Huntingdonshire Regional College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Huntingdonshire Regional College General further education college

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate 16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Apprenticeships Requires improvement Provision for learners with high needs Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 Governance is inadequate. Governors and leaders have been too slow to bring about the required improvements in the quality of provision and outcomes for learners and apprentices. Too much teaching, learning and assessment is poor over time.  Too many learners on study programmes arrive late for lessons and teachers do not challenge learners’ poor punctuality sufficiently.  Teachers and assessors do not use information on learners’ and apprentices’ starting points sufficiently well to plan learning that enables them to make rapid progress and excel.  Too many learners and apprentices do not achieve their qualifications or produce high standards of work.  Teachers and assessors do not set learners and apprentices sufficiently challenging and precise targets and, as a result, too many fail to make good progress.  Not enough teachers teach theory well and enable their learners and apprentices to improve their higher-level thinking skills.

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Summary of key findings

 Lesson observations do not focus enough on the progress that learners make, or lead to sustained improvements in teaching.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 Learners with high needs make good progress.  Partnership arrangements are effective in providing good work experience opportunities for learners on study programmes.  Programmes specifically designed to help learners into work are particularly effective.  Apprentices on the new standards-based apprenticeships develop high-level technical skills that employers value greatly.

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Information about the provider

 Huntingdonshire Regional College is a small general further education college in the town of Huntingdon. The college recruits its learners mainly from within Cambridgeshire, although apprenticeship training with subcontractors takes place around the country. Most learners attend programmes at the main campus in Huntingdon with the remainder attending courses at a site in Alconbury. The college provides learning in 13 subject areas. At the time of the inspection, approximately 2,200 learners were studying at the college; around 600 were aged 16 to 18 on study programmes and around 1,000 were adult learners. In addition, around 500 apprentices follow programmes in eight subject areas. The college receives direct funding from the Education Funding Agency and monies from two local authorities for around 100 learners with high needs.  Unemployment levels in Huntingdonshire are below the national rate. The college is

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Information about the provider

located in an area with higher levels of deprivation than most of the surrounding localities. A substantial number of 16 to 18 learners studying at the college have lower than average GCSE A* to C grade passes. The college has a high proportion of learners who declare a learning difficulty or disability.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Urgently review the effectiveness of governance arrangements and ensure that governors strengthen their oversight arrangements and provide effective challenge of senior leaders in order to rectify swiftly the continued weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment by: – upskilling teachers and assessors to use information on learners’ and apprentices’ starting points effectively to plan learning activities that challenge learners to make rapid progress – ensuring that teachers and assessors set precise, challenging targets and monitor accurately the progress learners and apprentices make to enable learners and apprentices to excel – training teachers to improve their teaching of theory and enable learners and apprentices to hone their higher-level thinking skills – ensuring that the lesson observation process focuses on the progress that learners make and identifies all weaknesses accurately, and that actions are planned that lead

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

to sustainable improvements in teaching.  Improve rapidly the proportion of learners who make good progress in developing their English and mathematics skills by: – improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment on English and mathematics GCSE and functional skills courses – upskilling staff to improve their confidence, knowledge and skills to teach and promote the value of English and mathematics effectively – setting high expectations on the quality of written work and ensuring that all teaching and learning materials are spelled and punctuated correctly.  Ensure that teachers and assessors set high expectations of learners’ and apprentices’ punctuality, and that they are challenged appropriately if they arrive late.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and managers have been too slow to implement the improvements recommended following the previous two inspections. Governors do not scrutinise information and data provided to them sufficiently or challenge the senior management team to more rapidly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and outcomes for learners. As a result, achievement has declined in too many subject areas, including for apprentices following business management, health and social care apprenticeships programmes and learners studying English and mathematics.  Leaders’ actions intended to raise achievement and progress in English and mathematics have not had the intended impact. Too many learners fail to achieve their functional skills qualifications or secure high grades at GCSE.  The self-assessment process is not fit for purpose. Leaders and managers do not identify sufficiently strengths and areas for improvement, and do not collect or use sufficient

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

information and data to make evaluative judgements well enough. Managers are overly optimistic in their evaluation of the provision, particularly when considering the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or the progress learners make. Managers and staff do not make effective use of learners’ and apprentices’ views when evaluating the quality of provision. The arrangements to collect the views of employers are insufficient.  Performance management arrangements and recently revised processes intended to support teachers to improve their craft of teaching have yet to secure a demonstrable impact on the quality of provision. Feedback given by managers following lesson observations does not identify accurately key weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment sufficiently nor take sufficient account of learners’ in-year progress to inform their judgements. Few actions identified following observations lead to teachers and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

assessors taking up pertinent professional development that improves their practice swiftly.  Governors, leaders and managers do not collect and use management information routinely to assess the impact of teaching, learning and assessment on different types of provision or on the age groups of learners and apprentices. Consequently, they are not able to understand accurately the performance of different groups of learners and apprentices, identify strengths and weaknesses, and put in place actions to halt decline in performance.  At the inspection, inspectors were not able to secure confidence in managers’ scheduling of lessons or their understanding of the volume of apprentices following apprenticeships programmes due to the paucity of information provided.  Leaders and managers have a clear and ambitious strategy for the college to facilitate learners to access purposeful employment on completion of their studies. They place

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

particular emphasis on ensuring that learners understand fully the employment pathways relevant to their study. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is planned closely to the needs of employers, the local enterprise partnership (LEP) and communities well.  Leaders have good partnership arrangements and are working collaboratively with strategic partners such as the LEP to develop higher-level provision in engineering in the new iMet facilities at Alconbury. They are working with two local authorities to increase the proportion of provision for learners with high needs. Leaders participate well in local, regional and national networks, which results in good-quality work placements for learners and apprentices.  Leaders’ management of the diminishing volume of subcontracting provision is effective. They have removed underperforming subcontractors from offering provision in a timely manner. As a result of leaders and managers working effectively with a subcontractor,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

they have launched successfully the new standards-based apprenticeship in the digital technology sector.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance is inadequate. – Governors do not provide sufficient, rigorous challenge to senior leaders to ensure that they thoroughly rectify all areas for improvement swiftly following the previous two inspections. – Governors have been slow to adopt an ‘intolerance to poor performance’ evaluative approach to monitoring improvement. They now access relevant information and data to inform them of the performance of the college. However, this has yet to ensure that they hold leaders to account effectively. – Governors now understand the severity of the underperformance of the college’s English and mathematics provision, but are yet to pay sufficient attention to the declining and poor performance of learners on 16 to 19 study programmes and apprenticeships. Governors are not aware sufficiently of the declining quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Governors do not have a sufficiently detailed

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The governance of the provider

knowledge of the college’s strengths and areas for improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safeguarding processes and procedures meet the current national requirements for safeguarding learners and apprentices. Learners and apprentices say they feel safe at the college and in their workplaces, and know whom and how to report any concerns to. Staff are trained appropriately. Staff with lead responsibilities for safeguarding have good relationships with external and relevant agencies. As a consequence, any safeguarding concerns are followed up comprehensively and resolved promptly. Managers adopt appropriate staff recruitment practices.  Managers investigate complaints thoroughly and track referrals through to completion well. Managers provide regular training for governors and staff to promote their understanding and identification of the potential dangers of radicalisation. However, too many learners and apprentices are not able to demonstrate sufficient understanding of

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Safeguarding

British values or the dangers of extremism.  Leaders are still in the process of ensuring that the security of the campus is at optimum level. A few members of staff do not comply with the approved procedure on accessing the building.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers and assessors do not plan teaching, learning and assessment that challenge and inspire the majority of learners and apprentices to make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers and assessors do not use information on learners’ and apprentices’ starting points sufficiently well to plan learning that enables them to make rapid progress and excel. While detailed group profiles identify individual learners’ and apprentices’ starting points, teachers do not use this information to ensure that teaching and assessment meets the needs of all their learners. As a result, learners find activities either too easy and have to wait for the rest of the class to finish before they move on, or too difficult and lag behind. Consequently, too few learners make the progress of which they are capable.  Not enough teachers plan theory teaching that enables their learners and apprentices to analyse critically and improve their higher-level thinking skills. As a consequence, too

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

many learners and apprentices do not produce high standards of written work.  Teachers do not provide the majority of learners and apprentices with sufficient feedback on their work to help them identify precisely what they have done well or what they need to do in order to improve.  Teachers and assessors do not enable learners and apprentices to develop their English and mathematics skills enough. Managers and teachers over-rely on learners and apprentices accessing online resources to improve their mathematics skills, and do not provide sufficient discrete teaching time to enable learners to master essential constructs, concepts and principles. Teachers provide insufficient opportunity for learners to develop sufficient fluency in their reading and writing. The promotion of English and mathematics for apprentices who do not attend off-the-job training is inadequate.  The majority of teachers fail to identify and correct spelling, punctuation and grammatical

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

errors that learners and apprentices make in their written work and, as a result, learners and apprentices do not improve the standard of their written English rapidly enough. A minority of teachers provide workbooks for learners and apprentices that contain too many spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.  Teachers and assessors do not set learners and apprentices sufficiently challenging and precise targets and, as a result, too many fail to make good progress. In the small minority of subjects where teaching is better, such as motor vehicle, teachers set purposeful targets that are reviewed regularly and enable learners to make good progress. However, in the large majority of subjects, teachers set repetitive and mundane targets that do not challenge learners and apprentices to excel – for example, ‘Hand in work’ and ‘Keep abreast of evidence requirements’.  Staff identify learners and apprentices who require additional help with their studies

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

promptly and provide a good level of support that enables them to stay in learning. Personal development coaches provide learners at risk of not remaining on programmes with an intensive four-week learning programme. Learners’ and apprentices’ support plans involve a good level of input from parents, carers and relevant support agencies from local youth and counselling services. As a result, learners experience a smooth transition from local schools to the college, and most attend regularly and behave well in lessons.  Staff prepare learners well for their next steps into work and higher levels of education. Staff place a good emphasis on learners developing industry-specific skills, and prepare them well for the demands of employers through well-planned work experience and work- related learning activities. Supported internships develop the essential skills they need to become valuable employees.  Staff are appropriately qualified and experienced, and use their knowledge and skills to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

help adult learners develop their practical understanding and skills. For example, engineering staff support adult learners to produce accurate technical drawings that they then use to fabricate work adeptly. Adult learners on access to employment courses develop good techniques in forklift practices. The teaching of underpinning technical knowledge for standards-based apprentices provided by a subcontractor is good. Staff design these intensive programmes well to challenge and inspire apprentices to develop good skills that are highly valued by their employers.  Staff promote equality and diversity effectively during induction and enrichment activities. Learners take part in a three-week induction programme that includes a good focus on equality and diversity, and develop their understanding well. Learners work well together in groups and value the diversity of their peers. However, assessors do not sufficiently

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

check or develop apprentices’ knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity, and the relevance of these issues in their workplaces.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

 Attendance of adult learners, apprentices and learners with high needs is good. During the inspection, inspectors recorded low attendance of learners on study programmes. Inspectors were not able to verify the accuracy of leaders’ attendance data due to the implementation of the ‘swap don’t drop’ initiative, which involved learners considering withdrawing from the college to try other subjects and courses. Leaders’ attendance data for 2015/16 indicates that the large majority of learners attended lessons regularly with the exception of those attending discrete English and mathematics classes, which was too low.  Learners with high needs, adult learners and apprentices arrive for lessons on time and are prepared for work. However, too many learners on study programmes arrive late and unprepared for lessons. Too many teachers do not challenge learners routinely for their poor timekeeping.  Standards of behaviour for the majority of learners are good and very good for

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

apprentices and learners with high needs. However, small pockets of disruption and poor behaviour in the shared spaces such as the refectory create a negative atmosphere which affects the enjoyment of attending college for too many learners.  Learners receive good-quality information, advice and career guidance, which enables the large majority of learners to progress to higher levels of education or purposeful employment work when they leave the college.  The majority of adult learners and apprentices develop their practical vocational skills well and consequently produce good standards of practical work. However, few learners and apprentices improve their ability to develop their higher-level thinking skills sufficiently and produce good standards of theory work.  Learners participate in a wide range of additional activities that are focused well on improving their personal, social and work-related skills. For example, each week learners

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

have a choice of over 60 activities including team sports, dance and business-related programmes through which learners are able to improve their social confidence and industry-specific skills.  Learners know whom to report to if they have any concerns for their safety. During the inspection, managers ensured that a concern a very few learners expressed regarding their personal safety was rectified promptly and effectively.  The majority of learners and apprentices do not have sufficient understanding of the ‘Prevent’ training they attended during induction, nor are able to articulate proficiently the importance of British values or the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

 Leaders’ data for 2015/16 indicates that the proportion of learners studying courses at levels 1 and 2 on programmes who achieved their qualification in 2015/16 was broadly in line with those of other providers nationally. However, achievement rates for younger learners on level 3 programmes remain too low and have not improved on the previous year. While a greater proportion of learners achieve in a few subjects such as construction and engineering, the proportion of learners who achieve in most subjects has declined over time.  The proportion of apprentices who are predicted to achieve their qualifications in 2015/16 has decreased significantly on the previous year. Leaders estimate that overall achievement rates are likely to be at least 15 percentage points below the current national rate.  Leaders’ data indicates that in 2015/16 a small minority of learners achieved their English and mathematics functional skills qualifications, and a few achieved English and

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

mathematics GCSE A* to C grade passes. A small minority of subjects with better teaching practice, such as motor vehicle and provision for learners with high needs, enable learners to make good progress in the development of their English and mathematics skills related to their vocational subjects. For example, learners with high needs develop their vocabulary well using glossary workbooks to highlight subject-specific terms and definitions, and calculate proficiently how much resources will cost to make items to sell in the college shop. However, too many learners are not making the progress of which they are capable in these subjects.  Apprentices following the standards-based apprenticeships are making good progress and are developing swiftly the skills needed to become valued members of the workforce in which they are employed.  Adult learners studying community learning programmes through referral by JobCentre

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

Plus make good progress in developing good work-related skills such as preparing for interviews and the importance of good timekeeping. In construction and motor vehicle, learners develop their skills well through good-quality practical activities. However, in too many subjects, such as hair and beauty and health and social care, learners all work at the same level on the same task and do not get the opportunity to extend their skills further. As a result, most-able learners are not challenged to reach their full potential.  Managers have been effective in reducing the large majority of achievement gaps between different groups of learners. However, leaders’ data indicates that the proportion of learners who are in receipt of free school meals achieve less well than their peers. Those learners who have high needs achieve at a higher rate than their peers.  Leaders’ data for 2015/16 indicates that most learners on study programmes progress to

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

positive destinations when they finish their programmes. The large majority of younger learners on access to employment programmes progress into work.

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

 The college provides study programmes in eight subject areas for around 600 learners aged 16 to 19. The largest areas are health, public services and care, construction and arts, media and publishing. An additional 17 learners with high needs and 81 adults aged 19 and over are enrolled on study programmes and integrated into classes with other learners.  Teaching, learning and assessment do not inspire and challenge learners at all levels to make good progress and reach their full potential. Teachers facilitate learners studying level 1 and level 2 programmes to develop their practical vocational skills well. For example, childcare learners are given tasks that challenge them to work beyond the level of the qualification. However, the teaching of theory requires improvement. Teachers do not enable enough learners to develop their understanding of theory sufficiently and improve their higher-level thinking skills.

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

 Too few teachers provide learners with a good level of informative written feedback in both practical and theory lessons that enables them to improve their work. Verbal feedback in practical lessons is good. For example in construction, learners receive detailed information on how to improve their work and tool control. However, too much work is not marked effectively to enable learners to focus on their key areas for improvement. Not enough teachers set targets that motivate learners to make good progress. Too many learners’ records contain no targets or records of progress reviews. Too many learners do not have the opportunity to evaluate their progress with their teachers in a timely manner.  Staff do not challenge a minority of learners who exhibit poor behaviour, including wearing hoods and coats in class, or ensure that all learners are prepared for learning at the start of lessons.  Support for learners who declare a learning difficulty or disability is good. As a result,

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16 to 19 study programmes Requires improvement

those who need additional help with their studies make better progress than their peers.  Managers have developed a well-considered, flexible approach that ensures that learners benefit from meaningful work experience. This includes the provision of good-quality alternative opportunities, such as community action projects, for learners who are not yet ready to take up work experience.  Teachers place strong emphasis on enabling learners to work towards their goals of employment or further study. As a result, most learners progress to higher levels of learning or purposeful employment upon completion of their programme.

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

 There are around 900 adult learners, of whom around one fifth are following community learning programmes. The very large majority of learners study part-time courses. Just under a quarter of learners are on vocational work-related courses. The largest subject areas are access to higher education, finance, and hair and beauty. A few learners are enrolled on English and mathematics GCSE and functional skills courses.  Attendance and punctuality are good. The majority of learners do make sufficient progress. The smaller volumes of learners following community learning programmes and vocational work-related courses make good progress. Most learners are positive about their studies and arrive promptly and well prepared for lessons.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement. Too many teachers do not challenge and inspire their learners to achieve their best. The large majority of teachers do not check to ensure that learners have a deep enough

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

understanding of the subject matter before moving to the next task activity.  Teachers’ written feedback on learners’ work is too often a description of what the learner has completed, and fails to identify how learners can improve their work or extend their understanding of the subject matter. As a result, not enough learners make the progress of which they are capable. Teachers ensure that learners’ grammatical and spelling errors are routinely identified and rectified.  Learners have good access to a broad range of online resources, including through the college’s virtual learning environment, that they use effectively to work with their peers and extend their learning. For example, learners studying on a teacher training course collaborated online outside lessons to prepare thoroughly for a forthcoming lesson on establishing ground rules in the classroom.  Adult learning programmes are appropriately planned and meet local needs. Good

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Adult learning programmes Requires improvement

emphasis is placed on helping adults study appropriate qualifications and develop knowledge and skills to find employment and to achieve their career goals.  The small volume of learners on dedicated employability programmes are referred to the college by Jobcentre Plus and quickly develop skills they need to find employment. For example, learners on warehousing programmes learn quickly how to assemble customer orders and operate equipment. In addition, learners speak positively about the support they receive to help them prepare for interviews. As a result, the large majority of learners on employability programmes progress to employment.

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Apprenticeships Requires improvement

 At the time of inspection, there were around 500 apprentices following apprenticeships programmes. Of these, 266 are following the new standards-based programmes in five subject disciplines such as apprenticeships in network engineering and cyber intrusion analysis. The remainder study apprenticeship frameworks in eight subject areas including information and communication technology, retail, business administration and engineering. Approximately one third of apprentices are studying at intermediate level and the remainder at advanced and higher level. The majority of apprentices are aged 19 and older.  Managers do not ensure that all apprentices receive their full apprenticeship entitlement. A small minority of apprentices are not provided with sufficient off-the-job training as per contractual requirements.  Leaders and managers have been slow to rectify the slow progress that the majority of apprentices studying apprenticeship frameworks have been making due to unsupportive

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Apprenticeships Requires improvement

employers and poor-performing subcontractors. As a result, leaders predict a significant decline in apprentices’ achievement rates for 2015/16. However, they have recently taken action to cease contracting with these employers and subcontractors, and are now providing apprentices with tuition and assessment by college staff. As a result, the progress of these apprentices has improved.  The provision of English and mathematics for apprentices who do not attend off-the-job training is inadequate. Apprentices are requested to complete online practice tests. However, these are not marked and they receive no feedback on what they need to do to improve.  Teachers do not plan off-the-job teaching of underpinning theory well enough to inspire and challenge apprentices to make good progress. In too many lessons, teachers teach to the whole group irrespective of apprentices’ different starting points and abilities.

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Apprenticeships Requires improvement

Consequently, too many apprentices fail to reach their potential and excel.  Assessors’ formal reviews for apprentices are poor. They do not enable apprentices to understand fully what progress they are making and what steps they need to take to accelerate their progress. Reviews do not develop apprentices’ understanding of health and safety or equality and diversity. Review meetings fail to rectify the slow progress too many apprentices make. Too many records of reviews illustrate that apprentices made little or no progress from one meeting to the next with assessors often failing to record explanations for this.  Target setting for apprentices requires improvement. Not enough staff set apprentices precise and meaningful targets that motivate them to make good progress.  The development of English and mathematics skills for apprentices who do not attend off- the-job training is inadequate. Apprentices are given access to online mock tests.

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Apprenticeships Requires improvement

However, these are not marked and they receive no feedback on what they need to do to improve.  Teachers and assessors use good sector knowledge to develop the large majority of apprentices’ practical vocational knowledge, understanding and skills. Employers value these skills and are keen to comment positively on the benefits apprentices bring to the workplace.  Apprentices on the new standards-based apprenticeships develop high-level technical skills that employers value greatly.  Teachers and assessors motivate their apprentices to exhibit high levels of good behaviour when attending off-the-job training. They have a good work ethic, and are self- assured and articulate with a good attitude to learning. Punctuality and attendance at off- the-job training are good.  Teachers and assessors have not ensured that apprentices have a good understanding of radicalisation, extremism and life in modern Britain. Only a small minority of apprentices

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Apprenticeships Requires improvement

had sufficient awareness of the relevance of such issues to their customers and workplace.

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Provision for learners with high needs Good

 The college receives direct funding for 32 learners with high needs and has an additional 65 learners whose learning is funded by two local authorities. A very large majority of learners are taught in discrete groups with specialist staff, 17 learners are integrated within vocational lessons and 16 learners access supported internship programmes.  Teachers enable learners to develop useful independence and communication skills that will support them well in their future lives. As a result, they make informed decisions, learn how to travel independently and become more confident individuals in articulating their viewpoint.  Staff’s support for learners is highly effective with a strong focus on encouragement to do well. As a result, learners make progress with their social interaction, self-evaluative skills and confidence. Learners are encouraged to mark one another’s work and accomplish tasks as a team.

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Provision for learners with high needs Good

 The development of learners’ work-related skills is good. Learners benefit from a wide range of external work experience and supported internship opportunities, often with large national companies. Learners understand the importance of working to industry standards. For example, when working in a catering department at a large university, they have become tolerant to wearing protective equipment in order to work safely. However, opportunities for learners to participate in effective internal work experience are less well developed and too often rely on group activities rather than those which meet individual needs. Learners run the college shop but due to its location near the rear of the building, it has too few customers to provide sufficient employability opportunities such as customer care.  Opportunities for learners to participate in a range of enterprise initiatives are effective. For example, learners grow plants and hanging baskets in their horticulture polytunnel

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Provision for learners with high needs Good

that they then sell to the wider college community, and those on work experience plant the items they grow at their place of work. Consequently, learners develop a good understanding of the importance of making a profit in business, and cost their supplies and price items to sell proficiently.  Teachers enable learners to improve their spoken English and mathematics skills well. They develop their spoken vocabulary using glossary workbooks to highlight key words and definitions adeptly. However, too much written work produced by learners is not routinely corrected for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. As a result, learners are unaware how they are able to improve. In mathematics, counting skills are reinforced well with learners through practical activities, and learners gain valuable experience of addition and subtraction to support their understanding of handling money.  Teachers use classroom assessment to inspire learners to make good progress. Teachers

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Provision for learners with high needs Good

provide good feedback to learners and marked work provides learners with precise advice on how they can improve their work. Teachers use a broad range of assessment activities at the start of learners’ programmes to identify accurately their starting points. However, the language used in target setting is often too complex and, as a result, a minority of learners do not accelerate their progress to their full potential.  Learners’ behaviour is good and is managed very effectively by staff. A small number of learners with complex and challenging behaviours, and who have previously poor experiences of education, attend college regularly and receive bespoke learning mapped to their needs. Learners take pride in their work. Learners on vocational programmes make at least the same level of progress as those without a learning difficulty or disability. Teachers have developed effective techniques and approaches to enable those with high

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Provision for learners with high needs Good

anxiety to make good progress.  Managers ensure that the quality of the information, advice and guidance learners receive is good. Staff have established effective links with parents and relevant external agencies, As a result, families and learners experiencing personal, social issues and crises are supported well. Managers use funding effectively to meet learners’ needs. A broad range of support methods complement local authority care plans, and staff provide a good level of flexibility to ensure that learners’ wider needs are met.

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Provider details

Type of provider General further education college

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 4,100

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

207 360 275 401 137 172 0 37 Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age Intermediate Advanced Higher

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 74 139 23 81 19 166 Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total 0 0 0 Number of learners aged 14 to

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

Number of learners for which the provider receives high- needs funding Funding received from: Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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Provider information at the time of the inspection

At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:  Firebrand Training Ltd.  Intrinsic Training Solutions Ltd.  Training 4 U Services (UK) Ltd.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the vice-principal learning and standards, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Shane Langthorne, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Bramley Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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

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

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Inspection team

Employer View Employer View is a 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. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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