ROC College (part of United Response)

ROC College (part of United Response) The Boatshed, Unit C, Steamer Quay Road, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5AL

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report:

At the most recent full inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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report:

 Take action to improve learners’ attendance at college.  Improve the feedback that tutors provide to learners on their written work, including about errors in the use of English.  Improve tutors’ assessment of what learners know and can do in lessons and how this is used to set targets.  Improve the accuracy of leaders’ evaluation of the quality of teaching, in order to make improvements.  Continue to improve the monitoring of learners’ progress so that more learners are retained and achieve their qualifications.

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report:

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

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report:

 How much progress have leaders made in ensuring that they have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching to make improvements?  How much progress have leaders made in ensuring that teachers use assessment well to provide constructive feedback to learners, including in the use of English?  How much progress have leaders made in improving learners’ attendance by ensuring that they set high expectations for attendance and by tackling poor attendance consistently and promptly?  How much progress have leaders made in ensuring that learners achieve their qualifications? Monitoring inspection report: ROC College (part of United Response) 1 and 2 July 2026

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(Curriculum, teaching and training)

Since the previous inspection, leaders have improved the structure of their quality oversight so that they have a more rigorous approach. They now routinely visit each of the 4 regional hubs located across Cornwall and Devon to undertake quality assurance activities, such as reviewing lesson observations that managers carry out. The activities that they complete on the visits provide them with assurances that the new quality processes are implemented by managers, although, in a few cases, the feedback provided by managers to tutors does not focus sufficiently on improving teaching skills.

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(Curriculum, teaching and training)

Leaders mostly have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum, teaching and training. They typically use this information well to inform the cross- college training that they provide to staff. However, it is still too soon to see the full impact of these actions.

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the use of English? (Curriculum, teaching and training)

Leaders have implemented a rigorous assessment policy. They provide useful training to tutors to help them make the necessary improvements to feedback to learners. For example, tutors now use standardised feedback methods so that learners know what they need to do to improve. However, in a few cases, staff do not have the subject-specialist knowledge to provide precise enough feedback.

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the use of English? (Curriculum, teaching and training)

Leaders have increased their level of scrutiny on the feedback that learners receive. They now employ staff at each regional hub to check assessed work routinely and the feedback given to learners. However, in a few cases, feedback provided to learners on the improvement of their English skills remains too vague.

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development)

Leaders acknowledge that previously they did not monitor learners’ attendance well enough. They rightly recognise that too many learners still stop attending the college because the programme that they are studying does not meet their learning needs. Subsequently, too few learners stay and complete their intended programme.

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development)

Leaders have recently employed specialist staff to meet their learners’ support needs, to help improve learners’ attendance and to reduce the proportion of learners who leave early. These staff provide useful support to help learners overcome the barriers that they face to attending their lessons. For example, learners with social, emotional Monitoring inspection report: ROC College (part of United Response) 1 and 2 July 2026

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and mental health difficulties begin with reduced timetables that gradually increase in duration. Others begin with home-learning arrangements when this might be more appropriate.

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Leaders know well the barriers that learners with high needs face to their learning or wellbeing. They have forged useful relationships with most local authorities to understand the starting points of their learners, many of whom previously disengaged from mainstream education. Leaders have improved their use of this information to inform learner engagement plans more accurately. Staff have begun to use these plans to set appropriate expectations for learners’ attendance.

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their qualifications? (Achievement)

Leaders recognise that they need to act promptly to improve achievement rates. Achievement is still substantially below national rates, particularly for English and mathematics qualifications. Leaders acknowledge that the curriculum design requires further improvement so that learners study towards qualifications that are suited to their stage of learning.

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their qualifications? (Achievement)

Leaders identified that previously they were not monitoring learners’ progress towards achieving their qualifications well enough. They have since implemented a more systematic process to maintain a closer oversight of learners’ performance. At the time of the inspection, it was too early to see the full impact of this change.

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their qualifications? (Achievement)

Leaders have recently improved the support they provide to their learners to help them achieve their qualifications. They have employed specialist staff to provide learners swiftly with the support that they need from the beginning of their programme, such as accessible examination arrangements.

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Additional next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should, in addition to the next steps raised at the provider’s previous full inspection:

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Additional next steps

Ensure that the curriculum is well suited to the stage of learning that individual learners are at so that they stay and complete their programme.

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Additional next steps

Ensure that the stable staff structure they have recently implemented is sustained, and that all learners benefit from teaching by subject specialists. Monitoring inspection report: ROC College (part of United Response) 1 and 2 July 2026

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About this inspection

This is the first monitoring inspection following publication of the inspection report on 31 March 2025 which found the provider to be requires improvement overall.

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About this inspection

The provider’s previous full inspection was carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the provider’s full inspection have been cross- referenced to relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring 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 identify and report on the provider’s progress in addressing the areas identified as needing to improve since the provider’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

Since the previous inspection, leaders have opened a new regional hub in Plymouth, Devon.

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funding at time of inspection

Monitoring inspection report: ROC College (part of United Response) 1 and 2 July 2026

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