Oxford Sixth Form College

School and boarding report Oxford Tutorial College 12 King Edward Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 4HT

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate 4

Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of students Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of students Good 2 Overall effectiveness of the boarding experience Inadequate 4

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This is an inadequate school because

 The proprietors have not ensured that all Independent School Standards and national minimum standards for boarding are met. As a result, leadership and management are inadequate.  Leaders, governors and the proprietors have failed to ensure that students’ welfare, health and safety are adequately promoted in the boarding provision.  The proprietor has not adequately checked the suitability of all host families for boarders, nor provided them with appropriate training in safeguarding. This could leave the young people at potential risk.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders and managers have ensured that teaching and achievement are good. Leaders are clear about what they need to do next to raise the quality of teaching and achievement to the highest standard.  Students behave well in and around the college and work hard in their lessons.  The college assists students from many different backgrounds to settle in well and integrate with the other students.  Students report that they feel safe while at the college studying and can always speak to their tutor if they have any concerns.

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colleges

 The school must take action to meet schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.  The school does not meet the national minimum standards for boarding schools. The details are listed in the full report.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was undertaken with one day’s notice.  The lead inspector observed eight lessons or parts of lessons, some of which were joint observations with a senior leader.  Meetings were held with the college's leaders, teaching staff and students. A range of documentation was examined, including policies, assessment records, the curriculum and teachers’ plans. The inspectors looked at students’ written and other work.  The views of members of staff, some of whom did not teach the Year 11 students, were considered through survey questionnaires. There were 36 responses.  There were insufficient responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey for the information to be made available. Three parents/carers contacted the inspector to share their views on the college.  This was an integrated inspection and the provision and outcomes in the boarding setting were evaluated by the social care inspectors. The education inspection was for students in Year 11. The care inspection,

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Information about this inspection

at the request of the Department for Education (DfE), was for all boarders currently at the college.

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Inspection team

Jill Bainton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Oxford Tutorial College was registered in April 2013 as a non-selective, independent, co-educational college for up to 10 students aged from 15 to 16 years of age. The college has been established since the 1990s as a nationally accredited examination centre for British and overseas students.  There are currently 11 students on roll, aged from 15 to 16 years of age. These include five British and six international students, two of whom live in boarding accommodation. The six international students are learning English as an additional language. Overall there are currently 38 boarders at the college, including two students aged 15 to 16 years of age. The rest of the boarders are over 16.  There are no students who have a statement of special educational needs. Very few students have any special educational needs.  No students receive the additional government funding for disadvantaged students.

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Information about this school

 The college uses local sports facilities in Oxford for physical education.  The college aims ‘to assist students to realise their full potential’.  There are three main teaching courses: an IGCSE course for native English speakers; an IGCSE course for students whose first language is not English; and an intensive English course for students who need additional help so they can access the IGCSE course at a later stage.  No students take early entry to a GCSE examination.  The recently appointed senior management team is made up of the Director, the Director of Studies, Bursar, Academic Registrar and Director of Student Services.  The college has not had a previous inspection of the boarding provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the boarding provision to ensure that students’ welfare, health and safety are adequately promoted by:  improving the management oversight, supervision and support of the residential services  improving the induction of boarding house staff  improving the record keeping of the risk assessment process and the matching of students to particular placements  creating a lone working risk assessment for staff working in the boarding houses  providing induction training for boarding house staff and for host families in safeguarding and child protection  improving the safety of students’ possessions  ensuring there is testing of the students’ portable electrical appliances as recommended in the fire risk assessment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management of the academic and educational provision in order to raise the quality of all teaching and students’ achievement by:  ensuring there are more checks made of the quality of teaching, with links established to the process of performance management  ensuring that assessments of students’ achievement are recorded consistently and the information is used more effectively by staff to plan teaching  ensuring learning opportunities help students to do as well as they can.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The school must meet the following independent school standards  The proprietor must ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of boarders while they are accommodated at the school (paragraph 8, 8(a)).  The proprietor must ensure that such arrangements have regard to the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (paragraph 8(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that in the case of staff who care for, train, supervise or are in charge of boarders, in addition to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) to (d), Standard 14 of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools or, where applicable, Standard 14 of the National Minimum Standards is complied with (paragraph 19(2)(e)).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The school must meet the following national minimum standards for boarding  The school identifies at least one person other than a parent, outside the boarding and teaching staff of the school, whom boarders may contact directly about personal problems or concerns. The school must ensure that boarders know who this person is and how to contact them. Boarders are also to be provided with one or more helpline to outside contact numbers, including the Children’s Rights Director, to ring in case of problems. (NMS 2.3)  All boarders are to be provided with meals which are adequate in nutritional value, quantity, quality, choice and variety. (NMS 8.1)  The school must ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school and such arrangements have regards to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (NMS 11)  There is clear management and leadership of the practice and development of boarding in the school,

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

and effective links are made between academic and residential staff. (NMS 13.1)  The school must operate safe recruitment procedures and vet staff in line with the regulatory requirements and having regard to relevant guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (NMS 14.1)  The school must ensure that any person employed or volunteering in a position working with boarders has a job description reflecting his or her duties, receives induction training in boarding when newly appointed, and receives regular reviews of their boarding practice, with opportunities for training and continual professional development in boarding. (NMS 15.1)  Staff supervising boarders outside teaching time must be sufficient in number, training and experience for the age, number and needs of boarders, and the locations and activities involved. (NMS 15.3)  Any lodgings arranged by the school to accommodate pupils provide satisfactory accommodation and

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

supervision, are to be checked before use, and are monitored by the school during use, including checks at least yearly. (NMS 20.1)  The school should visit all potential lodgings and interview the adult who will be responsible for the accommodation of the pupils in each lodging, takes up references and records a satisfactory assessment, before any pupils is placed there. The school needs to demonstrate that members of the host families aged over 16 are subject to a criminal records check, with a satisfactory outcome known before any pupil is placed. (NMS 20.4)  The school must ensure that it has a satisfactory written agreement with each adult providing lodgings for pupils on its behalf. (NMS 20.5)  At least once per term a member of staff should discusses lodgings separately with each pupil accommodated by or on behalf of the school in lodgings, and record the pupils’ assessment in writing and take action on any concerns or complaints. (NMS 20.7)

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The leadership and management of the college are inadequate. This is because leaders, governors and the proprietors have not ensured that the students’ welfare, health and safety are adequately promoted in the boarding provision.  Leaders and the proprietors have ensured that most, but not all, of the regulations in the Independent School Standards have been met. Leaders and the proprietors have not ensured that all the national minimum standards for boarding schools are met.  The leadership of the college’s academic programmes ensures a well-planned curriculum and effective teaching which enable the students to achieve well. Leaders ensure that students have an equal opportunity to succeed.  The senior management team has devised a detailed college improvement plan which identifies the right areas for improvements in teaching. The system for making checks on teaching and learning is not well developed. The leaders rightly intend to link the outcomes of the checks made to processes for

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The leadership and management are inadequate

performance management.  Faculty leaders and personal tutors, who act as middle leaders, play an active role, for example in providing individual subject support for students.  Parents and carers report that their children have made very good progress since joining the college. They made comments such as: ‘He is a different child since he came to the college’: ‘I am ecstatic about how well he is doing in his studies’: ‘My son is so happy…I cannot thank the tutors enough’. Parents and carers are kept very well informed through regular emails and regular reports which give a clear picture of their child’s progress.  Staff ensure that students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted through the personal, social, health and citizenship education programme (PSHCE). It is further enriched by a well- devised programme to promote the students’ wider understanding of living in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The college ensures that students' welfare, health and safety are promoted well while on the college's premises. All staff connected to the students’ academic studies are effectively checked for their suitability to work with children.  The curriculum, which accurately reflects the national examinations taken by students, is well documented. It meets requirements and promotes the students’ English and mathematics skills particularly well.  Students are given good advice on the next stage of their education, or chosen career, by specialist staff.  Leaders check on the students who have physical education lessons at sports locations in Oxford. Staff at these centres report that the students attend regularly and behave well and make good progress in acquiring new skills.  Leaders have ensured that students are kept safe while on the college’s academic premises. The college does not meet the current safeguarding requirements. Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures for

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The leadership and management are inadequate

staff appointments with all academic staff but this is not done for all boarding staff. The premises and accommodation used for teaching provide a safe and suitable learning environment. All the required information, including a suitable complaints procedure, is made available to parents and carers.  The governance of the college:  Governance is inadequate. Although the governing body holds the college leaders to account well for the students' academic performance, the governors have not ensured that the students’ safety and welfare are adequately provided for in the boarding provision.  The Chair of the Governing Body visits the college regularly and meets the students. He is aware of their achievements and the quality of teaching. He has an accurate view of most, but not all, of the college’s strengths and areas for improvement.  The governing body provides good support to the college leaders in matters such as finance,

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good in lessons, around the college and in the boarding provision. Their attendance is good, but a few students’ punctuality could be better at the beginning of the day. This good behaviour helps students to learn and make good progress.  Students say they have no concerns about bullying, including cyber bullying. They get on very well together and report that they enjoy each other’s company. British students say they enjoy spending time with their international friends, sharing information about their different cultures and ideas. This helps to promote tolerance and understanding between the different nationalities and cultures.  Students are effectively taught how to stay safe as part of their PSHCE programme. This includes health, sex and drugs education, and staying safe in another country. This prepares the students well for life outside the college.  Students gain good social skills and contribute to the life of the college through the student council and

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Behaviour

the wider community via charity fund-raising events. These joint activities help them to gain an understanding of democracy and promote their knowledge and understanding of British values and institutions and the rule of law.

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Safety

 The college’s work to keep students safe and secure while on the college's academic premises is good. However, the students’ safety is not adequately promoted in the boarding accommodation due to a lack of all checks on all boarding staff. Staff and host families do not undertake the required training in safeguarding and child protection. The college has not asked for references on host families, which leave students vulnerable to being cared for by inappropriate persons.  Students report that they feel safe and well cared for while at the college when undertaking their academic studies. Parents and carers also verify that this is the case.  Detailed risk assessments on the academic premises, student houses and planned activities, both on and off site, are completed. These include the local sports venues in Oxford which students use for physical education.  Students gain an increasing knowledge of their own and other cultures, beliefs and ways of life through

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Safety

the close interaction between students and the well-planned curriculum enrichment activities. They have visited many places of interest including theatres, London museums, the local magistrates’ court, Blenheim Palace and Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. A visit is planned to the Houses of Parliament in early spring 2015.  International student evenings are regularly arranged, with films from different cultural traditions shown and varied food and traditions are shared.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students’ learning and achievement are good, especially in their acquisition of skills in English and mathematics, as a result of the effective teaching. Students make good progress and this is demonstrated in their eagerness to learn and their engagement in lessons.  In the relatively short time that the current Year 11 students have been at the college, they have settled in well to their studies. They report that they are given very good individual help and benefit, for example, from the very small teaching groups.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and provide clear explanations which students can understand, including those learning English as an additional language. They have high expectations of the students, that they will acquire new skills and knowledge, try hard and make progress in the lessons. Students respond positively, listen carefully and are encouraged to join in discussions in lessons. Some students,

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The quality of teaching is good

from cultures where learning involves few class discussions, confirmed that they enjoyed this opportunity to share their views.  Relationships between staff and students and among the students themselves are very good and are a pivotal factor in promoting the positive learning atmosphere in lessons. Students behave well in lessons and are motivated to learn. Students commented that they are treated as young adults. In addition to timetabled lessons, they are expected to spend time in independent study which helps to prepare them well for the next stage of their education.  Students take pride in their work, which is well marked by tutors. Homework is used well to provide students with an opportunity to consolidate their learning. Teachers check it carefully.  Each student has a named personal tutor. Their role is crucially important as students confirm that there is always someone they can speak to if they have any personal or work issues. Tutors confirm that this

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The quality of teaching is good

role enables them to provide effective and personal support to students, especially those who are studying from overseas.  Staff effectively check students’ understanding during lessons and to help students to express themselves in English. In a few lessons, students’ learning activities do not help students to do as well as they can.  A good range of resources, including information and communication technology, is used well to support learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most students achieve well as a result of good teaching, a curriculum which suits their academic needs and a high level of support. Students’ abilities are identified carefully on arrival and the students are taught in ways which help to ensure that their individual learning needs are effectively met.  The six students present at the college in July 2014 took various national examinations. Of these, two achieved good results in line with national expectation. The results of the other students were commendable in view of their very early stage in acquiring English. Some had identified special educational needs. All these students went on to study further academic courses at different colleges in Great Britain.  Students studying the English language course achieve well because the work closely matches their needs. It is effective in enabling them to do well because of good checks on their progress, supportive

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The achievement of pupils is good

teaching and a sufficient level of challenge.  The baseline assessments for all students are comprehensive and effective. Students are encouraged to work towards achieving their individual targets. They are helped to identify what they need to do next to achieve better grades. College assessment data show that students make consistently good progress on their courses. However, not all the information on students’ achievement is recorded as well as it could be. It is not always used effectively by all staff to plan teaching which assists students to achieve higher grades.  The very small number of students with special educational needs who require additional help are identified at an early stage and well supported both individually and in class by specialist staff.  The most able students are challenged in various ways and achieve well. They are given opportunities to study for additional courses and entered for competitions such as the United Kingdom Maths Challenge.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of students who are boarding is in line with that of the day students.  Students are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They are given individual careers advice which helps them to choose their next course of study. Some students are successful in gaining selective places at schools of their choice so they can pursue A-level courses.

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Outcomes for boarders are adequate

 Students make progress in developing an awareness of other cultures through their boarding experiences.  Students develop a sense of responsibility and social conscience through their engagement in the student council. They help to raise significant amounts of money for charities and to fund social events.  They influence policies and practice in the college through joint work with the Director of Student Services: for example, with the introduction of a personal safety card and the creation of their own complaints box managed by the student council.  Students have negotiated monthly attendance with the senior management team, which increases their potential to influence college policy and procedures.  They engage in a good range of social activities, which they often arrange for themselves. They have arranged changes to the food provided, to support their fitness programmes and aid healthy eating.

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Outcomes for boarders are adequate

 Students use the experience well of living in supported lodgings or with host families to help prepare them for their later lives, for example if they enter higher education.

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Quality of boarding provision and care is inadequate

 Staff and host families do not receive the required training in safeguarding and child protection. The college has not asked for references on host families, leaving students vulnerable to being cared for by inappropriate people.  The college has arranged for an independent person to visit students who are under 16 years old. However, they have not appointed an independent person to visit post-16 students.  The college provides good pastoral support and effectively communicates child protection and safeguarding support. Students are confident of the effectiveness and accessibility of these support networks.  Accommodation is of a high standard in the supported lodgings and in that of the host families.  The female students’ accommodation provides a comfortable environment. Food provided includes healthy snacks and fruit. Main meals are prepared by staff. Relationships with staff are excellent and

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Quality of boarding provision and care is inadequate

students receive advice and emotional support appropriate to their needs. They describe staff as ‘excellent’ and ‘lovely’.  However, in the male students’ accommodation there are insufficient staff available to enable these supportive relationships to fully develop. Students report that some individuals can become isolated. The male students confirm that they enjoy the lower level of supervision, but that it does not create an inclusive environment.  Staff are unable to provide appropriate support in all cases due to the difficult layout of the building. The arrangements for evening meals do not ensure that male students receive meals which are adequate in quality.  College tutors are an important part of the student support network and they work closely with house parents to effectively address any concerns with the students. This helps students to improve their punctuality, to mix and get on better with their peers, and to complete homework.

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Quality of boarding provision and care is inadequate

 Students have no safe place to hold their personal possessions in the boarding houses.  The fire risk assessment is comprehensive and all identified actions are being completed. It recommends that boarding students’ portable electrical appliances are tested. The college intends to extend these checks to appliances of students who live with host families.

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Grade Judgement

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

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Non-association independent college inspection handbook which is published on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/140053 .

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Grade Judgement

Grade characteristics for the judgements made on the college’s boarding/residential provision can be viewed in the Evaluation schedule for the inspection of boarding provision in colleges which is also available on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/110096 .

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College details

Unique reference number 139779 Social care unique reference number SC470137 Inspection number 446395 DfE registration number 931/6012 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as inserted by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the college’s suitability for continued registration as an independent college. The inspection of boarding provision was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for boarding colleges. Type of college Tutorial College College status Independent college Age range of students 15−16 years Gender of students Mixed Number of students on the college roll 11 Number of part time students 0 Number of boarders on roll 38 Proprietor Oxford International Education Group Chair Ralph Dennison Director David Wilkins

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College details

Date of previous college inspection 4 April 2013 Annual fees (day students) £18,870 Annual fees (boarders) £28,870-£31,870 Telephone number 01865 793333 Email address info@otc.ac.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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College details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s college. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which colleges to inspect and when.

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College details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about colleges in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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College details

inspects to 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), colleges, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the college. Under the Education Act 2005, the college must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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College details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and college inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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College details

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

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