Calderdale College

Calderdale College Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Rachel Angus, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: General further education college

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Address:

Francis Street Halifax HX1 3UZ Monitoring visit: Calderdale College, 1 and 2 December 2021

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit focused on safeguarding arrangements and was undertaken with reference to the ‘Further education and skills handbook’.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have implemented highly effective arrangements to safeguard students. The safeguarding coordinator’s office is located in the heart of the main building, to make it easy for staff and students to drop in to speak to staff in the office. Leaders have created an online portal which is available on the college website, through which staff and students can make safeguarding referrals. Information about the portal address is displayed on notices around the college to ensure that staff and students know how to make safeguarding referrals easily.

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Significant progress

Leaders have invested in software to record safeguarding incidents, and the same software is also used in local schools in Calderdale. Consequently, the sharing of information between local schools and the college about how to safeguard students is effective. Managers review safeguarding referrals regularly and monitor the actions that staff have taken to ensure that they are having an appropriate impact on students’ safety. Managers have increased their investment in counselling services for students and staff to tackle the safeguarding risk posed by increasing cases of poor mental health.

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Significant progress

Managers are aware of the safeguarding needs of their most vulnerable students. They inform relevant staff of the support needs of these students, and this enables staff to support them effectively. Teachers and progress coaches monitor the attendance of these students closely and act swiftly to ensure that they know students are safe when they do not turn up to college. Staff liaise well with relevant external agencies, such as social services, to ensure that the support that they plan to provide is appropriate.

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Significant progress

Leaders ensure that appropriate pre-employment checks are carried out to make sure that the staff they employ are suitable to work with students. All staff complete a range of useful safeguarding training, and this is updated regularly. All staff received a safeguarding update at the beginning of the current term, which included important safeguarding topics such as information about the sexual abuse review.

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Significant progress

One of the governors of the college oversees the safeguarding arrangements that leaders and managers implement. This provides assurance to the governing body Monitoring visit: Calderdale College, 1 and 2 December 2021 that the arrangements are effective. This governor has a background that makes her well qualified and experienced to undertake this role and to hold leaders to account for keeping students safe.

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Reasonable progress

Students and staff feel safe within and around the college campus. Students and staff are confident that intruders would not be able to access college buildings because of the effective security arrangements that are in place.

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Reasonable progress

Most students understand why they must wear their identity badges on lanyards while they are in college. Students respond well when staff ask them to make sure that their badges are visible, and most promptly put them on if they are carrying them in their bag or in their pocket. A few students are less compliant with the expectation that they wear their badges. These students do not understand that this requirement is an important aspect of developing a safe environment for all.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have recently developed a tutorial curriculum which is highly focused on keeping students safe in the college and in the community. The learning materials that staff have produced are of high quality and include highly relevant and contemporary content. For example, presentations that staff have produced detail the risks that students face over the Christmas period, such as drink spiking when attending parties. Later topics that staff plan to cover include sexual harassment, risks from gambling and the effect on mental health of viewing pornography. However, the impact on most students’ knowledge and understanding of these important topics is limited to date as the curriculum is new this academic year. Too many students cannot recall the topics covered so far in sufficient depth to ensure that they are fully able to recognise the personal risks that they potentially face.

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Reasonable progress

Students cannot recall any incidents of bullying or anti-social behaviour that have given them any cause for concern. They are confident that their teachers, progress coaches and student services staff would support them quickly if they had needed to report or raise any issues, and that harassment of any kind would not be tolerated by staff. Monitoring visit: Calderdale College, 1 and 2 December 2021 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

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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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