Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council

Further education and skills inspection report

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Short inspection of Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council

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Outcome

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council continues to be a good provider.

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Information about this provider

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council’s adult education service, known as Kingston Adult Education (KAE), offers education and training and community learning to adult learners at 12 centres across the borough. At the time of the inspection, there were 470 learners.

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Information about this provider

KAE offers a range of courses in well-being, digital skills, family learning, employability, English, including English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), mathematics, health and fitness, creative arts, crafts, history and foreign languages. Learners can study vocational courses from levels 1 to 3 in childcare, early years, counselling, community interpreting, information, advice and guidance, climate and sustainability, bookkeeping, special educational needs and teaching assistant. KAE also offers a range of courses for local businesses, such as a practical ideas for happier living course at a local general practice surgery.

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Information about this provider

KAE offers courses in cookery, arts and crafts, performing arts and digital skills for adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Learners learn in friendly and supportive environments. They enjoy their studies and appreciate the high-quality support tutors and learning support staff give to them. Tutors adjust the pace at which they teach effectively, based on the needs of learners. For example, tutors who teach learners who speak English as an additional language present information clearly, such as correct use of pronunciation. They allow sufficient time for learners to understand new topics so they are able to apply their new knowledge when they participate in class discussions.

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

Learners greatly appreciate the combination of online and in-person lessons as this helps them to manage their studies alongside their personal commitments. Level 2 early years practitioner learners find the work placements very helpful as they apply their knowledge and develop their skills in a suitable setting. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Learners with SEND are taught and supported by tutors and learning support staff who take the time to understand how best to teach and support them. Staff use a good range of verbal and physical techniques to help learners learn. For example, they provide effective physical support to learners with a visual impairment and help guide them around their learning environments. Learners enjoy their studies and make good progress. This is because tutors use teaching strategies that engage learners’ interest and in which they like to participate.

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Learners feel safe at the different learning centres. Tutors give learners helpful information during induction about safeguarding and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Members of the safeguarding team frequently visit lessons to raise the awareness of learners of safeguarding topics. As a result, learners have sound knowledge and know how to report any worries or concerns they have.

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better?

Leaders, managers and staff have successfully maintained the good quality of education that learners experience. They continue to have high expectations of their learners. They offer a highly relevant range of courses to meet the local needs of the community, employers and learners. For example, leaders have increased and adapted the range of ESOL programmes to meet the high demand in the local community, particularly for learners from Ukraine and Hong Kong.

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better?

Leaders plan and adapt new courses effectively in partnership with employers and stakeholders to help prepare learners for employment. This means they contribute well to meeting skills shortages in London. For example, they have recently introduced community interpreting for local communities, digital ESOL, and a specific course that helps learners find employment.

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better?

Tutors identify accurately what learners know and can do at the start of programmes through assessments and discussions with them. They use the results of these assessments well to adapt how they teach the curriculum and develop personal learning plans for learners. Tutors carefully sequence how they teach the curriculum, as they consider the knowledge and skills they want learners to develop immediately and over time. For example, early years teachers guide learners on how to summarise information and teach them the technical vocabulary they need. Learners are then able to carry out written tasks competently at their placements, such as writing incident reports.

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better?

Tutors are well qualified and knowledgeable in the subjects they teach. They use their expertise to good effect to explain new topics clearly to learners. They use effective teaching methods in lessons that help learners remember new content through, for example, class discussions and skilful questioning. They use real-life examples to contextualise topics so that they are meaningful to learners, and use language that is accessible to the level of learners they teach. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Tutors meet frequently with learners to review their individual progress. In most cases they identify well the new knowledge, skills and behaviours learners develop and the areas they need to improve. As a result, most learners make good progress. However, in functional skills English and mathematics, tutors do not use results from assessments well enough to teach the curriculum content or identify the specific knowledge and skills learners develop over time. In these instances, a few learners do not make the progress they are capable of and not enough achieve their functional skills qualifications. Similarly, tutors are not consistently good at using targets with learners, especially for those with SEND, so that learners are clear about what they have learned and where they need to improve.

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Tutors give learners timely and effective feedback on their work. This helps learners to improve the standard of their work. For example, ESOL tutors listen carefully to learners’ responses and provide verbal feedback in lessons to correct their pronunciation and grammar. As a result, learners improve their confidence and learn to use correct pronunciation and tense in their communications with others.

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Leaders provide a range of useful development opportunities to help tutors improve their teaching practice further. This is well informed by the thorough quality assurance that leaders carry out. Tutors attend a good range of external, online and in-house training in topics such as dyslexia, relaxation, well-being and digital skills. As a result, tutors apply well what they have learned and provide good-quality teaching and learning to learners. Most staff value their training and feel well supported by leaders. They are proud to work at KAE.

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Staff provide learners with effective careers advice and guidance during their studies. This includes exploring different job roles in specific sectors such as childcare, or courses at a higher level. As a result, learners have good knowledge of and are clear about their next steps to employment or further study.

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KAE has suitable and clear governance arrangements in place. Members of the advisory board have a good range of knowledge and skills that help them support and challenge the leadership team effectively. They receive useful information to help them understand the provision. Board members understand the particular challenges the service faces and where they need to improve, such as the need to increase the proportion of learners who achieve their functional skills English and mathematics qualification.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 and 18 April 2024

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Use the outcomes from assessments of learners consistently well across all courses, and especially in functional skills English and mathematics, to adapt the teaching of the curriculum based on what learners know and can do and to increase the proportion of learners who achieve qualifications in these subjects.  Across different subjects, and in particular for learners with SEND, give feedback to learners on their targets so they are clear about the specific knowledge and skills they develop. 17 and 18 April 2024

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Provider details

Address Hook Centre Hook Road Chessington KT9 1EJ

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Provider details

Website www.kingston.gov.uk/adults-education

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Sam Burgess

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 28 April 2017

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 17 and 18 April 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Council was judged to be good in April 2017.

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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

Joanna Walters, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Elena Diaconescu Ofsted Inspector Jane Hughes His Majesty’s Inspector Ramin Narimani His Majesty’s Inspector 17 and 18 April 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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