SV Academy

SV Academy Limited Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Lynda Brown, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent learning provider

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Address:

Modern House 6 Eltham High Street London SE9 1DA Monitoring visit: SV Academy Limited, 27–28 November 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’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

SV Academy Limited (SV Academy) is a training and education company that provides courses for young people who have had a disrupted education and are unable to attend mainstream education. At the time of the monitoring visit, five young people are on a GCSE in combined science and six are on a level 2 Tech award in technical media production. SV Academy also provides GCSE English and mathematics qualifications and functional skills in English and mathematics at level 1.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have established a strong vision to provide young people who have disrupted educational backgrounds with qualifications in media, music production and science. Leaders have created a respectful and challenging culture in which students thrive, feel valued and improve their resilience. Senior leaders are at an early stage of developing the curriculum. Consequently, a few students study a small number of subjects.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders plan the curriculum well in response to students’ needs and interests, such as the recent introduction of a science qualification to meet a local skills gap in the care industry. Leaders ensure that the curriculum meets the skills required by local industries and provides good opportunities for young people to progress into further education.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers are well qualified and experienced. Most media teachers have recent experience in the industry and all teachers have appropriate teaching qualifications. Teachers use their knowledge of the industry effectively to provide students with interesting scenarios, which students discuss and apply to their assignments.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders monitor the quality of the provision well. They assure the quality of teaching and assessment effectively. Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their provision and have established detailed plans which they use effectively to rectify identified weaknesses. Monitoring visit: SV Academy Limited, 27–28 November 2019

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Reasonable progress

Teachers plan and teach the curriculum well. They use interesting and engaging activities which are relevant to students. As a result, students enjoy and participate in lessons. For example, students on media courses discuss the lifestyle profiles of well-known television characters and use these to inspire individual writing activities.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers teach skills and knowledge developmentally so that students understand basic concepts and apply these to more complex tasks. For example, students on music production courses learn about systems for audio recording and then use these confidently to make their own recordings. Teachers use a well-equipped science laboratory to teach scientific concepts and knowledge so that students receive a good preparation to move on to further study.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers track and monitor students’ progress frequently. They use this information effectively to set individualised targets. Consequently, students make good progress in developing their knowledge. Students speak confidently about the skills they have learned in media and music production and how these help them to plan their future careers.

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Reasonable progress

Students’ behaviour is good. Teachers are skilled in relating to students who have previously found it difficult to work in structured learning environments. They set clear expectations of students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning at the start of the course. They use these effectively to make students accountable for their behaviour. As a result, most students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning improve.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers do not ensure that students have a good enough understanding about the industries in which they plan to work. Staff have strategies in place to establish links with employers, but students have not benefited from these. As a result, students are unable to apply a detailed understanding of the workplace to their own assignments.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They are acutely aware of the vulnerabilities of their students. They give safeguarding a high priority within the organisation. They have put in place a range of relevant policies which they apply effectively to keep students safe.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders carry out rigorous pre-employment checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable students. The designated safeguarding leaders receive Monitoring visit: SV Academy Limited, 27–28 November 2019 appropriate training for their role. Leaders ensure that staff receive training frequently so that they are well informed about the risks that are relevant to students in the local area.

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Reasonable progress

Students feel safe at college and know to whom they should report any concerns. Students have a good understanding of local risks, such as knife crime. However, they do not have a good enough knowledge of radicalisation and extremism and how these might affect their everyday lives. Monitoring visit: SV Academy Limited, 27–28 November 2019 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for students 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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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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