Birtenshaw College

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

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Name of lead inspector: Jacquie Brown, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

Crompton Way Bolton BL2 2PE Monitoring visit: Birtenshaw College, 8 and 9 January 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Birtenshaw College was inspected in March 2024. 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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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have improved the sequencing of non-accredited curriculums. They have thoroughly reviewed the curriculum for each of the employability, learning for life and communication and choice pathways. As a result, the pathways now have a range of lessons in topics that include independence, communication, work experience, community learning, physical health and well-being. Leaders and managers have also included therapies, such as speech and language therapy and hydrotherapy to meet learners’ needs.

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Reasonable progress

In most sessions, teachers plan and teach the curriculum in a logical order, which helps learners to understand what teachers teach them. However, a few learners do not experience a curriculum that is well planned. For example, learners do not spend sufficient time learning about a concept before they move on to other concepts.

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Reasonable progress

Learning support assistants (LSAs) use set routines and support strategies with a clear structure to help learners manage their self-regulation. This helps LSAs and teachers to maintain a calm environment during lessons.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers identify accurate starting points for learners. They observe learners completing tasks at the start of their course and review learners’ EHC plan outcomes. Monitoring visit: Birtenshaw College, 8 and 9 January 2025 Teachers use this information to set appropriate targets for learners. They use valuable information from annual reviews of EHC plans and progress reviews to evaluate learners’ progress and identify new targets for them to work on as they progress through their course. Teachers have reviewed targets for existing learners to ensure they are appropriate and meaningful. In most instances, teachers set learners targets with appropriate deadlines for them to achieve in a timely manner.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers have improved the recording of progress against social and emotional targets and the small incremental steps that learners achieve. They understand that these small steps have a huge impact on learners’ lives. Leaders, managers and teachers more routinely celebrate the smaller steps that learners make towards their individualised goals. For example, they promote learners’ achievements through weekly ‘WOW moments’, where they celebrate the progress that learners make towards their targets.

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Reasonable progress

Teachers break down targets effectively for each area of the preparation for adulthood curriculum, to identify clear and small steps to enable learners to work towards their targets. For example, where learners have a target to demonstrate and develop cooking skills through the completion of a recipe, teachers identify small steps to enable learners to achieve this target.

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Reasonable progress

In too many instances, teachers set overly complicated targets for learners, which are difficult for staff and learners to understand. This makes it more difficult for the few, less experienced members of staff, to translate the targets well into learning activities. More experienced staff can interpret learners’ targets and plan sessions to enable learners to work towards their targets. For example, in canteen sessions, teachers incorporate communicating with peers and independent travel as well as learners’ targets for cookery.

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Reasonable progress

In a few instances, teachers set targets for English and mathematics that are overly focused on supporting the achievement of qualifications in these subjects. For these learners, teachers do not give them sufficient opportunities to work on relevant and functional targets to prepare them for adulthood, such as handling money and budgeting.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have improved the quality of teaching for learners on pre- entry courses. Speech and language therapists provide effective support to teachers to enable them to set suitable communication targets for learners. They provide specialist advice on the small steps of progress that are required to enable learners to achieve their targets. Monitoring visit: Birtenshaw College, 8 and 9 January 2025 Therapists have been valuable in supporting teachers to improve teaching and learning by identifying helpful strategies to support learners. Most teachers use a range of total communication strategies effectively to help reinforce learning for learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities. They use a wide range of communication strategies for learners to help them form connections, ensure successful interactions and support information exchanges and conversations. Teachers also use teaching and learning strategies specific to learners’ special

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Reasonable progress

educational needs and disabilities to plan lessons. For example, teachers incorporate a sensory approach that many learners benefit from.

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Reasonable progress

Learners receive tailored support to meet their individual needs, including one-to-one sessions. This one-to-one support enables learners to successfully research and design a hoody for the college fair, which they plan to produce in future enterprise sessions.

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Reasonable progress

Most teachers use a range of teaching and assessment methods effectively. They use question and answer activities well, along with group discussions at the start and end of main tasks. Teachers challenge learners to process questions and articulate their views clearly to peers and staff.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have significantly improved the support provided by LSAs and teachers by providing useful training. They have ensured that LSAs and teachers provide learners with the necessary time to process questions and complete activities independently before they intervene. Staff members are more mindful of allowing learners the processing time needed to formulate their answers and to articulate them clearly. For example, when teachers ask learners to explain why they wear aprons and hair nets in employability sessions in the café, LSAs allow them time to process the information and to explain that it is to prevent germs transferring to the food. This approach has fostered a more supportive and patient learning environment.

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Significant progress

Most LSAs have a deep understanding of the support needs of the learners they work with, building a strong rapport and utilising effective communication strategies. This relationship allows LSAs to better support learners, helping them to make progress. The combination of these efforts has led to a more effective and empowering educational experience for learners. Monitoring visit: Birtenshaw College, 8 and 9 January 2025

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Reasonable progress

Trustee governors, who are part of the college education committee, have an increased focus on reviewing the impact of actions implemented following the previous inspection. Leaders provide comprehensive reports to trustee governors and in the most recent committee meeting there was useful discussion on actions in the quality improvement plan (QIP). Trustee governors ask useful questions to provide valuable scrutiny and challenge.

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Reasonable progress

Trustee governors have recently completed useful joint learning walks with leaders. They looked at specific themes related to areas of development and the impact of leaders’ actions in the QIP. On a recent learning walk, they looked at whether LSAs allow learners sufficient time to process information before answering questions.

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Reasonable progress

Trustee governors attend performance reviews of leaders, where they review the progress that leaders make with regard to actions identified in the QIP and their impact. Monitoring visit: Birtenshaw College, 8 and 9 January 2025 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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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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