Salford City College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Short inspection of Salford City College

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Outcome

Salford City College continues to be a good provider.

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Information about this provider

Salford City College’s last inspection was on 25 November 2015. The college operates from six campuses located in and around the city of Salford in the north- west of England. The college campuses are: Pendleton Sixth Form College, Eccles Sixth Form College, Worsley College, Future Skills, City Skills and Frontier House (apprenticeships division).

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Information about this provider

The college provides a wide range of post-16 education and training from entry level qualifications to level 3 for college-based programmes and from level 2 to level 5 for apprenticeships. Currently, there are 3,862 learners who study education programmes for young people, 2,168 learners studying adult learning programmes, 1,591 apprentices on apprenticeship programmes and 98 learners enrolled on programmes for learners with high needs. The college works with 15 subcontractors who provide training for education programmes for young people, adult learning and apprenticeships. These subcontractors provide training for a very small number of learners and apprentices at the college.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Learners and apprentices enjoy their time at college. They greatly appreciate the support they receive from teachers, assessors and support staff at college. Many learners identify the ‘good support arrangements’ as a key ingredient to them making good progress in their studies.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Learners benefit from well-structured learning that incrementally becomes more difficult. This helps learners improve their knowledge and skills and embeds learning in their long-term memory. They can then draw effectively on this knowledge. For example, learners on complementary therapies courses study in a classroom that is infused with lavender oil. They can identify the smell of the oil when entering the classroom because they have used it in previous practical sessions. They can explain articulately the benefits of lavender oil when carrying out treatments on patients who are unwell.

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What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Many learners say they could not succeed without the opportunity and support given 3–4 December 2019

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to them by staff at the college, which motivates them to study. Learners who are on access-to-higher-education science courses told inspectors that they now believe in themselves and aspire to progress to a range of science-related degrees, including biochemistry, radiography and conservation.

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better?

Leaders and curriculum managers ensure that the content of the curriculum prepares learners effectively for their next steps in their education or career pathway. Learners and apprentices improve their confidence throughout their course and develop strategies in resilience and the determination to succeed. This helps learners to be successful in their studies and apprentices to be effective in their job roles. For example, apprentices develop new skills, such as dealing with conflict in the workplace.

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better?

Teachers use the results of assessments completed at the start of the course to plan an ambitious curriculum for their learners. They identify what learners know and what they need to learn and use this information to plan their learning. Teachers plan learning programmes in an order that makes sense and links theory to practice very well. For example, health and social care teachers make effective use of high-profile case studies to illustrate instances of child abuse and neglect. The knowledge learners acquire enables them to recognise potential signs of abuse. They can confidently explain the actions they would take should they have any concerns in relation to children in their care.

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better?

Managers and teachers are ambitious to continuously improve the quality of education at the college. They adapt the curriculum based on learner feedback to better support learners’ next steps in their education and training. For example, access-to-higher- education teachers now place a greater emphasis on biology and physical anatomy due to more learners wanting to progress to health-related degrees. By including this in the curriculum, it allows learners to more readily access the curriculum when they begin their studies at universities or other higher-education institutions.

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better?

Teachers construct a challenging curriculum to ensure that learners have the foundation knowledge to allow them to access more challenging concepts later in the course. Teachers methodically revisit this knowledge to ensure that it is retained in learners’ long- term memory to support the learning of new knowledge. Learners are able recall this information and adapt it in subsequent learning. For example, A-level psychology learners effectively use research methodology, which underpins the principles of the subject. This better enables learners to develop a stronger contextual understanding of the range of theories that they learn.

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better?

Leaders and managers provide effective careers advice and guidance to learners and apprentices to inform them of the potential pathways to their chosen career. For example, learners with high needs have access to high-quality external and impartial careers advice from a special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) specialist career connect adviser. They attend careers events, which helps them to make informed decisions about their career pathways. 3–4 December 2019

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Leaders, managers and governors have a good understanding of the strengths and the weaknesses at the college. They have put in place successful actions to enhance the quality of education that learners receive. They are acutely aware of the improvements that need to be made on the apprenticeship programme and have already begun to implement appropriate and well-thought-out strategies. However, these strategies have not yet resulted in an improvement in the provision.

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Apprenticeship trainers/assessors do not consistently use the results of assessments completed at the start of the programme to plan a sufficiently ambitious curriculum. They focus too much on the minimum requirements of the qualification and do not include the additional requirements of the employer. This means that apprentices are not making the fullest contributions to their employers’ businesses.

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A few teachers and support workers do not provide sufficient support to learners with SEND. They use limited strategies to support learners to develop the knowledge and skills they need to make the progress of which they are capable. For example, too often, teachers and support workers explain that the only forms of support they provide are either verbal support or improving learners’ motivation.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers ensure that there are effective policies and procedures in place to protect learners and apprentices, which are used well by staff. They ensure that the designated safeguarding officers are appropriately trained to execute their responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Staff at the college receive regular safeguarding training on a range of topics to support learners and apprentices at the college.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team has made highly effective links with external agencies to support learners and apprentices at the college. Safeguarding officers use these links to support learners and apprentices when they need help, which results in learners and apprentices feeling safe. However, too many learners and apprentices do not have a sufficient understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Improve the curriculum planning skills of managers and staff in charge of apprenticeships. Leaders and managers need to ensure that the results of apprentices’ assessments completed at the start of the programme are used consistently to plan and implement an ambitious learning programme.  Improve the wider design and content of the apprenticeship curriculum. Managers should ensure that trainers/assessors fully incorporate and consistently implement the specific requirements of employers so that apprentices make the fullest 3–4 December 2019

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contribution to their employers’ businesses.  Improve the training that specialist teachers and support staff who work with learners with SEND receive. Teachers and support staff should ensure that they use appropriate support strategies to help learners make the progress of which they are capable. 3–4 December 2019

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Provider details

Provider type General Further Education College

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 25 November 2015

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Main subcontractors

Morson Human Resources Heyrod Construction The Tefirah Trust DIY Theatre CIC Broughton Trust Corinth Start in Salford Faith Inter Training Wai Yin CSIN Shockout Academy TMP Access to Music Coaching Connexions Ltd Trafford College 3–4 December 2019

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Information about this inspection

The inspection was the second short inspection carried out since Salford City College was judged to be good in May 2010.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of college, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. The inspection was carried out using the further education and skills inspection handbook and took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements, including observing learning sessions, scrutinising learners’ work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Paul Cocker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Jane Young Ofsted Inspector Mark Crilly Ofsted Inspector Fallon Southwell Ofsted Inspector Ruth Peri Her Majesty’s Inspector Maria Rayworth Ofsted Inspector 3–4 December 2019

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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.

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

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