Brogdale Community Interest Company

Brogdale Community Interest Company Progress monitoring report

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Name of lead inspector: Judy Lye-Forster, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

Willowway Culnells Farm School Lane Iwade Kent ME9 8QJ Monitoring visit: Brogdale Community Interest Company, 27–28 January 2021

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Context and focus of visit

Brogdale Community Interest Company (Brogdale CIC) was last inspected in March 2019. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement .

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on the extent to which leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances. It was undertaken as outlined in the operational note on visits carried out from January 2021 and with reference to the further education and skills handbook.

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Context and focus of visit

These visits are to help learners, parents, employers and government understand how providers are meeting the needs of learners in this period, including those with high needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Context and focus of visit

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, inspectors carried out this monitoring activity remotely. As a result, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would be the case during an on-site inspection. Therefore, this report provides a more limited level of assurance.

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Context and focus of visit

The impact of COVID-19 has been taken into account in the findings and progress judgement below. Inspectors did not evaluate leaders’ response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer of 2020, when the provider was not open to all learners and there were no national expectations regarding remote education.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have made reasonable progress in fulfilling the recommendations from the previous inspection. Teachers and support staff establish students’ starting points effectively and as a result they have been able to accurately capture the progress students are making. Leaders have improved their monitoring of the effectiveness of teaching and learning. They identify and put in place support for staff to develop their practice. Some progress has been made in increasing and broadening the provision of work experience placements for students; however, this has been hampered by the pandemic. Similarly, the provision of impartial careers guidance is planned for and in place but has not yet been implemented. Monitoring visit: Brogdale Community Interest Company, 27–28 January 2021 Teachers are now more adept at thoroughly integrating aspects of the students’ vocational learning with the development of their English and to a lesser extent,

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Reasonable progress

mathematics. As a result, learners are far more enthusiastic about learning and developing their English and mathematics, as they now understand the relevance of these skills for their futures. Leaders and governors recognise that there is still more work to do to improve the teaching of mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

Many teachers continue to teach students face to face, in classrooms and workshops, and have other group members online, when it is not appropriate for them to attend college. This helps those students who are learning remotely to still feel part of the group and learn similar things. Students who are anxious about attending college or using video conferencing software are supported through paper materials that teachers send home. Teachers use phone and email communication frequently to support these students.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers have worked with much determination to produce teaching and learning materials that students can use at home, either online or on paper. They have tried to ensure that students can develop the knowledge they need to support the development of their practical skills using websites, pictures, videos and diagrams. For example, students learning catering remotely have been sent recipes, the food required to make the dish and videos of the teacher demonstrating how to make the dish, so that they can continue to develop practical skills alongside their peers learning at college.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers ensure that students benefit from worthwhile teaching activities when they attend college. Students enjoy the time they spend at college and are confident in identifying the skills they have improved during teaching sessions. Teachers’ feedback to students on their work is positive and encouraging.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers’ planning of the curriculum is not yet sufficiently comprehensive or extensive. Teachers place too much emphasis on students’ achievement of qualification evidence and insufficient emphasis on students’ development of their personal, social and work skills.

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Reasonable progress

Students speak highly of the support and guidance they receive, both in normal times and during periods of national restriction. They find the college to be a safe and inclusive space where they can develop new practical, personal and social skills.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers work hard to give students the support they need to continue learning. Leaders and managers monitor students closely to ensure that they participate in their studies, whether working on site or from home. Staff work as a team and make daily welfare checks on students and their families. When a concern arises, staff support families wherever they can, for example by providing food parcels. Safeguarding remains a high priority.

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Reasonable progress

Teaching assistants play a vital role in supporting students, bridging education and welfare support. They receive specialist training in supporting challenging behaviour, Monitoring visit: Brogdale Community Interest Company, 27–28 January 2021 communicating effectively and how to increase students’ independence. Staff are confident in the support they give their students and, as a result, students trust staff and students’ behaviour improves as they grow in confidence.

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Reasonable progress

Staff have worked hard to keep everything consistent as they know their students respond best when things remain the same. They saw an increase in poor mental health among students during the national restrictions in March 2020, when their routines were disrupted. As a result, staff have since maintained a structured teaching day for all students regardless of whether they are working on site or at home. This has helped students maintain relationships with their teachers, support staff and peers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Reasonable progress

 ensure that teaching and support staff more thoroughly integrate the students’ personal and social development targets into their vocational curriculum  ensure that students develop their skills for work and benefit from external work experience placements as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so. Monitoring visit: Brogdale Community Interest Company, 27–28 January 2021 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

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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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