Setting

16 June 2003

Inspectors use a seven-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The descriptors for the seven grades are: • grade 1 - excellent • grade 2 - very good • grade 3 - good • grade 4 - satisfactory • grade 5 - unsatisfactory • grade 6 - poor • grade 7 - very poor.

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16 June 2003

Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes quality assurance and equality of opportunity. The descriptors for the five grades are: • grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - unsatisfactory • grade 5 - very weak.

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16 June 2003

The two grading scales relate to each other as follows:

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SEVEN-POINT SCALE FIVE-POINT SCALE

grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4 grade 5 grade 6 grade 7 grade 2 grade 3 grade 4

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member. Common Inspection Framework

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Overall judgement

This provision will be subject to a full reinspection.

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Overall judgement

The final decision as to whether the provision is inadequate rests with the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning. A statement as to whether the provision is adequate or not is included in the summary section of the inspection report. Where the overall judgement is that the provision is adequate, only those aspects of the provision which are less than satisfactory will be reinspected.

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Overall judgement

• more than one third of published grades for occupational/curriculum areas, • leadership and management are judged to be less than satisfactory. • work-based learning for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

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learndirect

Provision will normally be deemed to be inadequate where:

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Contents

Description of the provider 1 Scope of provision 1 About the inspection 2 Overall judgement 2 Grades 3 Key findings 3 What learners like about Enfield LEA 7 What learners think Enfield LEA could improve 7 Key challenges for Enfield LEA 8

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Contents

Leadership and management 12 Equality of opportunity 14 Quality assurance 16 Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel 18 Visual & performing arts & media 21 Family learning 23 ENFIELD LEA

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. The London Borough of Enfield adult and community learning service is part of the lifelong and community learning service which was created in September 2001. This is under the supervision of the director of education who is supported by four assistant directors, one of whom has responsibility for schools and community including the adult and community learning service. Enfield local education authority (LEA) has adopted a cabinet structure since local government reorganisation. The annual adult and community learning plan is prepared by the service manager and submitted to the authority and the London North Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for approval. The lifelong and community learning service is also responsible for a number of predominantly school-based programmes. A service manager and a team of three staff manage the service. One of the posts and two new full-time posts, yet to be appointed,

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

are to support family learning programmes. A full-time adult and community learning co- ordinator post has recently become vacant. A full-time administrator supports the service.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. The London Borough of Enfield secures provision for adult and community learning predominantly by contracting with local colleges and through a small premises grant to the Workers Educational Association (WEA). The contracts with the colleges provide funding for non-accredited programmes based on a fee remission policy. The LEA has, over the past two years, directly funded a number of learning programmes in partnership with other Enfield council directorates and other agencies. The LEA has also co-ordinated the delivery of family learning programmes, funded by the Basic Skills Agency. The adult and community learning service is largely funded through a contract with London North LSC. In conjunction with LSC funding the LEA has provided funding to support projects alongside learning for renewal funds. During 2001-02, there were 1,303 learners across all areas of learning. In 2002-03, it is estimated that there will be 1,33I learners.

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Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel

3. During 2002-03, 21 non-accredited courses have been offered. These include yoga, keep fit for men, keep fit movement, exercise and dance, t’ai chi, sugar flowers, food hygiene, wine tasting and bridge. During the week of inspection 10 courses were still running. The courses take place throughout the day and evening and they vary from two to eight weeks and 24 to 30 weeks. The lessons range from one to two and a half hours. Courses are offered in a range of community venues including local schools and church halls and the premises of a mental health charity. There are 175 learners supported by the LEA’s fee remission scheme, of whom 10 per cent are from minority ethnic groups and 70 per cent are aged over 60. The management of the area of learning is primarily contracted to a local college of further education. All tutors work part time.

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Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 1 ENFIELD LEA

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Visual & performing arts & media

4. During 2002-03, 18 non-accredited courses have been offered. These include patchwork and quilting, needlecrafts, oil and watercolour painting, drawing, interior design, photography, guitar playing, Scottish dancing, opera, orchestra, acoustic guitar, drawing and digital photography. The courses take place in nine venues throughout the borough including church halls and local schools. Courses are offered as daytime and evening sessions and vary in length from four to 30 weeks. Only two subjects offer progression to an intermediate level. The teaching staff are part time, they teach between two and six hours a week and are employed through an agency. There are 261 learners supported by the LEA’s fee remission scheme. Most learners are women and aged over 60 years and 8 per cent are from minority ethnic groups.

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Family learning

5. The family learning programme has significantly developed in recent years. A range of projects and programmes has been initiated and range of funding sources have been used including the provision of basic skills through family literacy and numeracy for adults, basic information and communications technology (ICT) and parenting courses. Courses aim to encourage greater parental involvement and extend parents’ skills to support their children’s development and achievements. The family learning programmes include ’share’ and ’share plus’ accredited programmes and ’keeping up with the children’. Non- accredited programmes include ’first steps in reading’, family literacy and numeracy workshops and courses. All programmes offered are part time and vary in length from one to 24 weeks. The learning programmes are delivered in partnership with local schools, colleges, libraries and voluntary organisations. In the current year there are 414

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Family learning

learners. A family learning co-ordinator manages the provision. Teaching staff from the local colleges, schools and voluntary organisations work together to deliver the courses.

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OVERALL JUDGEMENT

6. The quality of the provision is adequate to meet the reasonable needs of those receiving it. Leadership and management, including equality of opportunity are satisfactory. Quality assurance is unsatisfactory. Hospitality, sport and leisure, and visual and performing arts are satisfactory and family learning is good.

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

Number of inspectors 6 Number of inspection days 30 Number of learner interviews 257 Number of staff interviews 48 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 38 Number of partner/external agency interviews 35

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 2 ENFIELD LEA

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GRADES

grade 1= outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = unsatisfactory, grade 5 = very weak

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GRADES

Leadership and management 3 Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 3 Quality assurance 4

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GRADES

Areas of learning Grade 3 Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel 3 Visual & performing arts & media 2 Family learning

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Achievement and standards

7. Retention rates are very good on all programmes. Tutors and learners are enthusiastic and highly committed to their courses. Tutors work hard to keep learners on courses by giving good individual support. Learners attend regularly and the average attendance rates on all courses are good.

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Achievement and standards

8. Learners achieve a wide range of personal and social benefits. Learners achieve good health benefits, improved physical and mental well-being and high standards of practical work in the visual and performing arts. In family learning courses, learners gain better understanding of their children’s needs and how they learn. They start to think about their own learning needs and progress onto further learning.

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Achievement and standards

9. There is no formal system for recognising achievement. Provision is largely non- accredited. There are few systems to recognise learners’ achievement of their learning goals.

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Achievement and standards

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 7 Total Grades awarded to learning sessions Grade 5 Grade 6

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Quality of education and training

Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel 0 1 4 3 0 8 0 0

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Quality of education and training

Visual & performing arts & media 0 0 4 4 0 8 0 0

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Quality of education and training

Family learning 0 2 5 2 0 10 1 0 Total 0 3 13 9 0 26 1 0 per cent 61.54% 34.62% 3.85%

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Quality of education and training

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 3 ENFIELD LEA

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Quality of education and training

10. Most teaching is well planned, skilful and stimulating. Tutors have high levels of professional expertise and knowledge of their areas of learning. Tutors and learners are very motivated.

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Quality of education and training

11. Most resources are satisfactory although scarce, and some classrooms are too small. There are insufficient crèche facilities and too few staff to cover the demands of a dispersed service.

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Quality of education and training

12. Assessment practice is insufficiently developed. Although informal assessment is regular and supports learners’ progress, there is little formal monitoring and evaluation of learning.

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Quality of education and training

13. Courses in the subcontracted provision do not reflect the wide range of needs of the community. There is a very narrow range of non-accredited provision and in many classes learners range from beginners to the very experienced. There are few progression routes.

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Quality of education and training

14. Family learning has significantly responded to the needs of the local communities. There are some innovative projects, successful partnerships and responsive learning programmes.

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Quality of education and training

15. Individual support of learners is good. However, many learners in subcontracted provision are not aware of the additional learning facilities.

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Leadership and management

16. There is strong leadership of the adult and community learning service. Many effective partnerships have been formed and the service has developed some innovative initiatives within a short space of time.

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Leadership and management

17. There is good communication across the service. This supports an open and consultative style of management.

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Leadership and management

18. Many effective activities have been initiated to widen participation which have supported capacity building for a wide range of learning activities across the borough. The number of learners in community learning programmes has significantly increased in the current year and there is good management of the few resources to tackle social exclusion.

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Leadership and management

19. There is inadequate planning of the subcontracted curriculum. There is a narrow range of provision and insufficient progression routes. Courses do not adequately reflect the needs of the community and minority ethnic groups are under-represented in the profile of learners.

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Leadership and management

20. There is insufficient quality assurance of subcontracted provision. Contracts are not specific about curriculum issues and the unreliability of data reduces the value of the

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 4 ENFIELD LEA

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Strengths

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Leadership and management

strong leadership of adult and community learning service ! effective measures to widen participation ! good internal and external communication !

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Weaknesses

inadequate curriculum planning and quality assurance in subcontracted provision ! insufficient resources ! insufficient use of data ! LEA’s scrutiny. There is inconsistency in the quality of learning across centres and many part-time staff operate in isolation with little regular support.

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Weaknesses

21. There are insufficient resources. Although the LEA has made good use of scarce resources there are too few staff to manage the demands of a dispersed service.

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Weaknesses

22. There is insufficient use of data. Data has not been used systematically to identify trends or to monitor the quality of provision.

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Weaknesses

23. The self-assessment process has not included learners or tutors and, although the process is improving, the analysis is not thorough. Many of the strengths identified by inspectors were in the self-assessment report, but many of the weaknesses had not been identified.

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Strengths

good achievement of personal goals, health and social benefits ! good teaching !

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Weaknesses

inconsistent approach to assessment ! insufficient management of curriculum !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 5 ENFIELD LEA

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Strengths

good standard of practical work ! stimulating teaching and good enrichment activities !

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Weaknesses

insufficient progression ! insufficient planning of the curriculum !

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Strengths

good teaching ! innovative, responsive provision ! good monitoring and evaluation !

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Weaknesses

weak formal recording of learning ! insufficient resources !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 6 ENFIELD LEA

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT ENFIELD LEA:

good teaching and support ! gaining confidence and new skills ! learning about their children’s education ! learning to support their children’s learning ! postal enrolment !

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK ENFIELD LEA COULD IMPROVE:

more opportunities for provision at different levels ! more provision nearer home ! more crèche provision ! more opportunities for progression to other courses ! better information about courses before enrolment !

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK ENFIELD LEA COULD IMPROVE:

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 7 ENFIELD LEA

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR ENFIELD LEA:

improve curriculum planning to ensure more responsive provision ! improve curriculum management in subcontracted provision ! provide more progression opportunities for non-accredited learning ! develop more formal assessment of learning ! more resources to support development of adult and community learning ! improve use of data as a basis for planning, delivery and monitoring of provision !

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR ENFIELD LEA:

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 8 ENFIELD LEA

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Language of the Adult and Community Learning Sector

Terminology varies across the range of education and training settings covered by the Common Inspection Framework. The table below indicates the terms appropriate to

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Relating the term to Adult and Community Learning

Provider Any organisation providing opportunities for adults to meet personal or collective goals through the experience of learning. Providers include local authorities, specialist designated institutions, voluntary and community sector organisations, regeneration partnerships and further education colleges

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Provider

Learner Includes those learning by participating in community projects, as well as those on courses. Learning, however, will be planned, with intended outcomes.

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trainer

Person teaching adult learners or guiding or facilitating their learning.

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trainer

Person providing individual, additional support, guidance and advice to learners to help them achieve their learning goals.

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goals

Intended gains in skills, knowledge or understanding. Gains may be reflected in the achievement of nationally recognised qualifications. Or they may be reflected in the ability of learners to apply learning in contexts outside the learning situation, e.g. in the family, community, or workplace. Learners’ main goal/s should be recorded on an individual or, in some cases, group learning plan. Plans should be revised as progress is made and new goals emerge.

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goals

These may include planned-for gains in self-confidence, and inter-personal skills. These should also be included in learning plans where appropriate.

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learning skills

These include being able to study independently, willingness to collaborate with others, and readiness to take up another opportunity for education or training.

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learning goals

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 9 ENFIELD LEA

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outcome

Adults often experience unanticipated gains as a result of being involved in learning. These include improved self-esteem, greater self-confidence and a growing sense of belonging to a community. Gains of this kind should be acknowledged and recorded in any record of achievement.

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programme

A programme organised around a body of knowledge, e.g. the structure and usage of the French language or ceramic glazing techniques. Students could be expected to progress from one aspect of the subject to another, to grasp increasingly complex concepts or analyses or to develop greater levels of skill or to apply skills to a new area of work.

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programme

A programme that is based on the concerns, interests and aspirations of particular groups, for example members of a Sikh Gurdwara wanting to address inter-faith relations in their town, or parents worried about the incidence of drug abuse in their locality. Issue-based learning tends to be associated with geographically defined communities, but the increasing use of electronic means of communication means that this need no longer be the case. Progress is defined in terms of the group's increasing ability to analyse its situation, to access new information and skills which will help it resolve its difficulties and generate solutions and its growing confidence in dealing with others to implement those solutions.

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provision

Provision established in a community setting in addition to provision made at an organisation's main site(s). Outreach programmes may be similar to courses at the main site(s) or be designed to meet the specific requirements of that community.

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based work

The provider’s staff have a long-term presence in a local community with a specific remit to understand the concerns of the local residents and develop learning activities to meet local needs and interests.

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regeneration

The process of improving the quality of life in communities by investing in their infrastructure and facilities, creating opportunities for training and employment and tackling poor health and educational under-achievement. Community regeneration requires the active participation of local residents in decision-making. Changes and improvements are often achieved either directly or indirectly as a result of the adult learning activities which arise from this.

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regeneration

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 10 ENFIELD LEA

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building

The process of enabling local people to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to take advantage of opportunities for employment, training and further education and to become selfmanaging, sustainable communities.

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citizenship

The process whereby people recognise the power they have to improve the quality of life for others and make a conscious effort to do so: the process whereby people recognise the power of organisations and institutions to act in the interests of the common good and exercise their influence to ensure that they do so. Adult learning contributes to active citizenship.

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Relating the term to Adult and Community Learning

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 11 ENFIELD LEA

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Grade 3

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Strengths

strong leadership of adult and community learning service ! effective measures to widen participation ! good internal and external communication !

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Weaknesses

inadequate curriculum planning and quality assurance in subcontracted provision ! insufficient resources ! insufficient use of data !

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Weaknesses

24. There is strong leadership of the adult and community learning service. Many effective partnerships have been formed to meet the strategic aims of the adult and community learning plan. The leadership of these effective partnerships, across the borough and beyond, has enabled community and voluntary providers of adult and community learning to build good and supportive relationships with others. An effective team has been created in a short period of time under the leadership of the service manager. Many providers and tutors describe the very good working relationships they enjoy with members of the team. They describe the benefits and value added to their activities as a result of the service’s support. This includes accommodation, ICT facilities, advice and guidance and help with quality assurance arrangements.

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Weaknesses

25. Activities to widen participation have been particularly effective and have provided good opportunities for capacity building within the borough. In the current year, there have been 641 learners on a range of community learning programmes, with 414 in family learning. The service manager has led negotiations with subcontracted colleges to share a community location and to jointly offer a range of courses where all administration for both colleges was included in a common set of documents. Good management of few resources has enabled the borough to operate alongside the existing and developing learning opportunities in a wide range of community projects. For example, 12 individual groups have been supported, including provision for women, minority ethnic groups and older adults. Alterations have been made to doors in one subcontractor’s premises to enable access for those with restricted mobility, and the

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Weaknesses

provision of laptops has been made for those learners in isolated centres. Advice, accommodation and provision of computers have been particularly useful in enabling groups to continue to operate after the end of the funding support. A number of conferences have been held which have included key speakers with a national profile. Participants report on the inspiration and motivation that attendance at these events has brought to the communities and workplaces in the borough.

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 12 ENFIELD LEA

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Weaknesses

26. There is good communication. There are regular meetings at senior management level, service manager level and among the adult and community learning team. Each member of the team has individual meetings with the service manager and informal communication is particularly effective where staff share office space. There is an open and consultative management style. Staff are consulted regularly and are encouraged to discuss their concerns and suggestions with line managers. Informal communications are effective and have a good effect on the performance of staff. There are frequent review meetings held with subcontracted providers and regular informal contact takes place at all levels. The strategic aims of the service are communicated to partners in focus groups, with learners in regular meetings, and to a wider audience through acclaimed conferences. The content of the strategic plan and development plan are clearly

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Weaknesses

understood by staff, who are committed to the plans’ objectives and motivated to achieve their targets.

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Weaknesses

27. There is a sound process of annual appraisal when individual training needs are identified and linked to job roles and organisational training needs. Staff development for authority staff is good. It includes a thorough induction and a range of in-house opportunities including health and safety, information technology (IT) and customer service. There is mandatory training in equal opportunities. Documents have been reviewed and updated to give clear guidance on rights and responsibilities, current legislation and grievance and complaints procedures for staff and learners. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills through internal and external training activities. Most staff are well qualified for the roles they carry out. Staff development is less satisfactory among subcontracted staff. Although staff development is offered, part-time staff are not paid for attendance and take-up is low.

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Weaknesses

28. There is inadequate curriculum planning in the subcontracted provision. There is little overall planning to ensure a coherent, comprehensive and appropriate curriculum. The range of provision is narrow and there are insufficient appropriate progression routes. Provision is often determined by the expertise of existing staff. Many planned courses are cancelled and under-subscribed courses are combined to create classes with very high numbers, often over 20. There is continuing demand for repetition of the same course year on year by existing learners. There are strategies in place to deal with many of the issues including maximum class sizes and fee remission for new learners, but it is too early for many of these measures to have had an impact on learners.

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Weaknesses

29. The LEA does not fund discrete basic skills and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) as these are provided by the further education colleges. However, some provision is integrated in a number of the community projects, and in family learning programmes. Additional support is available and arrangements are put in place when an individual expresses a need. However, the service is not widely advertised and many learners are not aware of it. The service’s basic skills strategy is yet to be developed.

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Weaknesses

30. There are insufficient resources to support adult and community learning programmes. Although the service has made good use of few resources and a very low

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 13 ENFIELD LEA

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Weaknesses

funding base, there are too few staff to manage the demands of a dispersed service. There have been insufficient resources to establish management information systems. There are insufficient staff development opportunities for some subcontracted staff and many staff work in isolation. There is a lack of appropriate accommodation for some provision. For example, a watercolour class is held in a cramped room with too many learners attending and there is no water supply. Other rooms have insufficient light.

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Weaknesses

31. There has been no reliable system of management of information within the borough. Data have been collected by subcontracted providers, but these have not been reliable and there has been little analysis other than for contract compliance. Data have not been used systematically to identify trends. The data provided in learner satisfaction questionnaires are only used to monitor the quality of the provision in that particular programme. New arrangements for one of the subcontracted colleges to manage the information needs of the adult and community learning service are currently being put into place.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

32. Enfield has a rapidly changing profile. It is becoming increasingly ethnically and culturally diverse and includes wards of extreme deprivation as well as affluent areas. Some wards have people with poor literacy skill levels, 7 per cent above the national average. There is also a growing number of people aged 50 years and over in the borough. In 2001, 53 per cent of primary school children came from minority ethnic groups, including Greek, Cypriot and Turkish.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

33. The council has a comprehensive equal opportunities policy and a range of procedures covering all service departments of the authority. There is a corporate equalities action plan and each service area, including the lifelong and community learning service, reports on equality in its annual service centre plan. The council has made a good response to the requirements of the ’Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000’. It has developed a three-year action plan including race equality performance indicators, targets and action plans for the different service areas. The improvement plan for the lifelong and community learning service identified the weaknesses which were also identified by inspectors. The race equality scheme annual report is available in a range of languages and/or formats. The council also provides guidance for all staff on the ’Disability Discrimination Act 1995’ including a disability statement for adult learners.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

34. Subcontracting arrangements are included in the council requirements to conform to all policies. However, inadequate management information systems limit the collection and analysis of data on equality in college provision. Data are not collected for equal opportunities analysis of achievement and retention, nor are they used to inform curriculum planning and delivery. Some of the learners are not made sufficiently aware of the existence of procedures within their induction.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

35. The adult and community service works effectively alongside a wide range of providers and with other council service areas to promote equality and diversity across the borough. There is a strong awareness of the need to develop strong partnership

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 14 ENFIELD LEA

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

arrangements to promote sustainable cultural change across the community. The adult and community learning service promotes and supports a wide range of innovative community development work including research projects to develop the capacity in local groups to deliver community development and learning. Other initiatives include work with MIND, in response to gaps in provision for learners with mental health difficulties, work with the Turkish, Cypriot and Greek communities, work with the library service, and a range of consultation exercises and conference work. Celebrations of learning include recognition of older learners in the borough. Many of the projects effectively use a range of funding sources to maximise provision. The family learning programme has been particularly successful in attracting many new and hard-to-reach learners and 414 learners have been involved in a range of programmes in the current

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

year. While the service provides some excellent examples of partnership work to widen participation and work with particularly vulnerable learners, provision is severely limited by funding. Many of the projects raise learners’ aims and many would like to pursue further learning opportunities. These are limited by the funding allocation for the service.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

36. The concessionary fee remission policy ensures that basic fees are kept relatively low in college provision. New fee arrangements have been put into place to allow subcontractors to use 25 per cent of their grant to fund a full fee remission to encourage new learners into provision. There is insufficient crèche provision across the borough, although some provision has been available to support family learning programmes.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

37. The adult and community learning service has recognised the low levels of participation by minority ethnic groups in the subcontracted provision at one of the colleges. Out of 490 learners, only 9 per cent are from minority ethnic groups. This weakness has also been recognised by the college and provision is planned for next year to improve participation rates. However, targets have only been set for overall provision and not for individual programmes or subcontractors.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

38. The LEA’s main contractors provide college learning support units. Although they are available to adult and community learning learners on request, there is little take-up and many learners are unaware how to access resources to support their learning. There is little evidence to show the use of specialist equipment to support learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There are access difficulties for learners with restricted mobility in a number of school sites. In some buildings, internal sign posting is poor. There are inadequate arrangements for identifying additional learning support needs. Arrangements for initial assessment are not sufficiently detailed and few learners have been identified as needing additional learning support. There is no analysis to indicate the numbers of learners who might benefit from additional support. There are individual learning plans in family learning, although they are insufficiently detailed. There are few

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

records in visual and performing arts, and sports, leisure and hospitality to record progress and learning outcomes. In these areas of learning there is also little indication that the curriculum is planned to reflect the cultural diversity of the borough.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 3

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 15 ENFIELD LEA

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

39. Enfield adult and community learning service has an established quality assurance policy and its procedures for implementation are clear and understood by staff. Subcontractors have their own policies and procedures and copies are available for staff and are included in the staff handbook.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

40. Self assessment has identified that quality assurance procedures are not closely linked. The self-assessment report identifies that the quality of learning varies between college sites, centres and within areas of learning. There are no formal arrangements for the sharing of good practice. However, in family learning the co-ordinator holds frequent meetings and training sessions for tutors, and the sharing of good practice is particularly good. There are new quality assurance arrangements for family learning, and improvements are already taking place in the quality of teaching and learning.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

41. There is insufficient quality assurance of the subcontracted provision. Annual contracts are held with two local colleges and include all aspects of provision including fee structures. However, the contracts are not specific about the curriculum. There is frequent contact between the LEA and college staff and regular formal meetings take place to review contracts. However, although meetings are well recorded and are followed up by actions where appropriate, the impact of these reviews on curriculum planning and management has been minimal. There are arrangements for monitoring the quality of learning programmes, but the authority is over-reliant on the systems of the subcontractors and the data supplied by them. All contracts contain a service guarantee, but this only states broad principles of performance standards. There has been some monitoring of the quality of provision, but the unreliability of the data reduces the value

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

of its scrutiny. The authority has mechanisms in place to ensure the systems of the subcontractor are effective, and frequent meetings and reviews take place. However, clear and measurable targets are not set for each individual learning programme. There is insufficient information to plan for improvements in teaching and learning and inconsistency in the quality of learning across centres. The initial assessment is weak in some curriculum areas and, although information and advice and guidance services are available, many learners in community locations are unaware of the services. There is little formal recording of learners’ aims or monitoring of learners’ progress and achievements. The individual learning plan does not help the learner to evaluate the next steps in learning. In one sports class, there was no formal or recorded assessment of a health screening at the start of the course. This constitutes a health risk, particularly

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

42. The quality assurance arrangements of directly managed provision are satisfactory. Staff development is available to train staff to observe teaching and learning, to assist with the evaluation of learner satisfaction and to develop quality assurance systems with information gained from learner focus groups.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

43. The learner questionnaires show good levels of satisfaction, but there is no common system among subcontractors for the collation of information. Learner feedback is collected through surveys and if a course is considered to be satisfactory it will run the following year. There is little indication of why it was not good or better. There is little

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 16 ENFIELD LEA

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

recorded follow-up of learners who leave courses early. Subcontractors operate a complaints system which is held centrally. However, the authority does not use the information to ensure that improvements are implemented.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

44. Enfield LEA has sound systems in place to monitor health and safety. An initial risk assessment is carried out and monitoring takes place regularly. Subcontractors are checked during contract review visits.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

45. The self-assessment report identified the weakness in the quality assurance arrangements and recognises where considerable improvements need to be made. The self-assessment process has included managers of subcontracted provision, but has not included tutors or learners. Overall the self-assessment process is improving, but the analysis is not thorough. There is little critical and thorough analysis of performance.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 4

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 17 ENFIELD LEA

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Grade 3 Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Achievement and standards

46. There is good achievement of personal goals including good health, and a variety of social benefits. Learners express great satisfaction with their courses and speak passionately of the lifestyle benefits and impact of courses on their lives. Courses support learners to become more energetic in their daily lives and to counter stress, anxiety and anger and to become more relaxed. Improvements in general health include relief from back and neck pain, improved posture and movement and increased flexibility and relief from arthritis. Keep fit, movement and dance courses improve physical performance, flexibility, strength, stamina, mental alertness and memory. For some learners who have mental health difficulties, courses help to reduce reliance on medication.

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Achievement and standards

47. Learners demonstrate a good standard of skills and knowledge. They work hard, are able to display correct techniques and good posture, and actively participate in their lessons. The retention rate for the current year is 85 per cent. At the time of inspection, attendance was 73 per cent.

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Quality of education and training

48. Teaching is good. Lessons are well prepared, planned and taught and learners make good progress. In t’ai chi the tutor skillfully positioned learners to create good opportunities for them to support and learn from each other. Tutors give good individual support and are sensitive to the wide range of needs in their groups. In keep-fit lessons, tutors carefully placed learners who require more visual prompts to help them perform movement sequences, among the more experienced learners. In a sugar flowers for cake tops lesson, the tutor successfully challenged learners to work at a high standard, taking account of the wide range of levels in the group. Tutors give good feedback to learners during lessons and constructive comments help learners to make progress and to improve their understanding of the subject. This strength was identified in the self-

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Strengths

good achievement of personal goals, health and social benefits ! good teaching !

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Weaknesses

inconsistent approach to assessment ! insufficient management of curriculum !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 18 ENFIELD LEA

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Weaknesses

49. Resources are satisfactory. Teachers are appropriately qualified and update their qualifications through local, national and international associations. In most cases, suitable and appropriate rooms are available for courses. Although standards differ across the provision, access to sites is generally satisfactory. However, some rooms are small and in one lesson observed, learners were cramped. Also, although a craft room was recently refurbished to a high standard, it is on the second floor of an old school building and there is no supported access for people with disabilities.

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Weaknesses

50. The use of assessment is inconsistent. In most courses the assessment of learners’ achievements is informal and little use is made of individual learning plans to assess or monitor learning. In some courses plans are used, but tutors question their value. A recently designed learning plan includes more specific focus on monitoring of progress, but some staff are unsure how to use it. There is no consistent approach to health screening for sports classes. However, some tutors use forms that are designed by their national associations to identify physical limitations or difficulties.

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Weaknesses

51. The curriculum offer is limited in the subcontracted provision. It is based historically on what has recruited well in the past and some courses have been offered for many years with the same learners. There are some very large mixed-level groups. There are no clearly defined progression routes. The programme is based predominantly in the more affluent part of the borough. There are few men, younger people and people from minority ethnic groups in the classes. There are few links with leisure providers in the public or private sectors. An exception is the work with a mental health charity in the southeast of the borough. A programme of consultation with local disability groups and mental health community groups identified the needs of minority ethnic groups with mental health difficulties. As a result a series of courses, including yoga and t’ai chi, has been developed. The self-assessment report celebrates this project.

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Weaknesses

52. There are variations in guidance and support for learners. Learners enjoy a good level of individual support from their tutors who create strong informal support networks in their individual courses. For many learners advice about courses is helpful, although some learners find it difficult to make telephone contact with the colleges, and there has been some confusion about enrolment arrangements for the coming year. Some learners have little knowledge of additional support arrangements within their colleges.

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Leadership and management

53. There is insufficient management of the curriculum, including poor planning of the programme and the absence of progression routes for non-accredited provision. There is insufficient management data to monitor performance trends and the quality of teaching and learning. There is also insufficient staff support and training for part-time staff. Although all staff have regular training, they arrange it themselves through their local, national and international associations or guilds. There is no specific subject support offered by the colleges, and tutors pay for their own training. There are few opportunities to share good practice and staff largely work in isolation. Although the self-

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 19 ENFIELD LEA

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Leadership and management

assessment report acknowledges some of the strengths identified by inspectors, it does not identify any of the weaknesses. Significant improvement plans are in place for the management and delivery of this area of learning, including a budget strategy to secure wider participation rates. However, planned changes are not yet established.

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 20 ENFIELD LEA

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Grade 3 Visual & performing arts & media

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Achievement and standards

54. The standard of learners’ practical work is good. Learners are encouraged to keep portfolios of their art work to demonstrate their progress through the various components of the syllabus. These include the use of perspective, shading, and outdoor watercolour and portrait painting techniques. Exhibitions of learners’ work exemplify high standards of patchwork, quilting and needlecraft. The work incorporates great accuracy and good design and use of colour. The learners who were interviewed expressed great enthusiasm for their learning and stated that learning has altered and heightened their visual perception. They appreciate the wide range of crafts they are able to produce in their classes. Learners achieve a good standard of independent and collaborative learning and are motivated by their tutors and often finish their work at home. One college opera class enjoys very successful performance of opera and

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Achievement and standards

musical theatre. Each year, two full-scale productions are staged as well as a summer concert. Learners participate in all aspects of the production including wardrobe design and building scenery. Some learners achieve very high standards of performance and progress onto full-time opera courses at the conservatories and professional opera houses. Retention rates are good and average 90 per cent across the two providers. At the time of inspection the attendance rate was good at 90 per cent.

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Quality of education and training

55. All teaching is satisfactory or better and much is stimulating. In all the classes the tutors are practitioners in their specialist area and bring an in-depth and up-to-date knowledge to their classes. These high levels of professional expertise enrich the learning experience and provide learners with challenging and stimulating material as a context for their own work. The teaching of skills is good, and learning effectively builds on learners’ prior experience and knowledge. Learners work at their own pace and in some lessons, homework is discussed in the group and learners are offered effective feedback. Learners discuss their work with confidence.

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Quality of education and training

56. A wide range of materials is provided by the tutors and includes reference books,

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Strengths

good standard of practical work ! stimulating teaching and good enrichment activities !

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Weaknesses

insufficient progression ! insufficient planning of the curriculum !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 21 ENFIELD LEA

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Weaknesses

paint brushes and information in fact sheets on where to purchase cheaper materials. However, some classrooms are unsuitable. One has no access for people with restricted mobility and an art classroom was too small for life drawing. Learners experience difficulty in positioning their easels and getting a good view of the model. In small classrooms, tutors find it difficult to get around to all the learners in the cramped accommodation. One classroom had no sink facilities.

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Weaknesses

57. The monitoring and assessment of learners’ progress is largely informal. Learners are given regular and constructive feedback and clear guidance on how to improve their work. Learners are aware of their progress, but there is little recording of the progress they are making except through their portfolios of work.

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Weaknesses

58. In all but two classes, there is no opportunity for progression to a higher skill level. In most classes the learners range from beginners to the very experienced. The self- assessment report did not recognise this weakness. Although tutors provide stimulating teaching, there is some frustration about the wide range of needs which have to be met. All of the practical classes have 20 learners on the register and not 15 as reported in the self-assessment report. As attendance in classes is good, accommodation issues are exacerbated.

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Weaknesses

59. Tutors provide good support in lessons, but many learners are not sufficiently aware of the additional support arrangements and facilities on offer within the college environments.

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Leadership and management

60. There is insufficient planning of the curriculum. The programme is largely traditional and many courses have been offered for a number of years. The curriculum is not meeting the full range of learning needs in the community. There is no targeting of minority ethnic groups to increase their participation and there are insufficient progression opportunities for non-accredited programmes. Course planning is responsive to the learners who attend, but insufficiently creative in the development of new courses to attract new learners. There is no sharing of good practice across the borough. There is little staff development for part-time tutors who teach on non- accredited courses and some tutors feel isolated. One tutor had not been visited by anyone for at least 18 months and had not been trained on how to complete new quality assurance documents. The skills of tutors are not used effectively to include advice and

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Leadership and management

guidance during enrolment of new learners.

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Leadership and management

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 22 ENFIELD LEA

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Grade 2 Family learning

The following strengths and weaknesses were identified during this inspection:

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Achievement and standards

61. Achievement in family learning is satisfactory and, in the current year, there is a good overall retention rate of 74 per cent. Learners on ’share’ programmes prepare portfolios and receive accreditation. Learners have progressed to a range of college courses and some have become volunteers or classroom assistants at local schools. Learners confirm that they have gained confidence, improved their learning skills and understand how their children learn. They use their newly acquired skills at home to support their children’s reading and play activities. They enjoy learning about the national curriculum topics as their children. They gain confidence and start thinking about their own progression. For example, many move on to work as classroom assistants, do voluntary work or college courses. Displays in school classrooms celebrate achievement and the activities that parents and children engage in during sessions.

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Quality of education and training

62. Seventy per cent of teaching is good or better. Lessons are well planned and detailed and schemes of work and group plans include learning objectives and a range of stimulating activities for parents and children. During a parenting class the teacher skillfully used role-play to reinforce and practise the skills needed to handle difficult and challenging behaviour of children. Learners are able to learn and use a range of behaviour management strategies. In an ’ICT for parents’ class, the learners were well supported and good skills were developed. The step-by-step teaching and coaching, the good use of the electronic whiteboard and projector during the demonstration and the questioning of learners’ understanding, facilitated learning and individual progress. In a class taught by a parent facilitator, all learners received a comprehensive chess learning pack which included strategies on improving techniques and developing learning

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Quality of education and training

strategies to use with their children. The teacher created numerous opportunities to reflect, to ask questions and to demonstrate how these strategies could be transferred for independent learning. In family literacy classes, mothers gain an understanding of phonics to support their children’s reading skills.

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Strengths

good teaching ! innovative, responsive provision ! good monitoring and evaluation !

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Weaknesses

weak formal recording of learning ! insufficient resources !

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Weaknesses

© 2003 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 23 ENFIELD LEA

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Weaknesses

63. The learning materials are well prepared. In the better classes teachers use appropriate materials and resources which reflect the diverse language backgrounds of learners. However, resources are insufficient. There is a full-time family learning co- ordinator, but there are no dedicated full-time teaching staff and there are too few staff to cover the demands of a dispersed service. Some classrooms are too small for the number of parents and children in a session and there are insufficient crèche facilities. In some lessons, parents could not hear their teacher or concentrate because the children were disruptive and classroom space was limited.

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Weaknesses

64. Formal recording of progress is weak. Although arrangements for initial assessment are in place for most courses, there is inconsistent practice. In some courses a questionnaire is used, but this does not identify the skills that parents need to improve and develop. In all observed lessons, formal reviews of learning had not taken place. The use of individual learning plans is inadequate. Often they are not sufficiently detailed to plan the learning programmes and they do not include individual targets for the review of progress. While learners clearly gain confidence and new skills, they are not recorded.

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Weaknesses

65. The family learning provision has responded significantly to the needs of the local communities. A range of innovative family learning initiatives has created opportunities for parents and carers in schools and other settings. The work has been successfully developed in partnership with a wide range of organisations and particularly in areas of socio-economic deprivation. The courses are mostly tasters and short courses which encourage learners to return to learning. There are few resources, which limits the range of opportunities for progression to further courses within the community. Learners say that they would benefit from longer sessions that fit in with the school calendar and which are close to their homes.

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Leadership and management

66. The management of family learning is satisfactory. The area benefits from a full-time family learning co-ordinator who has supported and organised extensive training for the area. A number of effective in-service training and professional development opportunities are available to part time staff. Good support is available to part-time tutors and the recently established tutor forum has improved communication and sharing of good practice throughout the borough. The LEA has established a basic skills working group, but the group has yet to develop the basic skills strategy for the borough. An effective quality assurance system is developing. A teaching observation scheme has recently been introduced for family learning. There are comprehensive and detailed course files and documents. The newly devised quality assurance systems are having an impact on improving teaching and learning practice. A number of specialist reviews have

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Leadership and management

been carried out to help develop future practice. The self-assessment report identified many of the strengths, but it underestimated the good teaching and did not recognise some of the weaknesses.

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