Ebenezer Community College Ltd

Ebenezer Community College Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Steve Lambert, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Community Learning and Skills

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Address:

726–728 Seven Sisters Road, London N15 5NH Monitoring visit: Ebenezer Community College Limited, 17–18 July 2019

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Context and focus of visit

From March 2019, Ofsted undertook to carry out monitoring visits to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision which began to be funded from August 2017 or after by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly funded to deliver adult learning provision’ and ‘Monitoring visits’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Ebenezer Community College Limited (ECC) is a training provider based in Tottenham, north London. The provider offers training primarily to adults in English, mathematics, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), information and communication technology, and in health and social care at level 2. ECC has worked as a subcontractor to other providers since 2002. It has received funding directly from the Education and Skills Funding Agency through the adult education budget since 2017, and it is this provision that is in scope for the monitoring visit. In 2018/19 the provider has 184 learners funded through this route.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established a positive, supportive culture where learners’ personal circumstances are at the centre of leaders’ curriculum planning.

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Reasonable progress

Staff are careful to recruit learners who will gain new knowledge and skills and access to further learning and employment through achieving qualifications in English and mathematics. Leaders provide intensive programmes which learners can attend during the day or evening. Learners make rapid progress. Most learners stay to the end of their course and a majority achieve qualifications. Most learners move on into further study when they complete their course.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established effective partnerships with Jobcentre Plus, local colleges, and universities. These partnerships have led to more learners being referred to the provider to improve their English and mathematical skills.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders’ and managers’ quality assurance arrangements are not yet effective. They do not evaluate well enough the quality of training and do not provide effective support to staff so that they can improve their teaching. Leaders have a broadly accurate picture of the college’s strengths and are candid in their evaluation of areas Monitoring visit: Ebenezer Community College Limited, 17–18 July 2019 for improvement. However, the areas for improvement that they have identified focus largely on business development rather than on the quality of the training offered. Leaders and managers do not set targets by which they can judge the improvements they have made. As a result, they are unable to assess the progress they have made in improving the quality of the provision.

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Reasonable progress

The board of trustees does not have sufficient oversight of the quality of the provision. Leaders and managers have established plans to re-engage trustees which include frequent meetings and more activities that involve learners, staff and trustees. However, it is too soon to see the impact of these actions.

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Reasonable progress

At the start of the programmes, staff provide good guidance to learners to ensure that they enrol on courses that will meet their aspirations. They assess accurately learners’ prior English and mathematics skills.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers on English and mathematics courses have good subject knowledge. Teachers on health and social care courses also have up-to-date commercial experience. Staff use their experience well to help learners to develop their skills quickly. For example, learners in health and social care have developed their confidence in talking to service users.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers in mathematics skilfully structure lessons to enable learners to understand related topics. This helps learners to understand the relationship between decimals, percentages and fractions. As a result, learners make good progress in developing new skills and knowledge.

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Reasonable progress

In ESOL, learners make good progress in the development of their reading skills and in their confidence to speak English. They enjoy their learning. They have good attendance.

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Reasonable progress

Learners produce work which is of an appropriate standard for the course on which they are enrolled. Learners’ portfolios on health and social care courses are of a good standard and demonstrate the skills they have gained. However, in too many cases teachers’ feedback on learners’ written work does not provide learners with sufficient information on what they need to do to improve.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers do not provide sufficient support to the small number of learners who have additional learning needs. Teachers provide very limited support to students, particularly those with dyslexia. As a result, learners are not able to Monitoring visit: Ebenezer Community College Limited, 17–18 July 2019 access the specific support necessary for them to make the progress of which they are capable.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff have created an environment which is welcoming and where learners feel supported.

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Reasonable progress

They have appropriate policies and procedures in place, including procedures to ensure the safe recruitment of staff. The policies and procedures outline in detail the risks learners may face, and the actions staff should take. Staff are trained in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. The designated safeguarding lead has completed training to the appropriate level to be effective in their role.

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Reasonable progress

Learners receive appropriate safeguarding information. They know how to keep themselves safe, work safely and report concerns. They have a good understanding of health and safety in relation to themselves and, for health and social care learners, their clients too.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have been slow to implement the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty. They have not provided sufficient training for learners. As a result, learners do not have a sufficient understanding of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Monitoring visit: Ebenezer Community College Limited, 17–18 July 2019 the 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 . 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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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

regulates and inspects to 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. 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 . 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

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Reasonable progress

the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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