Warwickshire College Group

CONTENTS

Quality of provision in curriculum and occupational areas

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CONTENTS

How well is the college led and managed?

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CONTENTS

To what extent is the college educationally and socially inclusive?

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CONTENTS

How well are students and trainees guided and supported?

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CONTENTS

Summary of grades awarded to teaching and learning by inspectors

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CONTENTS

Part C: Curriculum and occupational areas

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CONTENTS

Science and mathematics Achievement and standards

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CONTENTS

Animal care, agriculture and horticulture

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CONTENTS

Business administration, management and professional

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CONTENTS

Information and communications technology

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CONTENTS

Provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

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CONTENTS

Literacy, numeracy, and English for speakers of other languages

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CONTENTS

Table 1: Enrolments by level of study and age

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CONTENTS

Table 2: Enrolments by curriculum area and age

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CONTENTS

Table 4: Quality of teaching observed during the inspection by level

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Basic information about the college

Name of college: Warwickshire College, Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Moreton Morrell Type of college: General Further Education Principal: Ioan Morgan Leamington Centre Address of college: Warwick New Road Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 5JE Telephone number: 01926 318000 Fax number: 01926 318111 Chair of governors: David Disbery Unique reference number: 130835 Name of reporting inspector: Margaret Swift Date of inspection: 3-13 November 2003

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Information about the college

Warwickshire College, Royal Leamington Spa, Rugby, Moreton Morrell is a large general further education (FE) college. The main campus is in Royal Leamington Spa. The college has a technology centre in Leamington Spa and two other sites in Moreton Morrell and Henley-in-Arden. The land- based courses and some construction courses are based at Moreton Morrell and the sports courses are based in Henley. The college also has a wide network of outreach centres, mainly offering information and communications technology (ICT) and visual arts courses. The college draws students mainly from Royal Leamington Spa and the surrounding towns and villages, but also has significant overseas work, and international and national recruitment are features of some specialist courses.

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Information about the college

The college provides courses in all 14 areas of learning recognised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for funding purposes. Courses range from entry level to higher education (HE). The college has work-based learning contracts in a number of areas, but has significant provision in land- based, construction, general engineering, business, hair and beauty, and health and care. The college has been recognised as a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for engineering and is a major partner in CoVEs in equine and construction. They recently received a Beacon Award for the use of information learning technology (ILT) to enhance teaching and support learning. The college is a key partner in providing a coherent and broad curriculum for pupils aged 14 to 16 in the area. They have extensive provision for this age group, with approximately 650 pupils on courses this year.

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Information about the college

In 2002/03, there were approximately 2,386 full-time students and approximately 13,460 part-time students funded by the LSC. Most part-time students are aged 19 and over. Some 10% of students were from minority ethnic groups (compared with 4.4% in the local population). Unemployment in the area is low, at 1.7%. In its mission, the college states its commitment to being the best provider for lifelong learning in a caring environment.

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How effective is the college?

Provision is good or better in 12 of the 15 curriculum areas inspected and satisfactory in three areas. The satisfactory provision equates to only 4% of the college's provision. There is no unsatisfactory provision. Provision for work-based learning is at least satisfactory and is good in two areas.

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Key strengths

o high pass rates for students aged 16 to 18 and adults

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Key strengths

o consistently strong guidance and support

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Key strengths

o the generally good teaching, particularly in practical subjects

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Key strengths

o excellent collaboration with schools and industry

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Key strengths

o wide range of courses and progression opportunities

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Key strengths

o outstanding leadership and strong governance

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Key strengths

o the outstanding specialist resources in engineering, land-based and sports

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Key strengths

o effective quality assurance that leads to improvements

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Key strengths

o excellent financial management and good value for money.

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What should be improved

o the levels of achievement on modern apprenticeships o retention rates on some courses

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What should be improved

Further aspects of provision requiring improvement are identified in the sections on individual subjects and courses in the full report.

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Quality of provision in curriculum and occupational areas

The table below shows overall judgements about provision in subjects and courses that were inspected. Judgements are based primarily on the quality of teaching, training and learning and how well students achieve. Not all subjects and courses were inspected. Inspectors make overall judgements on curriculum areas and on the effectiveness of leadership and management in the range: Outstanding (grade 1), Good (2), Satisfactory (3), Unsatisfactory (4), Very Poor (5)

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

Science and mathematics Good. There is much well planned and effective teaching, which challenges and extends the students. Pass rates are good on General Certificate of Education Advanced-level (GCE A-level) courses. Some retention rates on GCE Advanced Subsidiary (GCE AS) courses are low. Students are well supported by friendly, committed and enthusiastic staff. Animal care, agriculture and horticulture Good. Retention and pass rates on animal care courses are above the national average. Resources are very good and practical teaching is effective. A wide range of courses supports good progression. The management of work experience is effective. There is insufficient attention to students' individual needs in some theory teaching and there is an inadequate range of assessment practice in work-based learning. Equine Good. There are good retention and pass rates on equine and blacksmithing courses. Practical teaching on blacksmithing and

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

farriery courses is good. Assessment and internal verification of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in horse care are poor. Monitoring of health and safety is inconsistent between the main teaching yards and livery yards. Construction Satisfactory. There is effective development of students' knowledge and skills in some lessons and new teachers are well supported. There are good pass rates at levels 2 and 3 in wood occupations and good progression of full-time learners into modern apprenticeships. There is poor completion of modern apprenticeship frameworks in brickwork and plumbing. Engineering Good. Pass and retention rates are high on most courses. There is very good management of the curriculum and work-based learning. Students have access to high-quality industrial equipment. Support and assessment processes are used effectively to identify the most appropriate teaching and learning opportunities.

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

Business Good. Teaching and learning are good and students have access to a wide range of business courses. Students' learning and pastoral needs are well supported and they have a high regard for their teachers and value their commitment. Retention and pass rates on vocational business courses are high. Information and communications technology Good. There is much good teaching on full-time courses. Effective management has led to high pass rates on most courses in 2002/03. There are effective systems for ensuring good independent learning skills for students aged 16 to 18. Target setting and the monitoring of progress on part-time courses lacks rigour. Sports, leisure and travel Good. Retention and pass rates on sport, leisure and travel courses are good. Teaching on travel courses is good, enabling students to learn effectively. Links with industry and other external partners extend the range of opportunities to develop students' vocational

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

skills. Resources in the learning resource centre at the Henley campus are inadequate to meet student needs. Hairdressing and beauty therapy Good. Pass rates are high and teaching is good. There are good resources which enable students to learn effectively. However, there is slow progress towards qualification for hairdressing students and there are low pass rates for foundation modern apprentices. Health and social care Satisfactory. Pass rates are good on modern apprenticeships, counselling and General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) foundation courses. Retention rates are at, or below, national averages on most courses. Teaching is satisfactory and is supported by good resources. The breadth of provision is comprehensive and responsive to local needs and curriculum planning and management is satisfactory. Visual arts and media Good. Retention and pass rates are good. Teaching is good and effectively develops students' skills and knowledge. Practical work is

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

of a high standard and support for students is good. Ongoing course assessment is inadequate and employer links are underdeveloped. There is some unsatisfactory accommodation. Humanities Good. Retention and pass rates are above or well above national averages on all courses. Teaching is effective in many classes and standards of work are good. Students are well supported. Quality assurance and leadership and management are good. There is insufficient use of ILT in lessons. English, communication and languages Outstanding. Provision in this area is outstanding. There are consistently high retention and pass rates in all areas. Teaching and learning are effective and support for students is good. There is a wide range of modern foreign language and English as a foreign language provision and an innovative, beneficial enrichment programme. The area is well managed. There is some cramped accommodation and limited use of ILT in teaching.

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

Provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities Good. Provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well planned. There is a consistently high standard of teaching across the area. Innovative provision provides students with the opportunity to develop their skills and achieve their learning goals. Initial assessment is inconsistent across the provision and the part- time course for adults lacks clear objectives, which results in limited progress being made by some students. Literacy, numeracy and Satisfactory. Learning support is effective and information technology English for speakers of other languages (IT) is used effectively to develop literacy skills. There are successful initiatives to widen participation and good review processes in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). There are weaknesses in planning for individual learning and in the lack of varied and

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Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment

appropriate learning activities to meet individual needs in many lessons.

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How well is the college led and managed?

Leadership and management are outstanding. Governors, the principal and senior managers provide excellent leadership and strategic direction. Staff are committed to the mission, values, aims and objectives of the college. The principal and senior managers have successfully maintained stability and improved achievements during a period of mergers and expansion. Governance is strong and financial management excellent. Curriculum management is mainly very good. Teachers and support staff enjoy working at the college and form effective teams. Arrangements for assuring the quality of provision are comprehensive and rigorous, and lead to improvements. Effective use is made of accurate and reliable management information. The college has developed a wide range of successful partnerships and collaborations, and is a leading player in developing the 14 to 19 provision in the area.

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To what extent is the college educationally and socially inclusive?

The college's response to education and social inclusion is very good. The college is an inclusive community. Additional support for students across the college is good and social inclusion for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very good. The college has extensive provision in community locations. Some 10% of students are from minority ethnic groups, which is almost double the proportion in the local population. Innovative and community-based provision have successfully attracted hard to reach groups such as older Asian women, many of whom progress to mainstream college provision. The provision for pupils aged 14 to 16 is extensive. The college has a uniquely close partnership with one school in an area of high social deprivation, to which it has seconded a senior member of its management team and with which it is developing joint vocational provision. The college's response to the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and

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To what extent is the college educationally and socially inclusive?

Disabilities Act (SENDA) is good. The college complies with the requirements of the amended Race Relations Act and SENDA.

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How well are students and trainees guided and supported?

Students receive very good guidance and support. Pre-course advice is good. All full-time and substantial part-time students undergo a thorough initial assessment. Learning support is good and leads to improvements for those students who receive it. Induction is effective. Students' progress is monitored regularly and thoroughly against predicted and `challenge' grades. Pastoral and subject tutorial support is well planned and very good for college and work-based learning students. There is very good support for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Careers guidance and assistance with progression on to HE or into employment are generally good.

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Students' views of the college

Students' views about the college were taken into account and a summary of their main comments is presented below.

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What students like about the college

o supportive, friendly and approachable staff

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What students like about the college

o the college environment, friendly with a good work ethos

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Other information

The college inspection report will normally be published 12 working weeks after the formal feedback of the inspection findings to the college. Once published, the college has two months in which to prepare its post-inspection action plan and submit it to the local LSC. The college's action plan must show what action the college will take to bring about improvements in response to issues raised in the report. The governors should agree it before it is submitted to the local LSC. The local LSC is responsible for ensuring that, where inspectors have judged there to be unsatisfactory or poor provision in a curriculum area or in leadership and management, the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) receives the college's post-inspection action plan within the stipulated two months.

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(Grades 5 to 7) %

Teaching 16-18 64 32 4 19+ and WBL* 71 25 4 Learning 16-18 59 35 6 19+ and WBL* 74 21 5 Satisfactory (Grade 4), Unsatisfactory (Grade 5), Poor (Grade 6) and Very Poor (Grade 7).

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Achievement and standards

1. The college offers a wide range of courses that can be studied full time or part time. The college aims to meet the education and training needs of the local community and the wider region. All 14 of the LSC areas of learning are covered as table 2 in part D of the report shows. Work-based learning is provided in nine of the LSC areas of learning.

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Achievement and standards

2. Overall pass rates are high for students aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 and over. Pass rates for both age groups have been consistently above national averages, but have been particularly high for students aged 19 and over. Retention rates, as calculated by the LSC since September 2003, for both age groups have been at or above national averages. The overall attendance rate in lessons observed by inspectors was above the national average at 80%. It was high, at 95%, in engineering and 88% in programmes for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, but low in visual arts and media at 69%. The average number of students in lessons was 11.9 which are slightly above the national average.

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Achievement and standards

3. Challenging targets are set for students and most achieve well. Students are well prepared for progression to further study or employment. In 2002, approximately 35% of full-time students on courses at levels 1 and 2 progressed to the next level of study. The progression rate to work-based learning or employment for students on the life skills programme is good. In 2002 and 2003, around 70% of the Year 11 pupils who attended vocational courses at the college progressed to college- based courses. The college successfully prepares students for entry to HE. In 2003, about 83% of applicants to HE were successful.

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Achievement and standards

4. Most students are highly motivated and enthusiastic about their studies and make good progress. Many students develop good study skills and are able to work independently. In many lessons, students work collaboratively and apply themselves well. Students gain in confidence and many display a high level of understanding when talking about their studies. The standard of students' work in mathematics and science, engineering, visual arts and media, humanities and English, communications and languages is particularly high. On level 3 courses, many students develop good analytical and research skills. Students' occupational skills are developed effectively and practical work is of a high standard.

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Achievement and standards

5. Students in humanities subjects have a good grasp of theoretical concepts, are able to analyse texts well and develop appropriate oral and presentation skills. Engineering students use high quality industrial equipment effectively and gain good practical skills. On health and social care courses, most students demonstrate good communication skills. Visual arts and media students display a high level of conceptual awareness in their ideas. Hairdressing and beauty therapy students have good professional and customer care skills. Students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make appropriate progress with significant gains in personal development and most achieve their learning goals.

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Achievement and standards

6. The pass rates on the three main key skills of application of number, communications and IT at levels 1 to 3 are generally at or above national averages. Retention rates, however, are low. Although most students take the key skills external tests, many students fail to complete their portfolio which is a requirement for the key skills qualification.

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16 to 18 year olds

7. Most students aged 16 to 18 make good progress. Overall, the pass rates for these students are above the national averages and have improved year on year. In 2002, the pass rate at level 1 at 76% was 5% above the national average. At levels 2 and 3, the pass rates were 78% and 83%, respectively. College data for 2002/03, indicate that pass rates at levels 1 to 3 have continued to improve. Overall retention rates on long courses at levels 2 and 3 have been above or around the national average for the period 1999/2000 to 2002/03. In 2000/01, retention rates on level 1 courses were in line with national averages, but in 2001/02 they declined slightly to just below.

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16 to 18 year olds

8. Analysis of GCE AS and A-level results show that over the three years from 2000 most students have achieved well, gaining grades higher than those predicted from their prior attainment at GCSE. Over the same period, the proportion of students achieving high grades of A and B rose substantially. In particular, the value added scores on GCE A-level were particularly good in biology, economics, geography, psychology, sociology and history. However, students were slightly less successful in physics and media studies.

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Adult learners

9. Most adult students study part time, either in college in the day and evening, or out in community centres. Between 1999/2000 and 2001/02, overall pass rates for adults on long courses at levels 1 to 3 have been high and consistently above the national averages. In 2002, at level 1, the pass rate at 83% was 12% above the national average. The pass rate at level 2, at 80% was 8% above the national average and at level 3 the pass rate, at 79%, was 7% above the national average. College data for 2002/03 show that the high pass rates have improved even further on these courses. Over the period 1999/2000 to 2001/02, the retention rates for adults on long courses at levels 1 to 3 have been at or above the national averages. However, since 2000, the retention rate on short courses has declined to below the national average. The pass rate on short courses over the same period has improved from 73% in 2000 to 90% in 2002, which is 8% above the national average.

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Adult learners

10. At the time of the inspection, approximately 550 learners were on work-based learning programmes. Overall, the achievement of work-based learners is satisfactory, but in engineering and health and care they are good. The progress of some learners through their modern apprenticeship is slow and they do not complete the full framework within the target time. However, college data for 2002/03 indicate that there is an improving trend and more learners are achieving foundation and advanced modern apprenticeships.

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Adult learners

11. Students in engineering, equine and construction benefit from being in CoVEs. The college is a Pathfinder CoVE in engineering and is a major partner in CoVEs for equine and construction.

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Adult learners

12. The separate reports on areas of learning in Part C give more detail about students' achievement and standards of work on particular courses.

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Quality of education and training

13. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching, learning and attainment were graded by inspectors in 316 lessons. Teaching was good or better in 67% of these, which is above the sector average for FE colleges. Teaching was satisfactory in 29% of lessons and there was a small proportion, fewer than 4% amounting to 13 unsatisfactory lessons. The college has increased the proportion of good or better teaching since the last inspection and the amount of unsatisfactory teaching has reduced from 9% at the last inspection to 4% which is below the national profile detailed in the last chief inspector's report. The standards of teaching are particularly high in engineering, English, languages and communications and for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The grades awarded for learning were similar to those for teaching. 14. Teaching was better for students aged over 19, than for students aged 16 to 18. In lessons for

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Quality of education and training

students aged 19 and over, 70% were good or better compared with 64% for students aged 16 to 18. Teaching on courses at levels 2 and 3 was better than teaching on level 1 courses. There was no overall difference in the quality of lessons taught by full-time and part-time staff. Teaching was most effective where theory and practical activities were well related and students were involved in a variety of appropriate learning activities.

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Quality of education and training

15. The college has introduced the role of teaching and learning consultants who provide guidance to new and inexperienced full-time and part-time staff. The staff are very well supported in the development of teaching skills by the teaching and learning consultants who work across the college. Most lessons have clear objectives. Students understand the purpose of lessons and what is expected of them. Teachers are enthusiastic about their subjects. They use their industrial and commercial knowledge well to develop motivating activities for students. In travel and tourism lessons, students benefit from using real documentation from the travel industry. Motor vehicle students are successful in diagnosing faults on vehicles and suggesting ways to correct them. The teaching in practical lessons is good in construction, animal care, horticulture and agriculture, business, science and visual and performing arts and media. In equine studies, students have good

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Quality of education and training

riding tuition and use time well to practice their riding skills. Elite athletes get good support from the sports academies. Media students gain good experience of using up-to-date commercial software to produce designs for magazine covers. Most teaching of theory is effectively linked to subsequent practical work in lessons in the above areas and students develop new skills and knowledge. This is particularly effective on science, sports, hair and beauty, care and engineering courses. For example, care and childcare students make effective use of their work placements to apply what they have learned. Relationships between students and staff are good and are built upon mutual respect. Students aged over 19 make better progress in lessons than students aged 16 to 18.

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Quality of education and training

16. In the more effective lessons, suitable planning takes full account of students' individual needs. Teachers select activities carefully and students are actively involved in their learning. In many engineering and land-based lessons, students work successfully on individual projects that combine theory and practical aspects of their work. Teachers provide sufficient variety of activities to motivate their students and keep them interested in their work. Students have challenging targets for the lesson and they make good progress. In English, languages and communications, construction, science, mathematics and travel, teachers frequently check students' learning and progress in lessons and students receive frequent feedback on how well they are doing. In these lessons, students gain new knowledge and skills and increase their understanding of the subject. In the few less effective lessons, teachers fail to check that students fully understand the points being covered.

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Quality of education and training

Too many students are not involved in the lesson and there is insufficient attention paid to students' individual learning needs. Teaching is not demanding enough and lessons proceed too slowly. Students lose interest, do not concentrate on their work and achieve very little.

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Quality of education and training

17. Industry-standard specialist equipment is used well to develop students' skills. Students speak with confidence about their work. They develop good research skills and take pride in the presentation of their work. In engineering and provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, ICT is well used to develop key skills. There is insufficient use of ICT in some GCE AS and GCE A-level humanities and language lessons.

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Quality of education and training

18. College accommodation across all areas is attractive, clean and well maintained. There has been significant financial investment in all areas of the college and action to improve all accommodation is either underway or planned for completion in 2004. Over 90% of the total college provision is accessible to people with mobility difficulties.

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Quality of education and training

19. There is a good range of specialist resources providing students with realistic environments for acquiring vocational skills. In engineering, sports, provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and ICT students use excellent specialist equipment. The new technology centre for engineering is particularly well equipped with state of the art technology, particularly benefiting motor vehicle students. Sports students benefit from excellent facilities for fitness with an adjoining fitness laboratory. Equine students are trained using a mechanical horse and treadmills that meet Olympic training standards. Land based students learn to work on expensive tractors and harvesters that are not normally available in colleges. Travel and tourism facilities include a travel shop that operates as a high street business where real bookings can be made. Most modern apprentices are trained in high-quality workplaces using a wide range of resources. Some students learn in

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Quality of education and training

unsuitable accommodation. Some GCE AS classes take place in temporary classrooms which are cramped and some classrooms in business and health and care are too small for the size of the groups using them. Students in hair and beauty, construction and visual and performing arts complain of noisy environments.

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Quality of education and training

20. Learning resource centres are well equipped with a very good selection of textbooks, catalogues and a comprehensive selection of online resources. Students benefit from good access to individual and group workstations with quiet areas available for study. There are sufficient up-to-date computers for students. The learning resource centre at Henley is often overcrowded and is poorly stocked. Students in humanities do not have access to sufficient IT equipment in their classrooms.

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Quality of education and training

21. Most teachers are appropriately qualified. Over 80% of full-time and 57% of part-time teachers have a teaching qualification. A further 13% of full-time teachers are working towards a teaching qualification, but the college target of 3% increase over three years for part-time teachers to become qualified is low. Teachers respond well to staff training initiatives, many achieve advanced vocational qualifications in IT and other relevant areas such as health and safety. There are few qualified work- based assessors. The college has addressed this shortfall by increasing the number of college assessor visits to employers.

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Quality of education and training

22. The initial assessment of full-time and substantial part-time students' learning needs is very good. This includes a thorough assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills and any other individual learning needs. In 2002/03, 77% of students with identified additional learning needs took up the offer of support. There are plans to increase this figure by 5% in 2003/04. The impact of additional learning support on pass rates is good. Students' preferred learning styles are identified when they begin their courses. This information contributes to targets within students' individual learning plans and is used well in most curriculum areas to inform lesson planning. The initial assessment procedures on some discrete courses for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are weak.

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Quality of education and training

23. Assignments are appropriate and contain clear assessment criteria. Assessment of students' work is thorough. Students receive constructive feedback on their performance when carrying out practical tasks. Marked work is returned promptly and helpful comments are provided to students on how they can improve; it is particularly effective in English and engineering where this information is used well to monitor students' progress. Assessment is not frequent enough on level 1 hairdressing courses and it lacks rigour on some arts and media courses. In some curriculum areas, too little attention is given to the correction of poor grammar and spelling.

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Quality of education and training

24. There are clear guidelines for the management of assessment and they are applied consistently across all curriculum areas. There is good use of target setting with students. Students are set `challenge targets' which are set above their expected target grade. The challenge grades motivate students to do well and students work hard to achieve these. Students' progress is carefully monitored. Assessment records are comprehensive and are kept up to date for use in individual progress reviews with students. These reviews are valued by students and they receive good feedback on their overall progress. The college policy on internal verification is effective and applied consistently in most curriculum areas. Internal verification of NVQs in horse care and some land- based courses is poor. External verifiers' reports are monitored centrally and prompt actions are taken to address any issues raised in the reports.

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Quality of education and training

25. Parents' evenings are held twice annually. Parents and employers receive detailed written feedback on students' attendance and progress.

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Quality of education and training

26. At the time of inspection, there had been some analysis about the performance of different groups of students, but action plans to address any differences are underdeveloped.

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Quality of education and training

27. The college provides a broad range of courses that meet students' needs. There is provision in all 14 areas of learning with a wide range of courses in many of them. Courses are offered across all the college's main sites and in some 80 outreach locations. Courses range from pre-entry to post- graduate and professional qualifications with good progression routes in most areas. Work-based learning is available in a wide range of areas with significant provision in land-based, construction, engineering, business administration, hair and beauty and health and social care. Students progress well between courses in many curriculum areas.

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Quality of education and training

28. The college works closely with the LSC, the local education authority and collaborates with other local colleges and schools to produce a cohesive curriculum offer in the area. It has a particularly close partnership with one school in an area of high social deprivation, to which it has seconded a senior member of its management team and with which it is developing joint vocational provision. The college is proactively involved in a wide range of programmes under the increased flexibility initiative and provision for pupils aged 14 to 16 is extensive, with approximately 650 pupils in this age group on college courses this year. The college recently opened a new technology and business centre and has pathfinder CoVE status in general engineering and in collaboration with other colleges in equine and construction. Market research is successfully used to identify local skill gaps and develop new courses to meet demand. The college has strong links with employers in most

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Quality of education and training

curriculum areas and with local organisations. There is a very effective response to local industry needs.

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Quality of education and training

29. Students benefit from a wide variety of enrichment activities within their courses, for example, hair and beauty students visit a leading theatrical company's wig and makeup department and also assist in national fashion events. Students participate successfully in skills Olympics and a student recently trained at the college won a gold medal in beauty therapy. There is a wide choice of sporting and other activities in the formal curriculum enrichment programme, which is open to all students on all campuses. Take up of this provision is good, at nearly 60% for full-time students.

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Quality of education and training

30. Students receive very good personal and academic support. Pre-course information and guidance are good. Student services offer a range of materials in the form of large print documents and audio tapes. Outreach centres have some written materials printed in Punjabi and a number of staff are available to talk to clients in a range of languages.

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Quality of education and training

31. All full-time students undertake an initial assessment in numeracy and literacy. The results are quickly disseminated and used to inform course teams and the learning support department of any additional learning needs. In 2002/03, 77% of the students screened took up the support offered. Part-time students self-refer if they require support.

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Quality of education and training

32. Students benefit from an effective induction. This includes organised talks and a tour of the college and its facilities. Course teams further develop the induction programme to meet the particular needs of student groups and the subject area. For example, hairdressing and beauty students can sample and practice different aspects of hair and beauty. This gives students a broader understanding of the industry and gives students the opportunity to reconsider their course choice.

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Quality of education and training

33. Support and guidance for students aged 16 to 18 and adults are very good. Tutorials are well planned and effective. Individual learning plans and target setting are used effectively with most students. Designated mentors work with individual students who are deemed `at risk' by tutors to help them overcome barriers to learning. Students value the college tutorial support. All staff new to tutoring undergo training. Teachers have clear guidance and procedures on student attendance. Attendance is monitored closely and measures to quickly reengage students are effective.

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Quality of education and training

34. There is good support for students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger's syndrome and mental health problems. Teachers are trained to support individual students who have identified learning needs. Motor vehicle teachers have been trained in deaf awareness and teachers on Access courses are trained in mental health issues.

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Quality of education and training

35. Specialist services are well managed and co-ordinated. Students have access to a good range of services across all sites. Financial support is available to students and is used effectively to support them through college. Careers guidance is good. Careers advisers are active in providing group and individual support. There are good quality childcare facilities, with priority given to children of college students. The college offers health advice from a full-time nurse and a counselling service. Notice boards around the college and `Grapevine' , the student newsletter, are used as a reminder of the services available to students. A recent survey highlighted that there was poor uptake of student services from part-time engineering and plumbing students. Staff from the support services met students in tutorial and some students are now receiving financial assistance.

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Leadership and management

36. Leadership and management are outstanding. The college is a large and diverse institution to manage. Governors, the principal and senior managers provide excellent leadership and strategic direction. They have led the college through a series of mergers and acquisitions carefully to ensure stability and to support students in different parts of the county, developed a wide range of courses from entry level to HE, opened a new technology centre and maintained the financial viability of the college. Throughout the period of continued expansion and diversification, weaknesses identified at the last inspection have been fully addressed, student enrolment targets have been exceeded, standards and pass rates have risen in most curriculum areas, retention rates have remained at or above national averages and the quality of teaching has improved.

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Leadership and management

37. The college has grown considerably since merging with the Warwickshire College of Agriculture (Moreton Morrell) in 1996. A further merger with Rugby College was completed in August 2003. The college vision emphasises lifelong learning in a caring environment. The college's strategic plan is regularly revised to meet the changing demands of the local area. The plan clearly reflects and promotes the college's goals and acts as the basis for a thorough college development plan. Individual performance improvement targets are then determined for senior managers, programme area managers and support functions.

p.15

Leadership and management

38. Governance is strong. Governors work extremely well with managers and staff, and the principal, to set clear strategic direction for the college with a common purpose to serve students' best interests. They have a clear understanding of the college's strategic plan, set challenging targets and are purposeful and enthusiastic in their commitment to its successful accomplishment. The college's role in the raising of education and training standards in the area is central to their purpose, and their ambitions for the college have been a significant force in improving its performance. The governors monitor both students' performance and progress against agreed targets thoroughly. They review systematically quality assurance reports, surveys, and achievement data, and meet with managers and teachers to discuss teaching and learning issues frankly.

p.15

Leadership and management

39. Communications in the college are very good. Accountabilities are clear and there is a good level of delegation to managers at all levels who although accountable, feel empowered to make decisions within their areas of responsibility. The values and objectives of the college are understood and strongly promoted by staff at all levels. Staff feel fully informed about all aspects of the college business and value the open and consultative style of senior managers, who know their staff well. There is a broad range of meetings at all levels which enable staff to contribute their thoughts, views and ideas on all issues. The college management team comprises the deputy principal, three deans of faculty, the vice-principal and campus manager of the Rugby centre, the five cross-college senior directors and the principal. The principal manages this group effectively. He meets them regularly both as a team and individually, to discuss the curriculum and cross-college issues, review targets

p.15

Leadership and management

and address successfully issues facing the college. Since the last inspection, there has been considerable improvement in operational planning within the faculties. Reviews of programme areas have lead to better teamwork at course level, better communication and more systematic analysis of achievement and recruitment data. Most significantly, effective teaching is seen as a priority.

p.15

Leadership and management

40. Curriculum management is mostly very good. Grades awarded by inspectors were satisfactory or better. Twelve of the fifteen areas of learning inspected were judged as good or outstanding. Course management files, schemes of work, lesson plans and assignments are mostly well checked by curriculum managers. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers carefully track and record individual student's progress. They mostly set clear targets for individual students, helping them to improve their work, and regularly monitor their progress.

p.15

Leadership and management

41. Since the last inspection, the college has continued to improve quality assurance arrangements. Arrangements for ensuring the quality of provision are comprehensive and rigorous and lead to continuous improvements. In 2003, arrangements have been put in place to identify students at risk of leaving and to monitor students' attendance closely to improve low retention rates in some areas. At the time of the inspection, student withdrawals were running at 8% compared with 12% at the same time last year, indicating a clear improvement in retention rates. Quality assurance procedures in each faculty are overseen effectively by quality assurance managers. Course review processes are thorough and lead to effective self-assessment and thorough analysis of data. Reports are self- critical and, in most areas, accurately identify strengths and weaknesses of provision. Development plans set realistic targets that are periodically reviewed by programme area teams. Self-

p.16

Leadership and management

assessments are combined into an overall report which is a key element of business planning. The views of students are systematically collected, analysed and reported. Part of this process includes regular focus meetings chaired by the principal and senior managers. Views of staff, parents and employers are also sought and used effectively in self-assessment.

p.16

Leadership and management

42. The college's well-established lesson observation programme is central to the strategy to improve the quality of teaching and learning. All full-time and part-time teachers are observed at least twice a year by external consultants, programme area and quality assurance managers. All observations are graded. Observers are well trained in lesson observation and feedback is thorough and focused on improving teacher performance. Staff in curriculum areas share good practice in teaching and learning through `teaching and learning consultants' whose role is to demonstrate good practice and provide advice and training on teaching skills throughout the college. The college's teaching and learning profile has improved since the last inspection and most significantly the proportion of unsatisfactory teaching has declined from 9% to 4% which is well below the national average for colleges of a similar type. While it is clear that standards of teaching have improved, the

p.16

Leadership and management

quality team's concern about overgenerous grading by college observers has resulted in the review of grading systems and re-training of observers.

p.16

Leadership and management

43. Staff enjoy working at the college and form effective teams. Appraisal and staff development arrangements in the college are very good. All full-time and part-time staff are subject to appraisal which results in individual action plans with targets. Lesson observation provides information for these appraisals and training opportunities are clearly linked to the college's objectives and personal aspirations. The staff development programme is extensive to meet the needs of individuals, course teams and managers. There are good opportunities for teachers to gain or improve their teaching qualifications. The evaluation of the quality and impact of the staff development is not sufficiently comprehensive. There are clear policies for monitoring and inducting new teachers; they include early teaching observation. Full-time and part-time staff feel well supported by their managers and share common goals. The college achieved Investor in People status in 1994 and was last re-

p.16

Leadership and management

44. The college has developed a wide range of successful partnerships and collaborations. In collaboration with other FE colleges, it has achieved CoVE status in equine and construction, in addition to the Pathfinder CoVE in engineering. The college provides link programmes for pupils aged 14 to 19 from local schools including gifted and talented pupils. Strong links have been developed with the Connexions service. The Coventry and Warwick `University for Industry' hub is based at the college and European funding supports a range of staff training for small and medium enterprises. Collaboration with the care sector has led to the provision of NVQs and other training.

p.16

Leadership and management

45. The college is committed to pursuing equality of opportunity. Awareness and promotion of equality of opportunity are very good and there is a commitment to promoting diversity and equality of opportunity for all members of the college community including visitors, employers and the local community. The equal opportunities and diversity group oversees all aspects of equality of opportunity and monitors effectively the impact of the policies on students and staff from different racial groups and examines the experiences and achievements of different groups of students in the college. The equal opportunities policy is reviewed regularly following consultation with staff, students and other interested groups. College policies, marketing documentation and learning materials are checked to ensure they are free from discrimination and stereotypical images. Induction programmes for staff and students include an introduction to equality of opportunity and

p.16

Leadership and management

students' understanding is reinforced and developed in tutorials.

p.17

Leadership and management

46. The college complies with the requirements of the amended Race Relations Amendment Act and the SENDA. All staff and governors have received or are receiving appropriate awareness training. Progress to achieve the action plans and publish information is on target. Action plans and standards for equality issues are incorporated into a code of practice. Compliance with the code by all sections of the college is audited annually. Progress is scored and actions for improvement are agreed. Support for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is particularly strong. Careful attention is paid to students' individual needs to ensure they are able to succeed and achieve their full potential. The college has clear policies relating to harassment and bullying and a detailed complaints procedure. Complaints are handled quickly and with sensitivity. Governors receive regular detailed reports on equality issues but these contain few targets for improvement.

p.17

Leadership and management

47. Management information systems (MIS) have improved since the last inspection. Student information is accurate, readily available and widely used by staff at all levels. Use of information by curriculum teams for planning purposes and to track students' progress and monitor retention and pass rates, including value added, is good. Financial management and reporting to senior managers and governors are excellent. Financial monitoring by the college management team has improved since the last inspection and is regular and effective. Curriculum budgets are fully delegated to programme area managers and these are well managed with tight financial controls. Value for money is assured through efficient deployment of staff and other resources. The college continues to secure a good level of financial health.

p.17

Science and mathematics

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.17

Strengths

o high pass rates on most GCE A-level courses

p.17

Strengths

o high levels of individual support in lessons

p.17

Strengths

o rigorous monitoring of students' progress

p.17

Strengths

o high standard of student work o effective curriculum management.

p.17

Weaknesses

o low retention rates on GCE AS biology, mathematics and physics

p.18

Weaknesses

o low pass rates on GCSE mathematics for students aged 16 to 18

p.18

Weaknesses

o narrow range of teaching styles in some lessons.

p.18

Scope of provision

48. The college offers a range of provision including GCE AS and A level in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. GCSE mathematics is offered in the evening and during the day for those aiming to gain a minimum grade C to enable them to progress to other courses. GCSE human physiology and health is offered to all students as part of the enrichment programme. There is currently no vocational provision in science. In previous years, GNVQ and Business Technology Education Council (BTEC) national courses were offered, but the uptake was low. There are 76 students aged 16 to 18 and 303 students aged 19 and over.

p.18

Achievement and standards

49. Retention and pass rates are high on GCE A-level courses. In 2002 and 2003, they were significantly above national averages on all GCE A2 courses. Retention and pass rates are high in GCE AS chemistry, and pass rates are high in GCE AS biology and mathematics. They have been at or above national averages for the past three years. Pass rates in GCE AS physics are satisfactory, but declined in 2003. On all GCE AS and A-level courses, the number of high grades exceeds the national average. Retention rates in GCE AS biology, mathematics and physics were poor in 2003 and have generally declined over the last three years. The area is seeking to address this by reviewing recruitment criteria and offering extra subject support. Students develop good study skills in terms of note taking, highlighting and research. Work in student files is neat and well organised. Many students use colour and underlining to emphasise important points. Students are

p.18

Achievement and standards

able to explain complex concepts and use scientific and mathematical terminology confidently. During discussions, students explore deeper ideas and extend their understanding. Key skills are fully integrated into all areas and students' development of key skills is good. Students are encouraged to answer questions fully and in some cases to present findings on the whiteboard to enhance verbal communication skills. Science assignments are used to formally assess communication key skills and students are required to use IT for some biology assignments.

p.18

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 182 160 150 % retention 69 76 70 GCSE mathematics 2

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 29 50 44 No. of starts 38 43 35 % retention 79 72 71 GCE AS biology 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 87 97 96 No. of starts 19 40 26 % retention 79 85 88 GCE AS chemistry 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 67 88 77 No. of starts 18 43 26 % retention 78 81 69 GCE AS physics 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 71 94 67 No. of starts 35 68 48 % retention 66 81 63 GCE AS mathematics 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 71 76 70 No. of starts * 26 22 % retention * 88 95 GCE A2 biology 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate * 100 100 No. of starts * 17 22 % retention * 94 95 GCE A2 physics 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate * 94 95 No. of starts * 23 22 % retention * 91 91 GCE A2 mathematics 3

p.19

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * course did not run

p.19

Quality of education and training

50. Teaching is good and students are challenged and motivated. Directed questioning and high levels of individual support from teachers maintain students' interest and enthusiasm. Teachers check students' learning by focused questioning and examining work undertaken in the classroom. Where there are problems, they spend time with individuals. Technical terms are explained and related to everyday examples and the students' own experiences. In lessons, students work hard and complete all tasks. In the best lessons, a wide variety of activities are used to re-enforce learning. These include gapped handouts, sequencing activities, model building, structured tasks, short experiments and checking graphs using computers. Powerpoint presentations are used well to show changes in motion of a car and also to give an animated view of nerve transmission at the synapse. Model limbs, springs and molecular models are effectively used to increase understanding.

p.19

Quality of education and training

Students used the Omnigraph programme to check the shape of graphs. The teaching of science on the national diploma in health and Access to HE is particularly good. Students are able to explain what they are doing and why. In some GCE A-level lessons, teachers talked for too long and there was a lack of variety of activities. Although students remained interested and focused, they were not actively involved in doing anything other than listening. This made the lessons dull. 51. Assessment is rigorous and thorough. There is good use of examination questions and mark schemes to focus students' attention on the requirements of the examination. All work is accurately marked and detailed feedback provided which helps students to improve. Each piece of work has the target grade and actual grade achieved on the top. This gives the student a constant reminder of their progress and keeps them focused on their target grade. Encouraging comments and

p.19

Quality of education and training

references to key skills development help to motivate students.

p.20

Quality of education and training

52. Subject laboratories and preparation rooms are well equipped and maintained. They are spacious and appropriate for practical activities. There is good technician support for staff and students. The mathematics rooms are comfortable and well maintained, but some are small for the size of classes. Corridors have well maintained notice boards with relevant up-to-date information, articles on topical issues, examination information, revision guides and pictures of biology field trips. A variety of up-to-date textbooks are available in the laboratories. The learning resource centre has a good stock of scientific and mathematic books. Some of the biology books are old fashioned, but serve as useful reference particularly for ecology. Few scientific publications are on display, but students can access others via the Internet. All staff hold a relevant subject degree and demonstrate good levels of knowledge.

p.20

Quality of education and training

53. The good provision prepares students' for science-based university courses. Destination data show that most students progress to a wide variety of courses requiring high levels of scientific and mathematical skills. These include molecular medicine, aerospace systems, forensic science, biological science, medicine and pharmacy.

p.20

Quality of education and training

54. Students are supported well by dedicated and enthusiastic staff. There is good additional support for those needing extra help. This is provided by support staff in classes, mentoring and extra subject lessons. A senior curriculum tutor meets students who are not achieving their full potential. At this meeting, issues are discussed and targets for improvement set. These are reviewed regularly following reports from the subject teachers. Parents are kept fully informed about this process. The tutorial system is effective in supporting all students.

p.20

Leadership and management

55. The area is well managed at all levels. There are clear lines of communication that are used to keep all staff including part-time teachers fully informed. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. The self-assessment report process is rigorous and self-critical. Appropriate attention is focused on retention rates, pass rates and teaching and learning issues. Where there are issues, these are addressed by means of detailed action plans which are closely monitored.

p.20

Animal care, agriculture and horticulture

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.20

Animal care, agriculture and horticulture

Contributory grade for work-based learning is satisfactory (grade 3)

p.20

Strengths

o good retention and pass rates in animal care

p.20

Strengths

o good practical teaching o very good practical resources

p.20

Strengths

o effective management of work experience

p.21

Strengths

o wide ranging courses supporting good progression.

p.21

Weaknesses

o insufficient attention to individual student needs in some theory lessons

p.21

Weaknesses

o inadequate range of assessment practices in work-based learning.

p.21

Scope of provision

56. The land-based area offers full-time, part-time and short courses in agriculture and countryside, animal welfare and veterinary nursing, horticulture, floristry, arboriculture and land-based engineering. At the time of the inspection, there were 407 students aged 16 to 18 and 646 students aged 19 and over. There are entry routes for pupils aged 14 to 16 and a wide range of courses including HE courses.

p.21

Achievement and standards

57. Retention and pass rates on most animal care courses are above the national average. Retention rates on the national certificate in horticulture, NVQ amenity horticulture and City and Guilds practical skills are all above national averages. Pass rates on the national diploma arboriculture are low. In land-based engineering, there is good achievement of full frameworks and NVQs, and good retention rates for advanced modern apprenticeships. On other work-based learning programmes there are low retention and pass rates. Framework achievement on the foundation modern apprenticeship in horticulture in 2002 was 36%. The college has identified this as a weakness in its self-assessment report and appropriate measures have been taken which are already leading to a significant improvement. Key skills pass rates are low.

p.21

Achievement and standards

58. The standard of students' practical work is good. Most students are competent with the handling of animals. In a national diploma animal care lesson, occupational skills were effectively developed. Students were able to calibrate a weighing machine, halter calves, weigh them and then work out the incremental weight gain since birth. Animal nursing assistants researched legislation relating to quarantine on the Internet, evaluated the quality of the information obtained and also produced a leaflet for their veterinary practice on the pet travel scheme. Full-time students make good progress in work experience and in their duties on the commercial farm, animal unit and estate.

p.21

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 36 36 34 % retention 83 94 88 First diploma in animal care (Edexcel)

p.22

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 87 97 88 No. of starts ** 44 31 % retention ** 91 97 City and Guilds 0220 amenity horticulture

p.22

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate ** 55 63 No. of starts 25 23 22 % retention 60 52 86 RHS general certificate 2

p.22

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 93 42 74 No. of starts 45 43 47 % retention 56 67 77 National diploma animal care (Edexcel)

p.22

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 100 100 * No. of starts 17 19 16 % retention 82 89 81 National diploma in arboriculture (Edexcel)

p.22

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * data unavailable ** fewer than 15 students enrolled

p.22

Quality of education and training

59. Practical teaching is good. Lessons are well planned and students work enthusiastically to develop a wide range of practical skills. Teachers are confident and give clear explanations. Students receive regular support from teachers who assess their level of skill achievement and encourage them to improve in easy stages to achieve competence. National diploma animal care students effectively develop supervisory skills by overseeing first-year students on duty in the animal care unit.

p.22

Quality of education and training

60. Teachers promote student self-esteem and value their contributions. Effective use is made of students' own prior experience to develop ideas. In one floristry lesson, some students had already made a funeral wreath in the workplace. This lesson enabled them to evaluate and improve their practice using alternative flowers. Those who had not previously carried out this procedure developed the practical skills to undertake this task successfully in the workplace.

p.22

Quality of education and training

61. Student motivation and commitment to work are good. Horticulture and floristry students work enthusiastically in theory and practical lessons. They ask searching questions of each other and the teacher. Students make good use of IT in their work.

p.22

Quality of education and training

62. All teachers have comprehensive schemes of work, but lesson plans vary in quality. Some are very detailed. The good plans identify how learning will take place and be assessed, and take account of individual learning styles and health and safety issues. Poor lesson plans often result in poorer quality lessons which do not sufficiently challenge students. Key skills are satisfactory overall, but in many practical and theory lessons opportunities to develop them are missed.

p.22

Quality of education and training

63. In some theory lessons, teachers pay insufficient attention to students' individual needs. There are missed opportunities to link activities to assessment and to extend more able students who are eager to learn. Some teaching is dull and uninspiring. In the less effective lessons, teachers talk too much and answer their own questions without giving opportunities for students to reflect and answer.

p.22

Quality of education and training

64. Assessment on all courses is detailed. Industry-related assignment briefs are clear and students understand what has to be achieved. Teachers provide constructive written feedback, but there is little correction of spelling and grammar in written assignments. There are detailed tracking records of assessment and internal verification. However, there is little internal verification of practical assessment. NVQs are assessed in the workplace under real industrial conditions and all students receive a monthly progress review. However, some reviews are missed and some lack detail. Not all assessments are planned in sufficient detail and some opportunities to assess in the workplace are missed due to poor co-ordination of the training. Not enough use is made of the full range of diverse evidence to be found in the workplace.

p.23

Quality of education and training

65. Both on-the-job and off-the-job training resources are very good. The college site and employers' premises and equipment are used effectively to deliver training. Teaching staff are well qualified and industrially experienced. The college is a registered Veterinary Nurse Assessment Centre (VNAC) and the animal unit is equipped to industry standards. Students have good access to small and large animals. There are commercial kennels and a grooming parlour and an extensive and well-stocked farm. Students are effectively exposed to commercial practice and carry out duties on the farm. There are extensive grounds providing sufficient resources for turf maintenance and arboriculture. The IT suites have computers with up-to-date packages and the learning resource centre has a good selection of textbooks and catalogues, which are well used by students.

p.23

Quality of education and training

66. There is a wide range of courses which support good progression. Courses are offered on a modular basis to fit the national qualification framework. The college has been active in identifying and bridging the gap between entry level and level 2 and is piloting a level 1 first certificate in land- based studies. There are good opportunities to take additional training courses such as dry stone walling, pesticide training, first aid, chainsaw handling, horse care, dog obedience training and basic tractor driving. There are regular off-site visits. Horticulture and floristry students have had considerable success in events such as Gardeners World Live, the Royal Show, and the Royal Chelsea Flower Show, at which the college was recently awarded two `Golds'.

p.23

Quality of education and training

67. Support and guidance are good. Students receive a comprehensive induction to the college. Personal and learning support are well managed and effective. Students have regular tutorials where progress against personal and academic targets is monitored. However, the recording of progress towards targets is not always clear. Most work-based learners have their personal development needs and specific training needs met through their training programme.

p.23

Leadership and management

68. Leadership and management are good. MIS data is accurate and helpful and the staff use it well to monitor retention and pass rate trends and inform course planning. Communication lines are clear. Teams meet regularly and part-time staff are involved in planning. The self-assessment report is accurate and the development plan is regularly updated. There is good support for teachers from teaching and learning consultants and learning mentors. Opportunities for continuous development include subject updating. The department has a comprehensive and effective employer and industry network, which includes strategic partnerships with local companies and HE.

p.23

Equine

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.23

Strengths

o high retention and pass rates on horse care and management courses

p.24

Strengths

o effective practical teaching on blacksmith and farrier courses

p.24

Weaknesses

o insufficient attention to health and safety practice in some working areas

p.24

Weaknesses

o poor assessment and internal verification of NVQ horse care.

p.24

Scope of provision

69. The college offers courses in blacksmithing and metal work, farriery, and equine studies at the Moreton Morrell campus. An Access course is provided for students to gain entry to the farriery training scheme. In addition, a national certificate in blacksmithing and metal work is also used to enable students to gain forge skills before entering a farriery course.

p.24

Scope of provision

70. Courses are offered at levels 2 and 3. There is a first diploma in equine studies, a national certificate at level 2 and national certificate and national diploma at level 3 in horse management. The option of a one-year advanced national certificate is also offered at level 3.

p.24

Scope of provision

71. Students on equine courses are given the opportunity to work for British Horse Society (BHS) exams and NVQs as additional learning qualifications. 72. There are over 230 students on equine courses, of which 43 are on blacksmith and farriery courses. The majority of students are aged 16 to 18.

p.24

Achievement and standards

73. Pass rates on first diploma, national certificate and national diploma courses are good. Retention rates are around or above national averages and have been consistent over the last three years. The first diploma in horse care had a pass rate of 89%, the national certificate in horse management 90% and the national diploma in horse care 100% in 2003. The national certificate in blacksmithing and metalwork had a pass rate of 88% in the same year. There have been some low achievements of NVQ and BHS qualifications.

p.25

Achievement and standards

74. The stable yards, riding schools and forges are used effectively and provide good opportunities to improve the skills of students in both equine and blacksmithing. Students achieve a good level of working practice through their experience on the stable yard and they gain good skills in riding. In blacksmithing lessons, students produce a variety metal work to a good standard.

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

No. of starts 37 54 41 % retention 62 89 88 NVQ 1 horse care (1 year)

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 100 77 67 No. of starts 39 * 64 % retention 56 * 81 NVQ 2 horse care (1 year)

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 95 * 87 No. of starts 39 53 42 % retention 54 85 88 First diploma horse care

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 100 91 89 No. of starts * 19 28 % retention * 53 75 City and Guilds national certificate in horse care

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate * 100 90 No. of starts 28 28 32 % retention 61 68 75 National diploma in horse management

p.25

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * fewer than 15 students enrolled

p.25

Quality of education and training

75. Teaching of both theory and practical lessons is satisfactory or better and meets individual learning needs. Small groups of students are able to use a mechanical horse and gain experience of mounting and dismounting and riding in canter under the careful control of the teacher. This provides the opportunity to find a balanced seat and practice technique. There is good practical teaching on blacksmith courses. Students are able to produce metal work during the lessons. They value the close supervision and guidance and take pride in the work they produce. In one lesson, the teacher gathered students into small groups at key times to demonstrate the next stage in the process of producing an item of metal work. There are good opportunities for riding. Students are enthusiastic about their riding lessons and speak highly of the tuition. Most students ride three times weekly. The range of horses is good, enabling students to gain experience in dealing with different types of

p.25

Quality of education and training

horses. Key skills are fully integrated into the vocational courses. Schemes of work indicate where key skills are to be covered and teachers make frequent reference to them during lessons. Students are making good progress towards the achievement of key skills.

p.26

Quality of education and training

76. In the less effective lessons, on equine courses, students are not engaged in the learning process. Interest and attention are lost and learning opportunities missed. Teaching strategies in some lessons do not meet the individual needs of the students. Ineffective questioning and lack of student involvement significantly restricts learning. In some lessons, students are left sitting for long periods and lose concentration.

p.26

Quality of education and training

77. The working environment of the equine unit is well managed. It is used effectively, involving students in the general day-to-day care of the yard. Some practical areas are small and cramped, and become overcrowded.

p.26

Quality of education and training

78. Assessment and internal verification on full-time courses are effective. Teachers' written feedback on students' work is comprehensive and identifies areas for development. Verbal feedback during riding lessons and blacksmithing lessons is well directed and provides opportunity for students to improve their practical skills. Assessment and internal verification on NVQ horse care are poor. Assessment records lack detail and do not inform the student of their progress. Internal verification of NVQs does not provide effective feedback to assessors and weaknesses in assessment practice are not identified.

p.26

Quality of education and training

79. Learning resources for equine, blacksmithing and farriery are good. There are extensive equine facilities for horse care stable management and riding, and purpose-built forges for blacksmith and farrier training. Extensive riding facilities are provided by two indoor and an outdoor riding school, extensive show jumps and cross country fences. Purpose-built forges provide excellent facilities for blacksmiths and farriers. The circular farriery building allows the teacher good visibility of all students whilst carrying out forge work. This enables quick correction and guidance in learning practical forge skills. The Worshipful Company of Farriers in conjunction with the college regularly hold training events for working farriers. The college also provides a training base for The Farriery Training Services who are responsible for training farriers in Britain.

p.26

Quality of education and training

80. The college has developed strong links with external organisations. These include The British Horse Society, British Show Jumping Association and British Eventing. Good links with employers provide opportunities for students on national diploma courses to gain work experience on internationally renowned competition yards.

p.26

Quality of education and training

81. Students taking BHS exams are able to take their exam at the college. Affiliated shows and horse trials take place at the college, giving students the opportunity to take part in the organisation of the shows.

p.26

Quality of education and training

82. Student support is good. Tutorials are effective in setting targets and monitoring progress as well as providing pastoral support. A member of staff has been appointed to the role of `students at risk tutor'. The tutor is responsible for vocational, learning and pastoral issues. This enables problems to be identified and dealt with at an early stage. Group tutorials are effective. In one lesson, applications for more advanced courses and Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) applications were dealt with in detail. In another lesson, a group spent time analysing job adverts. This enabled the integration of key skills through IT, while at the same time informing students about the job prospects within the horse industry.

p.26

Leadership and management

83. Leadership and management are good. Staff are well qualified and make good use of staff development activities including opportunities to take teaching qualifications. Management and communication systems are established, well used and monitored at curriculum manager level. Attention to health and safety in some working areas is inadequate. Some livery yard areas are cramped and overcrowded with equipment. The procedure for moving machinery around the stables is unsafe on occasions.

p.26

Leadership and management

84. The college, as part of a consortium with two other colleges, has recently been awarded funding to develop a CoVE in equine. It is making progress in achieving its targets in the first year of its business plan. A co-ordinator has been appointed to oversee the work of the CoVE and has been in post for four months. The centre is able to use the excellent range of vocational courses already available in equine. The provision fulfils many of the CoVE criteria.

p.27

Construction

Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)

p.27

Construction

Contributory grade for work-based learning is s atisfactory (grade 3)

p.27

Strengths

o good progression for full-time students

p.27

Strengths

o effective development of students knowledge and skills in lessons

p.27

Strengths

o good support for newly appointed teachers.

p.27

Weaknesses

o poor foundation modern apprenticeship and advanced modern apprenticeship framework completion in plumbing and brickwork

p.27

Weaknesses

o ineffective management of teaching and learning in a few theory lessons

p.27

Weaknesses

o insufficient technician support in some areas

p.27

Scope of provision

85. The college offers a range of construction courses at foundation, intermediate and advanced levels. These include courses in carpentry and joinery, painting and decorating, brickwork, electrical installation and plumbing. At the time of inspection, there were 228 students aged 16 to 18 and 367 aged 19 and over. Currently, there are 101 foundation modern apprentices and 10 advanced modern apprentices enrolled on construction related programmes. The area also attracts 49 pupils aged 14 to 16, as part of the `Star 14' partnership, from 25 feeder schools who undertake a course of study designed to give them an insight into a number of trades within construction.

p.28

Achievement and standards

86. There are very good retention and pass rates at levels 2 and 3 in wood occupations. Students' progress on these courses is enhanced by good and effective arrangements for work-based assessments. There are good pass rates in electrical installation and bricklaying which are above national averages. Pass rates in plumbing, at level 3, are poor and have declined over the last three years. Retention rates in painting and decorating are poor and pass rates are very poor. No foundation modern apprenticeship learners in plumbing have achieved their full framework to date. Some 80% have achieved their NVQ level 2, but none have achieved the key skills. Only 40% of foundation modern apprenticeship learners and 32% of advanced modern apprenticeship learners in brickwork have achieved their full framework. The standard of students' practical skills is good.

p.28

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts * 32 40 % retention * 72 68 City and Guilds 2360- 06 electrical installations (2 year) % pass rate * 87 85 No. of starts 34 45 65 % retention 71 53 74 NVQ in mechanical engineering services (plumbing) (2 year) % pass rate 38 58 73 No. of starts 21 30 15 % retention 62 70 100 NVQ in wood occupations (construction) (2 year) % pass rate 46 94 100 No. of starts 16 ** 18 % retention 75 ** 44 NVQ in mechanical engineering services (plumbing) (2 year) % pass rate 75 * 13

p.28

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) *course did not run ** fewer than 15 starters

p.28

Quality of education and training

87. The quality of teaching is satisfactory, with some examples of good practice. In the better lessons, the students understand the purpose of the lessons and what is expected of them. In these lessons, there is good use of industrial examples to support learning. Direct questioning is used appropriately to check learning. In one lesson on erecting scaffolding, the students developed their skills by practicing the safe erection of ladders. Some lessons are dull. There is an over-reliance on the copying of notes from the board and of undirected questions to students within theory lessons. There is little use of visual aids to reinforce the learning. Some handouts are poor, the worst being unreadable.

p.28

Quality of education and training

88. Assessment practices are satisfactory. In work-based learning in wood occupation, assessment is good and students are given detailed feedback. Students' portfolios in plumbing are of a high standard and contain evidence of key skills development. There is inadequate feedback from teachers in all portfolios.

p.29

Quality of education and training

89. Workshops are generally satisfactory. The electrical installation and bricklaying main workshops are good. Some classroom accommodation is dull and uninspiring. There is a lack of sector-specific information on the walls and some rooms were overcrowded. Learning in a key skills lesson was disrupted by excessive noise from an adjoining classroom. Workshop accommodation in plumbing and painting and decorating is poor. In one of the brick workshops, the floor is uneven making bricklaying activities difficult. There is insufficient technician support in brickwork, painting and decorating and wood trades. This has a negative impact on learning. In brickwork, a student spent most of the day demolishing his work. Learning is also hampered by poorly maintained tools and equipment in the wood trades workshops. In plumbing, painting and decorating risk assessments are not being updated and there are poor storage facilities in workshops.

p.29

Quality of education and training

90. There is a good range of craft courses, but there is no technician or level 4 provision. There are good progression routes in most trades. Evening courses in bricklaying meet the individual learning needs of students and are helping to widen participation. Much of the curriculum is organised so that students can move between modes of attendance if their circumstances change, or if they miss lessons. A fireman, studying electrical installation, was able to join different classes enabling him to attend college around his changing shift patterns. Effective partnership working with the Construction, Industry and Training Board (CITB) enables full-time students on brickwork and wood trades to progress into employment as apprentices. There are good progression routes in electrical installation and plumbing and very good progression routes in brickwork and wood trades up to level 3.

p.29

Quality of education and training

91. Students with significant learning difficulties make good progress. For example, a student with dyslexia is making good progress in NVQ 2 wood occupations. There is, however, insufficient attention to additional learning support in lessons for students on college-based courses. Work- based learners receive good support from their work-based learning manager.

p.29

Leadership and management

92. The management of the area is satisfactory. Quality assurance is satisfactory, but actions are not effectively monitored. All teaching staff are observed at least once each year and all staff have an annual appraisal where individual development needs are identified. Take-up of training opportunities for staff is good. Equality of opportunity is a regular agenda item at team meetings and effective actions are identified to address a range of issues. Managers set meaningful targets for framework completion and course teams are informed of national averages for use in annual self- assessment.

p.29

Leadership and management

93. There have been significant staffing problems in the area which are in the process of being addressed. All recently appointed teachers are very well supported. New teachers shadow a more experienced member of the teaching team for the first two weeks of their employment. New teaching staff have to achieve a recognised teaching qualification within the first two years of their employment.

p.29

Engineering

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.30

Engineering

Contributory grade for work-based learning is good (grade 2)

p.30

Strengths

o high retention and pass rates on most courses

p.30

Strengths

o good development of students' key skills

p.30

Strengths

o high-quality accommodation and equipment at the Trident Centre

p.30

Strengths

o effective individual support for students

p.30

Strengths

o good management of curriculum and work-based learning

p.30

Strengths

o very effective strategies to widen participation.

p.30

Weaknesses

o some poor working practices in practical lessons

p.30

Weaknesses

o insufficient attention to the promotion of equality of opportunity.

p.30

Scope of provision

94. The college offers courses in engineering manufacturing, motor sports engineering, computer- aided design, motor vehicle repair and servicing, engineering operations, GCSE manufacturing and other vocational certificates in engineering. Students may attend college on a block-release, full-time or day-release basis allowing flexible learning. NVQs at levels 1, 2 and 3 are also offered. There are 327 students aged 16 to 18 and 197 students aged 19 and over on engineering courses. There are also 152 pupils on programmes for young people aged 14 to 16.

p.30

Achievement and standards

95. There are high retention and pass rates on most courses. Pass rates on national certificate, NVQ in engineering manufacturing and Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education (AVCE) engineering courses are significantly above national averages. Students are producing practical work to a high standard and their knowledge of highly technical subjects is good. Motor sports students are well able to explain the principles of motor vehicle suspension systems dynamics and students demonstrated a wide range of engineering skills whilst building a single-seater racing car. Students' portfolios are well structured and use a variety of evidence including job sheets, witness testimony and storyboards. Assessor comments on observed practical work are positive in most instances. Assignments are detailed and students achieve high grades.

p.31

Achievement and standards

96. Pass rates for the NVQ level 2 aspect of the advanced modern apprenticeship are good. Most work-based learners are completing two or three additional units in their qualification. Examples of additional subjects include welding and electrical maintenance. They are producing high-quality work in the workplace and employers frequently comment on the good development of skills.

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 27 32 31 % retention 63 84 83 NVQ vehicle valeting 1

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 100 96 81 No. of starts 60 24 48 % retention 65 75 75 NVQ in engineering manufacture

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 67 17 94 No. of starts 25 22 26 % retention 76 90 57 AVCE in engineering 3

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 76 65 100 No. of starts 42 26 28 % retention 64 88 64 Repair and servicing of road vehicles (light)

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 56 30 56 No. of starts 47 76 33 % retention 66 76 78 National certificate in engineering

p.31

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003)

p.31

Quality of education and training

97. There is much innovative teaching. Individual support, group exercises and technical assignments are used to good effect. There are good links between the theory and practical work and all students are actively involved in discussion and debate. Motor vehicle students are receiving practical training on the use of hydrometers for measuring anti freeze levels. From this information, they develop graphs and data tables to explain the importance of specific gravity measurements. Lessons and practical tasks are often repeated to allow students the opportunity to reflect and develop skills at a pace suitable to them. Teachers use a variety of sectionalised vehicle components and working models during lessons to expand on theories being taught. In some lessons, task sheets do not sufficiently challenge students or test prior learning.

p.31

Quality of education and training

98. The development of key skills is particularly good with a range of occupationally specific exercises being used. Through full integration of key skills into the vocational courses, the engineering staff have managed to convince students that the use of key skills in industry is crucial for career progression. For example, students routinely access Internet information in order to interpret data taken from motor vehicle test equipment. This develops IT skills and integrates the teaching of numeracy in a practical and interesting manner. Students are responding well to this method of teaching and demonstrate significant improvement in their key skills.

p.32

Quality of education and training

99. In workshop lessons, there are some poor working practices. Teachers do not sufficiently enforce the wearing of suitable eye protection and protective clothing. Some welding operations put students at risk. Although screening equipment is in place, some students are still exposed to high intensity light. Students on agricultural engineering courses were observed working at height on large machinery with insufficient staging to support them.

p.32

Quality of education and training

100. There is frequent marking of students' work. Weaknesses in performance are quickly identified and are discussed during tutorials. Assessments and testing requirements are clearly identified in schemes of work and challenging targets are set as a result. Students are fully informed of their progress and are involved in the development of learning plans. Initial assessment is both thorough and effectively analysed. Assessors visit work-based learners at least every four weeks. This is having a positive effect upon their progression through the framework and is a key factor in the improving pass rates. Internal verification is effectively planned with good sampling of students' practical work.

p.32

Quality of education and training

101. The accommodation and equipment at the Trident Centre are excellent. Workshops are well equipped with a wide range of high-quality training aids. This new building creates a pleasant teaching and learning environment, although the staff room for engineering teachers is small. Some employers are providing the college with equipment for workshops that meet or exceed industry norms. Examples include aircraft engines and high performance motor vehicles. Staff are well qualified and experienced.

p.32

Quality of education and training

102. A wide range of courses with good progression routes is offered. Regular discussions take place between college staff and local employers to determine the skill requirements of the area. A review of the opportunities for young people to gain employment and consideration of other training provision in the area are deciding factors when developing courses. The introduction of the motor sports programme has proven very popular.

p.32

Quality of education and training

103. There are good support arrangements for students. Frequent ongoing assessment of their needs takes place. Students with additional learning needs are identified quickly and receive appropriate advice and guidance. Additional tutorials on Monday evenings and two lunchtime sessions effectively support training in basic skills. Support tutors are in most instances occupationally qualified. Specialist support for students with hearing impairment, dyslexia and epilepsy is routinely given where needed.

p.32

Leadership and management

104. There is very good leadership and management. Managers set clear direction and teams work well together. Effective partnerships have been established with external organisations to promote engineering in the region. Quality assurance is highly effective in monitoring performance. Lesson observations are frequent and effectively measure the quality of teaching, learning and attainment. The self-assessment process is thorough and managers are accurate in their self-assessment of the provision; however, strengths on work-based learning are understated.

p.32

Leadership and management

105. There are effective strategies to widen participation. Initiatives with schools and community groups have had a positive impact. Currently, 4.7% of engineering students are female and 14% of students are from minority ethnic groups. There is good representation of students with a disability. There is a clear analysis of equal opportunities data at recruitment and marketing literature promotes positive images of young people in engineering. There is insufficient attention to the promotion of equality of opportunity with students during their course. Equal opportunities are covered during induction, although sessions are brief and are not supported by in-depth discussion. There is little reinforcement of the subject during student progress reviews or tutorials.

p.32

Business administration, management and professional

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.33

Strengths

o consistently high retention and pass rates on vocational business courses

p.33

Strengths

o effective quality assurance arrangements leading to improvements.

p.33

Weaknesses

o slow progress of students on marketing and accountancy courses

p.33

Weaknesses

o low pass rates on NVQ accounting courses.

p.33

Scope of provision

106. The college provides a broad range of full-time and part-time courses in business, administration, management and professional studies. The college offers work-based learning courses in administration and accounts. Courses offered include GCSE in office applications, GCE AS and A2 in business and economics; GNVQ intermediate and AVCE business; NVQs in administration and accounting ranging from level 2 to 4; and accredited management and professional courses in marketing, management, personnel, training and administration. Part-time courses are offered during both day and evening. There are 106 students aged 16 to 18 and 666 students aged 19 and over.

p.33

Achievement and standards

107. There are consistently high retention and pass rates on the GNVQ intermediate and VCE business courses. On the GNVQ intermediate course, retention and pass rates were 100% in 2003 and 94% on the VCE course. Students gaining high pass rates for other business courses are satisfactory. There are low pass rates on NVQ accounting courses. On the NVQ level 3, pass rates have been consistently lower than the national average and the NVQ achievement and framework completion on the work-based accountancy course is low. Retention and pass rates are satisfactory on other work-based learning programmes. Students make slow progress on some marketing and accountancy courses. Many students continue beyond their target completion date. In 2002, 65% of students on the NVQ level 3 in accounting course failed to complete in the one year and continued into 2003. In the same year, 89% of students on the advanced certificate in marketing continued well

p.34

Achievement and standards

108. Students are developing new skills and competencies that relate well to their work. For example, on the GNVQ intermediate business course, students are learning about motivational theory. They learn about what motivates people and relate this well to management styles and working in teams. On the professional accountancy courses, students are learning complex financial reporting systems. They demonstrate a good understanding of financial principles and company accounting for small, medium and corporate organisations. Student work is of a satisfactory standard. Files are well presented with a wide variety of evidence. Nearly 80% of students on placement progress into full-time employment.

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 21 22 23 % retention 95 82 100 GNVQ intermediate business

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 90 94 100 No. of starts 33 31 20 % retention 73 42 55 NVQ administration 2

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 79 100 91 No. of starts 48 64 63 % retention 77 83 86 GCE AS business 3

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 84 77 93 No. of starts 23 29 22 % retention 91 83 82 GCE A2 business 3

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 71 92 100 No. of starts 68 73 65 % retention 71 71 94 VCE business double (2000/01 is GNVQ advanced business) % pass rate 81 81 94 No. of starts 57 51 53 NVQ accounting 3 % retention 81 29 83 % pass rate 46 0 55 No. of starts 23 23 * % retention 87 81 * Advanced certificate in marketing

p.34

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003)

p.35

Quality of education and training

109. There is much good teaching on all courses. Lessons are carefully planned and taught well. Teachers employ a wide range of teaching methods and provide students with realistic and challenging learning activities. They ensure that there is a good balance between theory and practical exercises. Teachers effectively meet the needs of students by providing individual support in lessons. In key skills and GNVQ intermediate lessons, good use is made of IT facilities. For example students use IT to develop graphs, bar charts and import pictures from the Internet. Students are well motivated and keen to learn new skills. Work-based learners attend the college weekly on day release to work on their key skills and technical certificates and other underpinning knowledge for their NVQ. Adult students on management and professional courses work enthusiastically and draw effectively on their knowledge and work experience in lessons. For

p.35

Quality of education and training

example, students on management and training courses were working on learning styles which they applied to their work, management style and forthcoming assessments.

p.35

Quality of education and training

110. Assessment and monitoring of student progress are satisfactory. Homework is set regularly and marked promptly. Assessment is planned with the student and feedback provided. However, feedback does not always provide enough information to enable students to improve. Insufficient use is made of individual learning plans when monitoring progress and agreeing new objectives. They are rarely referred to or updated to reflect changes in target dates or agree additional training required. Internal verification processes are well planned and thorough.

p.35

Quality of education and training

111. Teaching and learning resources are satisfactory. Most teachers are well qualified. Many classrooms are well equipped, however, some are too cramped. Students have good access to the learning resource centre, use of IT facilities, and access to the Internet. The resources in the learning resource centre are good and include online resources. Workbooks and handouts produced in college are good and provide realistic exercises related to the area of study.

p.35

Quality of education and training

112. The college provides a broad range of provision including professional courses. Courses are offered from level 1 through to post-graduate level with good progression routes in each subject area. The college meets regularly with employers to share curriculum planning and to ensure courses meet local demand.

p.35

Quality of education and training

113. There is good academic and personal support. Initial assessment identifies the additional support needs of students aged 16 to 18. Mature students attending college on a part-time basis do not have any formal assessment to identify support needs, but they can self-refer. Support is provided through the learning support department and classroom assistance is arranged for those students who require additional individual support. Frequent tutorials are effective in monitoring students' progress and addressing concerns and issues. Work-based learners receive good support from the college and employers. This support is made more effective due to the close relationship between the college and employers.

p.35

Leadership and management

114. Leadership and management of the area are very good. There are effective quality assurance arrangements leading to improvements. All staff are observed twice a year and spend one day each year in a placement in industry to maintain their occupational competency. All staff are involved in the business planning, the self-assessment process and action planning in their department. Student progress is discussed at weekly team meetings. Management information is used to report on performance of retention and pass rates within each department and this information is used to inform decision making and planning. The college has been awarded `Premier Plus' status for Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) courses. This is a significant achievement awarded by ACCA and recognises the quality of tuition provided to students.

p.35

Information and communications technology

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.36

Strengths

o high pass rates on many courses in 2002/03

p.36

Strengths

o good development of students' independent learning skills

p.36

Strengths

o good teaching on courses for students aged 16 to 18

p.36

Strengths

o good assessment which promotes learning on full-time courses

p.36

Strengths

o effective individual support for students with additional learning needs.

p.36

Weaknesses

o insufficient monitoring of progress for part-time students.

p.36

Scope of provision

115. The college offers a range of courses from beginners' level to level 4. Courses include GNVQ foundation and intermediate in ICT, and the AVCE in ICT. An extensive range of part-time courses are offered at the Leamington site and at five further IT centres in surrounding towns. Courses cover computer applications, technical subjects such as programming, technical support, and website design and creation. The college also offers a combined basic skills and IT programme for shift workers at a major car factory in Coventry. Most courses are delivered through self-paced open learning workshops. At the time of the inspection, there were 232 students aged 16 to 18 and 408 students aged over 19.

p.36

Achievement and standards

116. Pass rates for students aged 16 to 18 have improved and are high in 2002/03. For example the pass rate for students on the AVCE (double award) improved from 63% in 2002 to 97% in 2003. The GNVQ foundation course achieved an excellent 100% pass rate, with satisfactory retention rates. Pass rates on courses for adult students are generally satisfactory. Students who complete part-time courses have high pass rates. However, on some courses, such as the Start IT, the European computer driving licence (ECDL) and the one-year certificate in computer applications a low proportion of students complete within the target completion time.

p.37

Achievement and standards

117. All students show interest and enthusiasm for their subjects. Younger students develop particularly good planning and individual learning skills. Students on the GNVQ intermediate certificate and the AVCE courses are able to use Gantt charts to plan their work. They can use a variety of software expertly to design colourful and attractive documents. Students in computer workshops develop satisfactory practical IT skills, although some make slow progress. Part-time adult level 1 students can produce pie charts and graphs from spreadsheets and full-time students have developed good online learning skills. Students are confident and successful at using the college intranet to retrieve course materials.

p.37

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

No. of starts 31 258 87 % retention 52 46 51 City and Guilds 4828 Start It (short)

p.37

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 88 97 89 No. of starts * 156 21 % retention * 25 19 City and Guilds 7261 certificate in computer applications (1 year) % pass rate * 95 100 No. of starts 603 527 31 % retention 88 94 100 Computer literacy and information technology (CLAIT) (short) % pass rate 81 81 94 No. of starts 185 124 223 % retention 25 67 50 ECDL 2

p.37

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 38 86 90 No. of starts 24 41 37 % retention 75 73 76 GNVQ intermediate ICT (1 year)

p.37

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 61 77 89 No. of starts * 43 53 % retention * 44 62 AVCE (double award) in IT

p.37

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * course did not run ** fewer than 15 starters

p.37

Quality of education and training

118. Teaching is good on all full-time courses. Lessons are well planned with clear learning objectives which are shared with students at the start of most lessons. Key skills are well designed and are mostly embedded in the vocational courses. Students work well together to provide solutions to tasks and to check their results. Teachers make good use of ILT to effectively develop the students' knowledge of IT techniques and processes. In an AVCE lesson, the students were given a mobile keyboard and asked to demonstrate how to place an image into a web page. This was both entertaining and instructive, as common errors were overcome and repetition secured understanding of exactly how the routine could be most effectively run. Students use technical language that is both appropriate and accurate. A foundation level student was able to explain with great clarity how the sum function on his spreadsheet used an absolute cell reference so that he

p.38

Quality of education and training

could save himself time in inputting a formula repeatedly. There is good individual teaching in computer workshops. The teaching is sensitively delivered to recognise the maturity of the students. In self-paced workshops, there is insufficient target-setting and inadequate monitoring of individual students' progress. Teachers fail to record personal learning goals, or progress towards them. Independent study is not well facilitated for part-time students.

p.38

Quality of education and training

119. Assessment is good. Ongoing course assessment is used well to motivate students. Assessments are tightly structured to enable teachers to effectively monitor students' progress. Students have very clear goals and deadlines and are able to work independently and effectively. However, there is insufficient tracking and monitoring of progress for part-time students in the IT centres. The marking of students' work is fair and constructive with clear comments on what is required to improve grades. All full-time students are set both a target grade for their course and a challenge grade to motivate them to greater efforts.

p.38

Quality of education and training

120. Classroom accommodation is good. There are sufficient high-quality computers and student access to them is good. The use of the learning resource centre is poorly promoted, and students are not allowed to take manuals home. Many of the IT and computing books in the learning resource centre are out of date.

p.38

Quality of education and training

121. Tutorial support is good. Individual learning plans are used effectively to review and monitor progress in tutorials. There is good support for students with additional learning needs in full-time classes. Very clear and understandable statements of need are in place and planning is effective in meeting students' needs. Support is provided by experienced and trained staff.

p.38

Leadership and management

122. Leadership and management are good. There is a clear understanding of purpose, which is widely shared across course teams. Teachers work effectively together to ensure that all students are able to achieve well on their courses. Quality assurance is rigorous and has led to measurable improvements. Course reviews are particularly thorough. Staff development and training are well organised and there are high levels of participation by both full-time and part-time staff. The college is aware of gender issues and effectively monitors performance by gender, however, they do not share this information with managers of centres away from the college.

p.38

Sports, leisure and travel

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.38

Strengths

o good retention and pass rates on sport, leisure and travel courses o good teaching on travel courses

p.38

Strengths

o extensive range of appropriate sport and travel courses

p.39

Strengths

o productive links with industry and other external partners

p.39

Strengths

o high-quality specialist sports facilities.

p.39

Weaknesses

o ineffective management of disruptive students in some lessons

p.39

Weaknesses

o inadequate resources in the learning resource centre at Henley.

p.39

Scope of provision

123. The college provides a good range of courses in sport, leisure and tourism. These range from level 1 to level 4. There are GNVQs in leisure and tourism, and AVCEs in leisure and recreation and travel and tourism. There are specialist BTEC courses in overseas resort operations, retail travel and cabin crewing. The college offers BTEC diplomas in sport and applied science (sport). Many students take further qualifications in addition to their main award. These include sports coaching awards; community sports leader's awards and fitness coaching. For travel students, there is a wide range of additional courses including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) fares and ticketing award and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) primary certificate. Part-time provision includes courses for travel consultants, tour managers and personal trainers. The college provides sport-related courses for local schools and is involved in a wide range of community

p.39

Scope of provision

partnerships designed to encourage adult students into learning. At the time of the inspection there were 354 students of which 190 were participating in sports courses and 164 in travel and tourism. Of the sports students 147 are aged 16 to 18 and 43 are aged over 19.

p.39

Achievement and standards

124. Retention rates are high and have been consistently above national averages since 2000 on most courses in sport, leisure and travel. For example, in 2002/03, the retention rate was 90% on the BTEC national diploma in applied science (sport) and it was 88% on the BTEC intermediate certificate in retail travel. The retention rate on the GCE AS sport, games and recreation was also high at 80% and the BTEC first diploma in sport had a retention rate of 85%.

p.39

Achievement and standards

125. Pass rates are high at 92% on the BTEC national diploma in applied science (sport) and 100% on the BTEC intermediate certificate in retail travel. Pass rates have also been consistently high at over 85% on the AVCE in travel and tourism. Pass rates in key skills have been consistently low in IT, application of number and communication.

p.40

Achievement and standards

126. The standard of students' work in sport, leisure and travel is good. Students speak confidently about their work and display high levels of understanding. Coursework on sports courses is well presented and displays good use of IT. Portfolios are well organised and students are proud of their work. Students make good progress in lessons and achieve challenging and appropriate targets for improvement in their performance. Sports students can analyse complex information in order to arrive at alternative solutions to problems. For example, during one lesson, students analysed and researched information using the Internet and reference books. They were required to present their findings to their peers. Following a lively discussion about alternative systems, students tested two preferred methods and after a short time realised that one method was inappropriate. When questioned by the teacher they were very articulate in explaining the decision-making process and

p.40

Achievement and standards

were able to present their findings in a professional manner.

p.40

Achievement and standards

127. Progression to HE from courses in sport is good and the overseas resort operations courses and the cabin crewing courses prepare students well for their chosen careers in the travel industry.

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

No. of starts 37 28 ** % retention 95 86 ** BTEC intermediate certificate in retail travel

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 23 67 ** No. of starts 28 30 30 % retention 89 83 85 GNVQ intermediate leisure and tourism

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 80 76 71 No. of starts 16 17 25 % retention 81 59 80 GCE AS sport, games and recreation

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 77 90 58 No. of starts 23 20 29 % retention 65 85 90 National diploma in applied science

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 87 88 92 No. of starts * 36 55 % retention * 47 68 AVCE in leisure and recreation

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate * 88 89 No. of starts * 36 55 % retention * 47 68 AVCE in travel and tourism

p.40

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

Source: ISR (2001 and 2003), college (2003) * course did not run ** less than 15 starts

p.40

Quality of education and training

128. Teaching is well planned and most lessons have clear objectives. In the best lessons, students are set challenging tasks and learn effectively by participating in a variety of appropriate activities. Teaching on travel courses is good. In one lesson, students on the BTEC certificate in overseas resort operations course worked in groups to plan and carry out a short performance in preparation for a major show later in the year. Students demonstrated very good teamwork and time management skills throughout the lesson and carried out a thorough evaluation of their work at the end. This resulted in their being clear about how they could improve their work in future.

p.41

Quality of education and training

129. Students display good research skills and use IT confidently and appropriately in their work. Teachers have good professional knowledge and use examples of industry practice to explain points. Occasionally, discussion in lessons is dominated by a few students and the teacher fails to check that all students understand the points being made. In some sports lessons, students do not concentrate fully on their work, become bored and some disruptive behaviour occurs. There is a policy for dealing with such situations, but it is not applied consistently.

p.41

Quality of education and training

130. Assessment on sport, leisure and travel courses is thorough. Students receive constructive feedback on their work highlighting how they can improve, but insufficient attention is given to the correction of poor spelling and grammar. There is good assessment of practical activities on sports courses. Initial assessment of individual learning needs is thorough and the take up of additional learning support by students has increased significantly over the last two years.

p.41

Quality of education and training

131. The range and standard of facilities for sports programmes are very good. The newly acquired site has ample space for major games participation. There are exceptional laboratory and fitness suite facilities with connected classrooms. The students work safely, but there are some minor health and safety issues. At the newly opened Henley site, there are insufficient private study spaces for individual learning or confidential meetings. The resource centre is often overcrowded or used for specific courses and is poorly stocked with reference materials. There are two travel shops within the college that provide an excellent and stimulating experience for travel students. Staff are well qualified and experienced. Most part-time teachers have good vocational qualifications and recent industrial experience. Travel and tourism staff keep up to date through industrial placements.

p.41

Quality of education and training

132. There are very productive links with industry and other external partners. Sport students benefit from coaching from professional coaches and elite performers are well supported through sports academies. Travel students benefit from excellent links with major travel companies who provide professional materials for students to work with and take a very active role in ensuring travel courses are up to date and meet the requirements of the industry.

p.41

Quality of education and training

133. Support for students is good. All students have individual action plans containing challenging targets which are reviewed and discussed during individual tutorials. These sessions are supported by group tutorials. Attendance is well monitored and non-attendance is followed up. Students with learning or physical disabilities are well integrated into sports courses, although there are some problems regarding access to some facilities.

p.41

Leadership and management

134. Curriculum management in sport, leisure and travel are good. Managers set a clear direction for curriculum development and continuous improvement. There has been some innovative curriculum development over the last two years. Course teams at each site work effectively together in a supportive culture. Well-documented team meetings take place where student issues feature prominently. Performance of courses is rigorously monitored and appropriate action is taken to secure improvement where necessary.

p.41

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.42

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

Contributory grade for work-based learning is satisfactory (grade 3)

p.42

Strengths

o much good teaching focusing on developing students' professional skills

p.42

Strengths

o good resources which enable effective learning

p.42

Strengths

o thorough monitoring of work-based learners' progress

p.42

Strengths

o very good participation in external events for full-time students

p.42

Strengths

o strong working partnerships with work-based learning employers.

p.42

Weaknesses

o poor achievement for work-based students

p.42

Weaknesses

o slow progress for hairdressing students

p.42

Weaknesses

o insufficient work experience for beauty therapy students

p.42

Weaknesses

o lack of progression opportunities for modern apprentices.

p.42

Scope of provision

135. The college offers a broad range of courses covering hairdressing, beauty therapy, complementary therapies and sports massage. Courses are offered at levels 2 and 3 for full-time, part-time and evening students. Beauty courses include beauty therapy, aromatherapy, holistic therapy and Indian head massage. Body massage and nail extension courses are also offered.

p.43

Scope of provision

136. There are 133 full-time students aged 16 to 18 and 40 full-time students aged 19 and over. There are 240 part-time students aged over 19 and 6 aged 16 to 18. Additionally, there are 68 work- based learners following a foundation modern apprenticeship programme in hairdressing.

p.43

Achievement and standards

137. Pass rates are high on most courses. The pass rate on the beauty therapy NVQ level 3 in 2003 was excellent, at 94%. There are declining retention rates on some courses such as hairdressing level 2 and the diploma in reflexology. On manicure courses the retention rate has declined over three years by 23%, but still remains above the national average.

p.43

Achievement and standards

138. Students' hairdressing and beauty therapy skills are good. Most students are confident and knowledgeable about their work. Commercial aspects of running successful hairdressing and beauty salons are routinely considered by students when dealing with clients and recommending further services. Students work hygienically and tidily when practising new techniques. Their professional appearance reflects good industry standards. Many modern apprentices have their own clientele in their place of employment. Good quality projects and assignments are produced by students. These assignments include creative salon design boards with examples of co-ordinated fabrics and colour schemes that students have chosen for redecoration.

p.43

Achievement and standards

139. Background theory is systematically applied by students to all practical activities. Appropriate consideration is given by students to clients' allergic reactions when recommending treatments. Thorough consultations are carried out by students for every client.

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

No. of starts 47 44 53 % retention 83 70 77 NVQ beauty therapy 1 year

p.43

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 87 87 94 No. of starts 61 51 52 % retention 57 71 58 NVQ hairdressing 2 year

p.43

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 89 89 97 No. of starts 55 81 69 % retention 95 83 86 Indian head massage diploma 1 year

p.43

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 77 79 90 No. of starts * 43 39 % retention * 84 77 Manicure certificate 1 year

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate * 89 97 No. of starts 21 21 21 % retention 67 90 86 Beauty specialists diploma 1 year

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 100 100 94 No. of starts 20 16 17 % retention 90 94 71 Diploma in reflexology 1 year

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 100 93 100 No. of starts 22 21 18 % retention 91 100 100 NVQ beauty therapy 3

p.44

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * fewer than 15 students enrolled

p.44

Quality of education and training

140. There is much good teaching which focuses on developing students' professional skills. Students pay good attention to commercial considerations such as the timing of treatments, appropriate use of products, client care and hygiene. Students are able to clearly link theory with their practical work. Teaching is innovative in some lessons where memorable aids are used to explain scientific concepts. Students use sweets to demonstrate the dilution of hydrogen peroxide and to identify the stages of colour change when lifting hair to a lighter shade.

p.44

Quality of education and training

141. In some lessons, students evaluate what they have learnt and changes to future lessons are made in the light of students' comments. Most lessons are lively and effectively develop students' skills. Teachers are skilful at meeting the needs of each student through effective use of individual demonstrations and guidance in practical lessons. In a minority of theory lessons, there is insufficient checking of students' understanding.

p.44

Quality of education and training

142. There is very good monitoring of students' progress both on college courses and on work- based learning programmes. All students have regular reviews and each student's success in achieving the planned goals set at the previous review are fully discussed. Students' achievements in both key skills and the NVQ are systematically recorded and updated as they occur. Student progress and gaps in the assessment of units, where little is being achieved, are readily identified and shared with employers during salon visits.

p.44

Quality of education and training

143. Hairdressing students' progress towards qualification is slow. Students complete very few units towards their qualification during the first year of their training. There is too slow a start to working on sufficient numbers of clients in college and too much time is spent on cutting techniques in the early stages of the course. Workplace assessors are not used to assess work-based learners. Students are assessed by a single, college assessor visiting their salons and assessment is too infrequent.

p.44

Quality of education and training

144. Full-time students participate in a creative and effective induction programme. The college induction is combined with a team-building day at an external activity centre. Students then follow an alternative vocational programme for a week to help them to clarify their decision about their preferred course.

p.44

Quality of education and training

145. Resources are good and enable effective learning. Specialist accommodation for hairdressing and beauty therapy is of a good commercial standard. College and workplace salons are modern, attractive and well fitted. Staff are up to date and knowledgeable and they effectively use their industrial experiences to enhance students' learning. Students frequently use good computer-based revision materials and the intranet when completing assignments.

p.44

Quality of education and training

146. The college offers a broad range of specialist courses. Progression by part-time beauty and holistic therapy students on to other specialist courses is good. There is no provision at college for foundation modern apprentices to progress on to an advanced modern apprenticeship programme. Courses for full-time students are enriched by the inclusion of courses such as hair and make-up for catwalk models and body massage. Students participate in many prestigious and worthwhile external events. Many students have achieved notable success in local, national and international hair and beauty competitions. They regularly attend exhibitions and hair shows, work in the community with, for example, Asian women at the local Sikh Centre and create makeovers at a large, annual fashion show.

p.44

Quality of education and training

147. There are insufficient work experience placements for beauty therapy students and many do not have the experience of working in a real commercial salon during their training. The college has strong links with local employers who provide work placements for second-year hairdressing students and who employ foundation modern apprentices. The college formally consults employers of work-based learners to investigate how and when student skills will be developed in salons. The hairdressing and beauty advisory board actively supports the college's endeavours for improvements.

p.45

Quality of education and training

148. Support for students is good. Pastoral support is ready available for college-based students from personal tutors and college counselling services. Additional support is effective in supporting students with numeracy and literacy needs. However, at the time of the inspection, some students were not receiving adequate support. Adult students are provided with very flexible timetables to suit their individual needs so that they can combine personal and home life with study.

p.45

Leadership and management

149. Leadership and management are good. An increase in the numbers of full-time staff is improving the quality of services to students. Teachers meet regularly to discuss student and course matters. There is a good programme of training for staff covering both teaching and vocational skills.

p.45

Leadership and management

150. Some aspects of quality assurance are underdeveloped. The very slow progress towards qualification by first-year hairdressing students had not been identified through the internal verification process. The self-assessment process failed to identify many of the strengths and weaknesses in this area of learning.

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Health and social care

Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)

p.45

Health and social care

Contributory grade for work-based learning is good (grade 2)

p.45

Strengths

o good achievement of apprenticeship frameworks

p.45

Strengths

o strong partnerships with local care and community organisations

p.45

Strengths

o effective co-ordination of theory and practical training.

p.45

Weaknesses

o insufficiently demanding teaching in some lessons.

p.46

Scope of provision

151. The college provides a wide range of full-time and part-time courses from entry level to level 4 and is responsive to local training requirements. Full-time courses include health and social care at introduction, foundation, first diploma, and national diploma levels. Early years courses are offered at first diploma and national diploma levels and health studies at national diploma level. Modern apprenticeships are offered at foundation and advanced levels. There are 31 students in care and early years at levels 2 and 3 and 35 oral health students at level 3. Part-time courses are offered in pre-school practice, play work and counselling. Short courses in first aid and occupational health and safety attract high numbers of students. Full-time students attend work placements for approximately 60% of their learning programme. Modern apprentices at level 2 attend college one day each week and at level 3 they attend evening classes combined with using a distance learning package. At the

p.46

Scope of provision

time of the inspection, there were 151 students aged 16 to 18 and 194 students aged 19 and over.

p.46

Achievement and standards

152. Achievement of modern apprentice frameworks is good. The first group of oral health students has recently taken examinations and all have passed. Pass rates for certificate in counselling skills and GNVQ foundation are significantly above the national average, but on most other courses pass rates are at or below national averages. Retention rates on most courses are low and on many courses retention rates declined in 2002/03.

p.46

Achievement and standards

153. All students acquire useful practical skills which they are able to use in the workplace. For example, students on early years courses have developed games to promote children's cognitive development. Students develop good creative skills and they use these effectively when working with children. They also develop sensitive communication skills which are essential when working with older people and young children. Many students develop good research skills. For a key skills problem-solving assignment, one student compiled a resource pack for different religious festivals which could be used by other nursery staff. Early years students have won the Further Education Child Care (FESCC) gold medal for project work. Students develop self awareness and confidence, and can assess their own progress. Portfolios and classroom tasks are completed to a satisfactory standard.

p.46

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

No. of starts 28 18 30 % retention 71 61 67 BTEC first diploma in caring

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

% pass rate 70 64 80 Counselling skills 2 No. of starts 33 29 33 counselling) % pass rate 88 100 100 No. of starts * 18 22 % retention * 72 32 National diploma in childhood studies (early years) % pass rate * 85 86 No. of starts 19 19 21 % retention 63 79 52 National diploma in science (health studies)

p.46

Qualification Level Completion year: 2000 2001 2002

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003) * fewer than 15 students enrolled

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Quality of education and training

154. Teaching is well planned. Teachers identify and use a wide range of strategies to meet students' individual needs. Many good learning materials are produced by teachers. Students on a foundation course used particularly good handouts on how to analyse children's books for racism and sexism. Key skills are integrated into assignments and class activities and there is some use of ILT in lessons. The teaching in some lessons does not extend and stimulate the more able students. In these lessons, probing questions are not asked and students do not have to justify the answers they have given. No extension activities are planned for students who complete tasks quickly. In some lessons, no action is taken to encourage students who are not engaged in the lesson to participate. Good relationships between work-based learning staff and students promotes effective learning. On college courses and work-based learning programmes, there are effective links

p.47

Quality of education and training

between the theory work taught in college and the practice in work placements. This is further enhanced by the good liaison and communication between the college and the workplaces, thus students experience workplace and college as a continuous learning experience.

p.47

Quality of education and training

155. Assessment and review are well established and thoroughly documented. Assessment is fair and useful written comments from teachers enable students to improve their work. The tracking of students' progress, particularly in work-based learning, is not fully developed.

p.47

Quality of education and training

156. Resources are satisfactory for work-based learning programmes and good for college based courses. Classroom materials have been designed by teachers to meet the needs of the students and courses. Staff are well qualified and occupationally competent in their areas. The learning resource centre is well stocked and students are making increasing use of the Internet for research purposes. Accommodation is generally satisfactory, but some rooms are too small for the size of groups.

p.47

Quality of education and training

157. The college's response to the training needs of the local community is strong and has resulted in more flexible delivery of some training. Examples of this are the introduction of modern apprenticeship training, distance learning and learning in centres away from the college. The care courses are enriched by close links with care service providers including the NHS Workforce Development Confederation, the Warwickshire Care Forum and the local early years' partnership. Active participation in these networks provides work placement opportunities for students and effective contributions to course delivery by local specialists.

p.47

Quality of education and training

158. Students are well supported. All full-time and part-time students have a tutor who is responsible for reviewing individual progress and providing general and pastoral support. All students undertake a diagnostic test to identify learning needs. Additional learning support is offered to full-time and part-time students and to distance learning students. It is delivered in several ways, such as in-class, individual sessions out of class, group out of class support and visits to students working in centres away from the college. There is good take up of the support. Students who may be at risk of leaving their course are given additional time with teachers and assessors.

p.47

Leadership and management

159. Management of this area is good. Courses are well organised and curriculum managers have encouraged the development of a strong team ethos. Planning is informed by course evaluation and course performance is well monitored. Managers have instigated a classroom observation system. Staff value the positive impact this has had on the development of their teaching skills. The achievement of ethnic minority and disabled students is monitored and improvements in progression rates of black and ethnic minority students are evidence of widening participation.

p.48

Visual arts and media

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.48

Strengths

o good teaching which effectively develops skills and knowledge

p.48

Strengths

o effective and responsive support for students.

p.48

Scope of provision

160. The college offers a range of full-time and part-time courses in art and design, media, photography, music and furniture. Full-time courses in three-dimensional design are linked to the business, IT and engineering CoVE. There are good progression opportunities from level 1 to level 3 for adults, however, there are limited opportunities at level 2 for full-time students. There is an extensive adult provision of accredited and non-accredited courses in visual and performing arts in the college and at outreach centres in the community. The provision includes City and Guilds courses in photography, furniture and soft furnishing; and GNVQ and AVCE courses in art and design, national diplomas in design, fashion, graphics, photography, popular music, music technology, media and multimedia. There are a range of Access courses particularly in fine art and interior design. The recent merger with Rugby College has added provision for classical music and

p.49

Scope of provision

performing arts. Applied textiles in millinery and theatre costume are offered at the Henley Centre. At the time of the inspection, there were 454 students aged 16 to 18 and 1,020 students aged 19 or over.

p.49

Achievement and standards

161. Pass rates are high. In 2002/03, college-devised short courses at level 1, GCE AS media and GCE A2 media all had a 95% pass rate. The diploma in foundation studies and GNVQ intermediate art and design courses had 100% and 88% pass rates, respectively. Retention rates are high and improving on many courses. GCE AS media has improved from 79% in 2001/02 to 100% in 2002/03. The retention rate has risen on the national diploma in popular music course by 10% and national diploma in design has risen by 25% to 75%, which is 13% above the national average. There are good progression rates in 2002/03 with 65% of AVCE students, 85% of national diploma in graphics students and 92% of foundation diploma students achieving HE places. Some 62% of students working at level 2 progressed to level 3 courses.

p.49

Achievement and standards

162. Students produce a high quality of practical work that is displayed well around the college. Students attain high levels of practical skills in the production of finished art, media and performance work. In a national diploma photography lesson students used graphics software well to design a leaflet and learn how to import pictures, reduce image opacity and techniques such as clipping and duo-toning. First diploma media students show growing confidence in the use of media software to edit video sequences they have filmed themselves. National diploma media production students are developing their understanding of photo-editing software to produce designs for magazine covers. In performing arts, dance students learn complex moves and music students demonstrate good theoretical knowledge and performance skills.

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 21 15 20 % retention 81 67 85 GNVQ intermediate art and design

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 760 100 88 No. of starts 68 55 80 % retention 50 67 75 National diploma in design

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 91 97 87 No. of starts 76 94 72 % retention 93 91 89 Diploma in foundation studies

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 100 98 100 No. of starts * 38 42 % retention * 68 62 AVCE double award in art and design

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate * 92 85 GCE AS media studies 3 No. of starts 19 34 20 % retention 79 79 100 % pass rate 80 85 95

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2001 and 2002), college (2003)

p.50

Quality of education and training

163. Teaching is good and effectively develops skills and knowledge. Carefully planned lessons give students time to problem solve, demonstrate their understanding and plan how their work will progress. In the more successful lessons, teaching is well paced and is meeting the individual needs of students. Assignment briefs are well written and contain clear tasks and assessment guidance. Finished work is well presented and there is evidence of key skills integration in both written and practical work. In media, thorough research supports good-quality production work. The craft-based coursework is skilful and technically competent. Students learn effectively to develop their ideas in art and design. In many cases, students are asked to talk about their work and evaluate each other's work. This develops confidence and challenges the students to formulate reasons behind their choice of subject and its treatment. There are good opportunities for gallery visits and study trips

p.50

Quality of education and training

164. Foundation diploma art and design students are able to explore and develop personal responses for a project from a recent visit to the Tate Modern and Saatchi Galleries. The work shows a growing understanding of conceptual art and is demonstrated in the good use of sketchbooks and journals to record and document ideas. In a GNVQ intermediate art and design lesson, students effectively used contextual references from the work of Jamie Reid and Saul Bass to develop a montage for a television title sequence. Students effectively develop additional skills through enrichment lessons such as life drawing. However, attendance in these lessons is not always good. In less effective lessons, more able students are not sufficiently challenged and students do not have sufficient opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned. Lesson plans do not always specify short-term learning outcomes and learning is not sufficiently checked. There is

p.50

Quality of education and training

poor attendance and punctuality in some lessons.

p.50

Quality of education and training

165. Ongoing course assessment is inadequate. Teachers review work with students in lessons and tutorials, but this is insufficiently rigorous. Written research and design work is not sufficiently marked, particularly in sketchbooks and journals prior to the final assessment. In adult lessons, achievement is not formally monitored and recorded. Assessment at the end of courses is thorough and provides students with detailed feedback.

p.50

Quality of education and training

166. Staff have specialist subject and teaching qualifications. Students recognise and appreciate that many staff have industrial and creative experience, which makes their learning more interesting and relevant. Few part-time staff have teaching qualifications. There are good resources in specialist IT which enable students to experience industry standard software. The learning centre at Leamington provides a large range of visual, performing arts and media texts, periodicals and journals. Students have good access to creative resources on the Internet. At the York Road site, the library is small with limited opening hours. There is some unsatisfactory accommodation. Some studio spaces suffer from external noise, some are overcrowded and others are used as thoroughfares. For example, students at York Road use a teaching room to reach the learning resource centre and the ground floor studios suffer from high levels of external noise.

p.50

Quality of education and training

167. There is strong academic and pastoral support and students gain confidence as a result. This is particularly evident with adult students. Full-time tutorials are effective; they are individually timed and follow a set agenda. However, students are often unclear of actions they must take following tutorials as they do not always have copies of the tutorial notes. There are limited opportunities for vocational students to engage with the creative arts industry and there are few opportunities for work experience or course links with employers. Careers advice for students seeking employment is weak.

p.50

Leadership and management

168. Leadership and management are good. The programme area manager effectively leads the course teams. All staff contribute to the annual strategic planning process and there is effective course planning by course leaders. Self-assessment is evaluative and self-critical. Meetings are regular and the minutes identify clear actions for improvement. Targets are set for improvement and progress towards these targets is regularly reviewed. Many full-time and part-time staff take advantage of the good staff development opportunities.

p.51

Humanities

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

p.51

Strengths

o high retention and pass rates in all humanities subjects

p.51

Strengths

o rigorous assessment and constructive feedback to students.

p.51

Strengths

o very good academic and pastoral support

p.51

Strengths

o effective curriculum leadership and management.

p.51

Weaknesses

o insufficient checks on learning in some GCE AS and A2 lessons.

p.51

Scope of provision

169. The college offers a comprehensive range of full-time and part-time courses in the humanities. GCE AS and A2 courses are offered in geography, history, law, politics, psychology, and sociology and philosophy is offered at GCE AS. There is part-time evening provision in psychology for adult students. There is also some effective open-learning provision for 23 adult students including an Access to HE course. At the time of inspection, there were approximately 180 full-time students aged 16 to 18 and there were just over 50 part-time adult students taking some humanities subjects. There are 170 adult students on the Access to HE course, and more than 40 on open learning courses.

p.52

Achievement and standards

170. Retention and pass rates are above or well above the national average in all humanities subjects. The average points scores at GCE A-level have risen consistently since the last inspection and is high, at 280 points across 3.5 GCE A-level subjects. Many students achieve high grades and the overall proportion of higher grades is well above the average at 40%. All subject areas achieve positive value added scores. Key skills achievements have been low, but students are making good progress this year.

p.52

Achievement and standards

171. Students respond well to the demanding targets set for them by their teachers and achieve high standards of written work in class. They make rapid progress in coming to terms with new theories and concepts, and apply these effectively by drawing on their own experience. There is good acquisition and understanding of technical terms in each subject discipline. Students use these terms effectively when discussing and analysing problems and scenarios. For example, GCE AS students in psychology made good progress in planning practical experiments to test theories of short-term memory. GCE AS students in an excellent sociology class drew effectively on their own family experiences in studies of marital breakdown. Students on the Access to HE courses in criminology and social welfare make good progress. In large classes they worked well, taking notes and analysing videos and a wide range of source materials. They made good progress in

p.52

Achievement and standards

assembling and presenting their arguments to the class.

p.52

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 29 37 37 % retention 69 84 100 GCE AS history 3

p.52

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 50 97 96 No. of starts 55 52 46 % retention 80 85 91 GCE AS law 3

p.52

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 84 70 90 No. of starts 34 57 61 % retention 68 82 87 GCE AS sociology 3

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 91 79 88 No. of starts * 17 22 % retention * 100 95 GCE A2 history 3

p.52

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate * 94 100 No. of starts * 30 43 GCE A2 psychology 3 % retention * 100 95 % pass rate * 94 100 No. of starts * 24 21 % retention * 92 95 GCE A2 sociology 3

p.52

Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

Source: ISR (2000 and 2001), college (2002) * course did not run

p.53

Quality of education and training

172. Teaching is well planned and is very effective in many classes. In the best lessons, teachers use a wide range of stimulating activities to challenge the students and move their learning forward. There is good use of visual aids and other learning resources to enliven teaching and learning. Teachers build on and consolidate previous learning; they check and confirm learning throughout the lesson, and skilfully present new and complex ideas. For example, in a very good geography class, students learnt about population legislation in China. In the question and answer session that followed the very good video, the majority of students made an important contribution to the analysis of the effects of the birth control policies on the young people of China. The teaching is good on the Access to HE courses. The teaching strategies of exposition, questioning and discussion, group work and student presentations are effective in allowing adult students to draw on their own

p.53

Quality of education and training

experience, gain confidence and make progress in their learning. In some GCE AS and A2 classes, teachers did not take sufficient time to check learning.

p.53

Quality of education and training

173. There is rigorous assessment and constructive feedback to students. Marking of work is good and gives students clear indications of their performance against examination requirements. Students reported that they valued the regular setting and marking of homework and the advice they receive on how to improve their work. There is regular attention to the correct use of terminology in many subject areas.

p.53

Quality of education and training

174. Resources are generally very good. There is a good range of subject base rooms spread across different buildings on the campus. Students' work, posters and information are frequently displayed to secure and celebrate the identity of each subject. Some GCE AS classes take place in temporary classrooms which are too small for the size of the groups using them. There are good learning resources in the base rooms and these facilities are enhanced by good resources in the college learning resource centre. There are useful IT stations, data projectors and associated computers in several of the base rooms. Teachers provide students with references for useful websites and students use the computers for Internet search, however, there is insufficient use of ILT in lessons. Teachers are expert and well qualified in their subjects and many have teaching qualifications.

p.53

Quality of education and training

175. The college provides a good range of humanities subjects which recruit effectively. There is a small but effective range of evening class provision for adults, and a well supported Access to HE course. Progression on to university, HE, employment and other FE courses is good. The enrichment programme in college is good, students are encouraged to participate in wider activities and there are opportunities to take additional key skills courses.

p.53

Quality of education and training

176. Tutorial support is very good. Group tutors meet their students for one hour each week and also have another hour for individual tutorials. Tutorial records contain details of students' predicted grades and challenge grades which they are encouraged to aim towards. Students' learning needs and their progress towards personal targets are regularly assessed and recorded. There is regular reporting to parents of students aged 16 to 18. Students speak highly of the support they receive. There is satisfactory support in lessons for students identified with additional learning needs, including those with dyslexia and Aspergers' syndrome.

p.53

Leadership and management

177. Leadership and management of the area are good. Programme area managers and senior curriculum leaders have clear roles and responsibilities, and communication is good. Quality assurance procedures are thorough. Subject leaders are effective in developing course reviews and in monitoring their progress against national averages, and make an effective contribution to the self- assessment report. Targets for retention and pass rates have been set and exceeded against national averages. Strategies to improve teaching and learning through the use of consultants and improved observation systems have had a beneficial impact on standards.

p.54

English, communications and languages

Overall provision in this area is outstanding (grade 1)

p.54

Strengths

o consistently high retention and pass rates in all subjects

p.54

Strengths

o effective use of target-setting in GCE AS/A-level English courses

p.54

Strengths

o wide range of modern foreign language and English as a foreign language provision

p.54

Strengths

o innovative and beneficial enrichment programme

p.54

Strengths

o effective academic and pastoral support

p.54

Strengths

o good leadership and management in all three curriculum areas.

p.54

Scope of provision

178. The college offers courses in English, modern foreign language and English as a foreign language. GCSE English is offered on a full-time and part-time basis during the day and in the evening. English literature and English language and literature are offered at GCE AS and A level for full-time students. Part-time students can take GCE AS English language and literature. There is a good range of courses offered in modern foreign languages including German, Italian, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Punjabi. Courses are offered at levels 1 to 5+ and at GCE AS and A level. In English as a foreign language, English language courses are offered at six levels from elementary to advanced, with a number of special interest classes in grammar, business English, IT and English and examination preparation. There is good progression between levels in both modern foreign language and English as a foreign language. At the time of the inspection, there

p.55

Scope of provision

were 1,084 students aged 16 to 18 and 1,528 students aged 19 and over.

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Achievement and standards

179. Students achieve well. Retention and pass rates are consistently high on all courses. Value added on GCE AS and A-level English courses, based on students' prior attainment on entry, is good. There is effective ongoing target-setting based on examination and internal assessment results. Students are set a target grade based on their GCSE result and their value added score. They are also set a challenge grade which is a grade higher than their target grade, ensuring that they are always aiming higher. Students are required to put both their target grade and their challenge grade at the top of any piece of work being submitted for assessment. In this way, they always have a clear focus and they are able to judge immediately how their performance relates to their targets when they receive back the marked work. Students' work demonstrates high levels of research and analytical skills. In modern foreign language and English as a foreign language

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Achievement and standards

students demonstrate an ability to use, understand and explain vocabulary and grammatical concepts.

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

No. of starts 30 * 47 % retention 97 * 100 First certificate in English

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 55 * 89 No. of starts 98 58 75 % retention 70 78 88 GCSE English language

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 62 58 59 No. of starts 20 21 * % retention 90 71 * GCE AS English literature

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 94 80 * No. of starts 34 67 69 % retention 85 82 81 GCE AS English language and literature

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 90 85 91 No. of starts 32 45 32 % retention 81 82 97 GCE A-level English language and literature

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2001 2002 2003

% pass rate 73 84 100 Source: ISR (2000 and 2001), college (2002) * fewer than 15 students enrolled

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Quality of education and training

180. There is much good teaching within a supportive environment. Lessons are thoroughly planned and take account of individual learning styles. All students are given opportunities to demonstrate learning. There is a variety of activities with plenty of opportunity for individual support. Students have the opportunity to work individually, in pairs, in small groups and in whole group discussions. In modern foreign language lessons, a number of different activities are used to consolidate vocabulary or grammatical concepts and to take account of students preferred learning styles. Modern foreign language classes take place largely in the target language, and in the best lessons real artefacts and live data are used to aid conversation practice and the learning of new vocabulary without translation into English. In one French lesson, students carried out an interesting discussion in the target language of the retirement policy of a number of the countries in the western world, and of the need

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Quality of education and training

for change due to an aging population. In entry level and level 1 lessons students confidently demonstrated the ability to talk about themselves and to order food and drink, with all instructions about the tasks given in the target language. In English as a foreign language lessons, there was good use made of peer support and pair work enabling the teachers to circulate and give individual support to weaker students. In one GCE AS English lesson, students were asked to write anonymous responses to a horrific part of Iain Banks' `The Wasp Factory' . These responses were then read out for the group to hear and comment on. In this way, students were able to respond in depth to sensitive issues without making themselves vulnerable.

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Quality of education and training

181. Assessment and monitoring of students' progress are very good. Assessment criteria are identified on each assignment. Students' work is clearly marked with detailed feedback to inform progress. There is regular formal assessment. All students are monitored through tests each half- term which are followed by individual reviews with subject staff and new targets or action plans are agreed with pastoral tutors. On GCE AS/A-level English courses, results and value added inform target setting as do the results from the tests. On GCE AS/A-level English and English as a foreign language courses, students who are identified as causing concern in terms of progress are referred to the additional subject support tutorials where they are given individual support to improve their areas of weakness.

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Quality of education and training

182. All staff are well qualified. The learning resource centre is well stocked with good book resources, identification of helpful websites and clear subject-specific learning packs produced by the college. Resources in the self-study centre are excellent. There is good computer access for independent study and modern foreign language and English as a foreign language students also have access to a cyber café classroom during breaks and lunchtimes. However, there is insufficient use of ILT in lessons. Some cramped accommodation prevents teachers in some modern foreign language and English as a foreign language classes giving students the individual support they require. There are insufficient television and video resources in modern foreign language and English as a foreign language. In one class, the lesson stopped for ten minutes while the teacher fetched the video from another room and set it up because it had been in use by another teacher.

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Quality of education and training

183. There is an innovative and beneficial enrichment programme across all three areas. Internationally renowned poets read at college poetry days which include creative writing workshops. Creative writing is also offered as an enrichment activity throughout the year. There are numerous theatre trips and outings organised. Students can attend a foreign language course and foreign language speakers on mainstream programmes can improve their English in the self-study centre or in a taught class.

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Quality of education and training

184. Guidance and support are very good. Pre-course advice and guidance are good and academic and pastoral support are effective. Clear diagnostic analysis of individual learning needs leads to effective in-class additional support. In English as a foreign language, students who are struggling with a particular aspect of the course are referred to the self-study centre where they are guided to appropriate tasks and where they can work at their own pace with teacher support if required.

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Leadership and management

185. Leadership and management in this area are very good. Clear direction and support are provided by faculty, programme and curriculum managers. There is effective use of lesson observations and a breadth of staff development provision informed by appraisal and lesson observations. There are regular scheduled meetings with high attendance by part-time staff. Subject and course review procedures are effective and inform planning. Staff work well in teams and share good practice.

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Provision for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

Overall provision in this area is good (grade 2)

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Strengths

o meaningful and well-planned work experience programme

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Strengths

o strong catering programme providing exceptional vocational training in real work environment

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Strengths

o well-managed and responsive support team

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Strengths

o innovative course for people with acquired brain injury.

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Weaknesses

o weak initial assessment on some courses

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Weaknesses

o poor curriculum planning on the wider horizons course.

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Scope of provision

186. The college offers a range of full-time and part-time courses for 225 adult students and 12 students aged 16 to 19. Provision focuses on the acquisition of independent learning skills that will enable progression, where appropriate, to courses with a more vocational focus. The skill builder and countryside skills courses cater for full-time students with a wide range of diverse and complex needs. A full-time level 1 catering course offers very good opportunities to learn and develop skills in a commercial environment. There is an innovative course for students with acquired brain injury. The wider horizons course is run in conjunction with social services and caters for part-time adult students.

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Achievement and standards

187. Overall achievement is good for most students with an appropriate range of both internal and external accreditation being used. On vocational courses students' achievement of individual goals and progression is very good. The achievements of the students on the wider horizons course are not effectively measured. The lack of a comprehensive initial assessment on this course means that the individual learning plans prepared for students lack a solid basis for ensuring that realistic and challenging achievement targets are set and measured. Targets for students on the full-time course are challenging and many students are aware of the goals they must achieve. Attendance at 86.7% is very good.

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Achievement and standards

188. The standard of work achieved by most students is good. In real work situations such as the catering and country skills courses, students are prepared for effective participation in the workplace and the skills developed are of a high standard. Students operate the college bistro and have learnt to develop a number of key social and vocational skills including working to tight deadlines and accommodating customer needs. This facility operates to an exceptionally high standard. On the full- time courses, there are good progression routes within the curriculum area, across the wider college and on to other providers.

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Quality of education and training

189. Teaching is consistently of a good standard. Teachers are enthusiastic and students are well motivated. Teaching is well planned to ensure that the majority of lessons offer a range of activities with an appropriate degree of challenge. Individual student needs are accommodated in lessons and there is skilful class leadership to ensure that all students participate and progress. In the best lessons, students understand why they are being asked to do a task, how well they are doing and how they could improve. Support workers are well managed and used effectively to oversee and support the progress of individual students.

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Quality of education and training

190. Much of the curriculum design and content provides a framework for student development that is realistic and achievable. The curriculum content has been carefully planned in conjunction with the specialist support agency, Headway, on the course for students with acquired brain injury. On the vocational courses, there is an appropriate balance between preparing students to be more independent and providing work preparation skills. On the skill builder course, staff plan their curriculum content to link to a common theme which is then developed through a number of lessons. This approach gives students the opportunity to transfer and practice skills learnt in one lesson to another. There is insufficient curriculum planning and there is no evidence that the range of options offered to students is based on identified need on the wider horizons course.

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Quality of education and training

191. Whilst there is a comprehensive system for entry into the college which involves detailed collaboration with a number of agencies, there is no specific system for initial assessment. This has been recognised as an area for development by the college and initial assessment procedures on the full-time courses have improved over the past six months. Prior information is collected and recorded, but the way that this information is passed on to teachers is inconsistent. On the full-time and the acquired brain injury courses, a more comprehensive assessment takes place once the student has started at college. This informs the individual learning plan which is then monitored closely through weekly meetings of teaching and support staff. Where the initial assessment works most effectively, the process starts whilst the student is attending college on a school link course. Initial assessment is then used to inform the individual learning plan and to identify the most

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Quality of education and training

appropriate course for the student. Assessment is ongoing throughout the period of time the student is at college. Student self-assessment is also used to establish individual learning goals. This practice is not evident on the wider horizons course where students do not always understand why they are on the course and what their learning goals are.

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Quality of education and training

192. Resources for teaching are very good. Facilities for the catering and horticulture courses provide a real work production environment including a new small animal care centre, a working farm and a professional commercial kitchen. All full-time courses have base rooms which are well equipped and provide students with a sense of ownership and place within the college. Space within some of the base rooms is limited for practical activity. There is good access to IT facilities within base rooms and a specialist IT facility is also provided. The use of IT and specialist software within lessons is good.

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Quality of education and training

193. Most full-time students have the opportunity to engage in work experience during their course. This activity is well planned by two specialist staff to enable students to rehearse and consolidate the skills they have learnt in a different context. Support is also provided to employers and a number of students have progressed to paid employment through their work experience placement.

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Quality of education and training

194. Students enjoy their college experience and are confident. They place a high value on the levels of support they receive and respond positively to the challenges and expectations placed upon them.

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Leadership and management

195. The provision is well managed. The acquisition of a sense of responsibility and ability amongst students underpins all developments across the provision. Staff hold appropriate qualifications. Staff development is promoted and staff regularly update their skills and knowledge. There is a clear sense of direction and purpose regarding the continual quality improvement of the provision. Managers and staff regularly review their performance and seek to develop better teaching and better outcomes for their students. Communication across the team and between the college sites is good.

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Literacy, numeracy, and English for speakers of other languages

Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)

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Strengths

o good use of IT to develop literacy skills

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Strengths

o successful initiatives to widen participation.

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Weaknesses

o underdeveloped planning for individual learning

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Weaknesses

o lack of variety of learning activities to meet individual needs

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Weaknesses

o insufficient specialist skills of some teachers to develop literacy.

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Scope of provision

196. The college provides discrete literacy, numeracy and ESOL courses in the college, the community and the workplace. It also provides literacy and numeracy as part of the vocational certificate course. Literacy and numeracy support are provided through individual sessions and support in lessons in vocational areas. There are currently 159 students on literacy and numeracy courses and 202 students on ESOL courses. Learning support is provided across all three main sites, and at the time of the inspection 818 students were receiving support.

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Achievement and standards

197. Achievement is generally satisfactory in this area, though it is difficult to measure as it is assessed against individual targets which vary in quality. There are examples of good student achievement, but also of those who make slow progress. Some student folders consist mainly of completed worksheets and it is not always evident what progress these demonstrate. In other cases, there is a clear indication of distance travelled, with poems, book reviews, powerpoint presentations and extended e-mails being produced by students who had previously written very little. Students are able to explain and apply mathematics concepts and problem solving which they could not do before coming to classes. In ESOL, entry level and level 1 students are able to demonstrate fluency and accuracy of spoken skills. The college is making more use of external accreditation since the last inspection. Since April, students taking national tests in literacy or numeracy at entry and level 1

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Achievement and standards

have achieved one or more units; 60 students in literacy and 35 in numeracy have achieved at least one credit at entry level and 25 have passed the national test at level 1. Of those ESOL students entered for external qualifications, there is a high percentage of first class passes. Retention rates are generally good. Learning support is effective in enabling students to achieve primary learning goals. In most curriculum areas, a significantly higher number of students with identified needs who receive learning support achieve their primary learning goal when compared to those students identified as needing support who do not take it up. Students develop confidence in their abilities and many of them progress to other courses in the college.

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Quality of education and training

198. Most teaching is satisfactory or better. IT is used effectively to develop literacy skills. In one lesson, students used laptops in small groups to explore paragraphing by trying out different points in a text to start a new paragraph. They discussed their reasons for their decisions and shared these; the discussions were lively and thoughtful and they acquired a good understanding of the purpose of paragraphs. Planning for learning is generally underdeveloped. Targets in literacy and numeracy are frequently not related to individual long-term goals and interests. Learning support plans identify appropriate topics or skills for students to work on, but lack clear targets or detailed planning for long-term development of skills. In most cases, there are no individual learning plans for in-class support. In ESOL lessons, individual learning plans are used effectively to differentiate learning objectives and tasks and the review processes are good.

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Quality of education and training

199. In the less effective lessons, there is a lack of variety of learning activities to meet individual needs. Teachers place an over-reliance on worksheets and exercises, often with vocabulary unrelated to adult students' lives or interests, and spelling exercises or patterns not linked to their own writing. In one class, different coins were used effectively to help students develop number concepts, but generally there is a lack of interesting and stimulating real-life objects to address individual learning styles. Numeracy concepts such as fractions and percentages are taught by talking through and practising problems on paper rather than using methods more appropriate to those who find these concepts difficult to grasp and apply.

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Quality of education and training

200. Initial assessment and the analysis of individual needs are used effectively in ESOL to review learning and set new targets. In literacy and numeracy, initial and diagnostic assessment, including identification of learning styles, are carried out but the information is not always used to inform planning or to inform the review process. Individual learning support plans frequently lack detail and are not sufficiently used in assessing progress.

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Quality of education and training

201. Accommodation and resources, particularly IT, are generally good. There are dedicated rooms, including open areas, classrooms and small rooms for diagnostic assessment and individual learning support. All rooms have computers and laptops are available and used in community provision. Accommodation in the community is generally satisfactory, but some is cramped and poorly resourced or inappropriate for group work. Some teachers lack specialist skills to teach literacy, particularly for students at lower levels who have difficulty acquiring these skills.

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Quality of education and training

202. The college has developed a wide range of effective partnerships and projects to widen participation and bring in new students. These include links with large local employers, community groups, the probation service, the Prince's Trust, the National Health Service (NHS) and schools. There is a New Start course for pupils aged 14 to 16. IT is used effectively to attract new students to improve their literacy skills. There are good progression opportunities in ESOL.

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Quality of education and training

203. Support for students is good. Students have access to good advice and guidance, including pastoral and tutorial support, as well as learning support. Students are given appropriate guidance to support and encourage their progression. There is effective diagnosis and provision for dyslexic students including specialist assessment and support, laptops for loan, supportive software, and handouts on appropriately coloured paper for those needing it. However, there are few referrals for dyslexic assessments, or support for adults on discrete literacy and numeracy or ESOL provision.

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Leadership and management

204. Leadership and management are good. Managers set a clear direction and strategy for improving quality of teaching and learning and quality assurance processes are effective. The college has identified weaknesses in teaching and learning. Measures put in place to address the weaknesses include the appointment of learning consultants, opportunities to share good practice, payment for part-time staff to attend training and mandatory training for full-time staff. Some staff are studying for level 4 qualifications. Communication across the curriculum area is good. Teachers from community projects are fully included in meetings and staff training. There is celebration of diversity in ESOL classes and students with disabilities have good access to all provision and feel part of the college.

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Level 16-18 % 19+ %

1 21 51 2 38 27 3 36 12 4/5 1 2 Other 4 8

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Enrolments

Science and mathematics 768 2,543 7 Land-based provision 812 1,816 5 Construction 94 304 1 Engineering, technology and manufacture 296 489 2

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Enrolments

Business administration, management and professional 503 3,247 8

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Enrolments

Information and communications technology 779 1,321 4

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Enrolments

Hospitality, sports, leisure and travel 317 1,244 3 Hairdressing and beauty therapy 322 473 2 Health, social care and public services 267 672 2

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Enrolments

Art and design 846 3,035 8 Humanities 630 906 3 English, languages and communication 1,084 1,528 5

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Enrolments

Foundation programmes 699 589 3 Unknown area of learning 977 4,164 17

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2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002

Starters excluding transfers 926 658 422 1,080 1,109 2,184

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2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002

Retention rate 75 75 71 77 79 74 National average 76 75 76 73 69 70 Pass rate 80 67 76 77 83 83

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1

National average 76 75 76 73 69 70 Starters excluding transfers 2,250 1,813 1,550 2,682 1,618 1,377

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1

Retention rate 74 68 73 74 68 69 National average 72 70 71 70 68 68 Pass rate 72 76 78 77 73 80

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2

National average 67 69 71 64 68 72 Starters excluding transfers 1,568 2,370 2,094 1,585 1,631 1,383

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2

Retention rate 74 69 77 71 69 72 National average 67 71 77 69 68 70 Pass rate 78 80 83 77 72 79

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3

National average 75 77 79 66 69 72 Starters excluding transfers 88 80 32 491 445 468

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3

Retention rate 85 60 41 74 71 64 National average 66 73 71 67 67 67 Pass rate 37 54 62 61 52 47

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4/5

Note: summary of retention and achievement for the last three years by age and level of course, compared against national averages for colleges of the same type (that is general FE/tertiary colleges or sixth form colleges).

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4/5

1. National averages: Benchmarking Data 1999 to 2001: Retention and Achievement Rates in Further Education Colleges in England, Learning and Skills Council, September 2002.

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4/5

2. College rates for 1999 to 2002: College ISR.

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observed

Level 3 (advanced) 67 29 4 127 Level 2 (intermediate) 69 28 3 91 Level 1 (foundation) 58 35 7 40 Other sessions 72 24 4 58

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Totals 67 29 4 316

commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted web site (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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