Knowsley Community College

Knowsley Community College General further education college

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Provision for learners with high needs Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a provider that requires improvement

 Actions to improve the performance of teachers have insufficient impact on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Attendance and punctuality are too low on study programmes and in English and mathematics lessons.  Feedback to learners on the quality of their work often includes insufficient guidance about what learners need to do to improve.  Too many learners do not participate in activities to improve their understanding of online safety and the risks of radicalisation and extremism.  Teachers do not always challenge learners to improve quickly; as a result, apprentices and learners on study programmes do not always make sufficiently rapid progress towards achieving their targets.  Leaders and managers do not make sufficient use of information about the college’s performance to evaluate the impact of their actions and to identify further improvements.  Teachers do not develop learners’ English and

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This is a provider that requires improvement

mathematics skills well enough on study programmes.

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This is a provider that requires improvement

 Leaders and governors have an ambitious strategy for the college that has resulted in the successful development of the college’s estate and stabilisation of the college’s financial position.  Leaders and managers work well with a wide range of partners to align the curriculum to local and regional needs and priorities.  Adult learners make good progress in improving their occupational skills, their academic skills, and their confidence to progress further.  Learners with high needs make good progress, and most achieve their targets and qualifications.  Learners who regularly attend study programmes participate in a wide range of enrichment activities that improve their personal and social skills.

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Information about the provider

 Knowsley Community College is a general further education college serving the borough of Knowsley. It has three sites, two of which are in Roby and one in Kirkby. The college provides a wide range of post-16 education and training including 16 to 19 study programmes, adult learning programmes, and apprenticeships. At the time of the inspection, approximately 3,500 learners were studying at the college; of these, around 1,100 were aged 16 to 19, 1,300 were adults, and 1,100 were apprentices. The college works with five subcontractors.  Knowsley is a metropolitan borough in Merseyside with a population of 146,000. The borough is the second most deprived local authority in England as measured by the government’s 2015 indices of deprivation. The unemployment rate in the borough is 7.3% compared with 5.9% across the North West region. The proportion of young people not in education, employment or training is much higher than

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Information about the provider

found nationally. Growth economic sectors in the Liverpool City Region, of which Knowsley is a part, include the knowledge and innovation economy, the visitor economy, low carbon technologies, logistics and transport.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Use information about the college’s performance, including data on attendance, punctuality, retention, achievement, and learners’ in-year progress, to identify actions for improvement quickly and accurately and ensure that self-assessment identifies accurately all areas for improvement.  Increase the rigour with which managers monitor progress towards achieving improvement actions at all levels in the college, and quickly identify and implement additional actions for improvement where progress is not rapid enough.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment on study programmes and the apprenticeship programme, by: ensuring that managers use information about learners’ progress and the outcomes of lesson observations to identify accurately what individual teachers and trainers need to do to improve their performance putting in place relevant high-quality training and development that improves the practice of all

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

teaching staff, and particularly those whose performance is weakest ensuring that all teaching staff plan and use activities that meet learners’ individual needs and challenge learners to make good progress and achieve their targets ensuring that teachers monitor closely the progress of their learners, give helpful feedback on learners’ progress, and provide effective support to those at risk of falling behind improving the skills of all teaching staff in developing learners’ English and mathematics skills.  Rapidly improve attendance and punctuality on study programmes and in English and mathematics lessons, by: using data on attendance and punctuality to identify and implement swift and effective actions to make improvements communicating consistently and clearly to learners that lateness and repeated absence from lessons are not acceptable providing effective support and challenge to learners who are persistently late or absent to ensure

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

that their attendance and punctuality improve quickly and that they do not fall behind.  Ensure that all learners and apprentices gain a sound understanding of the risks of radicalisation and extremism and risks relating to the use of the internet, and are able to keep themselves safe from these risks.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders, senior managers and governors have an ambitious vision for the college with clear priorities to improve the quality of provision, develop the skills of teaching staff, improve the estate, and secure the college’s financial position. This has resulted in imminent improvements in the learning environment, with a move to a new site scheduled for September 2016, and stabilisation of the college’s financial position. However, leaders have not implemented actions to improve the quality of provision with sufficient rigour and, as a result, too much teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Leaders have not taken sufficient action to improve poor attendance and punctuality on study programmes and in English and mathematics lessons.  Actions to improve the performance of teaching staff have had insufficient impact on improving outcomes for learners and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Lesson observations identify accurately

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

most of the strengths and many of the weaknesses in teachers’ practice. However, the overall judgements that observers make are often too positive which means that leaders have an over-optimistic view of the quality of provision and do not identify with sufficient accuracy the improvements that they need to make. Staff benefit from a wide range of training and development, but this has not had sufficient impact in improving quality. A training programme for leaders and managers is planned but has not yet taken place.  Leaders and managers make insufficient use of information about the college’s performance to evaluate the impact of their actions and to identify further improvements. They have improved recently the college’s management information system and now receive regular reports on key indicators such as attendance, retention and in-year progress of learners. However, their analysis of this information does

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

not lead to a consistently accurate or sufficiently rapid identification of weaknesses or actions for improvement. The college’s most recent self-assessment is insufficiently evaluative and does not identify accurately all areas for improvement. Leaders and managers regularly monitor progress towards achieving improvement actions identified through self-assessment, but this does not always lead to remedial action when progress is too slow.  A wide range of successful partnerships with other providers, employers and the local authority enables leaders and managers to align the curriculum well to local and regional needs and priorities. This has resulted in changes to course design and the introduction of industry-standard resources in areas such as engineering that enable learners and apprentices to develop the skills that employers need. A small number of well-managed subcontractors provide programmes that successfully widen the curriculum offer

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

in engineering, music and sport.  Leaders have a strong focus on developing the curriculum to meet the priorities for growth in the Liverpool City Region; in particular the visitor economy and the logistics industry, and their plans to open a logistics academy are well-advanced. However, managers collect insufficient information about learners’ destinations when they complete their programmes to enable them to identify the proportion of learners who gain jobs in priority areas.  Managers have introduced study programmes that meet the essential requirements. Learners follow programmes that include work-related activities linked to their career goals. Learners without a grade D at GCSE enrol on appropriate English and mathematics courses. The components of each learner’s study programme are relevant to their individual needs and aspirations; however, the design of programmes and planning of lessons often take insufficient account of learners’ starting points and prior attainment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Learners and apprentices receive good advice and guidance prior to the start of their programmes and, as a result, they enrol at an appropriate level and on a programme that is relevant to their aspirations. Careers guidance provides learners on study programmes and adult learners with a clear understanding of possible employment routes. However, apprentices are not always made sufficiently aware of future progression and employment opportunities.  Leaders, managers and staff successfully promote an inclusive environment and develop respectful and tolerant attitudes among learners. The college works well with external agencies to improve learners’ understanding of issues such as the Holocaust and teenage mental health. Managers are aware of the few gaps in achievement between different groups of learners and have taken appropriate action to reduce them.  The governance of the provider Governors have a wide range of relevant skills and experience in education, finance, and estates

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

management. They contribute fully to developing the college’s strategic priorities. Governors challenge leaders and senior managers well on the college’s overall performance, its financial situation and the estates strategy. They receive a wide range of information about the college’s performance. However, this does not always include sufficient analysis to enable governors to evaluate accurately the progress that leaders are making in implementing improvement actions.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The college has appropriate safeguarding procedures that are implemented fully and consistently. Managers respond quickly and effectively to any safeguarding concerns and involve external agencies when necessary. They keep accurate and detailed records of all concerns and actions taken. Arrangements to ensure the safe recruitment of staff are rigorous. All staff carry out training on safeguarding including the ‘Prevent’ duty, and most have a good understanding of how to keep learners safe. However, a small minority of teaching staff lack confidence in raising safeguarding issues in their lessons. A wide range of activities are organised to promote learners’ awareness of safeguarding issues, and learners who participate improve their understanding of how to stay safe. However, not all learners participate in the activities and, consequently, a minority show insufficient understanding of how to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

keep themselves safe, particularly from the risks of radicalisation and extremism and risks relating to use of the internet.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Too much teaching and learning does not meet the needs of individual learners well enough. On study programmes and the apprenticeship programme, teachers often make too little use of information about learners’ starting points and prior knowledge when planning learning and setting targets for learners, and they do not always challenge learners sufficiently to achieve or exceed their targets. Too often, targets do not take account of specific improvements that learners need to make in, for example, their attendance in lessons. Consequently, learners do not always make sufficiently rapid progress towards achieving their targets.  In many curriculum areas, teachers’ feedback on assessed work gives learners insufficient information about what they need to do to achieve their target grades. Learners do not always know what progress they are making or what they need to do to improve their work. In a few areas, including electrical

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

engineering, beauty therapy, and the access to higher education programme, teachers’ feedback following assessment is detailed and helpful, and supports learners’ progress well.  On study programmes, teachers do not develop learners’ English and mathematics skills well enough on their vocational courses. Learners receive insufficient help to improve the quality and accuracy of their written work. Planning of learning focuses too little on the development of learners’ mathematics skills unless it is a fundamental requirement of the programme.  Learners on study programmes benefit from a wide range of work-related activity that enables those who attend regularly to develop the personal and social skills that they need for work. For example, learners on an advanced-level art course created and managed a successful art exhibition at the local gallery. Work experience is planned for all learners on study programmes, and over one third have completed a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

work placement so far this academic year. Most teachers use their subject and occupational knowledge well to develop the practical and technical skills that learners will need in their future employment.  On adult learning programmes, teachers use a wide range of activities that interest and motivate learners, and enable them to make good progress towards their targets. Most teachers monitor accurately the progress that learners make and ensure that learners know which elements of their programme they have completed successfully and which require further work.  Teachers and support staff identify accurately learners who need extra support. The great majority of learners who need extra help receive good support and achieve in line with their peers. Learners with high needs benefit from effective teaching and good support that enable them to settle into college life quickly and make good progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Learners work well together and demonstrate high levels of respect for each other and their teachers. Staff in all parts of the college successfully promote an ethos of tolerance and high standards of behaviour.

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require improvement

 Attendance and punctuality are too low on study programmes and in English and mathematics lessons. Managers monitor levels of attendance closely and have taken action to increase the proportion of learners who arrive on time and attend lessons regularly. This includes closer monitoring and increased support for learners who are repeatedly late or absent, contacting learners through a telephone call or text message on the first day of their absence, and closer liaison with parents. However, the actions that managers have taken have had insufficient impact on improving attendance and punctuality. The attendance rate has fallen during the current year and is lower than at the same point in the previous year. Poor attendance limits the progress of too many learners on study programmes.  Adult learners make good progress in improving their English and mathematics skills, including their academic writing skills and the communication skills that they need at work. On the apprenticeship

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require improvement

programme, learners successfully develop their confidence and skills to communicate effectively in work situations, but make insufficient progress in improving their written skills. Too many learners on study programmes make insufficient progress on their vocational courses in improving their English and mathematics skills.  Most learners have a good understanding of the options available to them when they complete their programmes. As a result, they are able to make informed decisions about their future learning and careers. Apprentices are not always aware of the range of possible career routes as they approach completion of their apprenticeship.  Learners and apprentices who attend regularly make good progress in developing their personal and social skills and the skills that they need for work. Learners on study programmes improve their work- related skills through a wide range of enrichment activities, and many have already had the opportunity

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require improvement

to use their skills and develop them further through work experience. Adults on community learning courses develop the skills and confidence that they need to be successful in employment and in their future learning.  Adults and learners on study programmes develop a good understanding of life and work in a modern diverse society. Examples that teachers use in their lessons are chosen well, and ensure that learners improve their awareness of the importance of tolerance and democracy in modern Britain.  Learners feel safe and know how to report any concerns that they have about their safety or the safety of others. However, learners and apprentices are often insufficiently aware of all risks to their safety, in particular, risks relating to internet use, radicalisation and extremism.  Learners demonstrate high standards of behaviour. They are fully aware of the college’s expectations about behaviour and mutual respect, and work well together.

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

 Too many learners and apprentices make insufficiently rapid progress towards achieving their targets and qualifications. The proportion of learners and apprentices who progress to the next level on completion of their programme is too low.  Poor attendance on study programmes limits the progress made by a significant minority of learners. Too few learners on intermediate-level study programmes achieve their qualifications. Among those who are successful, less than one half progress to an advanced-level programme.  Not enough apprentices complete their programmes successfully within the planned time. Success rates improved considerably from a very low base in 2013/14 but remain too low. Current apprentices receive insufficient feedback about what they need to do to make good progress and, as a result, their progress is often too slow. Too few apprentices who complete at intermediate level progress to an advanced-level

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

programme. The majority of apprentices sustain employment on successful completion of their framework.  The proportion of learners on study programmes who achieve high grades in GCSE English and mathematics is very low. Too many learners on GCSE courses are poorly motivated and attendance in many lessons is very low. Learners on functional English and mathematics courses make good progress and achieve well.  A high proportion of learners on foundation-level and advanced-level study programmes achieve their qualifications. However, most-able learners on advanced-level programmes do not always make sufficiently rapid progress relative to their starting points and too many do not achieve their expected grades.  The majority of adult learners make good progress in lessons and the proportion who achieve their qualifications is in line with that of other similar providers. Adult learners on vocational courses

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

successfully improve the occupational skills that they need for work. Learners on access to higher education programmes acquire the academic skills that they need to study at a higher level. Learners on community learning programmes quickly improve their confidence to progress to courses that lead to qualifications; a high proportion progress successfully.  Learners with high needs make good progress and most achieve their targets and qualifications. They become more independent in their learning, and develop the skills that they need to increase their independence in their personal lives.  Most 16–19-year-old learners with learning disabilities and/or difficulties benefit from the additional learning support that they receive, and a higher proportion of those on foundation-level and advanced- level courses achieve their qualifications than among other learners. Learners with learning disabilities

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

and/or difficulties on intermediate-level courses achieve less well than their peers.  Managers gather insufficient data on the destinations of learners when they complete their programmes. They have recently introduced a new system to gather these data, but this is not yet providing sufficient information to enable managers or inspectors to evaluate the impact of learning on enabling learners to gain employment or the impact of training on enabling apprentices to gain job roles with greater responsibility.

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 The college provides study programmes in a wide range of vocational areas from entry level to advanced level. At the time of inspection there were 1,100 learners on study programmes, with the largest cohort on advanced-level programmes.  Poor attendance and punctuality impede the progress of too many learners. Learners who attend sporadically often fail to complete work satisfactorily and on time, and many have gaps in their knowledge that limits their progress. Lessons are often disrupted at the beginning by the late arrival of learners. The majority of learners who attend regularly make the progress of which they are capable during their lessons.  Too much teaching and learning is insufficiently responsive to the needs of all learners. Learners with a wide range of abilities often complete the same tasks in lessons. This means that a minority of most-able learners make insufficiently rapid progress towards achieving or exceeding their target grades. In a few

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

vocational areas, including sport, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, teachers plan activities that successfully meet the individual needs of learners, including a wide range of extension activities that support most-able learners to make good progress and achieve well.  Teachers’ feedback on assessed written work often provides learners with insufficient information about how they can improve the quality of their work. During lessons, teachers do not consistently check that learners have understood essential learning points. Teachers and managers do not monitor learners’ progress sufficiently well. As a result, intervention to support learners at risk of falling behind is often too slow.  In many vocational lessons, learners receive insufficient support to improve their English and mathematics skills. Teachers do not always ensure that learners improve the quality and grammatical

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

accuracy of their written English, and many learners repeatedly make the same errors in their writing.  In most practical lessons, learners who attend regularly make good progress in improving the skills and understanding that they need for work. They develop effective teamwork and communication skills, and a good understanding of health and safety in the workplace. Teachers successfully encourage learners to reflect on how their new skills and attributes will enable them to be successful in a real working environment. They provide learners with helpful guidance on how to improve the skills that they need for work.  Around one third of current learners have carried out work experience placements, and managers have plans in place to ensure that all learners will benefit from work experience during their study programme. Learners who carry out work experience apply their work-related skills successfully in a real working

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

environment and extend their understanding of the world of work.  Learners benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities that develop their confidence and enhance their work-related skills. They participate in sport and cultural activities and relevant work-related activity. For example, learners on a performing arts courses work with leading West End musical performers and directors to perform songs from shows. Learners on music courses run their own recording studio and radio station.  Learners receive good advice and guidance on choosing a study programme that is relevant to their future career aspirations. They receive good impartial careers guidance during their programme and, as a result, have a clear understanding of future employment routes.  Learners display a high level of respect for each other and their teachers. They develop a good understanding of life in a diverse modern society and fundamental values such as democracy and

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

equality. However, not all learners have sufficient understanding of the dangers and risks associated with internet use, extremism and radicalisation.

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Adult learning programmes are good

 The college provides a wide range of provision for adult learners including vocational courses at all levels, an access to higher education programme, pre-employment courses, English and mathematics courses, and a community learning programme. There are 1,300 learners on adult learning programmes at the college, the large majority of whom are on vocational programmes.  Managers work well with a wide range of partners, including JobCentre Plus and local employers, to ensure that adult learning provision is closely aligned with local and regional needs. The college delivers programmes that successfully support recruitment for local and regional employers, such as NHS Skills for Health. As a result of the college’s close liaison with employers, learners benefit from work placements that enhance their employability, and many progress to sustainable employment.  The college’s community learning programme successfully meets the needs of adults who are most

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Adult learning programmes are good

disadvantaged. Recently, managers have refocused community learning to prioritise the development of learners’ employability skills, particularly English, mathematics and information technology. Learners on community learning programmes quickly become more confident and gain skills that improve their chances of gaining employment and enable them to participate more effectively in everyday life.  Teachers plan and deliver learning well. They use a wide range of activities that interest and challenge learners. For example, learners studying sociology participated enthusiastically in discussing the Beveridge Report and its impact on welfare reform, and improved their skills in evaluating influential reports. As a result of effective teaching and learning, most learners make the progress of which they are capable.  Most teachers successfully use activities that develop the English and mathematics skills that learners

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Adult learning programmes are good

need to achieve their vocational qualifications and to be successful at work. On the access to higher education programmes, learners develop their academic writing skills well, and this enables a high proportion of learners to progress to higher education.  The majority of teachers accurately record learners’ progress towards achieving their targets and qualifications. As a result, most learners on access to higher education and vocational programmes know which elements of their qualification they have achieved and what they still need to work on. On community learning programmes, teachers do not always set specific targets for learners and do not record their progress and achievements well enough. Consequently, learners on community learning programmes are not always sufficiently aware of their targets or what they have achieved.  Teachers’ feedback on learners’ work is often too brief and lacks information about what learners need to

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Adult learning programmes are good

do to improve. As a result, too many learners are not sufficiently aware of specific improvements they could make to their work. Learners on access to higher education programmes benefit from detailed and constructive written feedback that informs them well about how to improve their written work in future assignments.

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Apprenticeships require improvement

 There are currently 1,100 apprentices, the large majority of whom are aged 19 or above. Apprentices follow programmes in a range of occupational areas including engineering, construction, health and social care, and business administration. Two hundred and eighty of the college’s apprentices are on programmes delivered by two subcontractors.  The proportion of apprentices who achieved their qualifications in the planned time increased significantly in 2014/15, but remained slightly below the rate for similar providers. The majority of current apprentices are making the progress expected.  The targets that trainers set for apprentices are not always sufficiently specific or challenging. As a result, a minority of apprentices do not make sufficiently rapid progress in improving their occupational skills and knowledge. Apprentices are not sufficiently clear about how well they are progressing or what they need

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Apprenticeships require improvement

to do to improve their work as the feedback they receive from trainers is often too brief.  Trainers do not develop apprentices’ written skills sufficiently well and, as a result, too many apprentices make slow progress in developing the writing skills that they need in their jobs. Trainers provide insufficient guidance on how apprentices can improve their writing, including its grammatical accuracy. They often leave errors uncorrected which means that apprentices continue to make the same mistakes, including in their assessed assignments.  Apprentices receive insufficient advice and guidance about career options in their occupational area. As a result, they are not fully aware of the opportunities available to them, or what they need to do to progress in their chosen career. Managers gather insufficient information about how many apprentices gain jobs with increased responsibility after they have completed their programme. Apprentices receive

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Apprenticeships require improvement

helpful advice and guidance before enrolling to help them to choose the most appropriate programme.  Managers plan and deliver programmes that meet the principles of apprenticeship frameworks and that focus appropriately on enabling apprentices to acquire the skills they need in their job roles and gain relevant qualifications. Managers ensure that staff delivering programmes have relevant and up-to-date industrial experience and skills.  Most apprentices produce practical work of a high standard both in their training and in the workplace. They develop a sound understanding of the professional standards in their occupational areas, and use this knowledge well in their job roles. Apprentices gain a good understanding of technical terminology that is specific to their occupational area.  Apprentices successfully develop the personal and social skills that they need in their job roles. They are well-motivated and enthusiastic about their training. Trainers provide good support to enable apprentices

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Apprenticeships require improvement

to develop the verbal communication skills that they need at work. Apprentices successfully improve their confidence to carry out a wider range of tasks at work.  Employers are positive about the skills that their apprentices gain and the contribution that apprentices make to their organisations. They recognise and value the improved skills and knowledge that apprentices gain during their programme and how this improves apprentices’ performance in the workplace.

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Provision for learners with high needs is good

 The college currently has 87 learners in receipt of high-needs funding from two local authorities. The majority of learners are on discrete entry-level and foundation-level courses at one of the main college sites and on a project delivered in partnership with a community organisation.  Learners with high needs make good progress and achieve well. Their programmes prepare them well for progression on to further courses at the college or to provision delivered by local community organisations that specialise in working with young people with high needs. Learners receive good careers guidance that helps them to choose their next steps.  Teachers work closely and successfully with parents, carers and the local authority to prepare learners for transition from school to college. As a result, learners quickly settle into the college.  Teachers and support staff very successfully promote an ethos of inclusion and tolerance, and learners

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Provision for learners with high needs is good

and staff members treat each other with a high level of respect. Learners with high needs successfully make friends with learners on other courses and participate fully in the life of the college. They feel safe at the college.  Teachers accurately identify learners’ prior knowledge and starting points through a comprehensive initial assessment. Teachers use this information well to plan appropriately challenging individual programmes that enable learners to make good progress.  Learners benefit from specialist additional support that is tailored closely to their individual needs. Good implementation of learners’ care plans ensures that medical, personal and behavioural support is provided quickly and supports learning. Managers identify accurately when to change the level of support that learners need, and they successfully reduce learners’ dependency on learning support where appropriate. Teacher and support staff use a wide range of assistive technology effectively to support learners.

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Provision for learners with high needs is good

 Learners successfully improve their work-related skills both through well-designed activities in lessons and through participating in a range of enterprise activities that raise funds for local charities. The majority of learners carry out a supported work experience placement.  The arrangements for monitoring progress and reviewing learners’ targets are not rigorous enough. Teachers do not include learners sufficiently in agreeing learning goals and reviewing progress. Managers do not evaluate how rigorously teachers set targets and review the progress made by learners. As a result, the process is not always sufficiently thorough.

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Provider details

Type of provider General further education college

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Anne Pryer Website address www.knowsleycollege.ac.uk

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 68 347 49 600 N/A N/A Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A Number of learners aged 14–16 N/A

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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main subcontractors:

 BIMM  Develop-U  KZN Solutions Limited  Liverpool Football Club Foundation College  Shelagh Elliot Clark Theatre College

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Inspection team

Steve Hailstone, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Mike Ashurst Ofsted Inspector Kate Brennan Ofsted Inspector Malcolm Bruce Ofsted Inspector Brenda Clayton Ofsted Inspector Suzanne Duncan Ofsted Inspector Rachael Hennigan Ofsted Inspector Stella Owen Ofsted Inspector Ruth Szolkowska Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the deputy principal as nominee. Inspectors took account of the college’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the college. 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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk

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