CXK LIMITED

Further education and skills inspection report

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CXK LIMITED Community learning and skills

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 As a result of CXK Prince’s Trust programmes, learners gain enthusiasm for learning. They become more self-assured and are proud of what they achieve.  Learners attend well, despite often having negative previous experiences of education. Most are punctual and arrive ready to work.  Staff support learners well to improve their confidence and motivation. Consequently, most learners stay on the programme until the end of the course and achieve their qualification.  Leaders plan effective programmes that improve learners’ confidence and skills. This prepares learners very well for their next steps.  As a result of well-planned and managed community projects, learners develop a good understanding of their society. They make meaningful and positive contributions to their local area.  Trustees and all staff make sure that learners feel, and are, safe.  Although leaders and managers track learners’ next steps well, they do not have enough

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Summary of key findings

information about the long-term destinations of learners to judge the full impact of their courses.  Performance reviews lack evaluative comments to help teachers improve their teaching skills.  Leaders and managers do not monitor learners’ development of English, mathematics, and information and communications technology (ICT) skills sufficiently closely.

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Information about the provider

 CXK Limited (CXK) is a charitable organisation delivering a range of services for young people, adults and families across Kent, Essex and Sussex, although funded learning is currently only provided in Kent. CXK offers leadership and development programmes to a small number of learners on well-established Prince’s Trust Team courses. These programmes last for 12 weeks and concentrate on increasing confidence, motivation and work-related skills, with the aim of moving learners into employment, education, training, volunteering or onto an apprenticeship.  Unemployment in Kent is lower than the national average and the number of pupils achieving 5 GCSEs at A* to C grades, including English and mathematics, is slightly above the national average. This inspection report does not have a provision type report or grade because CXK is funded to deliver additional learning, not mainstream provision.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders and managers should improve the methods they use to capture information about learners’ destinations to more effectively evaluate the impact of their learning.  Leaders and managers should implement plans to improve the evaluation of teaching, learning and assessment, so that all teaching staff know how to improve their practice.  Managers should improve learners’ progress by: – making sure that teaching staff set work that challenges and inspires all learners sufficiently – developing strategies to improve the quality of English, mathematics and ICT tracking and teaching – improving the strategies that teachers use in lessons to check learning and to feed back to learners.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders, trustees and managers have a strong commitment to, and high aspirations for, learners and staff. The recent appointment of a new chief executive has led to substantial and positive changes to the culture and strategic direction of the organisation. All staff understand the new vision and mission. This has resulted in all staff at CXK working effectively together to meet the needs of people in local communities.  Leaders and managers have taken swift and decisive actions to improve learners’ attendance. Improved tracking systems help staff to monitor and check learners’ progress more effectively. Learners attend well and make good progress. The proportion of learners who attend work experience has increased and is now high.  Leaders work successfully with external organisations to plan effective personalised Prince’s Trust programmes. These help learners, who often have substantial barriers to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

learning, develop good personal, social and work-related skills. Almost all learners improve their confidence because of their studies.  Managers and teaching staff make sure that learners make a considerable contribution to local community groups. Well-planned and effective projects successfully encourage learners to help disadvantaged and/or vulnerable people within their local area. Learners develop their awareness of social and economic matters within their community well. This in turn broadens their understanding of British values. For example, learners work well with local small businesses to design and create a new park from derelict ground. Other learners research the number of homeless people in their community and produce helpful care packages for the local shelter.  Leaders and managers analyse gaps in achievement well. They put detailed actions in place to close most of these gaps. For example, managers quickly identified the causes of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

poor retention and achievement at one centre. They revised the entry procedures and improved the advice they gave to learners at the beginning of the course. This helped more learners to complete the course successfully.  Leaders make sure that staff attend carefully planned training events that improve their skills and knowledge. Staff appreciate the training they receive. Teaching staff share good practice effectively between teams, including new strategies to improve learners’ English skills. Staff training on increasing attendance and retention has led to improvements in both these areas.  Leaders’ judgements about the strengths and weaknesses of the CXK Prince’s Trust programmes are mostly accurate. However, leaders do not analyse sufficiently the information they gain from lesson observations. As a consequence, they do not know enough about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Leaders manage the performance of most staff successfully. Staff receive detailed mid-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

programme reviews. Leaders set them challenging and time-bound targets that fit well with the aims of CXK. Staff who underperform have clear actions to help them improve. As a result, all staff have met or exceeded their targets for learners’ retention, achievement, attendance and progression. However, as outcomes from lesson observations are not always included in performance reviews, not all teachers know how to improve their teaching and learning skills.  Managers’ observations of teaching and learning concentrate too much on teachers’ actions and not enough on the progress that learners are making. Managers do not always follow up actions resulting from observations to check that learning has improved. A few teachers make slow progress at improving their teaching skills.  Managers and teaching staff do not track improvements in learners’ English, mathematics and ICT skills sufficiently. Consequently, they cannot be sure that all learners make good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

progress in developing these skills that they will need for their next steps.

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The governance of the provider

 Highly committed trustees scrutinise and oversee the work of the charity well. They use their skills and experience to support leaders and managers very effectively. They work closely with managers to bring about improvement.  Trustees receive detailed, timely reports from leaders. These inform them fully of the progress that leaders, managers and teaching staff make against their targets. Trustees understand most of the strengths and weaknesses of CXK Prince’s Trust programmes, and hold leaders to account successfully.  Trustees have a good oversight of learners’ attendance, course completion and progress to their next steps. However, they do not receive enough information to accurately judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have put in place effective procedures to make sure that learners stay safe. They check staff suitability well and carry out helpful recruitment checks. Staff complete detailed risk assessments of venues and of individual learners within their groups. Managers make sure that incident logs record safeguarding concerns thoroughly. They follow these up until they are fully resolved.  All staff receive frequent update training in safeguarding. They discuss concerns and share good practice. Staff receive training on how to keep themselves safe in and out of the classroom. As a result of good support from designated safeguarding staff, they feel confident about reporting concerns and understand how to do this.  Safeguarding staff have good connections with external organisations. They use these links successfully to protect learners from the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.

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Safeguarding

During their induction, learners receive comprehensive training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. They learn how to protect themselves from risks such as grooming, inappropriate behaviour, radicalisation and extremism. Learners discuss age-appropriate behaviour and language, and safe internet use. Teaching staff set group rules and boundaries to make sure that learners feel safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching staff support learners well. As a result, learners develop good skills in leadership and teamwork. This builds their confidence quickly and they are proud of the progress they make.  Most learners develop good work-related skills because of well-planned community projects and work placements. For example, one learner wished to go to college to study a qualification in painting and decorating. He was able to learn the basic skills of this trade during his time on his community project. This prepared him well for his next steps.  Teaching staff use a wide range of information about learners’ starting points to plan effective learning. Lesson plans identify clearly learners’ support needs. Teaching staff meet at the beginning of each day to identify which learners will need the most help in the day’s activities, based on ability and starting points. They use this information well to engage learners and build their confidence.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Well-qualified teaching staff use their expertise to plan learning effectively. They use resources that enthuse and engage most learners, and help them enjoy their learning. Teaching staff set useful targets with learners to make sure that most make good progress with their qualification. They review targets frequently with learners. Learners understand what they have achieved and know what they need to do.  Teaching staff check and track the progress that learners make well. They report on learners’ progress every week to managers. They identify quickly any learners at risk of falling behind. These learners receive extra support, which encourages them to catch up. Most learners complete the course and achieve their personal targets.  Learners develop good communication skills during their time on their course. Teaching staff help them to improve the way they speak. Many learners start with little confidence

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in their ability to speak in public. By means of careful planning and effective support from teaching staff, learners improve these skills quickly. Learners understand the importance of developing these abilities for their next steps, and value the progress they make.  Parents, carers and guardians value the skills that their children develop as a result of CXK Prince’s Trust programmes. In recently introduced parental feedback questionnaires, parents praise the support available for their children. They report better attitudes towards learning and work. Parents are justly very proud of the way that their sons and daughters have grown in confidence and matured during the course.  Learners are respectful of each other and of the people they work with. Teaching staff celebrate diversity well in their teaching. They discuss topics such as stereotyping and women’s rights in detail with learners. They help learners understand the society they live

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in.  Not enough learners receive consistently high-quality and detailed feedback from teaching staff. In a small minority of lessons, feedback links well to achievements, workplace skills and learners’ targets. However, most written comments do not emphasise how learners can better develop their skills. Accordingly, learners do not always know how to improve their work.  In a few lessons, staff do not check learning sufficiently. They neither question learners effectively to improve their understanding nor do they manage group work efficiently. Although learners do develop the skills they need to meet their learning goals, some do not do this as quickly as they should.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Learners, many of whom have not had positive experiences in education, behave well and respect each other’s opinions. They act quickly on instructions from staff, allowing lessons to run smoothly. Teaching staff challenge the rare occurrences of bad language sensitively. Learners respond well to these challenges.  During their programmes, learners quickly become more confident and self-assured. They develop an enthusiasm for learning. Learners, and their parents, are proud of their achievements.  Leaders and managers celebrate learners’ success admirably. Learners speak enthusiastically of the skills that they develop on the programme. They value particularly the opportunities to improve their confidence when speaking in front of others. For example, at a celebration evening in the last week of their programme, learners spoke assuredly to the audience about improvements to their motivation as a result of their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

course.  Learners attend well and attendance at all teaching centres is high. Leaders and managers track and analyse learners’ attendance effectively. This allows them to identify and quickly support learners who need help in improving their attendance. Teaching staff track punctuality thoroughly. They set clear targets for the small number of learners who are not punctual, and these help them improve their timekeeping.  Learners benefit from a broad range of work experience opportunities. Employment coordinators have developed a wide network of business links throughout Kent to support work placements. This helps them to place most learners with employers that are well suited to their needs and interests. Employers and learners evaluate the success of the work experience placement effectively. This allows learners to understand the skills that they have developed.  Learners develop their employability skills well on account of the CXK Prince’s Trust

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

programme. Bespoke one-to-one interviews help learners to identify skills gaps and discover how to fill these. Employment coordinators carry out mock interviews with learners that prepare them successfully for job interviews. Exclusive recruitment days with companies such as care organisations and activity centres help learners find out more about employment opportunities.  Learners benefit from impartial, well-structured careers advice. Managers have close links with local colleges and other organisations to support learners’ progression into further education. All learners have an effective initial careers advice session at the beginning of their 12-week course. They receive action plans that give them good advice and guidance about progression. This helps them to make informed choices about the next stage of their education, employment or training. However, learners do not routinely receive time-

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

bound deadlines to encourage and motivate them to make faster progress in seeking work or work experience.  Learners know how to keep themselves safe and whom to contact if they have any concerns. Staff help them to consider the risks involved in their residential week. For their community projects, learners complete their own risk assessments to help them learn about and identify potential hazards. However, teaching staff do not question learners closely enough, or set challenging enough targets to make sure that all learners understand these topics fully.  Learners develop good personal skills. They complete a course on money management, where they learn about taxation and debt. Learners value these lessons, which allow them to feel more confident about dealing with money. They find out about healthy living and learn about food hygiene. They improve their budgeting skills by planning, ordering and cooking meals during their residential week.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Not enough learners develop their English, mathematics and ICT skills well enough during CXK Prince’s Trust programmes. Because of limited ICT facilities, learners do not get enough opportunities to develop technology skills that will help their progression and career aims. Targets in progress reviews for English, and particularly mathematics, lack clarity and are often generic. Actions are not specific enough to help learners identify the skills they need to develop, and understand how they can make progress. As a result, teaching staff and learners are not always clear about the improvements that need to be made.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 The intention of Prince’s Trust courses is to help young people to stabilise their lives while boosting their confidence and motivation. All learners achieve these aims during their time with CXK, and most achieve their end qualification.  New development trackers, devised since the previous inspection, allow leaders and managers to monitor learners’ progress and unit completion effectively. Teaching staff quickly identify learners who are falling behind and support them well to achieve. At the time of the inspection, all learners who were in the final week of their programme were on track to achieve their qualification.  During their time on CXK Prince’s Trust programmes, all learners make progress against their often low starting points. They start to develop the skills they will need for their next steps. They enjoy their learning, work hard and are able to articulate what they have developed as part of the programme.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Leaders, managers and teaching staff are passionate about helping learners improve their self-assurance and enthusiasm for learning, and about helping them to achieve. As a result, most learners stay to the end of their courses. Retention is high and exceeds the targets set by the Prince’s Trust.  The proportion of learners who have progressed to apprenticeships, employment or further education because of their time on the CXK Prince’s Trust courses has risen steadily over the past five years. It is now high. Male and female learners progress equally well. Almost all learners are successfully prepared for their next steps. In 2016/17, almost all learners progressed to either full- or part-time work or further study, or into apprenticeships.  Standards of work meet, and often exceed, learning goals and qualification requirements. Managers and teaching staff check and moderate precisely the quality of learners’ work.

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Outcomes for learners Good

Reports from the Prince’s Trust rightly praise the quality of the assignments and practical work that learners produce.  Although leaders and managers track and record learners’ progression well after leaving CXK Prince’s Trust programmes, they do not analyse this against their initial intended destinations. Managers do not track how long learners stay in their destinations, or record when learners move on to higher levels of learning. Accordingly, leaders and managers are not fully aware of the longer-term impact of their programmes.  Most learners achieve their qualification at the end of the CXK Prince’s Trust course. However, in 2016/17, the proportion who passed their qualifications was below the target set by the Prince’s Trust, and below that of similar organisations.

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Provider details

Type of provider Not-for-profit organisation

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Pauline Smith

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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

25 1 8 - - - - - 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+ - - - - - - Number of traineeships 16–19 19+ Total - - - 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 -

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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: -

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the assistant director, training and development, 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 and assessments. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Andy Fitt, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Perry Her Majesty’s 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

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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