John Leggott College

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 1 John Leggott College John Leggott College, West Common Lane, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN17 1DS Inspection of residential provision Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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residential accommodation

The college is for students aged 16 to 19 and offers a wide range of courses including A levels and BTECs. The staff have welcomed international students for about 30 years. Students come from a wide range of different countries including China, Hong Kong, Russia, Latvia, Spain and Germany. At the time of the inspection, about 50% of the international students were from China. The international students live with Home Stay families in the local community. This is the only form of accommodation the college provides. The Home Stay families undergo an assessment to check their suitability to host international students.

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outstanding

How well young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The college provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the college contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for young people.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 23 February 2016 Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The Home Stay families are very caring and, together with college staff, they provide students with high levels of support.  The pastoral support, academic support and transitional support to higher education is bespoke.  There is an excellent range of enrichment activities that develop the students’ life skills.  There is a strong student voice.  The relationships between students and staff are very positive.  The students speak highly of the college and the host families they live with.  The students’ experiences at college enhance their future life chances both academically and socially.  The students leave with significantly improved life skills and independence.  The college’s leaders are ambitious for the students to do well. They have high expectations for the students to achieve and pursue an education at some of the United Kingdom’s (UK) top universities.  The management of the international student support staff, academic advocates and

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Key findings from this inspection

well-being team ensure that the students receive high standards of care. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 3

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Recommendations

 The statement of the residential principles and practice should include the nature and extent to which the college inspects and monitors its Home Stay provision (NMS 1.1).  The college ensures that the arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of the residential students has regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (NMS 11.1). In particular, all safeguarding concerns, discussions and decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions, should be recorded in writing in an individual child’s child protection file. (‘Keeping children safe in education, statutory guidance for schools and colleges’, Department for Education 2018)  The manager of the Home Stay provision must have an appropriate management qualification, equivalent to level 4 in leadership and management (NMS 13.3).  The college must meet termly with host families to discuss any concerns, provide updates from the college and offer opportunities for training or development (NMS

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Recommendations

15.2).  The college must visit all potential Home Stay families, and interview any adults who may be responsible for the accommodation of the students, takes up references and records a satisfactory assessment before any student in placed there (NMS 20.4).  The college ensures that all adults in Home Stay families understand the college’s policy in relation to students who go missing and their role in implementing that policy (NMS 20.5).  At least once per term a member of college staff discusses their lodgings separately with each student accommodated by the college in lodgings, recording the student’s assessment in writing and acting on any concerns or complaints (NMS 20.8).

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: outstanding

The Home Stay families are very caring and nurturing. They take an active interest in the lives of the students and provide them with high levels of support both emotionally and practically. The quality of relationships built with the students is very good. This is evident by the contact, visits and holidays shared together after the students leave. The pastoral care, academic support, help with transition to university and promotion of student well-being is bespoke and tailored to the students’ individual needs. This is provided by the academic advocates, well-being team and international student support staff. The students benefit from practising their interview skills, undertaking job research and from support with their applications to university and developing their personal statements. This is enhanced by guest speakers from universities, advice from professionals in different careers and by ex-students sharing their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: outstanding

Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 4 There is an excellent range of enrichment activities that promote student friendships, inclusion, and provide an outlet from intensive studies. These activities are student chosen and student led, which promote their confidence and leadership skills. These activities include topics such as first aid and sign language that are accredited and develop the students’ life skills. This, in turn, adds value to their applications to enter top universities in the UK. The students are regularly consulted and there is a college student leadership team. The students’ feedback is taken seriously, and the college is continually making improvements. For example, the students have requested greater detail, prior to arrival, about the host families that they are matched to and have asked for more diversity of the food provided by the college. Any student dissatisfaction with where they are living

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: outstanding

is responded to quickly and in line with their wishes and feelings. The high standards of the student support, enrichment and consultation have helped form very positive relationships between the students and staff. The students have a strong sense of belonging, both to the college and the families they live with. They have lasting positive memories as seen in the recent alumni reunion celebrations of the college’s 50 th year. The students speak highly of the college and the families that they live with. There are plenty of staff they go to for support. The college is recruiting an independent listener to provide the students an additional avenue of support. Overall practice within the college exceeds the standard of good. The level of aspiration and challenge from staff supports students who are already high achievers to continue their pursuit of excellent outcomes. The students’ experiences at college enhance their

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Overall experiences and progress of young people: outstanding

future life chances both academically and socially. The students leave with significantly improved life skills and independence. The college has considerable links with the countries that the students come from. There is a regular exchange of communication, ideas and knowledge. Consequently, the college staff have developed their practices and student support to make an exceptional difference for those international students coming to live in Scunthorpe. For example, there is now a comprehensive induction process at the start of the year that helps students become familiar with the surrounding area. The programme of enrichment activities has improved and there are extensive arrangements to promote the mental health and well-being of the students .

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

The students say that they feel safe in their Home Stay accommodation, when travelling to college and when they are at college. The college staff and Home Stay families are engaging and frequently ask the students how they are. The staff are quick to notice any indications of concern, such as being late for lessons, drop in attendance or small changes in behaviour. The Home Stay families are prompt in reporting any concerns that they have about the students. There is successful integration between academic staff, pastoral staff and the Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 5 Home Stay families that provides a substantial safety net for the students. The college undertakes regular assessment of the Home Stay accommodation, ensuring that any health and safety risks or safeguarding risks are addressed thoroughly. There are no issues with students being missing, at risk of offending, nor any misuse of drugs

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

and alcohol. There are plans for the college to meet termly with the Home Stay families, but this is not yet routine practice as required by the national minimum standards. There are clear expectations in relation to rules and boundaries and the students’ behaviour is generally very good. The students are free from exploitation and bullying. The college promotes diversity and tolerance. There is a good sharing of cultural diversity. The international student support staff were arranging with students a Chinese New Year celebration for all students and host families. Students with transgender needs are readily accepted within the college. The safeguarding managers have good links with the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board. The safeguarding managers are part of local and regional networks for protecting children from exploitation and radicalisation. The college staff and the Home Stay families receive regular training to help them fulfil their safeguarding duties. The

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How well young people are helped and protected: good

learning of the Home Stay families is not assessed to ensure that good practice will be consistently followed. Safeguarding concerns about college students are promptly addressed. The record- keeping of actions taken by staff, their decision-making and support given to students are not clear and do not meet statutory guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The college’s leaders are ambitious for both the college and the students to do well. They have high expectations for the students to achieve and pursue an education at some of the UK’s top universities. The management of the international student support staff, academic advocates and well-being team ensure that the students receive high standards of care. There are thorough processes in place that track students’ progress, attendance and their well- being. The college staff work cohesively and support any students that may be struggling. The International Student Department provides appropriate support for host families so that the students are well looked after. This is an area being developed in terms of more regular support checks, risk assessments, student feedback and renewal of host family agreements. No new families have been recruited for several years. The college has ensured through the current system of checks that the more suitable families and those

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

closest to the college have been retained. Senior leaders know the college’s strengths and weaknesses and act to improve the quality of the residential provision. As well as the quality improvement plan, the college is also providing wider access to the parent portal site for international parents. There are new videos being developed in a range of languages to support parents and Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 6 students to learn about college life before they arrive. The recommendations from the last inspection have already been acted on or are currently being addressed. There is a new manager and staff in post, and this has impacted on the timeliness of meeting all of the previous recommendations. The plans for how the International Student Department will run are not formalised in the statement of terms and principles for the residential provision. This includes

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

recruitment processes for any new Home Stay families and the expected minimum frequency of support checks and risk assessments. The manager and staff have some good ideas for developing the Home Stay provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of young people. They watched how professional staff work with young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the college knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards. Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 7

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details

Social care unique reference number: SC062448 Principal/CEO: Leon Riley

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Inspectors

Simon Morley, social care inspector Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report for further education college with residential accommodation: John Leggott College 8 achieve 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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