Hampshire Futures

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

Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

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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

 Too few learners are successful on courses that lead to qualifications.  The methods managers use to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have not been effective in maintaining a good quality of provision.  Tutors do not ensure that learners’ targets identify clearly what they need to do to improve, and this slows their progress and reduces their potential to achieve well.  Managers have not given sufficient priority to the development of learners’ English and mathematical skills.  Too many tutors do not challenge learners to make good progress from their starting points because they set the same tasks for learners of all abilities.  Most learners do not have sufficient awareness of British values and the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.  Learners’ attendance at lessons is not high enough on many courses.  The management of subcontractors is not thorough enough to ensure a good quality of

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This is a provider that requires improvement

 Managers have implemented a clear strategy to meet the needs of adults and young people who most need support to help them gain and sustain employment and take more active roles in their communities.  Very effective partnerships with employers, education providers and third sector organisations ensure that learning programmes reflect local priorities.  Learners enjoy their courses, improve their self- esteem and confidence, and many develop good practical skills.  Adult learners taking courses that do not lead to qualifications receive good support and individual help and coaching that motivates them to complete their courses.

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Information about the provider

 Hampshire Futures (HF) is part of Hampshire County Council. The head of service reports to a senior manager within the directorate of children’s services (DCS). Courses take place at a wide variety of venues throughout Hampshire and the large majority are provided through subcontractors. Programmes include: personal and community development learning, neighbourhood learning in deprived communities, family learning, family mathematics, and language learning and employability courses for adults.  Most learners are adults taking largely non-accredited community learning courses. A very small number of young people study on recently introduced study programmes, traineeships and apprenticeships.  Hampshire is a mainly rural, affluent county, but there are areas within Havant, Gosport, Rushmoor and the New Forest that fall within the 20% most deprived communities in England. The provision is targeted

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Information about the provider

at meeting the needs of these communities.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all learners studying for mathematics and English qualifications receive high-quality teaching, assessment and support to enable them to learn well and achieve qualifications at the right level.  Ensure that the monitoring of subcontractors gives a much higher priority to assessing and improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Raise managers’ and tutors’ expectations of learners’ attendance to be high and punctuality to be good and place high priority on ensuring these expectations are met.  Ensure all tutors attend and benefit from training that is targeted on all the areas of teaching, learning and assessment identified as requiring improvement.  Improve learners’ progress by setting clear and demanding individual learning targets that ensure they make good progress from their individual starting points.  Ensure that tutors support the development of learners’ English and mathematics skills on courses in

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

other subjects.  Support tutors to have the confidence and expertise to ensure learners understand the importance of British values and the risk associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and managers have successfully provided clear direction for HF, made major changes to the way it operates and extended its range of provision to cater for a wider range of learners. However, they have not sustained the good quality of teaching and learning or the good learners’ outcomes found at the previous inspection, and both these aspects now require improvement.  Leaders have clear strategic aims for the provision. These aims align closely with the county council’s priorities of ensuring that adults and young people have the necessary skills to gain and sustain employment. They carefully target labour market needs highlighted by local enterprise partnerships in the county. As a result, much of the provision caters specifically for adults who face social or personal barriers to taking part in education. In the last 18 months, managers have developed suitable programmes to prepare young people, including care leavers who are not in education, employment or training, for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

apprenticeships, as well as initiating a well-planned apprenticeship programme.  Leaders and managers commission adult learning provision effectively. Managers scrutinise providers’ proposals closely to ensure that courses meet learners’ needs. They make effective use of the county council’s data showing areas where child poverty is high alongside other more traditional demographic information. As a result, provision is located where it is most needed.  Leaders have strong and effective partnerships with other departments of the local authority and major private sector employers. As a consequence, the few young people on study programmes gain valuable work experience which enables the majority to move on to apprenticeships, often with the same organisations. The extensive partnerships with subcontractors help recruit learners who are otherwise hard to reach. These partnerships with state, private and third sector organisations also provide good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

routes for learners into further training.  Managers’ actions to improve teaching, learning and assessment are not sufficiently effective. Although managers’ scheme to observe teaching and learning is broadly sound, they observe too few tutors each year. As a result, managers do not have a sufficiently clear picture of the quality of provision or identify enough of those tutors who need help to improve their teaching. Only a small minority of tutors attend the good professional development sessions on teaching and learning that managers provide.  Management of the quality of subcontracted provision is not good enough. Managers thoroughly monitor the effectiveness of some aspects of what contractors do, such as their recruitment of learners, but do not monitor the quality of their provision thoroughly. For example, while they check that all learners have individual learning plans, managers do not sufficiently evaluate their quality.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Action to ensure learners improve their English and mathematics has not been effective. Leaders and managers have only recently introduced major improvements to the planning, resourcing and teaching of functional skills and GCSEs for young people following study programmes and traineeships, despite low achievement in 2014/15. Initiatives such as specific staff training in these subjects and the provision of additional teaching resources are new and have had little impact so far.  The most recent self-assessment report for the service is evaluative and succinct. It accurately evaluates the strengths and many of the weaknesses of the service, but is overgenerous in its grading of two key judgements. The associated improvement plans are not consistently effective. Not all the plans are sufficiently clear on the intended impact of actions they propose, nor the timetable for their completion.  Staff are currently developing teaching resources to raise learners’ awareness of fundamental British

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

values, but their use is not yet widespread and learners’ awareness of these important topics is too limited.  The governance of the provider – The council’s DCS leadership team routinely monitors the performance of HF, and ensures its activities align appropriately with the authority’s priorities. However, the leadership team has not provided sufficient challenge to managers to avoid the decline in the quality of teaching and learning or in learners’ outcomes over recent years. – The DCS leaders thoroughly review and moderate the findings of the annual self-assessment report. As a result, they have a suitable overview of the service, particularly the weaknesses in its provision for young people.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective – HF’s and subcontractors’ managers have appropriate processes and records to support keeping learners safe. Links to the county council’s well-established child and adult protection units are widely

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

publicised. – Managers make appropriate checks on relevant staff and volunteers. Records of these checks are thorough. Staff recruitment processes reflect safe recruiting practice. Measures to ensure young people and learners are safe during work placements are sound. – All staff and managers receive training to understand their responsibilities for safeguarding. Managers have ensured that virtually all staff have received training in the ‘Prevent’ duty and understand the risks to learners from radicalisation and extremism. However, tutors do not yet raise learners’ awareness of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism sufficiently.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Learners enjoy their learning, but in too many lessons tutors do not plan activities well enough to help them learn quickly and effectively. They do not use the assessment of learners’ starting points well enough to ensure that they match the demands of the work they set accurately to learners’ abilities. The most-able learners are not challenged sufficiently, while learners who require longer to improve their knowledge or develop their skills do not always have the time and support to do so.  Tutors’ setting of targets in individual learning plans is not specific enough to each learner and their needs. As a result, the extent to which they make progress is not easily measurable or sufficiently clear. For example, a learner’s target in a language class was ‘improve my Italian’ which indicates little about how they need to improve and what they need to achieve.  Learners are encouraged to learn by studying in welcoming learning environments which give them the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

confidence to continue to pursue their learning and complete their courses. Tutors support learners well and develop respectful relationships. This helps previously reluctant learners to overcome the often significant barriers to their learning. The relatively few young learners make good progress on most aspects of their study programmes. For example, they rapidly develop a good understanding of the benefits of teamwork and the impact of body language in job interviews.  Most learners work hard and follow tutors’ instructions diligently. As a result, they regularly complete the tasks they are set and are very positive about their learning. Learners in community language courses become more confident about speaking out in public. In family learning classes, learners report that they are better able to help their children and their grandchildren with their school work.  Learners benefit from helpful individual coaching and well-judged interventions by tutors, learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

support staff and volunteers. This increases learners’ motivation to learn. Bilingual teachers effectively support learners from the Nepali community, which enables these learners to participate fully in learning and helps them to take more active roles in their communities.  Tutors’ assessment of individual learners’ progress in lessons is not thorough enough. When tutors question learners, they are often not sufficiently skilled at involving all learners or checking the extent of learners’ individual progress and understanding. For example, tutors ask the whole group whether everyone understands and move on when the most confident learners say they do.  Tutors do not develop or reinforce learners’ skills in English and mathematics across the range of adult and community learning well enough. The majority of tutors are not skilled or confident enough to use activities and tasks to extend learners’ skills in specific lessons in these subjects or in other subjects that

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

learners study.  Tutors use oral feedback effectively to encourage and motivate learners. However, their recorded feedback to learners does not always indicate clearly enough what they need to do to improve their work. A small minority of tutors’ spelling and grammar are not accurate enough to help learners improve.  A minority of tutors do not use the wide range of learning resources, including technology, available to them in most venues to enable all learners to learn effectively and make good progress in lessons. For example, tutors do not always try other methods to help learners understand when oral explanations have failed. The lack of reference to online learning and information search methods by a minority of tutors does not help learners when they are studying independently.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

 Adult learners develop self-confidence and useful skills that enable them to participate more readily in wider society. This is particularly important for those who had previously felt isolated in their communities.  Although learners develop personal and social skills well during their courses, most do not improve their English and mathematical skills well enough. Too few improve their ability to use English and mathematics confidently while seeking work, working and in their everyday lives.  Learners’ speaking and listening skills in the majority of English for speakers of other languages classes are good.  Learners’ attendance on the majority of courses is not good enough. Tutors do not sufficiently promote the importance of attendance and punctuality, and not all learners appreciate the impact of low attendance and being late on their potential to learn well. Learners who arrive late disrupt and impede

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

the progress of other learners in a minority of community learning sessions.  Learners treat each other with respect and support each other well. They feel and are safe, and are aware of what action to take if they have concerns about their safety. Most have a good awareness of the risks associated with using the internet. However, for many learners, their awareness of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism is insufficient. The large majority of learners do not develop a good awareness of British values.  Learners enjoy their learning, value the time they spend in the wide variety of learning venues and take pride in their work. Their standard of work is mostly at least appropriate to their level of study.  The very few learners on the recently introduced programmes for young people have good information, advice and guidance throughout their courses. This includes impartial careers advice. Adult learners

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

receive appropriate guidance from their tutors and learning centre managers.  Apprentices, on the recently introduced apprenticeships, rapidly learn a wide range of work-related skills. For example, an intermediate business administration apprentice quickly improved his ability to create and manipulate spreadsheets, which enhanced his performance at work.

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

 Achievement rates for the relatively small numbers of learners on courses that lead to qualifications are too low, mostly because they are unsuccessful in passing the assessments. Adults on employability courses and young people on the recently introduced study programmes and traineeships made insufficient progress in developing their English and mathematical skills in 2014/15, when success rates in these subjects were very low. However, adult learners are much more successful in achieving units of these qualifications. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of the improvement actions, including provision of additional staff resources, now available to teach young people English and mathematics in the current year.  Adult learners on the very broad range of community learning courses that do not lead to qualifications enjoy learning. Many make good progress in working towards their learning targets and complete their

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

courses. Tutors do not, however, consistently ensure that these targets are detailed or demanding enough to allow them or the learner to judge whether they have been fully achieved.  Most adult learners develop good practical skills. For example, learners in woodworking classes produce pieces of work that are displayed in national and international exhibitions. Learners in a music class rapidly improved their guitar-playing techniques. Apprentices improve their work-related and vocational skills, which helps them perform better at work and make progress in their careers.  The majority of young people on the recently introduced study programmes, traineeships and apprenticeship programmes secure places on training courses or employment on completion of their courses or frameworks. Most intermediate apprentices who have completed their frameworks have moved on to advanced apprenticeships.  Males, who represent one fifth of adult learners, achieve at higher rates than females because their

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

retention rates are high, including compared to the national rate, but there are no other achievement gaps.

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Phillip Walker Website address www.hants.gov.uk/hampshirefutures

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16 28 3 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total 16 4 20

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Number of learners aged 14-16

Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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main subcontractors:

 RCS Limited  St Vincent College  Community First Wessex  Community Action Fareham  Highbury College

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Inspection team

Mark Shackleton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Alastair Pearson, assistant lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Vanessa Cass Ofsted Inspector Kathy Tyler Ofsted Inspector Daisy Walsh Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the team manager for teaching, learning and success, 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. Inspectors 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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