Setting

Date of visit: 3 July 2007

This feedback contains brief findings from the annual assessment visit. It focuses on the themes explored during the visit and does not attempt to give a comprehensive overview of the college’s performance.

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continued to improve?

 The overall success rate on long courses has improved steadily and is high. Improvement at level 2 has been significant year on year and at level 3 there has been small improvements year on year. At level 1 there was significant improvement in 2005/6.  Retention rates improved in 2005/6 having been steady in previous years.

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Have success rates for adults improved in 2005/6?

 The overall success rate on long courses declined significantly in the years to 2004/5. In 2005/6 success rates at levels 1 and 3 recovered by around 4% but not to previous high levels. They remain at or around the national average. Success rate at level 2 declined slightly in 2004/5 and was then maintained at this level in 2005/6. In 2005/6 the rate was at the national average  Retention rates for adults have followed a similar pattern.  The college is aware of the areas which are declining or not improving and has taken appropriate actions.

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the virtual learning environment (VLE) for assessment?

 Progress, considerable in some sector subject areas (SSAs), has been made in using ILT. College staff in some areas are developing useful and interesting interactive learning packages. The VLE is managed well and is regularly updated and keeping pace with developments in teaching and learning and in assessment. College records show an increasing level of learner usage, particularly in areas which contain interactive software. Learner reviews are favourable, confirming that the VLE is useful and helpful to learners.

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improved participation and enjoyment for learners?

 Enrichment programmes are now devised and delivered within the faculties, rather than for the college as a whole. The content of the programmes is appropriately informed by advice from teachers and learners and by course reviews. There is a specific enrichment programme to meet the needs of learners who have been identified as gifted and talented. An outdoor activity day with a focus on team building has been introduced and was well-attended this year. The learner feedback on this initiative has been good and it is planned to expand the programme in 2007-08. Participation in enrichment activities has improved. Feedback indicates that learners have benefited from and enjoyed enrichment activities.

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programme been?

 Student tracker software has been improved. The system now holds appropriate information for all learners for example on their attendance and punctuality, their individual learning plans, the results of initial assessment, records of individual tutorials, and notes of actions which need to be completed by the learner. The system provides useful information for tutorial tutors to use in one to one tutorials.

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programme been?

 Full-time learners have a weekly, one hour group tutorial session. The scheme of work and session plans are differentiated for levels 1, 2 and 3. Teachers access session plans and support materials from the intranet. The tutorial programme is well devised and covers the key themes in Every Child Matters well. Tutorial staff have been increased. The impact of the newly introduced tutorial system has been reviewed in January and April. An end of year review is currently being undertaken. Areas for improvement have been identified such as the need for more staff training on tutorial skills and further development on the use of the student tracker software.

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taken and are they effective?

 All full-time learners and those on substantial part-time programmes undertake a college devised initial assessment, covering reading, writing and number. In 2006/07 all the learners identified as requiring additional learning support received the support they required. The results of the initial assessment are shared with teachers earlier in the learners’ programme, enabling teachers to plan their lessons better to meet individual learner needs.

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taken and are they effective?

 Useful position papers are produced annually for each department, summarising data such as the number of learners who have support needs and success rates of learners receiving additional learning support compared with those of other learners.

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work placement pilot?

 The college has made some improvements to its management of work experience for learners. The work experience pilot which concluded in 2005/6 informed the establishment of a set of useful guidelines which have the potential to standardise the college approach to managing work placements across sector subject areas.

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internal lesson observations?

 After identifying that there was some over grading of teaching and learning in college observations, managers improved the rigor of observations through improved validation and moderation. Consequently the proportion of outstanding observations reduced from 40% to 31%. The college believes this to be a more realistic assessment of the quality of its teaching and learning

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internal lesson observations?

 The college continues to develop its quality systems with changes in the management of quality assurance and significant and innovative developments in its student tracker, which are helping to improve retention.

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internal lesson observations?

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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