Sports Connect

Name of lead inspector: Jo-Ann Henderson, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address: Aylesford Bulls Rugby Club Hall Road Aylesford ME20 7DS Monitoring visit: Sports Connect, 8 and 9 November 2023

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Context and focus of visit

Ofsted undertakes to carry out monitoring visits to independent specialist colleges newly funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This monitoring visit was undertaken as part of those arrangements and as outlined in the ‘Further education and skills inspection handbook’, especially the sections entitled ‘Monitoring visits’ and ‘Monitoring visits to providers that are newly directly publicly funded’. The focus of these visits is on the themes set out below.

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Context and focus of visit

Sports Connect is an independent specialist college in Aylesford, Kent. The head office is in Aylesford and there are additional sites in Faversham, Sittingbourne and Sandwich. The college provides sport-focused programmes for learners between the ages of 16 to 25 years old with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as well as for learners between the ages of 16 and 18 years old that may have previously had barriers to education. Most learners attending the college have mild learning difficulties or social and emotional health needs. At the time of the monitoring visit, 47 learners were studying sports related programmes from entry level to level 3, of which five learners were over 19 years of age. Learners also study English and/or mathematics functional skills where required. Sports Connect does not work with any subcontractors.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear vision for education and support of vulnerable learners. They are committed to making a positive impact on the young people they work with and investing in their local communities. They have established a well-planned curriculum which meets the needs of their learners closely. Leaders have developed distinct learning pathways to ensure learners are able to access the most appropriate course for them. For example, the academy at Faversham provides opportunities for learners interested in football, while Sittingbourne provides life and employability programmes with a sport focus. Aylesford hosts sports coaching pathways.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have developed highly effective relationships with Kent County Council and are responsive to requests made for learners who require bespoke programmes. For example, leaders designed a tailored, individual programme to enable learners with personal care needs who were otherwise unable to access education, to attend learning. As a result, learners with specific needs participate well and continue to access their training and achieve in line with their peers. Monitoring visit: Sports Connect, 8 and 9 November 2023 Leaders and managers use the high needs funding they receive appropriately. They coordinate external support services well, for example they ensure that therapy sessions support learners’ social, emotional and health needs successfully. Leaders also purchase digital equipment and resources that help learners access learning and achieve greater independence. Consequently, leaders and staff support learners well

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff are well qualified and have relevant industry expertise. They use their links with industry effectively to support learners to gain useful work experience. As a result, learners learn to experience and understand the world of work over time.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders support staff to continue to develop their skills for teaching and learning. New staff are supported to gain teaching qualifications and staff complete additional training for SEND, for example the level 3 SEN teaching assistance; positive behaviour training and the level 4 SEND diploma. Consequently, learners greatly benefit from staff with the appropriate skills and knowledge to help them achieve well.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders identify and monitor learners at risk frequently and intervene successfully to get them back on track. For example, they hold additional small groups for targeted mathematics and English support and plan additional sessions for independent living skills to address education, health and care plan and social care targets. As a result, learners catch up on work missed or work they find challenging and make good progress.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a secure understanding of what they are doing well and where further improvement is needed. They mostly use this information to effectively evaluate changes required to meet the individual needs of their learners. For example, leaders identified that achievement for learners in care had declined. They put in place actions to address this by allocating staff mentoring duties and responsibilities. As a result, the number of learners who achieve their qualification has improved.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers have developed a well structured and sequenced programme which is designed around the needs of the learners. For example, learners study physical fitness and injuries before moving on to performance analysis. As a result, learners build on their knowledge and skills and remember more. Monitoring visit: Sports Connect, 8 and 9 November 2023 Leaders and staff have created a comprehensive personal development curriculum to support learners to develop the skills required to work together, participate in activities and become more independent. For example, teachers use effective group activities for those learners who are anxious and who find change difficult, such as planning volunteering events before completing them. As such, learners become more confident and able to participate well in learning activities.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers model professional behaviours well. They set high expectations for behaviour in and out of the classroom. For example, they consistently and effectively challenge low-level inappropriate behaviour. As a result, learners are well behaved, respect each other’s views and opinions, and are accepting of other learners’ needs.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have not ensured that learning plans are consistently well used to provide helpful goals and targets for individual learners. Consequently, a small number of learners are not clear on what progress they are making or what they need to do to gain higher grades.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have established community partnerships effectively. For example, learners benefit from accessing local football club facilities that support their learning well. As a result, learners benefit from working in their communities and develop the professional behaviours required in the workplace well.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers develop learners’ literacy and numeracy skills throughout the programme well. They introduce mathematical concepts that link to learners’ vocational studies well so that they understand the relevance of these ideas to their studies clearly. For example, learners are able to explain how angles apply to kicking a football accurately. As such, most learners develop their knowledge of English and mathematics successfully and achieve their functional skills qualifications quickly.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and staff have created a positive culture of safeguarding at Sports Connect that ensures learners feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Leaders recently introduced a helpful mentoring scheme in which learners discuss any concerns they may have. Learners are confident that staff will take appropriate action to support them.

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Reasonable progress

The suitably trained designated safeguarding officer ensures staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. Leaders use the information they have well to identify trends and develop further support or training as required. Leaders have clear plans in place to further develop learners’ understanding of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism and how to stay safe online, but it is too early to assess their impact. Monitoring visit: Sports Connect, 8 and 9 November 2023 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

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children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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 .

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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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