Setting

Ofsted and the ALI have particular duties in relation to colleges where their inspection report indicates that individual curriculum and/or work-based learning (WBL) areas are unsatisfactory or very weak or that leadership and management are unsatisfactory or very weak. Where a college has been judged to have less than satisfactory provision in any curriculum or WBL area, or less than satisfactory leadership and management, Ofsted or the ALI will visit the college to carry out monitoring inspections of the unsatisfactory areas.

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Outcome of Re-Inspection

The overall provision in the curriculum area of literacy and numeracy is unsatisfactory.

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Background

Ruskin Mill Further Education Centre was inspected in January 2002. 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 in all areas inspected, except in Literacy and Numeracy which was found to be unsatisfactory.

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Background

As a result of the re-inspection monitoring visits, inspectors may judge that the curriculum or WBL areas, or leadership and management are satisfactory and that no further visits are required. Where leadership and management are satisfactory, all unsatisfactory provision will be re-inspected normally during one week. If, after approximately 24 months, the college has not made sufficient progress to justify a judgement that the curriculum or WBL area or leadership and management are satisfactory, the original grade for the area that continues to be unsatisfactory will remain on the college's record until the next full inspection within the cycle. Ofsted will inform the local LSC that provision remains unsatisfactory and the reasons why.

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Date of the Re-Inspection Visit

In accordance with the above procedures, re-inspection of literacy and numeracy took place on 19 th - 22 nd January 2004.

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Literacy and Numeracy

In the January 2002 inspection, the quality of overall provision in this area was judged to be unsatisfactory. The following strengths and weaknesses were identified in the inspection report:

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Weaknesses

• Limited integration of literacy and numeracy with other aspects of provision

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Weaknesses

• Unsatisfactory planning of teaching and recording of learning outcomes

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Weaknesses

• Failure to implement the national agenda for basic skills

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Weaknesses

Following the re-inspection, inspectors judged that insufficient progress has been made in addressing the above weaknesses and that overall provision in this area remains unsatisfactory.

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Weaknesses

The integration of literacy and numeracy goals with other aspects of provision remains unsatisfactory. Although individual learning plans (ILPs) for students contain literacy and numeracy goals, these are set by numeracy and literacy tutors rather than dictated by the needs of the learner within the craft activity. The relevance of the learning objective to learners' overall goals and to the session itself are not always apparent. There is no clear rationale to explain how, where and why learners receive literacy and numeracy, and as a result, aspects of the learning programme are fragmented. Occasionally, some general overall objectives do not easily integrate into all sessions.

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Weaknesses

Teaching was satisfactory or better in the majority of lessons observed, although the teaching grade profile has deteriorated since the last inspection. In the best lessons, numeracy and literacy tasks are effectively embedded into the craft activity. In the least effective lessons, a lack of planning and clearly identified objectives linked to learning plans fail to help students learn. The planning of teaching and recording of learning outcomes are unsatisfactory. The college has not yet developed a succinct and effective structure for the recording of students' progress and achievements. The baseline assessment does not provide sufficient detail against which students' progress can be measured. The link between initial assessment, long term objectives and ILPs is insufficiently clear and the majority of targets set for students are very general, particularly at the Ruskin Mill site. Recording often focuses on activities undertaken by learners rather than what additional learning

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Weaknesses

Some teaching accommodation is too small for the size of the groups. At the Ruskin Mill site, the `numeracy wagon' is unacceptable and access to it is hazardous. At Horsley Mill, the furniture, storage space and equipment are not well planned in the room adjacent to the dining room. At the `Glasshouse', initial assessment is not always carried out in appropriate rooms.

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Weaknesses

The college's implementation of the national agenda of `Skills for Life' is ineffective. The college has done much work to implement the adult core curricula and the national standards for literacy and numeracy. However, there is insufficient emphasis on analysing the strengths, weaknesses and learning needs of individual learners, prioritizing them on the basis of the overall learning plan, and teaching and recording progress against the agreed goals.

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Weaknesses

The monitoring of the quality of teaching remains unsatisfactory. Records of lesson observations carried out at Ruskin Mill are essentially descriptive and contain insufficient analysis of the quality of teaching, learning or attainment. Only three lessons have been observed at the `Glasshouse'. However, the format and content provide useful information about the quality of both teaching and learning. Tutors at the `Glasshouse' evaluate their own lessons, but the quality of the documents that underpin the learning are not being evaluated. The college has taken appropriate action to both monitor and address issues of punctuality and attendance.

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Weaknesses

The college has excellent vocational resources which provide real and meaningful situations in which learners can develop and practice literacy and numeracy skills. However, existing procedures for assessing and planning learning do not always adequately identify and address the language, literacy and numeracy skills a learner will need when they leave.

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Weaknesses

There will be no further re-inspection of the college because the stipulated 24 months from the re- inspection monitoring visits has expired.

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Weaknesses

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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