North East Lincolnshire Council

Further Education and Skills inspection report Date published: 10 June 2015 Inspection Number: 446860 URN: 53575 North East Lincolnshire Council

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Summary of key findings for learners

 Too few learners achieve their qualifications  only a half of young people on study programmes achieve their qualifications; too many return to being out of employment, education and training  the range and quality of work experience and placements available to young people is too limited to enable all learners to benefit from exposure to the world of work  too few apprentices complete their qualifications on time  in too many classes tutors fail to use the information they have on learners to plan lessons that meet their individual needs and challenge them to progress  targets set by tutors lacks sufficient detail to enable learners to understand how to progress, and written feedback often fails to inform learners how to improve  tutors do not look routinely for ways in which they can improve learners’ skills in English and mathematics in their lessons  the use of quality assurance information in the performance management of staff is not rigorous

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Summary of key findings for learners

enough to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment  managers do not use data well to analyse the slow progress made by certain groups of learners and set clear targets to ensure that their progress improves  the promotion of learners and apprentices’ understanding of diversity and how it affects them in the workplace and wider society is inconsistent and underdeveloped.

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Summary of key findings for learners

 senior leaders and managers have an ambitious vision for the service and how it contributes to improving the employment, health and wellbeing of local residents  effective partnerships with neighbouring local authorities, the voluntary and community sector, other providers, and representation on the Local Enterprise Partnership results in a well- designed curriculum to raise the low level of skills in the area  the most disadvantaged learners, and those with the lowest qualifications, are engaged effectively, and many progress onto achieve qualifications in English and mathematics  learners benefit from the good support that tutors provide, and contribute positively to the atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance in classes. Inspection dates 28 April – 1 May 2015

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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?

 Make better use of all the information gathered on learners and apprentices at the start of their programmes, including the results of initial assessment, so that learners begin programmes which provide the right level of challenge.  Use the information from initial assessment to agree targets with learners and apprentices that are clear, measurable and provide a good framework for measuring their progress.  Improve timely completion of qualifications by monitoring all learners and apprentices’ progress regularly and provide them with clear, developmental written and oral feedback that reflects on their progress and shows them how to improve.  Ensure that all tutors and assessors plan teaching, learning and assessment to develop learners’ skills in English and mathematics.  Enhance existing strategies for supporting vulnerable young people to stay on study programmes and complete their qualifications.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Increase the number, and improve the range and quality, of work placements and work experience for young people on study programmes to develop the skills and attitudes they need in the workplace.  Increase the frequency and rigour of the performance management of tutors and assessors so that the quality of teaching becomes consistently good; and ensure that managers apply the quality assurance and improvement arrangements are applied consistently across all areas of delivery.  Ensure that managers receive accurate and timely data on the performance of different groups of learners so they can identify those at risk of not making progress and close the gaps between the outcomes of different groups of learners.  Support tutors and assessors to feel more confident in leading discussions on the impact of diversity in modern society and the workplace, and ensure that they increase learners and apprentices’ levels of understanding in lessons and reviews.

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

 North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) provides programmes for adults and young people, aged 16 to 19 years old. The adult programmes are the largest, with an equal split between those on adult skills courses and those on community learning courses. Young people are on study programmes, with a few on traineeships. There is a growing, if still small, apprenticeship programme for all age groups, at both intermediate and advanced levels. The subjects graded for this inspection make up a large majority of NELC’s provision.  Despite gradual improvement over the past three years too many learners do not achieve their qualifications. Success rates overall remain just below the national rate, with the rate of progress stalling this year. There is significant variation in the achievement of learners across different subject areas. Learners in visual arts and information and communication technology achieve well, whilst those in health and social care and preparation for life and work, the largest

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

single subject area, do less well than learners with other providers.  NELC’s community learning programme engages effectively the most disadvantaged residents from the area, with the majority of learners having few or no qualifications. Learners develop useful skills, such as how to access the internet to submit job applications or register to vote. Many learners progress onto qualification courses, for example in creative art, where works of award-winning standard are produced. The tracking of learners’ progress and achievement in community learning, however, is inconsistent across subject areas.  The achievement of qualifications by the growing number of young people on study programmes requires improvement. Just over half of learners achieve their qualifications. Although managers have put in place a range of strategies to keep learners on courses with encouraging early results, retention has declined within the past year. Some learners leave

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

prematurely for positive reasons, to take up a job or progress onto other providers but a small minority return to being outside education and employment.  Most young learners start their study programmes at entry level. Skilled staff provide considerable support to overcome personal barriers such as homelessness and social care issues. Managers and staff have developed good partnerships with specialist agencies to provide young people with work experience and work placements, with learners on traineeships placed with local construction and retail companies. The range and quality of work experience for those on study programmes, however, is insufficient.  Success rates on apprenticeship programmes are inadequate. Overall success rates have improved, but remain well below the national rate; whilst the great majority of apprentices do not achieve their qualifications within the required timescales. The lack of timely completion is

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

concentrated in health and social care. The smaller number of business administration apprentices achieve within timescales, and develop good office skills which employers value.  The significant gap in achievement between adults and 16-19 year old learners is narrowing, but remains wide. There is a much smaller, but persistent gap, between males and females. Managers have identified these differences in performance and have started to address them, but it is still too early to see an impact.  Learners who remain on courses and achieve their qualifications progress well, particularly given their low prior attainment. The majority of learners on English and mathematics courses, for example, move up at least one level whilst with NELC. Learners respond enthusiastically to tutors and assessors’ promotion of functional skills as an essential stepping stone into employment.  Managers have started to collect and analyse real destination data for their learners. This has

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

already proved effective in prompting managers to put in additional support for their most vulnerable young learners, who are most at risk of not progressing onto employment or further education.

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 As part of this inspection, in addition to the subject areas inspected in depth and graded, inspectors sampled the range of NELC’s provision. Managers have implemented a good range of actions to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the last inspection; however most have not yet had sufficient impact to raise the standard of provision, or improve learner success across all programmes.  The quality of teaching and learning, whilst very good in areas such as creative arts varies too much. Where learning is most effective, teaching staff use their good technical skills and knowledge of the subject well to ensure that learning is stimulating, and produce a high standard of work. Close collaboration with employers maximises opportunities for apprentices, particularly those in business administration, to develop their skills in the workplace.  In a majority of lessons however, tutors fail to use the information they hold about their learners

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

sufficiently to set suitably stretching learning objectives. Teaching focuses primarily on meeting the requirements of the qualification rather than reflecting each learner’s development or support needs. Not all learners complete initial or diagnostic assessments and a small minority work towards qualifications at too low a level.  Targets set at the start of learners’ programmes are frequently not broken down to provide meaningful or suitably challenging short, medium and longer-term goals. Objectives agreed during progress reviews are often insufficiently measurable and lack the detail needed to show learners how to progress. Where targets are clear, learners benefit from good monitoring and are progressing well.  The majority of tutors and assessors employ an appropriate range of methods to assess learners’ development. Over the last year, assessors have extended their assessments and now use professional discussion, for example, particularly effectively. Most tutors use questioning

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

well, for example in maths and English classes, to encourage learners to extend their understanding of key concepts. However, in a minority of lessons, tutors rely too heavily on the completion of workbooks and worksheets to gauge progress.  Learners receive good oral feedback, which motivates them well. Too much written feedback is brief; in English and mathematics, for example, it lacks the detail required to show learners how to improve. In community learning, not all work is marked and learners do not always receive feedback.  In a minority of programmes, tutors contextualise tasks well, ensuring that learners understand the relevance and importance of the English and mathematics skills that they develop to their daily lives. Apprentices learn how to spell technical terms correctly and with confidence.  The extent to which tutors routinely incorporate activities to develop learners’ mathematical

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

skills in lessons is limited. Not all tutors make good use of available equipment to develop learners’ computer skills, for example to improve learners’ use of the internet for job search. The approach to correcting learners’ spelling and grammar across all programmes is inconsistent.  Learners value highly, and benefit from, the good support that their tutors provide. Tutors understand well the barriers that many face to participating in education and training; they implement effective practical strategies to help learners settle into their courses and complete their work. They have established productive links with external agencies to which they refer learners for specialist support.  Learners receive well-structured information, advice and guidance both before and during their programmes. Managers liaise closely with external referral agencies to identify appropriate development opportunities; at the end of learners’ programmes, they work effectively with those

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

who are looking to progress into employment or onto further courses. Tutors use the specialist skills and knowledge of colleagues from the National Careers Service well to enhance the advice available to all learners.  An atmosphere of mutual respect and support is apparent in all classes. Lessons are inclusive; learners from differing communities and backgrounds collaborate well. Sessions focusing specifically on the promotion of equality and diversity widen learners’ cultural understanding effectively and increase awareness of issues such as gender stereotyping. However, tutors do not extend learners’ understanding over time sufficiently. In community learning classes, for example, there is little active promotion of equality and diversity and resources do not always reflect a diverse, modern Britain. The extent to which assessors use progress reviews to reinforce apprentices’ understanding of diversity is too variable.

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because:

 a minority of learners do not make the progress they should during sessions; as a result they do not reach their full potential; a minority of learners did not successfully complete their course last year  the majority of tutors do not plan sufficiently well to meet individual learning needs; as a result too many learners work on the same activities in sessions irrespective of their different abilities  initial assessment does not always identify learners’ starting points accurately or lead to challenging targets; as a result, too many learners are not sufficiently aware of the specific knowledge and skills they need to improve  in too many cases, tutors do not record learners’ achievements sufficiently well; as a result learners are not fully aware of what they have achieved and what they still need to do to complete their course  tutors do not routinely implement the quality assurance procedures to standardise assessment

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because:

practice; as a consequence, the accuracy of too many assessment decisions is not confirmed  the majority of learners do not benefit from written feedback that identifies the strengths and areas for improvement in their work; consequently, too many learners are not aware of the errors they have made or how to correct them so that they can improve their work  tutors do not routinely promote diversity in sessions or use resources that refer to people’s diverse characteristics; as a result, they do not prepare learners sufficiently well for life and work in modern Britain.

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In community learning, the provider has the following strengths:

 the majority of current learners develop useful skills such as speaking more confidently when shopping and during medical appointments, and carrying out searches for information on the internet; consequently they can participate more effectively in everyday life  the majority of tutors have appropriate expectations of learners and use these well to motivate learners to achieve the learning objectives; in information communication technology sessions, tutors provided good encouragement for learners with no prior experience of using a mouse to enable them to develop the necessary skills  the majority of tutors engage learners well in a range of interesting teaching and learning activities; in a session on the use of CCTV cameras in care settings, learners engaged effectively in discussion about the arguments for and against their use  learners benefit from good information, advice and guidance; staff signpost learners to courses

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In community learning, the provider has the following strengths:

that meet their learning needs and lead to further learning opportunities that enable them to enhance the skills they need for employment  tutors create an inclusive environment in their sessions; learners from different cultural backgrounds work together well and demonstrate mutual respect for each other.

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improvement because:

 the proportion of learners who achieve qualifications in foundation mathematics and foundation English, although improving, is still too low  too many tutors do not use individual targets in their lessons to challenge learners to improve; for example in a free writing task the majority of learners had targets set to develop their sentences but these were not used in the activity  tutors’ written feedback on learners’ work is often not detailed enough and so does not give the learners the information they need to achieve a higher standard in their work; for example in mathematics tutors’ often mark work correct or incorrect but this does not give the learners sufficient guidance on how they can improve  the use of information and learning technology is underdeveloped; for example, in a minority of lessons tutors use ILT to display instructions for tasks without enhancing effectively the learners’

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improvement because:

understanding of the activities  tutors do not place sufficient focus on appropriate standards of conduct for a small minority of 16-19 year old learners and as a consequence these learners are not prepared well to progress into employment  tutors do not consistently help learners improve their understanding of diversity in order to prepare them for life in multi-cultural Britain; for example in an entry-level English lesson the concept of diversity was important to successfully design a park that met the needs of everyone in the community but the tutor did not explore the topic in any depth.

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In Foundation English and mathematics the provider has the following strengths:

 tutors support learners very well; tutors successfully help learners to overcome significant barriers to learning and to develop effective strategies to complete their courses; for example a tutor enabled adult learners in a pre-entry English class to learn the letters of the alphabet and read simple words which had an immense impact on the learners’ self-esteem and confidence as they had been unable to read until then  tutors make good use of a range of relevant everyday activities to engage learners and so accelerate the development of both their mathematics and English skills; for example through cooking in a mathematics class learners were able to develop effortlessly skills such as measuring and weighing, calculating perimeter and working out proportion  tutors give learners good oral feedback which encourages them to improve their answers and enrich their understanding; for example in a lesson on report writing, the tutor’s use of carefully

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In Foundation English and mathematics the provider has the following strengths:

targeted questions supported an animated debate on key topics to inform and enrich their writing.

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Teaching, learning and assessment in employability require improvement:

 tutors do not plan individual learning sessions, activities and outcomes effectively enough to meet the different needs and levels of prior attainment of learners who do not therefore maximise their potential for employment  learners do not routinely complete initial and diagnostic assessments, as a consequence tutors are not able to ensure that session planning takes into account learners developmental needs for English and mathematics; learning plans are not completed, so learners are unable to identify personal aspirations and targets for their learning programmes  in too many lessons, learning activities do not inspire and motivate learners; the resources that tutors use in these lessons, such as worksheets, are often dull and do not always maintain learners’ interest; learning technology is not used sufficiently to extend learners’ skills, understanding or their ability to undertake independent research, and understanding

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Teaching, learning and assessment in employability require improvement:

 the targets that tutors set for learners do not always state clearly what learners need to do to improve their skills and understanding; learners do not always receive sufficiently detailed written feedback about their progress towards achieving their targets  learners do not always receive sufficient support to help them improve their English skills; for example the inappropriate use of abbreviations and incorrect use of capitalisation in job applications  not enough tutors use questioning to check that all learners fully understand the topic, or to challenge and extend learning further  progression of learners into further education or employment is not routinely captured, with the result that tutors are unaware of which elements of their teaching and assessment are effective.

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Employability training has the following strengths:

 most learners who attend sessions gain in confidence and the great majority achieve their short qualifications  learners receive good individual mentoring support, which enables them to overcome barriers to learning and improve their personal and social skills; as a result learners develop a positive approach to job search  tutors provide a safe and inclusive learning and working environment; learners work well together and show a high level of mutual respect

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Senior leaders and managers have an ambitious vision of how community learning can improve the readiness for employment and well-being of residents, and support sustainable communities. Leaders and senior managers have high expectations of managers and staff to ensure local residents, who are often disadvantaged, have the best opportunity to progress in their careers and with their personal development.  Senior leaders and managers have effectively steered NELC through an extended period of organisational change and staff at all levels of the organisation have a clear understanding of their new roles and responsibilities. A wide range of new procedures and approaches has been introduced which are intended to further improve the quality of learning; however, it is too early to judge the full effect of these initiatives.  Leaders and managers have established good partnerships with neighbouring authorities,

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

community groups, charities, other local learning providers. NELC has representation on the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) at a senior level. They use these relationships well to design a curriculum of community learning provision that enables individual providers to meet local residents’ needs without duplicating provision.  Quality improvement arrangements have improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. However too much teaching, learning and assessment still requires improvement and the quality of key aspects of the provision, such as the feedback on learners work varies significantly.  Supervision and monitoring of the provision are insufficient to ensure that all learners receive the support they require in order to succeed: a few learners, for example, on employability programmes do not receive formal progress reviews at the expected intervals, so are risk of falling behind.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Managers have recently revised the established process for the observation of teaching, learning and assessment which requires longer, consistent application to be fully effective in driving up standards. Individual action plans drawn up after observations do not contain sufficiently specific and measurable targets to ensure all learners benefit from consistently good standards of teaching and learning.  Managers do not analyse sufficiently well the findings from observations to identify all areas for improvement or to inform rigorous performance management; such as the insufficient promotion and reinforcement of equality and diversity in many lessons, the insufficient use of the results of initial assessment to plan lessons to meet the needs of all learners, particularly the more able.  The self-assessment process includes appropriate consultation with staff and learners to provide a reasonably accurate view on many of the issues that affect learning. However, the

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

accompanying quality improvement plan does not contain sufficient clear, measurable, time bound improvement milestones to accurately assess the impact of each improvement strategy.  Managers have recently invested in a new management information system to analyse and monitor the effectiveness of the provision. However, managers are less successful in using available data to analyse reasons why a few differences in the achievement of different groups of learners remain.  NELC recruits learners from all parts of the local population; particularly from areas of socio- economic deprivation many of whose residents face severe barriers to learning. Staff at all levels advocate social inclusion and promote effectively learning opportunities for all.  In creative art courses, learners demonstrate a good understanding on relevant topics such as international women’s day. Wall displays of learners work celebrate significant events including

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The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

black history month. However, the promotion and reinforcement of equality and diversity in many lessons requires improvement.  Safeguarding arrangements are good. The provider meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. Managers update the safeguarding policy regularly in order to reflect changes in legislation. Staff receive appropriate training on safeguarding matters. Managers update disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks regularly and the designated safeguarding officer meets with the local safeguarding children board and takes advantage of training and updating opportunities.  Learners feel safe and most know how to raise concerns. On the rare occasions this has happened, managers deal with issues quickly, sensitively and appropriately.

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Provider name

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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Provider name

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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Provider name

Overall effectiveness 3 N/A N/A 3 3 3 3 3 3

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Provider name

Outcomes for learners 3 N/A N/A 3 3 3 4 3 3

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Provider name

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 N/A N/A 3 3 3 3 3 3

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Provider name

The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 N/A N/A 3 3 3 3 3 3

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Mrs Michelle Munslow Date of previous inspection February 2014 Website address www.nelincs.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+ 44 96 8 62 0 0 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total 3 4 7

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Number of learners aged 14-16

Full-time N/A Part-time N/A Number of community learners 654 Number of employability learners 90 Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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Contextual information

North East Lincolnshire Community Learning Services is part of the Council’s Place Directorate, which has a primary focus on the economic development of the area. The service has contracts with the Education Funding Agency and the Skills Funding Agency to deliver 16-19 study programmes, traineeships, adult skills programmes, apprenticeships and community learning courses.

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Contextual information

The population of North East Lincolnshire is approximately 160,000. The level of unemployment in the area is 8.8% (December 2014), which is nearly 3% above the national level. Of those who are unemployed, 22.8% are long-term sick, compared to 21.5% nationally. A third of residents in North East Lincolnshire have qualifications lower than level 2, compared to a quarter for the rest of the country.

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Information about this inspection

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and four additional inspectors, assisted by the Service 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. What inspection judgements mean

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Grade Judgement

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

www.gov.uk/government/publications/handbook-for-the-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills- from-september-2012

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Grade Judgement

guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. 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 and 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, 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 provider inspection reports, please visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/user.

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Grade Judgement

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

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