Wyke Sixth Form College

Audience Published Provider reference Wyke Sixth Form College

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Post-sixteen TBC 130581 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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Introduction

Wyke Sixth Form College was inspected in October 2003. Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) carried out the inspection under Section 62 of the Learning and Skills Act. The quality of provision was found to be satisfactory or better in all areas inspected, except in mathematics and visual studies which were found to be less than satisfactory. Ofsted is responsible for re-inspecting all provision that is less than satisfactory within two years of the original inspection. If inadequate areas of learning or aspects of provision remain inadequate following re-inspection, inspectors will continue to monitor progress at annual assessment visits, but the areas will not be re-graded. They will be re-inspected during the full college inspection.

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Introduction

The less than satisfactory curriculum areas were re-inspected on 30 November and 1 December 2005. The outcomes of the re-inspection are as follows.

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Mathematics

Curriculum area Original grade Re-inspection grade Mathematics 4 4

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Context

The college offers and is successful in recruiting to a wide range of mathematics courses. GCE A, AS levels, GCSE are provided as an evening only and a daytime course, a course leading to the certificate in adult numeracy and a stand alone unit in foundations of advanced mathematics have substantial numbers. The smaller groups are in further mathematics with 4 groups at A-level and 7 at AS-level whilst the GCSE recruits over 100 students.

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Context

Strengths  Much improved and excellent accommodation and facilities  Wide range of mathematics courses  Much management intervention this academic year

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Context

Areas for improvement  Students’ achievements  The quality of teaching and learning  The effectiveness of the support given to students  Rigour and thoroughness of self assessment  Schemes of work and lesson planning 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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Achievement and standards

Achievements and standards are inadequate. Students’ work within lessons shows a lack of confidence in many instances. They are not sufficiently highly motivated and do not enter sufficiently into meaningful and wide-ranging mathematical discussions. Retention rates for GCE A level have been at or above the national average for three years. However, on GCSE and AS level courses where there are the most substantial numbers of students the retention rates have been low. The rate of achieving A* to C grades on GCSE courses has been below the very poor national average for the last three years. At AS level the pass rate was at least 19 percentage points below the national average in 2005. Pass rates at GCE A level was approximately 13 percentage points below the national average. These poor results are also supported by the value added for the level 3 courses, which indicates that students are not achieving as well as the grades predicted for them.

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Quality of provision

Teaching is satisfactory overall but the learning is inadequate. The staff are all well qualified. The accommodation is of a very high standard. All the rooms have interactive white boards and staff have had considerable training in its use since they moved into the new accommodation in September 2005. Text books for most groups are available; this was not the case during 2004/05. The quality of the teaching varies markedly. In the best lessons there is a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where students’ expertise is used well to motivate and give them confidence in mathematical language. In these lessons students applied themselves well to the tasks set throughout. However, too much of the teaching lacks drive and excitement. Within the weaker lessons there was a loss of clarity during explanations and students lost interest too quickly during the classroom work set. There are also examples of poor classroom management with students talking whilst the

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Quality of provision

teacher is attempting to explain things to the whole group and too much discussion amongst students on unrelated matters.

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Leadership and management

Although leadership has improved the management of the department is inadequate. There is too much variation in the quality of the schemes of work. Lessons are generally well planned but there is too much informality in this activity. Meetings are held regularly but the action points resulting are not substantial enough or followed through with sufficient rigour. The subject self assessment report does not pay sufficient attention to the quality of teaching and learning and is not sufficiently self-critical. 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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Visual Arts

Curriculum area Original grade Re-inspection grade Visual arts 4 3

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Visual Arts

The college has made good progress in addressing the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection and the provision is now satisfactory

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Context

There are 273 students attending classes in AS and A level art and design subjects, BTEC national diploma in fine art and GCSE photography.

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Context

Strengths  Improving success rates  Good standards of creative work in national diploma in fine art  Effective individual advice to students  Improved management of the department.

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Context

Areas for improvement  Poor success rates in GCSE photography and A level art and design  Lack of student interaction in some lessons  Studio resource management.

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Achievement and standards

Achievement and standards are satisfactory. There are some improving success rates. GCE AS-level art studies shows an improving trend over a three year period and is now at national average, with 32% of students achieving high grades in 2005. The success rate for the national diploma in fine art has improved significantly and is now at the national average. GNVQ Intermediate art, now discontinued, has had a rising trend, but below still below benchmark. GCE A level art success rates were below the national average in 2004 and 2005. GCSE photography results were well below average in 2005. The progress which students make on AS-level courses, based on their prior attainment, is improving. The standard of student work overall is satisfactory with some good quality fine art work being developed in the national diploma course.

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Quality of provision

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. In the better lessons, students are well motivated and produce good quality artwork; this is supported by lively, experimental sketchbooks. Students on the national diploma course 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). produced some imaginative large scale paintings and have a good understanding of the creative process. There is effective one-to-one advice and monitoring of progress. Individual learning plans are well used and valued by the students.

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Quality of provision

In the other lessons, learners make satisfactory progress, however teachers sometimes miss opportunities to allow students to develop their analytical skills and do not always check their learning in the more theoretical aspects. ICT is well integrated into art lessons and work . Student artwork is well displayed and celebrated throughout the college buildings.

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The visual arts area has a new manager and new teaching and technician staff. Improvements have been made to timetables, curriculum planning, recruitment, student support and monitoring. The self-assessment report is accurate. General housekeeping of the visual arts area is poor. There is insufficient care taken with folders and work stored in classrooms and corridors. In studios, drinks and other liquids are left next to, or on top of computers with debris gathering around electrical equipment.

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