Adult and Community Learning Service, Isle of Wight Council

Further education and skills inspection report

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Inspection of Adult and Community Learning Service, Isle of Wight Council

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Adult learning programmes Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Information about this provider

The Isle of Wight Council provides adult and community learning programmes through its Adult and Community Learning (ACL) service. Learning takes place at the ACL centre and in a number of community venues across the island. Leaders offer courses leading to qualifications in English, mathematics and digital skills, alongside non-accredited programmes in areas such as health and well-being, family learning and skills-based programmes in English, mathematics and digital technology.

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Information about this provider

At the time of the inspection, 66 learners were studying functional skills mathematics from entry level 2 to level 2; 22 learners were studying functional skills English from entry level 2 to level 2; and eight learners were studying essential digital skills at level 1. There were 18 learners on non-accredited, tailored learning programmes.

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Information about this provider

The ACL service works with three subcontractors to provide a small number of tailored learning programmes. 14 to 16 May 2025

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

Learners value highly the positive, nurturing and friendly learning environments that staff create very successfully. This enables learners, who often lack confidence in what they are studying, to have a go, make mistakes and learn from them. In this way, learners enhance their self-belief and resilience, including in subjects that they previously feared, such as mathematics.

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

Learners have exemplary attitudes to their learning. They are highly motivated and work extremely hard. On the rare occasions that learners are absent, most quickly complete the work they missed and send it to their tutor. This contributes to most learners developing useful new knowledge, skills and behaviours and achieving their learning goals well.

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

Learners benefit from consistently effective teaching wherever they attend lessons. On family learning courses, learners attend classes conveniently located at their child’s primary school. They gain valuable parenting skills, enabling them to support their children to understand and regulate their emotions. This helps improve parents’ relationships with their children and enhances the quality of family life.

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

Learners feel safe. They appreciate the care, support and empathy staff display. Learners trust staff and talk to them about concerns they may have and are confident that swift and appropriate action will be taken.

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better?

Leaders work with partners closely to provide well-planned programmes tailored to learners’ needs. These enable learners to progress from short, foundation skills- based programmes to higher-level qualifications. For instance, learners on non- accredited programmes gain essential skills and knowledge in using computers before moving on to study qualification-based courses offered by the service or at the local college.

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better?

Expert tutors plan learning sensibly so that learners have a firm grasp of essential topics before applying their growing understanding to more challenging and complex concepts. In mathematics, learners practise basic numeracy techniques before applying these skills to calculate the volume of objects. In English, learners become confident using essential subject vocabulary, such as imperative verbs when giving instructions, which prepares them well for further learning. Learners enjoy their lessons and appreciate the benefits their new knowledge and skills have on their daily lives.

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better?

Tutors introduce topics and information to learners well. They provide clear explanations that are backed up by helpful resources. They break complex concepts down into smaller chunks that learners understand more easily. Tutors who know their learners exceptionally well work closely with volunteer learning helpers to adapt learning activities and resources to suit learners’ needs. This contributes to 14 to 16 May 2025

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learners overcoming barriers to their learning and remembering important information correctly.

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Tutors check what learners know at the beginning of their programme thoroughly. They adapt learning activities to build on learners’ existing knowledge and not repeat previous learning. They set learners challenging but realistic targets and monitor their progress towards achieving them carefully. Where learners fall behind, tutors intervene to help them catch up swiftly. Tutors give plentiful developmental feedback that learners value and use to enhance their future work. Learners are proud of the high standard of work they produce.

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Tutors mostly provide useful information that helps learners grow and develop as individuals. Most tutors talk to learners about important topics such as equality and diversity, emotional well-being, healthy lifestyles and radicalisation and extremism. However, learners’ recall of these wider topics varies too much, depending upon who teaches them. Often, learners cannot remember what they have been told such as the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Staff provide learners with relevant and helpful information and advice on their next steps in learning or work. A small number of learners have benefited from the guidance of a qualified careers adviser that leaders provide. Staff help learners search for jobs, prepare CVs and get ready for interviews. This contributes to most learners being well prepared for their next steps in learning or work.

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Leaders carefully select subcontractors that help them reach learners who may otherwise not participate in learning. Learners with social, emotional and mental health needs gain essential communication and interpersonal skills while caring for ponies in equine therapy sessions. In addition, carnival learning programmes reach deep into local communities that often face disadvantage. These learners develop arts and crafts skills alongside useful employability knowledge, such as using social media to promote and sell their work.

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Leaders, and members of the service’s advisory board, correctly focus their attention on the quality of teaching that learners receive. They put in place strategies, including thoughtfully chosen staff development activities, which enhance standards effectively. This has contributed to the proportion of learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who complete a qualification successfully increasing. Learners now achieve well. However, leaders do not track what learners move on to after completing their programme sufficiently closely. This limits leaders’ ability to fully evaluate the impact of their aspiration to help learners move towards higher-level learning and work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 to 16 May 2025

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Continue to increase the proportion of learners who complete their programme and pass their final assessments.  Provide a well-planned and structured programme of personal development activities for all learners.  Record what learners move on to after they complete their current programme to help evaluate the effectiveness of the programmes leaders provide. 14 to 16 May 2025

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Provider details

Address Community Learning Centre, Westridge Brading Road Ryde Isle Of Wight PO33 1QS

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Website

www.iow.gov.uk/schools-and- education/adult-community-learning/

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Website

Principal, CEO or equivalent Robert Brindley

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Website

Date of previous inspection 29 to 31 January 2020

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Website

Main subcontractors Bodster Equine Assisted Learning The Crossley Company The New Carnival Company 14 to 16 May 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the adult and community learning manager, 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

Roland White, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Jo-Ann Henderson His Majesty’s Inspector Emma Leavey His Majesty’s Inspector Stewart Jackson Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 May 2025

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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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