Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Short inspection of Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Outcome

Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited continues to be a good provider.

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Information about this provider

Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited (Trinity) is a private company limited by guarantee that operates as an independent specialist college within a multi-academy trust. The college is located on a campus in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne and provides further education and training for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities aged between 16 and 25.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, Trinity had fewer than five learners enrolled on a programme that aims to provide education, training and support towards independent living, supported employment, further education and community engagement.

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

Learners benefit from a very calm, caring and nurturing learning environment that supports them to participate fully in their courses. Teaching assistants provide very effective support for learners in lessons. They provide useful prompts to learners to enable them to understand information and to keep them engaged in their lessons.

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

Staff prepare learners well for life beyond college. They have a good understanding of the skills needs of the local area and the jobs that are available and are appropriate for learners with high needs. All learners participate in high-quality employability sessions as part of the curriculum, and they benefit from hearing from employers about employment opportunities. As a result, learners understand the world of work, the skills that they need to gain employment and how to apply for jobs.

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

Learners benefit from access to specialist therapeutic services, which are integrated well into the curriculum. For example, speech and language therapists visit the 11 and 12 January 2023

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college to provide strategies to increase learners’ resilience and improve their communication skills.

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Most learners make expected or better-than-expected progress in developing the skills that they need to prepare for adulthood, such as independent living skills and employability skills. For example, learners become more resilient, learn how to interact with their peers and improve their safety in the community by crossing the road safely at pedestrian crossings.

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better?

Since the last full inspection, leaders and managers have improved the way that they quality assure the services they offer to learners. Managers hold staff to account by monitoring their performance closely. They use the information that they collect about learners effectively to check learners’ progress and ensure that learners remain on track. However, although English and mathematics provision has improved, recent changes to staffing mean that the progress in improving this provision has not been rapid enough.

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better?

Leaders and managers recruit staff who are experienced and trained in the vocational areas that they teach and have a good understanding of the needs of the learners who attend the college. Staff benefit from an extensive and appropriate range of training opportunities. For example, they receive training in trauma- informed practice. Where teachers are new to teaching or less experienced, they receive focused support to improve the weaker aspects of their teaching, such as behaviour management, or strategies for delivering more innovative ways of teaching.

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better?

Leaders and managers provide high-quality and meaningful work placements, which benefit all learners. For example, learners work in the cafe at the local hospital and work with animal charities in response to their interests and long-term employment aspirations. As a result, learners develop the employability skills that they need, such as confidence, resilience and working as part of a team.

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better?

Leaders and managers demonstrate a high level of care for the well-being and mental health of their staff. They manage staff workloads well, and staff have regular, helpful and supportive meetings with managers. If challenging situations occur in college or the trust, managers provide extra support to help staff to cope.

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better?

Learners do not benefit from consistently high-quality teaching in English and mathematics. As a result, a few learners do not make the expected progress in these subjects. For example, in mathematics, the strategies that teachers use do not engage and motivate learners well enough. Leaders and managers rightly recognise the need to improve the progress of learners in English and mathematics and have recently recruited an intervention tutor to deliver intensive, one-to-one support for learners. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this. 11 and 12 January 2023

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Governance is effective. Governors have a strong awareness of the provider’s many strengths and the few remaining areas that require further improvement. They understand and take their responsibilities seriously. Leaders ensure that governors have access to relevant information to support them in their roles. Governors are committed to providing support and challenge, to ensure that leaders deliver high- quality education. This contributes to enabling learners to gain the skills that they need to be successful as they move into adulthood.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The trust’s designated safeguarding lead and other leaders ensure that the college has a strong safeguarding culture. Comprehensive policies and procedures are in place. Staff follow these procedures carefully and accurately when recording safeguarding concerns. Staff take swift action to ensure learners’ safety. Leaders share and analyse information with relevant partners to inform further improvements, including police, social workers, and other organisations working to ensure community safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers ensure that newly recruited employees go through stringent and comprehensive safe recruitment procedures. Leaders accurately check and record information to ensure new staff are safe to work with the learners at Trinity. Staff receive appropriate training on safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty at the very start of their employment.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Ensure that learners benefit from consistent, high-quality teaching in English and mathematics so that they make the progress of which they are capable in these subjects. 11 and 12 January 2023

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Provider details

Address Condercum Road Benwell Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 8XJ

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Bill Curley

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Provider details

Provider type Independent specialist college

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 18 to 20 April 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 11 and 12 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since Trinity Post 16 Solutions Limited was judged to be good in April 2018.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the acting head of school, 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

Hayley Lomas, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Jacquie Brown His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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