The Mount Camphill Community Ltd

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

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Sara Garland Education Coordinator The Mount Camphill Community Faircrouch Lane Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6PT

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Following the short inspection on 16 January 2018, 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 July 2014.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Since the previous inspection, senior leaders, managers and trustees have continued to provide a consistently good quality of education for students at The Mount Camphill Community. During this time, decisive action taken by leaders has secured a strengthened financial position for The Mount Camphill Community.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Students enjoy their studies. During carefully planned learning sessions, students develop useful, practical life skills and become more independent. Students benefit from very good facilities and highly skilled and knowledgeable staff. In well- equipped craft workshops, students develop their creative skills and produce goods of a marketable quality.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

The recent addition of a co-housing facility at The Mount Camphill Community has enhanced the opportunities for students to become involved in social-enterprise projects, to gain work experience and to sell their produce and craft items.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Leaders and managers have significantly increased the number of students who take part in external work experience. Students also benefit from a wider range of workplaces where they can take up placements. For example, one student with a keen interest in working with animals is in a placement at a bird sanctuary.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Since the previous inspection, students develop their English and mathematical skills better in vocational classes. However, you recognise that not all tutors record the progress and achievement of each student sufficiently well. As a result, staff do not set students sufficiently individualised targets for English and mathematical skills that help them to make good progress.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Thorough and effective pre-employment checks are in place to vet the suitability of staff and co-workers. All staff, co-workers and trustees receive frequent safeguarding training and they are confident in raising potential safeguarding concerns with the designated safeguarding manager.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Leaders and managers have successfully implemented actions required under the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have put in place risk assessments and action plans to ensure that all staff are knowledgeable with regard to the risks of radicalisation and extremism. Staff have fully integrated ‘Prevent’ topics into the safeguarding procedures and staff-induction processes at the college.

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Short inspection of The Mount Camphill Community

Students feel safe and understand how to keep themselves safe. They understand how to report any concerns. They receive regular safeguarding training and understand the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and managers have effectively embedded the principles of British values into the ethos and values of the college. Students demonstrate high levels of respect and tolerance towards each other, and towards staff and visitors to the college.  The benefit of engaging co-workers from diverse backgrounds and cultures is evident throughout the college. As a result, students are inquisitive and open- minded and are eager to celebrate diversity and learn about cultural differences and traditions. For example, in cookery and baking, students learn the importance and relevance of different dishes to different cultures and learn how to make them successfully.  Staff support and encourage students to become active citizens through the discussion of topical issues such as ‘Brexit’ and by learning how to vote. The student council helps students to understand their democratic right to have a voice.  Tutors closely align work-experience placements to students’ needs, interests and

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Inspection findings

abilities. They create a vocational profile for each student based on the aims identified on the student’s education, health and care plan. This helps to focus the work-experience placement. Students have a choice of placements and can attend a taster session before they start their experience. The range of work- experience providers aligns well with the areas of study at the college. For example, placements currently include garden centres, a bird sanctuary, bookshops, a nursery school, a care home, cafes and supermarkets.  For students who are not yet ready for an external work placement, there are a range of internal placements, such as in the laundry, cooking with professional cooks or working in the busy office. Students can also work in the co-housing social-enterprise projects, for example doing candle-making and making herbal tea. This helps to bridge the gap between internal and external placements, as

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Inspection findings

many of the social-enterprise projects sell their goods at local markets and community events.  Leaders, managers and trustees can now more effectively track and monitor performance, including destinations. The very recent appointment of a new data and information manager has already begun to have a positive impact on tracking, monitoring and reporting systems.  Trustees maintain a good overview of the quality of provision. They receive regular detailed reports and visit the college often. Trustees with specific responsibilities for areas such as safeguarding and education have relevant backgrounds. As a result, trustees are able to fully support and challenge leaders and managers.  Students receive careers advice and guidance from their tutors and mentors and have detailed discussions in their review meetings regarding their next steps. However, they do not currently have access to impartial careers advice and

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Inspection findings

guidance and so are not always aware of opportunities for programmes such as supported internships.  Students enjoy developing their mathematical and English skills and the great majority make good progress in the one-to-one sessions from which they benefit.  Tutors skilfully develop students’ mathematical and English skills in the vocational curriculum. Tutors plan lessons well and make use of effective questioning to check students’ skills development . However, not all tutors record each student’s English and mathematics progress and achievement consistently well in their vocational subjects. Generic English and mathematical skills development targets exist across all subject areas, but these are not always individualised to each student.  Students do not have enough opportunity to become familiar with electronic technologies, for example laptops, tablets and mobile phones. As a result, they are not fully prepared for life after college.

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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

 they develop opportunities for students to access impartial careers advice and guidance so that all students understand the broad range of opportunities open to them on graduation from the college  tutors record the English and mathematics achievement of each student effectively in their vocational subjects and set appropriate individualised targets to develop their skills  they improve opportunities for students to develop their communication and life skills through the safe and confident use of mobile technologies. I am copying this letter to the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, the student programme coordinator, as nominee, assisted the inspection team. We held meetings with your senior leaders, trustees, managers and teaching staff. We observed teaching, learning and assessment in classrooms and specialist workshops, accompanied by members of your staff. We spoke with students, tutors and co-workers. We observed internal work-related activity. We reviewed key documents, including those relating to safeguarding, performance and improvement, self-assessment, work experience and student progression and destinations. We considered the views of students through face-to-face discussions.

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