North Yorkshire Council

Further education and skills inspection report

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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 Apprenticeships Outstanding Provision for learners with high needs Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Information about this provider

North Yorkshire Council offers adult learning courses, provision for learners with high needs and apprenticeships across the county through its adult learning and skills service.

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Information about this provider

The service provides accredited adult learning courses and tailored learning courses to build learners’ confidence and improve well-being. At the time of inspection, there were 977 adult learners, of whom 398 were on tailored learning courses and 549 on accredited courses, with the majority on courses in English, mathematics, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), and accountancy and finance.

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Information about this provider

Provision for learners who have high needs is taught through dedicated centres across the county and by six subcontractors. At the time of inspection, there were 176 learners with high needs.

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Information about this provider

Apprenticeships are provided by the learning and development department of the council. The service provides apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 in adult social care to council employees. At the time of inspection, there were 34 apprentices. 13 to 16 May 2025

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

Learners and apprentices flourish on their courses. They develop significant new knowledge and skills and grow in confidence because of what they learn. Tutors care for learners and apprentices and focus very well on their individual development needs. They are responsive and flexible in their approach to teaching, which enables learners and apprentices to develop quickly and succeed in their next steps.

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

Attendance for learners and apprentices is high. Learners and apprentices arrive punctually to lessons, well prepared and ready to learn. They work with focus in calm and well-resourced learning environments that are highly conducive to learning.

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

Learners and apprentices pursue a range of opportunities to develop their interests beyond the curriculum. They volunteer and undertake training courses linked to their future aspirations. For example, level 3 accountancy learners complete online bookkeeping training to develop their skills for work. Adult learners on mathematics courses intending to work in the care sector volunteer in health and social care settings.

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

Staff provide most learners and apprentices with helpful careers advice and guidance to inform their future goals. Learners are signposted to further courses and volunteering opportunities to develop knowledge and skills for work. Staff work with careers experts to provide learners with support in writing CVs and applying for jobs. They provide career planning books that are particularly helpful for learners on ESOL courses to learn job-related terminology. However, a few learners do not find the careers advice and guidance that they receive helpful enough in identifying what they need to do to succeed in their next steps.

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

Learners with high needs use sensory rooms and practical areas such as kitchens, woodland cabins and outdoor spaces to develop their ability to manage their behaviour and improve their well-being. They improve their understanding of respect, tolerance and democracy through the student council. Learners with high needs are involved in making choices and decisions, such as planning trips and raising funds for charity projects.

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

Learners and apprentices feel safe. They know how to seek help should they have any concerns about their own and others’ safety, including when online. Tutors facilitate helpful activities that encourage learners and apprentices to consider the risks posed by radicalisation and extremism, and those that they may encounter in the areas that they live and work, such as coercive control, financial abuse and county lines.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken significant action to ensure that all adult learning curriculums are purposeful. They have successfully created pathways 13 to 16 May 2025

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of learning which seamlessly assist learners’ progression from tailored learning onto higher-level courses, including courses leading to qualifications. For example, arts and crafts courses enable adults in recovery from illness, mental health or social isolation to gain confidence to interact with peers and progress in their learning. Learners on ESOL courses are supported well to integrate into their communities, seek employment or pursue further education. Learners on accountancy courses register as bookkeepers, which is vital for self-employment.

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Leaders and managers have effective oversight of the quality of education, including that of their subcontractors. They conduct informative quality monitoring activities, such as observations of teaching and scrutiny of how well tutors monitor learners’ progress. They have taken effective action to remedy an increase in the proportion of learners with high needs and adult learners who left their course before the end in the previous academic year. They have improved the initial advice and guidance for learners with high needs and adults on distance learning courses to ensure that these courses are appropriate for them. In the current year, a much higher proportion of these learners have remained on their course. Leaders recognise that they need to ensure this is sustained throughout the year.

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Leaders and managers have developed a highly personalised adult care apprenticeship to respond to recruitment challenges in the healthcare sector. Managers ensure that the curriculum responds precisely to the needs of employers while ensuring that apprentices progress quickly onto career pathways that meet their personal aspirations, such as leadership programmes. Apprentices are highly valued in the workplace. Most complete and achieve their apprenticeship, and a high proportion gain extra responsibility or secure promotion as a result of their training.

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Leaders, managers and staff use the funding for learners with high needs effectively to create ambitious personalised learning programmes. Tutors and learning support staff challenge learners well to develop their independence, improve their communication skills and prepare for adult life. Most learners with high needs progress to further learning or supported internships.

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Tutors are well qualified and knowledgeable. They have teaching qualifications or subject specialist accreditation. They have extensive experience in their subject and use this to teach effective lessons. For example, in bookkeeping courses, tutors use their accountancy expertise to plan work-based scenarios that help learners self- check and balance their books. Learners value the breadth of tutors’ knowledge and experience, which enables them to develop their skills.

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Tutors use a range of successful teaching strategies to help learners and apprentices develop their knowledge and skills. Tutors explain concepts clearly and reinforce learning with videos, visual demonstrations and well-designed resources. Tutors in functional skills mathematics demonstrate lines of symmetry on shapes using diagrams, before directing learners to practise lines of symmetry on different shapes using paper-folding. Assessors ask insightful questions so that apprentices can explain how they apply their leadership skills at work. This helps learners and apprentices to understand the complexities of the subjects they study. 13 to 16 May 2025

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Tutors use a range of assessment methods successfully to check learners’ and apprentices’ understanding and identify misconceptions. On English and ESOL courses, tutors use oral assessment well to check learners’ pronunciation. Bookkeeping tutors use the results of quizzes to plan lesson starter activities that cover topics that learners have struggled with. However, in a few instances, tutors in high-needs provision do not allow learners sufficient time to process information and, in these instances, a few learners struggle to participate fully in activities.

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Tutors and learning support assistants successfully support learners with high needs to develop their skills for work and adulthood. They teach learners basic kitchen skills, such as using equipment safely. Learners use their skills to cook simple recipes and then adapt the recipes to explore and add different flavours. Managers and staff work with a broad range of supportive employers to provide learners with valuable work experience, such as in cafés, retail outlets, caravan parks and gardens. Learners enjoy their work. They learn how to deal with customers, rotate stock, record notes and prepare food. This prepares them well for their next steps.

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Apprentices learn about important topics such as legislation and regulation, safeguarding and person-centred care. They develop highly effective communication skills which they use to provide very valuable patient care. For example, they learn how to read patients’ non-verbal communication so that they can help those who are unable to speak. Apprentices are highly valued members of their team, and managers consider many of them to be future leaders.

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Governors provide effective support for leaders. There are clear lines of accountability from senior officers who sit on the board of governors to the elected members. Leaders provide meaningful reports and performance data, which ensures that governors are well informed about key areas of performance and any areas of concern. Governors provide effective challenge to ensure that leaders provide high- quality provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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What does the provider need to do to improve?

 Provide helpful careers advice and guidance to learners to support them in identifying and planning their next steps.  Implement effective actions so that the proportion of adult learners and learners with high needs who complete their courses and achieve their qualifications continues to increase.  Provide sufficient time for learners with high needs to process information to enable them to engage well in lesson activities. 13 to 16 May 2025

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Provider details

Address County Hall Racecourse Lane Northallerton North Yorkshire DL7 8AD

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Provider details

Dates of previous inspection 7 to 10 February 2023

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Main subcontractors

Supporting Choice Ltd Veloheads Community Interest Company The Blueberry Academy Ltd Harrogate Skills 4 Living Centre Disability Action Yorkshire Tang Hall Smart 13 to 16 May 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the assistant head of service, 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

Sarah Lonsdale, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Malcolm Fraser His Majesty’s Inspector Joanne Stork His Majesty’s Inspector Alison Dennis His Majesty’s Inspector Tracey Mace-Akroyd Ofsted Inspector Sambit Sen Ofsted Inspector Debra Forsythe-Conroy Ofsted Inspector 13 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 tutor 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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