Writtle College Limited

Further education and skills inspection report

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Education programmes for young people Good Adult learning programmes Good Apprenticeships Good Provision for learners with high needs Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this provider

Writtle College Limited was established in February 2024, following the merger of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Writtle University College. It offers further education courses in sport, agriculture, horticulture, animal studies, equine studies, wildlife conservation and floristry. The college is located in Chelmsford, Essex. The campus has a wide range of specialist facilities. These include a working farm, an equine centre, science laboratories, a floristry centre, a specialist animal unit, dog grooming parlours and sports provision.

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Information about this provider

There are approximately 720 students, most of whom study at level 2 and level 3. Most students are aged 16 to 18, and a fifth are adults. The most popular courses for young people are at level 3 in animal management, equine and sports. There are 13 students studying a T-level course in animal science, which was introduced in September 2024. Most adult students study level 2 courses, with the largest cohorts in dog grooming and horticulture. There are 25 students in receipt of high needs funding who are studying across a range of full-time vocational courses. The college has approximately 200 apprentices, of whom 115 are aged 16 to 18. The largest apprenticeships are level 3 veterinary nurse and land-based service engineer technician. 6 to 9 May 2025

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

Students and apprentices are very keen to learn and work positively with each other. Teachers create a calm, respectful and purposeful environment. Students and apprentices feel at ease to express their views and share their different experiences. Most have high attendance to their lessons and arrive on time.

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

Students with high needs, and those who have found education challenging in previous settings, make good progress. Staff know these students well and provide tailored academic and pastoral support to meet their specific needs. Students have access to learning support, financial support and coaching. Staff monitor the attendance and progress of these students effectively. They identify any issues and provide support in a timely manner.

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

Students and apprentices grow in confidence and resilience as they develop their professional understanding and skills. In sport, students lead fitness sessions for local primary school pupils and people with Alzheimer’s disease. These activities develop students’ communication, empathy and planning skills, providing valuable real-world experiences. Teachers set high expectations. They encourage students and apprentices to develop independence and take greater responsibility for their learning.

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

Students and apprentices benefit from good careers information, advice and guidance throughout their course. They frequently discuss their future plans with their teachers. This helps them prepare well for their future careers and next steps. Students with high needs benefit from personalised careers advice and guidance. This helps them to make well-informed choices about their progression into further learning and work.

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

Students successfully develop work-related skills as part of their courses. They take part in work placements and a good range of enrichment activities to prepare them effectively for future employment. These include attending a wide range of vocationally relevant events, such as horse-riding shows and flower shows, as well as visiting zoos. Students value the contribution they are making to the local community and college grounds. Students with high needs create raised beds to grow food for small animals, floristry students arrange flowers in the local church, and students from across the college help with lambing.

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

Students and apprentices know how to keep themselves safe. They are very clear on how to report any concerns that they may have. Students and apprentices feel confident that staff would deal with any concerns promptly. Apprentices have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and fellow employees safe at work. However, a few students and apprentices do not deepen their understanding of local risks or the dangers of radicalisation or extremism relevant to their sector.

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Contribution to meeting skills needs

The college makes a reasonable contribution to meeting skills needs. 6 to 9 May 2025

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College leaders have a secure understanding of the local and regional skills needs. They work effectively with Chelmsford City Council, the Essex Provider Network, the Essex Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and Essex County Council. Leaders have supported the green agenda and land-based aspects of local projects, such as landscaping, groundwork and farm work.

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Leaders and managers play an active role in the Federation of Essex Colleges. As Writtle College is the only land-based college in the region, leaders help meet the rural skills needs in agriculture, horticulture, floristry, animal studies and equine. Leaders are working with local education providers to create a new Chelmsford Partnership for Skills forum to explore fully and jointly plan to meet the range of local skills needs. In addition, they are planning a new Essex Rural Skills summit to highlight new and emerging local trends, such as vertical farming and the establishment of vineyards in the county.

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Through their partnership with ARU, leaders are ambitious to build aspirational study pathways into higher education. Being part of ARU has provided leaders with opportunities to share networks and work with a wider range of stakeholders, such as employers. Furthermore, the relationship has provided additional finances, expertise and resources to enable leaders to realise their ambitions.

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Leaders have created a new skills strategy that clearly outlines the steps they will take to continue to nurture existing relationships and form new ones. This includes the creation of employer forums across all subject areas in the college. In most subjects, employers and stakeholders take an active role in the design and implementation of the curriculums. This includes curriculum updating to meet current and future skills needs, work experience placements, equipment advice and loans, career talks, guest speakers and masterclasses. However, in a few subjects, employers and stakeholders are not yet sufficiently involved in the design of the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the curriculums are ambitious and tailored to meet students’ and apprentices’ individual needs. Students study courses that enable them to progress to higher levels of study or employment. Most students and apprentices, including those with high needs, stay on their course and achieve. Leaders ensure that courses include a strong focus on developing professional, personal and social skills alongside technical knowledge. The level 2 dog grooming course prepares adults effectively for employment or for progression to level 3 by including aspects of the dog grooming business, such as customer service skills development, in response to employer feedback.

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better?

Teachers plan and teach the curriculums in a logical and well-sequenced order. They plan learning so that students successfully gain the specific knowledge required to carry out practical tasks and consolidate their skills. In animal 6 to 9 May 2025

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management, students use industry-standard tools such as the Zoological Information Management System to learn how to monitor animal diets, health and husbandry. Teachers help students understand how to maintain appropriate temperatures for reptiles and how to care for their skin and scales. However, leaders have not ensured that equine students develop practical yard-based skills to meet workplace expectations.

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Leaders have developed the apprenticeship curriculums effectively in partnership with employers. They have designed a bespoke land-based engineering technician apprenticeship that is taught jointly with a local agricultural manufacturer. Leaders and managers ensure that on- and off-the-job training remains relevant and up-to date. Apprentices make clear connections between theory and practice to deepen their understanding over time. Veterinary nursing apprentices apply new clinical techniques to real cases in the workplace. Apprentices often share this new learning with colleagues, thus contributing to improvements in practice in their area of work.

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Teachers are professionally qualified and experienced in their subjects, and many continue to work in industry. They use their up-to-date industry skills and knowledge skilfully to enhance their teaching. Leaders have ensured that teachers without formal teaching qualifications are supported to gain an accredited qualification. In addition, some staff are working towards or have achieved a level 5 specialist qualification in mathematics or English. As a result of their training, teachers improve their confidence as practitioners and expand the range of teaching strategies that they use.

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Teachers use a range of effective teaching strategies and provide clear explanations of complex topics. In animal management, students develop a strong understanding of key industry concepts. Students have a good understanding of relevant legislation, employer expectations and care requirements for exotic and non-native species. Students on floristry courses successfully develop mathematics skills relevant to their subject. They work out how much to charge customers for bridal displays by calculating costs, such as the cost of materials, labour costs and value added tax. Students and apprentices develop confidence and fluency in using technical knowledge and vocabulary. However, in a small proportion of classroom- based sessions, teachers do not consistently check prior knowledge before introducing new content, which limits students’ progress.

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Staff have appropriate expertise to provide effective support for students with high needs. They have undertaken a wide range of training to enable them to understand students’ education, care and health plans and how to overcome barriers to learning. Students in animal management develop confidence and independence to participate fully in practical tasks, when previously they were too anxious to attend.

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Teachers do not consistently use formative feedback to support students’ learning and development. In a few instances, they do not provide students with helpful enough feedback to identify what students have done well and what they need to do to improve. In sport, feedback is timely and helps students meet assessment 6 to 9 May 2025

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criteria. However, sports students do not receive guidance on how to develop their academic writing skills. In equine, feedback is not consistently effective and often lacks clarity on how students can improve their work. In dog grooming, teachers provide helpful and clear feedback. They identify the positive elements of students’ work and how students can improve further.

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In mathematics, teachers’ lesson planning does not consistently prioritise the development of the skills that students need. Teachers rely heavily on the use of past examination papers and do not teach key concepts and calculation strategies. As a result, many students withdraw from their learning. They struggle to recall and apply key methods, such as converting fractions to percentages. Too few students have good attendance to mathematics lessons, and too few pass their GCSE examinations.

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More recently senior leaders and governors have improved their quality oversight and management arrangements. Leaders plan an annual cycle of quality assurance and improvement activities. They use their findings effectively in order to plan cross college staff development activities. They hold an annual teaching and learning conference and conduct lesson observations. Teachers receive individual targeted support to improve their teaching skills. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement for the college. They use their skills and expertise to support and challenge leaders. Governors conduct lesson visits and attend curriculum quality meetings where they talk to staff and students.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

At the time of the inspection, a small minority of new staff were yet to complete their safeguarding training. Managers had not ensured that references were obtained for a small minority of recently appointed teaching staff. Before the end of the inspection, managers had taken action to rectify these issues.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Enhance the teaching of mathematics so that students develop the skills they need to pass their examinations.  Strengthen the use of formative assessment and developmental feedback to ensure that students continue to develop their vocational and academic skills and knowledge.  Enable students and apprentices to develop a meaningful understanding of British values and the risks of radicalisation and extremism that relate to their industry.  Strengthen senior leaders’ oversight of safeguarding compliance checks and safeguarding training. 6 to 9 May 2025

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Provider details

Address Lordship Road Writtle Chelmsford CM1 3RR

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Provider details

Principal, CEO or equivalent Philip Grant

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Provider details

Provider type Specialist further education college

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Provider details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Provider details

Main subcontractors None 6 to 9 May 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the quality 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 students’ work, seeking the views of students, staff and other stakeholders, and examining the provider’s documentation and records.

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Inspection team

Penny Fawcus, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Carolyn Brownsea His Majesty’s Inspector Chris Dearnley Ofsted Inspector Teresa Kiely Ofsted Inspector Jackie Shopland-Reed Ofsted Inspector Alan Winchcombe Ofsted Inspector Jacquie Brown His Majesty’s Inspector Angela Twelvetree Ofsted Inspector Catherine Gunn Ofsted Inspector 6 to 9 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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