Ravensbourne

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Education programmes for young people Good Adult learning programmes Good Apprenticeships Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

Ravensbourne is a higher education institution located on the Greenwich peninsula in south-east London. The university has around 150 students and apprentices studying further education courses. At the time of the inspection, there were 147 students studying the level 3 foundation diploma in art and design. They were studying programmes in design and media, fashion and textiles, and media production. Most students were aged 18 years and over. A further nine adult students were studying the access to higher education diploma in art and design. There were fewer than five apprentices studying the level 6 broadcast and media systems engineer degree apprenticeship. 3 to 6 December 2024

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

Most students and apprentices flourish in the inclusive and professional learning environment that leaders and staff have created. They appreciate the high-quality teaching and support they receive from well-qualified staff who have extensive experience in the creative and digital industries. They take great pride in showing the unique and inspirational work that they produce. Most students and apprentices enjoy their studies, attend well and are motivated to learn.

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

Students and apprentices demonstrate respectful and positive attitudes. They work enthusiastically with teachers and peers and share interesting ideas in lessons. Students explore important social and cultural issues through their creative studies, such as protest democracy. For instance, students create thought-provoking designs that promote women’s rights and race equality. This contributes to their personal growth as insightful and responsible individuals.

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

Most students and apprentices develop new knowledge and skills quickly. They produce work to a high standard. In fashion communication, students work on a substantial portfolio of photography projects, including a ‘street style’ assignment, that equips them well for higher study. Broadcast and media engineer apprentices complete challenging projects that introduce innovation and reduce costs in their workplaces. For instance, they evaluate the benefits of moving their businesses from satellite to Internet Protocol technology. Almost all apprentices achieve their qualifications with distinction grades.

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

Students value greatly the wide range of enrichment activities that staff provide. They enjoy visits to galleries, exhibitions and specialist retailers to research and apply their learning in real-world contexts. Students often benefit from specialist masterclasses, such as sustainable quilting in fashion design and textiles. These experiences help them to develop valuable skills and confidence as young creative professionals.

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

Students and apprentices feel safe. They know how to report concerns if they need to. Most students and apprentices know how to stay safe from known risks in the area, such as mobile phone theft. They learn about important safety measures to take when filming in public. For instance, they make sure camera equipment is secure and gain consent from people they film. They participate in training to help them understand how to stay safe online and from the risks of radicalisation and extremism. Consequently, most students and apprentices know how to take sensible steps to protect themselves and their peers. 3 to 6 December 2024

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better?

Leaders and managers have well-established relationships with regional, national and global employers and stakeholders in the creative and digital industries. They work closely with them to plan ambitious courses that help meet the current and future skills needs in these sectors. For instance, leaders make sure that students develop a high level of digital competency in each foundation diploma pathway. Leaders invest in industry standard resources to support students’ and apprentices’ learning. This includes a vast array of digital media and design resources and software, audio recording and communication equipment, and fashion studios. Consequently, students and apprentices develop the advanced knowledge and skills that help them to progress to higher study, and that employers need.

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better?

Managers and teachers plan the order in which subjects are taught effectively. They make sure that students and apprentices develop their knowledge and skills progressively and securely. For example, in fashion design and textiles, students learn to sketch designs and understand fabrics before they start to pattern cut and sew. Broadcast and media engineer apprentices learn the procedures to transfer audio and video files over the internet before they study broadcast electronics. Consequently, most students and apprentices build their knowledge and skills over time and make positive progress.

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better?

Teachers use their expertise to plan interesting and engaging activities to build on what students and apprentices know and can do. They use well-managed peer discussion, group tasks and real-world scenarios to help students and apprentices to understand and apply new information very well. Teachers of the access course help students to quickly develop observation and drawing skills through short, timed tasks. Students study a kitchen object, such as a whisk or colander, then draw it. Teachers provide effective guidance to students on how to develop their skills, such as changing the angle or scale of the object.

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better?

Most teachers recap previous knowledge and use questioning effectively to help students and apprentices remember and extend their learning. In visual communication and design, teachers demonstrate carefully to students how to acquire basic camera skills. When students have mastered these techniques, teachers check their knowledge and skills and teach increasingly sophisticated filming methods to support their project work.

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better?

Teachers help students and apprentices to understand technical concepts and use terminology accurately. For instance, fashion design and textiles students understand what deconstruction means in fashion. They use these techniques to create innovative clothing designs that appear raw and unfinished. Consequently, students and apprentices use complex ideas and language confidently and correctly in their studies and at work.

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better?

Teachers and staff use information about the individual needs of students and apprentices with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to plan 3 to 6 December 2024

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learning and support well. These students and apprentices benefit from individualised support and feedback that helps them to improve their work. They achieve well and in line with their peers.

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Teachers provide helpful feedback on students’ and apprentices’ work. This helps them to understand the quality of their work and improve it further. In the foundation diploma, students routinely engage in well-supervised peer assessment. For example, in fashion communication, students make helpful comments on how to improve one another’s magazine design and content.

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Foundation diploma teachers work in teams of three to provide innovative teaching that develops younger students’ knowledge and skills successfully. Students benefit from a range of staff expertise in their chosen pathway. Teachers support students to develop effective research and independent learning skills. Most younger students achieve their qualifications, around one half with merit and distinction grades. However, there are minor inconsistencies in achievement on the different pathways. For instance, the proportion of students who achieve distinction grades in fashion and textiles is slightly lower than the average.

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Teachers make sure that adult students on the access course who are returning to education develop their confidence quickly. They teach students essential study skills and basic art and design concepts first. This prepares them effectively to write critiques and assignments to a high standard, which most do. Most adult access students pass their qualifications successfully.

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Staff work closely with most employers to plan apprentices’ training in and away from the workplace. They monitor apprentices’ progress carefully. In a small minority of instances, apprentices do not benefit from targets that identify the specific knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need to develop. This means they are not always clear about what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers prepare apprentices for their assessments thoroughly. Almost all apprentices, including those with SEND, pass their qualifications with distinction grades and class 1 degrees.

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Leaders and staff make sure that students and apprentices receive high-quality careers advice and guidance. This includes information from guest speakers and employers at ‘rave lates’, where students have valuable opportunities to speak to industry specialists and university alumni. Staff provide effective support to foundation diploma and adult access students with their higher education options and university applications. Most students and apprentices are prepared well for their next steps in further study, apprenticeships or employment.

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Leaders make sure that students and apprentices benefit from a planned personal development curriculum. However, they do not teach them enough about healthy relationships and the importance of physical health. As a result, students’ and apprentices’ awareness of these topics is less well developed.

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Leaders promote positive values and a supportive working culture. They make sure that staff benefit from useful professional development. Teachers benefit from 3 to 6 December 2024

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opportunities to develop their expertise in line with the higher education professional standards framework.

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Leaders and managers have a suitable understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. However, they have not identified and put in place precise enough strategies to improve minor inconsistencies in the quality of provision in the fashion and textiles and media production pathways. A small minority of students who study these pathways say that the course does not meet their expectations fully. For instance, in media production, they state that there is not enough focus on film and animation. In fashion and textiles, students have contacted student representatives to ask staff for better communication and information about projects. Leaders have also not yet put in place focused enough support to further increase the proportion of students on the fashion and textiles pathway who achieve distinction grades.

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Governance is effective. Governors are highly qualified and experienced. They make sure that leaders meet their statutory responsibilities in safeguarding students who are aged under 18.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Set useful targets for apprentices that identify the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to develop.  Teach students and apprentices about healthy relationships and the importance of maintaining good physical health.  Put in place precise actions to reduce minor inconsistencies in quality across foundation diploma provision so that the provider can further improve students’ achievements. 3 to 6 December 2024

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Provider details

Provider type Higher education institution

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection 4 December 2012

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Provider details

Main subcontractors Not applicable 3 to 6 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the director of teaching and learning, 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

Sara Woodward, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Saskia Niderost Ofsted Inspector John O’Connell Ofsted Inspector Andrew Ross Ofsted Inspector 3 to 6 December 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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