Cambian Wing College

Cambian Wing College Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

p.1

Name of lead inspector: Clifford Shaw, His Majesty’s Inspector

p.1

Type of provider: Independent specialist college

p.1

Address: 126 Richmond Park Road Bournemouth BH8 8TH Monitoring visit: Cambian Wing College, 4 and 5 October 2023

p.1

Context and focus of visit

Cambian Wing College (CWC) was inspected in June 2022. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

p.2

Context and focus of visit

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

p.2

Context and focus of visit

Cambian Wing College is an independent specialist college situated in Bournemouth, Dorset. The college provides full-time study programmes from entry level 2 to level 3 for young people aged between 16 and 25. All students have a primary diagnosis of autism. Most have associated mental health difficulties. At the time of the monitoring visit, 28 students were studying at the college. Of these, 12 were day students, while 16 were living in residential accommodation provided by the college.

p.2

Insufficient progress

Leaders’ actions have not ensured that the curriculum is taught well. Although leaders ensure that teachers receive training to improve the quality of their teaching, this has largely been ineffective. Too many teachers do not translate the content of the training they have received into effective teaching methods to enable students to gain new knowledge, skills and behaviours. For example, a few teachers do not explain the content of subjects to students clearly enough. They use language and questions that are too complex and, as a result, students do not understand what is expected of them and do not develop new knowledge at the expected pace. A minority of teachers do not challenge students effectively to ensure that they are listening to what they are being taught. They allow students to wear headphones in lessons and, as a result, they are not attentive, and do not participate sufficiently. A few teachers do not provide students with legible written feedback on their

p.2

Insufficient progress

coursework. Consequently, students do not know what they have done well or what they need to do to improve. Leaders have taken effective action to improve the planning of the curriculum. Leaders organise the curriculum into well-considered groups of courses under the headings of preparation for adulthood, academic development, vocational Monitoring visit: Cambian Wing College, 4 and 5 October 2023 development and enrichment programmes. Consequently, leaders ensure that students study the programmes and courses that best meet their needs and career interests. Leaders have established useful partnerships with local further education colleges to provide courses to students in subjects that CWC is not able to teach. As a result, a few students study courses in media production, travel and tourism and engineering. This enables them to gain the valuable new knowledge and skills they need to progress to higher education and/or work.

p.2

Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken appropriate action to ensure that teachers receive training on how to link their teaching so that it supports students’ achievement of the targets identified in their EHC plans. Teachers have improved their lesson planning to take better account of students’ long-term EHC plan goals. Teachers now monitor more closely the progress that students make from their starting points. Leaders recently implemented a risk-rated approach that teachers use to assess the development of students’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. Consequently, most teachers have an improved understanding of how to use appropriate teaching methods that enable students to achieve their long-term goals. For example, teachers slow lessons down so that students who struggle to understand concepts do not become anxious and have sufficient time to process the content they are being taught. A few teachers make effective use of visual learning technologies to encourage students to vocalise

p.3

Reasonable progress

and interact positively with their teacher. For example, in mathematics, teachers use digital software that allows students to move and drop their answers into a grid. Teachers ensure that those students who have goals to travel independently are supported well by being given the knowledge and skills they need to plan their journeys and travel times. Consequently, students gain in confidence and are able to travel independently to classes and work placements outside of CWC. A few teachers do not plan their teaching well enough to take account of students’ EHC plan goals. For example, they do not provide students with the visual resources that are identified within an EHC plan. A few teachers do not plan and work with learning support assistants (LSAs) well enough to ensure that the support they provide to students is appropriate for the tasks students are set. Consequently, students are overly supported by LSAs to complete straightforward tasks such as

p.3

Reasonable progress

completing worksheets. Monitoring visit: Cambian Wing College, 4 and 5 October 2023

p.3

Reasonable progress

Leaders ensure that teachers receive helpful training from the specialist therapy team. Teachers and the specialist therapy team now work together more effectively to agree how the needs of students are best met. They regularly share and discuss information about individual students at team meetings. Therapy specialists now attend more lessons to observe the communication between teachers and students. They use their observations from these visits to provide useful feedback to teachers about where therapeutic approaches have been used well and where improvements can be made. Teachers have improved their knowledge of specialist therapies and incorporate these more effectively into their teaching. For example, most teachers now understand how to use questioning to develop students’ verbal reasoning and language capabilities. Teachers in art lessons select visual stimuli for students that reflect their personal interests and, as a result, this makes the exploration and

p.4

Reasonable progress

discussion of topics more relevant for students.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Teachers use effective strategies to help students to understand and manage their mental health and well-being. For example, teachers take time to explain to students the importance of understanding their behaviour and how this can help them to be more resilient. As a result, students are less anxious and less likely to become unsettled when people they do not know well visit their lessons. A few teachers use a range of resources well to help students to take control of their schedules and organise their thoughts in a more structured way.

p.4

Reasonable progress

However, leaders recognise rightly that a few teachers do not yet use what they have learned about specialist therapies well enough so that all students make the expected progress in their learning.

p.4

Reasonable progress

Leaders have taken effective action so that most students participate in relevant work experience. Leaders have increased the number of external partners that provide students with a greater range of work experience opportunities. Leaders have a beneficial partnership with a local infant school to provide work placements for students. Senior leaders at the school value the contribution that CWC students make to improving staff’s awareness of autism by sharing their experiences of the condition. A few students have successful placements in day nurseries, with one Monitoring visit: Cambian Wing College, 4 and 5 October 2023 successfully progressing on to an apprenticeship and studying to become a teaching assistant. Leaders manage students’ expectations about their work experience appropriately. They ensure that most work placements reflect well students’ personal and career interests. Leaders hold careers fairs and employability days for the minority of students who

p.4

Reasonable progress

are too anxious to undertake an external work placement. However, leaders recognise rightly that these students need to be better prepared so they can demonstrate the behaviours and attitudes that are required by employers. Leaders ensure that teachers now teach employability skills and preparation for adulthood skills as part of the curriculum. As a result, most students improve their knowledge about how to prepare and present themselves for employment. However, at the time of the monitoring visit this initiative was still in the early stages of implementation and it was too early to see the impact. Monitoring visit: Cambian Wing College, 4 and 5 October 2023 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for students 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

p.5

Reasonable progress

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.

p.6

Reasonable 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

Reasonable 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

Reasonable progress

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

p.6

Reasonable progress

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

p.6