Cambian Lufton College

FE&S report Cambian Lufton College Independent specialist college

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Provision for learners with high needs Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good provider

 Progressions into supported living and employment-related activities for learners on leaving college are outstanding as a result of very good preparation of learners and excellent collaboration with other agencies.  New learners settle in well because of good planning and preparation, in consultation with schools and other organisations.  Learners make very good progress during their time at college, they successfully achieve challenging learning goals, communicate more effectively, manage new social and work situations and become more independent.  A good work experience programme and other work-related activities prepare learners very effectively for life after college and help them make informed choices about their future options.

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This is a good provider

 College staff do not use information learning technology (ILT) effectively across the college to support learning, improve learners’ information technology (IT) skills, or engage learners in lessons.  Staff do not give learners a wide enough range of experiences to help them fully understand life in modern Britain.  Learners with the potential to progress into full- or part-time employment do not have opportunities to progress to supported internships.  Observers of teaching, learning and assessment do not pay sufficient attention to the progress learners make and the skills they develop over time.

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Information about the provider

 Cambian Lufton College is situated in south Somerset and caters for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities including those with autistic spectrum conditions, chromosomal disorders, communication difficulties and medical conditions. Since the last inspection, the college has come under the management of the Cambian Group and since May 2014, the principal has reported to the Cambian Regional Director.  The majority of learners live in a range of residential settings close to the college or in the wider community. Approximately 24 local authorities and the Welsh Assembly commission places at the college.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve the use and effectiveness of information learning technology by – providing staff with appropriate training so that they have the skills and confidence to use ILT successfully with all learners – updating ILT resources so that they meet the needs of individual learners – identifying a senior member of staff to develop and implement an appropriate ILT strategy.  Increase the emphasis during lesson observations and learning walks on progress made by learners over time, standards achieved and skills acquired, so that managers and other staff can monitor the impact on learning and identify where the most effective practice takes place.  Introduce supported internships so that learners with the right skills and ability have appropriate support and opportunities to progress into full- or part-time employment.  Ensure that learners with the appropriate level of understanding have a good knowledge of life in modern

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

Britain, how it affects them and how they can make a positive contribution.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the acquisition of the college by the Cambian Group, senior managers have made several improvements, including more effective decision making, increased opportunities to share good practice, more access to specialist staff and better access to training.  Cambian provide a very clear vision and management framework, in which staff are able to develop the unique qualities of the college. Managers use the Cambian overarching targets relating to finance, quality, people, transitions and safeguarding very effectively to set individual targets for staff in performance management meetings.  Operational management is good. Leaders motivate teaching staff well through professional development, regular supervision and appraisals. Well-run and frequent senior management meetings include reports prepared on different aspects so that there is good communication and close scrutiny of the provision.  Self-assessment arrangements are good. The process involves all staff and other stakeholders and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

demonstrates a good level of critical analysis. Senior leaders accurately identify where they are most successful and where improvements are required. The self-assessment report is judgemental and evaluative, but in a small minority of areas fails to make clear the impact of actions on the experience of the learner.  Senior leaders have developed a comprehensive management information system that staff use well to record learners’ assessments, set targets and monitor progress. Managers and other staff use information very effectively to check on any slow progress and challenge the progress of different groups of learners. Analysis of the data revealed that learners with hearing impairments progress more slowly than other groups, and actions are in place to improve outcomes for this group.  Highly experienced specialist staff provide good support to learners. Learners’ files are comprehensive. They demonstrate good communication with agencies and make good use of specialist assessments from

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists. Staff make good use of education, health and care (EHC) plans, developing clear objectives that they integrate into individual learning plans.  Performance management is strong and supportive and results in staff improving their practice and skills. Managers undertake teaching, learning and assessment observations with a strong emphasis on the experience of learners. Where managers identify poor practice, they take decisive action through one-to- one meetings, agree action points, and put additional training and support in place. However, in a minority of observations, the focus is on describing the activities rather than on identifying learners’ progress and the skills they develop.  Staff develop and sustain strong partnerships with a range of organisations, including employers and schools. These partnerships provide learners with a range of benefits including successful progression to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

their next stage, access to appropriate housing, good-quality work experience and job opportunities.  The college provides a varied curriculum for an increasing number of learners with more complex needs. The college provides two effective and well-designed learning pathways, Active Lives and Exploring Work, through which learners develop independence and self-determination. Leaders and managers are ambitious for learners and have high expectations particularly in relation to independent living.  Staff mostly promote the understanding of equality and diversity well and learners show respect for one another. All staff protect learners from bullying and discrimination in the college and during work placements. However, while staff prepare learners well for their next steps, preparation for successful life in modern Britain with its diverse population is less effective.  A clear and generally effective strategy is in place to promote the teaching of English and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Staff have increased their skills and confidence in embedding English and mathematics within the curriculum. As a result, learners now have a greater understanding of the importance of gaining mathematical skills and improving their use of English. For example, one learner sells newspapers and develops skills in giving change and interacting with staff.  The governance of the provider – Governance is good. Cambian’s board of directors and their senior managers have suitable experience and insight, and a strong commitment to raising standards. They provide a good level of challenge and support to develop and sustain an ambitious culture, and as a result, learners have high aspirations and improve their outcomes. The open, reflective style of governance results in easy sharing of good practice and promotes further improvements including developing a flexible and responsive approach to meeting learners’ needs.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

– Senior Cambian managers monitor the quality of the provision well. Cambian managers receive reports, visit regularly and review the teaching, care and outcomes for learners. Senior leaders from other colleges support the principal well in developing the education and care at the college.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective – A strong culture of safeguarding is central to the work of the college and as a result learners feel safe and supported and know who to contact if they have concerns. Staff understand the importance of the policies and respond to incidents quickly. Senior leaders monitor accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns and take appropriate action swiftly. – Staff take part in good safeguarding training, they work in a calm manner to ensure learners’ safety and manage challenging behaviour well. Residential and teaching staff work well together and share appropriate information that reduces the likelihood of incidents. Relevant staff undertake a wide range

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

of risk assessments of activities, learners and work placements. Learners wear suitable personal protective equipment and know how to work safely. – Managers follow safe recruitment procedures carefully and carry out security checks regularly. Staff have completed training on the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have a good level of awareness and are in the process of ensuring that learners understand the risks of extremism. – In a small minority of cases, learners working on their own laptops, phones or tablets during personal leisure time do not have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and require additional support to do so.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The college provides a good programme of learning and support for each individual learner. As a result, they become increasingly independent and develop skills that equip them well for adult life. Learners enjoy being at college, are keen to learn and find the staff supportive and helpful.  Good and extensive pre-enrolment information-gathering activities from schools or previous education settings make a good contribution to establishing learners’ starting points. Parents are closely involved and learners are encouraged to identify their hopes, ambitions and concerns.  Staff record and monitor learners’ progress extremely well, providing coordinated feedback onto the centralised recording system, which tutors use very effectively during reviews of learners’ progress. Learners have a thorough understanding of each of their learning targets. They know how well they are progressing and what they have to do in order to improve. Reviews of learners’ progress are extremely

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

thorough, professionally managed and supportive.  Lessons are purposeful and learners make particularly good progress in developing a range of wider work skills such as teamwork and improved communication. Learners develop good practical and vocational skills by working on real tasks such as valeting cars, working with the college receptionist, taking responsibility for recycling, working on the college estate and preparing and serving drinks in the college cafeteria.  Staff use resources for learning very effectively. Learners’ communication and social skills improve significantly, often through the effective use of a range of assistive technologies such as picture cards and communication mats. However, tutors and learners do not use (ILT) effectively in lessons and no senior member of staff has the experience or knowledge to support and encourage staff to improve their use of ILT to help engage learners and support wider learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 During their time at college, residential learners follow a highly structured programme that helps prepare them well for adult life. Residential and education staff work together very effectively to provide opportunities and reinforce the fundamental skills that learners need. Day learners also benefit from opportunities to stay in college residential provision to develop their skills away from the family home.  Programme leaders arrange well-planned and coordinated specialist support promptly once learners start their programme, and in response to individual learners’ needs, should these change during their time at college. Good communication between all staff results in appropriate support being allocated quickly and effectively. For example, managers deploy additional support promptly when a learner is particularly anxious or challenging.  Tutors provide many practical and realistic opportunities for learners to develop their English and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

mathematics skills in the classroom, around the college estate, in the workplace and in the community.  In the vast majority of lessons, support staff work very effectively, encouraging learners to solve problems for themselves, manage their own behaviour and work collaboratively. However, in a small minority of lessons, tutors do not provide support staff with enough direction on the role they should take during the session.  In a small minority of lessons, tutors do not check learners’ understanding sufficiently during lessons and do not encourage learners to explain or develop the answers they provide.  Staff are well qualified and experienced, with newer, less-experienced staff well supported to improve their teaching. Staff know learners well, and are enthusiastic, positive and encouraging.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

 Learners work hard and show enjoyment in their learning and development of skills. They take part in active learning across the college estate, participating in practical activities including animal care, horticulture, car valeting and catering. This helps them to gain in confidence, increase their ability to work independently and acquire good work skills. Tutors reinforce good working practices and explain why they are important.  In addition to a good range of appropriate work experience and work-related activities, learners take part in an extensive range of enrichment activities, including football, cycling, drama and swimming. Many activities take place in the local community, which provides the opportunity for learners to integrate fully. One national retailer enabled a learner to continue his work placement at a branch of the store that was close to his home address upon leaving the college.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

 Most learners participate in a good, individually tailored work-experience or volunteering programme. Staff thoroughly prepare learners for external placements through in-house vocational activities. After learners have tried out various options, staff encourage them to identify their preferred work placements from advertisements within the college, complete applications and undertake formal interviews to gain a placement. This greatly develops both social and work-related skills.  Learners work safely and understand how to keep themselves safe in the workplace. One learner confidently described the personal protective equipment required to undertake practical activities when working on the college estate and explained the safe operation of a tractor that he was tasked to drive around the site. Learners are able to discuss the safe use of other garden machinery, including garden strimmers and hedge trimmers.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

 The college works very closely with local and national employers to support their employees when working with these learners during work experience. For example, specialist staff delivered a communication awareness session to a group of employer’s staff so they knew what to expect and how to communicate with the learner on placement. Education and residential staff reinforce numeracy and the use of money effectively through many areas of a learner’s programme, including practical activities, vocational programmes, work experience and daily living activities in the residences.  Staff give learners helpful and practical careers advice and guidance information. The college commissioned the National Careers Service to run impartial specialist careers advice and guidance sessions but the regional provider has failed to deliver the contract. Nevertheless, learners receive a good service from college staff,

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are good

who use learners’ aspirations and ambitions as a starting point and develop a coherent work-related and tutorial programme to enable learners to make informed choices about their future.  Activities to explore social and ethical issues that will help learners take part in society and Britain are insufficiently developed. Staff do not routinely explore or discuss national or international events that are of interest to learners with the ability to understand what is happening in the wider world; nor do they fully take into account the cultural diversity of the communities that they will be living in.

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Outcomes for learners are outstanding

 At the previous inspection, inspectors judged outcomes for learners to be good. Since then the college has made significant progress in improving the positive destinations of the learners, the achievement of qualifications and the development of social, personal and independence skills.  Staff prepare learners very well for living in the community after college. College staff develop excellent working relationships with the relevant agencies that will ultimately be responsible for the learners, sharing their knowledge and experiences of learners very effectively. Managers encourage staff from other organisations, which will work with learners when they leave college, to spend time with them in college in their final term.  Progression particularly into independent or supported living is outstanding. The college transition team are highly innovative in developing friendship groups of learners who would like to live together and then

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Outcomes for learners are outstanding

in working with partner organisations to identify appropriate accommodation and the necessary support.  In 2015, nearly all leavers achieved their preferred housing goal. Over two thirds of the 38 leavers progressed to supported living accommodation. This was a very good increase on the 2013 figure. This improvement is despite the increasingly complex nature of the disabilities and learning difficulties of learners and some parents initially preferring their son or daughter to return home for financial reasons.  The achievement of learning goals, including qualifications, is outstanding. Staff set appropriately challenging goals at the start of a learner’s programme and will revise goals where necessary. Learners achieve qualifications, such as basic cooking, managing one’s own money and learning about individual rights and responsibilities, all of which support progress towards independence. Most learners achieve the

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Outcomes for learners are outstanding

appropriate level of accreditation in English and mathematics.  The employment-related achievements of learners are very good. Two thirds of leavers in 2015 progressed into volunteering, full- or part-time employment in work-based learning or into a social enterprise; a minority of learners progressed to further education, with a very small minority moving into social care provision.  Staff formally monitor the destinations of learners for up to a year after they leave college but do not record any changes in living arrangements or work activities beyond that date, even though the college maintains very good contact with many ex-learners.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive and many report significant improvements in independence, maturity and communication as well as having a better understanding of possible options for the future. One parent described the impact of the college experience as giving her son a ‘voice’ for the first time in his

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent specialist college

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Website address

www.cambiangroup.com/ourservices/service/home/tabid/106/id/ 162/s/17/xmps/1816/default.aspx/

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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

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Intermediate Advanced Higher

Funding received from  Education Funding Agency (EFA)  Joint funding from 24 local authorities  Welsh Assembly

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Inspection team

Nigel Evans, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Penny Mathers Ofsted Inspector Heather Clary Ofsted Inspector Alun Maddocks Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

The above team was assisted by the college quality manager, 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, a webinar with parents and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider. guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too.

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Employer View is a new website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too.

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Inspection team

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

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