Willow Green CIO

Willow Green CIO Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Tracy Gillett, Ofsted Inspector

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Type of provider: Independent specialist college

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Address:

St Werburgh’s Development Centre Irwell Road Warrington WA4 6DQ Monitoring visit: Willow Green CIO, 13 and 14 March 2025

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Context and focus of visit

Willow Green CIO was inspected in April 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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Context and focus of visit

Willow Green CIO is an independent specialist college that was established in September 2021. Originally based at Green Lane Community Special School in Warrington, the college moved to separate premises in Warrington in September 2022. Learners study on programmes from entry level 1 to level 1. Learners with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including autism, severe learning difficulties and Jacobsen Syndrome, attend the college. Learners study at Willow Green CIO for up to five days per week.

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Significant progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have reviewed and developed well-designed and ambitious curriculums. Leaders have discontinued the work skills pathway and focused their efforts on improving the supported internship pathways. Learning programmes blend successfully educational and therapeutic needs for learners and interns, ensuring an appropriate balance between time spent in college and, high-quality work experience or internship placements. Leaders and managers have planned and sequenced the curriculum effectively, with clear progression routes into work over a three-year course, including carefully chosen qualifications to underpin the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for the workplace. Learners’ timetables now include a suitable mix of employability, English, mathematics, communication, travel training, personal social health education enterprise, enrichment, tutorials and therapies. Consequently, learners

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Significant progress

enjoy studying a varied and motivating curriculum with a strong focus on preparation for adulthood. Teachers personalise the curriculums sufficiently to ensure that learners and interns make the progress necessary to achieve the outcomes in their education, health and Monitoring visit: Willow Green CIO, 13 and 14 March 2025 care (EHC) plans, while simultaneously developing the skills and attributes needed to transition into paid work, regular volunteering and living more independently. Job coaches support learners in integrating successfully into local and wider communities through purposeful work experience and internship placements. Learners complete clear job tasks, structured to enable increasing independence over time. Leaders provide detailed feedback to employers, helping them fully understand learners’ needs before starting placements. As a result, placements are mutually beneficial, and employers praise the skills and attributes learners bring to the

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Significant progress

workplace. Similarly, learners confidently describe their progress at work and their increased confidence levels since starting their placements.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have developed a comprehensive action plan with a clear vision for the college to swiftly improve the quality of education. Teachers have planned and sequenced curriculums focusing on learners intended destinations, including obtaining paid work. Leaders and managers work closely with teachers to ensure curriculum activities align with the skills learners will need after their education, filling key gaps in their knowledge. Learners develop essential skills for employment, such as crafting, typing and sending text messages to inform employers that they are too unwell to come into work . Teachers assess and capture learners’ educational and therapeutic needs to inform a holistic approach to teaching and learning. As a result, programmes are appropriately tailored to match learners’ needs and abilities. Teachers build on learners’ knowledge, skills and behaviours, providing opportunities for recall and

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Significant progress

recap to help learners consolidate their knowledge. Staff know their learners well, they understand their strengths and barriers to learning. They use communication strategies, such as symbols, visual schedules and picture support to help reinforce learners’ understanding. Teachers and job coaches promote independence by breaking down tasks into small, manageable steps, enabling learners to work with minimal support. Teachers check learners’ knowledge and understanding regularly using verbal assessments, observations and reviews of learners’ work to evaluate progress. Teachers give clear feedback that helps learners to understand their strengths and areas for improvement, so they know how to improve. Teachers use learners’ EHC plans well to set personalised targets and to plan and sequence learning. Staff consistently monitor and evaluate learners’ progress, formally updating targets each term and promptly addressing any underachievement.

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Significant progress

Monitoring visit: Willow Green CIO, 13 and 14 March 2025 Staff effectively track learners’ progress through a digital evidence system, allowing them to understand each student’s progress in detail and provide feedback through one-to-one tutorials. Consequently, learners make sustained progress towards achieving their EHC plan outcomes.

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Significant progress

Leaders and managers have prioritised staff training and continuing professional development effectively, with a significant emphasis on SEND and teaching and learning. Their unwavering focus on upskilling the entire staff team has led to rapid progress. Staff now have a dedicated weekly session for group training and development, along with access to a suite of online training that they can complete at their own pace. Staff are now trained in setting appropriate goals and targets, understanding cognitive load, positive behaviour support planning, dysphagia, and questioning and assessment techniques. This initiative has had a considerable beneficial impact on learners. Staff can accurately identify improvements in learners’ ambition, confidence, behaviour, and focus as a result of their newly acquired expertise. In the classroom, and on placements, teachers, learning support assistants and job coaches now use their knowledge and skills to support learners very effectively,

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Significant progress

using tools, techniques and strategies that are well matched to the way learners and interns learn. For example, in the classroom, teachers break down tasks into small manageable chunks using visual schedules to enable learners to remain on task and work with less support. Interns benefit from personalised resources, such as a ‘now and next board’ at work, which helps them to plan their tasks and ensure they complete them to industry standards by the end of their shift. Monitoring visit: Willow Green CIO, 13 and 14 March 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

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Significant progress

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

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