Cambian Lufton College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Information about this provider

Cambian Lufton College is an independent specialist college based in Somerset. It caters for students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and behavioural and emotional difficulties. The college offers residential and day provision for students between 16 and 25 years of age. It includes students who are based at the college for 52 weeks a year. At the time of the inspection, there were 22 students enrolled, the majority of whom are residential and live in homes that are in, or close to, the college campus. 17 to 19 January 2023

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

Students follow a curriculum that leaders have designed to include content that takes account of what they already know and can do and helps them to achieve their individual goals. Students have clear targets that focus well on improving what they know and can do. However, because the majority of tutors do not plan learning sessions well enough, students do not make the progress they are capable of. Students enjoy taking part in activities at the college, such as feeding and caring for the animals and taking part in enrichment activities like drama. They benefit from attending activities in the community, such as working with alpacas. Students also develop their skills for employment by working in on-site outlets, such as a college shop.

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

Students follow a new programme designed to develop their personal skills. They learn about topics such as healthy relationships and sex education. However, it is too early to assess fully the impact of this on students.

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

Students who are student council members improve their communication skills and build their confidence by taking part in regular discussions with other students and providing staff with helpful feedback, which is used by managers to make decisions about college life. Student council members have helped to inform the broad range of enrichment activities available to students. For example, students take part in rugby, participate in drama sessions and attend the gym in the local area.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the new leadership team has developed a new curriculum that is designed well to increase the knowledge, skills and behaviours that each student needs to prepare them for their next step. This includes students learning new content such as enterprise skills, how to live more independently and preparation for volunteering and work.

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better?

Leaders, tutors and support assistants know their students well and are committed to improving their education and life experiences at the college. Leaders have improved the effectiveness of the work that takes place between the education, care and clinical teams. Leaders meet these teams regularly to review student behaviour, well-being and safety. They discuss in detail the progress that students make and work collaboratively to share knowledge and put in place appropriate remedial actions. However, the majority of tutors do not use this information well enough to plan learning sessions. Most tutors do not use all of the strategies suggested by managers and clinical staff to ensure that learning is well paced and meets the needs of students. As a result, students do not always understand fully the content they are learning and its relevance to them.

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better?

Leaders have provided staff with a helpful programme of professional development, which has increased their knowledge of topics such as autism spectrum disorder, 17 to 19 January 2023

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dysphagia and how to use visual resources to help students to study more independently. However, leaders have not ensured that the training has focused sufficiently on the craft of teaching and/or provided tutors with the opportunity to gain additional professional teaching qualifications. A few tutors use the new knowledge they have gained to teach content effectively, which enables students to know and do more. However, the majority of tutors have not developed the necessary teaching knowledge and skills to be able to break down content so that it is understood, particularly by those students with the most complex needs. Leaders recognise rightly the need to improve the pedagogical skills of tutors. They have developed a workforce strategy that aims to improve significantly the quality of education for students. However, at the time of the inspection, this had not yet been implemented.

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Students develop their confidence and resilience well over time as a result of their learning experiences at the college. Many can now interact more positively with their peers and spend time taking part in community activities more confidently, such as shopping in the local areas. Students with limited verbal communication have improved their use of alternative communication tools. For example, they have learned to use pictures and objects to make choices. Many students have learned how to recognise coins and their value and how to use them to pay for items they want to purchase. As a result, they are developing the skills they need to live more independently, both during and when they leave college.

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Leaders have improved the procedures for setting, monitoring and recording student targets. They have recently introduced the termly student journey review tool, which they use successfully to monitor the skills that students have developed over time as a result of following the curriculum. Although tutors assess the progress that students make from their starting points, they do not use this information well enough to inform what and how they teach the next topic.

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Leaders have not ensured that students follow an ambitious curriculum in English and mathematics. Students who are capable of working towards achieving qualifications in English and mathematics were not given the opportunity to do so. This is because of a long-term staff vacancy. Although leaders have recently recruited a new teacher, they were not in position at the time of the inspection. Nevertheless, students are developing and practising their use of English and mathematics skills when taking part in learning in other lessons, such as enterprise and independent living skills. Parents and carers spoke positively to inspectors about how students had developed new skills while studying at the college, such as purchasing items independently in a shop.

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Leaders now present clear and comprehensive reports to governors that provide them with an overview of most aspects of college activity. However, the information governors receive regarding the quality improvement actions taken by leaders lacks critical review and detail. The reports often describe the activities but do not always measure the impact on the quality of education and the progress that leaders are making towards addressing the important areas for improvement. As a result, 17 to 19 January 2023

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governors do not support and challenge leaders effectively to ensure that they continually improve the quality of education for students.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders undertake robust checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable adults and children. Members of the safeguarding team are appropriately qualified, knowledgeable and experienced to carry out their responsibilities. Leaders regularly provide governors with safeguarding and health and safety reports and the actions to address any areas for improvement. Managers who have responsibility for safeguarding make good use of local networks to ensure that they stay up to date with current practices and changes to policy.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders and governors must ensure that tutors are appropriately qualified and trained to teach students with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively in order to improve the quality of education they receive.  Leaders must ensure that students benefit from effective teaching that is purposeful and sufficiently challenging in all areas of the curriculum.  Leaders must ensure that tutors and support staff use the strategies provided in the student support plans to plan learning so that it meets the individual needs of students and enables them to know and remember more.  Leaders must ensure that students study an ambitious curriculum in English and mathematics and that students who are capable of working towards qualifications in these subjects are able to do so.  Leaders and governors must ensure that they focus sharply on improving the quality of education for students. Governors must ensure that they monitor

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

closely the progress that leaders make against the actions designed to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and provide the necessary support to achieve them. 17 to 19 January 2023

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Website

https://www.cambiangroup.com/specialist -education/our-colleges/cambian-lufton- college/

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Website

Principal, CEO or equivalent Sophia Cursons

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Website

Provider type Independent specialist college

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Website

Date of previous inspection 28 to 30 September 2021

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Website

Main subcontractors Not applicable 17 to 19 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the head of education, 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 Cliff Shaw His Majesty’s Inspector Gillian Paterson Ofsted Inspector 17 to 19 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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