Langdon College

Langdon College Reinspection monitoring visit report

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Name of lead inspector: Joanna Walters, His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection date(s): 26 and 27 February 2025

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

Jack Block House Rectory Lane 333 Edgware Road London HA8 7LF Monitoring visit: Langdon College, 26 and 27 February 2025

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Context and focus of visit

This is the second reinspection monitoring visit to Langdon College following publication of the inspection report on 22 August 2024 which found the provider to be inadequate overall.

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Context and focus of visit

Langdon College is part of Kisharon Langdon, a registered charity. Langdon College has one campus in London that provides education and support with a Jewish ethos. Since the previous inspection, leaders have closed the Manchester campus. 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 monitoring visit, there were 30 learners in learning.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have worked well to improve the curriculum that learners study. They have implemented a suitable interim curriculum before they introduce a more refined one in the autumn. Curriculum subjects include employment, cooking, art, drama, Jewish studies, life skills, English and mathematics. In addition, learners participate in meaningful work-related activities. For most learners this is an external work experience placement that matches their career aspirations with employers such as at zoos, equestrian centres and offices.

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Reasonable progress

Tutors plan and teach each subject well. They use results from assessments and learners’ EHC plan outcomes effectively to plan the curriculum. Tutors set learners meaningful targets that relate to the areas learners need to develop. Most learners study subjects that are well planned and tailored to their individual needs. However, art, drama and Jewish studies are not integrated well enough into the overall curriculum that each learner follows. Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the quality of teaching of these subjects. They do not check adequately what learners are taught in these subjects. Nor do they ensure that the content of these subjects is linked to the rest of the curriculum. This means there is no reinforcement of the knowledge and skills that learners are taught in parts of the curriculum, such as in communication, reading and writing. Monitoring visit: Langdon College, 26 and 27 February 2025

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Reasonable progress

Teachers use a variety of effective teaching techniques to teach the curriculum. These include the use of effective questions to recap and check understanding. Staff make good use of high-quality resources, group activities and discussions to enrich learners’ experiences. Learners make good progress and enjoy their learning. Leaders, managers and tutors have taken reasonable steps to improve how they monitor and track the progress that learners make from their starting points. Tutors and learning support assistants mostly track progress well using an electronic progress tracking system. During their time at college, learners gain new knowledge, skills and behaviours. They improve their money skills such as budgeting and estimating for weekly shopping. They learn to plan travel routes by public transport, have a knowledge of healthy and unhealthy ingredients and become more assertive. However, the tutors are still in the early stages of using their new tracking system,

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Reasonable progress

which does not track well enough all the progress learners make.

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Significant progress

Since the previous inspection, a new chair of trustees has worked at pace with a new leadership team to put in place very quickly a new board of trustees, who have accurately identified the weaknesses at the college. They have put in place a through improvement plan that they robustly and frequently monitor with leaders. Along with the help and wider support of the Kisharon Langdon Education Partnership charity, positive improvements have been made at the college within a short amount of time, such as improved curriculum design and content, safeguarding arrangements and the development of tutors’ skills and expertise. These improvements have had a significant positive impact on the quality of education that learners receive. Trustees have a wide range of valuable skills and expertise to lead an independent specialist college. They have a very good understanding of post-16 SEND education. Trustees continue to strengthen the skills they have. For example, they have recently

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Significant progress

recruited trustees who have knowledge and experience in safeguarding and of post 16-SEND education. Trustees have very effective oversight of the provision and hold leaders to account very well. This is because they provide good support and challenge at board meetings and are involved operationally and strategically with the college. They carry out a range of activities to test out the helpful information leaders provide. For example, they visit lessons, frequently visit the college to talk to learners and staff and meet with leaders outside of board meetings. This helps them to have their own view of the impact of improvement actions and to validate the information they receive from leaders. Monitoring visit: Langdon College, 26 and 27 February 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

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Significant progress

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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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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Significant progress

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

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