Cheshire East Council

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Chris Rowland Acting Senior Development Officer Cheshire East Council Westfields Middlewich Road Sandbach Cheshire CW11 1HZ

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Following the short inspection on 14 and 15 June 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since the provider was judged to be good in May 2014.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

You have ensured that learners continue to receive good-quality education and training. Learners benefit from teaching, learning and assessment which are of a consistently high standard and which ensure that most make good progress.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

The proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications, often from low starting points, is good. The vast majority of learners on accredited courses progress to further study or employment, or remain in work. However, while most learners on non-accredited courses complete their courses and progress onto further study, too few progress into work. Teachers know their learners well and are quick to respond if they identify any as being at risk of not being successful on their course. Consequently, the number of learners who achieve their qualification or learning aim is very high.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

The number of learners who achieved functional skills mathematics in 2015/16 was too low. You and managers have put a number of interventions in place. These have improved retention in the current year, but learners are yet to take their formal examination.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

You, governors and managers have rectified successfully the vast majority of areas requiring improvement identified at the last inspection. You and managers have made very good progress in reviewing the course offer to ensure that it meets local and regional priorities. A greater proportion of courses now focus on developing the skills of learners so that they are prepared for work. For example, warehousing learners recruited through the local job centre benefit from training that prepares them to start work at a local company.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Compared to the previous inspection, a much greater proportion of learners from disadvantaged areas now participate in learning.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Most teachers assess learners’ starting points accurately. They use assessment outcomes to plan effective learning that meets the needs of individuals and ensures that the vast majority make good progress. Teachers plan lessons that develop learners’ mathematical and English skills more effectively than previously. Most learners now receive effective feedback on how to improve their work during their course. For example, learners on Prince’s Trust programmes receive very good feedback, which develops their confidence and motivation.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

While significant improvement has been made to ensure that learners on non- accredited courses work towards challenging learning goals, in a small minority of cases learners do not make the progress that they should. Managers do not sufficiently ensure that the quality of the targets set in relation to learners’ starting points is fully assessed. Consequently, the good practice that exists is not shared to ensure that all teachers set challenging targets for their learners.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

The council has maintained effective safeguarding arrangements since the last inspection and has revised them in respect of the ‘Prevent’ duty. This ensures that learners are safe and feel safe. Governors, senior leaders, managers and staff continue to prioritise safeguarding. The designated safeguarding officer and all staff have received regular training, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Staff have ensured that learners have a good understanding of the risks posed by radicalisation and extremism. For example, learners on cookery courses could identify changes in behaviour that may indicate if someone was in danger of becoming radicalised and knew what steps to take to report any concerns.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Teachers ensure that learners understand how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Learners report they feel safe and work safely in classrooms and online. For example, warehousing learners understand the importance of wearing the correct protective clothing and storing materials and substances correctly and safely.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Managers ensure that the safeguarding and health and safety requirements are in place. They review regularly their own and subcontractors’ arrangements. Managers carry out a risk assessment of subcontractors’ premises to ensure that learners are working in a safe environment. Managers comply diligently with the risk assessment and health and safety policies of the council.

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Short inspection of Cheshire East Council

Managers carry out appropriate recruitment checks and keep accurate records. Through mandatory training, staff know how to maintain safe working practices and are very clear how to report any concerns about their learners’ safety.

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Inspection findings

 Experienced governors are determined to provide courses that support community improvements and work with the most disadvantaged people in the local area. Governors receive helpful reports on attendance, retention and achievement rates, which helps them provide a good level of scrutiny, challenge and support to senior leaders and managers of the service.  Managers use effective quality improvement strategies to ensure that the quality of courses, including those delivered by subcontractors, is of a good standard. The self-assessment report is largely accurate in identifying the key strengths and weaknesses of the provision. For example, leaders put effective strategies in place to improve governance. The quality improvement plan identifies key actions to bring about improvements to the service. However, the targets set sometimes lack sufficient detail to set clear and defined milestones so that managers and

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Inspection findings

governors can assess their progress accurately.  Managers have implemented a rigorous commissioning process which risk assesses each subcontractor. Managers ensure that the courses that subcontractors provide meet the local and regional needs and the specific objectives of the council. Managers implement rigorous quality improvement strategies so that the quality of learning is of a consistently high standard. Managers carry out unannounced visits to sample the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and to monitor the attendance of learners to ensure that the good quality is maintained.  While council staff accurately identify the main strengths and areas for improvement when they observe lessons, they tend to overstate the strengths. They do not focus sufficiently well on the learning that is taking place or the progress that learners make in the lesson. Recent changes to the lesson observation process mean that teachers now receive feedback following their

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Inspection findings

observation, and this helps them to improve their practice.  In 2015/16, the proportion of adults who remained on their course to the end and achieved their qualification was high. Attendance and retention in the current year are very high. Predicted pass rates, including for English and mathematics, are high in the current year. The vast majority of learners on accredited courses progress to further study or employment, or remain in work.  Teachers track learners’ progress effectively and identify those at risk of leaving their course early or who are struggling with their work. However, managers do not always collate the monitoring information to ensure that the right actions are taken quickly in order to improve achievement rates further.  While learners on non-accredited courses develop self-confidence and often improve their health and well-being, the number of learners who are unemployed and go on to gain employment is too low.

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Inspection findings

 Learners are often set challenging work, for example learners on beauty courses carry out pedicures and manicures on clients to industry standards and deadlines. More advanced information technology learners benefit from additional activities, which extend their skills and knowledge.  Learners’ behaviour is good and they treat each other and their teachers with respect. Their attendance is high. The majority of learners make good progress on their course. On accredited courses, learners develop the skills and knowledge that they need for work. For example, they achieve their basic hygiene certificate, which they need to work in the catering industry. Learners on job- search courses develop their own curriculum vitae, which develops their literacy and word-processing skills and helps them find work.  Teachers develop learners’ mathematical and English skills effectively. For example, learners practise mathematics calculations through weighing and

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Inspection findings

measuring tasks and understand how to convert from imperial to metric measures. They develop their writing and word-processing skills when writing letters and when blogging. Learners develop their self-confidence in spoken English; for example, learners on warehousing courses quickly learn how to present information to their peers.  On English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses, teachers’ assessment of what their learners can already do at the start of the course is detailed and thorough. Teachers use the results of assessments effectively to plan learning activities so that learners make good progress. For example, learners develop their speaking skills so that they are able to pronounce correctly verb endings in the past tense.  In a very small minority of cases on short courses, learners receive feedback too late to help them to improve their work. While most teachers set effective short-

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Inspection findings

term goals, they do not always ensure that learners reflect effectively on what they have learned.

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Next steps for the provider

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the provider

 the proportion of learners who achieve a functional skill qualification in mathematics is increased by monitoring their progress during the course and providing additional support where needed  managers ensure that the quality of the targets set for learners on non- accredited courses are fully assessed so that all teachers set challenging targets for their learners  managers ensure that clear and defined milestones are set in the quality improvement plan so that managers and governors can assess the progress being made accurately  governors and senior leaders ensure that courses effectively prepare a greater proportion of learners on non-accredited courses for employment.

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Next steps for the provider

I am copying this letter to the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, inspectors were assisted by you and the acting senior development officer as nominee. We met with members of the governance board, senior leaders, teachers and staff of subcontractors. We observed sessions in the council and subcontracted venues in the locality. We reviewed learners’ assessed work. We obtained learners’ views through face-to-face interviews and when observing classes. We reviewed key policy documents, including those relating to strategic planning, lesson planning, assessment, quality assurance, performance management and safeguarding.

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