Setting

Outcome of Re-Inspection

The overall provision in the literacy, numeracy and communication curriculum area is now satisfactory .

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Background

Foxes Academy was inspected in June 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 Literacy, Numeracy and Communications which was found to be less than satisfactory.

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Background

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 where leadership and management are unsatisfactory or very weak. Where a college has been judged to have less than satisfactory leadership and management, or less than satisfactory provision in solely WBL, inspectors from Ofsted or the ALI will visit the college to carry out monitoring inspections of the less than satisfactory areas. As a result of the re-inspection monitoring visits, inspectors may judge that previously less than satisfactory areas of provision, or leadership and management, are now satisfactory and that no further visits are required. Where leadership and management are satisfactory, but there is curriculum provision that is less than satisfactory, there will be no monitoring visits. All less than satisfactory provision will be re-

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Background

inspected, normally during one week, within two years of the original inspection.

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Background

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, numeracy and communication took place from Tuesday 28 June to Friday 1 July 2005.

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Literacy, numeracy and communication

In the June 2003 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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Strengths

• very good development of listening and speaking skills

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Strengths

• good use of practical activities for developing numeracy skills

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Weaknesses

• unsatisfactory teaching and learning of literacy skills

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Weaknesses

• inadequate specialist training in the development of literacy and numeracy

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Weaknesses

• insufficient materials for the development of literacy and numeracy

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Weaknesses

• inadequate initial assessment of literacy and numeracy

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Weaknesses

• slow strategic development of literacy and numeracy skills across the college.

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Weaknesses

Following the re-inspection, inspectors judged that progress has been made in addressing the above weaknesses. The overall provision in this area is now satisfactory .

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Weaknesses

Students now acquire good numeracy, listening and speaking skills, and the development of their literacy is satisfactory. As a consequence, students' vocational, social and personal skills are improving. However, it is not possible to measure students' small, incremental steps of learning as the starting point for students is not clear. Achievement on validated programmes is high and attendance and punctuality are good.

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Weaknesses

All staff have high expectations of students and set a challenging pace. Good use is made of a wide range of practical activities to develop students' knowledge and skills across the wider curriculum. The majority of teaching observed was satisfactory or better. The teaching of literacy has improved significantly since the last inspection. Good use is made of open questioning to challenge and extend learning. Staff actively encourage students to use the new ICT resources. However, planning for teaching is adversely effected by the ineffective college-wide lesson planning documentation.

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Weaknesses

The use of a training hotel as the basis for learning provides a wealth of opportunities for students to develop literacy, numeracy and communication skills. Resources for literacy and numeracy and ICT have been improved and are now satisfactory. Training in cognition has not yet been undertaken. Staff have received training in the development of literacy and numeracy and this has had a positive impact on the quality of teaching.

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Weaknesses

Staff have a strong commitment to recognising and recording the outcomes of learning, and have developed informal systems to assess students skills and to capture progress. However, formal initial assessment of literacy and numeracy remains inadequate. The embedding of literacy and numeracy in practical teaching and learning activities in the hotel and residential accommodation is good. Staff know students well and use this knowledge to good effect to support students. The management of behaviour is good.

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Weaknesses

The absence of key staff has had a negative impact on the strategic planning and development of literacy and numeracy. However, there is a high commitment of staff at all levels of the college to promote the effective development of literacy and numeracy, and this has contributed significantly to improvements in provision.

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Weaknesses

There will be no further re-inspection of the college because there are no remaining unsatisfactory areas.

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Weaknesses

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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