Newham Sixth Form College

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: 22 October 2014 Inspection Number: 452156 URN: 130452 Newham Sixth Form College

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Summary of key findings for learners

 A small minority of students, particularly those following A-level courses, do not make the progress they are capable of and so do not fulfil their full potential.  Too few students achieve their qualifications on AS-level courses or high grades in GCSE English.  Standards of teaching, learning and assessment are not good enough. Teaching in too many subjects limits the development of students’ skills and is not yet good.  Not all teachers provide detailed feedback on students’ work to help them improve.  Managers’ actions to improve the quality of provision have yet to show sufficient impact; the quality across, and within too many subjects requires improvement.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 The large majority of students on vocational courses make better than expected progress and achieve their qualifications.  Students receive good advice, guidance and support, enabling the very large majority to complete their courses successfully and progress to higher levels of study at the college or to higher education.  Excellent working partnerships with employers meet the local and national skill needs very well, helping students to gain effective work experience which provides them with employment opportunities.  The college has a harmonious environment and students enjoy their studies and behave well.  Staff and managers have good arrangements to ensure that students are as safe as possible while studying at the college. Inspection dates 15–19 September 2014

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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?

 Improve teaching, learning and assessment within, and between, subject areas, by identifying and sharing the best practice. This includes the best use of technology and providing a learning experience that enables students with different needs to develop their skills. In addition, across all subjects that they understand fully what they have learnt and can work independently.  Improve the planning and monitoring of students’ progress and increase the proportion of students achieving qualifications and high grades, particularly AS-level qualifications and high- grades for GCSE English. Ensure all teachers set homework that challenges students to achieve higher grades and provide detailed feedback to help them do better.  Review the accuracy of judgements on the quality of subject areas. Give due weight to achieving sound judgements on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, based upon

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  Around two-thirds of students follow vocational courses and the rest are mainly on AS and A- level courses. The overwhelming majority of students are aged 16 to 18 taking study programmes at level 3.  Most students achieve their qualifications although the proportion achieving qualifications for the college as a whole has not improved sufficiently over the last four years. Too few students gain their AS-level qualifications. The proportion who gain high grades is steadily increasing, but not in GCSE English.  The proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and with lower prior attainment is much greater than for similar colleges. However, a small minority of students do not make the progress that they are capable of, no matter what their starting points. The progress students make on A-level courses, particularly, requires improvement.  Most students on vocational courses make better progress than that expected when they start

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Inspection judgements

at the college. On courses such as engineering, construction, media and communication, students make particularly good progress. However, students on a few vocational courses, such as business and performing arts, do not make sufficient progress and this requires improvement.  Over the past three years no discernible variations in performance exist in the achievement of male and female students, or different groups of students. Managers evaluate the achievement of different groups of students very closely and take action swiftly where underperformance arises.  The development of students’ level of skills requires improvement. Many students develop very good skills, such as soldering, problem solving, measuring or working collaboratively. By the end of their courses they have the ability, for example, to complete practical tasks independently, handle tools or write essays successfully. However, in too many lessons the tasks that teachers

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Inspection judgements

set students are too easy and do not motivate them or improve their skills sufficiently. A small minority are unable to learn enough for them to demonstrate sufficient knowledge or understanding of their subject in examinations.  College staff have a highly successful record of supporting students to move into higher education. It is a key reason why students come to the college and has been a focus for staff over many years. Most students that apply gain a place at university. This represents the very large majority of all students completing their study programmes. The college is particularly successful by comparison to other colleges nationally. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement  The subject areas reported on are a representative sample of the most significant provision. By far the largest subject area is science, mathematics and statistics. Other subject areas

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Inspection judgements

inspected, but not reported on, contributed to the overall grade. Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement, which reflects the fact that not enough students make the progress of which they are capable and do not successfully complete their courses.  In the majority of lessons, teachers set high expectations and challenging work for their students. They set relevant and interesting homework tasks that prepare students well for the next lesson and plan carefully activities that enable the application of new knowledge and understanding.  In these lessons teachers check learning frequently to ensure all students are making good progress and they give clear feedback. As a result, students take more responsibility for their learning. They develop skills in research, analysis and more enquiring minds. The development of students’ wider skills shows in their confidence and independence when they apply their

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Inspection judgements

learning. This supports their progress to employment and further study. Level 3 students, in particular, gain higher level skills, enabling the very large majority to progress to higher education.  However, in too many lessons, teachers do not teach lessons that are effective in enabling students to make good progress. These lessons, in subjects such as business studies and science, are characterised by poorly-paced activities which students do not find interesting or challenging; teachers do not check learning effectively and students make slow or insufficient progress in improving their skills or knowledge. Teachers in these lessons do not set sufficient or challenging homework.  Teachers use technology creatively to make lessons more interesting and effective in subjects such as mathematics, psychology, engineering and information and communication technology (ICT). They use resources such as a video streaming sites and the college’s virtual learning

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Inspection judgements

environment (VLE) to promote further reading, quizzes and tests to enable students to work very effectively outside of lessons, and prepare for the next lesson. However, a minority of teachers are yet to use technology well and the use adds no value to the topic or focus of learning.  Students following subjects such as engineering and construction develop good skills in design, architecture and manufacturing. Students on courses at level 1 and below improve their personal and social skills well in a wide range of subjects including art, health and social care, and travel and tourism.  The majority of teachers provide students with prompt and helpful feedback on their work, which indicates what they have done well and how they could improve. Students value this feedback and their progress improves because of knowing what they could do better. However, a minority of teachers do not yet provide feedback that identifies what students could do better;

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Inspection judgements

in a few cases, feedback is difficult to read.  Teachers and managers implement the requirements of study programmes fully and plan for students’ different aspirations well. However, in too many lessons teachers prepare students insufficiently to improve their previous grades in English. In better lessons, teachers help students improve their English and mathematics by integrating subject-specific examples well into lessons. The majority of teachers also provide helpful guidance on marked worked to help students improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar, although too few teachers set targets for students to improve these aspects of their work.  The majority of students complete a well-planned work experience placement during which they develop further their subject-related skills, such as customer service skills for travel and tourism students. Skills for employment are developed well, such as team working and communication.

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Inspection judgements

 Teachers support their students very well. They review students’ progress frequently in tutorials and most set relevant targets to help students improve their standard of work. Students receive very good guidance for progression to the next level of study or work, particularly to higher education. Those students who need extra support with their learning receive good support from teachers and specialist staff which helps them to complete their assignments and keep up with their studies.  Students behave particularly well at college. They are polite and courteous to each other and to their teachers. They understand and respect the wide range of cultural and social backgrounds that students and teachers at the college come from; they work well together in lessons and enjoy each other’s company in social activities and spaces. Attendance rates are improved but students’ punctuality at the start of a minority of lessons requires improvement.

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Inspection judgements

 Students participate in a wide range of sporting, social and cultural activities and participation rates are high. Students who take part improve such things as their health and well-being, their understanding of local, world issues, and their social skills. Students studying at level 3 benefit greatly from these activities when applying to higher education.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. This reflects the progress students make in lessons and on their courses. Overall, too few students complete their courses successfully. Students on vocational science courses make good progress given the skills and knowledge they start with.  Teachers in a minority of lessons provide too few opportunities for students to work on tasks and activities which best suit their prior attainment and needs. In these lessons they provide insufficient activities and tasks to challenge the most able students or break down concepts for students who find it difficult to keep up, or are not involved. Homework tasks do not routinely include encouragement for students to research beyond their set texts. Teachers often make little use of interactive whiteboards and internet facilities to involve students more fully and challenge them during lessons.  In mathematics lessons, teachers are often enthusiastic about their subject and use a good

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19+ Learning programmes

range of activities that improves the learning experience for students. For example, teachers plan for students to work productively in small groups, completing stimulating exercises on whiteboards, which get them thinking and maintain their interest. In a GCSE mathematics lesson, students successfully solved a series of mathematical puzzles and questions, based on everyday examples, building their confidence in a subject they had never previously enjoyed. Teachers of AS-level mathematics produce short videos, very effectively helping students prepare for lessons and enabling them to develop better problem solving skills and good algebraic, graphical and computational skills.  Teachers of A-level science provide an insufficient range of teaching strategies for students to develop higher level critical thinking, evaluative and analytical skills, and theoretical work rarely links to real-life examples. The vocational science courses do this much more successfully.

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19+ Learning programmes

These students have good work placements, related to their career aspirations.  Students are able to use basic laboratory equipment competently and safely and confidently use chemical equations. Vocational science students develop good presentation skills and routinely acknowledge sources through references in their work, but this is insufficiently evident across all science subjects.  Teachers are knowledgeable of their subject and very supportive of their students, providing good individual support in lessons and offering a wide range of workshops and extra lessons that enable them to practise and develop their skills. This support is highly valued by students, with some acting as peer mentors. Successful previous students contribute well in support sessions.  Teachers check students’ progress frequently, yet written feedback on their work is insufficiently individualised. For example, teachers’ feedback for GCSE and A-level students on how to

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19+ Learning programmes

improve is often brief, lacking in specific improvement points and, occasionally, hard to read. Feedback on the well-designed assignments for vocational science courses provides detail, which helps students improve the quality of their written work over time.  In science lessons, teachers develop students’ mathematical skills well. Teachers produce high quality and well-presented hand-outs and online materials to help students develop their English. Teachers correct errors on students’ work and provide a strong focus on the development and understanding of English and scientific vocabulary. Students’ note-taking skills, to help consolidate learning, require improvement in AS- and A-level lessons, with few students maintaining effective learning files.  Students, from a diverse range of backgrounds, work together well in lessons and with their teachers who themselves come from a wide range of communities. Student behaviour is good in

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19+ Learning programmes

lessons and around the campus. Taster days and links with local schools, focused on increasing women enrolment to mathematics, have resulted in more women studying A-level mathematics at the college.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good and reflect the outcomes for students on nearly all courses. Overall, the progress of students is good on level 3 vocational courses. Students’ attendance on courses is good and the very large majority progress to further learning and higher education.  Students are keen, enthusiastic and enjoy their studies. Teachers ensure that students work effectively in lessons, on tasks such as developing time management skills. Students undertake projects which help them understand about completing tasks within time constraints, and during this process they discover effective ways of working. Students, through well-directed teaching, support each other in group work, which helps them learn how to communicate effectively. In one lesson, students worked very successfully in groups to agree the benefits of team working and the attributes required of team members. All students on vocational courses gain good skills

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19+ Learning programmes

for ICT support and customer service through well-organised work experience.  Students benefit from the good care and support they receive from their teachers and learning support staff in lessons which enable them to learn concepts effectively. The coaching in ICT is good, it develops students’ ability to carry out tasks independently, as well as use the high quality online resources in between their lessons effectively. Extra workshops are available to support students outside timetabled lessons and this particularly helps those who fall behind with their studies.  Teachers plan very carefully for the individual learning needs of their students. They take the range of students’ abilities into account during lessons and use online resources effectively to support them. Students acquire a fluent understanding of information technology through a good range of teaching methods and challenging learning activities. This helps them to apply

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19+ Learning programmes

theory to practical situations. For example, in one lesson, students used analysis skills very well when identifying the inputs, processing and outputs of large corporate websites. In another, students developed a very secure understanding of techniques related to validation and verification of data through activities and discussions in pairs. This enabled them to gain a good understanding of the kinds of tasks and problem solving skills needed in the world of work.  Teachers assess the need for extra support for students effectively and swiftly put it in place. Teachers assess students’ learning very frequently in lessons and during learning activities. They question students’ understanding particularly well and challenge them to tackle more complex concepts which help them improve their knowledge and understanding of the subject.  Students learn rapidly, enabled by productive progress reviews. Teachers set targets in

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19+ Learning programmes

discussion with students, who reflect well on their learning in order to attain their challenging target grades. Students receive helpful written and oral feedback from teachers, which enables them to increase their skills, especially evaluative skills. However, some written feedback is difficult to read.  Students receive good pre-course advice and guidance and settle well on to their courses. Teachers' advice and guidance on further and higher education are very effective through tutorials and visits, successful in inspiring students to progress to higher education and employment.  Teachers develop students’ English language, listening skills and writing skills well in lessons, especially through preparation of presentations and group discussions. Students gain a very good understanding of logic and mathematics through activities in lessons.  Teachers promote equalities well in lessons. For example, students develop their knowledge of

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19+ Learning programmes

the impact of inequality in technology globally by studying the poor access to technology in developing economies compared to richer ones. However, in a minority of lessons, teachers do not always plan this sufficiently in order to develop students’ understanding of equality. Few female students enrol on full time courses; however, good initiatives are in place to promote ICT to girls in local schools.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good. The very large majority of media and communication and visual arts students achieve their qualifications. However, on a small minority of courses too few students achieve high grades. The majority make good progress, although a minority on visual arts courses makes insufficient progress. Students’ attendance and punctuality are good.  Most students exceed their expectations, and those of their teachers, to gain the skills and attitudes to become young professionals. Teachers manage lessons well and behaviour is good.  Teachers are skilled at helping students. On level 2 courses, students with low grades in GCSE English and mathematics, and with barriers to learning, make good progress. Through well planned and supportive lessons, teachers engender productive working relationships and help students discover skills they did not believe they could achieve. As a result, students gain the

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19+ Learning programmes

confidence to progress to level 3 or university. Teachers promote health and safety particularly well in practical sessions, which ensure students develop good skills in planning and carrying out tasks safely.  Teachers set and monitor challenging targets with students who understand what they have to do to improve and when assignments are due. Teachers provide media and communication students with challenging tasks. For example, in one lesson, students learned how to frame technically and creatively a head shot in 45 minutes and critique poor framing accurately. In another lesson the teacher and students explored the processes and activities needed to design a music album cover. As a result, students learn how to work and deliver a service or product effectively within a set time limit.  Students develop good research skills through well-directed teaching. Teachers challenge students to research extensively, between lessons, to enrich their assignments and studies of

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19+ Learning programmes

other artists, by using the internet and by going to exhibitions. Teachers have a good knowledge of their subjects and use this to good effect in providing students with a wide range of research references. Teachers promote electronic resources well, which students use as part of their learning activities effectively.  Teachers accurately identify students’ support needs at the start of their programmes. Teachers, in partnership with students, devise good individual learning programmes. Students in vocational lessons gain confidence and improved skills in English and mathematics when teachers introduce, and make students familiar with, technical language used in the industry.  Teachers assess students’ previous academic and vocational skills thoroughly and use assessments effectively to plan individuals’ learning. Teachers annotate students’ assessed written work clearly, with feedback reflecting what they need to do to improve. Teachers

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19+ Learning programmes

provide good oral feedback on the content in the work that students produce. They discuss and correct students’ spelling and grammatical errors; however, they do not always correct these in students’ sketchbooks.  Teachers provide good oral feedback to students’ critiques and analyses of other artists, contained in their sketchbooks, which enable students to develop their language skills well, particularly their art vocabulary. Teachers check students’ knowledge and understanding carefully, reinforcing concepts in skilfully directed discussions. Teachers implement effective collaborative arts exercises which enable students to learn from each other.  Teachers promote diversity effectively in lessons. In one lesson, a student proposed a short film on homophobia which prompted discussion and enabled students to share sensitively and safely related topics in their everyday lives. Students have positive attitudes to their work and each

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19+ Learning programmes

other, and productive working relationships with teachers. This enables students and teachers to focus on learning.

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19+ Learning programmes

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement and reflects the mixed outcomes for students. Too few students in this subject area achieve high grades in GCSE English. However, on AS- and A-level courses most students are successful and broadly make at least the progress expected in relation to their starting points.  Students are enthusiastic, enjoy their learning and are highly motivated to succeed. The very large majority of A-level students go on to study at university, almost a third to English-related courses.  Many teachers work together effectively as a team and focus on improving provision, inspiring students with their passion for English, and planning lessons which are lively and interesting. They have improved the level of challenge at A level, but do not sufficiently promote the independent learning skills students will need for higher education.  In GCSE English, teachers do not spend enough time developing students’ basic skills and, as a

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19+ Learning programmes

result, too few students write accurately and achieve their target examination grade. In GCSE English and A-level lessons, teachers focus strongly on preparing students for their coursework, but do not spend enough time teaching the skills to tackle writing tasks or improve their work independently.  Teachers make good use of technology. For example, students discuss excerpts from a play by Ibsen; they learn the historical context of feminist literature of the 1970s through watching advertisements from this period. In a lively GCSE lesson, a song found on the internet led to useful work on persuasive writing and a challenging homework task to turn the lyrics into Standard English. This made students aware of different types of English.  Although teachers develop useful resources for the virtual learning environment, students do not use them sufficiently to extend their learning outside the classroom. GCSE students do not

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19+ Learning programmes

benefit from online activities to improve their technical accuracy. However, very good use of social media enables AS-level students to share and discuss their work.  Teachers accurately identify students’ learning needs, get them onto the right course and ensure those who need it get additional help. They expect students to work hard and insist they attend catch-up sessions if they fall behind with their studies. Extra lessons in spelling, punctuation and grammar are now in place to support GCSE students to improve their progress.  Students receive an effective and suitable range of individual support through extra workshops and drop-in sessions. Former students provide excellent role models as academic mentors and students receive valuable additional learning support. Careers guidance is good. Having responded to students’ requests, teachers provide a good number of visits for A-level students,

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19+ Learning programmes

for example to the theatre or libraries.  Teachers mark and return work promptly and helpfully, identifying strengths and areas to improve. In a small minority of cases the teachers provide insufficient detail in their feedback to be useful. Teachers check students’ progress continually, often reviewing learning at the end of a lesson to check what students have learned. Students are well aware not only of the grade they are aiming for but the progress they are making.  Teachers take every opportunity to expand vocabulary, and students enjoy learning to use new terminology confidently. A student, having learned a new term, ‘synthetic personalisation’, was quickly applying it to the text he was analysing. Students express themselves articulately and convincingly in discussions, but lack confidence when making more formal presentations.  Teachers promote equality well in discussion and through the choice of texts. For example,

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19+ Learning programmes

teachers deliberately choose female writers and feminist perspectives in literature lessons, leading to some excellent coursework exploring the political struggle of women.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement as too few students successfully complete their courses. While the overall proportion of high grades is improving it is still too low. Students following study programmes that include AAT accounting and AS-level business significantly underperform. A large majority of A-level and vocational level 3 students progress to higher education to follow relevant degrees.  On most courses students gain good business-related skills, such as in customer services where they deal with a variety of customers in different situations in the workplace. Employers in the banking and finance sectors support and develop students’ understanding of the world of work.  In lessons where teachers have high expectations of students, students demonstrate good standards, working well with their peers and independently. Teachers plan and manage lessons well and students learn a range of pertinent business concepts. However, in too many lessons,

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19+ Learning programmes

teachers do not expect enough of their students and plan their lessons poorly, providing insufficient opportunities for more able or quicker students to learn at a faster pace. In these lessons, students are not motivated or inspired by their teachers. Their resources contain spelling and grammatical errors. Too few teachers have sufficient skills to use technology that matches industry standards.  Most teachers are knowledgeable about their subjects and ably present the key concepts in business. Teachers arrange good educational visits and speakers. For example, on a visit to a well-known retail village, students gained first-hand experience of the retail industry and could make comparisons with other shopping outlets. However, students do not benefit from hearing about the most up-to-date business practices or systems used in the world of work.  Teachers help students adeptly to develop good debating skills on such topics as international

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19+ Learning programmes

economic policies in China and Russia, marketing strategies used by well-known international companies and financial sustainability. Teachers facilitate debates well by motivating students to be actively involved in working and learning with their peers. However, in the majority of lessons, teachers do not reinforce learning sufficiently or help students to connect business theory to the real world of work.  Teachers pay insufficient attention to students’ starting points when setting targets. A small minority of targets do not motivate students to work towards higher grades. Teachers provide frequent feedback to students on their assessments. Students check their assignments carefully through a virtual learning site for plagiarism. However, teachers’ written comments do not always show developmental feedback on what students have achieved and what they need to do to improve their work and work towards the higher grades.

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19+ Learning programmes

 Most students are able to present their work well in group presentations, interpreting business reports and financial accounting spreadsheets. Students use formulae accurately in calculations for accounting purposes and can forecast sales. However, teachers do not always routinely follow up corrections to spelling punctuation and grammar, and students do not learn from their errors.  Teachers support and guide students well on how and where to apply in order to progress to higher education. Teachers provide advice and guidance and assess students’ prior skills, knowledge and qualifications in order to place students on the right course, but this requires improvement as a small number who start on the wrong level consequently leave the study programme.  Teachers create a safe environment for learning and students welcome the supportive and caring environment. Students work in mutual respect with their peers. Teachers do not plan

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19+ Learning programmes

sufficiently equality and diversity topics in their lessons or take full advantage of naturally- occurring opportunities to discuss and debate these aspects with students. For example, they do not explore sufficiently the effects of business practices on race, gender, age, disability and religion in a national and global context.

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19+ Learning programmes

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement  Leaders and managers are not yet securing sufficient improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or outcomes for students. Moreover, both the college and inspectors identify significant variations in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across subject areas. In too many subject areas inspected, teaching, learning and assessment are not good enough.  Leaders and managers promote successfully their clear mission, vision and development priorities for the college. The mission of ‘creating a successful learning community’ is well understood, and supported by staff, students and partners.  The college’s five-year strategic vision is suitably ambitious. It addresses the identified needs of the college’s local communities, making good use of governors’ and managers’ local expert knowledge. Leaders and managers use it well to influence annual development plans and they

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19+ Learning programmes

rigorously monitor progress in order to achieve their aims.  Governors thoroughly evaluate the college’s work and effectiveness, including their own work. They work closely with senior managers, providing support and suitable challenge. They analyse carefully managers’ reports and data. They have a good understanding of the strengths in provision and the improvements that are necessary. However, while aspects of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment were identified as needing improvement, they were not identified as requiring improvement overall.  Since the previous inspection, student numbers have increased significantly and senior managers are implementing a well-conceived long-term accommodation improvement plan to meet the needs of the growth in students.  New management arrangements, including head of school posts, are securing better curriculum leadership, with a clear priority to improve teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes.

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19+ Learning programmes

Managers communicate well with teachers. They make good arrangements for staff to contribute ideas to improve the quality of provision.  The college’s self-assessment report shows strengths and areas for improvement that are founded in exhaustive course performance review. Managers’ improvement action plans are securing gains in students’ performance. However, their impact is insufficiently effective in improving outcomes for students, for example the achievement of qualifications for the college as a whole has remained static for too long.  Managers use the outcomes of observations of teaching, learning and assessment to improve the quality of provision. Observations form part of improved arrangements to manage performance. Good training for teachers is addressing the key priorities for improvement identified in the observation of lessons. The observation system requires further attention, however, as a small minority of observations are over-generously graded.

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19+ Learning programmes

 The college offers a particularly broad and responsive range of courses. Managers and other staff annually review courses to help ensure that the curriculum meets students’ aspirations, government policy and stakeholders’ needs. The college was early in the introduction of study programmes and these are increasingly well managed and productive for students.  Excellent partnerships with schools and higher education support the college’s work with students. Successful partnerships with business and employers to improve students’ employability skills include work with a local arts centre and a national engineering employer. The engineering partnership has contributed successfully to the engineering curriculum at the college.  Leaders and managers make particularly good use of the views of students in working to improve the quality of their experiences. The outcomes of student surveys are well used. The

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19+ Learning programmes

students’ union is successful. Communication with parents is good.  Leaders and managers at all levels work at the heart of the local communities to further social and educational inclusion. Students work in an inclusive and positive learning environment where diversity is celebrated. Managers ensure that a successful infrastructure for securing the understanding and promotion of equality and diversity is in place. Teachers promote equality and diversity well in most lessons. Managers analyse equalities data thoroughly. There are no significant achievement gaps.  The college’s safeguarding of students is good and the college meets its statutory requirements. Safeguarding is central to the work to support students and they feel safe at college. Leaders, managers and staff, in strong partnership with local agencies, ensure that youth safety extends to students’ lives outside of college. Their work to support students with concerns such as gangs

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19+ Learning programmes

and extremism is particularly good. Managers and staff at the college are fully aware of the national Prevent strategy and implement it well. Staff and governors understand safeguarding, helped by frequent training and updating. Staff look after vulnerable students well. Safe practices extend to students’ work experiences. Leaders and managers promote successfully wider aspects of health and safety.

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Newham Sixth Form College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Newham Sixth Form College

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate Overall 14-16 part-time provision 14-16 full-time provision 16-19 study programmes Traineeships 19+ learning programmes Apprenticeships Employability Community learning

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Newham Sixth Form College

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

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Newham Sixth Form College

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 - - 3 - 3 - - -

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Mr Eddie Playfair Date of previous inspection March 2009 Website address http://www.newvic.ac.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+ - - - - - - Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total - - - Number of learners aged 14-16 1 Full-time 1 Part-time N/A Number of community learners N/A Number of employability learners N/A Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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Contextual information

Newham Sixth Form College is situated in east London. It is the largest of its kind in London. The London Borough of Newham is characterised in the indices of multiple deprivation as one of the poorest parts of England. The very large majority of students who follow study programmes or learning programmes at the college live in the borough and are from a minority ethnic heritage. The majority of students are female.

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Information about this inspection

Lead inspector Steven Stanley HMI Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and five additional inspectors, assisted by the Vice Principal 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 past 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 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

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Grade Judgement

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

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Grade Judgement

To find out more go to www.employerview.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

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