Setting

CONTENTS

Quality of provision in curriculum and occupational areas

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CONTENTS

How well is the institution led and managed?

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CONTENTS

To what extent is the institution 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

Family learning Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)

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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 2004/05

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CONTENTS

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

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Basic information about the institution

Name of institution: London South Bank University Type of institution: University Vice-chancellor: Professor Deian Hopkin 103 Borough Road London SE1 0AA Address of institution:

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Basic information about the institution

Telephone number: 0207 928 8989 Fax number: 0207 815 8273 Chair of governors: Jane Newell Unique reference number: 6490 Name of reporting inspector: Alex Falconer HMI Dates of inspection: 25-29 January 2005

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Information about the institution

London South Bank University was granted university status in 1992 and, with over 14,000 undergraduate and almost 4,000 postgraduate students, it is one of the largest universities in London. The university has over 4,700 students taking non-degree courses, a small proportion of whom take further education (FE) courses funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Around thirds of the students come from within 30 miles of the university. The university sees itself as `serving the needs of London, a world city and its environs, providing top quality learning and teaching underpinned by relevant research and delivered in an environment focused on the needs of its students and the needs of the London economy and its global counterparts.' The university is situated in the borough of Southwark which has a population of around 250,000, over a third of whom come from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Locally, about 160 different languages are

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Information about the institution

spoken and Yoruba and Portuguese are the most common after English. There are substantial numbers of refugees and asylum seekers registered in the borough. Local unemployment is currently twice the United Kingdom average.

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Information about the institution

LSC-funded courses are a small but important part of the university's business. The university is committed to widening participation into higher education (HE) by working with local partner institutions and community groups to open up educational opportunities to local people from groups who have not traditionally entered FE or HE. The main areas of FE provision for this inspection are in the National Bakery School and the Language and Literacy Unit. Within the National Bakery School, national vocational qualification (NVQ) courses at levels 1, 2 and 3, together with a national diploma, are currently offered to around 75 students. Students in the National Bakery School are often those less likely to achieve on the traditionally academic routes at school and in FE colleges. The Language and Literacy Unit courses, apart from those in teacher training, are mainly in basic skills. Most of the work takes place in the community and consists of family learning courses with

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Information about the institution

students who are particularly hard to reach. The unit also offers pre-general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) English and courses specifically aimed at parents in order to improve confidence whilst tackling basic literacy needs. Approximately 112 students started these courses run by the Language and Literacy Unit in 2004/05.

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How effective is the institution?

Inspectors judged education and training to be satisfactory in bakery and catering and in family learning. They judged leadership and management of the FE provision to be satisfactory. The key strengths and aspects that need to be improved are listed below.

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Key strengths

o dedicated staff with a strong team ethos

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Key strengths

o a range of courses that effectively widen participation.

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What should be improved

o retention and pass rates on some courses

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What should be improved

o identification and provision of additional learning support

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What should be improved

o monitoring and recording of students' progress

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What should be improved

o accommodation in some community venues

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What should be improved

o the implementation of quality assurance arrangements for FE programmes.

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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

Bakery and catering Satisfactory. Teaching is very good. Pass rates were high in 2004, but retention rates were low on some courses. A wide range of courses is offered. Not enough attention is given to identifying the additional learning support needs of students and reviewing and planning their progress. Specialist resources are well managed, but implementation of the quality assurance procedures is poor. Family learning Satisfactory. Good practical activities lead to effective learning. There are good progression rates for students. Pass and retention rates are low on a minority of courses. There is strong leadership and a good team spirit among teachers. In a minority of lessons, the learning needs of students are not met and individual progress is not sufficiently monitored.

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How well is the institution led and managed?

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Senior managers provide clear strategic leadership, courses are well organised and communications are good. Staff and governors are committed to the FE programmes, even though the provision is a very small proportion of the university's activities. The university's quality assurance system is thorough; however, implementation is not sufficiently rigorous in the FE provision to drive forward improvements. Managers do not always make effective use of management information to inform planning. There is a strong commitment to equality, diversity and meeting the needs of local communities. Staff development opportunities are well planned. However, good practice is not always shared between curriculum areas. The university exercises responsible financial management and the FE provision provides good value for money.

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To what extent is the institution educationally and socially inclusive?

The institution's response to education and social inclusion is good. It is highly committed to widening participation by working with local partner institutions and community groups to open up educational opportunities to local people who have not traditionally entered FE or HE. Good opportunities exist for people to return to study and the courses extend from entry level through to level 3. Almost all of the university's facilities are easily accessed by students with restricted mobility. However, accommodation is cramped in some of community venues used for language and literacy courses. Partnerships with other organisations help the university to recruit students from a wide variety of backgrounds. For example, pupils from Southwark secondary schools attend bakery and catering NVQ courses one day a week during term time. The proportion of students and staff from minority ethnic backgrounds reflects that in the local area and the university is a multicultural

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To what extent is the institution educationally and socially inclusive?

institution. Comprehensive equality, diversity and race equality policies are in place. The university meets its statutory requirements in relation to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act 2001 (SENDA) and the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000 and promotes good practice in equal opportunities actively. Training for members of staff on aspects of equality and diversity has taken place, but there has been little impact on the curriculum, particularly in the National Bakery School.

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How well are students and trainees guided and supported?

Guidance and support for students are satisfactory. Prospective FE students receive a good range of initial information, advice and guidance, although the student handbook is not sufficiently focused on the information they need. There is good individual support and guidance for students on personal issues. Tutors make time to discuss any issues or concerns students may have at tutorials and other times. Students are referred to suitable internal or external support services and agencies where appropriate. They are well supported and find staff very approachable and helpful. There is insufficient initial assessment of students' additional support needs. Instead, most additional language, literacy and numeracy support needs are identified during lessons.. Tutors provide some additional support, but there is insufficient individual in-class assistance to address the specific needs of some students. Support for students with learning difficulties or disabilities is available

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Students' views of the institution

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

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What students like about the institution

o the friendly and supportive atmosphere

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What students like about the institution

o the support and encouragement from tutors

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What students like about the institution

o approachable staff who are not too busy to talk

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What students like about the institution

o The opportunities for them to develop their creative skills

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What they feel could be improved

o ability to buy cake decorating equipment on site

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What they feel could be improved

o the limited crèche provision o the range of Language and Literacy Unit courses

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What they feel could be improved

o the limited extra-curricular activity.

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Other information

The institution inspection report will normally be published 12 working weeks after the formal feedback of the inspection findings to the institution. Once published, the institution has two months in which to prepare its post-inspection action plan and submit it to the local LSC. The institution's action plan must show what action the institution 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 should send to Ofsted only action plans from institutions that have been judged inadequate or have been awarded a grade 4 or 5 for curriculum provision, work-based learning and/or leadership and management.

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(Grades 5 to 7) %

Teaching 16-18 19+ and WBL* 61 31 8 Learning 16-18 19+ and WBL* 61 39 0

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(Grades 5 to 7) %

Key: The range of grades includes: Excellent (Grade 1), Very Good (Grade 2), Good (Grade 3), Satisfactory (Grade 4), Unsatisfactory (Grade 5), Poor (Grade 6) and Very Poor (Grade 7).

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Achievement and standards

1. The university enrols over 300 students on FE courses. The majority of students are aged 19 or over.

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Achievement and standards

2. Retention rates are satisfactory on Language and Literacy Unit courses. Approximately three quarters of all students complete their courses. However, retention rates on the Help My Child to Read and Write course have been low for three years. Only two thirds of students who complete Language and Literacy Unit courses gain accreditation. This weakness is acknowledged in in the self-assessment and action is being taken to address it. For many students on these courses, returning to supported study is a positive step in their lives.

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Achievement and standards

3. Retention rates are generally high on National Bakery School courses. However, both level 2 patisserie and level 1 cake decoration had low retention rates in 2004. Although some pass rates have varied, the pass rates on all courses in 2004 were high and showed improvement on previous years. Pass rates were high on the Business Technology Education Council (BTEC) national course and the NVQ level 1 in hospitality and the certificate in food safety.

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Achievement and standards

4. Students develop their confidence on the Language and Literacy Unit courses help and so improve their basic skills. The celebration of bilingualism and diversity helps students to read and to take pride in their cultural identity. Students design and make resources which help children to learn and at the same time develop their own reading and writing skills. However, in some lessons, not all learning needs are met and some individuals make little progress. Arrangements for additional learning support are weak and basic skills needs are not identified early enough.

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Achievement and standards

5. In the National Bakery School, students work well together in practical sessions and communicate effectively with one another. Overall, they achieve good standards, although the quality of their written work varies considerably. Cake decoration skills are good and students' ideas are well developed and executed. Safe and tidy working is evident and commercial practice is emphasised. Students demonstrate good understanding of bakery techniques and processes.

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Achievement and standards

6. The successes of students on FE courses are regularly celebrated in the university's publicity materials. Each year, prizes are awarded to students in the National Bakery School in, for example, baking and cake decorating. Some prizes are sponsored by private individuals and others by the Worshipful Company of Bakers. The success of students in the Language and Literacy Unit is also celebrated in publications such as Journeys in Family Learning .

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Achievement and standards

7. There are good progression rates from local schools on to FE courses in the university, largely due to the partnership which involves pupils aged 14 to 16. Many students remain at the university to progress through the range of FE courses offered and there are good progression rates into employment.

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Quality of education and training

8. Teaching and learning were judged to be good or better in nearly two thirds of the lessons observed. Most of the remaining sessions were graded as satisfactory. The proportion of teaching judged to be good or better was higher in the National Bakery School than in the Language and Literacy Unit. In the best lessons, students have clear learning objectives and successfully develop their skills through practical activities. Most lessons are well planned and students' prior knowledge and experience are effectively built upon. However, in some lessons the learning needs of students are not always met. Some tasks are not differentiated enough to allow all students to progress at their own pace. The average attendance during the inspection, at 70%, was slightly below the national average. 9. Specialist resources in the National Bakery School are satisfactory and well managed. The bakery and other workshops are fit for purpose, but have not been updated for some years. Teaching

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Quality of education and training

resources and university accommodation for the Language and Literacy Unit are good. A wide range of good learning materials is available. However, some teaching rooms in community venues are cramped and inhibit learning.

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Quality of education and training

10. Teachers are well qualified. In the National Bakery School teachers have good, but not recent, commercial and industrial experience. Most teachers in the Language and Literacy Unit are appropriately qualified, but newly-trained teachers do not always have the experience or confidence to cope with students who have very low levels of literacy. Technicians provide good support; they manage resources and workshops effectively and demonstrate techniques and the use of equipment.

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Quality of education and training

11. Assessment is satisfactory and conducted appropriately. Assignments are well structured and accurately marked. Students receive clear verbal feedback on their work .. In some cases, written feedback does not provide students with enough guidance on how to progress and improve. Moderation and verification processes and procedures are thorough.

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Quality of education and training

12. There is insufficient monitoring and tracking of students' progress throughout their programmes. Students do not have clear individual learning plans to identify what they are expected to achieve and by when. Students and tutors do not effectively set or use individual targets to review progress. General progress is discussed during tutorials, but insufficient use is made of individual learning plans to review achievement of targets.

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Quality of education and training

13. The university has productive links with bakery and catering organisations both locally and nationally. In addition, links with local secondary schools, FE colleges and the local LSC are good. Teachers in the Language and Literacy Unit are developing links with local community organisations. The Language and Literacy Unit has a high reputation nationally for its work in training teachers in literacy and numeracy basic skills.

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Quality of education and training

14. Prospective students receive good information about courses through recommendations, the university website, brochures and leaflets. Language and Literacy Unit students are encouraged to attend lessons before deciding whether to join. All other students are interviewed before joining the university to ensure they are placed on the most appropriate course. Bakery students visit the university before starting a course. Students receive an effective induction at the start of their programme. The student handbook is too detailed for most students on FE programmes.

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Quality of education and training

15. The identification of additional language, literacy and numeracy needs is not systematically assessed at the start of students' courses. The National Bakery School relies on students declaring any additional learning needs on their application form or tutors identifying any needs once the course has started. Some students have diagnostic assessments and additional support from the learning and development centre. A few bakery students make effective use of the support available to those with dyslexia. Tutors on Language and Literacy Unit courses have received training in awareness of basic skill needs, but bakery tutors have not had any formal training. There is insufficient individual in-class assistance to provide the specific support needed by some students.

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Quality of education and training

16. Students have at least one tutorial each term with their tutor. Students get good general support and feedback as well as an opportunity to discuss any concerns. The ethos and approach on the Language and Literacy Unit courses is informal and based on personal support and guidance. Tutorials on other courses are not effectively used to agree actions and review progress against individual targets.

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Quality of education and training

17. There is good individual support and guidance on personal issues. Teachers make themselves available to students before and after lessons as well as by telephone or e-mail. Tutors have a good knowledge and awareness of their students' personal circumstances and provide suitable support when necessary. When appropriate, students are referred to the wide range of university-based support services or external agencies.

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Leadership and management

18. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Senior managers provide purposeful leadership and clear strategic direction. The FE provision, located in two of the four faculties, represents a very small proportion of the university's activities, but is valued by students, managers, staff and governors. It contributes to the university's mission by opening up opportunities for local people who, in the past, may not have considered FE. While many students progress to other FE courses or to employment, the proportion progresing to HE has been small in recent years. Action to address this includes the introduction of a foundation degree in bakery.

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Leadership and management

19. A variety of informal and formal quality assurance mechanisms is used, with varying degrees of success, to improve quality and raise standards. These include feedback from staff and students, appraisals, lesson observations, meetings, self-assessment and staff development. The university has a thorough system for assuring the quality of standards, tailored to the needs of its HE provision. The academic board has the overall remit for quality and responsibilities are discharged primarily through sub-committees. Members of staff in the National Bakery School welcome, value and act upon informal feedback from students. However, quality assurance in the curriculum area is not rigorous enough to drive forward improvements. Managers in both curriculum areas do not make effective use of the management information available to analyse students' achievements or to inform planning. Peer observations, team teaching and close working relationships contribute to a

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Leadership and management

culture in which staff evaluate and reflect on their work, but feedback from observations is not always sufficiently critical to be used to improve teaching and learning.

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Leadership and management

20. The FE provision is well managed. In both faculties, courses are well organised, communications are good, staff work effectively together and there is a clear commitment to meet the needs of a diverse range of students. Resources are particularly well managed in the National Bakery School.

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Leadership and management

21. Comprehensive policies ensure that the university complies with equal opportunities legislation. There are clear action plans and regular progress reviews. The university has made good progress in implementing the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000 and SENDA. All accommodation used by FE students is accessible for people with restricted mobility, although some community venues are very cramped.

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Leadership and management

22. Equality of opportunity is actively promoted across the university. Diversity and equality are central to the university's mission. This aspect is led by a senior manager who is supported by a small unit and a task force, as well as diversity `leads' within each faculty and university-wide `champions'. At curriculum level, diversity initiatives and training are beginning to have some impact within the Language and Literacy Unit. In the National Bakery School, promotion of equality and diversity is less well developed.

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Leadership and management

23. Data collected on staff and students are monitored and analysed centrally. Senior staff are aware of the challenges presented by the analysis and are seeking to address them across the university. Networks are being established, for example, for ethnic minority academic staff to improve their profile which, although relatively high when compared to other HE institutions, still reflects an under representation when compared to the profile of students at the university.

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Leadership and management

24. Staff teaching on FE programmes make good use of the wide-ranging professional development opportunities available to develop further their own knowledge and skills. Development needs are identified and discussed at appraisals. In some cases, bespoke provision is arranged through the staff development unit. In the National Bakery School, for example, staff identified the need for support in dealing more effectively with the challenging behaviour of some young people aged 14 to 16. Good practice is not shared between the curriculum areas offering FE provision. Expertise in basic skills in the Language and Literacy Unit, for example, is not exploited by staff in the National Bakery School. Staff in Language and Literacy Unit have found diversity training valuable in helping them to reflect on aspects of their teaching. Staff in the National Bakery School have yet to take part in equality and diversity training

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Leadership and management

25. Communications are good. Recent changes in key personnel and in the structure of the university have been accompanied by changes in management style. Executive deans are members of the senior management team and have both a strategic and an operational role. Staff are positive about the more open and consultative culture and the way in which key responsibilities have been devolved to faculties and support departments. Extensive use is made of e-mail to keep people informed of university-wide developments.

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Leadership and management

26. FE students benefit from links with external organisations. The Language and Literacy Unit has productive contacts with community groups, local authorities, health services and ethnic minority organisations. The National Bakery School successfully works with young people aged 14 to 16 in schools across five London boroughs in the `cross river partnership'. Bakery ingredient and equipment companies provide demonstrations for students and there are established links with the Worshipful Company of Bakers, which provides student bursaries and prizes.

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Leadership and management

27. The board of governors meets its responsibilities effectively. Governors have appropriate skills and one provides expertise in FE college governance. An audit of governors' skills is carried out regularly which informs the nomination of new members as necessary. Governors receive regular reports on the university's overall financial position and the funding it receives from the LSC for its FE courses.

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Leadership and management

28. The university exercises responsible financial management. It has a healthy cash balance and positive reserves. There is an appropriate framework for the regular monitoring of devolved budgets and managers receive monthly management accounts. Based on the average course size, students' achievements, standards of work and access to the university's resources, the university provides good value for money.

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Bakery and catering

Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)

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Strengths

o wide range of courses o well-managed specialist resources.

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Weaknesses

o low retention rates on some courses in 2004

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Weaknesses

o insufficient individual student action planning

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Weaknesses

o unsystematic diagnosis of additional learning support needs

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Scope of provision

29. The National Bakery School offers full-time and part-time courses at NVQ levels 2 and 3 in bakery, levels 2 and 3 in patisserie, and 1 and 2 in cake decoration. There is a full-time BTEC national diploma in food science and manufacturing technology. Short courses in food safety are offered. Year 10 and 11 pupils from 15 local schools take NVQ level 1 in bakery. Full-time students follow a two-year course involving awards in bakery, patisserie, cake decoration, food safety, computer literacy and, for year 1 craft students, food preparation or food service. At the time of the inspection there were 65 full-time and 187 part-time students. Approximately 10% were aged 16 to 18, 66% were female and 34% male. Just over 60% of students with a declared ethnic origin were from minority ethnic groups.

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Achievement and standards

30. Pass rates rose in 2004 and were above the national averages on all but one course. Retention rates were low on some courses. In 2004, only a quarter of the students on year 1 of the BTEC national certificate continued to year 2 and the retention rate was below the national average on level 2 patisserie and level 1 cake decoration. Cake decoration students produce work of a high standard. Their preliminary sketches, underpinning notes and iced celebration cakes are well designed and executed. Good standards are achieved overall in other areas. Written work by national diploma students varies from very good to just satisfactory. All groups of students work particularly well together and communicate effectively. The attendance of students is satisfactory.

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2002 2003 2004

No. of starts 43 21 43 % retention 67 81 67 Awarding Body Consortium (ABC) certificate in cake decoration % pass rate 93 47 97 No. of starts 84 34 56 % retention 93 91 95 NVQ hospitality (food preparation and cooking) % pass rate 95 94 91 No. of starts 31 37 41 % retention 77 95 68 ABC certificate for pastry cooks and patisseries % pass rate 87 46 82 No. of starts 28 15 32 % retention 86 80 84 NVQ craft bakery 2

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2002 2003 2004

% pass rate 88 75 85 No. of starts 13 18 20 % retention 100 100 83 Chartered Institute of Environmental Health intermediate certificate in food safety % pass rate 77 94 90 No. of starts 14 13 15 % retention 86 85 80 BTEC national certificate in food science and manufacturing technology % pass rate 83 82 92

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Quality of education and training

31. Teaching and learning are good. Teaching is well planned and in practical lessons students are asked to produce a comprehensive range of bakery goods within a challenging timescale. Students are given clear guidance through demonstrations often supported by a rich range of underpinning knowledge. Safe and tidy working and explanations of how skills should be applied and practised are well emphasised. Commercial considerations are frequently highlighted. Students are able to explain the nature of the ingredients and the bakery methods they are using. They respond accurately to questions and successfully replicate the techniques and processes demonstrated. The different learning needs of students are not effectively planned for. Nevertheless, students on occasion receive unscheduled tuition after lessons which helps them to make progress. Teachers helpfully summarise lessons, but do not always challenge students to demonstrate the learning achieved and

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Quality of education and training

analyse the quality of their bakery products.

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Quality of education and training

32. Staff are well qualified and experienced. There are adequate numbers of teaching and technician staff. The bakery practical rooms have not been updated for some years. They contain a wide range of specialist equipment including a small scale bakery plant. Whilst students receive sound vocational preparation, the plant does not reflect modern industry practice. The bakery shop in the training restaurant is too small to allow the assessment of competence in retail activity at level 2. Students make use of good computer and library facilties.

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Quality of education and training

33. The assessment of vocational competence is good and students know the assessment arrangements. Written feedback is limited for NVQ students, but cake decoration students receive helpful feedback. There is little systematic discussion of students' progress and how to bring about improvements. Students have one tutorial a term. However, it is usually held at the end of the term and so is often too late to be helpful to the students. Students value their tutorials, but they do not result in detailed action planning to enable students to work towards newly identified targets.

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Quality of education and training

34. There is a wide range of courses and a good progression route in bakery from Year 10 at school to HE. Some 20% of school-link pupils in 2004 enrolled on a bakery FE course on leaving school. Full-time students take a good range of additional courses. They undertake interesting visits and by providing the catering for external functions experience the production and service of goods for large catering operations. However, full-time NVQ bakery students do not spend enough time in realistic work environments and work experience is not included on their course. They are unable to experience a fully commercial operation to enhance their understanding of professional practice in the bakery industry.

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Quality of education and training

35. Students receive good information before they enrol and induction to new courses is effective. Pastoral care is particularly supportive. All students comment on the approachability and helpfulness of staff. Arrangements for systematically identifying additional learning support needs are underdeveloped. The basic language and literacy skills of students are not assessed when they first join their course and their specific learning needs are not diagnosed until their courses are well under way. Additional learning support is unavailable during the important first stages of courses.

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Leadership and management

36. Leadership of the bakery school is satisfactory. The management of courses, finances, health and safety and internal verification is well organised. However, curriculum data is not gathered systematically and the management of quality improvement is poor. Course reviews and school self- evaluation reports lack analysis. The performance of students and the quality of their experiences on their courses are not evaluated. Action plans do not derive logically from the reports and there is no clear strategic plan to improve the curriculum and student retention. The school has a successful history of encouraging the participation of students from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, but there is no systematic management of equality and diversity.

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Strengths

o good practical activities that enhance learning

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Strengths

o very good progression outcomes on many courses

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Weaknesses

o very low retention rates on the Help My child With Reading and Writing course

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Weaknesses

o insufficient recording of students' progress

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Weaknesses

o small and cramped classrooms in community venues.

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Scope of provision

37. The LSC-funded provision in this area is restricted mainly to family learning courses and a small pre-GCSE and GCSE provision for mature students. There are also training opportunities for parents who want to become teachers of parents and classroom assistants. At the time of inspection, there were 178 students enrolled. Family learning courses are primarily based in offsite community venues. Family learning students often come from `hard to reach' groups who have experienced difficulties or failure in their previous education.

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Achievement and standards

38. Pass rates have improved over the past three years on the teaching assistants training course and were high, at 94%, in 2004. Pass rates on the pre-GCSE English course were good in both 2002 and 2004, although there was a decline in 2003. However, the pass rate has been very low on the Help My Child with Reading and Writing course for the past two years and was below 50% for the Best Start for Babies, in 2004. Retention rates on the Help My Child with Reading and Writing course have been very low and declining over the past three years. This weakness was acknowledged in the self-assessment report. Retention rates have been high on the Parents as Teachers of Parents and the teaching assistants training course over the past two years. Students' attendance during the inspection week was low, at 64%. Absences are promptly followed-up through telephone calls and personal contacts.

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Achievement and standards

39. Progression rates are high on many courses. On the teaching assistants' training course in 2003/04, 46% of students gained employment in local schools. In the same year, 88% of GCSE English entrants had already been successfully on other Language and Literacy Unit courses. The unit has celebrated the progression of students in publications such as Journeys in Family Learning . Students' work in practical activities is of a high standard. For example, whilst designing and making materials that they use to help children develop learning skills, students enhance their own learning and make good progress with basic skills.

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2002 2003 2004

No. of starts 32 75 40 % retention 87 49 55 London Open College Network (LOCON) Help My Child With Reading and Writing entry

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2002 2003 2004

% pass rate 75 67 68 No. of starts * 24 25 % retention * 75 100 LOCON Best Start for Babies * entry

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Qualification Level Completion year: 2002 2003 2004

% pass rate * * 48 LOCON pre-GCSE 1 No. of starts 7 10 10 % retention 71 60 70 English % pass rate 100 66 85 No. of starts 26 19 24 % retention 73 84 79 LOCON teaching assistants' course 1,2,3

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Quality of education and training

40. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers develop a good rapport with students and use a variety of methods to build confidence. In the best lessons, the aims are clearly shared with the students and appropriate use is made of their personal experiences to enhance learning. Teachers provide effective individual support and encouragement in lessons. For example, in one lesson, three different sets of tasks around the same theme were used successfully to help students approach the topic from their respective levels. However, on some courses, not all students' needs are met. For example, in one lesson the teacher was aware of the needs of a particular student whose first language was not English but did not use the resources that were available. .The student took little part in the lesson and made no progress.

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Quality of education and training

41. The arrangements for identifiying the additional learning support needs of students are poor. The basic skills needs of a minority of students are not identified until late into their course. There is insufficient recording of students' progress. Individual learning plans are infrequently reviewed, and tutorial records lack detailed goal setting.

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Quality of education and training

42. The majority of teachers are appropriately qualified. However, some newly-trained teachers are less skilled at meeting the needs of mixed ability groups and do not adequately cater for students with low levels of literacy and spoken English. Good professional development is in place. Most teachers take part and draw up action plans and design new teaching methods. Teaching resources are good. A wide range of multi-sensory materials is available to teachers as well as specialist additional support such as translators. However, teachers do not always make effective use of these resources to help students. In one lesson, students were discussing a set book and planning an assignment, but were not encouraged to refer to the text to back up ideas. Some teaching rooms in community venues are small and cramped and this inhibits learning.

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Quality of education and training

43. A limited range of courses is offered, mainly restricted to family learning. There is no discrete numeracy course and no evening provision. Very few men are enrolled on courses.

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Quality of education and training

44. The initial assessment of students' additional learning needs is underdeveloped especially on entry and level 1 courses. Open access to these courses and a lack of initial assessment sometimes results in individual needs being inadequately diagnosed. In some cases, needs are not addressed in the students' first term. Off-site students can receive advice from specialist health workers or other referral agents, but advice and guidance from the family learning team is sometimes inadequate at community venues.

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Quality of education and training

45. There are strong and effective community links with providers, including Sure Start and Muslim women's groups. There are also good links with local health and social services departments. Nursery places for students' children are limited. Teaching staff are well aware of the personal circumstances of their students. Personal support for students is good. It includes providing help and advice to boost their confidence.. Teachers accompany students to initial appointments with external agencies.

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Leadership and management

46. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Managers provide a clear sense of direction and shared ethos. There is a strong team spirit and regular formal and informal meetings. The management team communicates well with teachers who find managers approachable and supportive. Requests for extra resources are met. Good practice is shared through staff meetings and training events. The monitoring of teachers' performance is satisfactory. All staff are involved in the quality assurance process through team meetings, course reviews and the appraisal system. Teachers are observed both informally and formally, but peer group observations sometimes fail to provide critical judgements. Equality of opportunity is promoted and diversity is respected and celebrated.

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Enrolments (%)

Hospitality, sports, leisure and travel 166 84 52 English, languages and communication 0 230 48

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2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002

Starters excluding transfers 117 80 174 325 285 198

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2000 2001 2002 2000 2001 2002

Retention rate % 88 80 90 90 88 90 National average % 73 72 * 69 68 * Pass rate % 98 85 97 71 76 72

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1

National average % 73 76 * 70 73 * Starters excluding transfers 119 103 18 72 60 76

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1

Retention rate % 80 72 90 90 84 90 National average % 83 83 * 70 69 * Pass rate % 98 100 100 87 100 100

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2

National average % 83 84 * 71 74 * Starters excluding transfers 72 104 131 264 218 229

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2

Retention rate % 82 90 90 89 89 90 National average % 91 90 * 92 92 * Pass rate % 98 97 77 86 95 95

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3

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

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observed

Level 3 (advanced) 100 0 0 3 Level 2 (intermediate) 50 50 0 2 Level 1 (foundation) 67 33 0 3 Other sessions 40 40 20 5

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Totals 61 31 8 13

educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced verbatim without adaptation, and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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