Newham Sixth Form College

Newham Sixth Form College Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones HMI

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Address: Prince Regent Lane Plaistow London E13 8SG

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Publication date: Inspection number: 10018804 Monitoring visit: Newham Sixth Form College

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Context and focus of visit

The college was inspected by Ofsted in October 2015 and, while inspectors judged its overall effectiveness to be good, they found that:

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Context and focus of visit

 Students are insufficiently involved in the implementation of the college’s statutory duties under the ‘Prevent’ legislation.

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Context and focus of visit

 The college does not have a coherent, planned approach to ensuring that students have a broad enough education about life in the United Kingdom and British values.

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Context and focus of visit

 There is not enough focus on topics such as women’s rights, forced marriage and female genital mutilation to help students to make informed choices and to stay safe.

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Context and focus of visit

 Despite clear management policies, a single faith group clearly dominates the multifaith room, so it does not provide a suitably comfortable and welcoming place for staff and students of all faiths and beliefs to use for prayer or quiet reflection.

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit has been commissioned to consider the college’s progress in implementing the Prevent duty and ensuring that the curriculum promotes fundamental British values.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have been slow to address the lack of involvement of students in the Prevent duty at the college. Students have a poor understanding of the college’s statutory duties and how they can play their part in implementing them. Although students receive training on Prevent when they join the college, this is not routinely reinforced during their time at college. Students’ lack of understanding of the Prevent duty means that they are not sufficiently prepared to keep themselves safe from the risks of radicalisation. The college’s post-inspection action plan contains insufficient detail about the impact of actions to ensure that students have a greater involvement in the implementation Monitoring visit: Newham Sixth Form College of the college’s statutory duties. The target set by the college is for all students to be actively engaged in Prevent work. Actions are vague and limited in scope, and it is

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Insufficient progress

not clear how they will lead to greater involvement by students. Actions focus on processes to involve students, such as visits by an equality and diversity consultant, a student conference activity and a themed tutorial on extremism. Leaders and managers have not identified ways in which they will measure the impact of their actions. For example, no impact measures, dates for completion or responsibilities for key staff are included in the post-inspection action plan. Leaders have made plans which have limited reach, and with little concern for their impact. A minority of students including student councillors, student governors and student union representatives have a good understanding of the Prevent duty. However, this understanding is not widespread. Other students lack a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe against the threats of radicalisation and extremism, or what action to take if there are concerns.

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Insufficient progress

Leaders and managers have incorporated themes and topics such as e-safety, extremism, radicalisation and values in British society into the curriculum since the last inspection. However, these topics are covered superficially and, as a consequence, students lack a secure understanding of what British values are and how they play a part in their lives. For example, students vaguely remember the topic of extremism, and the effect this has on life in the United Kingdom, from a tutorial in February 2016. They are able to discuss Islamic extremism, but are unable to recall accurately other forms of extremism, such as right-wing or animal rights extremism, which were covered in the same session. Too frequently, themes and topics are covered only once in tutorial sessions and are not consistently reinforced by teachers. As a result, students have a limited understanding of the issues. Leaders and managers have worked closely with external consultants to develop

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Insufficient progress

teachers’ understanding of British values, and how to embed these in teaching and learning. Staff have received training, and more is planned. However, this has had insufficient impact as teachers do not take opportunities to integrate students’ understanding of British values into lessons. Learning coaches have provided training on how to include British values in teaching and learning as part of continuing professional development. This coaching has had limited impact, with only 35 of approximately 190 staff having received the training. Monitoring visit: Newham Sixth Form College Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students feel discriminated against. Insufficient challenge by a minority of teachers enables students to use homophobic language without fear of reprimand. Leaders recognise that, although they have made improvements, this remains an area for development.

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Insufficient progress

Insufficient focus on issues such as women’s rights, forced marriage and female genital mutilation means that students have a limited understanding of how to make informed choices and to stay safe. The revised tutorial programme provides opportunities for students to explore and discuss issues such as forced marriage and women’s rights. Exploration of themes during tutorials, such as International Women’s Day and Black History Month, provides students with an awareness of women’s rights. However, staff do not reinforce these topics, or the lessons learned from them, in other aspects of college life or through the curriculum. As a result, students’ understanding of women’s rights is not consistently secure. Students’ limited understanding and awareness of women’s rights results in students expressing naïve views and opinions about women. Students discuss how feminists, black women in power and lesbians are examples of strong women and,

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Insufficient progress

consequently, promote women’s rights. However, students pay little attention to women in society, and the promotion and advancement of women’s rights such as equality within the workplace, education, and having a voice against forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Theatre workshops for approximately 100 students to explore female genital mutilation were well received by students who gained a deeper understanding of, and guidance on, how to report issues or concerns of female genital mutilation. However, approximately 2,000 students did not attend this workshop and missed these opportunities to gain a good understanding of the risks and how to act on concerns. Monitoring visit: Newham Sixth Form College

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Insufficient progress

The multifaith room continues to be dominated by a single faith. It is used by Muslim students and staff, and has similar facilities to a mosque. A curtain in the room segregates men and women, and there is no furniture except for prayer mats. It is not an inviting place for students of other faiths or no faith. Students of a single faith make up the large majority of the student population, and it is only this faith group that uses the room. The multifaith room is in frequent use on a daily basis. Students of other faiths report that they do not feel comfortable in using the room, as they feel that a single faith group has ownership of it. Leaders have drawn up plans to re-site the room in the new academic year, when building work is completed. Leaders and managers have consulted with student councillors and multifaith committee members on the layout of the new room, but have not fully addressed concerns regarding the dominance of a single faith group.

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Insufficient progress

Little has been done to change the mindset of students in preparation for the move to the new multifaith room. Leaders and managers are unable to articulate how the practices of a dominant single faith group will change when it has access to new facilities. Monitoring visit: Newham Sixth Form College 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

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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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn . Ofsted

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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