TLC College

TLC College Dunstall Heights, 1 Dunstall Road, Wolverhampton WV6 0LZ

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monitoring inspection report:

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following themes:

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monitoring inspection report:

 leadership and governance - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in designing and delivering relevant adult learning provision that has a clearly defined purpose, and in identifying and supporting the needs of adult learners

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monitoring inspection report:

 inclusion - specifically the progress leaders have made in identifying the needs of individual learners putting suitable support in place, in particular for those who are disadvantaged, those with SEND or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their experiences and opportunities, including those without level 2 English and/or mathematics

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monitoring inspection report:

 curriculum, teaching and training - specifically the progress leaders and managers have made in ensuring that learners benefit from high-quality adult education that prepares them well for their intended job role, career aim and/or personal goals

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monitoring inspection report:

 safeguarding arrangements - specifically whether leaders and managers have ensured that effective safeguarding arrangements are in place

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Leadership and governance

Insufficient progress : progress has been either slow or insubstantial or both, and the demonstrable impact on learners and/or apprentices has been negligible.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders do not have a clear oversight of the quality of the curriculum, teaching and training that learners receive. They do not fully understand their strengths or the actions for improvement that they need to take to have high-quality education. Governors do not receive information from leaders on the quality of curriculum, teaching or training to support and challenge leaders. Monitoring inspection report: TLC College 10 and 11 June 2026

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Leaders are clear about the purpose of the basic digital skills course they provide. They aim to build learners’ confidence with using technology, so they can access essential services, such as healthcare.

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Leaders appoint tutors with relevant qualifications in digital skills. However, they do not ensure that tutors continuously develop and update their teaching skills, particularly in relation to teaching and supporting learners who speak English as an additional language.

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Leaders work closely with relevant partners. They work with other education providers, local charities and the local council to offer learners support. This includes financial hardship crisis funds, the use of digital devices and internet data, free travel passes and progression to courses in English for speakers of other languages, functional English and mathematics.

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Inclusion

Insufficient progress : progress has been either slow or insubstantial or both, and the demonstrable impact on learners and/or apprentices has been negligible.

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Inclusion

Leaders do not ensure that tutors use the information they gather about learners at enrolment routinely to assess, plan and implement support to reduce any barriers learners have to learning. Leaders and staff gather information, such as employment status, residency/immigration status, financial hardship and disability. Leaders understand that learners are typically disadvantaged by their English language needs, financial hardship, unemployment, wellbeing and social isolation.

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Inclusion

Most learners speak English as an additional language. Leaders do not train staff to teach and support learners effectively and reduce language barriers.

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Inclusion

Leaders do not provide tutors with training, or access to sufficient expertise, for teaching learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Tutors do not have the knowledge or skills to implement sufficiently the graduated approach for inclusion.

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Inclusion

Where learners declare financial hardship, leaders and staff refer them to appropriate support organisations. For learners with caring responsibilities, staff are flexible with start and end times for lessons to help learners to attend.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Insufficient progress : progress has been either slow or insubstantial or both, and the demonstrable impact on learners and/or apprentices has been negligible.

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Curriculum, teaching and training

Leaders lack an understanding of the quality of the teaching and training they offer. They do not have monitoring systems in place to give them oversight of the quality of education learners receive. The curriculum is underdeveloped and leaders rely too heavily on progression data as a measure of success. Monitoring inspection report: TLC College 10 and 11 June 2026

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At the start of the course, tutors assess learners’ prior knowledge and confidence in using digital technologies. This includes learners’ confidence levels with using digital devices, creating and editing documents, communicating electronically and being safe online. Tutors do not use information from this assessment to plan and tailor learning so that learners can build on their knowledge and skills. Too often, learners make slow progress and cannot confidently recall the digital skills and knowledge they have gained.

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In too many instances, tutors do not use appropriate teaching strategies to help learners understand and remember what they have learned. Teaching and assessment are not planned well enough to help learners build on prior knowledge, practise new skills or remember key concepts.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Reasonable progress : the provider’s actions are already having a beneficial impact on learners and/or apprentices. Improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders have in place an appropriate safeguarding policy that is relevant to the safeguarding of adult learners. Leaders ensure tutors and volunteers have frequent training on safeguarding topics, including the dangers of radicalisation and extremism, so that they remain vigilant to potential safeguarding concerns. Leaders have in place an appropriate ‘Prevent’ duty risk assessment and action plan.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders have a clear reporting process for safeguarding matters. Staff and learners know how to raise any concerns they may have. Leaders and staff identify learners who are vulnerable or at risk. Staff work with partners, such as the local council, to support these learners.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Managers with responsibility for safeguarding are appropriately qualified and experienced for their role.

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Safeguarding arrangements

Leaders cover topics relating to safeguarding with learners during induction. Tutors do not revisit these topics frequently enough with learners. Consequently, a few learners do not retain this information and are not aware of the risks in their local area. Monitoring inspection report: TLC College 10 and 11 June 2026

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About this inspection

Ofsted carries out monitoring inspections to all newly directly funded providers of adult learning provision where the provision offered is in scope for inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the further education and skills inspection toolkit. The purpose was to report on the provider’s progress in relation to the 4 themes set out above.

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About this inspection

TLC College is a Wolverhampton based organisation that gives support to communities in the local area. Most learners have English as an additional language, are migrants, refugees or asylum seekers, and/or are unemployed. Leaders provide adult learning courses in basic digital skills funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority. They teach in local community venues across Wolverhampton. In total, 222 adult learners have accessed this course. At the time of the inspection, there were 8 learners on the programme.

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needs funding at time of inspection

Monitoring inspection report: TLC College 10 and 11 June 2026

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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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