Langdon College

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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Information about this provider

Langdon College is part of Kisharon Langdon, a registered charity. Langdon College has two campuses in Salford and one in London that provide education and support with a Jewish ethos. Learners have a variety of special educational needs and/or difficulties (SEND), and/or social and emotional difficulties. All learners have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. At the time of the inspection, there were 50 learners in scope. Twenty-nine were based at the London campus and 21 based between the two sites in Manchester. The college offers four 'strands' of learning. These are: achievement; independence and work skills; employability; and transition. Learners on the achievement, independence and work skills, and on the employability strands attend college for five days per week. Learners studying on the transition strand attend college for three days per week and attend work experience for two days per week.

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Information about this provider

On the day of notification of inspection, the principal of Langdon College was in post, however on the first day of inspection the director of education of Kisharon Langdon stepped in as interim principal to act as nominee for the inspection. 1 to 3 July 2024

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

Learners enjoy coming to college because they value the friendships that they make and the support they receive from support staff and tutors. Learners are respectful and helpful towards staff and their peers, both in the classroom and in social spaces. They are polite and friendly. They welcome visitors warmly and confidently.

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

Learners learn about healthy friendships and how to keep safe in their communities. They demonstrate tolerance and respect for their peers and others less able than themselves. Learners develop an appropriate understanding of sex and relationships because tutors and support staff sensitively teach these topics. Staff help learners understand their Jewish faith and culture, and how these relate to healthy relationships.

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

Too many learners do not develop the knowledge and skills for which they are capable and do not reach their potential. This is due to leaders’ and tutors’ poor planning of most of the curriculums for the strands available. This is not the case for the transition strand; these learners make better progress.

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

Learners benefit from effective and impartial careers advice and guidance. This helps them and their parents to understand the pathways and options available to them when they leave the college.

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better?

Leaders do not ensure that tutors consistently plan the curriculums logically to enable all learners to develop their knowledge and skills over time or to help them prepare for their next steps, such as volunteering or supported living. Curriculums in achievement, independence and work skills and employability strands are not aspirational enough, for example too many learners continually repeat the same tasks in lessons, make the same products in practical cookery workshops and do not make sufficient progress in their studies.

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better?

Staff use a range of assessments to accurately identify what learners know and can do at the start of their course. They use this information to place them on the correct strand of learning. However, staff do not use this information to set learners personalised or meaningful developmental targets. Consequently, the curriculums are not sufficiently personalised and do not include the outcomes of most learners’ EHC plans.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced new processes to ensure that staff gather and record information to set and monitor individual targets for learners. However, most tutors do not accurately record information about the progress that learners make.

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better?

Most tutors and support staff support learners on the transition strand to learn the skills they need for working life during work experience and in lessons. Learners learn and practise new skills in lessons and during work experience, such as 1 to 3 July 2024

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travelling independently, which will help them in the future. These learners make significantly more progress compared to learners on other strands.

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Tutors and support staff know their learners well. They consider carefully how best to communicate with learners who are non-verbal or have limited communication skills. For example, tutors provide learners with a list of tasks to be completed during the lesson and with timers that help them to understand how long activities should take to complete. Support staff use a variety of effective strategies that enable learners to participate fully in their lessons. Most learners demonstrate increased confidence and ability, improve their concentration and become increasingly more independent in their learning.

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Leaders and staff do not have high enough expectations of, and aspirations for, learners. As most staff do not monitor or record learners’ progress well enough, they are unable to share accurate information with parents and carers about the new skills that learners develop. Consequently, learners do not practise their new skills, such as using communication aids, at home.

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Governance is ineffective. The previous governors did not take adequate responsibility for holding senior leaders to account for their actions. The very recently appointed governing body and members of the education committee are well qualified and have the determination and expertise to improve the quality of the education for learners. They have extensive experience, both personal and professional, of the needs of learners with SEND. However, it is too soon to see the impact of their actions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Over time governors, leaders and managers have not placed enough importance on safeguarding training for staff. Too many staff do not have current or relevant knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding risks and threats to the learners in their care. The culture of safeguarding at the college is weak.

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Safeguarding

Staff do not routinely follow college policies for the administration of medications, including recording how much medication is given to learners and when. Learners are put at unnecessary risk of harm by the college staff.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers do not have suitable arrangements in place for managing the recruitment of staff. They do not routinely check criminal records, gaps in employment history or references for new staff. Consequently, leaders and managers do not create a safe environment for learners.

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 Improve the culture of safeguarding and swiftly resolve safeguarding concerns, particularly the administration of medication to learners.  Ensure that tutors use the results of assessments of what learners know and can do at the start of their course to plan personalised and meaningful targets for learners.  Ensure that tutors and support staff accurately collect and record information about learners’ progress and use the information to set personalised and meaningful targets for learners.  Ensure that governors challenge leaders and hold them to account for their actions. 1 to 3 July 2024

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Address

9 Leicester Avenue Salford Manchester M7 4HA

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

no substantive principal in post at the time of the inspection

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Provider type Independent specialist college

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Date of previous inspection 16 to 18 November 2021

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Principal, CEO or equivalent

Main subcontractors None 1 to 3 July 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the interim 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

Jane Young, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Angie Fisher Ofsted Inspector Hayley Lomas His Majesty's Inspector 1 to 3 July 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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