Horizons College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Provision for learners with high needs Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

Horizons College was last inspected in December 2021. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision as requires improvement. The monitoring visit in December 2022 identified reasonable progress in two of the three themes, with significant progress in the remaining theme.

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Information about this provider

Horizons College is part of Brunel Education, a private company limited by guarantee. It was registered as an approved provider in 2014. The college has recently moved to new premises in Royal Wootton Bassett. It provides specialist education for young people between 16 and 25 years of age who have a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Learners include those who have a high level of need and those for whom employment will be an outcome.

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Information about this provider

At the time of this inspection, 76 learners who have high needs were studying at the college, each with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Learners study a curriculum that aims to prepare them for next phase in their life. 19 to 21 March 2024

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

Learners enjoy attending Horizons College, where they are supported well by staff to have a wide range of learning experiences. As a result, learners develop new knowledge, skills and behaviours that prepare them well for employment and greater independence in their communities.

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

Learners demonstrate high levels of respect for staff and their peers. They have positive attitudes and most conduct themselves extremely well at college, engaging actively with their learning. Learners recognise and celebrate their achievements. For example, work experience and citizenship activities are discussed on the weekly radio show that is broadcast on the internet. This motivates learners to engage fully with their individual learning programmes.

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

Learners benefit from substantial opportunities to develop their interests through a wide range of enrichment opportunities. For example, mindfulness and well-being sessions at lunchtimes encourage learners to make use of quiet spaces, play games and interact with peers. As a result, they learn to manage their emotions and improve their social skills. Additionally, they take part in cooking competitions that are judged by industry experts and make art that is exhibited in local galleries. Visits to local shops, cafés and community venues develop learners’ confidence in pursuing their interests outside of college and prepare them well to access their communities.

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

Learners’ health and well-being are supported well by staff. They learn how to identify changes to their own health, about their entitlement to annual health checks and how to communicate what they need, and how they want to be treated by professionals. This enables learners to develop resilience, to advocate for themselves and to access professionals that will support their future health and well- being.

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

Learners feel safe at college. They gain essential understanding of challenging themes through the wider curriculum, such as knife crime and gangs. Tutors explore risks through meaningful discussions with learners about life in modern Britain. Learners contribute examples and scenarios that are relevant to them in their local community. Therapists and the college counsellor develop learners’ understanding of fundamental British values. For example, restorative justice conversations highlight the importance of recognising and respecting differences of opinion and tolerance is promoted in restoring peer relationships.

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

Learners receive effective careers advice and guidance at the start of their programme and throughout their time at college. They are supported to visit employers, careers fairs, job centres and all take part in appropriate voluntary or work experiences, with the majority having external work placements that supports their individual work aspirations. A few learners progress to supported internship programmes. However, currently, too few learners progress to paid employment. 19 to 21 March 2024

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better?

Leaders are highly committed to improving learners’ experience at Horizons College. By relocating, they have successfully created an adult college environment. This has supported the development of a new and ambitious curriculum, and subsequent positive impact on the learner experience. For example, the new café provides vocational training for learners, including preparing takeaway lunches for local employees on the industrial estate. A professional reception area provides customer service training. An open plan office for learners on the pathway to employment offers a realistic business environment to develop behaviours for work. Learners on the independence and life choices pathway benefit from adapted classrooms, including therapy and sensory areas. As a result, learners are developing new knowledge, skills and behaviours to meet their planned outcomes.

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better?

Leaders have rightly prioritised developing the new curriculum into three main pathways. They have worked with the local authority, employers, learners, parents and other key stakeholders to understand the needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Consequently, the new curriculum prepares learners well for progression to local work opportunities and builds learners’ confidence in accessing their communities. Leaders continue to work with the local authority to design a supported internship programme. This builds on the college’s current curriculum and ambitions to secure paid and sustainable employment for more learners as they transition from the college.

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better?

Leaders have planned an effective curriculum for learners with the highest support needs to develop further independence, in both communication skills and physical well-being. Multi-disciplinary teams work collaboratively to ensure learners’ programmes have integrated therapeutic input, equipment and interventions that impact positively on learners. For example, in a fitness session, the physical activities were individualised to offer competitiveness and challenge for the group. Learners could practice their skills and compare their achievements from the previous session.

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better?

Leaders are developing tutors’ skills to plan and deliver learning effectively. For example, tutors have undertaken level 7 qualifications in special educational needs and/or disabilities, profound and multiple learning disabilities, inclusion and adult autism. Senior learning support assistants are undertaking level 5 initial teacher education. An occupational therapist’s level 6 in sensory integration has led to changes to the learning environment, for example movement breaks, activities to minimise distractions and strategies that meet the sensory needs of learners. The college counsellor is currently undertaking training on supporting and breaking behaviours that might lead to self-harm. Consequently, leaders have created an effective multi-disciplinary team that understands how to plan activities to meet the needs of their learners.

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better?

Specialist staff share their expertise through useful whole-college continuing professional development. For example, knowledge about good sleep has been introduced into the health and well-being curriculum, linking to nutrition, alcohol, 19 to 21 March 2024

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drugs and how these factors impact on the body. Physiotherapists have advised on integrating physical activities into the curriculum and supported implementation. Speech and language therapists assist in the use of assistive technologies, such as head switches, headsets and grids. As a result, learners benefit from accessing a holistic individualised curriculum that meets their needs well.

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Tutors and learning support assistants (LSAs) know their learners well. They adapt the curriculum to learners’ interests to motivate and facilitate their work towards their EHC plan outcomes. Consequently, they are able to plan and provide ambitious learning activities that enable learners to acquire new knowledge, skills and behaviours. Tutors check learners’ understanding by setting and monitoring targets in line with their individual learning plans. As a result, many learners talk confidently about their new skills and how they are using these on work placements.

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Tutors understand the key concepts of learning because they have completed training on pedagogy. They work closely with LSAs and therapists to plan learning. As a result, they can identify appropriate strategies to use in sessions and know the importance of repetition to reinforce new learning. Consequently, learners have opportunities to practice and transfer learning to their long-term memory and consistently demonstrate and apply their acquired knowledge, skills and behaviours in college, workplace settings and community visits.

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Leaders have developed an effective system to monitor and report on learner progress. For example, through frequent multi-disciplinary team meetings, staff predict expected progress based on what learners already know and can do. They monitor learners’ progress against these agreed predicted outcomes. As a result, staff adjust learners’ programmes or implement different strategies where a learner is not making the expected progress. This ensures that the tailored curriculum remains ambitious and learners’ targets are both current and relevant.

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Leaders have rightly focused on improving all aspects of the learner experience at the college since the last inspection. They have implemented effective processes, using a range of approaches, including case sampling, to quality assure the learner journey. They use learning from this to inform staff training. For example, to increase learners independent working, whole-college training on ‘effective learning support’ was implemented, using video of learners and staff at work. As a result, learners are enabled to work independently from staff support, including learners on external work placements. However, a few learners on graduated support are not able to maintain focus when they are unsupported during activities.

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Leaders have carefully considered how they can use the environment to support the well-being of staff. A dedicated well-being space is available for staff to use to pray or reflect on events. As a result, following significant incidents, staff are able to take time to decompress. Additionally, the open plan spaces around the college, hot drinks station and lunch area where fruit is provided, also encourage staff to take breaks and show leaders consideration of their well-being. 19 to 21 March 2024

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Leaders and those responsible for governance know the college well, they understand its strengths and weaknesses and effectively hold leaders to account. Governors meet regularly and frequently visit the college, taking part in learning walks and training. Leaders provide regular reports, for example on attendance, safeguarding and learners’ progress. Governors use this information to question how, for example, leaders are identifying trends in attendance and using this to inform future plans.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Leaders should continue to develop the multi-disciplinary team approach to embed the new curriculum. Teams should work together to set individual learner targets and plan learning activities, reducing duplication and improving coherence across curriculum areas.  Leaders should ensure that staff are equipped with strategies to maintain learners’ focus on activities during planned withdrawal of support, to increase learners’ development of greater independence.  Leaders should further develop opportunities for learners to participate in meaningful work experiences to help them to secure sustainable paid employment in the future. 19 to 21 March 2024

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Provider details

Address Bincknoll Lane Unit 5 Interface Business Park Royal Wootton Bassett Wiltshire SN4 8QQ

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Genti Mullaliu

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Provider details

Provider type Independent specialist college

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 1 to 3 December 2021 19 to 21 March 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

Tina Pagett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Lyn Bourne Ofsted Inspector Jojo Kingsbury-Elia Ofsted Inspector Hannah Staddon Ofsted Inspector 19 to 21 March 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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