Horizons College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Provision for learners with high needs Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Horizons College is part of Brunel Education, a private company limited by guarantee that is located in Swindon, Wiltshire. The college has two main sites, the Stratton Road and Headlands campuses. It was registered as an approved provider in 2014 and was previously inspected as Uplands Educational Trust. The college provides specialist education and support for young people between 16 and 25 years of age who have a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Learners include those who have a high level of need and those for whom employment is a possible outcome. 1 to 3 December 2021

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

Learners do not yet benefit from learning that enables them to gain the substantial new knowledge and skills they need to prepare them well for their next steps. Too few learners experience a sufficiently broad curriculum that is appropriately challenging. Teachers’ planning for learning is too often focused narrowly on gaining the skills identified in a learner’s education, health and care (EHC) plan. As a result, learners are not all developing the knowledge and skills they need to help them move successfully into independence, further training, or employment.

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

Even so, most learners develop good attitudes to learning and develop positive behaviours in a calm and supportive environment. Teachers, therapists and support staff provide learners with helpful support strategies that help most to self-regulate, communicate more effectively and become more independent young people.

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

Learners enjoy attending college. Most communicate enthusiastically about their learning experiences. They benefit from participating in practical learning sessions and in the opportunities for volunteering in the community. For example, learners take part in activities such as meeting refugee families and visiting a local mosque. Learners studying on supported internships are supported well by staff to develop the skills they need for work. Employers value the contributions they make in the workplace.

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better?

Leaders and managers are not ensuring that all learners benefit from studying a curriculum that enables them to develop and secure new knowledge and skills. The content of the curriculum is not sufficiently broad or defined clearly enough to enable all learners to widen their understanding of the world. Too many teaching and support staff complete tasks for learners, rather than enabling them to complete them independently. Teachers do not use assessment well enough to challenge sufficiently all learners or to check their understanding of the taught content.

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better?

Although leaders and managers have designed a comprehensive annual quality assurance cycle, they have not used it well enough to ensure that all learners acquire new knowledge, skills and behaviours. The process for monitoring the progress each learner makes against the achievement of their personal development targets is new and not yet fully embedded.

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better?

Teachers use the substantial information they receive about each learner, prior to their starting college, well to inform learners’ behaviour plans. However, they do not use the information well enough to plan a comprehensive curriculum for learners.

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better?

Although teachers plan learning sessions that develop learners’ behaviours well, they often focus too much on the completion of EHC plan targets, rather than building on learners existing skills and knowledge. Too often, this leads to learners repeating tasks they have completed previously, such as learning how to write a curriculum 1 to 3 December 2021 vitae (CV) or send an email. Consequently, learners do not always extend and deepen their knowledge and skills, and a few are unable to identify what they now know that they didn’t know before studying the curriculum.

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better?

In learning sessions, teachers do not always sequence and teach the content of the curriculum so that learners understand the knowledge and learn the steps they need to take to achieve a task successfully. For example, teachers ask learners to produce a CV without teaching them how to log onto a computer or open an online document, or explaining what essential information should be included.

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better?

Most teachers set learners multiple targets, which tends to confuse them. As a result, learners do not understand which targets are a priority for them to achieve and do not always make the expected or better progress in achieving them.

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better?

Therapy staff work skilfully with learners, teachers and learning support assistants to help learners to develop their practical skills, physical well-being and behaviours. Teachers and therapists use a range of support strategies well to help learners to self-regulate and manage their anxieties. Teachers and therapists use a variety of tools well to meet the specific communication needs of learners who have more complex learning needs. For example, learners who have difficulties communicating how they feel use symbolised picture cards well to help them to express their emotions, and other learners use augmentative and alternative communication devices effectively to help identify the different stages of a cooking activity.

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better?

Parents and carers value the support and care that staff provide to their young people. Learners benefit from improved levels of confidence and become more independent. For example, learners who begin their studies requiring high levels of support, over time become far less reliant on staff. As a result, many learners make good progress in developing further their speech and language skills.

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better?

Leaders ensure that learners who can achieve a recognised qualification, do so. Learners use the qualifications to help them to progress to further training, education or work. Most learners who study mathematics and English make good progress in learning new knowledge, and successfully achieve their qualifications.

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better?

Teachers help learners who study on supported internships to develop good behaviours for work, which employers value. Leaders work effectively with employers to help them to support learners in the workplace. As a result, many learners progress into paid or voluntary work on completion of the supported internship.

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better?

Most learners achieve high levels of attendance at college. They arrive on time for learning sessions and are ready to learn. Teachers support effectively learners who experience difficulties attending college, so that they successfully overcome these barriers and improve their attendance by studying online or on blended learning programmes.

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better?

Teachers teach and promote British values well to learners. Learners build 1 to 3 December 2021 appropriate relationships with staff and their peers. They learn to listen carefully to others. Teachers and support staff use class rules effectively to illustrate the rule of law. Learners become more respectful and communicate confidently and clearly about the expected behaviours at college. Learners develop a good understanding of how to cook and eat healthy foods.

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better?

Learners benefit from impartial careers information, advice and guidance. They attend local careers fairs and events, which helps them to develop and extend their understanding and knowledge of the types of work available.

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better?

Teachers benefit from a wide range of staff development activities. This includes training in topics such as autism awareness and safeguarding, and many participate in a mentoring programme led by senior leaders. However, it is not yet evident that this training has had a positive impact on teachers’ planning and the teaching of the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have established a local governing committee to oversee the performance and quality of the college. Leaders plan to strengthen further the committee’s impact by increasing the range of skills and knowledge of its members.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers have developed an effective culture of safeguarding at the college. Learners feel safe and are supported well by staff. Learners know how to keep themselves safe online. Most learners understand many of the risks associated with radicalisation and exploitation. Although leaders have developed and implemented a ‘Prevent’ duty action plan, it does not identify fully all the risks in the community and how to help learners to keep themselves safe from these.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should ensure that teachers plan and teach a curriculum that includes sufficient content that enables all learners to gain substantial new skills, knowledge and behaviours so that they are able to progress successfully into independence, further training or employment.  Teachers should identify what learners already know and can do at the start of their programmes. They should use this information to plan and teach a challenging curriculum that builds effectively on learners’ starting points.  Leaders should use quality assurance processes to assure themselves that all learners make the expected or better progress in knowing and understanding the curriculum, and ensure that policies, such as those related to the ‘Prevent’ duty, are implemented fully and are effective. 1 to 3 December 2021

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Provider details

Address Segal Centre Stratton Road Swindon Wiltshire SN1 2PN

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Provider details

Provider type Independent specialist college

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 1 to 3 December 2021

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the college principal, 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 visiting 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

Esther Williams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Gillian Paterson Ofsted Inspector Joyce Deere Ofsted Inspector Teresa Gardner Ofsted Inspector Alun Maddocks Ofsted Inspector Tina Pagett Her Majesty’s Inspector 1 to 3 December 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 and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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