Setting

13 May 2005

HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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13 May 2005

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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13 May 2005

Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas. 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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13 May 2005

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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Grading

HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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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 • work-based learning for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • the University for Industry’s provision • Adult and Community Learning • learning and job preparation programmes funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

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REINSPECTION REPORT

Text5: Hartlepool Adult Education (Hartlepool LEA) Reinspection

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Contents

Description of the provider 1 Scope of provision 1 About the reinspection 3 Overall judgement 3 Grades 4 Key findings 5

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Contents

Leadership and management 14 Equality of opportunity 16 Quality assurance 17 English, languages & communications 19 Foundation programmes 22 Family learning 26 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. Hartlepool Adult Education Service (the service) was formed in 1996 after local government reorganisation. It is part of the unitary authority of Hartlepool Borough Council and is currently managed by the education department. Within the education department, the service is part of the policy planning and children’s services division, which is led by the assistant director. The service is managed by a full-time adult education co-ordinator, who is supported by a team of three senior managers, five curriculum co-ordinators and 10 administrative staff. The service directly delivers 95 per cent of the provision with approximately 30 part-time sessional tutors. It subcontracts the remaining 5 per cent to small organisations on an individual basis. Most of this is in sports-related provision.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. The service is based at the education development centre on the outskirts of Hartlepool, with one outreach base in a voluntary sector premises. The service delivers its provision in 42 venues and aims to deliver provision in venues accessible to the local community. It works with many local community organisations, schools and other statutory organisations and seeks to provide a flexible programme that meets the needs of the local population.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

3. Hartlepool, along with the other authorities that comprise Tees Valley, is an area where a large proportion of the workforce is in unskilled or semi-skilled work. At 4 per cent, the unemployment rate is higher than the regional rate of 2.8 per cent or the national average of 2.1 per cent. The Hartlepool area has high levels of deprivation and is the eighth most deprived borough out of 354 in the UK. According to the 2001 census, the proportion of the population from minority ethnic groups is low at 1.2 per cent.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

4. At the time of the inspection, the service was offering 139 classes in nine areas of learning, although some of these areas were too small to be inspected. In total, the service had 2,340 enrolments. During 2003-04, 1,921 learners made 3,063 enrolments. In addition to this, 262 learners took part in short learning events of up to three hours in duration. Some of the provision leads to the achievement of formal qualifications. The service caters for anyone over the age of 16 but most learners are over 18. Five per cent are aged under 19, 72 per cent are aged 19 to 59, and 23 per cent are aged 60 or over. There are a small number of learners under 16 years of age who are taught in partnership with schools and other organisations to meet specific needs. Seventy-three per cent of learners are women.

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English, languages & communications

5. At the time of the reinspection, the service offered 23 courses in 10 different venues in

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English, languages & communications

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 1 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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English, languages & communications

Hartlepool. Fifteen of these were in a range of different modern foreign languages and the remainder were in English language general certificate of secondary education (GCSE), British Sign Language (BSL) and lip-reading. Courses are available during the day but most take place during the evening. The service offers non-accredited provision in Spanish, French, German, Italian and Greek, with progression opportunities available to level 1 which is accredited with the Open College Network (OCN). Provision in BSL ranges from a 12-week non-accredited introductory course to level 1 and level 2 courses, which are accredited by the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People. The lip-reading course is non-accredited. Thirty per cent of learners are on accredited courses. During 2004-05, 226 participated, of whom 70 are men, 156 are women and 11 have declared a disability. There are no learners from minority ethnic

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English, languages & communications

groups. Ninety per cent are aged 25 or over and 14 per cent are over the age of 65. The area of learning is managed by a recently appointed curriculum co-ordinator, who is supported by a team of four directly employed members of staff and seven sessional staff.

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Foundation programmes

6. The service provides literacy, numeracy and language programmes in seven centres, some of which are community settings. Of the 382 learners on courses in 2003-04, 61 per cent were women, 58 per cent had learning disabilities and difficulties, and 8 per cent were from minority ethnic groups. Provision for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities has been reduced to one group since 2004. At the time of the inspection there were 168 learners, of whom 72 per cent had not engaged in education within the previous year. Fourteen per cent of learners are from minority ethnic groups, mainly on the English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses, and 5 per cent of learners have learning disabilities and difficulties. The service offers 13 courses, including four literacy, four numeracy and four ESOL courses, and one course for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Ninety-one per cent of learners are women. Thirty-six per

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Foundation programmes

cent of learners are over the age of 25. Learners study part time for two to three hours each week for 10 weeks. Sessions are available in the day and some in the evenings. The range of courses includes non-accredited and accredited literacy and numeracy at levels 1 and 2. Additional courses are offered in creative writing and writing for meaning.

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Foundation programmes

7. The service serves an area of very high deprivation. Learners come from a wide range of backgrounds, with the largest proportion of learners from minority ethnic groups from Pakistan and Bangladesh, and a growing number from the new members of the European Union.

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Foundation programmes

8. The foundation team has five fractional permanent staff and a new skills for life manager was appointed in April 2005. Skills for life is the government’s strategy on training in literacy, numeracy and the use of language. The service has nine skills for life champions in six vocational areas, and six volunteer support tutors. The head of adult education supports the curriculum team. There are regular meetings to review each course’s retention, achievement and attendance levels.

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Foundation programmes

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 2 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Family learning

9. Since September 2004, 117 learners have enrolled on family learning courses. In 2003- 04, 219 learners were enrolled on family learning programmes. At the time of inspection, 56 learners were attending six courses running in different school and community venues across Hartlepool. Family learning programmes represent 11 per cent of the service’s total provision. Ninety-eight per cent of learners are women. Forty per cent of the courses are accredited. Two of the wider family learning courses, family healthy eating awareness, and computers together, are at OCN level 1. The parents and toddlers at home (Patch) programme is accredited at level 2. The remaining classes, keeping up with the children, arts and crafts together, and family literacy, are non-accredited. All classes are run in school hours and are supported by crèche provision. Class sizes are small and courses last for between six and 12 weeks.

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Family learning

10. Family learning works with all other curriculum areas in the service. This area of learning is managed by a primary strategy co-ordinator, who supervises the family learning strategy and liaises with schools, partnerships and curriculum co-ordinators on the development and delivery of family learning courses.

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OVERALL JUDGEMENT

11. At the previous inspection, the overall quality of the provision was not adequate to meet the reasonable needs of those receiving it. More specifically, the service’s leadership and management were unsatisfactory, as was its quality assurance. The equality of opportunity arrangements were satisfactory. The service’s English, languages and communications, and family learning programmes, were unsatisfactory, while foundation programmes were very weak. Information and communications technology (ICT) and hospitality, sport, leisure and travel programmes were judged to be satisfactory. The service’s business administration, management and professional, health, social care and public service, and visual and performing arts and media courses were all judged to be good.

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OVERALL JUDGEMENT

12. At the end of the reinspection process, all aspects of the provision were found to be satisfactory.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

Number of inspectors 9 Number of inspection days 35 Number of learners interviewed 232 Number of staff interviewed 62 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 45 Number of partners/external agencies interviewed 20

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

Leadership and management 4 Contributory grades:

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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

Equality of opportunity 3 Quality assurance 4

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GRADES

2 Business administration, management & professional Contributory grades: None 2 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

3 Information & communications technology Contributory grades: None 3 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

3 Hospitality, sport, leisure & travel Contributory grades: None 3 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

2 Health, social care & public services Contributory grades: None 2 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

2 Visual & performing arts & media Contributory grades: None 2 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

4 English, languages & communications Contributory grades: None 4 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

5 Foundation programmes Contributory grades: None 5 Adult and community learning

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GRADES

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GRADES

4 Family learning Contributory grades: None 4 Adult and community learning

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Achievement and standards

13. At the previous inspection, retention was identified as a weakness in a number of areas of learning. Retention is now at least satisfactory in all areas of learning and in some it is very good. In business administration, management and professional programmes, retention was declining at the previous inspection. This is no longer the case. Levels of achievement are now high in this curriculum area. Similarly, retention has improved in ICT programmes and is now at over 90 per cent. This was identified as a weakness in this area at the previous inspection. The hospitality, sport, leisure and

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travel courses and those in health, social care and public services have maintained the

very high levels of achievement and retention identified in the previous inspection.

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

grade 1= outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = unsatisfactory, grade 5 = very weak Grades awarded at reinspection

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

Leadership and management 2 Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 2 Quality assurance 3

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

English, languages & communications 3 Contributory grades: Adult and community learning 3

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

Foundation programmes 3 Contributory grades: Adult and community learning 3

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

Family learning 3 Contributory grades: Adult and community learning 3

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 5 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

were poor in the previous inspection, but at 83 per cent retention is now good. Courses in this curriculum area that have completed during the 2004-05 year have satisfactory achievement rates of 91 per cent. Retention in ESOL courses has improved significantly from 52 per cent to 95 per cent since the previous inspection and achievement rates are now satisfactory.

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

14. The standard of learners’ work is good in all areas of learning. In the teaching assistants courses it is particularly good. The very good standard of work in the arts courses has been maintained since the previous inspection. Similarly, the standards in the hospitality and arts courses has remained at a high level. Learners on foundation and family learning programmes develop improved confidence in their literacy and numeracy skills or in supporting their children’s learning. ICT learners also develop good practical skills and many are able to use these skills at home or in their work.

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

15. The overall standard of teaching and learning has improved since the previous inspection. Learners within the business administration, management and professional area still benefit from the good teaching and learning identified in the previous inspection. In ICT, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, as it was at the previous inspection. However, there has been an improvement in the use of assessment in the planning of learning in this area and the rate of learners’ progress in lessons, both of which were identified as weaknesses in the previous inspection. Lessons in the hospitality and sport curriculum area are well taught. Similarly, the teaching in art and craft lessons, and in the health, social care and public services lessons, remains at the high standard identified in the previous inspection. In the previous inspection, teaching in English, languages and communications, and in foundation programmes, was judged

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

to be unsatisfactory. It is now satisfactory in both of these areas. Teaching and learning on family learning courses are also satisfactory. In all areas of learning the identification of additional learning needs is appropriate. With the recent introduction of skills for life champions, the learners receive satisfactory support in each curriculum area.

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

16. Assessment is generally appropriate. However, there is some poor planning of lessons to meet the needs of individual learners. This is particularly so in English, languages and communications and in foundation programme lessons. The service has introduced a new individual learning plan but not all tutors use this effectively.

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

17. Lessons take place in rooms which are generally satisfactory. Learners are taught in pleasant, non-threatening environments at a convenient distance from their homes. The service provides crèche facilities for family learning courses, although these do not Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 7 Total Grades awarded to learning sessions Grade 5 Grade 6 English, languages & communications 0 4 4 1 0 9 0 0

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Retention and achievement rates in English, languages and communications courses

Foundation programmes 0 0 6 1 0 7 0 0 Family learning 0 3 3 0 0 6 0 0 Total 0 7 13 2 0 22 0 0

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Quality of education and training

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 6 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Quality of education and training

always meet individual parents’ requirements. Other resources are similarly appropriate to meet the learners’ needs. Staff across all areas of learning are appropriately qualified and experienced.

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Quality of education and training

18. The range of courses offered in family learning is narrow, with most classes taking

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place during the day. The range of courses in sport has increased since the previous

inspection, when it was judged to be too narrow. In English, languages and communications there is a good range of courses to attract new learners. All other areas offer an appropriate range of courses. The service works with local organisations to ensure that courses meet the aspirations of local communities. It plans progression routes and in most areas of learning includes consideration of courses that other providers offer.

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place during the day. The range of courses in sport has increased since the previous

19. Learners receive appropriate information about courses before they start. Course information leaflets are appropriately detailed with sufficient information to give a broad outline of the course. In addition, learners are able to contact the service, where they are able to speak to a subject expert. In 2004-05, the service introduced an additional lesson at the start of every course to ensure that learners receive appropriate information and an opportunity to move to a different course if they wish. The service identifies learners’ additional learning needs and arranges appropriate support.

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Leadership and management

20. Leadership and management have improved since the previous inspection, where they were judged to be unsatisfactory. They are now good.

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Leadership and management

21. The service has implemented a range of effective actions to rectify the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. For example, the service has been effective in improving the retention rates across the provision. Similarly, it has improved and simplified its approach to business planning. Its collection and use of data have also improved since the previous inspection, although much of this has been introduced recently and has yet to have a significant effect on the provision.

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Leadership and management

22. Strategic planning is satisfactory. The service’s three-year development plan is clear and identifies the main strategic objectives and how these contribute to achieving Hartlepool Borough Council’s and the local Learning and Skills Council’s strategic goals. All staff understand these broad strategic objectives.

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Leadership and management

23. Strategic planning for the curriculum areas is insufficient. Each curriculum area has a strategy document outlining the service’s strategic objectives and the courses that the area intends to run in the following year. However, this document does not identify how the courses will contribute to meeting these broader strategic objectives, although there is some evidence that this is done during informal discussions with the curriculum manager.

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Leadership and management

24. The service’s staff appraisal and staff development arrangements are satisfactory. All staff, whether contracted and hourly paid, have an annual appraisal with a six-monthly

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Leadership and management

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 7 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Leadership and management

review. Their performance in the previous year is reviewed and new targets are agreed. The service has run a number of staff development sessions, for example, equality and diversity and teaching-related matters such as differentiation. Hourly paid staff are paid to attend these sessions. All staff are able to attend relevant training that other organisations provide.

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Leadership and management

25. Communications within the service are satisfactory, with regular meetings that are appropriately recorded. The service sends out a monthly newsletter to all staff who are unable to attend the weekly team briefing meetings. Each month, tutors meet with their line manager and curriculum co-ordinators meet with the curriculum manager.

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Leadership and management

26. Equality of opportunity was judged to be satisfactory at the previous inspection. It is now good. In particular, its strategies to widen its participation of learners from under- represented groups have been very effective. They are well integrated with other aspects of management within the service. Programmes are designed to engage learners and communities who have not previously been involved in learning and there are many examples of learners progressing from these courses to others that the service provides. The service chooses venues carefully to ensure that they are accessible to the targeted group of learners. Much of this work is aimed at deprived areas within Hartlepool.

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Leadership and management

27. The service has set itself a target of ensuring that 32 per cent of learners are men. Each area of learning contributes to achieving this target, but they have no specific targets. The service monitors the participation of priority groups but does not monitor performance such as retention or achievement by gender, ethnicity or disability.

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Leadership and management

28. The service has recently revised and updated its equality of opportunity policies and procedures. Learners receive information outlining the service’s commitment to equality of opportunity and are made aware of the range of support available to them. It has audited marketing materials to ensure that they are easy to read, that there is no cultural or ethnic bias, and no stereotypes.

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Leadership and management

29. Before the previous inspection the service carried out an accessibility audit on all the venues that it uses. Since then, the service has taken action to improve access where necessary.

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Leadership and management

30. At the previous inspection, quality assurance was judged to be unsatisfactory. It is now satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

31. The service has put in place a more effective system for the observation of teaching and learning. It observes all staff at least once each year and there is a clear strategy for dealing with tutors whose observations are not satisfactory. The profile of grades given by the service’s observations was broadly similar to the profile given by inspectors.

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Leadership and management

32. The service has recently introduced a range of quality assurance procedures to ensure that all learners receive an equally good experience. These procedures are appropriate, although some are too recent to have had any significant effect on the quality of the provision. Not all tutors are using some aspects consistently, for example

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Leadership and management

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 8 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Leadership and management

During the reinspection process, the inspectors identified the following strengths and weaknesses:

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Strengths

good and successful actions to rectify identified weaknesses ! well-integrated and successful strategies to widen the participation of learners from under-represented groups !

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Strengths

particularly effective observation of teaching and learning !

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Weaknesses

insufficient strategic planning in curriculum areas ! unsatisfactory self-assessment report ! not all of them are using the individual learning plans effectively.

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Weaknesses

33. The service has introduced a system of logbooks to all staff. They record all significant issues and more positive points every day. They discuss these with their line manager. The service deals with smaller issues at this level, but deals with more significant or service-wide issues at a higher level. This log of both positive and negative points will be used to assist in the self-assessment process. These logbooks are effective in ensuring that the service deals with issues quickly at the right level and are known to managers.

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Weaknesses

34. The service’s self-assessment process has not led to a satisfactory self-assessment report. The most recent self-assessment report was written in October 2004 and was largely based on the report from the previous inspection. The service produced an update to the report in April 2005, but this identified only where progress was made against the weaknesses in the previous report and did not identify where progress had not been made. Neither did it revise the grades in light of progress made. However, the self-assessment process is effective in ensuring that all staff critically evaluate their own programme and that of their curriculum area. There is clear evidence that the service understands its own strengths and weaknesses.

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Strengths

good retention rates ! good range of provision to attract new learners !

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Strengths

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 9 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Weaknesses

poor levels of attendance ! insufficient planning to meet individual learning needs !

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Strengths

good development of learners’ confidence and personal skills ! very good retention rates in ESOL !

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Weaknesses

insufficient planning to meet individual learning needs !

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Strengths

very effective development of parents’ confidence in supporting their children’s learning !

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Weaknesses

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 10 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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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

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 11 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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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

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 12 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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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

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Grade 2

During the reinspection process, the inspectors identified the following strengths and weaknesses:

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Strengths

good and successful actions to rectify identified weaknesses ! well-integrated and successful strategies to widen the participation of learners from under-represented groups !

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Strengths

particularly effective observation of teaching and learning !

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Weaknesses

insufficient strategic planning in curriculum areas ! unsatisfactory self-assessment report !

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Weaknesses

35. The service has implemented successful activities to rectify its identified weaknesses. For example, at the previous inspection poor retention was identified as a weakness in three areas of learning. The service has taken effective action to improve retention. It now ensures that information that learners receive about the course before they enrol is appropriately detailed. In addition, the service has improved the learners’ induction by adding an additional week at the beginning of every course to ensure that learners receive more information about the course and enable them to move to a different course if they wish. Retention has improved significantly in all areas. In the previous inspection, inspectors identified ineffective management of learners’ progress as a weakness. Learners’ progress is now managed more effectively in all areas of learning, although the planning of individual learning is poor in some areas. Curriculum

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Weaknesses

management was similarly identified as a weakness in the previous inspection. The service has created a number of new posts to manage the provision more effectively. There is now a curriculum co-ordinator to supervise each of the areas of learning. In addition, the service now has a curriculum manager to work with the curriculum co- ordinators and monitor performance. There is evidence that these posts are beginning to have a positive effect on the quality of the provision. The previous inspection identified that the business planning was ineffective and that the structure of many different plans was too complex. The structure of business planning has been improved and has been significantly simplified. None of the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection still exist.

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Weaknesses

36. The management style within the service is open, transparent and constructive. Staff feel valued by management and speak positively about their relationship with managers. Issues concerning the quality of the provision are dealt with openly, with effective discussion taking place to identify the best approach to improving the provision

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Weaknesses

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 14 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Weaknesses

37. The strategic planning of the service is satisfactory. Strategic direction is determined by the manager in consultation with her line manager, Hartlepool Borough Council and the local LSC. The resulting three-year development plan is agreed by the council before its implementation. The service’s main strategic objectives are outlined with more detail about its approaches to achieving these objectives. Staff are aware of these strategic objectives, how these relate to the strategic objectives of Hartlepool Borough Council and the local LSC, and their own role in helping to achieve them.

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Weaknesses

38. Curriculum co-ordinators are aware of the provision that other providers in the area offer and how the service’s provision either competes with or complements this. Most have discussed provision with the relevant curriculum manager at the local college of further education to determine how best to match the service’s provision with that of the college.

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Weaknesses

39. The service has an appropriate staff appraisal system. All staff members, whether contracted and sessional, have an annual appraisal where they discuss their previous year’s performance and the service sets new targets for the next year and agrees staff development needs.

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Weaknesses

40. Staff development is satisfactory. The service puts on a range of staff development events, including events on equality of opportunity and on teaching-related subjects such as differentiation. All staff are able to attend these events, including part-time sessional staff who are paid to attend. In addition, all staff are able to attend other courses run by other providers where relevant to the service’s provision.

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Weaknesses

41. Communications within the service are satisfactory. There are an appropriate range of regular meetings, all of which are appropriately minuted in a standard format. The service has a weekly team briefing meeting to inform staff of the most recent developments. It produces a newsletter to record the main outcomes of these meetings. Those part-time staff who are not able to attend are sent a copy of the newsletter either by e-mail or by post. Tutors have regular meetings with their line managers to discuss issues relevant to their area of learning. Curriculum co-ordinators meet with the manager regularly. Similarly, the manager meets with her line manager to review the service’s performance.

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Weaknesses

42. Staff in all areas of learning are appropriately qualified or experienced. Many have a qualification in the area in which they teach, and others have appropriate experience. Most also have a teaching qualification.

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Weaknesses

43. Strategic planning for the curriculum areas is insufficient. The links between the service plan and the area of learning plans are not sufficiently clear. Area of learning plans list the service’s strategic objectives, but do not detail how these goals will be achieved. They detail the courses which the area of learning intends to run in the following year but it is not made clear how each course helps to achieve the strategic objectives. There is, however, clear evidence that the curriculum manager discusses the

p.19

Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

proposed new courses with each curriculum co-ordinator and how they will contribute to the service’s strategic objectives, but this aspect of the process is informal.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

44. The service’s strategy to widen the participation of learners from under-represented groups is particularly effective and is well integrated with all other management strategies. Widening participation is one of the service’s four main objectives and staff understand this well. The service works well with its partners to widen participation and to support disadvantaged learners. A widening participation manager with responsibility for equality of opportunity has recently been appointed and leads a team of four widening participation officers who have specific responsibilities for the priority groups. Each of these officers has clear targets for participation included in their logbooks but there is no formal operational plan. There are a number of innovative and interesting initiatives, including touch-typing provision for blind and partially-sighted learners, residential courses for family learners including children, and a course for disadvantaged

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

young people using internet-based auctions. Many of these programmes are designed to engage learners and communities who have not previously been involved with learning. There are many examples of learners progressing from this entry level provision to other courses either internally or externally.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

45. The service plans and discusses progression opportunities with the learners and celebrates a number of success stories. For example, one learner with a disability identified that he wished to be an advocate for people with disabilities. He has followed a number of courses in literacy and numeracy and information technology (IT) with the service and advocacy at a local college. He now chairs one influential local group and is vice-chair of another group providing a voice for people with disabilities. Classes are located at schools and community centres throughout the borough and the learners appreciate these local and non-threatening environments. The service has invested in many of these centres to ensure that accommodation is of a high standard and accessible to all. In partnership with a national broadcaster, the service uses a well- equipped mobile IT suite one week in every five. This facility is sited at community

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

locations across the borough. It is well publicised and plans are being made to improve the learners’ use of it. At the time of the inspection, learners were encouraged to come to the facility to share their memories of the Second World War. They were able to access appropriate historical websites and digital imaging software. Tutor support was available. The service is to publish a booklet of these memories on paper and on the internet.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

46. The service has set itself a target of 32 per cent for the recruitment of men and is meeting this target. This target is agreed at service level. Individual curriculum areas are asked to contribute to the target by increasing the number of enrolments by men, but there are no specific targets against which to measure success. The service monitors participation of priority groups but does not monitor learners’ performance such as retention or achievement by gender, ethnicity, age or disability.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

47. The service has revised and updated its policies and procedures in relation to

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

equality of opportunity. A statement of the service’s commitment to equality is included in the learners’ handbook, which has recently been supplemented with a handout. A range of leaflets outlining the support available to learners has recently been published. The service has further plans to revise these leaflets and make them available in Braille, languages other than English, or on tape. An audit of the service’s marketing and promotional materials for readability and stereotyping has been carried out but learning materials have not yet been considered. There has been much recent staff training aimed at raising staff awareness of equality of opportunity. Attendance at these events has been good and members of staff have a good understanding of equality issues. A training needs analysis has been carried out and further training is planned. Equality of opportunity is included in the learners’ induction, but this is superficial and there is little

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

reinforcement of learners’ understanding while on courses.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

48. The service takes positive action to ensure that venues are accessible to learners with restricted mobility. At the time of the previous inspection, an accessibility audit of all venues had been carried out and recommendations had been made for upgrading venues. Some action has already been taken to improve access at venues where this is needed, and the service is implementing some of the recommendations. During the week of the inspection, all venues were accessible to wheelchair users. Learners are well supported in classes. For example, learners on ICT programmes can be supported with resources for sensory impairment, and the service provides learning resources for many learners, including a dictionary of sign language at no cost to the learners. Each tutor has a course file, which includes a learning needs record sheet that records learners’ learning needs, and the action taken to support these needs, and an equal opportunities record

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

sheet, which records any equality issues and the actions taken to overcome these issues. Examples include the provision of additional equipment and support, and the provision of course materials free of charge to learners.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

49. The service’s observation of teaching and learning has been particularly effective. It observes all tutors once each year and there is a clear process for dealing with those whose observations are less than satisfactory. Tutors receive written and verbal feedback, with identified actions to improve the quality of their teaching. The relevant curriculum co-ordinator monitors progress of these actions. In all areas of learning the profile of grades given by the service’s observations was very similar to that given by the inspectors. During the previous inspection, 39 per cent of lessons that the inspectors observed were unsatisfactory. During this inspection, this had been reduced to 9 per cent.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

50. The service has recently introduced an appropriate range of quality assurance procedures to ensure consistency of approach across the provision and that all learners receive a good experience. These cover all the main elements of the training process, from induction through to evaluating the effectiveness of the course once it has finished. The procedures are clear and well written and many of the staff were involved in their development. They are beginning to have some small effect on the quality of the provision, but they are too recent to have had any significant effect. However, not all

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

staff are using some of these procedures consistently. For example, course evaluation in some areas is poorly completed and is not sufficiently self-critical. Similarly, not all tutors use the individual learning plan effectively to plan individual learning. The service collects feedback from learners and analyses it. This has resulted in it taking some effective actions to improve the quality of the provision. However, this is recent and it is too early to judge the overall effectiveness of much of this. Similarly, the service is collecting and analysing data more effectively to contribute to management decisions, including the areas where learners live and the courses that they attend. This is also a recent development.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

51. The service introduced a system of logbooks for all staff in September 2004. Staff record issues and positive points as they identify them. In addition, their targets are recorded and once each month they meet with their line manager to discuss the points in the log, progress towards targets and agree appropriate actions. The line manager collates the information from the logbooks and managers then discuss issues of significance. Staff consider these logbooks to be useful and comment on their effectiveness in getting problems resolved quickly. They are effective in ensuring that issues are identified quickly and that actions to resolve the problem are agreed at the right level within the service. The logbooks have been introduced only recently but there is clear evidence that they are having a positive effect on the quality of the learners’ experience. For example, one tutor used the logbook to express concern about

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

some of the IT facilities not working properly in one centre. The service moved quickly to replace equipment and put in place a more effective system of checking the age and state of equipment regularly. In addition, the service plans to use information from the logbooks as a basis for the next self-assessment.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

52. The self-assessment process has not led to a satisfactory self-assessment report. The most recent self-assessment report was written in October 2004, covering the year 2003- 04. It was largely based on the inspection report of March 2004 and there were few judgements beyond this. An update to the self-assessment was produced in April 2005 but this identified only where progress had been made against the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. It did not highlight the areas where actions had not been completed or targets had not been met. Neither did it revise the grades in light of the progress made. It does not form the basis to improve the quality of the provision. However, the self-assessment process is effective in ensuring that all staff analyse their own and their area of learning’s performance. Every year, tutors complete a self- assessment of the courses that they have taught during the year. This analysis includes a

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

range of relevant information, such as retention, achievement and attendance rates and an assessment about how these figures compare with the rest of the area of learning, the service as a whole and national figures where they are available. These individual self- assessment reports are aggregated into an area of learning self-assessment report, although many of these area of learning reports are insufficiently detailed. An area of learning action plan is produced from this aggregation. The service has not used this information to help develop the self-assessment report.

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Quality assurance Contributory grade 3

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Grade 3 English, languages & communications

During the reinspection process, the inspectors identified the following strengths and weaknesses:

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Achievement and standards

53. Retention rates are good. Retention rates for 2004-05 are 83 per cent, a significant improvement on the 66 per cent for 2003-04. Achievement rates for holiday language courses have also improved and are 91 per cent for courses completed during 2004-05. Punctuality was good at the time of the reinspection. Attendance was poor at 64 per cent in the classes observed. The average class size was five.

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Achievement and standards

54. Learners are confident and make good progress. Learners in a holiday Spanish class were able to understand and use numbers up to 100 in a bingo game after only a few weeks. Learners in a German conversation class were able to discuss holidays and travel agency offers. Many learners report that they are able to cope in real situations abroad. All learners are highly motivated, enthusiastic, committed, and most participate well in lessons. Tutors are supportive and friendly and learners are not afraid to use the language in new contexts or make mistakes. The standard of the learners’ written work in their portfolios, coursework and homework is appropriate.

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Quality of education and training

55. The service offers a good range of provision in this area of learning, which is attracting new learners. Courses are in 10 different community-based venues convenient for learners. The courses are planned to ensure that learners have opportunities to progress from non-accredited courses through to OCN courses at levels 1 and 2. Courses vary from short, one-day taster courses, to courses lasting 12, 20 and 32 weeks. During 2004-05, 162 new learners enrolled on courses and, of those, 45 have progressed Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 3 226 Adult and community learning

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Strengths

good retention rates ! good range of provision to attract new learners !

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Weaknesses

poor levels of attendance ! insufficient planning to meet individual learning needs !

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Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

to higher level courses so far. The service ran a successful marketing campaign for Italian and Greek holiday language courses. Local travel agents sent out course information leaflets to customers with their with holiday tickets. These courses have been particularly successful this year. The BSL provision also covers level 1 and 2 courses. A lip-reading course was introduced this year.

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Weaknesses

56. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Schemes of work are appropriate and most lesson plans outline the activities, resources and assessment that learners will be involved in. However, they are mostly general and do not indicate the individual learners’ objectives. Many lessons include good opportunities for enrichment and extra-curricular enrichment opportunities have been provided this year. Learners have visited the theatre to see a Spanish play and others have gone to French and German Christmas markets. End of course meals in Spanish, French and German restaurants are planned. In all lessons there is good emphasis on pronunciation and the acquisition of vocabulary. Tutors use a good variety of activities to enable learners to practise and improve their language skills and are imaginative in their use of resources. The service often uses number and word games and are popular with the learners. In a BSL class, learners took

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Weaknesses

it in turns to describe people or pets to the rest of the group. In a French class, learners participated in role-play, taking it in turns to go to the lost property office to claim items by describing them. The use of the target language in lessons is satisfactory. In the better lessons, almost all the lesson is in the target language. In BSL classes, the target language is used throughout. Assessment in non-accredited courses is satisfactory. Results are recorded but they are not graded to give sufficient information about progress. There are some inconsistencies in the marking of written work. Some tutors give clear corrections with helpful comments while other tutors’ corrections are too brief to help the learners progress effectively.

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Weaknesses

57. Accommodation is satisfactory. Rooms are of an appropriate size and layout and are accessible for learners with restricted mobility. The training centre provides resources such as TV, video, flipchart or overhead projector. Tutors take other resources to the classroom. There are no displays of foreign language materials. Information on BSL is available in the accommodation used for these classes. Learning resources are satisfactory. Tutors use an appropriate range of handouts, books, tapes and videos. Some tutors use the internet as an effective source of materials. However, there is little use made of IT for teaching. Staff are well qualified, with 85 per cent of them having a language degree or equivalent. All staff have appropriate experience.

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Weaknesses

58. Support for learners is satisfactory. Additional learning needs are identified at enrolment, induction or during the early part of the course. There are good examples of appropriate support, including the provision of a hearing induction loop, individual support and the provision of dictionaries or the loan of books. Learners praise the personal and course-related support given by all their tutors. Course information is available in pamphlets, brochures and targeted flyers. It is clear and outlines level, requirements and progression.

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Weaknesses

59. Planning of lessons is insufficient to meet the learners’ individual learning needs. Initial assessment is not sufficiently detailed to enable clear targets to be set. Most lesson

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Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

plans cover the activities for the whole group but do not indicate the activities or learning for individual learners. Individual progress is not clearly recorded and tutors are not always aware of the progress that each learner has made during the course, although learners in general are pleased with their own progress.

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Leadership and management

60. Curriculum management is satisfactory. An area of learning co-ordinator has recently been appointed and, together with the curriculum managers, has focused on the key areas of weakness outlined in the previous inspection. The curriculum has been re- designed so that each subject has an introductory non-accredited course that leads onto a longer higher level accredited course. Learners comment that they prefer this approach. Progression information is available for courses within the adult education service as well as courses run by other providers. Links with community and business have led to specific courses in key local centres.

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Leadership and management

61. Quality assurance procedures and processes are clear but are relatively recent and not fully established in that there is some inconsistent use. Internal verification of accredited OCN courses is satisfactory, although some internal verification reports are not sufficiently detailed. The curriculum area has worked to improve the provision since the previous inspection. Retention has improved and is now good. Teaching and learning grades have improved and are satisfactory. Staff development has targeted teaching and learning strategies. There has been some innovative curriculum development in German.

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Leadership and management

62. All staff are appraised annually although a number of new sessional staff have not yet been in post long enough for an appraisal.

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Leadership and management

63. The staff logbook system is well thought of by staff. It enables the effective recording of issues that are relevant to the member of staff, actions to be monitored and development needs.

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Leadership and management

64. Staff have all received training on equal opportunities. There is a record in the tutors’ course files of any issues raised and the date of actioning. Most records observed relate to support for learners.

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Leadership and management

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Grade 3 Foundation programmes

During the reinspection process, the inspectors identified the following strengths and weaknesses:

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Achievement and standards

65. Learners develop good confidence and personal skills. They work well together and learn to support each other. Many use their improved literacy and language skills in their everyday lives at home, in social environments and at work. For example, learners use their new communication skills during visits to the centre’s cafes and crèches, at health centres and at their children’s schools. Many learners use their bilingual skills effectively to increase their understanding and improve their English. Learners are very motivated, take pride in their work and are deeply involved in their work. They develop good study skills, using dictionaries and writing key words and spellings in notebooks, and translate abstract concepts into their own languages to increase their understanding. In some sessions, learners’ independent study skills grow as they use computers to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. Learners enjoy these sessions and increase their

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Achievement and standards

understanding of fractions and calculations of areas and volumes. In the woodwork programmes for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, they develop good practical and vocational skills to produce a range of useful articles for personal use.

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Achievement and standards

66. There are very good retention rates in ESOL, which have improved significantly. In 2003-04, the retention rate was 52 per cent, and in 2004-05 it is 95 per cent for all those courses that have finished. In addition, the numbers of learners have increased by over 50 per cent. The retention rate in literacy at level 1 is very good at 100 per cent. However, recruitment declined by 29 per cent in 2004-05. In numeracy at level 2, retention in 2004-05 is good at 88 per cent, compared with 48 per cent in 2003-04 with the same number of learners. Most learners attend regularly, although punctuality is very irregular. At 73 per cent at the time of inspection, attendance is satisfactory. The average size of the group is five learners, which is low.

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Achievement and standards

67. The service’s monitoring of learners’ progress is satisfactory. It takes place three times each year and learners’ progress is recorded on individual learning plans. Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 3 168 Adult and community learning

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Strengths

good development of learners’ confidence and personal skills ! very good retention rates in ESOL !

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Weaknesses

insufficient planning to meet individual learning needs !

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Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

However, the use of individual learning plans is relatively new and some recording is insufficiently detailed, with tasks not referenced appropriately. Tutors know about the level and achievements of the learners in the group, but often do not record the learning outcomes well. Learners are not always sufficiently involved in evaluating their learning. They are given a form to record their daily activities but some learners are asked to copy from the board the activities covered in the class, with no opportunity for them to evaluate their own learning. However, some tutors record progress meaningfully, with learners considering what they have learnt, rather than simply naming the activity.

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Quality of education and training

68. Most lessons observed were satisfactory, although no lessons were better than satisfactory. In the better lessons, tutors engage learners’ interest through lively activities that keep them alert and enable them to communicate for a real purpose. In one lesson, learners at level 1 worked effectively in pairs to measure the room to purchase a carpet, converting figures from metric to imperial and then calculating exchange rates from dollars to sterling. However, this did not meet the needs of learners at entry level 3 sufficiently. Overall, tutors are very encouraging and supportive, and many work sensitively with less confident members of the class. Learners comment on the friendly staff who support them well. In some sessions, there are volunteer tutors who provide good individual support, but tutors do not always plan their tasks effectively. In one class, no teaching took place as no learners attended the session, and in another there

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Quality of education and training

was only one learner. Some learners arrive very late and disrupt the class as tutors settled them with work.

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Quality of education and training

69. Planning to meet individual learning needs is insufficient. Many lesson plans have insufficient detail to develop individual learners’ literacy, numeracy, speaking and listening skills. Most lessons are planned for higher-level learners and do not pay sufficient attention to the learners who have more difficulty. Pair work is often ineffectively organised and few attempts are made to widen activities to larger groups. Learners do not always have sufficient opportunity to interact with others in the class. Some schemes of work place the learning in context and relate well to learners’ everyday life. They make clear reference to the national core-curriculum standards. In literacy and ESOL sessions, many learners make repeated spelling and grammatical errors in their written work which are not always corrected to enable learners to progress. There is insufficient checking that all learners fully understand and can clearly use the structures

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Quality of education and training

of spoken and written English. Similarly, in numeracy sessions, tutors do not always check that learners fully understand numerical calculations. Initial assessments are not used effectively to plan for individual needs. The targets in many individual learning plans are general and relate mainly to group goals or the schemes of work. Many learners have little understanding of these targets. The strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning identified by the inspection were recognised in the service’s recent classroom observations.

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Quality of education and training

70. Staffing provision and accommodation are satisfactory. The staff have appropriate qualifications and some are working towards level 4 qualifications in literacy or

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Quality of education and training

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Quality of education and training

numeracy. However, a number of tutors lack experience of teaching literacy and numeracy. Most venues are convenient for learners, welcoming with pleasant rooms, and are an attractive learning environment. Overall, learning materials and resources are satisfactory, with good use of skills for life and skills-wise materials and audio. However, there is some use of poorly copied worksheets with insufficient space for learners to write answers. There are no computers in most classrooms and where there are these are not always used effectively.

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Quality of education and training

71. Overall, the range of programmes offered is satisfactory. Since the previous inspection in 2004, the range of courses offered has remained the same, although the balance between the different aspects of the curriculum has changed. The service provides a larger proportion of literacy and numeracy classes than was the case previously, with less provision for learners with learning disabilities and difficulties. Fifty per cent of ESOL courses are now for women only and the levels 1 and 2 in literacy and numeracy are offered with accreditation. In programmes for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, learners develop vocational skills as well as literacy and numeracy, which are integrated with the vocational programme. The service’s programmes are flexible, with learners enrolling throughout the academic year. However, there is a limited number of creative and innovative courses to engage non-

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Quality of education and training

participating learners. There are no courses offered at entry levels in literacy and numeracy. Identification of local needs is insufficiently planned to deal with the low levels of literacy and numeracy needs. Less than 10 per cent of learners on literacy and numeracy courses are men.

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Quality of education and training

72. Learners receive satisfactory individual support and guidance. Induction lasts two weeks and one of these is used to carry out learners’ initial assessments before they are placed on the appropriate programmes. Fifteen learners currently receive individual literacy, numeracy and language support on ICT and vocational courses. This need was identified through the initial assessment process. The tutorial varies across the provision and is dependent on tutors’ skills to measure individual learners’ progress. There is a satisfactory range of opportunities for enrichment activities, including visits to places of interest and cultural events. Many learners receive financial support for childcare and travel that enables them to attend classes.

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Leadership and management

73. Some aspects of the curriculum initiatives are good. There has been an audit of the curriculum during 2004-05 and most of the programmes for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have been transferred to other parts of the service. There is an increase in number of literacy, numeracy and ESOL sessions, and 72 per cent of learners are new to the service. Although staff have attended extensive training events, these have yet to have a full effect on the quality of teaching. There is a satisfactory skills for life strategy and development plan, which includes vocational and work-linked provision within the service. There are no direct links identified in the curriculum strategy with family learning programmes and there is some ambiguity about where some courses should be placed. The development plan is insufficiently monitored at

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

strategic level. The service has recently introduced nine skills for life champions working in other areas of learning, although at present their role is insufficiently clear. There are four development workers who identify learning needs in outreach settings. However, the manager has yet to establish effective community partnerships to develop a responsive curriculum. Structures for effective communication and quality assurance are in place. There are monthly individual reviews to monitor retention and achievements. Staff are able to identify issues and managers provide appropriate support. There are well-produced and clear handbooks for tutors and learners. Arrangements for appraisal and observation of teaching are thorough. The grades for teaching sessions given by inspectors are broadly similar to those given by the service’s internal observation during 2004-05. The manager has taken some supportive actions recently, but these have yet to

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Leadership and management

be fully implemented. Understanding of equality of opportunity among staff and learners is good. Staff all contributed to the self-assessment process, although the self-assessment report fails to make effective judgements of the provision for 2004-05.

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Leadership and management

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Grade 3 Family learning

During the reinspection process, the inspectors identified the following strengths and weaknesses:

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Achievement and standards

74. Parents develop increased confidence in supporting their children’s learning. Classes provide stimulating and creative ideas for learning activities which are further developed at home. Learners gain an improved understanding of the school curriculum and how children learn. They work effectively with their children during sessions. As a secondary outcome, tutors report improvement in participating children’s literacy, numeracy and language development. All learners identified an increase in their own confidence and ability to work with their children. Some also acknowledged improvements in their literacy and numeracy skills.

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Achievement and standards

75. Retention rates are good for all courses and average 93 per cent for 2004-05, an increase of 3 per cent on the previous year. Achievement rates are good on accredited family leaning programmes. At the time of inspection, four accredited courses had finished and all the learners on these courses had achieved their qualification but were awaiting awarding body verification of this.

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Achievement and standards

76. Targets are not set for national tests and uptake is poor. Only 6 per cent of learners have taken national tests at level 1 in literacy or numeracy and no level 2 national tests have been taken.

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Quality of education and training

77. The standard of teaching is satisfactory. In the better classes, tutors use a range of teaching techniques including demonstration, discussion, effective questioning and a range of practical activities. Learners are focused and highly motivated to learn. Tutors are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. In one session, the service made good use of the Programmes inspected Number of learners Contributory grade 3 117 Adult and community learning

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Strengths

very effective development of parents’ confidence in supporting their children’s learning !

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Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

group’s recent experience of a farm visit to inspire paired parent and child literacy activities. In an ICT session, parents were learning new software packages to enable them to work with their children on computers.

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Weaknesses

78. Planning of learning to meet the individual needs of adult learners is insufficient in some classes. Session plans recognise the need to consider the needs of all learners but some have identified difficulties keeping up, while for others the pace has been too slow.

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Weaknesses

79. Resources are satisfactory. There are well-equipped IT suites in schools and practical sessions such as cookery and craft classes are well supported with a wide variety of interesting and attractive materials. Most of the accommodation is satisfactory, although schools’ domestic science rooms are cramped with insufficient workspace for adult learners. Crèche provision is available to all learners but does not always meet individual requirements. In one school, the crèche is provided at a nearby venue and some learners are reluctant to use it because their children are not on the same premises.

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Weaknesses

80. Advice and guidance are satisfactory. The service has developed information leaflets for each programme, indicating the course requirements, broad content and possible progression routes. On one programme, learners found the initial recruitment information misleading and were unclear about the purpose of the initial meeting. Tutorials are now built into all programmes and linked to the individual learning plans. Some learners were not clear about whether or not they had participated in tutorials, while others said they had not yet had any.

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Weaknesses

81. The service has introduced new documents and all programmes now have initial self- assessment forms and individual learning plans for learners. However, their use is not consistent. There are examples of effective use, where there is clear and supportive feedback from tutors and recording of further learning goals, but systems are not fully established across the provision. For example, on one non-accredited programme, a third of the individual learning plans were being completed during the third week of a six- week course. On an accredited programme, initial self-assessment was being carried out by the whole group during the third week.

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Weaknesses

82. The range of provision is limited. Most classes are held during school hours, with few in the evenings or at weekends when working parents are more able to attend. All work is currently with carers of children of primary and pre-school age. Two per cent of participants are men. The focus of most courses is on developing adults’ understanding and support of young children’s learning. At the time of inspection, six classes were running, operating in partnership with four primary schools and two community groups. A number of classes have failed to recruit any learners.

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Leadership and management

83. The service has been restructured and now has curriculum co-ordinators in post for each area of learning. A primary curriculum co-ordinator is now responsible for the development of family learning and liaises with the internal team and local partners.

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Leadership and management

© 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 27 HARTLEPOOL ADULT EDUCATION (HARTLEPOOL LEA) REINSPECTION

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Leadership and management

84. The service has a strategy to target provision in the seven most deprived wards and identifies priority schools, using an analysis on their standard assessment test results. Analysis of data for family learning is insufficient. Data for family learning is manually extracted from the other areas of learning and is less comprehensive as a consequence. Short courses and workshops do not appear on the retention and achievement details. Course evaluation is insufficient. While tutors evaluate all courses and record feedback from learners, partners do not contribute to the evaluation process.

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Leadership and management

85. Schools report that the family learning provision has been effective in engaging parents in school life and, improving relationships between parents and teachers. There is an increase in the number of primary schools becoming involved in family learning.

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Leadership and management

86. There is no formal partnership forum in place for the development of a wider strategy or the sharing of good practice.

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Leadership and management

87. Quality assurance is satisfactory overall. The service has developed a programme of teaching observations and staff have been observed by consultants and co-ordinators as part of an initiative to develop teaching standards. Observation grades broadly correlate with those of inspection.

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Leadership and management

88. Communication is satisfactory. All staff have monthly reviews and keep programme logbooks in which they identify progress and concerns. Programme managers review the logbooks. Logbooks are monitored and in one instance a course was closed in response to health and safety concerns identified.

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Leadership and management

89. There is good widening of the participation of learners from under-represented groups in the inclusion of grandparents, as well as parents and carers in programmes.

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