London Professional College Ltd

Further education and skills inspection report

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London Professional College Ltd Independent learning provider

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Adult learning programmes Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings

This is a provider that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings

 Leaders do not accurately identify weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, they do not ensure swift improvements to the quality of training.  Leaders do not do enough to ensure that learners quickly improve their skills in English and mathematics.  Learners’ attendance is often low.  Leaders do not track in enough detail the destinations of their learners. Consequently, they are unable to judge the success of their courses.  Teachers do not provide good enough ongoing feedback to learners. As a result, learners are not always clear how to improve their work.  Teachers do not always use information about learners’ starting points to plan and teach lessons that enable the most able learners to make rapid progress.

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Summary of key findings

The provider has the following strengths

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Summary of key findings

 Leaders effectively monitor the progress learners make towards completing their qualifications. They intervene swiftly and ensure that most learners achieve their qualifications.  Teachers have good vocational experience that they use effectively to make learning relevant to the workplace.  Learners enjoy and value their learning opportunities, which help them secure employment.  Learners benefit from good-quality online resources and from flexible learning programmes that meet their caring commitments effectively.  Learners benefit from individual sessions to help them catch up with work they find difficult.  Learning programmes prepare learners effectively for life in modern Britain.

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Information about the provider

 London Professional College Limited (LPC) was formed in 2007. LPC has delivered a range of different training programmes for learners, focusing predominantly on unemployed learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. LPC was awarded its own direct funding contract in 2016 and currently has 142 learners on level 3 programmes. All learners access learning through adult learning loans. Almost all study business administration, with a small minority of learners studying health and social care. Most learners at LPC speak English as an additional language.

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What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Leaders should improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – pinpointing weaknesses in teaching and learning so that they can quickly put in place actions to secure improvement – making sure that teachers provide effective ongoing feedback to learners that enables them to make good progress – making sure that teachers use information about learners’ existing skills and knowledge to provide challenging teaching – making sure that teachers help learners to rapidly develop and improve their English and mathematics skills.  Leaders need to accurately identify learners’ next steps on completing their programme. They then need to use this information to ensure that their programmes effectively meet the training and skills requirements of learners.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders do not accurately identify weaknesses in the provision or plan effectively to improve them. They have yet to implement an effective strategy to enable learners to improve their English and mathematics skills.  Leaders do not know enough about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They do not identify accurately the weaknesses in teaching and therefore are unable to improve the quality of learning and assessment. Managers who carry out lesson observations concentrate too much on what teachers do and not enough on learners and their learning. As a result, they do not identify teachers’ development needs or provide sufficient professional development to enable teachers to improve their skills quickly.  Although leaders have recently improved the way that they track and monitor learners’ destinations, they do not know whether the programmes they offer successfully meet the needs of learners. The information they collect on learners’ next steps is incomplete. As a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

result, they do not know how to improve the course content to meet these skills fully.  Leaders work productively with local employers and help them to meet their skills requirements. For example, they have worked with one large health care employer to design a level 3 health and social care programme that develops and extends employees skills and knowledge.  Leaders and managers check the ongoing performance of learners in detail. They intervene swiftly when they identify that a learner is making slow progress and take appropriate action. As a result, most learners make progress towards completing their programmes. However, leaders and managers have yet to identify that the quality of learners’ work often requires improvement or that too few achieve high grade passes.  Leaders ensure that learners receive useful ongoing careers advice and guidance. Careers staff assess learners’ prior skills effectively and match these to the courses on offer. For

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

example, learners who have experience and qualifications from their home countries access learning to translate and apply their knowledge to their intended career goals within the UK.  Leaders plan very effectively to improve learners’ understanding of life in modern Britain. They prepare learners well for work and the expectations of employers. Leaders ensure that learners understand what is considered acceptable professional practice in the business and social care settings they seek employment in.

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The governance of the provider

 Governance arrangements provide insufficient challenge to leaders to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Directors are not clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the training they provide.  Governors work well with leaders to set the strategic direction of the college. They hold leaders to account for the performance of learners. They check the achievement of different groups of learners and set challenging targets for staff related to this.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff have received appropriate and recent training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. The two designated safeguarding leads understand their roles well. They regularly update their knowledge about safeguarding and make sure that staff understand their responsibilities.  Learners feel safe and understand how to keep themselves and others safe, both in the workplace and in their everyday lives. They know how to protect themselves from the risks of radicalisation and extremism, and how to report concerns.  Teachers introduce safeguarding with learners at the start of their programmes, including staying safe when working online. Learners’ awareness is reinforced effectively through progress reviews and a variety of online learning resources.  Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are carried out on staff before they start employment. These checks include teachers’ right to work in the UK and Disclosure and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers do not use information about learners’ starting points effectively to plan learning. Although learners often have higher-level qualifications from their own home countries, teachers often fail to take this knowledge into consideration when planning learning. As a result, too few learners achieve high grade passes.  Teachers do not set high aspirations for learners. They do not encourage learners to present work of a good standard first time, or to analyse a wide enough range of information to inform their work. As a result, learners are often not prepared well enough to move on to higher-level qualifications.  Teachers do not give learners clear feedback throughout the programme to help them to improve their work. Learners are often unsure about how well they are developing their skills and knowledge at an early stage of their programme. Although teachers provide detailed and constructive feedback on final assignments, this often comes too late to help

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

learners to improve their work to a high standard.  Learners enjoy their learning. Teachers motivate them effectively to complete their qualifications. The short length of their programmes provides them with achievable goals, linked to their intended employment. Learners benefit from attending local venues and welcome the flexible learning programmes that fit in with their personal caring commitments.  Teachers have good vocational skills and knowledge. They use their expertise successfully to make learning relevant to the workplace, and to plan relevant and interesting learning activities to engage the learners.  Teachers support learners well. They get to know their learners very quickly and rapidly identify their support needs. Teachers provide useful individual sessions to help those learners who struggle in class to develop their skills and knowledge so that they catch up quickly.  Learners benefit from useful and interesting online resources which help them to improve

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

their skills and knowledge. For example, learners studying business administration broaden and consolidate their knowledge and understanding of business terminology through a wide variety of good-quality online glossaries. Learners improve their information technology skills as they learn how to search, locate, download, complete and save a wide variety of documents and files.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

 Learners’ attendance is often low. Staff do not set high expectations for learners to attend regularly. Too many learners do not arrive punctually for lessons or for one-to-one appointments.  Teachers do not help learners, the large majority of whom speak English as an additional language, to improve their English or mathematics skills quickly enough. They do not use the information they have on learners’ initial abilities in these subjects to devise lessons that help learners to improve their skills. However, learners do improve their speaking and listening skills as a result of being on the programme.  Teachers help learners to understand the relevance of their learning. For example, those studying health and social care practise and apply their knowledge and skills in their workplaces. They know about the responsibilities of care workers and the importance of working effectively with others. Employers in these settings contribute fully to the

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

learning taking place through reviews of learners’ skills at work.  Learners improve their confidence as they complete their learning programmes. They become more self-assured. This improves their job prospects. Learners increase their knowledge of important legislation, such as health and safety and client confidentiality. In business administration, learners understand better how to maximise the skills of their teams. They improve their knowledge of administrative procedures. This prepares those who want to develop their own businesses effectively for self-employment.  Staff provide appropriate careers information, advice and guidance for learners. Teachers prepare learners well for employment. They help learners to write curricula vitae, to prepare job applications and to improve their communication skills. Learners are clear about their intended next steps and career goals and they know what they need to

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

achieve to be successful.  Teachers effectively promote and reinforce British values to learners. Learners value the opinions of others and show high levels of respect for their teachers and their peers.  Teachers promote equality appropriately and reinforce the importance of diversity in society. They use learners’ own experiences and backgrounds effectively to promote a good understanding of tolerance. As a result, learners are keen to help and support each other in their learning. For example, learners translate worksheets for each other.

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

 Learners do not make rapid enough progress in their subjects. Teachers do not help the most able to quickly develop new skills and knowledge. Consequently, although most achieve their qualifications and gain the basic knowledge and skills for their chosen jobs, few achieve high grades.  Learners develop confidence in developing work-related skills, and most progress into work or self-employment once they have completed their programmes. Health and social care learners become more confident to care for the health needs of their clients. Business administration learners improve their knowledge and confidence and are able to give professional presentations to potential employers.  Most learners achieve their qualifications. Although the proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications declined in 2017/18, it remains high.  Leaders analyse the achievement of different groups of learners in detail. They plan

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Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

carefully to make sure that no individual is disadvantaged. As a result, learners achieve their qualifications equally well.  Learners develop their speaking and listening skills appropriately, but make too little improvement to their skills in written English and mathematics. They do not have the opportunity to gain qualifications in these subjects.

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Provider details

Type of provider Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal/CEO Kevin R Rajmun

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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

- - - - - 142 - - 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 At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors: N/A

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. 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, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Perry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Griffin 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

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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