United Colleges Group

United Colleges Group Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Sue Hasty, Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: General further education college

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Address:

25 Paddington Green London W2 1NB Monitoring visit: United Colleges Group, 30 and 31 March 2022

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Context and focus of visit

United Colleges Group (UCG) was inspected in December 2019. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in addressing the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

UCG is a large general further education college, formed in August 2017 by the merger of the College of North West London (CNWL) and City of Westminster College (CWC). The group operates from five campuses across London. The largest campuses are in Paddington and Willesden. Other campuses are in Maida Vale and Wembley, and there is a construction skills centre in King’s Cross.

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Context and focus of visit

UCG offers education programmes for young people, adult learners, apprentices and learners with high needs across a broad range of subject sector areas. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 3,386 learners aged 16–19 on study programmes. The largest subject areas are in English, mathematics and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), followed by business, construction, science, health and social care, and information communication and technology (ICT) courses.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have carefully evaluated and adapted the roles and responsibilities of the middle management team. Leaders have increased the number of curriculum managers and have given managers more time each week to focus on improving the quality of education in their departments. Senior leaders have put in place appropriate training to enable managers to develop the knowledge and skills they need for their new responsibilities. New managers value highly the coaching they have received. They report that it has helped them to develop the skills they need to tackle management issues, such as having difficult conversations with colleagues. Middle managers report that the training they have received has enabled them to think through better ways of improving their curriculum plans. For example, in English, managers have changed the order in which they teach knowledge content,

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Reasonable progress

Monitoring visit: United Colleges Group, 30 and 31 March 2022 allowing learners better opportunities to practise speaking and reading English earlier in the course. They have found that, as a result, learners gain confidence when they pass their speaking examination within the first few months of their course. As a result of the training they have received, managers have put in place appropriate steps to review the quality of the content of their curriculum each year. For example, they talk to learners, teachers and employers to check that learners develop the skills necessary for their next steps. They use the information they gain to good effect. For instance, on ICT courses, teachers now include topics on cybersecurity to better prepare learners for careers in the ICT sector. In most subjects, managers across campuses have started to work more closely together to monitor their curriculum. Where this is not the case, managers do not

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Reasonable progress

routinely discuss the content and sequencing of the curriculum or the quality of teaching with their colleagues. Consequently, in a few subjects, managers have a limited understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in their curriculum area.

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Reasonable progress

Most curriculum managers have now put in place suitably developed curriculum plans. For example, on plumbing courses, staff start by teaching learners the knowledge of health and safety precautions they need to work safely in workshops. Teachers then work effectively together to teach the curriculum so that learners apply the theory learned earlier in the week to the practical lessons later in the week. As a result, learners develop new knowledge and are able to complete tasks such as using a press fit and crimping gun. In most subjects, learners’ achievement of their vocational qualifications has improved since the previous inspection. Teachers on ESOL courses plan thoughtfully a curriculum for learners newly arrived to the country. They start with speaking and listening skills, such as how to ask and reply to questions. Teachers choose appropriate topics that help learners settle well into the UK, such as familiarisation with healthcare services.

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Reasonable progress

Where curriculum planning is less effective, managers and teachers do not have a clear understanding of why topics are taught in a particular order. This results in teachers of science teaching more complex theories first before teaching basic concepts. Consequently, learners’ understanding of these topics is superficial. The extent to which leaders have put in place a challenging curriculum differs between subjects. In media, for example, teachers stretch learners to consider the message and tone they want to communicate in their final marketing projects. However, in some subjects, teachers give learners work that is not challenging enough or is not at the right level for them. For example, learners on level 3 Monitoring visit: United Colleges Group, 30 and 31 March 2022 business courses spend too much time completing simple tasks such as word searches. In science courses, learners struggle to recall fluently knowledge taught

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Reasonable progress

earlier in the course and so are not well prepared for their next stage of education. For a few learners on ESOL for mathematics courses, the content is too difficult.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers check appropriately how teachers improve learners’ knowledge of English and mathematics. Managers have put appropriate support in place to help teachers of vocational subjects to develop their skills in teaching English and mathematics. For example, teachers attend English and mathematics lessons with their learners so that they gain a greater understanding of what learners need to improve on. However, learners’ achievement of English and mathematics qualifications remains too low. In most subjects, teachers choose suitable content to develop learners’ knowledge of mathematics. For example, teachers of science teach learners how to apply basic mathematics to solve electrical circuit problems. On carpentry and plumbing courses, learners develop the skills they need to accurately measure the lengths of materials and create angles according to instructions. Most learners on ESOL for mathematics

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Reasonable progress

courses learn the words they need to tackle problems, including calculating fractions, decimals and percentages. Managers recognise that in a few vocational subjects, teachers do not teach well enough the knowledge of English that learners need in order to be successful. In these instances, teachers do not ensure that learners understand and use the correct technical vocabulary for the subject. In a few cases, while teachers point out errors in spelling and punctuation, they do not always help learners to correct these. Consequently, learners continue to make the same mistakes. A few learners do not find their English lessons helpful. For some learners, the English they learn is too basic, and in a small minority of instances, learners do not receive any feedback on their work. As a result, learners’ progress in improving their knowledge is slow.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have put in place appropriate strategies to improve learners’ attendance. For example, learners who reach the college’s target Monitoring visit: United Colleges Group, 30 and 31 March 2022 attendance level receive a financial reward. Teachers send work to learners who are self-isolating so that learners can attend lessons online and do not fall behind. Leaders and teachers have newly put in place a software system that allows them to track attendance more closely. As a result, teachers can better identify learners with poor attendance. They hold meetings with these learners and their parents and carers to set targets for improved attendance. Learners receive useful additional one-to-one help from teachers where they have fallen behind because of the pandemic. Consequently, learners keep on track with their studies. While learners’ attendance on most courses has improved slightly, it is still not

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Reasonable progress

consistently good enough across all subjects. In a minority of lessons, some learners do not arrive on time. Teachers challenge learners appropriately when this happens. Monitoring visit: United Colleges Group, 30 and 31 March 2022 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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Reasonable progress

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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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