The Maltings College

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

 Leaders do not monitor the progress that students make on their qualifications sufficiently and do not challenge subject managers enough to improve students’ outcomes.  Leaders and managers do not ensure that observations of teaching and learning are sufficiently evaluative; they fail to set clear and detailed actions following observations to improve the quality of teaching and learning.  Leaders and managers do not use performance management processes well enough to ensure that rapid improvements take place.  Teachers do not identify students’ starting points on vocational qualifications or consistently use results of English and mathematics assessments to plan learning that helps them to progress.  Students’ attendance and punctuality in lessons are not good enough; too many students arrive late to lessons. This has a negative impact on their own learning and that of others.  Leaders do not ensure that students receive

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

regular and high-quality independent careers advice and guidance.  Too many students did not complete their courses in 2014/15; students’ success rates were low on the majority of vocational courses at levels 1, 2 and 3.  Leaders and governors do not promote the principles of equality and diversity sufficiently throughout the college.  Too many students do not benefit from subject- related and wider enrichment activities to develop their personal and social skills.

p.1

This is a provider that requires improvement

 The new senior leadership team has made a demonstrable improvement at the college since the previous inspection.  Leaders and governors have secured an excellent and purposeful partnership with a local academy to improve the performance of the college.  Staff provide very good support for vulnerable students at the college.  Teachers and students work well together in an inclusive and harmonious learning environment.  Current students make good progress on their vocational qualifications and in English and mathematics.

p.1

Information about the provider

 The Maltings College opened in September 2013. It originated from a local school’s wish to create a vocational centre. In November 2013, the Department for Education decided that it would operate as a 16–19 Academy. The college was part of a trust that also included a secondary school and a nursery. The school was subsequently put into special measures; the college is currently in the final stages of becoming a full member of the Trinity Multi-Academy Trust. The college recruits a high proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and many students have low levels of literacy and numeracy on entry to the college. Unemployment in the district of Calderdale is 5.1%, broadly in line with the national rate of 5.2%. Residents who claim Job Seekers Allowance are equivalent to national rates and currently stand at 1.7%.

p.2

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Teachers should ensure that they accurately use the assessment results of students’ abilities in English and mathematics on entry to the college to plan learning that helps learners improve their work. In addition, managers should ensure that vocational assessments for all students are completed at the start of their qualifications. Teachers should use these assessments to identify students’ starting points and plan learning to meet their particular learning goals and aspirations in order to improve the achievement of all students.  Leaders should ensure there is rigorous quality assurance of key processes including the observation of teaching and learning and the quality of performance management. This will ensure that the new systems implemented are used correctly and have the desired effect of improving the quality of education at the college.  Leaders and governors should swiftly establish thorough and rigorous arrangements to ensure that

p.2

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

students receive regular independent careers advice and guidance to provide them with sufficient information to help them prepare for their next steps in their education, training or employment.  Leaders and governors should swiftly improve the promotion of equality and diversity at the college. They should ensure that all staff receive accurate and up-to-date training in order for them to feel confident about promoting equality and diversity and the fundamental principles of modern British values.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, the college governors have acted decisively to appoint a new acting principal and chief executive officer and to constitute a new governing body. Leaders have rapidly implemented many, much-needed, new and aspirational strategies to improve the quality of teaching and learning and improve outcomes for students. However, the impact of these actions has not yet been fully realised.  The college has developed very close working relationships with Trinity Academy. The academy provides effective support to assist in improving the college’s performance. The partnership has been successful in improving the quality of teaching and learning through a number of support mechanisms, including the secondment of key staff, sharing of good practice, staff training and the introduction of a number of new management systems. The college is in the final stage of a process to become a full member of the

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

Trinity Multi-Academy Trust; until this process is finalised, the governing board has postponed much- needed, longer-term strategic planning.  Leaders have worked very closely with a nearby college and the local enterprise partnership to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of the students and addresses the lack of skills in Calderdale and the surrounding areas. They have reduced the curriculum offer in order to secure rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and deliver qualifications which the local community require. While their prudent financial planning has enabled this to take place in the current year, plans are underdeveloped to secure the necessary increase in student numbers next year that would achieve financial sustainability for the college.  Managers do not ensure that all students benefit from a well-planned study programme. A very small minority of students do not have access to appropriate work placements to practise the skills that they

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

develop at college. The majority of students do not have sufficient opportunities to engage in subject- related and wider enrichment activities to develop their personal and social skills.  The most recent self-assessment report completed by leaders and senior managers overstates strengths throughout the provision. It does not recognise significant areas for improvement required to improve the provision. For example, leaders fail to identify accurately the lack of quality assurance of key processes such as the observation of teaching and learning, the rigour of performance management and the effective planning of learning. Planned improvement actions are not sufficiently specific or time-bound to allow rapid change to take place.  College leaders now have access to a significantly more substantive range of data to monitor the performance of groups of students, which they use appropriately. Current data available suggests that

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

retention and achievement are improving and are significantly higher than at the same time last year, which was particularly low, and the vast majority of students are now making good progress. Conversely, leaders and governors do not request or receive regular information on how students or groups of students progress on their qualifications, resulting in a lack of oversight and challenge to subject managers to improve the outcomes of students.  Managers’ use of data to inform planning requires improvement. They do not use sufficiently the extensive information received from students through surveys to prioritise improvements. The reporting of lesson observations is not yet sufficiently evaluative or effectively linked to performance management objectives. Consequently, managers do not set sufficiently specific and aspirational targets in performance management documents; this prevents teachers from improving the quality of their teaching swiftly.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Performance management is not sufficiently effective to ensure rapid improvements take place at the college and requires further development. In the best examples, managers include detailed objectives to hold staff to account for their performance. However, the large majority of performance reviews are very brief with too few specific improvement targets for staff. Managers do not document the progress that staff make in relation to their personal objectives. Consequently, not all staff have a full understanding of how they could improve their performance further.  Managers have created an extensive and effective professional development programme available to all staff in partnership with Trinity Academy. It is focused on the five key themes identified by the college’s ‘5 to drive’ initiative. College staff report that it is responsive to their individual development needs and is helping them to improve their teaching practice. Staff from the only college subcontractor are also

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

accessing the programme to improve the quality of their teaching and learning.  Leaders’ and managers’ approach to equality and diversity is underdeveloped. The newly designed tutorial programme includes many opportunities for students to enhance their understanding of being respectful and embracing people with different faiths, beliefs and cultures. In a minority of lessons, teachers encourage better understanding of diversity in a vocational context. For example, in a beauty lesson students have an extensive discussion on how students could adapt their techniques when applying make-up on different skin tones. However, managers have not prioritised staff training on equality and diversity well enough to ensure the information that teachers are providing is accurate and up to date.  The governance of the provider – A new, very small, but knowledgeable and experienced, team of governors has worked with dedication

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

and commitment to ensure that college managers are able to make the many required improvements to the college. – Senior leaders provide detailed reports to governors on financial, staffing and budgetary matters. They receive data reports on in-year academic performance measures, but there is not yet any detailed reporting on other academic matters such as safeguarding, student voice or the quality of teaching and learning. – Governors mostly offer appropriate support and challenge to senior managers but occasionally do not have the information they need to challenge managers in sufficient detail. For example, they do not receive reports on the progress that students make on their qualifications or gaps in progress between different groups of students.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective – Managers have introduced many safeguarding strategies to support students at the college through an

p.4

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

effective tutorial programme and active liaison with external agencies. These result in students expressing confidence in where to go to for help and support in the college. – Staff provide effective support for the most vulnerable students, particularly the significant number who live independently; this is enabling them to remain on their courses, attend lessons and be successful. – All staff and students receive training in the ‘Prevent’ duty. The student council has recently produced a film on British values in response to student feedback; teachers use this effectively in student tutorials to develop students’ understanding of its principles.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Leaders and managers have shown a strong commitment to the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment since the last inspection. They place great emphasis on developing staff through a comprehensive continuous professional development programme matched to outcomes of observations of teaching and learning. Managers conduct regular learning walks to check the quality of lessons and they share the good practice across the college. However, quality assurance processes for observations of teaching and learning and work scrutiny are insufficiently rigorous. Feedback is often vague and does not set clear targets for improvement. Consequently, staff do not always know how to improve their practice.  In too many lessons, the quality of teaching and learning is variable and therefore students have an inconsistent experience. In the less effective lessons, activities and planning are weak; questioning is

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

unfocused and the pace is often too slow resulting in a minority of students losing interest. In the more effective lessons, teachers use regular targeted questioning to check learning, encourage independent thinking and use a variety of engaging learning activities to ensure all students make good progress.  Teachers have a clear focus on linking classroom learning to future progression and employability to prepare students well for the world of work. For example, in hair and beauty, students are aware of the importance of selling secondary products and services to enhance the customer experience and generate additional income; in health and social care, students learn about the importance of accurately recording medical information when completing care assessment plans.  Students develop English and mathematics skills well in the more effective sessions. For example, teachers place a strong emphasis on developing students’ specialist terminology to broaden their

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

vocabulary. In catering, students calculate the cost of the dish they are preparing to develop their numeracy skills. In mathematics, teachers ask students to write sentences using mathematical terms to describe diagrams and to develop their literacy skills. However, teachers do not take full advantage of opportunities to integrate English and mathematics throughout the curriculum.  Teachers’ marking of students’ work and the feedback they provide following assessment are inconsistent. Where this is effective, feedback is clear and concise with spelling and grammatical errors highlighted and corrected. However, too much feedback is unhelpful with little reference made to students’ target grades. Consequently, not all students are making the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not use the results of initial assessments of students’ starting points effectively to gain a clear understanding of students’ skills and abilities, or to set appropriate target grades. For example,

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

teachers do not routinely assess students’ practical skills as part of the initial subject assessment. Equally, teachers do not use assessment results to identify gaps in English and mathematics skills to set targets for improvement. Consequently, teaching and learning does not always meet students’ individual needs.  Teachers do not effectively promote equality and diversity in the majority of lessons. However, in a minority of lessons, teachers ensure students broaden their understanding of how these issues apply in the workplace. For example, in childcare, students produced a poster highlighting equality and diversity principles to be displayed in staff rooms in a childcare setting; in hair, students discussed the effect of colour treatments on hair of different ethnic groups.

p.5

Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

 Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that effective independent careers advice and guidance take place regularly with all students; this was identified as an area of development at the previous inspection. Consequently, a significant minority of students are not fully aware of the opportunities available to them.  The majority of students are aware of the importance of English and mathematics skills. Teachers integrate English skills well in the majority of vocational lessons and use vocational terminology consistently to ensure students are ready for the workplace. However, there are too many spelling and grammatical errors which are not routinely checked or corrected by teachers; this results in students not being aware of what they need to do to improve. The integration of mathematical skills in vocational lessons requires improvement.  Attendance rates fluctuate on a weekly basis and require improvement. Too many students do not attend

p.5

Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

college regularly or attend lessons on time, demonstrating that they do not yet have these essential employability skills to progress into employment.  A small minority of students do not yet have access to appropriate work placements and opportunities for subject-related and wider enrichment activities are limited.  Staff do not plan learning consistently well. Too many learning plans are incomplete, most lack robust targets and there are too few links to future career goals. Consequently, they are not a meaningful tool to monitor students’ progress.  Students are attentive and behave well in lessons; they are respectful of staff and of each other. The large majority of students support each other well in lessons. Teachers effectively reinforce this behaviour through the recent introduction of an achievement points reward scheme, which students engage with and greatly appreciate.  Students have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe in their work placements

p.5

Personal development, behaviour and welfare require improvement

and in their personal lives. Students complete an introductory training session on the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism at induction, which they discuss periodically in tutorials throughout the year. Teachers reinforce positive health messages effectively throughout the students’ tutorial programme in relation to their personal and social development.  In practical sessions, students take pride in the skills they have developed. For example, in catering, students proudly showed off their knife skills when preparing vegetables. In motor vehicle, students work with precision to diagnose the problems with the timing of an engine.

p.5

Outcomes for learners require improvement

 The proportion of students who complete their qualifications at levels 1, 2 and 3 on vocational programmes requires improvement. In 2014/15, more than a quarter of all students were unsuccessful in achieving their qualifications and too many left early and failed to complete their course.  Success rates on level 3 qualifications, which account for the very small minority of all students, are slightly below the performance of similar students nationally. Students underperform on diplomas in sport and childcare, which account for the majority of provision at this level.  Students’ achievements at levels 1 and 2, which account for the vast majority of students, are below that of similar providers. More than a third of students fail to complete their qualifications. Achievement in barbering, fitness, hairdressing, horticulture and light motor vehicle qualifications are particularly weak and their attainment is significantly below that of their peers nationally.

p.5

Outcomes for learners require improvement

 The new management team has taken significant steps to improve the quality of teaching on all vocational courses, including English and mathematics. They have replaced poorly performing teachers with suitably qualified vocational specialists, which has led to almost all current students making their expected progress in relation to their low starting points, with a small minority of level 3 students making better than expected progress.  Leaders and managers have successfully improved the proportion of students who are taking English and mathematics GCSE qualifications. Students now develop new skills, make good progress and use the knowledge they have acquired in their vocational qualifications appropriately. The college’s data indicates that more than two thirds of students will achieve a grade C or above, which is a significant improvement on the previous academic year.  Leaders and managers have been successful in reducing the gaps in achievement between different

p.6

Outcomes for learners require improvement

groups of students. They monitor the performance of groups and take appropriate actions to address any underperformance, leading to more students remaining on courses, improved achievement rates and, in most instances, reduced gaps between different groups of students.  Students enjoy attending college. The large majority of students arrive at the college with low levels of prior attainment and ambition. Staff support students well, particularly the most vulnerable, to improve their confidence, self-esteem and employability skills in preparation for their next stage in education, training or employment.  Progression within college and on to other destinations is good. The large majority of students who achieve their qualifications progress to qualifications at higher levels within the college and at other institutions. The majority of students who successfully complete level 3 qualifications progress to higher

p.6

full contract year

CEO Mr Michael Gosling Website address www.maltingscollege.co.uk

p.7

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total N/A N/A N/A Number of learners aged 14-16 N/A

p.7

Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from Education Funding Agency (EFA)

p.7

Inspection team

Paul Cocker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Kathy Passant Ofsted Inspector Jill Gray Ofsted Inspector Claire McGuire Ofsted Inspector

p.8

Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the chief executive officer, 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 .

p.8

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,

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9

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.

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9

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.

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9