South and City College Birmingham

South and City College Birmingham Report following a monitoring visit to a ‘requires improvement’ provider

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Name of lead inspector: Rachel Clark, His Majesty’s Inspector

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Type of provider: General further education college

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Address:

129 Floodgate Street Digbeth Birmingham B5 5SU Monitoring visit: South and City College Birmingham, 26 and 27 March 2025

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Context and focus of visit

South and City College Birmingham 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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Context and focus of visit

South and City College Birmingham is a large general further education college with eight campuses across Birmingham. The main sites are the Longbridge campus, Digbeth campus, Hall Green campus, Handsworth campus and Bordesley Green campus. These sites provide a range of technical, academic and vocational courses. At the time of the visit, the college has a 14 to 16 academy at the Longbridge campus with 30 directly funded learners. Since the previous inspection, leaders have decided not to continue with the 14 to 16 academy. This provision will cease at the end of the academic year.

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Reasonable progress

In the 14 to 16 academy, leaders have strengthened their leadership. They monitor learners progress closely and are quick to deal with any areas for improvement. Leaders and teachers create a positive learning environment. Learners behave well and value the support they receive from their teachers.

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Reasonable progress

Managers have designed the 14 to 16 academy curriculum to build on what learners already know and can do. In GCSE English, teachers make effective use of assessment and provide helpful feedback to learners so that they know what they must do to improve their work. Learners respond swiftly to feedback and their work improves over time.

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Reasonable progress

Teaching in the 14 to 16 academy is effective. Teachers revisit topics if learners do not grasp key concepts. In geography, learners link their classroom learning on river development and urban development to their practical field work in the Peak District.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders know their strengths and areas for development for education programmes for young people aged 16 to 18. They are taking appropriate action to improve the Monitoring visit: South and City College Birmingham, 26 and 27 March 2025 quality of education. Since the previous inspection, leaders have introduced a clear teaching and learning framework that has underpinned a thorough assessment of the quality of teaching. This has informed extensive training to develop teachers’ craft of teaching. Most subject areas have increased the proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers rightly recognise they need to make sure improvements are sustained and consistent across all subjects. They continue to monitor learners’ progress closely in subjects, such as sport and public services and in the achievement of grades 4 and above for GCSE English and mathematics.

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Reasonable progress

In education programmes for young people, leaders and managers have standardised how teachers capture information on learners starting points across the college. This includes identifying learners’ practical and academic skills and the behaviours they need to prepare them for their next steps. Teachers use this information to plan learning and monitor learners’ progress throughout the year. Teachers share this information with managers to provide them with a clear oversight of the progress learners are making.

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Reasonable progress

In GCSE English and mathematics, managers and teachers have worked together to share best practice, so that the teaching learners experience is of at least a satisfactory standard across the campuses. Teachers assess learners’ progress frequently and use this information to set clear targets and tailor learning. Learners know what they need to do to improve.

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Reasonable progress

In programmes designed specifically for learners with high needs, teachers capture information at the start of the course about what learners know and can do in aspects of their programme, such as mathematics, English and employability skills. However, teachers do not routinely use this information to set clear learning targets and to monitor learners’ progress. As a result, teachers and managers are not clear about the progress that learners are making. Monitoring visit: South and City College Birmingham, 26 and 27 March 2025

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Reasonable progress

Leaders and managers have developed a clear strategy that sets out the roles and responsibilities of managers, staff and learners in sourcing and securing meaningful work experience placements. Teachers develop learners’ employability skills so that they are prepared for their work placements.

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Reasonable progress

In several subjects, this focus is beginning to have a beneficial impact. In level 2 beauty, almost all learners now take part in work experience in a salon and participate in work related learning. However, it is too soon to see the impact more broadly across other subjects.

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Reasonable progress

In programmes for learners with high needs, leaders and managers use their links with employers well. They create opportunities for learners to take part in meaningful work experience and/or work-related learning, such as industry talks from employers and employer site visits. They have built the key skills employers want learners to have into the curriculum, such as making decisions, working independently and behaving appropriately. Through the taught curriculum learners develop their employability skills in preparation for work experience, such as travelling safely and talking to new people.

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Reasonable progress

Since the previous inspection, leaders have invested in training for staff to improve target setting and using education and health care plan targets to help learners develop essential skills. Managers and staff tailor learning to help learners develop essential skills in preparation for adulthood.

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Reasonable progress

Leaders make sure targets and information on learners’ progress is easily accessible, so that managers and staff can systematically check and monitor learners’ progress. Where required, teachers adapt targets to make them challenging for learners and relevant to their stage of development. Most learners know what their targets are and what they need to do to prepare for their next steps. Learners build on what Monitoring visit: South and City College Birmingham, 26 and 27 March 2025 they know and can do and develop useful skills, such as writing neatly by hand, speaking to others, handling money and travelling safely in the local community.

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Reasonable progress

Where learners with high needs are studying on vocational or academic courses alongside their peers, leaders ensure the curriculums are planned to enable learners to develop essential skills. For example, teachers create opportunities for learners to share their ideas and opinions with their peers, or to develop and practise independent travel skills for course trips. In most cases, learners with high needs achieve in line with their peers and develop essential skills in preparation for their next steps. Monitoring visit: South and City College Birmingham, 26 and 27 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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Reasonable 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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Reasonable progress

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Reasonable 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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