Moulton College

Moulton College Specialist 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

Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Provision for learners with high needs Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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This is a provider that requires improvement

 Self-assessment is not sufficiently wide-ranging and comprehensive and managers do not use data well enough to evaluate the effectiveness of their provision.  Too few students achieve qualifications in English and mathematics.  Students’ attendance and punctuality are not high enough, especially for English and mathematics lessons.  Teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of what their students and apprentices can achieve.  Managers’ appraisals of staff do not lead to clear improvement targets which have sufficient impact in the classroom.  Not enough apprentices achieve their qualifications in the planned timescales.  Teachers do not plan and teach lessons that take into account students’ and apprentices’ starting points and potential . Theory lessons do not enable students and apprentices to make rapid and sufficient progress with their learning and fulfil their potential.

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This is a provider that requires improvement

 Managers have established very strong links with local and regional employers and other key stakeholders. They use these well to plan and enhance the curriculum offer and to meet local skills priorities.  A very high proportion of students achieve their vocational qualifications.  High quality practical and commercial facilities enable students to learn relevant practical skills and skills for work effectively.  High standards of students’ and apprentices’ practical skills enable them to progress to relevant employment at the end of their studies.

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Information about the provider

 Moulton College is a specialist, independent, land-based college, offering courses from pre-entry to degree level in a wide range of land-based disciplines, including animal management, agriculture and countryside management. The college also offers courses in sport and construction. The vast majority of the provision is offered at the main site in the village of Moulton, about five miles north-east of the county town of Northampton. The college estate runs to approximately 500 hectares and provides practical facilities and commercial environments including farm enterprises, a garden centre, equine therapy and rehabilitation facilities and sports facilities. Provision in animal management and construction is offered at three, smaller, satellite centres, located at Silverstone, Higham Ferrers and Daventry. The college recruits about three quarters of its students from Northamptonshire. It provides term-time

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Information about the provider

residential accommodation for those living further afield and a county-wide network of buses which enables students to travel to the college from most areas of the county.  The proportion of students in the county who achieve five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is slightly below the national rate. Just below three quarters of the local population are qualified to level two, slightly below the national rate. The rate of unemployment in the county is also slightly below the national rate.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Develop managers’ skills in analysing and evaluating data to measure accurately the effectiveness of their provision, with particular regard to attendance, retention of students and their success in achieving qualifications. Use data to inform self-assessment and develop more sharply focused actions for improvement.  Ensure that senior managers link teachers’ and managers’ appraisals and actions for improvement clearly to college improvement priorities and that managers monitor the achievement of these to ensure they are achieved in full.  Improve the quality and frequency of apprentices’ reviews and assessments to ensure that they make more rapid progress and that their work meets industry standards consistently.  Improve the proportion of students who achieve qualifications in English and mathematics by ensuring teachers plan and teach lessons that enable students to master the specific skills they need for their

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

vocational subjects and employment.  Improve students’ punctuality and attendance at lessons, especially English and mathematics, by frequent monitoring, setting students targets for attendance and supporting those with personal barriers.  Develop teachers’ skills and confidence in developing students’ English and mathematics skills in vocational lessons.  Develop teachers’ skills in planning and teaching theory lessons that motivate, enthuse and inspire students and that enable them to make the full progress of which they are capable and fulfil their potential.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection governors and senior leaders have redefined the mission for the college to provide outstanding education and training opportunities for their learners. The pace of change and response to the changing landscape in relation to study programmes and apprenticeships has been too slow and the quality of teaching and learning overall is not yet good enough.  Leaders and managers have been slow to improve management weaknesses in English, mathematics and apprenticeships. Senior leaders recognise the priority but have struggled to recruit high calibre teaching staff in these areas and improvement, while evident, is not yet sufficient.  Leaders and managers have a comprehensive system in place for reviewing staff performance, but the quality and impact of these reviews vary. The best reports formulate actions for improvement on the basis of lesson observations and how successful students and apprentices are in achieving their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

qualifications. However, the large majority of reports do not provide this detail. They lack clearly measurable targets which are linked to college priorities and which measure aspects such as students’ attendance and achievement of qualifications. Staff appraisals do not focus sufficiently on individual accountability to improve outcomes for learners.  Managers observe teachers and assessors annually and produce an overarching analysis of the results which, in turn, informs training activity. However, this analysis is insufficient to target training appropriately and improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Managers do not link the results of lesson observations to key information such as students’ attendance at lessons, the proportions who achieve their qualifications or who leave their course early. Managers have used capability procedures well to either help teachers improve or to remove them from their roles. The introduction of a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

teaching coach has been effective in supporting identified teachers to improve. However, there is further progress to be made to ensure that all learners experience good teaching.  In their self-assessment of the provision, leaders and managers do not take sufficient account of students’ and apprentices’ progress and achievement when evaluating teaching, learning and assessment. While there is a wealth of relevant data available, their analysis and evaluation is not yet sufficiently developed. Too many targets in quality improvement plans are unwieldy and have not yet been achieved. Managers do not monitor targets in a way that measures impact.  The college has strong collaborative links with employers, local councils and the two local enterprise partnerships (LEPs). The governing body includes a wide range of local employers. Leaders and managers use these links and partnerships very well to ensure that the curriculum offer meets local and regional

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

skills priorities.  The college offers a broad curriculum with progression routes from pre-entry level to higher education. Staff clearly identify local and regional skills priorities with the help of stakeholders, which they use to plan the curriculum carefully. Managers use labour market information well to develop new provision and expand the existing curriculum. For example, the college has created new pathways for the food and drink industry which responds directly to skills gaps identified by the LEPs.  Prudent financial management has enabled leaders and managers to develop new facilities, for example the new running track, which will benefit learners and the local community. The facilities and resources available for learners are excellent, for example state-of-the-art hydrotherapy facilities for horses, small animals and athletes with sports injuries. This extends to academies that are geographically well-placed

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

across the county in Silverstone, Daventry and Higham Ferrers.  The governance of the provider Governors have the skills and expertise to oversee the performance of the college. They are experienced, knowledgeable and committed to raising standards in the college, but they have not yet had sufficient impact in ensuring that all learners have access to high-quality teaching, learning and assessment. Monthly board meetings ensure that all governors are involved in corporate decision-making. Senior leaders provide detailed reports on all aspects of the college performance. This, along with their links to the curriculum, increases their knowledge of the curriculum and improves their focus on quality improvement. They recognise that the rate of improvement in learner success in English, mathematics and apprenticeships has been too slow. Governors have a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding learners and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

the prevention of extremism and radicalisation.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective Leaders and managers have effective policies and procedures in place to ensure that learners are safe. All staff and governors have been trained in safeguarding and take their duties seriously. Managers work effectively to provide a safe environment for all learners across all campuses. They make good use of nurses to provide health and well-being services and guidance to students, for example with sexual health advice and guidance on their personal safety. Learners know what to do should they experience bullying, harassment and cyber bullying. Managers deal effectively with the very few incidents that do occur. The safeguarding team have strong links with local agencies to ensure that vulnerable students and those who are identified as being at risk are supported fully. Leaders and managers have taken effective actions with regard to their ‘Prevent’ duties. All staff and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

governors are trained regularly. All learners have benefited from helpful tutorial packages which promote social responsibility and raise their awareness of the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Too many teachers are insufficiently skilled in the planning and management of lessons. This is especially true of theory lessons, in most of which students and apprentices do not make consistently good progress. In a small minority of lessons, teachers do not manage the poor behaviour of a few students well enough, which results in learning being disrupted for all students in the lesson.  When planning lessons, teachers often fail to consider sufficiently how activities contribute to students’ achievement of learning outcomes. For example, in one sports lesson, students used a ‘top trumps’ style game to explore the nutritional composition of different foods but since the activity did not link to prior or subsequent learning it contributed little to students’ learning. Handouts and other learning materials, although well-presented, do not always provide students with the information they need to complete

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

tasks.  Most teachers have good vocational experience and skills. They use these well to provide practical lessons that are lively and help students develop quickly the practical skills they will need in the workplace. For example, students look after a wide range of domestic, exotic and farm animals competently and use agricultural and horticultural tools and machinery safely and correctly. Many teachers have excellent links with industry and use these to ensure that learning is up to date and relevant and they make good use of the excellent resources of the college. As a result, students are motivated to work hard, make good progress and are well-prepared for employment.  Teachers have developed a good range of online resources that students use well outside lessons to develop their learning. In a number of subject areas, staff have developed resources that are highly interactive and as a result, students are motivated to access them. For example, carpentry and joinery

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

resources make use of videos, interaction via smartphones and specific input from employers to provide a stimulating learning experience.  Too many teachers do not check students’ learning in lessons well enough. In a minority of lessons, teachers ask whole-group questions to which the same students or apprentices respond and therefore the teacher is not aware of how much all students have learned. Teachers often use peer assessment superficially and it is not effective in evaluating the learning of all students. Although teachers sometimes make imaginative use of information and learning technology (ILT) for assessment, they do not use the outcomes of assessment to help individual students develop their understanding further.  Most teachers assess students’ work accurately and give them effective feedback to support their learning and progress. In most cases, students produce written work of an appropriate standard. In a few cases,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

teachers take too long to return marked work and this prevents students from using feedback to improve subsequent pieces of work. A small minority of assessors accept work from apprentices that does not meet the required standard and do not provide feedback that helps them improve.  Teachers rarely use feedback to help students improve their writing. Students’ poor spelling, punctuation and grammar is seldom corrected and broader writing skills, such as structuring an essay and referencing citations are not developed. Assessors too often accept evidence from apprentices that does not meet industry standards.  Managers have put in place effective processes to identify the additional learning needs of students and provide relevant support. They review this support on a termly basis with a view to students becoming more independent. This has led to current students who need extra help making progress that is broadly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

in line with their peers, although those with autistic spectrum disorders or moderate learning difficulties do less well.  Teachers provide good academic and pastoral support to most students, who speak positively about the help they receive. However, a minority of staff do not address adequately issues such as students’ low attendance. In a few cases, there is little evidence of effective support for students who face particular challenges, such as those encountered by young carers or by children looked after by the local authority. A minority of teachers do not set specific and measurable targets, or review the targets they do set and, consequently, these targets do not lead to improvements for students.  Teachers make insufficient use of the results of assessments taken by students to identify English and mathematics development skills. Few teachers, including those who teach English and mathematics,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

make reference to the results of these assessments in their planning for learning and consequently fail to ensure that students improve these skills. Although teachers have group profiles available, very few of them use these to help them plan to support all students.  The teaching of discrete English and mathematics varies considerably and too much is poor. In the better lessons, teachers make effective use of ILT to enliven learning, use activities that challenge students including the most able, and use questioning well to measure and extend students’ learning. However, in weaker lessons teachers employ approaches that fail to interest or inspire students, their questioning is weak and not enough learning takes place in the time available.  Students learn about British values and the risks posed by radicalisation and extremism, including those particular to the rural environment such as animal rights extremism and environmental terrorism, through

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

a combination of tutorials and online learning. They all sit online tests to demonstrate their understanding of these important topics. However, teachers make insufficient reference to diversity topics within their lessons which does not prepare students well for living and working in modern Britain.

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requires improvement

 Despite improvements in the current academic year, students’ attendance at lessons, especially those for English and mathematics qualifications, is too low. Too many students do not arrive punctually for lessons or prepared for learning. In a minority of lessons, students’ poor behaviour causes disruption to their learning and that of their peers. Teachers are not all sufficiently skilled in managing poor behaviour. However, students’ behaviour around the college sites is good.  Students on vocational courses make very rapid progress with the development of their practical skills that are essential for their chosen subject and career. Students in most vocational subjects have the opportunity to prepare themselves for the world of work very well as a result of their work using the excellent practical facilities at the college and the opportunities they have to work in the college’s commercial units, such as the garden centre, farm or sports centre. Apprentices develop their practical

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requires improvement

skills very well as a result of very good on-the-job training from their employers.  The majority of students, for whom it is appropriate, complete an external work experience placement, during which they are able to develop further their practical skills and their skills for employment. However, too few students on construction courses and on level 1 courses have the opportunity to complete external work experience.  Students and apprentices benefit from good independent careers advice, enabling them to understand their next steps and progression opportunities. Tutors provide students with effective advice on career opportunities as a result of their close links with industry. Students receive good information and advice at an early stage about the demands of their course and their future careers.  The majority of students have the opportunity to undertake a range of additional qualifications to

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requires improvement

enhance their employment opportunities. For example, forestry and arboriculture students complete chainsaw use and tree-felling qualifications and sports studies students complete coaching qualifications.  Students enjoy and benefit from a wide range of social, sporting and community activities that increase their personal, social and employment-related skills. For example, sport academy students represent the college for sports including football, rugby and cricket. Horse management students develop their dressage and showjumping skills as a result of additional coaching, which enables them to compete at county and regional level.  Learners are very aware of the health and safety issues that relate to their courses, vocational area and future career, a few of which are high-risk industries. Most learners know how to keep themselves safe; they feel safe at college and in their workplace or work placements. However, not all learners comply with

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requires improvement

managers’ requirement to wear identity lanyards at college and teachers do not always enforce this requirement. Students consider that incidents of bullying are rare. Learners respect their teachers, technicians and their peers.

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

 Most students aged 16 to 18 on vocational courses achieve their qualifications. At level 3 the majority achieve these with merit or distinction grades, although the proportion who make better than expected progress based on their previous achievement is very low. The proportion of adult students who achieve vocational qualifications is slightly lower than that for 16–18-year-old students. Students in receipt of high needs funding achieve their vocational qualifications at a very high rate.  Too few apprentices achieve their qualifications in the planned timescale, although the proportion who do is rising slowly. Those studying for apprenticeships in plumbing are particularly successful, but a much lower proportion of apprentices in other construction trades and land-based subjects achieve their qualifications.  Students who study for qualifications in English and mathematics do not achieve these at a high rate. The

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

proportion of students who achieve grades A* to C in GCSE English and mathematics qualifications is very low. The proportion of students, including those in receipt of high needs funding, achieving functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics is low and has declined over the past three years.  Managers have yet to close all gaps in achievement for different groups of students. For example, female students achieve their qualifications at a higher rate than male students, adult students achieve their qualifications at a lower rate than younger students, and students with autism and moderate learning difficulties are less successful than students who have other learning difficulties or disability.  Although improving, too few students and apprentices in the current year, especially those studying for qualifications in English and mathematics, are making good enough progress.  On completion of their courses, the large majority of students move on to further learning or

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Outcomes for learners require improvement

employment. A high proportion of level 3 students progress to higher education. A high proportion of intermediate level apprentices move on to an advanced apprenticeship or to permanent employment as a result of their training.

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

 The college has approximately 2,000 students on its study programmes, of whom three fifths are male. This provision type constitutes about two thirds of the total provision and is the largest of the four types inspected. Study programme students are from seven subject areas, the largest of which are land-based, construction and sports. Students study vocational courses from pre-entry to level 3. Most of this provision is based at the Moulton site.  Too few students achieve functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics or achieve grades A* to C in GCSE qualifications in these subjects. Students’ attendance at these lessons is low; more than a quarter of students do not attend often. In too many vocational lessons, teachers do not develop students’ English and mathematics skills well enough.  Teachers do not use the results of the thorough assessments of students’ abilities, completed at the start

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

of their course, to plan learning that enables all students to fulfil their potential over the course. Very few students make better progress than their GCSE grades indicate they should.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inconsistent. For example, in more effective lessons, teachers use directed and probing questioning very well to challenge students and assess their understanding. Students make good progress in practical lessons and develop their industry-related skills and confidence very effectively. In the less effective lessons, the majority of which are theory lessons, teachers do not teach lessons that enthuse and motivate students. The pace in these lessons is often too slow, more able students find the work too easy and too few students make good progress.  Teachers’ marking of assessed work is often rigorous and feedback is constructive, and helps students to improve. However, a minority of students have too many assignments in too short a time and do not

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16 to 19 study programmes require improvement

receive feedback promptly enough.  Teachers’ planning and implementation of learning support are inconsistent. In the best examples, students benefit considerably from individual support that enables them to progress well. In the less effective examples, the lack of cooperation between teacher and learning support assistant minimises the impact of support.  The majority of students value their individual learning plans and short-term targets as an aid to achieving their long term course aims and future progression. Targets agreed with tutors, however, are not always sufficiently specific or demanding.

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Adult learning programmes require improvement

 At the time of the inspection, there were 921 adult students on part- and full-time courses across the range of subject areas in the college, with the largest proportions studying construction, animal management and land-based qualifications. This makes up approximately one third of overall student numbers. The vast majority of adult students are taught together with students aged 16 to 18.  The standard of students’ written work and the effectiveness of teachers’ feedback to help them improve are inconsistent across different subjects. In sports massage and teacher training, the standard of students’ work and teachers’ feedback to help students improve is good. In floristry and furniture making, students present their work to a very high standard. However, in other subjects, students do not routinely keep files or sufficient records of their learning and the standard of their written work is often low. In

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Adult learning programmes require improvement

these subjects, teachers do not always provide adequate written feedback to help students improve their work or their English skills.  Teachers use a range of strategies to support students; however, they do not use them well enough to enable a higher proportion of adult students studying certificates and diplomas to achieve these. Managers and teachers have begun to consider the different needs of adult students compared to their younger peers, such as allowing some flexibility in start times for mothers with school-age children, introducing home study modules, and providing more flexible work practices for adult students.  Too few students study for English and mathematics qualifications; opportunities to develop further their English skills through activities in vocational lessons are not consistently effective. In better lessons, students develop confidence in using mathematics to tackle calculations as part of practical tasks, such as

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Adult learning programmes require improvement

calculating the cost of materials required for a flower arrangement in floristry, or in construction using measurements and calculations to construct a wall or door frame successfully.  Most current students enjoy their learning, have positive attitudes and demonstrate good standards of behaviour. In floristry, students take great pride in their work and are able to describe clearly how they have worked collaboratively to design, plan, source and cost materials to create an event garland using foliage and a mix of spring flowers. The majority of students attend their lessons often but while most students are punctual, a minority turn up late.  Most students develop very good practical, industry-related skills in well-equipped, realistic working environments. In a stonemasonry practical class, students are able to use scaled diagrams to create zinc templates which they use to check the accuracy of their work. In an arboriculture class, students develop

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Adult learning programmes require improvement

their tree-climbing skills quickly.  Most students benefit from taking part in external work experience and commercial enterprise activities at the college site. In the majority of practical lessons, students plan their work well and are encouraged to reflect on the standard of their work to identify what they did well and what they need to do better. Students relate these skills well to the world of work and recognise their importance to industry.

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Apprenticeships require improvement

 The college currently has 583 apprentices. The large majority are aged 16 to 18 and on level 2 provision. Apprentices follow programmes in a range of occupations, primarily in the construction and land-based sectors.  Managers have been slow to address the historically low achievement on apprenticeships. Achievement on plumbing apprenticeships is good but low on land-based frameworks. Recent changes in the management of apprenticeships are leading to improvement; in the current year, more apprentices are achieving within their planned timescale.  Apprentices develop good practical skills in the workplace that enable them to progress in their job role. Employers are committed to training and are positive about the contribution apprentices make to their businesses. However, staff do not provide employers with a clear programme of apprentices’ training or sufficient information about the training delivered in college which enables them to integrate theory and

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Apprenticeships require improvement

practice in the workplace.  Teachers do not plan theory lessons well enough to allow apprentices to make the full progress of which they are capable. The activities they plan do not always motivate apprentices to participate. Too often, teachers use whole group questions to check apprentices’ knowledge and understanding rather than checking the learning of all apprentices in the class. In too many lessons apprentices follow standard, awarding body produced workbooks which fail to inspire apprentices.  Apprentices make good progress with their practical skills in college-based training sessions. They use their skills gained at college in workplace settings and develop further the skills that they learn in the workplace. For example, carpentry and joinery apprentices develop sound practical skills in the college workshop environment, which they then use in the workplace.  Too much workplace assessment is insufficiently rigorous. A minority of assessors accept work that does

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Apprenticeships require improvement

not meet industry standards and do not use questioning well to check thoroughly apprentices’ knowledge and understanding. Assessors’ feedback following observational assessment does not always help apprentices to improve. In the best assessments, assessors make good use of video, audio and photographic evidence in recording assessment outcomes. The majority of assessors make good use of naturally occurring evidence in the workplace.  The quality of apprentices’ written work varies greatly. The majority of apprentices produce detailed reports demonstrating clearly their competence. However, a minority of assessors accept substandard written work that does not meet the vocational standards. Assessors do not routinely correct apprentices’ spelling and grammatical errors or give clear guidance as to how to improve their work.  The frequency of staff visits to apprentices’ workplaces for assessment and review is variable, with a

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Apprenticeships require improvement

minority of apprentices receiving insufficient visits, which slows their progress. A small minority of apprentices nearing completion of their studies have also received an insufficient number of visits and consequently are unlikely to complete their apprenticeship within the planned timescale.  Apprentices are aware of their progress to date using the newly introduced e-portfolio system. They know what they need to do to achieve their qualification. However, apprentices who still use paper-based portfolios are insufficiently aware of their current progress. Reviewers’ targets for apprentices are not always sufficiently specific, challenging or achievable. As a result, these apprentices do not make sufficiently rapid progress towards achieving their qualification.  Staffs’ and apprentices’ attention to health and safety both in college sessions and in the workplace is good. Apprentices wear appropriate personal protective equipment and work safely at work and in

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Provision for learners with high needs requires improvement

 The college has 86 students in receipt of high-needs funding from five local authorities. Of these, six follow mainstream vocational courses, and 80 are on discrete programmes, mostly at entry level and level 1. The college offers provision in two distinct programme areas known as pathways to progress and rural skills.  The teaching of English and mathematics is not consistently good enough. Teachers do not plan lessons to meet students’ individual development needs well enough, which limits development and slows their progress. Vocational teachers do not focus sufficiently on the development of students’ written English skills, with too many examples of poor spelling and punctuation in students’ written work left uncorrected. Students are not sufficiently clear how they can improve their writing skills. Too few students achieve English and mathematics qualifications.  Staff do not routinely use the findings of very thorough student assessments at the start of the course for

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Provision for learners with high needs requires improvement

planning lessons. Teachers do not work sufficiently closely with support staff on planning and target setting and they do not take enough account of the development needs of individual students. As a result, most-able students are not set work that is difficult enough or builds sufficiently on their prior attainment to help them make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers provide learners with helpful oral encouragement and feedback, although they do not routinely identify precisely enough how learners could improve and they give praise too readily. Written feedback on marked work is often not meaningful and does not identify what students have done well and how they can improve their work further.  College staff manage students’ transition from school well. As a result of the college’s participation in the local school links programme, college staff already know many of the students before they start their

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Provision for learners with high needs requires improvement

course, which considerably eases the transition process.  Vocational staff have good subject knowledge which they use skilfully to deepen students’ knowledge and understanding and to develop students’ practical skills well. For example, students on horse care courses competently muck out stables and diligently complete health checks on horses. In cooking lessons, students learn to prepare a simple meal that they can cook at home, increasing their independence.  Most vocational teachers develop students’ speaking and listening skills well. As a consequence, most students quickly become more confident in classroom sessions and can participate well in group discussions.  Students have the opportunity to develop good work-related skills in a range of external settings, such as local garden centres and stables. The large majority of students are prepared well to move on to further learning. In the previous year, a high proportion of students progressed to a higher level vocational

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Provision for learners with high needs requires improvement

course within the college.  The college provides students with a safe environment. Students know who to speak to if they have a problem. They work in an inclusive environment where they learn to respect each other, as well as their teachers and support staff.

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Provider details

Type of provider Specialist further education college

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full contract year

Principal/CEO Stephen Davies Website address www.moulton.ac.uk

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 270 173 32 71 8 29 Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total 0 0 0 Number of learners aged 14–16 None

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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Inspection team

Richard Pemble, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Russ Henry Her Majesty’s Inspector Julie Ashton Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector Shaun Dillon Her Majesty’s Inspector Lynda Brown Ofsted Inspector Lynda Pickering Ofsted Inspector Jackie Shopland-Reed Ofsted Inspector Maggie Fobister Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the director of quality improvement and learning resources, 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 students 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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