Setting

Context

The NCYPE further education college is a residential/day establishment for learners aged 16-25 with epilepsy or other neurological conditions and associated special needs. The college is situated near Lingfield in rural Surrey. Currently, 108 learners attend the college of which 93 are funded by the local Learning and Skills council (LSC). All learners have epilepsy and associated neurological disorders. Many learners have additional needs such as dyspraxia, ADHD, tourettes syndrome, autistic spectrum disorder and other physical and medical needs. At the previous inspection the college was judged to be satisfactory overall.

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Since the last monitoring visit, the college has made reasonable progress in collating and analysing achievement data of learners by gender and ethnicity. Comprehensive summaries of the data of learners’ overall target achievements and accredited qualifications including gender and ethnicity are provided for management. No discernible difference in achievement is found between either of these groups. Data is analysed and management informed about the range of achievement between different groups of learners relating to the specific programmes they enrol on. The college undertakes regular analysis of the achievement of all targets. Issues were identified about the quality of recorded targets. A restructured individual learning plan (ILP) and training for staff on target-setting and use of the revised ILP structure has been implemented. Regular monitoring of target-setting has continued to be carried out. Clear and comprehensive summaries of evaluations are submitted to

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management for action where staff development need is identified. An electronic database has now been installed this year to record achievements.

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Significant progress has been made to ensure that the communication skills of learners are assessed fully. The most appropriate communication strategies are identified and implemented. Staff development and training in communication skills is wide and varied. Well planned modular units in ‘signalong’ and total communication units are provided for staff enabling them to access units appropriate to their individual development needs. One of the modules covers development of skills in ‘making information accessible’. Staff complete this module to develop the knowledge and skills to support the production of teaching resources. A very useful 100-word core vocabulary manual has been developed to supplement the signalong training for staff. Learners have good access to a range of specialist communication aids. Negotiations with suppliers ensure that loan equipment is supplied if a learner’s essential piece of equipment needs repair. Trials of different communications aids

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are provided for learners when they first enrol at the college if they need to evaluate the type of aid that would be the most useful. The college supports learners very effectively to gain funding for their own communication aid once an appropriate one has been identified. A new post of an integrated learning technician has recently been appointed. A full audit of learners’ IT skills has built on the work of the speech and language therapy department’s collation of information about learners’ communication aids.

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The college has made reasonable progress in improving the transition curriculum for learners. Good efforts are being made to make the various components of transition into a more coherent programme. While there is a useful diagrammatic document which highlights the different aspects of transition, there is though no overall transition policy or procedures in place. Staff have a good understanding of the need to develop transferable skills which are required by learners when they leave the college. For example, learners are involved in travel training, interview skills and employability skills through an accredited course. Work experience is a crucial part of the transition curriculum. A wide range of cross-campus departments provide work experience as well as an increasing number of varied external employer based placements. Care is taken to ensure that learners are matched to appropriate work- placements. All placements are advertised prominently on a notice board. Learners

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are able to practice the transferable skills they have learned at interviews, both for on and off site placements. There is though limited preparation for learners at the pre-placement stage.

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Overall, insufficient progress has been made to ensure that the views from all stakeholders are used to inform the self-assessment process. While the views of learners and parents are adequately sought and reasonable progress has been made to use the information to inform the self-assessment process, there is insufficient progress involving the views of staff and governors. Learners’ feedback is appropriately sought through an active and established student council and obtained from a variety of questionnaires. Information from the student council and summaries of the results of questionnaires is used to inform management for making improvements. The feedback rate from parental questionnaires is disappointing but a wide range of alternative communication opportunities are readily available for parents to voice their views. Over the past few years an over reliance on questionnaires has seen disappointingly low responses from staff. Previously run

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structured formal forums for staff to share their views on the quality of the college’s provision as part of self-assessment was not used last year. Management are aware of this and have planned an all-staff inset day relating to the self-assessment process for next term. While the governing body have been involved in completing ‘governor perception’ questionnaires and have given feedback on the draft self-assessment report, their involvement in the self-assessment process is limited.

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provided that the information quoted is reproduced verbatim without adaptation, and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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