City of Sunderland College

Audience Published Provider reference City of Sunderland College

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Contents

Basic information about the college 3 Background of the organisation 4 Scope of the inspection 4

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Basic information about the college

Address of college: Shiney Row Centre Success Road Philadelphia Houghton-le-Spring DH4 4TL

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Basic information about the college

Name of lead inspector: Sandra Tweedie HMI

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Background of the organisation

1. City of Sunderland College is a large tertiary college with three main centres at Shiney Row, Bede, and Hylton. Following the 14 to 19 area inspection in 2002 a confederation of three sixth form centres was formed operated jointly by the college and most of the 11 to 16 non-denominational secondary schools. They offer provision for 16 to 18 year olds. The college provides an extensive range of courses from entry to foundation degree level. Over 75% of learners come from Sunderland and those remaining almost entirely from the Sunderland travel-to-work area. The college is located in an area of considerable disadvantage. Sunderland ranks as the 22nd most deprived out of 354 authorities in England. Two-thirds of the College’s 16 to 19 full-time learners are in receipt of an Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

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Background of the organisation

2. In 2004/05 the college enrolled 3,667 full-time 16 to 18 year olds and just over 800 adult full-time learners. There were 17,696 part-time adult students and over 800 part-time 16 to 18 year old learners. The full-time 16 to 18 student population is fairly evenly balanced in terms of gender; 62% of the part-time adult student population is female. The proportion of learners from minority ethnic groups is small but, at 5%, is above the figure of 2% for the local population.

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Background of the organisation

3. The college is engaged in extensive partnership activity, for example, in establishing provision for 14 to 19 year olds and working with the local authority. The college outreach provision using library premises contributed to the recognition of the library service through a Beacon award. The college offers foundation degrees and year zero courses in collaboration with the University of Sunderland. The college gained a Beacon Award for its Test the City initiative making a large contribution to the government’s and regional targets to improve basic skills among adults. The college has Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Networking, Call Centre Operation and a shared CoVE in Building Services with Hartlepool College of Further Education.

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Background of the organisation

4. In its mission, the college aims to provide a wide range of good quality learning opportunities accessible by young people, adults and employers with diverse educational and training needs to the benefit of the City of Sunderland and the wider North Eastern region.

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Scope of the inspection

5. In deciding the scope of this inspection, inspectors took account of: the college’s previous inspection report (www.ofsted.gov.uk); the college’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans; comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC); reports from the inspectorate annual assessment visits and data on enrolments and learners’ achievements over the period since the last inspection. This inspection focused on the following aspects:

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Scope of the inspection

 overall effectiveness of the college and its capacity to improve further  achievements and standards  quality of provision  leadership and management

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

Note: Where contributory grades have been awarded, they are shown in the relevant sections of the report. Contributory grades represent the judgement of the team that the quality of the aspect of provision indicated by the grade differs from the grade overall.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: grade 2

6. Achievements and standards are good. Success rates have improved for all learners and are well above the national average at all levels and for all major qualifications. Adult retention rates which were below average are now good at all levels. The average point score for General Certificate of Education (GCE) and Vocational Certificate of Education (VCE) courses is above the national average. Most learners make good progress, significantly so for ICT vocational courses and for General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQ) at intermediate level. At GCE A-level and AS-level learners in some subjects perform less well than predicted from their GCSE grades. Pass rates are high for vocational courses, short intensive basic skills and New Deal programmes. Overall pass rates for 14-16 courses are satisfactory.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: grade 2

7. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are generally well planned with a range of activities which are well matched to the needs of learners. The college intranet is particularly well used. The observation of teaching and learning is at the centre of the college’s strategy for improvement; however, there is some ineffective feedback to teachers on how to improve their teaching. The recently revised system for reviewing the progress of learners is not yet fully effective.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: grade 2

8. The college’s approach to educational and social inclusion is outstanding. It offers a very good range of programmes meeting the needs of learners of all ages. Participation by 16 to 18 year olds in full-time education and training has increased considerably since the last inspection through effective work between Sunderland schools and the college. Equality and diversity targets have been met or exceeded in many areas. Strategies to work with employers are highly effective. The Test the City initiative has engaged adults well, improving literacy and numeracy. The college enrichment programme is well developed and popular.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: grade 2

9. Guidance and support for learners are good. There is a well established and effectively structured tutorial system. Tutors provide learners with very effective support and preparation for entry to higher education. The college complies with child protection requirements and there are good links with external services. However, there are no plans to provide child protection training for tutors or teaching staff.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: grade 2

10. Leadership and management are good. Governors and leaders set a clear direction for the college. Senior managers set challenging targets and are effective in raising standards for all learners. Responsiveness to regional and national initiatives is very good. An impressive level of collaborative work with local 11 to 16 schools, employers, the community and local authority leads to high quality provision. Underperformance in a few areas of curriculum management is being addressed.

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Capacity to improve Good: grade 2

11. The college’s capacity to improve further is good. It has made good progress in tackling the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Success rates are very good. Strategic planning is a key strength of the college. Curriculum management is effective in many areas and variations in performance are being addressed. Financial management is good.

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Capacity to improve Good: grade 2

12. The self assessment is accurate; the processes for self assessment are well established and include staff at all levels. However, development plans arising from self-assessment sometimes lack precision and detail. The procedures for monitoring teaching and learning are effective and course validation is rigorous.

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improvement since the last inspection

13. The college has focused appropriately on the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection in 2002 and has made good progress. Retention rates have improved considerably for all learners at all levels. Learners’ progress is now analysed effectively. Areas of underperformance are being addressed. A pastoral curriculum has been established which includes careers advice and guidance. Curriculum areas which were unsatisfactory at the last inspection are now satisfactory although in mathematics there is scope for further improvement. The college has made some progress in improving the proportion of high grades on GCSE courses but they remain low. Assessment arrangements for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are now satisfactory.

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Strengths

 success rates well above average for all learners at all levels  good and improving quality of teaching and learning  outstanding range of programmes to meet the needs of learners  well developed and popular enrichment programme  very good collaborative work with 11 to 16 schools, employers, the community and the local authority  clear and effective strategic direction at senior management level

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The college should address:

 insufficiently detailed progress reviews for some learners  underperformance in a few areas of the curriculum  lack of precision and detail in development plans

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Achievements and standards Good: grade 2

14. Inspectors judged that achievements and standards are good, a view shared by the college in its self-assessment. Since the previous inspection success rates have improved for all learners. They are now well above the national average for similar colleges at all levels for all major qualifications. College data indicate a marked further improvement in 2004/05. Senior managers set challenging targets to raise achievement. Success rates for 16 to 18 year olds compare very favourably with those for all colleges. At the previous inspection, retention was below average for adults at all levels and is now well above. The large proportion of 16 to 18 year old students in receipt of EMAs has had a positive impact on retention. Pass rates have improved most at levels 1 and 2, for all learners.

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Achievements and standards Good: grade 2

15. At AS-level the pass rate has improved to the national average while at GCE A-level it is above average at 94%. The pass rate on vocational courses at level 3 is high at 94%. On NVQ programmes at levels 2 and 3, pass rates are high for all learners. Learners on apprenticeship programmes are making good progress. The framework success rate for apprentices improved to 51% in 2004/05 from very low rates in previous years. On courses for 14 to 16 year olds, overall pass rates are satisfactory.

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Achievements and standards Good: grade 2

16. In Sunderland just over half of 16 year olds gain five or more GCSEs at grades at A*-C compared to 57.1% nationally. However, pass rates for five subjects at grades A*-C including mathematics and English is well below the low national average at 35%. In 2005 the average point score for GCE and VCE courses improved to 279.9, above the national average. The majority of learners pursue broader programmes than is usually found in colleges. Most learners make good progress. An external report has indicated high value added scores for the advanced level programme as a whole. At GCE A-level and AS-level learners in some subjects perform less well than predicted from their GCSE grades, for example in mathematics, art and design, media studies and psychology. This is being addressed through effective intervention strategies. Learners on ICT vocational courses make very good progress, especially girls, as do learners on GNVQ intermediate courses.

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Achievements and standards Good: grade 2

17. Key skills pass rates are good for communication at level 2, ICT at levels 2 and 3 and for wider key skills. There are good pass rates for adults on the short intensive basic skills courses and New Deal programmes. The proportion of New Deal clients who gain employment is very good at 86%. Attendance during the inspection was 79%, in line with the national average; college records show better attendance at 83%. Behaviour is good. Learners aged I6 to 18 enjoy their studies and apply themselves well in lessons. They respond readily to questions and are developing confidence in speaking. In practical work, learners work safely and demonstrate good skills in craft subjects. When developing their own businesses they are keen to make a profit.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

18. The quality of teaching and learning is good and has continued to improve since the previous inspection. Lessons are generally well planned with a range of activities which are well matched to the needs of learners. Learners are enthusiastic and work diligently to achieve the planned outcomes. The quality of learning resources is good and most teachers make effective use of new technologies to support their learning. The college intranet is particularly well used by teachers to enrich their lessons. Learners access the intranet either in college or from home. Relationships between teachers and learners are good, most lessons are well managed. Teaching and learning in New Deal short courses is good. The teaching of key skills is generally effective; teachers develop learners’ key skills in vocationally relevant contexts and in tutorials.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

19. The observation of teaching and learning is at the centre of the college’s strategy for improvement. The college rigorously monitors teaching and learning through its lesson observation process. Inspectors agreed that lesson observation grades are accurate but feedback to teachers to enable them to improve their teaching lacks clarity. Heads of departments produce action plans which aim to bring about improvement. Advanced practitioners and experienced mentors provided support for teachers and a senior manager rigorously monitors the action taken and the resulting improvements.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

20. Assessment is well planned; learners receive helpful feedback on individual assessments. Termly assessment boards are held to consider and provide reports on learners’ progress. Employers also receive regular reports. Parents of 16 to 18 year olds are invited to information evenings each term. The system has recently been revised and is still evolving. Managers and tutors are committed to its success, but written comments on reports are often too brief and targets are not always sufficiently challenging for learners. For many learners the progress review is unsatisfactory, and learners do not receive sufficient information on what they can do to improve.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

21. Initial assessment of learners’ basic skills carried out during induction is effective for most learners. The results are used by teachers to devise appropriate lesson plans. Additional learning support is well managed and learners speak highly of the support they receive. The college’s own analysis indicates that additional support improves the retention and achievement of learners.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

22. The college provides an outstanding range of programmes, subjects and courses. Progression opportunities are good from entry level to Higher National Diploma and Foundation degree level. There is a good mix of non- vocational and vocational provision. The formal partnerships established with the majority of secondary schools in Sunderland focus effectively on developing the 14 to 19 curriculum. The provision includes vocational courses for 14 to 16 year olds offered at the college and schools in specialist centres.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

23. The college’s approach to educational and social inclusion is outstanding. The participation of 16 to 18 year olds in full-time education has increased from 63% in 2002 to 70% in 2005. Over 2,000 of 16 to 18 year olds qualify for EMAs. Most 16 to 18 year olds follow an unusually broad programme of study, particularly at level 3. Many learners follow a mix of vocational and non- vocational subjects. For those who enter with low attainment at GCSE this has been successful in enabling progression to higher level awards and to higher education. Master classes are held for able learners in many subjects to help them achieve their potential.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

24. The strategies to meet local employers’ needs are highly effective. Specialist directorates manage work based and work-related programmes. These arrangements enable good access to both funded and full-cost programmes. Clear strategies focus very effectively on increasing adult participation. Surveys of employers’ views confirm high satisfaction rates. The well established CoVEs support employers’ needs. The successful employer training pilot that focuses largely on developing skills for life, achieved a high success rate of 83% in 2005.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

25. The enrichment programme is well developed and popular. Good external links are established with organisations such as youth development groups. The programme includes both general and curriculum specific activities, visits, expeditions and overseas trips. However, the college has no formal processes to monitor or evaluate the impact of the activities.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

26. Guidance and support are good overall and satisfactory for work based learners and those learners on Jobcentre Plus programmes. Comprehensive student support and welfare services are available at all main college sites. For full-time learners, specialist tutors provide a well established and effectively structured programme which includes wider key skills and for some level 3 learners, AS-level citizenship. Tutors are allocated to groups by their subject background. A mixture of group and individual sessions provides ample time for academic and pastoral issues, progress review and support. Although tutors maintain close liaison with subject teachers, the detail contained in progress review documents each term is brief. The support and preparation for entry to higher education (HE) is good. Designated tutors from partner schools help smooth the transition to college.

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Quality of provision Good: grade 2

27. The well-developed agreements between the college and Sunderland schools ensure that prospective learners obtain good initial advice and guidance and make appropriate choices. A central team manages the process well. All applicants are interviewed. Curriculum staff provide subject specific guidance. A guaranteed place is available for all applicants. The process is monitored closely through an admissions questionnaire and student surveys. A well- managed process enables timely transfer between courses where required.

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

28. Leadership and management are good. Success rates have improved for all learners at all levels. Most of the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection have been tackled effectively. Strategic planning is strong and governors and leaders set a clear vision for the direction of the college. In the interim period pending the arrival of the new principal, the acting principal, ably supported by senior managers and other staff, has been successful in leading the college through continual changes. Collaboration with local 11 to 16 schools is particularly impressive and the college has played a major role in increasing provision for 16 to 18 year olds in Sunderland. The number of 16 to 18 year olds who participate in full-time education has increased significantly and is now just below the national average. The college has responded well to regional and national initiatives. Challenging targets for improving adult basic

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

29. Curriculum management is effective in many areas and variations in performance are being addressed. Accountability at all levels of management is increasing through a senior manager intervention strategy. The recently introduced strategy is already proving to be successful in promoting better consistency.

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

30. Managers demonstrate strong commitment to continuous improvement through quality assurance. The processes for self-assessment are well established and include staff at all levels; the self-assessment report is broadly accurate. Grades are similar to inspection findings. Effective procedures are in place for monitoring teaching and learning. Course validation is rigorous. However, development plans arising from the self-assessment sometimes lack precision and detail.

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

31. Opportunities for staff to attend external training are good and linked to development needs identified at appraisal. In-house training opportunities are available on a range of topics, but these are not always well attended. Training delivered in departments is not sufficiently monitored or evaluated.

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

32. The college complies with race relations and disability discrimination legislation and monitors its performance against equality and diversity factors. The policy and procedures for dealing with child protection meet statutory requirements. There are good links between the college and the Sunderland Education Child Protection Unit. A designated staff member has responsibility for child protection; all specialist welfare staff have received training. All members of college staff have Criminal Record Bureau clearance. However, tutors and teaching staff have not received training in child protection and there are no plans for training to take place. 33. Governors are well informed about key issues facing the college and local community. They strongly uphold the interests of the college and provide appropriate challenge. Through sub-committees they play an active role in the day-to-day development of the college.

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Leadership and management Good: grade 2

34. Financial management is good; capital projects are well managed. Resources to support learning are good. Buildings are well maintained and provide a safe environment for learners. Teaching staff are well-qualified and there are good opportunities for unqualified staff to gain qualifications. The college gives good value for money.

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Table 1

Success rates on mainstream level 1 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2003 to 2005, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 1

Notional Level Exp End Year Starts – Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts – Transfe rs College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 1

1 Long 02/03 1,329 55 55 4,821 35 53 -18 03/04 1,299 67 59 8 2,191 55 57 -2 04/05 1,405 68 - 1,883 76 - 02/03 39 36 58 -22 0 0 48 GNVQs and precursors 03/04 0 0 63 0 0 55 04/05 0 0 - 0 0 - NVQs 02/03 51 43 57 -14 73 64 63 1 03/04 109 53 57 -4 36 33 63 -30 04/05 191 71 - 35 60 - Other 02/03 1,239 56 55 1 4,748 35 53 -18 03/04 1,190 68 59 9 2,155 55 57 -2 04/05 1,214 68 - 1,848 76 -

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Table 2

Success rates on mainstream level 2 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2003 to 2005, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 2

16-18 19+ Notional Level Exp End Year Starts – Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts – Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff 2 Long 02/03 2,130 56 50 6 3,207 39 50 -11 03/04 1,661 61 56 5 2,427 45 52 -6 04/05 1,920 71 - 1,642 67 - GCSEs 02/03 927 56 58 -2 665 32 54 -22 03/04 478 58 64 -6 747 25 57 -32 04/05 190 84 - 87 70 - 02/03 370 59 53 6 5 100 47 GNVQs and precursors 03/04 259 66 58 8 1 0 55 04/05 185 84 - 24 63 - NVQs 02/03 210 70 41 29 510 62 54 8 03/04 264 56 49 7 518 53 52 1 04/05 348 65 - 455 65 - Other 02/03 623 48 47 1 2,027 36 48 -12 03/04 660 63 52 11 1,161 55 51 4 04/05 1,197 69 - 1,076 67 -

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Table 3

Success rates on mainstream level 3 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2003 to 2005, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 3

16-18 19+ Notional Level Exp End Year Starts – Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts – Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff 3 Long 02/03 5,802 64 58 6 1,378 54 50 4 03/04 6,048 64 60 4 1,094 57 51 6 04/05 6,229 70 - 1,051 63 - 02/03 1,072 85 80 5 85 80 66 14 A/A2 Levels 03/04 784 89 83 6 52 71 69 2 04/05 928 90 - 20 80 - AS Levels 02/03 3,159 59 57 2 196 57 48 9 03/04 3,274 58 59 -1 195 38 49 -11 04/05 3,618 63 - 61 54 - 02/03 1,282 59 47 12 130 40 46 -6 GNVQs and precursors 03/04 1,252 71 49 22 85 51 43 8 04/05 1,040 82 - 76 53 - NVQs 02/03 49 55 47 8 150 63 46 17 03/04 43 42 49 -7 201 62 47 15 04/05 18 61 - 182 69 - Other 02/03 240 55 50 5 817 51 51 0 03/04 695 52 49 3 561 62 52 10 04/05 625 63 - 712 64 -

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Table 4

Success rates on work-based learning programmes managed by the college 2003-04 to 2004-05

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a) Overall success rate

End Year Apprenticeship Programme Number of Learners * College Framework rate ** National rate ** College NVQ rate ** National rate ** 2003/04 Apprenticeship 12 0 30 0 12 Advanced 7 43 32 0 14 2004/05 Apprenticeship 33 48 40 15 11 Advanced 6 33 38 33 14 * Learners who leave later than originally planned are counted in the year they actually leave. This group of learners are then added to the learners who planned to complete in a given year and did so or left earlier than planned ** College and national qualification success rates are calculated using LSC published data derived from the ‘Individual Learning Record’

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b) Timely success rate

End Year Apprenticeship Programme Number of Learners * College Framework rate ** National rate ** College NVQ rate ** National rate ** 2003/04 Apprenticeship 0 0 - 0 - Advanced 4 0 - 0 - 2004/05 Apprenticeship 38 24 - 53 - Advanced 8 50 - 75 - * The number of learners who planned to complete their learning programme in the given year ** College and national qualification success rates are calculated using LSC published data derived from the ‘Individual Learning Record’

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b) Timely success rate

Outcomes for Employer Training Pilots and National Employer Training Programmes managed by the college from 2002-03 to 2004-05.

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b) Timely success rate

Year Number of starts in year Planned learning completed * Still in learning

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b) Timely success rate

2002/03 32 27 0 2003/04 387 353 0 2004/05 732 707 0

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b) Timely success rate

* These are key learning objectives identified for each learner following an ETP or NETP programme

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b) Timely success rate

1. Outcomes on Jobcentre Plus programmes managed by the college 2003- 04 year to 2004-05 year

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b) Timely success rate

Year Number of starts in year Planned learning completed * Gained employment Still in learning

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b) Timely success rate

2003/04 148 148 ** 0 2004/05 309 306 ** 0

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b) Timely success rate

 These are key objectives identified for each learner following a JC+ programme  ** data incomplete

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b) Timely success rate

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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