacey HMI

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

Old Town Hall Woodcote Road Wallington Surrey SM6 0NB

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Address:

Telephone number: 020 8254 7820 Orchard Hill College

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Focused monitoring visit report

Focused monitoring visit: Orchard Hill College, 14 March 2011 1 of 3

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Context and focus of visit

Orchard Hill College is a non-residential national specialist college that provides education for young people and adults with severe/profound and complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The college’s main site is in Wallington Surrey, with additional centres at Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Hackbridge and Carshalton.

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Context and focus of visit

At the last inspection in July 2008, overall effectiveness, achievements and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management were good. Arrangements for equality and diversity were outstanding.

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Progress

The college has made significant progress in seeking the views of learners as part of the overall feedback used to inform managers of the strengths and areas for improvement. Since the last inspection, the half-term tutorials formally seek out and record learners’ views. The weekly tutorial notes include informal views of learners expressed during the week. The college ensures that learners have access to an adapted and accessible version of the learner surveys which are conducted each term. All learners are now automatically part of the learner council. Separate councils exist for each of the five centres. Learners have direct electronic access to communicate with the college principal. Learners have been involved in the national campaign ‘Giving a Voice’ and are now part of staff interview panels. Governors have sought the views of learners about college policies, for example the health and safety

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Progress

and anti-bullying policies and how they might be adapted to be more accessible for learners. Although learners are not on the governing body, learner representatives are included in part of the governor meetings. The college has taken many actions as a result of feedback from learners. For example, at one centre, the teaching rooms have been renamed using underground station names. This was supported by Transport for London who provided the signs for them. Links with a local charitable organisation provide weekend activities as a result of learners’ request.

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Progress

The college continues to have good levels of achievements of learners’ objectives. Of the learners who left last year, 2009/10, 83% achieved their targets compared to the previous two years of 74% and 78%. Achievement of external qualifications is Focused monitoring visit: Orchard Hill College, 14 March 2011 2 of 3

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Progress

particularly high. The college is currently in the process of planning and producing a wide range of externally-verified courses to better suit the needs of their learner cohort. The college has introduced a ‘learners at risk and raising achievement’ strategy to alert staff of any poor attendance, sickness and non-achievements of objectives. The college collates, analyses and acts on a good range of information relating to the achievement and progress made by different groups of learners in relation to gender, types of disabilities and ethnicity.

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Progress

The majority of learners access part-time further education with Orchard Hill College when they leave their full-time programmes. Additionally, the learners build on their skills and interests from their time at the college and continue with activities within their local community. The college has developed very effective links with external agencies for each individual learner to plan their future and ensure that a secure support network is in place for when they leave. Few learners who progress into local further education colleges or into employment of some type. However, links with local further education colleges have developed and one learner is now on a full-time programme at a local college. The college plans this year to introduce more learners this year to the idea of considering this as a next step. Last year, one learner gained part-time paid employment and one is working in a volunteering

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Progress

capacity. Local employers offer a wide range of work-experience placements including farm work, catering, office, retail and pet grooming. One learner currently on a work placement has successfully secured employment with the employer when he leaves the college this year.

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Progress

The college has introduced new procedures since the last inspection to monitor and support the setting of specific and relevant objectives for learners. Initial assessment to gather a range of pre-entry information about learners remains very thorough. The therapy and curriculum teams now work more closely together to set and monitor specific targets for learners. Visits are made to see learners in their home environments where possible prior to enrolment to help identify specific and realistic targets. The monitoring of progress against targets has improved significantly using an ‘at risk’ alert system. Any issues are thoroughly investigated where learners are not progressing appropriately, and objectives are reviewed and re-set where necessary. Staff have received training and support to improve and make targets more specific, which generally they are. However, the wording used is sometimes overly complicated and not sufficiently aimed at ensuring learners’ understanding.

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Progress

Focused monitoring visit: Orchard Hill College, 14 March 2011 3 of 3

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Progress

Observations of teaching and learning are carried out regularly and the recording of judgements made during observations has been revised to ensure that learning is a key component. For the past two years, the majority of lessons have been graded good or better. A range of activities supports teachers who are judged satisfactory or below standard through their step-up programme. Managers negotiate with teachers on specific development areas and support is appropriately arranged from managers and peers to help teachers to improve. An ungraded observation of a teaching session follows the formal development plan. However, the recording of judgements made during observations needs further refinement. Of the small number of records seen during the visit, there was too much description of classroom activities and insufficient judgements recorded. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of

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