Ashley Community and Housing Ltd

Ashley Community and Housing Ltd

Address: Together Learning First Floor, 27-31 Church Road, Bristol, BS5 9JJ Unique reference number (URN): 2804834

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established an inclusive culture in which staff take account of learners’ backgrounds, experiences and aspirations when planning support. Staff use initial assessment and ongoing review well to identify learners' barriers to learning and wellbeing. Leaders recognise that learners arrive with varied educational, language and cultural experiences and provide staff with training that helps them to adapt their teaching and support accordingly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Tutors generally use individual learning plans, regular reviews and ongoing assessment to monitor progress and adjust support where required. Staff work effectively to remove barriers while maintaining high expectations for achievement, progression and employability. Leaders monitor learners' attendance, wellbeing and progress closely, and intervene promptly when concerns emerge. Leaders use suitable measures such as learners' feedback and learning walks to evaluate the impact of the support they provide. This helps them to understand where support is working well and where they need to take action to improve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with professional development to strengthen inclusive teaching, including training on learning difficulties and disabilities, inclusive questioning and strategies for multilingual learners. This training has improved staffs' confidence and supported more consistent practice. However, staff are still developing their expertise in identifying cognitive impairment and additional learning needs at the earliest opportunity, particularly when language acquisition may mask these needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established a clear strategic vision that places learners’ integration into life in the UK, progression into employment and increasing independence at the centre of their work. They have brought together education, learner support and housing services so that staff can coordinate support effectively. Leaders understand the provision's strengths and areas for development and refine provision where required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance know the provider and its learners well and bring relevant expertise from education and quality assurance. They use helpful reports to scrutinise the quality of provision, enabling them to provide appropriate support and challenge.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work collaboratively with employers, community organisations and other partners to keep learning relevant and support progression into employment. They have maintained stability during organisational change by prioritising quality rather than growth. Leaders support staff wellbeing through targeted interventions and reduced workloads during busy periods, as well as providing access to counselling, mental health support and regular professional dialogue. Leaders link professional learning closely to quality assurance. They use learning walks, peer review and personalised professional development well to help staff improve their practice over time.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders understand learners’ wider development needs and ensure that they build confidence, social connections and employability alongside English and mathematics skills. Staff provide opportunities for learners to access paid work placements, volunteering and community activities, which helps them to apply their learning and contribute to local life.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders and tutors set clear expectations for learners' attendance, behaviour and mutual respect. They communicate these expectations through induction and reinforce them consistently throughout the course. Leaders' actions have contributed to improved attendance over the past two years, which is now high. Staff create a positive learning environment in which learners contribute well to lessons and treat one another with respect.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Tutors motivate learners to achieve their goals through high expectations, encouragement and effective support. Staff ensure that learners understand fundamental British values. Learners know how to protect themselves and others from hate, violence and radicalisation, and know who to contact if they have concerns.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Staff provide well-personalised careers information, advice and guidance. Qualified advisers support learners with CV writing, interview preparation and career planning, while leaders develop productive relationships with employers that help learners progress to volunteering, work placements and paid employment.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most learners make appropriate progress from their starting points and the proportion who achieve their qualifications is increasing. Achievement rates have been too low in the past due to too many learners leaving their courses early. Leaders have introduced additional support, including an engagement officer whose role is to support learners into their training and overcome barriers, such as travel problems, to keep them engaged.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners develop the intended knowledge, skills and behaviours. They improve their spoken and written English, mathematical understanding and confidence in using these skills in everyday situations. As they move through their programmes, they produce work at the expected level for their course.

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Achievement Expected standard

Learners become better prepared for their next steps and integration into modern Britain. Most progress to further learning, volunteering, work placements or employment, and some secure permanent roles. Others volunteer with the provider or in their communities, where they consolidate and further develop their skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of curriculum quality and know where improvement is needed. Leaders ensure that staff plan the curriculums around learners’ needs, local priorities and funding requirements, with a clear focus on helping learners integrate into life in the UK and progress to further learning or employment.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors plan teaching that successfully builds important knowledge and skills over time. In mathematics, tutors introduce core number skills before teaching topics such as collecting and interpreting data. In English, tutors help learners develop pronunciation, diction and their understanding of written and spoken language. This careful sequencing enables learners to apply their learning in increasingly complex personal and professional situations.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff generally assess learners’ starting points well and place them on suitable programmes. Tutors agree well thought out targets with learners through individual learning plans and review progress throughout each course. Tutors set new, useful, personalised targets that support learners' development well. Tutors use small classes to provide close support, and staff make sensible adjustments for learners who have additional needs, including adapted resources and access to online resources.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Tutors use their subject knowledge and a suitable range of teaching methods to help learners understand new content. They give learners time to think, encourage appropriate peer support and rephrase questions when learners need further help. Tutors use helpful strategies such as quizzes, practical activities and oral feedback to check learning and help learners improve. However, on a small number of occasions, tutors do not check each learners' understanding thoroughly enough before introducing new topics.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners are welcomed into a calm, supportive and respectful environment where staff understand the challenges many of them face when settling into life in the UK. They quickly develop trusting relationships with tutors, who are patient, encouraging and ambitious about what learners can achieve. This supports learners to grow in confidence, communicate more readily in English and feel better equipped to participate in their local communities. Learners value the time tutors give them to practise new skills and become increasingly confident in applying their learning in lessons and in daily life. They benefit from small class sizes and frequent feedback to ensure they make steady progress from their starting points.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for their next steps. They improve their spoken and written English, mathematical understanding and digital skills, helping them to become more independent and supporting their goals of closer integration into their wider communities. Many progress to further learning, volunteering, work placements or permanent employment, while others build the confidence to return to careers they held before arriving in the UK.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners understand fundamental British values and display them in their interactions with staff and each other. They show mutual respect, are supportive of others and contribute positively during lessons. The learning environment is inclusive. Learners receive suitable, tailored careers advice and make informed decisions about employment and future learning, while also helping to develop their sense of belonging in the UK.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Learners are aware of who to go to if they have any concerns. They feel safe and are aware of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.

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Next steps

Leaders should deepen staff expertise in the early identification of special educational needs and/or disabilities and cognitive impairments. Leaders should make sure tutors check that learners understand key concepts before moving on to other topics. Leaders should continue to increase the proportion of learners who achieve their qualifications.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with senior leaders, board members, managers, tutors, learners and other key stakeholders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Ashley Community and Housing Ltd provides training for adults from a single site in Bristol. It supports learners who speak English as an additional language, most of whom are new to the UK or are refugees, to improve their English, mathematics, employability and independence.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection, 20 learners were enrolled on functional skills English or mathematics courses, and 5 learners were enrolled on tailored learning programmes.

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Team inspector:

Steve Battersby, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Our grades explained

Curriculum and Quality Manager : Sheena Dermanis

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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