Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

Learning and Skills inspection report Date published: 11 December 2012 Inspection Number: 404573 URN: 53392

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Summary of key findings for learners

 The proportion of learners who complete the course and progress to further education, employment and training opportunities is satisfactory but needs to improve. Too few learners progress to an apprenticeship programme.  Learners’ achievements in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) functional skills qualifications are too low.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment in taught sessions varies too much and is not consistently good or better. Learners’ attendance is not good enough.  Since the previous inspection, managers have not improved the quality of the Foundation Learning course quickly enough or to a high enough standard.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Pass rates for the health and safety programme are very high and the rate for vocational courses is good. The progress made by learners in developing very useful personal, social and vocational skills is good.  Learning takes place in a calm and welcoming environment in which learners feel well protected and where both tutors and learners treat each other with mutual respect. All training is offered in a wide variety of well-equipped vocational centres.  Learners receive very good care and support from tutors and managers. Tutors ensure all learners are very effectively helped to understand what progress they have made and what actions are needed to get better.  Managers use their links with other organisations very effectively to recruit a wide range of learners and help them achieve. Leaders and managers know their organisation well and what needs to be done further to improve the training experience for all learners.

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This inspection: Requires improvement-3

Previous inspection: Satisfactory-3 Outcomes for learners Requires improvement-3 Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement-3 Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement-3

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for learners by ensuring tutors use a wider range of effective teaching, learning and assessment strategies that raise the quality of training. Improve the performance management of all tutors by setting ambitious targets that are rigorously monitored and secure swift and sustainable improvement to taught sessions. Share existing good practice more systematically to improve quality across the provision.  Improve the effectiveness of progress reviews by ensuring all learners are set precise, measureable and time-bound targets which are rigorously monitored, and inform them clearly about their progress and what improvement actions are needed to enhance further their skills and knowledge. Ensure tutors set targets that significantly raise learners’ ambition, improve attendance and support their progress to further education, training and employment opportunities.  Further develop the effectiveness of leaders and managers by their better use of the self-

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

assessment process and users’ views to identify and set more challenging operational objectives which include specific, time constrained actions that are systematically monitored. Take timely and speedy remedial action where targets are not achieved within the agreed timescale to improve significantly the pace of improvement.  Better promote equality and diversity by providing appropriate update training for staff and ensuring learners’ understanding is effectively raised during taught sessions. Further focus on the introduction of effective improvement initiatives to narrow the achievement gap between males and females.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  Outcomes for learners are satisfactory but require improvement. Pass rates for the health and safety programme are very high and the rate for vocational courses is good. However, learners’ achievement of English, mathematics and ICT functional skills qualifications is too low.  Learners are making reasonable progress relative to their starting points. Managers have correctly identified that female learners generally achieve better than males, but actions to address this difference have yet to have a significant impact.  Learners’ progress in developing appropriate personal and social skills is good and, helped by the very effective support provided by tutors, ensures learners make good gains in self- confidence and understand well the importance of mutual respect between individuals. They demonstrate good improvements in team working and the importance of supporting each other

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Inspection judgements

to achieve mutual goals. Learners develop a sound understanding of their rights and responsibilities, particularly in relation to discrimination, bullying and harassment. Most make good use of their newly acquired coping strategies to respond appropriately to the demands of their training programme and private life.  Most learners develop good vocational skills such as those needed to paint and decorate a room, strip down a car engine and successfully plant and harvest winter salads. Tutors appropriately address improvements in learners’ research skills within the vocational areas which are particularly well developed through the use of computer based work in graphic design sessions. Learners in construction and horticulture gain a good understanding of the importance of sustainability, such as recycling, and can effectively apply this learning to discussions on wider environmental topics.  Learners make good progress in achieving employment related qualifications, but their

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Inspection judgements

employability skills are not sufficiently enhanced as training does not include the routine setting and monitoring of challenging and personalised targets and improvement actions. Not all learners in the training centres gain a sufficiently timely understanding of expected industry practice, as tutors do not always consistently reinforce relevant standards. Although recently improved, learners do not yet have an appropriate understanding of the importance of good attendance.  Learners do not make sufficient progress in the development of their English, mathematics and ICT skills, in part because tutors do not adequately use the available learning opportunities in vocational areas to extend and practise skills.  Learners’ progress following completion of the programme requires improvement to ensure learners can all fully participate in the available education, employment and training opportunities. The proportion of learners who enter apprenticeship training is improving but is

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Inspection judgements

still too low. Learners can gain access to a good range of qualifications and work experience that helps them to progress. However, the support and guidance they receive do not ensure all learners acquire an adequate appreciation of the available career, education and training opportunities available to them.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement, which is reflected in the outcomes for learners which also require improvement.  All tutors create a calm and welcoming atmosphere in their training and assessment sessions, which helps learners gain confidence and develop vocational, personal and social skills. In the better taught sessions, tutors effectively plan activities and use a wide range of learning strategies that gives learners the opportunity to be involved in negotiated group and independent work. In addition, tutors support and promote learners’ development well by giving clear instructions and guidance on how to perform tasks and improve. However, in a minority of lessons, limited opportunities are offered for learners to engage with each other and contribute to the session. Learners make insufficient use of information learning technology to extend their

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Inspection judgements

learning and practise their skills.  Within training areas inspectors found good examples of sound professional practice where staff model the behaviour they expect of learners. Such practice includes the very effective use of planning, acting and reflecting on behaviour to develop greater personal responsibility. Learners respond well to this approach, but tutors do not share and apply this technique enough.  Most vocational training staff are qualified to a good level and often have a variety of relevant industrial experience which they use effectively to promote learners’ use of best practice in the work placement. Learners benefit from attending training in a wide variety of well-equipped vocational training centres; however, they too often experience training that overly relies on the completion of booklets, which many learners find dull and uninspiring.  All learners receive very good care and support provided by tutors who have a good

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Inspection judgements

understanding of the barriers to learning they face. Tutors assist learners with specialist guidance and help on, for example, how to open a bank account, obtain clothing and financial support such as bursaries. Learners speak highly of the very useful help they receive and the effectiveness of strategies tutors employ to encourage independent living through taking individual responsibility for solving personal problems.  Assessment practice is effective, rigorous and records learners’ competencies well in performing the required vocational, literacy and numeracy tasks. Assessors monitor the learners’ progress towards achieving accreditation very effectively and make good use of a colour-coded rating system to help learners keep a track of their progress in acquiring knowledge and understanding. Internal moderation processes and procedures are rigorous and follow awarding body requirements.  Feedback learners receive from tutors is not consistently effective and requires improvement. In

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Inspection judgements

the better practice, tutors give clear and encouraging verbal feedback to learners during classroom sessions and in writing which includes detailed help on what will be required of them at their next assessment. However, not all tutors have sufficiently high expectations of learners and do not negotiate consistently rigorous and challenging development targets at progress reviews to accelerate improvements in learners’ skills and knowledge.  The delivery of functional skills requires improvement, as tutors do not sufficiently use opportunities in the vocational areas to develop learners’ English, mathematics and ICT skills. This results, for example in not all learners following the motor vehicle technology course being able to spell correctly the names of commonly used spare parts. Tutors plan learning around a narrow range of activities, focusing on the completion of worksheets and practice tests, which

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Inspection judgements

slows learners’ progress and leads to a standard of completed work that is not of a consistently high standard.  Information, advice and guidance (IAG) is satisfactory but requires improvement. The initial IAG is satisfactory and ensures learners have a good understanding of the requirements of their programme. However, not all learners benefit from effective planning of possible progression opportunities during and prior to leaving their programme.  The promotion of equality and diversity is adequate but requires improvement. The provider addresses harassment and bullying well through a programme of behaviour support that effectively develops learners’ strategies to manage successfully their anger and emotions. However, not all learners have a satisfactory appreciation of diversity.

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Inspection judgements

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement  Milton Keynes Christian Foundation has a clear and well-communicated vision for its learners that links well with its aims to develop appropriate personal and social skills in line with its social enterprise values and ventures. The provider’s programmes are innovative and successfully engage trainees in education and training. However, initiatives introduced by leaders and managers since the previous inspection have not improved learners’ outcomes sufficiently.  Staff appraisal is well planned but does not bring about improvements in teaching and learning with suitable urgency; targets to improve teaching and learning are not challenging enough. The system for observing teaching, learning and assessment is well integrated with performance management and appropriately drives improvement, but does not focus enough on learning and

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Inspection judgements

how learners learn.  Leaders and managers monitor targets from appraisals and reviews well, but do not hold all staff to account with sufficient rigour. Targets are helpfully linked to the quality improvement plan; however, individual targets are not always challenging enough to secure improvement at an appropriately timely pace.  Self-assessment is accurate, identifies strengths and areas for improvement clearly and reflects inspection judgements. As identified by the provider, the process of using the views of staff and learners to inform the process and contribute effectively to quality improvement is not rigorous or formal enough. The draft self-assessment report does not include sufficient information on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to inform an evaluation leading to rapid improvement.  Good, productive partnership working with the local authority, employers, colleges, schools and

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Inspection judgements

agencies has resulted in a curriculum that very effectively meets users’ needs. Building on this, Milton Keynes Christian Foundation has developed appropriate programmes that successfully engage vulnerable learners and those excluded previously or disengaged from education and training. Many of these projects are appropriate first steps into learning, such as those offered by the recycling, construction and social care programmes.  Promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory but too variable and requires improvement. Managers suitably use equality and diversity data as a monitoring tool and deal sensitively and promptly with instances of inappropriate behaviour by learners. As identified by the provider, the gap in performance between males and females is too wide, despite the use of various improvement strategies and the concerted efforts of leaders and managers to tackle the shortfall. Checking of learners’ understanding and reinforcement by tutors in learning

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Inspection judgements

programmes are not consistently effective and tutors have not received recent updating training to help them develop a deeper appreciation of equality and diversity.  Milton Keynes Christian Foundation meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding trainees and its safer recruitment practices are good. Risk management is good and health and safety practices are fit for purpose. Well-planned systems effectively identify vulnerable learners and their needs which managers and tutors address sensitively by referral to local agencies. Specialist behavioural and other welfare support helps staff to manage successfully the sometimes challenging behaviour of a few learners, who are generally respectful of each other and feel safe when attending the centres.

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on a provider’s performance:

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

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Overall

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 3

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Overall

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 3

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Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Ltd

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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full contract year

Director Mr G Ghaleb Date of previous inspection 13 November 2009 Website address www.mkchristianfoundation.co.uk

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programme level

Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 and above

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(excluding apprenticeships)

Full-time 28 - - - - - - - Part-time - - - - - - - -

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Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ - - - - - -

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Apprenticeship level and age

Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners N/A Funding received from Education Funding Agency (EFA)

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Additional socio-economic information

Based in Wolverton, the provider recruits learners from a wide geographical area that includes the wider Milton Keynes area and Northamptonshire.

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Information about this inspection

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors, assisted by the Director as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all of the provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the sector subject area listed in the report.

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills 2012, Part 2:

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Grade Judgement

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Grade Judgement

Learner View is a new website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too.

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Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk or if you have any questions about Learner View please email Ofsted at: 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, 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.

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Grade Judgement

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Grade Judgement

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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