Pure Innovations Trading As Pure College

Pure Innovations trading as Pure College Monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones, His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection dates: 6 and 7 March 2024

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address: The Mailbox 1 Exchange Street Stockport SK3 0GA Monitoring visit: Pure Innovations trading as Pure College, 6 and 7 March 2024

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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

Pure Innovations trading as Pure College is an independent specialist college that provides education and training for students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism. At the time of the visit, 27 students attended the college. Ten students study on the ambition for life pathway, 11 study on the ambition for work pathway and six are on the supported internship. All students have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Twelve students are in receipt of high needs funding.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders have a clear strategy and rationale for the education and supported internships they provide. They have developed ambitious curriculums that are clearly aligned to their mission and values for supporting young people with SEND to move into employment. The curriculum includes travel training, mathematics, English and skills for employment to help students and interns move into the workplace. Leaders work closely with employers to provide a wide range of work placements and supported internships that meet the needs and aspirations of students and interns.

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Reasonable progress

The senior leadership team and the staff team have recently experienced a period of significant staff turnover. Many staff are new to the college this academic year. Staffing in the college is now more stable, which means that students and interns work with the same staff. Leaders and managers rightly recognise that there is now much work to do to improve the quality of education.

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Reasonable progress

The new head of the college has very recently put in place systems and processes to evaluate and monitor the quality of the provision. These now help senior leaders to continually monitor the quality of education. The recently implemented quality improvement arrangements are monitored frequently by the head of the college. They rightly focus on the key actions for improvement. However, it is too soon to Monitoring visit: Pure Innovations trading as Pure College, 6 and 7 March 2024 measure the impact these arrangements have on the quality of education and training.

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Reasonable progress

Governors are experienced and qualified to undertake their roles. Governors have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. The new leadership team now provides governors with accurate reports about the provision that enables them to provide effective scrutiny and challenge to leaders, and to hold them to account for their actions.

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Reasonable progress

Most tutors and support coaches know their students and interns well. They work effectively together to ensure that students and interns receive an appropriate level of support that enables them to develop new skills and knowledge. In a few instances, tutors and learning coaches do not have the experience or expertise to ensure that teaching is personalised to meet the needs of students and interns. For example, tutors and learning coaches do not always break down activities into small and manageable steps for students and interns working at entry level 1 and entry level 2.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors and learning coaches use a range of assessments to identify students and interns’ starting points. These are not yet precise enough to identify gaps in students and interns’ knowledge and skills. As a result, learning is not consistently planned to match students and interns’ abilities and individual learning needs.

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Reasonable progress

Students and interns effectively practise and develop their communication skills. They are confident to answer questions in class, tell tutors when they do not understand how to complete activities and make announcements over the public address system in the workplace.

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Reasonable progress

Learners attend block work placements across a range of settings, including retail, hospitality and catering, to practise and develop their skills in the workplace. Employment coaches use students and interns’ personal needs and aspirations to carefully select appropriate work placements. Students and interns value their work placements and most aspire to move on to supported internships and paid employment.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers use students and interns’ EHC plans to create individual learning plans. However, the personalised learning targets are not specific enough to ensure students and interns make rapid progress against their EHC plan targets. Although leaders rightly recognise this and are working diligently to improve the Monitoring visit: Pure Innovations trading as Pure College, 6 and 7 March 2024 quality and specificity of targets set for students and interns, it is too soon to see the impact of these changes.

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Reasonable progress

The safeguarding team receives appropriate training, and these staff are well- qualified and experienced in their roles. They have significant expertise in dealing with complex safeguarding cases. Safeguarding incidents are dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Prompt referrals are made to external agencies such as the local authority designated officer, adult services and the police. Safeguarding records are detailed and clearly identify actions and precise details of the status of cases.

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Reasonable progress

Students and interns feel safe and know who they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Students and interns understand the dangers around them, such as when using social media and in their workplace. Students and interns complete travel training and practise these skills, such as using public transport or crossing the road safely when travelling independently to volunteering sessions or work placement settings. Monitoring visit: Pure Innovations trading as Pure College, 6 and 7 March 2024 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

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Reasonable progress

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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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 .

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Reasonable progress

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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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