Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

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

p.1

Mr Stephen Norrish Director Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited Foundation House The Square Aylesbury Street Wolverton MK12 5HX

p.1

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

Following the short inspection on 31 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 June 2014.

p.1

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

Since the previous inspection, you have continued to provide good-quality education and training for young people in the Milton Keynes area. Many of your trainees have previously not achieved well in schools or colleges in the region.

p.1

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

You and your trustees have established a well-considered, strong vision for the foundation. As a result, you provide a supportive and safe learning environment in which the large majority of trainees achieve their qualifications. Managers have planned the curriculum well to give trainees the opportunity to complete English and mathematics qualifications, as well as taking part in a range of activities that develop their work skills. These help the trainees to make good progress on to their next steps. Your staff provide excellent pastoral support. This enables trainees, especially those who have achieved less well at school, to remain on their courses and overcome problems that have prevented them from achieving in the past.

p.1

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

Leaders and managers have maintained the strengths and successfully tackled the large majority of weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. They use well- considered plans to improve the standards in the few areas that require improvement. As a result, most trainees make good progress to further education, training or employment, including into apprenticeships and traineeships. Since the previous inspection, managers have further developed good relationships with local partners and significantly increased the number of employers they work with. These links provide employment opportunities for trainees and help them gain confidence and useful skills for work.

p.1

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

You have maintained effective safeguarding arrangements since the previous inspection. Leaders, managers and board members place a high priority on safeguarding the trainees. They have made sure that all staff complete comprehensive training. Staff use their skills well to make sure that trainees feel safe and are safe. Staff and trainees have a good understanding of safeguarding and the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. Trainees are aware of potential dangers and know how to report any concerns they may have. Staff deal with safeguarding and well-being concerns swiftly, and use strong links with specialist local agencies when necessary.

p.2

Short inspection of Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited

Managers complete thorough checks on all staff to make sure that they are safe to work with trainees. Trustees receive frequent reports of any concerns and have a good oversight of safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection findings

 Teaching, learning and assessment remain good. Leaders and managers accurately assess the tutors’ abilities to teach, and provide effective support where necessary. Staff benefit from frequent performance reviews that focus on specific and well-considered targets to improve their practice. Managers use the outcomes of these reviews well to plan staff development activities. Tutors make good use of support and professional development, which lead to improvements.  Tutors have high expectations of their trainees and, as a result, the large majority of trainees make good or better progress. Trainees are set challenging targets to make sure that they achieve the best they possibly can. Feedback on their work clearly identifies what they need to do to improve, including spelling and grammatical corrections. Trainees achieve a good standard of practical skills alongside communication and teamworking skills that prepare them well for their

p.2

Inspection findings

future.  Trainees’ attendance requires improvement, and is particularly low in English and mathematics classes. Low attendance in these sessions means that trainees are not prepared well for the demands of employment. Managers have actions in place to improve attendance but the impact is not yet evident.  Leaders and managers provide trainees with a learning environment that is welcoming and safe, and meets their individual personal and learning needs. Trainees are polite and respectful to each other in class and in public areas. They demonstrate British values within their daily lives and work environments, for example, mutual respect and courtesy.  Trainees benefit from participating in a growing number of social-enterprise projects, such as horticulture, catering, childcare and cycle maintenance, as well as newly developed internships. Through these placements, the trainees develop good work skills. As a result of taking part in the cycle scheme, servicing and

p.2

Inspection findings

maintaining the public hire bicycles in Milton Keynes, four trainees recently progressed on to an apprenticeship at a national bicycle retailer.  Well-qualified and experienced tutors and assessors support trainees well to develop their practical and technical skills within their chosen enterprise. Trainees would benefit further from more staff having the skills to review their progress and set new targets between assessor visits, to enable trainees to complete their qualifications and move on to further courses or responsibilities more quickly.  Leaders and managers have a consistent and determined focus on continual improvement. They work successfully to prepare trainees for work or further education. Managers provide the vast majority of trainees with good careers advice and guidance and, as a result, they know their options for further study and work. However, in a small minority of cases, trainees do not have a good

p.3

Inspection findings

enough understanding of the options available to them.  Tutors do not improve all trainees’ information technology (IT) skills sufficiently for future work and education. All trainees have sufficient skills to complete their courses, but a minority do not extend their skills sufficiently to prepare them for the demands of employment in a modern technological society.

p.3

Next steps for the provider

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.3

Next steps for the provider

 teachers help trainees to improve and develop their IT skills for future work and education  managers monitor carefully the impact of measures to improve trainees’ attendance and ensure that attendance improves rapidly in English and mathematics classes to prepare trainees well for future work  managers develop a careers advice and guidance programme so that all trainees are aware of options available to them  more staff are trained to gather evidence and set targets for trainees to help them complete their qualifications and progress more quickly.

p.3

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.

p.3

Information about the inspection

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one Ofsted Inspector, assisted by the director, as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors met with staff, trustees and trainees, completed observations of lessons and workshops and scrutinised trainees’ work and records of progress. Inspectors reviewed key strategic and policy documents, including those related to safeguarding, quality assurance and the performance of the provision.

p.4