Liverpool Theatre School & College Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Liverpool Theatre School & College Limited

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Inspection dates: 27 to 29 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Education programmes for young people Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Information about this provider

Liverpool Theatre School and College Limited, known as Liverpool Theatre School (LTS) is a private theatre school located in Liverpool city centre. The college specialises in training students to enter the musical theatre and dance industries. The college offers the two-year, level 5 diploma in dance and the three-year, level 6 diplomas in professional musical theatre and professional dance, validated by Trinity College London. LTS also offers a level 3 BTEC national diploma in dance and musical theatre, which was not in scope for this inspection.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection there were 31 students studying level 5 or level 6 diplomas who were in receipt of Dance and Drama Award funding. These students, most of whom are aged 16 to 18, were the focus of this inspection. The college has no subcontracted provision. 27 to 29 February 2024

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

Students at LTS benefit from a strong culture of care and support provided by staff and their peers. They value highly the small and inclusive nature of the college where staff understand their individual needs well. Staff carefully tailor feedback and support which enables students to improve their craft. Students enjoy spaces, such as the wellbeing room, and useful mindfulness sessions, which help them build resilience to cope with the competitive nature of the industry. As a result, students quickly learn how to become healthy, confident and safe performers.

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

Students commit very positively to their learning and attend well. They appreciate the opportunity to attend the college and participate fully in theory and practical sessions. Almost all students who enrol complete their courses and achieve their qualification. Most go on to positive destinations in the industry with many securing roles with cruise lines, in television or theatre work.

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

Students know more and can do more because of their training. Dance students build strength and core technique. They warm up independently and safely and follow instruction to execute complex choreography. Musical theatre students learn stage combat and understand how to shape the double vowel sounds they need to portray different characters and accents. Students become used to hearing and following technical ballet, jazz and vocal terminology. As a result, they quickly become fluent with dance and musical theatre vocabulary.

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

Students feel safe and know how to stay safe when at college. They are confident to raise safeguarding or welfare concerns for themselves or peers. They believe correctly that staff will respond well and act in their best interests. Students understand how to remain vigilant to risks when travelling around the city, attending auditions and evening shows. They benefit from helpful, age-appropriate tutorials that ensure they understand how to stay safe online and how to maintain a professional social media presence well.

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better?

Senior staff at LTS provide training that meets the needs of the performing arts sector in the region well. Leaders use their extensive industry links effectively to ensure students have access to role models and employers across a wide range of occupations and genres within the sector. They use staff expertise and alumni masterclasses to build swiftly the performance skills of the students they train. As a result, students are well prepared to take up employment in musical theatre and dance.

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better?

Staff ensure that they recruit students with the potential to succeed in the performing arts sector. They use initial assessment carefully to identify what students know and can do when they start. They use this information appropriately to create individual training plans. Students with little prior experience in jazz and ballet develop the basic and fundamental techniques in year one. More experienced 27 to 29 February 2024

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students attend technically demanding dance classes to develop their skills further. Consequently, all students make suitable progress based on their individual starting points.

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Teachers sequence the curriculum well so that students develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. In ballet, students first focus on building core techniques then work towards the development of artistry. In stage combat, students study punches and kicks in year one, before moving on to sword work in year two. In acting, students are taught strategies to help them to learn and retain lines, so they develop rapidity in this essential skill.

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Teachers have significant experience in performing arts. Many continue to work part time in the industry. They use their industry experience well to engage students and bring learning to life during practical classes. In jazz dance they model choreography and movement carefully when teaching routines. In stage combat they skilfully demonstrate how to work the upper and lower lines to attack, parry and retreat. Students value the experience of their teachers, which they rightly recognise helps them to develop their performance capabilities.

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Teachers provide students with appropriate support to develop their written work alongside the development of their craft. Students benefit from useful guides that help them structure written assignments. Teachers provide helpful feedback that enables students to understand what they have done well and how to improve. Staff support students with special educational needs and disabilities well through assistive technology and additional tutor time. As a result, these students achieve in line with their peers.

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Teachers have high levels of subject expertise. A few staff hold teaching qualifications and Master’s degrees. Leaders support staff who express interest to work towards teaching qualifications or undertake further training, but this is not a requirement. Leaders do not have a continuous professional development programme that focuses sufficiently on the development of teaching practice. As a result, some teachers still refer to contested learning theories and not all sessions are effectively planned to be inclusive for all learners.

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Staff create an inclusive working environment where students understand well their rights and responsibilities. They quickly become well-rounded modern citizens. Students are respectful and tolerant in rehearsals. They listen well to the views of others when receiving feedback. They peer-evaluate with confidence and consideration, helping each other with corrections and integrating new ideas into performance pieces. They contribute well to the local community, volunteering to take part in external events and college open days where they take pride in showcasing their work.

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Students in the final year of their diploma benefit from a well-structured curriculum, strongly focused on the journey towards gaining work. They create professional CVs, showreels and audition tapes. They meet representatives from Spotlight and work towards showcase performances at agents’ days held in London and Liverpool. They 27 to 29 February 2024

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develop their career goals in weekly employability sessions and plan routes to achieving them. As a result, all final year students have a progression plan in place. Students benefit from the strong links LTS retains with industry. For example, talent agencies that work closely with the college placed students in high status cruise lines, commercials, music videos and TV shows. A small number of students secured roles on graduation, in the West End.

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Leaders have not planned a curriculum which focuses sufficiently well on career planning for students before the final year. As a result, the careers curriculum does not currently provide the very small number of students who may choose to discontinue their studies with clear information, advice and guidance that would help them to consider other employment opportunities.

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Leaders focus their attention appropriately on the quality of the education and training. They keep their curriculum offer under review to ensure it meets local needs. For example, they discontinued the offer in acting when student demand reduced. They increased the offer in dance to provide new progression pathways. Where they identify quality improvements, they implement them appropriately. For example, they revised lesson planning formats and introduced standardised marking criteria to improve consistency of experience for students and teachers in the setting.

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Senior Leaders benefit from helpful support and challenge from the external advisors who form the college advisory board. Where board members identify areas for improvement, leaders have been swift to act. For example, board members noted an increase in mental health concerns among young people following the recent pandemic. Leaders responded quickly and effectively by providing staff training. As a result, staff now feel confident to recognise mental health problems and provide effective support.

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Leaders have maintained too heavy a focus on the teaching of dance on the musical theatre programme. As a result, a small number of students are less confident with their skills in other disciplines. Leaders have recently taken appropriate steps to remedy this. They have strengthened the curriculum by increasing the number of singing classes. They have appointed additional staff with expertise in acting. As a result, students now have equal opportunity to work towards mastery in all three disciplines of dance, singing and acting. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these changes.

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Leaders have put in place clear mechanisms, such as course representatives and student forums, as part of their quality assurance procedures. However, in a small number of cases, they have not responded to learner feedback quickly enough or ensured that they inform students of the outcome of actions taken. As a result, students are less likely to raise further concerns about courses.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 27 to 29 February 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide teachers with the support and professional development they need to update and improve their teaching practice.  Ensure the musical theatre curriculum helps students to develop mastery of all three disciplines.  Ensure that student feedback receives a prompt response and that students are kept well informed of the outcomes of any concerns they raise.  Improve the careers advice and guidance available to students from the start of their programme to ensure they are well equipped to consider a range of employment opportunities. 27 to 29 February 2024

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Provider details

Address 35 Sefton Street Liverpool L8 5SL

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Provider details

Website www.liverpooltheatreschool.co.uk

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Maxine Ellis

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 February 2019

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 27 to 29 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the principal, 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

Viki Faulkner, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector Chloe Rendall His Majesty's Inspector Christina Christou Ofsted Inspector 27 to 29 February 2024

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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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