The Derbyshire Network

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: 10 December 2013 Inspection Number: 429003 URN: 58159

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Not enough apprentices achieve their qualifications, especially by the date planned for completion.  Arrangements to share good practice through peer review groups and staff development events have not ensured that provision is consistently good.  Managers have not established the observation process sufficiently to improve learning consistently across all subcontractors and subject areas.  Self-assessment is not sufficiently evaluative across all subcontractors and the achievement of too many quality improvement actions does not take place by the planned date.  The number of employers and learners’ views that managers and staff collect is not sufficient to provide enough qualitative feedback to improve provision.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Learners gain good skills in a wide range of subjects that improve their confidence and increase their employment opportunities.  Most learners on employability programmes and adults taking single qualifications succeed in their aims.  Teaching, learning and assessment on employability and manufacturing technologies programmes are good.  Leaders and managers are taking effective action to increase success rates and improve teaching and learning.  The broad partnership of subcontractors meets local needs well.

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This inspection: Requires improvement-3

Previous inspection: Good-2 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?

 Raise success rates, especially those for learners completing by their planned end date, so that they are consistently above national rates by continuing to monitor and report on the progress of all learners and increasing the number of staff with full teaching qualifications.  Improve teaching and learning by training all those who observe lessons to focus on what learners are learning and the progress they make in each lesson, ensuring observers know how to give effective feedback and can provide detailed specific targets for improvement, then monitoring whether required improvements are in place at the next observation, and increasing the number of observations so that all staff are observed regularly.  Ensure all learners receive robust initial assessment and the information from this tutors use to plan learning that best supports learners to progress rapidly, and attain the levels of which they

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

are capable.  Ensure that all actions, for learners and the provision as a whole have very specific and time bound targets by which progress against the aim managers and staff can monitor particularly thoroughly.  Keep accurate records of learners’ progression into employment, promotions and further learning experiences and analyse this to identify those programmes that best help learners to further their employment and learning opportunities.  Ensure that all tutors and assessors know how to recognise and make use of opportunities to promote equality and diversity when occasions to do this arise naturally in lessons, assessments and reviews.  Better assess the quality of provision by ensuring more evaluative self-assessment by subcontractors and by increasing the volume of learners and employers’ views to give a wider base of information.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Success rates for workplace learning are very high overall. Two areas, horticulture and building and construction that were below national rates in 2011/12 enabled all their learners to succeed in 2012/13 and all workplace administration and business management learners succeeded in 2011/12 and 2012/13. Employability learners achieve very high success rates and are well motivated to improve their English and mathematics skills.  Too many apprenticeship success rates are below national averages although they have all increased substantially following managers’ introduction of robust and frequent monitoring of learners’ progress. They have risen from a very low base to around the national rate for health and social care. Success rates in business and early years have risen markedly, but they remain below the national rates. They are above national rates in horticulture, education and training, and above national rates overall, but below for completion in the planned timescale,

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Inspection judgements

in engineering and construction.  Most learners on programmes at inspection make good progress towards completing within the expected timescale, although this is not the case consistently across the provision. Monthly monitoring of learners’ progress shows too many providers still have learners not receiving the help to progress at the rate expected by the consortium managers.  Managers analyse data very well to monitor the success rates for minority ethnic groups and learners with disabilities and difficulties, and inform all subcontractors of these findings monthly. Although numbers for both these aspects are very low, the data show no difference between the achievement of these groups and all other learners.  Managers have good data, but do not use it analyse the achievement of males and females so stringently. Gaps between apprentices have closed rapidly and they are now very small. In workplace learning, the gap has widened so that the rate of women completing in the planned

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Inspection judgements

time is substantially less than the rate for men. This owes largely to many women on health and social care courses unavoidably changing provider at the beginning of 2012/13, not to any issues relating to equality of opportunity.  Learners develop good skills. Employability learners gain confidence in using mathematics and English in vocational contexts, and many learn to work independently. The majority of apprentices work with well-resourced companies where they achieve high standards of work. Most learners work well together in lessons and on practical tasks and take responsibility for practical activities and for their own learning. However, not all tutors extend learners’ skills to higher levels.  Managers do not monitor learners’ progression sufficiently. Providers and assessors supply anecdotal evidence of learners’ progression to employment, higher qualifications and promotions, but managers have only just started to gather this information to quantify it to

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Tutors and managers at The Derbyshire Network (TDN) and in most of the twenty-eight subcontractors have improved teaching, learning and assessment in the last year. This is evident in the standard of learners’ work and the significant increase in learners achieving their qualifications in 2012/13.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistent across the provision. It is good on the employability and manufacturing technologies programmes where learners benefit from the support they receive in meeting the high expectations of their tutors and managers. Elsewhere, too many learners receive sound but uninspiring teaching and assessment. Very few lessons are outstanding.  Managers and tutors need to improve learners’ independent study skills. Tutors do not make sufficient use of information learning technologies (ILT) and few providers have any structured development of interactive learning materials. However, where tutors use these technologies to

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Inspection judgements

provide web-based training, they use them well to the benefit learners.  Tutors’ assessment of learners’ work is adequate. Assessments are fair, accurate and reliable. Assessors use internal verification effectively to maintain and standardise the quality of assessments. Most learners gain from the clear and detailed feedback assessors give on their work. A minority of assessors fail to provide appropriate feedback to help learners improve their performance.  Most learners receive adequate initial advice and guidance and its quality is improving. For example, the recent introduction of taster sessions gives prospective learners a better appreciation of the nature and content of the programmes. Most learners are following programmes that meet their needs and support their aspirations. Tutors give advice to learners that helps them to identify appropriate career paths and further study. Construction learners

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Inspection judgements

benefit from particularly good advice and guidance before and during their programmes.  Most subcontractors assess their learners’ skills and knowledge adequately at the start of their programmes. A minority do this promptly and very well and they follow it up with expert and professional support from appropriately qualified specialist tutors. These tutors offer discrete support sessions and often work alongside subject tutors in theory classes to give good coaching and support. However, too many learners receive less effective support in sessions.  Teaching and learning to develop learners’ English, mathematical and functional skills require improvement. Too often, the quality of support that learners receive is dependent on the subcontractor with which the learner has enrolled. TDN managers know they need to encourage more of the better subcontractors to share their good practice. However, most learners develop

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Inspection judgements

adequate skills in English and mathematics to meet the needs of their chosen training programmes.  Support for learners is adequate. Historically, most learners have made slow progress towards achieving their qualifications. However, current learners are making better progress and this is consistent with improvements in support for learners.  Managers monitor learners’ progress very effectively and provide sub-contractors with useful and frequent reports and data. Most learners and employers have an adequate understanding of their learning programmes. However, subcontractors in engineering and in health and social care show significant differences in how well learners and employers understand and contribute to their learning programmes.  The promotion of equality and diversity in sessions is too inconsistent across the provision. A few subcontractors in business administration promote it well, but elsewhere promotion is less

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Inspection judgements

robust. Most tutors are not alert to the opportunities that occur naturally to promote equality and diversity in the classroom. Most learners have little more than a basic understanding of equalities issues.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement as reflected in the low success rates for apprenticeships and for workplace learning in early years. Health care success rates have increased to national averages. Most apprentices and workplace learners are now on target to complete their qualification within planned timescales. However, not all learners have sufficient opportunities to develop wider knowledge to improve their understanding of all care sector roles, or skills to help them progress further.  Tutors and assessors motivate most learners well. They have high levels of vocational knowledge and experience in both health and social care and early years and this helps learners make progress. For these learners, meaningful discussions that use good case studies and unidentifiable real life examples improve their understanding of how to link learning with their everyday duties in the workplace. Most assessors and tutors have high aspirations for their

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19+ Learning programmes

learners and provide effective individual support.  In the sessions where teaching, learning and assessment are good, learners develop appropriate work skills and a comprehensive understanding of the importance of high standards of care and childcare in their workplaces. Learners in early years and few in health and social care, benefit from good off-the-job group training sessions. Tutors provide challenging tasks and independent learning activities that stretch learners’ current knowledge and skills through very effective individual coaching.  Staff adequately assess learners’ needs adequately at the start of their learning. However, a minority do not use this information effectively to plan learning for every individual. Tutors make better use of initial assessment to plan learning in classroom-based sessions where they use this information to build on learners’ starting points, existing knowledge and work skills.

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19+ Learning programmes

Assessors do not always ensure that employers are involved in planning and reviewing learning so that they can provide appropriate tasks to ensure learners’ progress.  A minority of assessors provide effective verbal feedback that ensures learners make good progress and set sufficient targets to extend learners’ knowledge. However, they do not record this progress consistently so learners can refer to it to build on their existing skills. In a few cases, learners do not keep their own portfolios and so are not able to review their work.  Learners’ knowledge and skills in English and mathematics are insufficiently stretched or extended beyond the level at which they start their course. Staff do not always cater sufficiently for the needs of individual learners to help them make progress in learning. Some assessors concentrate on test completion to meet qualification requirements.  A few assessors give insufficient support, advice and guidance to learners to help them make

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19+ Learning programmes

sufficient progress towards their goals. For example, several learners in health and social care are unaware of how much progress they are making. A minority of assessors does not provide learners with resources to help develop their learning, such as lists of useful website addresses or textbooks. Other tutors and assessors make good use of ILT to improve learners’ knowledge and access information independently.  A few assessors do not reinforce equality and diversity adequately in all meetings with learners or help them improve their awareness and methods of caring in a variety of ways to meet different individual needs within health and social care.  Assessors pay good attention to health and safety arrangements, ensuring that learners have a strong awareness of the importance of observing current legislation and adopt safe practice in their work settings to ensure all adults are safe.

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Apprenticeships

 Outcomes for learners are good and reflect the good teaching, learning and assessment in both practical and workplace manufacturing technology sessions. Timely and overall success rates across all programmes have increased to above the national average. Learners participate fully in practical and theory sessions, attend regularly and are motivated to succeed. They make progress rapidly. For example, learners on the programme for sewing and pattern making skills, who had not sewed previously, use industrial sewing machines confidently to produce a variety of stitches after only nine weeks.  Learners’ work is of high standard. For example, foundation-level learners on the sewing and pattern making skills programme produce their own clothes to an intermediate-level standard. Learners employed in the pre-press and printing trades are responsible for the design and production of high quality metallic and white paper labels for well-known clients in the food

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Apprenticeships

and beverage industries. Learners display pride in their work and the progress they make.-  The good teaching and learning enables learners to acquire new skills and knowledge that they transfer into the workplace. Tutors and assessors use their current industry knowledge and vocational skills very effectively to help learners gain confidence and practical manufacturing technology skills. They use a variety of resources such as textile samples, dressmaking patterns and fashion photographs effectively to engage and motivate manufacturing technology learners.  Employers provide very effective support for learners in the workplace. Learners are able to complete their portfolios at work. Learners on the programme for pre-press and printing trades have a workplace mentor who assists them in gathering evidence. However, assessors do not do not plan learning sufficiently to enable employers to link their high quality on-the-job

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Apprenticeships

training to the apprenticeship framework. The majority of learners and employers are unaware that evidence they gather in the workplace they can use to update their portfolio and assist rapid progress through their qualification.  Good monitoring of learners’ progress by tutors and assessors in both practical and theory sessions encourage learners to achieve and succeed. Tutors and assessors have a good knowledge of learners’ pastoral needs and use individual coaching to monitor learning. For example, sewing and pattern making skills learners are all producing their own individually designed garments to a high standard irrespective of their previous sewing and pattern making knowledge and skills.  Tutors and support staff conduct thorough initial assessments that ensure learners are on the most appropriate course relevant to their needs and previous qualifications. Intermediate and advanced-level apprentices have individual interviews and complete literacy and numeracy

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Apprenticeships

assessments. Additional learning and support staff are available to provide good support to those learners with identified needs.  Tutors and assessors set regular assessments and assignments that enable learners to progress towards their qualification. Assessors set clear and time bound targets for learners between their workplace visits that encourage independent learning. They assess learners’ work quickly and provide accurate feedback to help learners improve.  Tutors embed English, mathematics and functional skills sufficiently in the learners’ main subject area. Learners complete functional skills tests at the start of their apprenticeship and tutors encourage them to achieve at a higher level. Tutors correct the spelling and grammar mistakes in the majority of learners’ work, but in a minority of practical sessions, tutors miss opportunities to develop further learners’ mathematical skills. 

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Apprenticeships

Knowledgeable and supportive tutors and assessors give learners good information, advice and guidance. The majority of individual learning plans are informative and tutors and assessors regularly review learners’ progress. Learners understand well the progress they make towards their qualification and what is required to develop further their vocational skills.  Learners have an adequate understanding of equality and diversity. They treat each other with respect and support each other during fashion and textiles practical sessions. Staff cover equality and diversity thoroughly during the induction and assessors test learners’ knowledge and understanding of these areas during their regular workplace visits. However, in both workplace and practical sessions tutors miss opportunities to use naturally occurring examples to develop further and embed learners’ understanding of equality and diversity.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good and reflect the high success rates achieved on employability and foundation vocational courses. Learners develop good personal skills such as confidence, teamwork, motivation and communication. They enjoy their learning and are well motivated to improve their skills and progress to further levels of study or employment.  Staff have high expectations of learners and use a wide range of teaching and learning methods effectively to engage and challenge learners, such as case studies to prompt analysis and discussion. Tutors’ are enthusiastic and their questioning is effective. They encourage learners to overcome negative feelings about education and their own knowledge, skills and ability and to learn new skills. The majority of learners have a positive experience of learning that transforms their lives. Lessons are particularly effective in supporting learners to develop

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19+ Learning programmes

good vocational and job-search skills, such as completing job application forms and effective interview skills.  Staff are well qualified and vocationally experienced. They use their knowledge well to help learners to explore complex issues, overcome a range of barriers to learning and develop the skills employers require. Tutors successfully use vocational workshop resources of a high standard and a range of learning technologies, such as video clips from the internet, to consolidate and extend learning, to stimulate discussion and develop learners’ independent learning skills.  Taster sessions are very good at informing learners of course requirements and identifying if the qualification matches learners’ skills and career aspirations. Thorough initial assessment activities identify learners’ previous work experience, personal support needs and functional skill levels. Staff use this information well to plan learning to meet needs of all learners. They

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19+ Learning programmes

employ initial and on-going assessment appropriately, in the majority of subcontractors, to provide individual support throughout the course to identify learners’ support needs and to enable them to achieve their qualifications.  Teachers give learners detailed written and verbal feedback that helps them understand how to improve and make progress. They correct spelling and grammatical errors to improve learners’ English skills while completing their vocational and employability qualification.  Most teachers integrate functional skills well within vocational activities. Learners have some good opportunities to achieve functional skills qualifications on their employability course for English and mathematics. However, the development of ICT skills of a minority of learners needs improving. Target setting in progress reviews for functional skills is weak and insufficiently identifies what learners have completed and what they still need to do to achieve

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19+ Learning programmes

their qualification.  Learners receive good information, advice and guidance at the start of their programme and throughout their course. Induction training and learners’ handbooks provide clear and relevant information so that learners know what is required of them. Most subcontractors provide weekly individual and group careers advice and job-search support sessions. These sessions improve learners’ job-search skills and provide them with guidance on the local job market and possible progression routes.  The promotion of equality and diversity requires improvement. Learners receive a general overview and understanding of equality and diversity policies and regulations at the start of their course. However, teachers miss opportunities to develop learners’ understanding of equality and diversity issues during employability sessions or to apply their knowledge to the vocational area in which they want to work.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement and reflect the outcomes for learners that remain below national rates although they have increased substantially in 2012/13. Current apprentices are making good progress. Apprentices who enrol directly from employability programmes develop relevant skills, including those for ICT, to enable them to gain employment. Learners develop good knowledge and skills in a range of activities, such as using advanced computing packages, improving their telephone skills, conducting risk assessments and understanding management styles.  Tutors encourage and motivate learners to make progress. They offer appropriate off-the- job training to groups, in individual coaching sessions and through good use of information technology to provide training and assessment. This is particularly effective for learners spread across the country.  Tutors have relevant industrial experience that supports their good working relationships with

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19+ Learning programmes

employers. Most tutors hold preparation to teach certificates with a minority qualified at higher levels. Employers fully engage with training and assessment and contribute effectively to the choice of additional units. They give open access to tutors to provide training, assess skills and online testing in the workplace.  Tutors review resources regularly and they update and improve them to encourage learners to study independently. For example, a learner designed a high quality workbook containing useful information, questions and quizzes to help another learner make progress.  Staff do not use initial assessment and diagnosis of learners’ prior knowledge, functional skill levels and learning styles consistently well across the provision, although the resources to identify learners’ starting points are adequate. Staff do not always pass on the results of initial testing to learners so that they understand on what level they are currently working at,

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19+ Learning programmes

although tutors record apprentices’ results on recently improved individual learning plans. Tutors encourage learners who want to aim for higher-level functional skills.  Tutors plan actions after formative assessment well. Plans are time bound and have targets to inform learners what to do to improve. For example, learners receive detailed feedback on the relevance and content of assignments and then have to improve the work themselves. Staff monitor learners’ progress regularly through reviews and e-portfolio records. Most employers’ comments in reviews are positive and encouraging.  English, mathematics and functional skills support is adequate to help learners make progress, but tutors do not keep sufficiently detailed records to track learning and achievement. Initial diagnosis of these skills at induction is not consistently robust. In a few instances, the test consists only of five basic questions. Tutors show learners to relevant websites to develop their

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19+ Learning programmes

skills, but they do not always record or reinforce this during training or assessment visits. Staff correct grammar and spelling errors in learners’ assignment evidence.  Information, advice and guidance are good although staff do not consistently record what they provide at reviews or in learning plans. TDN managers run information, advice and guidance events which provide useful information for learners. Tutors and assessors support learners well through frequent visits, email and telephone calls. Learners can contact them for additional support if necessary. Managers, tutors and assessors do not adequately discuss learners’ progression after induction.  Good use of workbooks on employment rights and responsibilities promotes learners’ understanding of equality and diversity and safeguarding. Tutors and assessors reinforce this at reviews with relevant questioning and probing. They make good use of stereotypes to

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19+ Learning programmes

encourage learners to explore equality issues further. Learners’ understanding of the diversity in their workplace is good. At one site, the very good use of a diversity calendar provides a monthly topic for discussion and questions at review of learners’ progress.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders and managers currently provide effective leadership and direction to their twenty-eight subcontractors. Success rates are increasing substantially and progress for current learners is improving. The board of directors understand the organisation well, monitor performance regularly and provide appropriate challenge. A new strategic plan covering the next three years has a clear focus on improving teaching and learning, raising success rates and maintaining financial stability. All areas for improvement highlighted in the previous inspection require further work in some subject sectors.  Leaders are improving how they manage the performance of subcontractors, but this has not raised standards consistently across all of them. Quality audits focus well on issues such as learners’ progress, progress reviews and internal quality arrangements and these are effective in producing action plans. However, the audit process is not sufficiently broad to cover all

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

aspects of learners’ experiences, and a minority of subcontractors are slow in completing actions.  The range and use of data to monitor subcontractors’ performance is very good. Reports include several comparisons of rates of success, starts and withdrawals, learner tracking to monitor individual learner’s progress, and a monthly report that monitors those subcontractors who have learners at risk of not achieving on time. Managers have improved strategies to better challenge subcontractors’ underperformance. Arrangements are in place to stop the recruitment of new starts at underperforming subcontractors.  High standard events take place regularly to share best practice. Subcontractors who attend these events benefit from the good programme of staff development in a variety of subjects including teaching, learning and assessment. However, despite good communication to promote these events, too few attend. Only a small minority of subcontractors are currently

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

involved in the recent action to set up peer review groups to help subcontractors improve the sharing of good practice in areas such as functional skills. Several subcontractors benefit from the help TDN staff give in their successful bids for resources and equipment.  Arrangements for observing teaching and learning are not sufficiently effective in bringing about improvements. Managers and subcontractors observe too few staff and they have not followed their own procedures for development activities following observations. Observation records often fail to provide appropriate evidence to support the grade, which is resulting in a minority of instances of over grading. Most observers focus on teachers’ activity rather than learning and a few are constrained by having to follow unnecessarily long checklists during observations.  Managers have a clear commitment and focus on quality improvement, and are currently

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

recruiting a new member of staff to provide more support for observing teaching and learning. Managers have correctly identified the need for subcontractors to ensure that their teaching staff have teaching qualifications above the introductory qualification, including that for the provision of functional skills. Most sub-contractors are making satisfactory progress to improve the skills of their staff or appoint qualified teachers and this is contributing to improving outcomes.  All subcontractors self-assess. Most of their reports are too descriptive and insufficiently evaluative. The overall TDN self-assessment report identifies accurately key areas for improvement, but actions in the quality improvement plan are not always sufficiently specific. Progress in achieving objectives in the plan is often too slow. New learners and employers’ feedback surveys are in place and these are beginning to provide useful feedback that staff

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

share with subcontractors effectively to support improvements. However, the numbers of learners responding is currently very low.  TDN offers of a broad range of provision, covering several subject areas, with a wide geographical coverage to meet local needs. Managers maintain good involvement in local employer partnerships to keep abreast of local industry employment and skills needs and to support their development. All TDN staff are involved effectively in business planning, and objectives clearly demonstrate a good commitment to improve quality. However, a few measures of success and target dates are insufficiently specific.  Managers and staff across the partnership promote equality and diversity adequately. Staff in a minority of subject areas have improved the monitoring of learners’ experiences and their understanding of the various aspects of equality. However, staff make insufficient use of

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

naturally occurring opportunities to promote equality and diversity in learning sessions. Directors have requested more evaluative data so they can better be aware of success rates by age, gender, ethnicity and disability. Overall, sub-contractors have appropriate policies and procedures in place.  TDN meets legislative requirements for keeping learners safe.

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on a provider’s performance:

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

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Overall

19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships Employability

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Overall

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 3 3 2

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Overall

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 3 3 3

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The Derbyshire Network

Type of provider Not for profit organisation

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Stephen Meadows Date of previous inspection December 2008 Website address www.thederbyshirenetwork.org

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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 N/A N/A N/A 0 N/A 0 N/A 0 Part-time N/A N/A N/A 127 N/A 43 N/A 5 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A

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Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 74 342 25 383 0 69 Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A Full-time N/A Part-time N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners 286 Funding received from Skills Funding Agency (SFA)

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following main subcontractors:

 Bright International  Derwent Stepping Stones  Excell for Training  KTL  Learn 2 Print  Northern School of Plastering & Partitioning (NSPP)  Options 2 Workplace Learning  Shaping Skills  Slic  The Vocational Learning Centre (TVLC)  And 18 other subcontractors.

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Contextual information

TDN is the prime contractor for a network of 28 organisations who provide and support training and learning, primarily in the East Midlands, but also across the whole of England. Its headquarters are in Ripley, Derbyshire. A chief executive officer and ten other managers and staff manage its provision, overseen by a board of directors. The organisation is responsible for funded contracts for apprenticeships for those aged 16 to18 and adult skills, including apprenticeships for learners aged 19 and over, single qualifications for adults and programmes for unemployed people. TDN has only offered apprenticeships since 2011/12. The organisation supports training in eight subject areas, with the largest numbers being in health, social care and early years, business, employability programmes and horticulture and forestry.

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Information about this inspection

Seven additional inspectors, assisted by the quality improvement manager 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, telephone calls 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 areas listed in the report above.

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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 ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, 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 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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