Green Corridor

Name of lead inspector: Joanna Walters, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2023

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address: Main Road Nurseries Stanwell Moor Road London TW19 6BS Monitoring visit: Green Corridor, 29 and 30 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

Green Corridor is a specialist post-16 education and training college for learners who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Green Corridor is a registered charity based in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

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Context and focus of visit

Learners study a curriculum that has either a horticulture or catering vocational pathway. The aim of the curriculum is to develop learners’ independence, vocational knowledge and skills to prepare them for further study or employment. As part of the curriculum, learners study accredited qualifications in English, mathematics, employability and progression from entry level 1 through to level 2, based on their individual needs.

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Context and focus of visit

At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 44 learners, all of whom have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Speech and language, occupational and talking therapies are available to learners, based on their individual needs.

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Reasonable progress

Since Green Corridor gained its contract in September 2021, there have been a number of staffing and leadership changes. These negatively impacted on the ability of leaders and staff to make improvements in the quality of education learners receive. Since the start of 2023, a new leadership team has worked hard and effectively to provide a consistent approach to curriculum planning and is having a positive impact.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have accurate oversight of the provision. They thoroughly review the provision with staff to identify the strengths and areas for development. Leaders have effective improvement plans which they monitor frequently. They take suitable action to improve the provision. Monitoring visit: Green Corridor, 29 and 30 November 2023 Trustees have the experience and knowledge of SEND that they need to perform their roles effectively. They work closely with leaders to improve the provision. Through visits to the college, trustees have their own understanding of the experience that learners have. This, along with scrutinising improvement plans, helps them to evaluate well the information they receive from leaders.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure that learners study a suitable curriculum that matches their individual aspirations and long-term goals. Tutors contextualise well the content of the employability or progression qualifications to the specific vocational horticulture or catering pathways learners choose to study. As a result, the majority of learners develop new knowledge and skills and move on to suitable destinations once they complete their programme.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders do not make sure that the resources for teaching catering are good enough. Tutors teach the curriculum with limited resources that do not meet industry standards. This means tutors cannot help learners sufficiently to develop the key knowledge and skills they need to move on to higher level catering programmes with other providers.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide a reasonable range of development opportunities for staff to improve their SEND knowledge and skills. This includes specialist training on behaviour management and autism awareness. However, leaders do not provide opportunities for tutors to further develop their teaching skills.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors use information from learners’ EHC plans effectively to identify the support that individual learners need. Tutors and support staff manage the behaviour of learners well in classrooms, which enables learners to participate positively. Learners develop high levels of confidence and independence as a result of the curriculum they study. Learners say they feel well supported by staff.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders arrange good work experience and educational visits for learners as part of their curriculum. Careers leads organise weekly external work experience placements for learners that relate to their vocational curriculum. For example, horticulture learners carry out grounds maintenance roles at a local hospital. They learn how to use secateurs to prune plants safely and correctly.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and support staff create purposeful and calm learning environments. Tutors use activities in lessons that help learners to develop a range of new knowledge and skills. For example, in catering, tutors teach learners how to follow recipes when they Monitoring visit: Green Corridor, 29 and 30 November 2023 make and decorate cheesecakes. As a result, learners develop new skills and knowledge about the different types of measurement used in catering.

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Reasonable progress

Most tutors plan and sequence the curriculum based on what learners know and can do at the start of programmes. However, there is variation across the programmes. For example, in a few instances, tutors do not take sufficient account of learners’ EHC plan outcomes. Tutors do not consistently review the progress learners make, including their progress towards achieving their EHC plan outcomes.

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Reasonable progress

Speech and language and occupational therapists provide helpful support to learners, including additional support to learners outside of their therapy sessions. However, therapists, therapy assistants, tutors and support staff do not share information with each other well enough about learners’ individual therapy plans. As a result, the extent to which they include therapeutic strategies in the curriculum to support learners’ development is limited.

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Significant progress

Leaders, managers and staff create a safe, secure and welcoming environment for learners. Leaders do thorough checks on new staff to make sure that they are suitable to work with vulnerable young people. They have suitable policies and procedures in place, and effective training for staff, including for those who lead on safeguarding. Leaders set high expectations of staff to protect learners from harm, including from the risks of radicalisation and extremism. This creates a positive safeguarding culture for learners.

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Significant progress

Staff demonstrate high levels of kindness and care towards learners. Learners feel well supported and safe. They enjoy going to college and know who to speak to if they have any worries or problems. Designated safeguarding leads work very effectively with external agencies and professionals to make sure learners who are in need get timely help and support. Monitoring visit: Green Corridor, 29 and 30 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 children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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