Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Further education and skills inspection report

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Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Local authority

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Overall effectiveness Good Effectiveness of leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes 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

 Council members, senior leaders, managers and staff ensure that the service’s provision makes a positive contribution to enhancing the lives of people in Barnsley.  Leaders and managers have established and promote a culture of mutual respect and tolerance that contributes effectively to maintaining a supportive learning environment.  Leaders and managers have taken effective action since the previous inspection to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, which is now good.  Learners make good progress, and the proportion who achieve their qualifications or intended outcomes is high.  Learners benefit from effective pastoral support, and they improve their skills, knowledge, self-confidence and well-being as a consequence of attending their courses.  Leaders and managers have established good working relationships with several external partners to ensure a consistent approach to improving the life chances and the well-being of

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Summary of key findings

the residents of Barnsley.  Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of the quality of the provision, and they challenge tutors successfully to improve their teaching and outcomes for learners.  Learners are punctual, attend well and arrive at their lessons prepared to work hard.  Managers and tutors provide good information about safeguarding and the possible risks from extremist groups and radicalisation. Learners understand and articulate these issues well and know to whom to report any concerns.  Too few learners on courses in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and on functional English courses achieve their qualifications.  A minority of tutors do not use information about learners’ starting points well enough to challenge learners, particularly the most able, to make more rapid progress.  Managers and tutors do not ensure that support volunteers are used effectively enough in

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Information about the provider

 Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s adult skills and community learning service has its main delivery centre in the town centre. The service also provides courses in 15 other venues across the borough. At the time of the inspection, there were 687 learners on adult learning programmes. Family and community learning courses accounted for just under a quarter of the provision, with the remaining learners on accredited programmes. Learners follow courses in English, mathematics, ESOL, social care, child care, information and communication technology (ICT), learning support, independent living skills, sugar craft, sewing, photography and art.  The population of Barnsley and the surrounding area is mostly made up of people from a White British background. A higher proportion of residents have no qualifications compared with the national and regional rates. The proportion of residents who have a qualification at level 3 or above is below national and regional averages.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve further the quality of the ESOL and English provision so that learners make better progress and a higher proportion achieve their qualifications.  Ensure that all tutors set suitably demanding work using information about learners’ starting points, particularly for the most able learners.  Ensure that tutors make better use of support volunteers to support learners in lessons.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Cabinet members, senior leaders and managers have a well-articulated vision of the positive contribution that adult skills and community learning make to the council’s vision of ‘Working together for a brighter future, a better Barnsley’. They are committed to ensuring that the work of the service prioritises supporting adults who need to gain skills and experience to be successful in their family units, at work and in their communities.  Leaders, managers and staff have ensured that the service provides an effective curriculum to meet the needs of local people. Leaders are aware of the need to equip people in local communities with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become the workforce that local employers are seeking. Leaders, managers and staff have promoted a culture of mutual respect that has contributed effectively to the creation of a supportive learning environment and improvements to teaching, learning and assessment and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

outcomes for learners.  Managers and tutors benefit from meaningful and regular professional development activities that improve the quality of the provision. Managers use a wide range of evidence effectively in their very regular performance meetings with tutors, including data on attendance, retention and achievement, feedback from learners and the outcomes of lesson observations. Tutors have clear and helpful personal development plans to improve relevant aspects of their practice.  Leaders and managers know and evaluate accurately the quality of their provision and have made good progress in rectifying most of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They use a robust and comprehensive lesson observation process to evaluate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They effectively use information from observations, learning walks and learner feedback to challenge tutors to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improve their teaching and the progress of their learners.  Self-assessment – in which both staff and learners participate – is accurate, identifies the few weaker aspects of the provision effectively and enables managers to identify and implement improvement actions. For example, following their identification of weaker English and ESOL provision, leaders have taken action recently to recruit specialist English and ESOL managers and tutors. However, it is too early to see the impact of this action.  Leaders and managers work very effectively with local partners to improve the life chances of adults. Strong working relationships – fostered by the service – enable community and educational partners in Barnsley to provide effective and meaningful progression routes for learners into employment or further training.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance was established effectively through the creation of an improvement and governing board following the previous inspection. The board is made up of cabinet members, senior council managers and carefully selected external educational specialists. Members consider useful information and data that managers supply. They are effective in challenging and supporting managers and ensuring that the provision meets the needs of the service and the local community.  Members of the board have been particularly effective in ensuring that the service becomes a more integral part of the council and that it is supported more effectively by, for example, the council’s human resource and information technology departments.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders and managers have ensured that effective and comprehensive safeguarding arrangements are in place. They make good use of data and information, and act swiftly when they have concerns about the welfare of learners. They liaise effectively with external agencies when necessary.  Managers ensure compliance with the council’s safer recruitment processes and keep accurate records on their employees on completion of suitability checks.  Leaders and managers have implemented effectively actions to ensure that learners and staff understand the risks from radicalisation and extremist groups. Consequently, learners’ understanding of these topics is well developed and they articulate this well.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Since the previous inspection, members of the improvement and governance board, leaders and managers have taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, most learners make good progress and a high proportion achieve their qualifications or intended outcomes.  Tutors use their good subject knowledge and a range of effective teaching methods – including group work and individual coaching – to promote learning. They monitor learners’ progress closely in lessons and intervene effectively to provide guidance and help learners to improve their understanding. Tutors demonstrate their expert skills well in practical lessons, such as sugar craft, sewing and art, which inspires and motivates learners. They provide step-by-step instructions to ensure that learners progress and succeed.  Tutors provide good learning support and pastoral support for learners, both during

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

lessons and outside lessons. They know their learners well and understand their personal circumstances and difficulties. Learners value the flexible approach of staff. Tutors ensure that learners have aids to support their learning when required, such as large-print dictionaries and coloured overlays.  Most tutors assess the starting points of learners accurately and use this information to provide learning to meet learners’ abilities and needs. On a few courses, teachers do not use information about learners’ prior attainment well enough to set challenging activities, particularly for the most able.  Tutors discuss and set appropriate personal targets with learners and review learners’ progress towards achieving them. Learners acknowledge the progress that they have made and the positive impact that this has on their lives. For example, learners studying ICT recognise their improved abilities to send emails with attachments, use spreadsheets

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and prepare presentations. In mathematics, learners are proud of their ability to multiply double-digit numbers and to work out their change more accurately when out shopping. Tutors routinely provide homework to supplement classroom learning and learners complete it willingly and to a high standard.  Most tutors assess learners’ progress effectively during lessons. They use probing questions, observe activities and mark written work. They provide very helpful feedback that identifies what learners have done well and how they can improve further. For example, in art, they encourage learners to build up a shadow effect by using short strokes to suggest short, smooth hair on animal drawings.  On community and family learning courses, learners gain good practical skills that improve their confidence, social skills and well-being. Attending learning enriches their lives and some develop friendships with other learners. Those who have a history of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

mental illness benefit enormously by being part of a group and achieving success in learning, often for the first time. Learners work well collaboratively and benefit from good peer support. As a result, they develop and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.  Tutors do not plan well enough to ensure effective use of learning support volunteers. Managers have not ensured that support volunteers are suitably trained, useful to the tutor or equipped to carry out their intended role. As a result, the impact on learners’ progress of the support that they receive from volunteers is limited.  In a minority of lessons, tutors do not help learners to improve their literacy and numeracy skills well enough. For example, in practical lessons, learners do not learn how to spell words related to their studies or increase their understanding of different shapes or sizes. Tutors do not routinely alert learners to spelling and grammatical errors in their

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

 Through their participation in adult and community learning courses, learners gain new skills, enhance their well-being and family lives, improve their employment prospects and become more self-confident. They take great pride in their work and achievements.  Learners have a high level of respect and tolerance for their peers and tutors. They are enthusiastic and motivated to learn through the supportive learning environments that staff create. Learners feel confident to make mistakes and feel safe to contribute to class discussions. Consequently, most learners make good progress.  The standard of learners’ behaviour is very good. Learners are punctual and arrive ready to learn and apply themselves well to their studies. Their attendance on most courses is good.  Board members, leaders and managers have a strong commitment and desire to help residents in Barnsley to improve their health and well-being. Staff provide a wide range of

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

support focused around helping learners to build their confidence and improve their self- esteem. This includes ‘taster’ sessions that encourage those who are combating loneliness to meet new people, gain new skills and improve their well-being.  Learners feel safe and are safe when attending their lessons at the service’s centres. They are well informed about how to keep themselves and others safe. Managers and tutors provide good information about safeguarding and the possible risks from extremist groups and radicalisation. Learners understand and articulate these issues well and know to whom to report any concerns.  Learners benefit from a good range of impartial advice and guidance at the start of – and throughout – their studies. Staff discuss with learners their options and ensure that they are placed on suitable programmes to meet their needs and aspirations. Ongoing advice and guidance help learners make informed decisions about their next steps into

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

employment or further learning.  The large majority of learners make good contributions to class discussions and improve their communication and spoken English skills effectively. However, too few learners who speak English as an additional language make the progress expected in improving their English skills.

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Outcomes for learners Good

 Most learners make good progress on their courses. A high proportion of learners on accredited adult learning courses successfully achieve their qualifications.  Almost all learners participating in community and family learning activities achieve their intended outcomes within the expected timescales. Learners attending courses in subject areas such as sugar craft and sewing improve their knowledge and understanding of these subjects well. They improve their self-confidence and well-being through interactions with their peers and tutors. A high proportion of learners who are furthest away from the job market improve their skills and life chances as a consequence of attending their course.  Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the next steps that learners make on completion of their programmes. Just over three quarters of learners who complete their programme move into employment or further learning, either with the service or at

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Outcomes for learners Good

other local education providers.  The proportion of learners who achieve high grades in their English and mathematics GCSE improved in 2017/18 to be in line with learners at similar providers and is now good. A high proportion of learners achieve their functional skills mathematics outcomes. However, the proportion of learners achieving their English functional skills qualifications, while improving, remains below the rate for similar providers.  Leaders and managers monitor and review the achievement of different groups of learners, and most achieve equally well. White British learners achieve slightly better than those from other ethnic groups.  The proportion of learners who remain on their ESOL courses is too low. Consequently, too few learners achieve their qualification.

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 2,245

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Provider details

Website www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/adult-skills-and- community-learning/

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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

- 518 - 153 - 16 - - 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 service manager, 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 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

Steve Hunsley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gillian Forrester 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

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

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