Greenbank Project (The)

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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 Good

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Information about this provider

The Greenbank Project is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. It consists of Greenbank College and Greenbank Sports Academy. This inspection covered the provision at Greenbank College only. The college provides full-time education and training for young people aged 16 to 25 who have additional learning needs or a declared learning difficulty and/or disability.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, there were three distinct learning pathways. Thirty- four learners with more complex needs were on the foundation learning pathway from entry level 1 to entry level 3. A further 105 learners followed the vocational routes pathway at level 1 or level 2, and 12 learners studied for a supported internship. Of these 151 learners, 130 had education, health and care (EHC) plans and 106 were supported through high-needs funding.

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Information about this provider

The foundation learning and vocational route pathways focus on a variety of different subjects such as business administration, catering, customer service, hairdressing, information and communication technology, and sport. 11 to 13 June 2024

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

Learners enjoy their time at the college. They understand the importance of being kind and respectful towards others. Learners’ attendance is high and most are on time for their lessons and work placements.

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

Learners develop their confidence and resilience. They feel confident in expressing their personal thoughts and views. Supported interns say that they are more confident to travel independently, find their way around large complex organisations and communicate with the public.

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

Learners on vocational courses benefit from internal and external work placements and volunteering that helps them to develop their personal, independence and employability skills. However, learners on the foundation learning pathway have too few opportunities for work experience.

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

Learners participate in a wide range of enrichment activities, such as the walking club, bicycle club, gym, hairdressing competitions, and football and basketball teams. Learners complete additional qualifications in citizenship and employability skills.

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

Learners receive high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance. They are ambitious and want to progress to higher-level courses or to move into supported internships or employment.

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

Learners feel safe in college and in their work placements. They know who to report any concerns to about themselves, their friends or peers. Learners have a clear understanding of the threats of radicalisation and extremism and of other dangers such as grooming, sexting, online safety and harmful relationships. For example, learners understand the meaning of ‘hate’ crime. They can explain the differences between this and ‘mate’ crime.

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better?

Leaders and managers have designed appropriate curriculums for most of their learners. These help learners to prepare for employment and to become active members of their communities. However, a few supported interns have experienced gaps in their placements and not all interns benefit from high-quality classroom-based learning. Leaders recognise that staff teaching on the foundation learning pathway do not always have sufficient expertise to teach learners with significant complex needs. Leaders have redesigned their admissions process and the foundation learning pathway curriculum for September 2024 to reflect their concerns. However, they have not made the necessary in-year improvements to help current foundation learners to make swifter progress.

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better?

Most tutors and job coaches identify what learners and supported interns already know and can do at the start of their courses. Job coaches use this information 11 to 13 June 2024

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effectively to place interns in the right job role to meet their needs and future aspirations. However, tutors on the foundation learning pathway and a few tutors on the vocational pathway do not use the results of these assessments consistently to plan learning to meet individual learners’ needs. Targets are not specific enough and do not link sufficiently to learners’ EHC plan outcomes.

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Most tutors plan learning logically to help learners to build their knowledge, skills and behaviours over time. Learners on the level 1 vocational sports course learn to label sections of the heart before moving on to more complex concepts such as circulation and the effects of exercise on the body. However, in foundation learning, tutors do not always ensure that all learners gain mastery in their knowledge and skills in one topic before progressing to the next.

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Most tutors on vocational courses are knowledgeable in their subjects. They use their knowledge and experience effectively to create supportive and professional learning environments that enable learners to understand what it would be like to work in that industry. Learners use the knowledge that they learn effectively and apply it to their working environments, such as using their understanding of health and safety in the workplace to use knives safely when preparing food.

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The majority of tutors make effective use of questioning to check and consolidate learning. Supported interns can recall the importance of appropriate workplace behaviours, such as ensuring that their social media posts are professional. Most vocational pathway learners and interns remember what they have learned throughout their time at college.

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Learning support assistants support learners effectively. They understand when to help learners, when to challenge them and when to allow them time to process information before intervening. Learners who require assistive technology and/or specialist support have access to the right equipment and highly effective therapists. Consequently, these learners develop their knowledge and skills in line with their peers.

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Feedback from tutors following assessment is inconsistent across courses and pathways. In a few vocational pathway courses and in the foundation learning pathway, feedback to learners is too vague or consists of ticks and overly positive comments. Learners do not always know what they have done well and what they need to do to improve the quality of their work.

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Most learners achieve their qualifications. The large majority of learners and supported interns progress to the next level of learning, relevant employment, apprenticeships or volunteering.

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Leaders have experienced serious staffing issues across the college over the previous three years. These challenges have taken leaders’ focus away from maintaining and improving the quality of education. They have taken recent actions to develop clear and coherent plans to refocus their attention on the quality of 11 to 13 June 2024

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education. At the time of the inspection, these were at the very early stages of implementation.

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Notwithstanding their recent actions, leaders have been too slow to identify and rectify weaknesses in the quality of education. Activities such as the observation of teaching and learning do not result in swift improvements to teaching practices. This means that learners do not consistently receive a good standard of education.

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Trustees recently implemented a new governance structure to improve their oversight of all aspects of the charity, particularly the quality of education at the college. However, the impact of these changes is not yet evident.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Design curriculums to meet the specific needs, interests and abilities of all learners and supported interns.  Ensure that all learners and supported interns receive appropriate work experience and work placement roles to meet their needs and future aspirations.  Ensure that tutors use the assessment of learners’ and supported interns’ starting points, including their EHC plan outcomes, to plan individualised learning.  Ensure that all tutors provide clear and helpful feedback to learners.  Ensure that all teaching staff have the appropriate skills and experience to teach learners with complex needs.  Ensure that the new leadership initiatives, including the response to staffing issues and the new governance structure, bring about rapid improvements to the quality of education. 11 to 13 June 2024

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Provider details

Address Greenbank College, Greenbank Lane Liverpool Merseyside L17 1AG

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Provider details

Website https://www.greenbankcollege.org.uk/

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Mary Beaumont

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Provider details

Provider type Independent learning provider

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 16 to 19 January 2018

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 11 to 13 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the SEND education business manager, 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

Suzanne Wainwright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Lisa Duncalf Ofsted Inspector Joanne Keatley Ofsted Inspector Anita Pyrkotsch-Jones His Majesty’s Inspector 11 to 13 June 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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