The Michael Tippett College

The Michael Tippett College Reinspection monitoring visit report

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Rieks Drijver, His Majesty’s Inspector

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

p.1

Type of provider: Independent specialist college Address: Belthorn Crescent Weir Road Balham London SW12 0NS Monitoring visit: The Michael Tippett College, 28 and 29 September 2022

p.1

Context and focus of visit

This is the first reinspection monitoring visit to The Michael Tippett College following publication of the inspection report on 29 March 2022 which found the provider to be inadequate overall.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

The Michael Tippett College is an independent specialist college with 42 learners aged 19 to 25. Learners have a range of profound multiple learning difficulties or severe learning difficulties, and some learners have autism spectrum disorder. All learners have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and are in receipt of high needs funding.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Since the inspection in January, trustees have been unable to recruit additional special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) expertise to their board, or any additional leadership capacity. They are unable to fill a currently vacant senior leadership role. The trustees, leadership team and staff have worked diligently to make improvements, but they are overstretched and continue to have insufficient expertise in the education of learners with SEND in order to have enough impact, and to bring about rapid and sustained improvement.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Leaders have created a quality improvement action plan in which they have picked up on the most pertinent and urgent recommendations from the previous inspection. They set out their priorities and actions suitably and evaluate honestly their progress in meeting their targets. Leaders acknowledge that they have not made the progress required to improving curriculum planning and teaching.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Trustees have increased their scrutiny of the provision and have rightly prioritised the improvement of safeguarding. Local authority leaders have provided support and challenge to college leaders and trustees in order to help pace the improvements needed.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Trustees and leaders have not evaluated the quality of teaching, and leaders do not adequately appraise their staff. As a result, they do not have development plans for staff linked to their performance or teaching capabilities. Leaders are unable to provide trustees with a secure assessment of the quality of teaching.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Leaders have created a process for staff to assess and record what learners know and can do when they start at the college, and to assess their progress from these Monitoring visit: The Michael Tippett College, 28 and 29 September 2022 starting points. However, this is recently introduced and not used consistently by all staff. As a result, trustees and leaders do not have a secure understanding of the progress learners make. Similarly, trustees do not have information about where learners go when they leave college and so cannot evaluate the impact of the education learners receive.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Since the inspection, leaders and governors have had a strong focus on improving safeguarding. Leaders put in place a suitable safeguarding action plan, with a clear focus on learners’ safety and dignity. They have revised their policies and procedures, which are now fit for purpose. Leaders took appropriate action to rectify the specific issue noted at the previous inspection regarding learners’ dignity when using feeding tubes.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have a good oversight of staff training on safeguarding, which all staff and trustees have had. Leaders have made good use of external agencies to provide specifically themed training where necessary. For example, the local authority ‘Prevent’ education officer provided training which included information for staff about local risks. Staff are suitably trained to administer medicines and tube feeding.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders have worked well with local authority staff to develop a suitable assessment of how well they meet their obligations under the ‘Prevent’ duty. However, they have not completed a ‘Prevent’ risk assessment, and so cannot target any training or intervention to individual or groups of learners for whom specific risks may apply.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Staff have a comprehensive record of all safeguarding concerns and behavioural issues. They make appropriate referrals to external agencies when necessary. Leaders give trustees good information about safeguarding concerns at all board meetings. However, they do not give trustees information on low-level incidents or on behavioural issues and do not have an overall evaluation of safeguarding concerns. Trustees are unable to determine any trends that might signal the need for further improvement action or training.

p.3

Reasonable progress

In the attendance policy, leaders have not included a requirement for staff to do a ‘return to study’ interview with learners when they come back from an absence. They are therefore unable to assess if the absence was related to a possible safeguarding concern.

p.3

Reasonable progress

Staff treat learners with respect and have created a calm and orderly environment. For example, staff organise transport home time effectively. They provide gentle and respectful support for learners who need extra physical help.

p.3

Insufficient progress

Monitoring visit: The Michael Tippett College, 28 and 29 September 2022 Following the inspection in January, leaders prioritised staff training on safeguarding. As a result, the amount of time devoted to support staff to improve their teaching has been limited. As a consequence of leaders being unable to recruit new staff, existing staff, while committed and enthusiastic, have not had the support they need to perform better in their roles. Leaders have focused well on creating a positive culture at the college, and an environment in which staff want to work. The high retention rate of staff since the inspection shows success in this endeavour. However, progress in improving the education for learners has been too slow. Weaknesses identified at the inspection about staff expertise and training remain.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Leaders have not provided any training in strategies for teachers and support staff to use in class, or through assessment, to teach and support learners with SEND effectively. This results in an inconsistent standard of teaching, learning and support for learners. However, therapists have provided useful training to help staff to be more supportive of learners. For example, staff have a good understanding of how to support learners who have issues with chewing, spitting and swallowing.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Staff have been trained in setting targets for learners and in how to recognise and record progress and achievement. However, this is underdeveloped. Staff have not ensured that all learners have a thorough and suitable assessment of their existing knowledge and skills. They are not able, therefore, to assess and record accurately enough the progress learners make.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Since the inspection, leaders and staff have made insufficient changes to the content and structure of the curriculum. Leaders have considered the skills that learners should develop, but have not planned a curriculum in which the knowledge required to develop these skills is identified and subsequently taught.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Leaders have not given sufficient thought to the individual needs, goals or interests of learners in how they plan and teach the curriculum. For example, learners have to participate in all of the vocational lessons, such as sport and carpentry, with no regard for each learner’s interest in these subjects. Similarly, teachers do not create an integrated curriculum across the different subject areas so that learners understand the transferrable nature of the knowledge and skills they learn for different purposes. Teachers do not integrate the learning of life skills adequately into vocational subjects.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Leaders and teachers do not have a comprehensive plan of what they will teach, and how they will teach it over the time. They only plan one term at a time, without enough consideration for how they will incrementally build on the knowledge and behaviours that learners develop over the year. In addition, leaders and teachers do not take adequate account of learners’ EHC plan targets. As staff do not assess Monitoring visit: The Michael Tippett College, 28 and 29 September 2022 accurately enough what learners know and can do at the start of the programme, they do not ensure that for each learner they create and teach a curriculum that builds on these starting points. Too often, the targets that teachers use are the same for all learners, regardless of their ability and prior knowledge and attainment.

p.4

Insufficient progress

Since the inspection, teachers, support staff and therapists work more closely with each other in a multi-disciplinary approach. They meet regularly to discuss learners and their needs. For example, therapists work effectively with curriculum staff to develop a sensory diet plan to help learners manage their sensory needs. Monitoring visit: The Michael Tippett College, 28 and 29 September 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

p.5

Insufficient progress

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

Insufficient progress

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

Insufficient progress

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

Insufficient progress

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

p.6