Kettering Borough Council

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: 30 May 2014 Inspection Number: 429223 URN: 52843

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Progression into employment, education or training, and completion of key learning objectives are not yet good.  The gap in achievement between male and female learners is not closing.  Teaching, learning and assessment have improved, but are not yet sufficiently challenging for all learners.  Targets, both for learners and staff, are not sufficiently specific and timebound to help them make good progress.  Most actions from the previous inspection need further development to impact fully on the outcomes and progress of learners.  Although the number of work experience opportunities has increased, it remains insufficient for the needs of all learners.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Retention rates have risen markedly in the current year and are now high.  Learners gain confidence and have higher aspirations than when they start the programme.  Pastoral support is good.  Managers and staff maintain partnerships well, which helps learners obtain work placements.  Staff know learners well, and work as a team very well to create a welcoming and safe environment for them.

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This inspection: Requires improvement-3

Previous inspection: Requires improvement-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 by: – always using the results of initial assessments at the start of learning programmes in order to plan and deliver lessons that challenge all learners to achieve to their full potential – increasing learners’ rate of attendance through continuing to take prompt action when they are absent.  Make sure that all targets for staff and learners: – have realistic dates for their completion so that managers and staff can readily monitor progress and take prompt action when necessary – are written to enable them to know how to improve and what they need to do.  Ensure that feedback to learners includes correction of spelling and grammar and that they understand technical and vocational words and use them accurately.  Analyse reasons for gaps in achievement between groups of learners and put in place specific actions to close them.  Continue to develop the structured approach to getting learners ready for work so that they can

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

make good use of the increased opportunities for work experience.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Success rates for long qualifications increased in 2012/13 to slightly above those for similar providers, although success rates for short courses are low. Mathematics functional skills success rates at level 1 are just below the national average, and they are low for English at level 1 in 2012/13. In the current year, of the 24 learners who have taken functional skills to date, the majority have passed at their first attempt. Retention rates have increased markedly in the current year and are now high.  Most learners make at least adequate progress from their starting points and several make good progress. Many have significant barriers to learning. For example, in 2012/13, the young offenders team referred around half the learners to the provider and other learners have a history of non-attendance at school. Most raise their aspirations for future employment or further training.  Managers have not taken sufficient specific actions to narrow achievement gaps. The number of

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Inspection judgements

learners involved is small, but the gap between males and females has increased, and in 2011/12, success rates for learners without disabilities were higher than those with, and the following year those with disabilities had higher success rates.  Most learners gain confidence. Staff develop learners’ employability skills both in taught sessions and by carefully introducing them to appropriate behaviour for the work place by arranging visits to employers, taster days, giving learners experience of work through helping at council events, and arranging vocational training with other providers. However, many of these initiatives are too new to evaluate their impact on learners’ progression to sustainable employment.  Progression to employment, education or training requires improvement. In 2012/13, half the learners progressed, although more than half of these were from backgrounds such as youth offending that made progression more challenging. Managers work well with local enterprise

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Inspection judgements

partnerships and other organisations to identify potential employment opportunities and they have recently appointed a new member of the team to further develop engagement with employers.  Attendance requires improvement. Staff do not let learners attend lessons if they are not punctual. While this encourages good employability skills, it affects attendance rates. Staff are diligent about contacting absent learners each day and provide good advice about how to improve timekeeping and why it is important.

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Inspection judgements

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement, which reflects the outcomes for learners. Not enough learners progress to employment, further training and education and attendance is not yet good. Learners enjoy their lessons in the safe and welcoming learning environment and improve their confidence and self-esteem well.  Tutors provide a particularly warm and supportive approach to learners, many of whom have previous negative experiences of learning. This contributes to learners feeling comfortable in lessons and having a more positive attitude to learning. For example, a calm and creative arts and crafts lesson provided learners with a good opportunity to improve their speaking and listening skills; learners benefited from this and can detail how they are now more able to interact with others.  Teachers in the more effective lessons use a variety of stimulating activities and resources to

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Inspection judgements

encourage and motivate learners to succeed. For example, in a mathematics lesson learners used the interactive whiteboard competently and enthusiastically to complete a timed group task converting decimals into fractions.  Where learning is less successful, teachers do not provide learners with resources and activities to meet their specific needs. This results in insufficient challenge for the more able and in a few cases, those with greater needs do not receive the correct level of support to enable them to progress well. Too often, these lessons consist of the completion of practice tests for examinations rather than focusing on developing learners’ specific skills needs.  Informal support for learners is good. Teachers understand the multiple barriers to progress many learners face and provide them with good pastoral support. They refer learners to specialist agencies where appropriate. Learners benefit from the support they receive as it helps

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Inspection judgements

them to succeed. However, the recording and tracking of support require improvement.  The setting of targets for learners requires improvement. Teachers set learners targets to achieve an overall key aim of a qualification in English, mathematics or employability that consist too frequently of completing units of accreditation rather than detailing specifically what the learner needs to work on to improve. Too often, teachers do not provide learners with sufficient strategies to improve their ability to learn. For example, a target to improve attendance is not broken down into small steps of achievement with accompanying practical solutions.  All learners take a useful assessment of their ability in English and mathematics at the start of their learning programme. Teachers do not always use the results sufficiently to plan learning and to inform setting of targets for learners. Teachers provide good verbal feedback on what

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Inspection judgements

learners have done well. However, in a few lessons, teachers’ questioning to check learning is too broad for them to gain a clear understanding of progress and to inform learners what they need to do to improve. Teachers’ feedback on written work does not always provide learners with sufficient guidance and in too many cases teachers do not correct errors in written work.  Within discrete lessons, learners adequately improve their English and mathematics functional skills. Many are proud of their accomplishments and the achievement of qualifications. For a minority, this is the first time that they have been successful. However, teachers do not integrate the development of functional skills into vocational contexts sufficiently. Teachers do not develop information and communication technology sufficiently as a functional skill.  Managers have recently extended the range of courses to better meet the needs of learners and

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Inspection judgements

the requirements of the Study Programme, for example, offering motor vehicle inspection. This has led to one learner to gain employment and another to progress to further training. Learners’ take-up of additional vocational subjects was low in 2012/13, but has increased to around two thirds currently. However, a minority of learners’ timetables are insufficiently varied. The availability of work experience, although improving, remains low.  Teachers provide good information, advice and guidance on the next steps in learning or employment, such as applying for apprenticeships and in interview techniques. The majority of learners raise their aspirations for their future careers and consider work in areas they had previously thought to be beyond their capabilities or interests. For example, after a work taster visit to a community day centre for people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities several

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Inspection judgements

learners considered this type of work as a possible career option.  Staff treat learners with respect and accept their many and varied needs and barriers to learning. Learners are very supportive of their peers and work well in groups providing each other with good encouragement. However, teachers do not promote sufficiently learners’ understanding of a culturally diverse workforce and community or explore issues around stereotyping. Learners feel safe and have a good awareness of how to work safely.

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Inspection judgements

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

 Leaders and managers have an ambitious vision to reduce the number of learners not in education, employment or training by increasing employability skills and improving outcomes for learners. They communicate this aim well to staff, but do not set sufficiently challenging and specific targets to ensure an appropriately rapid rate of progress to fulfil this aim. A new management structure creates strong team cooperation, with all members of staff working well together to make a welcoming and safe environment for learners.  Since the previous inspection, managers work much more closely with the borough council and ensure that what they do is in line with the council’s objectives. This benefits learners and staff through increased training and work placement opportunities. Managers also work well with a range of partners including the youth offending team and the pupil referral unit to extend their

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Inspection judgements

aim of increasing participation in education for reluctant learners.  Following the previous inspection, managers have improved arrangements for observing teaching, learning and assessment, and the new process is thorough and judgements match those of inspectors. Observers now give teachers detailed actions for improvement following observations and this is beginning to have a positive impact.  Staff development is adequate. Staff attend relevant subject meetings regularly and take part in the county council’s training programmes and provider networking events. Teaching staff and assessors are appropriately qualified. One member of staff has received training to provide GCSE mathematics for functional skills. Managers have substantive plans to provide training for English functional skills to take place soon.  Managers use regular and frequent teacher training days for all staff to check progress against

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Inspection judgements

the post inspection action plan and to identify completed actions. They have made progress on most actions needed from the previous inspection, although all of them require further development if they are to make a greater impact on learners’ outcomes and rate of progress.  Monthly individual meetings between managers and staff identify key issues with performance and the programme. However, most activities that they record describe what they have done, rather than prescribing actions that they need to take. Very few actions have a date for review or completion and this hinders managers’ ability to monitor the progress of improvements.  Since the previous inspection, managers now collect much more data about learners’ starting points and progress, and they use these to monitor learners’ progress monthly. Learners they identify as making slow progress are provided with extra support, and as a result, retention

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Inspection judgements

rates have risen. However, managers have not developed further their use of data to manage performance more effectively.  The self-assessment report is broadly accurate, inclusive and managers identified most of the areas for improvement found in this inspection. However, actions to remedy these focus on the desired outcomes rather than the steps by which managers and staff can bring about improvements.  Managers plan the Study Programme carefully, and since the previous inspection, they have developed a wider range of vocational opportunities including health and social care, motor vehicle inspection, equine studies and customer service. This motivates learners and a few have achieved employment in these areas, but the full use of vocational training to enliven and improve the teaching of mathematics and English is not developed.  Enrichment activities, including boxing, working with a mental health charity and art and craft,

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Inspection judgements

are successful in developing learners’ confidence and wider understanding of potential employment and social activities. Managers develop useful links with companies and other departments in the council to arrange visits and taster days for learners in a range of appropriate employment settings.  Managers and staff take effective actions to counter bullying and harassment, including how learners can protect themselves while on-line and using mobile phones. Learners feel safe in the training centre, and staff and learners treat each other with respect. However, staff do not promote the wider aspects of equality and diversity sufficiently. Managers have not acted promptly to close gaps in achievement between different groups.  Managers fulfil their statutory obligations for safeguarding learners. They have good links with other bodies, including the council, youth offending team and a local mental health charity to

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Inspection judgements

support learners’ needs. For example, staff take prompt and effective action to house homeless learners. They have frequent and good quality training to update them on safeguarding. An appropriately trained member of staff carries out comprehensive risk assessments on all potential work experience and work placement sites.

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Inspection grades are based 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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full contract year

Principal/CEO Linda Garside Date of previous inspection November 2012 Website address www.kettering.gov.uk

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programme level

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

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Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A Funding received from Education Funding Agency (EFA)

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Contextual information

Kettering Borough Training is a branch of Kettering Borough Council that offers employability training through a Study Programme funded by the Education Funding Agency, and is a subcontractor for apprenticeship programmes which were not in scope for this inspection. The vast majority of its training is located in premises in the centre of Kettering. Unemployment in the area is lower than the national rate, but achievement of five GCSEs at grade C or above is slightly below the national rate.

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Information about this inspection

Three additional inspectors, assisted by the learning and development 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 relevant 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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