Freeman College

Published date June 2012 Inspection Number 388033 Unique reference number: 132002

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Name of lead inspector: Elaine Clinton HMI

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

Sterling Works 88 Arundel Street Sheffield South Yorkshire S1 2NG

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Address:

Telephone number: 0114 2525940 Freeman College

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Focused monitoring visit report

Focused monitoring visit: Freeman College, 23 May 2012 2 of 5

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Context and focus of visit

Freeman College is an independent specialist college situated in the centre of Sheffield. The college is part of the Ruskin Mill Trust. It provides up to 100 placements for full-time residential students and day education for non-residential students. All students, who are aged from 16 to 25, have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The college provides a holistic approach to all aspects of education through arts, crafts, commerce, agriculture, skills for living, nutrition, and the environment. Freeman College contracts with the Education Funding Agency to provide programmes in foundation learning.

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Context and focus of visit

The college was last inspected in May 2010. Outcomes for learners, quality of provision, and leadership and management were judged to be good. Safeguarding was judged to be outstanding and equality and diversity satisfactory. This report focuses on the themes explored during the monitoring visit.

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Progress

The college’s self-assessment report is accurate and analytical, providing a good insight into the college’s strengths and areas for improvement. The new structure for staff meetings provides a useful process to ensure that all staff are more closely involved in, and responsible for, monitoring and reviewing progress against all aspects of the self-assessment report and quality improvement plan. The use of data to support judgements is more secure because managers have a better understanding of how to use this information. Targets are more specific and meaningful to staff. Data analysis, evaluation and target-setting for equality and diversity are now established. Senior managers ensure that they receive regular reports of students’ participation and achievement and monitor actions taken to address any issues. The college is currently reviewing the way it analyses the recruitment of staff and students to ensure more consistency in reporting and

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Progress

subsequent action planning. Teaching and support staff are developing students’ understanding of diversity through reflecting on daily living and learning, the impact of which is included in the regular equality and diversity reports. As a result of this, all staff are clearer about their role in achieving targets and they talk knowledgeably about the progress being made towards their achievement .

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Progress

Focused monitoring visit: Freeman College - 23 May 2012 3 of 5

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Progress

The college has very effectively introduced a range of new foundation and higher- level programmes, which are successfully enabling more students to achieve qualifications and progress. Targets are used more effectively at all stages of the students’ experience. A new, more rigorous interview process has an excellent focus on the longer-term goals and ambitions for students, with a specific emphasis on starting with the end aspiration clearly in sight. As a consequence of this, and a much more rigorous induction, targets are more personal, individual and meaningful to students. Very good use is made of targets to plan and reinforce learning in the classroom and also in residential settings. Individual action plans clearly identify what a learner needs to do to achieve and highlight any potential barriers to learning and how these may be overcome. Increasing numbers of students are achieving their full

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Progress

qualification or learning goals and all students achieve some level of success. Increasing numbers of students are achieving qualifications at entry level and foundation level. Many students were able to talk about the impact the college is having on helping them to achieve their long- and short-term goals.

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Progress

Assessment of students’ literacy and numeracy ability levels is now central to their admission assessment. Feedback from detailed observations of students during their first three days at college is providing staff with more specific information of the literacy and numeracy needs and abilities of new students. This detailed assessment, supported by a new core-skills feedback form, is helping staff to plan lessons that more effectively support the development of literacy and numeracy. Importantly, it is ensuring that support, and teaching and learning are meeting the needs of students from the start of the programme. Staff training is enabling teachers to have a better understanding of the skills of students who are working at entry level and, consequently, they are able to plan and develop more specific lessons.

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Progress

Arrangements to observe teaching and learning have been refined and now place a greater emphasis on students’ experiences. They are providing staff with clearer information on what they need to do to improve, with a specific emphasis on the embedding of literacy and numeracy in all learning. The college is currently in the process of developing peer observations with other colleges to increase the rigour and accuracy of the observation process. Focused monitoring visit: Freeman College - 23 May 2012 4 of 5

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Progress

Organisational developments are subject to careful budgetary analysis and an excellent understanding of local and national needs and priorities. Staff are actively encouraged to seek promotion, gain qualifications and access further learning opportunities from within the college. The changes resulting from the forthcoming retirement of the current principal are being carefully managed through the appointment of a principal designate who is actively leading the college, supported by the current principal. The impact of recent changes in government and funding priorities on the college is being managed particularly successfully. The focus is on managing change from a position of strength and on the benefits that further change will bring. Frequent and honest communication is keeping staff fully informed and involved in the changes. It is very evident that the commitment to continuous improvement is a high priority for all staff. The high regard in which the college is

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Progress

held in the community is very effectively enabling it to continue to develop and change. For example, it is working with the local authority to develop shared provision and is supporting increasing numbers of students to access learning both in the college and in the wider non-specialist further education sector.

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Progress

The college has taken significant action to ensure that safeguarding arrangements remain outstanding. The appointment of a learning disabilities nurse in the last 12 months has significantly strengthened safeguarding arrangements. Their central location and role in the college provides students with an excellent source of discussion and support. The college has rightly recognised the importance not only of keeping its students safe but of ensuring that they are clear about the possible impact of some of their actions. Consequently, numerous sessions, themed weeks and integrated activities continually reinforce personal responsibility. Outstanding support is given to students who are uncertain about their sexuality, enabling them to make safe and secure decisions. Excellent, long-standing partnerships with the local police and other organisations provide prompt support where concerns are raised by students about actions that have implications either for their own safety or

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Progress

for the safety of others. Extremely thorough current risk assessments continue to ensure the safety of staff, students, host families and visitors. Focused monitoring visit: Freeman College - 23 May 2012 5 of 5

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Progress

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Progress

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Progress

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