Tech City College

FE&S report Tech City College Free school

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is an inadequate provider

 Since the previous inspection, governors and leaders have not secured sufficient improvement in the quality of provision.  High staff turnover and frequent staff absence disrupt learning and impede the ongoing progress of current learners.  Leaders and managers have not ensured that learners are benefiting from all aspects of their study programmes.  In 2014/15, learners’ achievements and progress remained unacceptably low.  Teachers pay insufficient attention to the skills and knowledge that individual learners need to develop in order to fulfil their potential.  Teachers do not provide learners with the feedback that they require to improve their work.  Learners have too little opportunity to develop their learning, deepen their understanding and build interest in the subjects they are studying.  Learners’ attendance across all aspects of their learning is very poor.

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This is an inadequate provider

 Leaders have developed strong partnerships with businesses that provide good opportunities for learners to develop their work-related skills.  The college is a safe place for learners to study. Their behaviour is very good and they are respectful of each other and their differences.

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Information about the provider

 Tech City College joined Aspirations Academies Trust in September 2015. At that time, the chief executive of the trust, along with a newly appointed Principal and governing body, took over the leadership of the college.

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Information about the provider

 Most learners are on level 3 study programmes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

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Information about the provider

 Levels of unemployment in the local area are slightly higher than the national rate and similar to the rate for London. Three quarters of the local population are qualified to level 2. About three quarters of the local population come from minority ethnic heritages and this is reflected in the make-up of the current student body.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Governors, the Principal and other leaders must ensure that the changes they have made, and are going to continue to make, result in rapid and sustainable improvement.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should ensure that learners benefit from each aspect of their study programme. In particular, they must provide:

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

– work experience aligned to learners’ courses and aspirations – high-quality careers advice that supports learners in moving on to their next steps – a broad range of non-qualification and enrichment activities.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders must act swiftly to stabilise the staffing at the college and to provide continuity of at least good teaching, learning and assessment.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 With the aid of high-quality, targeted training, managers must ensure that teachers are able to: – plan and deliver learning that takes into account learners’ starting points – give learners feedback and guidance that helps them to improve the standard of their work – assess accurately the progress that learners make and intervene swiftly with further support when required.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Managers must ensure that teachers give learners challenging and interesting work to do outside of lessons. They should provide a broader range of stimulating resources that motivate learners to become curious and excited about their STEM subjects.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Managers should analyse the reasons for the poor attendance of individuals and different groups of learners. They must then implement strategies that ensure learners’ attendance improves rapidly, so that they can benefit from all aspects of their study programme.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 Since the previous inspection, the college joined a multi-academy trust and the governing body, Principal and senior management team have all been replaced. Governors and leaders have proven experience and expertise in bringing about improvement, but as yet their actions have had insufficient impact on improving the quality of provision. Teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes for learners remain inadequate.  Managers’ evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of provision is mostly accurate. They have an agreed plan to rectify the weaknesses their own analysis has identified through self-evaluation of performance. The leadership team has very swiftly changed the philosophy and ethos of the college, recognising the transformation that is required. It is too soon to judge sufficient improvement.  Most teachers present at the beginning of the academic year have left and this has had a negative impact

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

on rates of improvement in the college. Management arrangements to ensure the smooth transition of learning, and effective alternative arrangements when teachers are absent, have been insufficient to ensure an acceptable standard of learning.  Managers’ actions to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have not resulted in good or better learning. For example, too few teachers are sufficiently skilled at assessing how much learners are learning. While teachers have received detailed and well-considered training, many of these teachers have left and it is too soon to see measurable improvement in the quality of teaching for those remaining or new to the college.  Managers’ evaluations of learning concentrate too much on what teachers are doing rather than on the skills development of learners and the progress they make. Developmental feedback to teachers focuses overly on compliance with management policies, for example checking where learners sit, rather than on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

what steps teachers should take to improve their individual teaching practice to good or better.  Leaders do not ensure that learners participate regularly in all aspects of their learning programme. They have not undertaken a sufficiently detailed analysis of the reasons for learners’ poor attendance and consequently they do not have a systematic approach to improving it. Managers have recently introduced a targeted approach for individual learners that has resulted in improvements in attendance for these learners but, overall, attendance remains poor.  Leaders and governors have worked closely and very productively with local employers to provide very good opportunities for learners to develop their problem-solving and research skills. For example, a group of learners are working on designing a floating waterside garden for the Dutch Embassy.  Managers have not ensured that the requirements of the study programme are fully met. For example,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

too few learners on vocational programmes complete a work placement to develop and improve their skills for employment.  The governance of the provider – Despite the wealth of suitable expertise and knowledge the new governors bring to their roles, gained from a wide range of employment and education backgrounds, they have not yet had measurable impact on improving the quality of provision. – Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and a well- considered strategy to improve overall effectiveness. Managers provide the board with clear and comprehensive information about the performance of the college.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective – Managers work carefully to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are integrated effectively into the lives of staff and learners. Recruitment checks are thorough and records are suitably detailed and maintained well. The college is a safe place to study and work.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

– Managers ensure that the college complies with the ‘Prevent’ duty. Through good induction arrangements, they ensure that staff and learners are aware of the potential dangers of radicalisation and understand how to stay safe. They have yet to equip all teachers with the skills and confidence to promote the dangers of extremism and radicalisation in their day-to-day teaching.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Teachers’ expectations of what learners can achieve are too low and too much teaching, learning and assessment is poor, resulting in learners making slow progress. Teachers do not challenge sufficiently learners’ absenteeism, poor punctuality, or their lack of preparation for learning. As a result, most learners make inadequate progress and have little confidence in their ability to achieve their potential.  Too much teaching is dull and uninspiring. Teachers do not plan activities that motivate or interest learners. They do not focus enough on developing learners’ understanding and enjoyment of the subject. Teachers are not sufficiently skilled in supporting learners to develop higher-order skills such as analysis and evaluation.  Teachers do not take sufficient account of learners’ starting points when planning learning. Most teachers, especially new appointments or supply teachers, do not use information available to them about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

learners’ abilities when developing classroom activities or setting homework and assessment tasks. As a result, too much work that learners complete is far too easy or not relevant to the skills that they need to develop. A small minority of supply teachers do not have the depth of subject knowledge to be able to teach learners effectively.  Teachers do not routinely provide sufficient informative feedback to help learners improve. Although most learners know their target grades, teachers do not give them enough guidance on how to achieve them. In many cases, teachers’ comments on assessments or when providing verbal feedback are brief and not sufficiently focused on the specific actions that learners need to take in order to make better progress.  A minority of teachers, for example in economics and computing, use a good range of well-planned activities that ensure learners are interested, participate well and make good progress. These teachers

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

provide timely and helpful feedback that supports learners to improve. They monitor learners’ progress in making these improvements carefully and learners attend their lessons and are keen to learn.  Teachers do not develop learners’ English and mathematics skills well enough. For example, they do not stress the importance of the correct spelling when using technical terms or of improving learners’ mathematical skills to enhance their future prospects in STEM careers or higher education courses.  Learners have too little opportunity to extend their learning or to develop their ability to work on their own. Teachers too often set homework tasks that are not challenging. The resources available to learners, for example in the learning resource centre or on the virtual learning environment, are insufficiently numerous, interesting or relevant.  Teachers do not promote equality and diversity well. When they are planning learning, they do not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

consider how they could raise learners’ awareness of issues related to equality or how they could take opportunities to celebrate diversity.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is inadequate

 The ongoing lack of continuity in teaching means that too many learners, particularly those in their second year, lack confidence in their ability to achieve their potential and progress successfully to their next steps.  Teachers do not support learners sufficiently well to develop appropriate attitudes to their learning. Learners’ attendance rates at all aspects of their study programmes continues to be far too low. Learners too often arrive late or without the pens and paper that they need to participate properly.  Too few learners benefit from work experience. This is of particular concern for the learners on vocational courses. Staff do not provide sufficient support to those learners who try to find their own work experience in order to enhance their future career or university choices.  Currently, most learners get little value from the time they spend in tutorials, often because of the

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is inadequate

absence of the teacher. They do not develop the personal, social and study skills scheduled for these sessions and miss valuable opportunities for one-to-one time with their personal tutor. Frequently, when they do attend, their time is unproductive. The proportion of learners benefiting from the small range of enrichment activities is low.  Learners have good opportunities to develop their work-related skills by working with high-profile businesses and employers. For example, one group of learners researched and presented their findings on the role of social media in minimising the impact of disruption caused by the resurfacing of Tower Bridge. However, attendance at these activities remains poor.  Learners receive useful advice and guidance to support them in their applications to university. The large majority of current learners have successfully secured a conditional place.  Learners do not receive sufficient advice about employment opportunities. Teachers are not inspiring

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is inadequate

learners about the exciting careers open to them in the science and technology fields.  Learners who already have a high grade in GCSE English and mathematics do not benefit from any further development of their skills alongside their main qualifications.  Learners feel safe at the college. A good range of activities and events ensures that all learners know how to keep safe, both online and from the risks of radicalisation. Learners understand the importance of British values in modern society and demonstrate high levels of respect for each other. Their behaviour in the communal areas of the college is very good.

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Outcomes for learners are inadequate

 Most learners are on level 3 study programmes, taking qualifications in STEM subjects and English literature. A very small proportion are on level 2 courses, including GCSE English and mathematics, with the intention of progressing to level 3.  Although the proportion of learners who successfully completed qualifications improved in 2014/15, it is still far too low and the improvement was not rapid enough. Not enough learners progressed from the first to the second year of study. In 2015/16, the proportion of learners remaining on their courses has risen sharply but it still requires further improvement.  Learners’ progress from their starting points was too slow in 2014/15. Their progress was particularly poor, for example, in A-level English literature and psychology. Learners starting level 3 courses had high levels of prior attainment at GCSE, but the large majority who completed A-level courses did not achieve

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Outcomes for learners are inadequate

high grades.  The majority of learners on level 3 vocational courses in 2014/15 had the completion of their qualification delayed because teachers, no longer working at the college, inaccurately recorded assessment details. Learners are either having to complete units they thought they had already done, or have not achieved as highly as they believed. The small number of learners who completed the extended diploma in information technology achieved well and made very good progress.  Too few of the small number of learners taking GCSE English and/or mathematics achieve a grade C or better.  The progress of current learners is poor because of frequent teacher absences and changes in staffing. Too often teachers do not know what learners have already done or what they still need to complete in order to achieve their qualifications.  The achievement rates of male learners continue to be well below those of female learners. The

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Outcomes for learners are inadequate

achievement gap between those learners that managers identify as having barriers to learning and other learners has narrowed and is now very small.  Of the learners who applied to university in 2014/15, the proportion who went on to secure a place is low. Managers are unable to provide details of the destinations for the learners who were not successful in their applications. Overall, the proportion of leavers for whom their destination is unknown is too high.

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full contract year

Principal Nasrin Farahani Website address www.techcity-aspirations.org

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from Education Funding Agency (EFA)

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Inspection team

Stewart Jackson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Julie Steele Her Majesty’s Inspector Fadia Clarke Ofsted Inspector Andrew Stittle Ofsted Inspector Karen Hucker Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the Principal as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’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 provider. 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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