LINK19 College

LINK19 College Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Mark Hillman, His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection date(s): 26 and 27 September 2024

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

LINK Centre, Block H, Dering Way, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 2DP Monitoring visit: LINK19 College, 26 and 27 September 2024.

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Context and focus of visit

LINK19 College was inspected in October 2023. At that time, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the provision to require improvement.

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Context and focus of visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the progress that leaders and managers have made in resolving the main areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.

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Context and focus of visit

LINK19 College is a small specialist post-19 college in Gravesend, Kent. It provides training and education for learners aged 19 to 25 years old with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Learners follow a programme of work experience placements, vocational training, and English and mathematics qualifications. At the time of the monitoring visit, there were 42 learners in learning.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made sure all members of the board of directors have completed and updated their training in safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders now use a training schedule and complete regular checks to ensure that directors continue to understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Board members use the knowledge acquired from training during board meetings and college visits to make sure learners are safe.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made sure teachers benefit from training to improve their teaching. For example, teachers attend training conferences and visit other specialist providers to learn how to apply a person-centred approach to learning and target setting. Leaders have arranged for teachers to visit the lessons of English and mathematics specialists to learn helpful teaching strategies. Leaders and teachers share useful teaching tips at their weekly meetings. Teachers use their Monitoring visit: LINK19 College, 26 and 27 September 2024. training competently to plan and adjust activities so learners develop their skills and confidence well. Leaders do not identify the teaching practices that all teachers need to improve across the organisation sufficiently. This limits the effectiveness of staff development opportunities. They have taken steps to make improvements but it is too early to

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Reasonable progress

Leaders provide workplace supervisors with useful training to set learners short-term targets and track their progress. They have partnered experienced staff with those newer to the role to help develop their skill and confidence in setting targets. Most workplace supervisors use the skills they have learned well to set learners helpful and realistic stepping-stone targets. Most workplace supervisors record the level of support learners need clearly when completing tasks related to their targets. They know learners must complete tasks independently on a number of occasions to demonstrate progress. As a result, most learners make good progress towards their education, health and care plan targets.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure staff use initial assessment to set learners incremental targets. Most staff set meaningful goals for learners so they build their skills and confidence well. In most instances, the targets staff set for learners are related closely to those in learners’ education, health and care plans. Leaders do not make sure all staff set learners targets consistently well or that targets are informed by other parts of their study and training. Since the last inspection, teachers now use learner assessment to plan learning effectively. Teachers use clear assessment criteria to build learners’ competencies and set relevant targets. Leaders and staff review learners’ progress each half term and take action when learners need further support which contributes to most learners making good progress. Monitoring visit: LINK19 College, 26 and 27 September 2024. to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for

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Reasonable progress

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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable progress

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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