Setting

11 November 2005

21/12/2005 12:46:51 21/12/2005 12:46:51 SURREY LEA

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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

• work-based learning for all people aged over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • learndirect 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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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework 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.

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Pre-inspection analysis

The resources allocated to a cycle 2 inspection are primarily determined by the findings from the previous inspection. Account is also taken of information about achievement and retention obtained from the funding body, and any significant changes in the size or scope of the provision.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where a provider has received good grades in cycle 1, the cycle 2 inspection is relatively light. If the provider offers a number of areas of learning, a restricted sample is inspected.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where a provider has received satisfactory grades in cycle 1, the cycle 2 inspection is less intensive and it is possible that not all areas of learning are included.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Where there are significant unsatisfactory grades from cycle 1, the intensity of the cycle 2 inspection is broadly the same as cycle 1, and all significant areas of learning are inspected.

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Pre-inspection analysis

Providers that have not previously been inspected will receive a full inspection.

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Overall effectiveness

The grades given for areas of learning and leadership and management will be used to arrive at a judgement about the overall effectiveness of the provider.

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Overall effectiveness

An outstanding provider should typically have leadership and management and at least half of the areas of learning judged to be a grade 1. All area of learning grades will be graded 1 or 2.

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Overall effectiveness

A good provider should have leadership and management and at least half of the area of learning grades judged to be a grade 2 or better. A good training provider should not have any grade 4s, and few grade 3s in the areas of learning.

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Overall effectiveness

A satisfactory provider should have adequate or better grades in leadership and management and in at least two thirds of the area of learning grades. An adequate provider might have a range of grades across areas of learning, some of which might be graded 4.

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Overall effectiveness

Provision will normally be deemed to be inadequate where more than one third of the area of learning grades and/or leadership and management are judged to be inadequate.

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Overall effectiveness

The final decision as to whether the provision is inadequate rests with the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning. SURREY LEA

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Grading

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes, as well as to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes equality of opportunity and quality assurance. The descriptors for the four grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - inadequate

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Summary

Description of the provider 1 Overall effectiveness 2 Key challenges for Surrey LEA 2 Grades 3 About the inspection 4 Key Findings 4 What learners like about Surrey LEA 15 What learners think Surrey LEA could improve 15 Leadership and management 19 19

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Detailed inspection findings

19 Leadership and management Equality of opportunity 21 Quality improvement 23 Leisure, travel and tourism 25 Arts, media and publishing 29 Languages, literature and culture 40 Preparation for life and work 43 Family learning 46 SURREY LEA

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. Surrey Local Education Authority (the LEA) is contracted by Surrey Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to provide adult and community learning services to more than 20,000 learners each year from rural and urban communities across the county. The LEA’s adult and community learning service (the service) is part of Surrey County Council’s (the council) community services section, which comes under the children and young people directorate. The service’s main objectives are to provide good-quality leisure learning for all Surrey residents at convenient locations and times, to provide a first step into learning for new learners, and to ensure that disadvantaged people are able to participate in learning.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. The service is a direct provider of adult learning funded through the LSC, with fees generated by learners. In two boroughs in the east of the county, provision is subcontracted to East Surrey College, which has its main site in Redhill. Almost all the provision is non-accredited, and the service describes it as learning for personal development. The service offers courses in 15 areas of learning, of which 10 were not inspected because they had too few learners.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

3. The service is managed by the head of adult and community learning, who reports to the head of community services. The senior management team comprises three area managers, a divisional accountant, and a service support manager. One of the area managers is responsible for the learning curriculum team, which comprises seven curriculum leaders and nine part-time assistant curriculum leaders. Two other area managers manage centre managers at the main learning centres across the county and are each responsible for particular areas of the provision, such as family learning, widening participation, community learning, property management and management information. They also each manage a number of centre managers at the main learning venues across the county. The provision is delivered by 699 tutors, of whom 54 work at East Surrey College. All of the tutors work part time.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

4. Surrey has a population of just over one million and is one of the most densely populated counties in England. It is a largely affluent county, although pockets of deprivation exist, particularly in some parts of Epsom, Guildford, Woking, and Reigate and Banstead. The area is well known for its service industries, such as professional services, information technology (IT), consultancy and retail. The unemployment rate is low at 0.9 per cent, compared with a national unemployment rate of 2.3 per cent. According to the 2001 census, 5 per cent of the county’s population was from minority ethnic groups, compared with 9.1 per cent of the population nationally. Adults aged over 60 account for 21 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively, of the county’s population and the service’s learners.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

5. Courses take place at 19 adult learning centres and approximately 150 community venues, such as schools, libraries, village halls and youth centres. They range from drop-in sessions and workshops to programmes lasting a full academic year. In 2004-05, 23,688 learners took part in courses provided by the adult and community learning service. Twenty-four per cent of the learners were men, which is in line with the national average.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

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Grade 4 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

6. The overall effectiveness of the provision is inadequate. The LEA’s leadership and management and its arrangements for equality of opportunity and quality improvement are inadequate. In leisure, travel and tourism, arts, media and publishing, and languages, literature and culture, the provision is inadequate. In preparation for life and work, the provision is good and in family learning, it is satisfactory.

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Grade 4 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

7. The inspection team had little confidence in the reliability of the self-assessment process. Activities to prepare for self-assessment are inclusive, and some staff have a good knowledge of the service’s self-assessment procedures. However, many staff have not had sufficient training to enable them to accurately identify strengths and weaknesses or the evidence to support them. The most recent self-assessment report, for 2004-05, omits important weaknesses in most areas of learning. The report does not contain sufficient evidence to support the judgements on leadership and management, equality of opportunity and quality improvement. The grades given by the service for many of the areas of learning are significantly higher than those given by inspectors.

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Grade 4 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

8. The provider has demonstrated that it is in a poor position to make improvements. The service is not sufficiently self-critical and staff have a poor awareness of many significant weaknesses in the areas of learning and in leadership and management. Managers do not spend enough time monitoring the performance of curriculum areas and some do not have sufficient knowledge of teaching and learning to make improvements. Many staff do not have a realistic view of the quality of provision

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR SURREY LEA:

continue the development of productive partnerships • improve the quality of teaching and learning • devise a strategy for the personal development provision • recognise and share good practice • strengthen curriculum planning and management • improve attendance and retention rates • improve target-setting and use of data at all levels within the service • attract more adults from under-represented groups • introduce more effective arrangements for staff development and training • develop appropriate ways of recording learners’ progress and achievements on non-accredited courses •

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR SURREY LEA:

ensure there is a greater focus on health and safety in the classroom •

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR SURREY LEA:

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GRADES

grade 1 = outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = inadequate

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Leadership and management 4

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 4 Quality improvement 4

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Leisure, travel and tourism 4 Leisure, travel and tourism

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 4 Adult and community learning 4,034 4

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Arts, media and publishing 4 Arts, media and publishing

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Dance 4 Adult and community learning 1,419 4 Music 4 Adult and community learning 424 4 Fine arts 4 Adult and community learning 2,473 4 Crafts 4 Adult and community learning 3,248 4

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Languages, literature and culture 4 Languages, literature and culture

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Language, literature and culture of the British Isles Adult and community learning 277 4 Other languages, literature and culture Adult and community learning 2,161 4

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Preparation for life and work 2 Preparation for life and work

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Independent living and leisure skills 2 Adult and community learning 775 2

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Preparation for life and work 2 Preparation for life and work

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Family learning 3 Family learning

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Adult and community learning 3 Adult and community learning 65 3

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

9. Twenty inspectors visited the LEA for 10 days to carry out the inspection. The inspection reported on and graded five areas of learning. The other areas the LEA offers had insufficient learners for secure judgements to be made on the quality of provision.

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

Number of inspectors 20 Number of inspection days 176 Number of learners interviewed 1262 Number of staff interviewed 348 Number of subcontractors interviewed 1 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 130 Number of partners/external agencies interviewed 38 Number of visits 1

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Achievements and standards

10. Many learners gain good health and social benefits on sport and leisure courses. They value and enjoy their classes and experience substantial improvements in their general health, mental agility, physical mobility and co-ordination. Some learners have used the courses to develop their social lives, while others have set up their own clubs.

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Achievements and standards

11. The standards of work are good in sculpture. Learners use a wide range of materials to produce exciting finished products. Many learners complete challenging projects successfully and produce very good work for exhibition. Some travel considerable distances across the county to attend courses run by tutors who are practising artists in their own specialist area.

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Achievements and standards

12. Learners achieve good personal and social gains on arts courses. They value their improved self-confidence, self-esteem and levels of concentration. Many learners appreciate the positive benefits that courses have on their everyday lives.

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Achievements and standards

13. There are good personal benefits for learners on craft courses. Many learners benefit mentally and physically from mixing with other learners, and develop new skills. They enjoy visits to galleries, theatres, exhibitions and craft fairs organised by the service. They

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Achievements and standards

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Achievements and standards

celebrate their work at end-of-year exhibitions, improving their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Achievements and standards

14. Learners achieve good social and personal gains on dance courses. Many learners value the social and health benefits they get from attending classes. Older learners and those who have physical disabilities, or who are recovering from illness, gain good health benefits through increased fitness and improved co-ordination and mental stimulation.

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Achievements and standards

15. The standards of practical work are good in many singing and instrumental classes. Learners display accuracy and fluency in their playing. They use the correct breathing techniques and postures to sing well. Learners use performances in public to increase their self-confidence and self-esteem. They are keen to practise and perform at music events. Learners’ solo performances and group work develop successfully. In background knowledge classes, there is some good critical discussion and analysis of musical works.

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Achievements and standards

16. Achievements are good on many creative writing courses. Some learners have won local and regional competitions and a number have had their work published as books or articles in magazines and journals. Learners gain in confidence and enjoy having a critical audience of other learners to review their work.

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Achievements and standards

17. Learners make good progress on independent living and leisure courses. They gain confidence in acquiring new skills and learn how to communicate more effectively with each other and with their tutor. Learners with mental health conditions improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. Learners on lip reading courses develop good skills as well as a broad understanding of basic linguistic principles.

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Achievements and standards

18. Most learners on family learning programmes acquire good skills. They improve their numeracy by taking part in practical activities with their children. Their reading, writing, listening and comprehension benefit from supporting their children with homework, and their confidence grows. Some parents whose own experience of education had been negative have learned that school can be friendly and fun.

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Achievements and standards

19. Retention and attendance rates on sport and leisure courses are poor. In 2004-05, the retention rate was 72 per cent. The attendance rate for learning sessions observed by inspectors during the inspection was 75 per cent. Almost 3,000 learners withdrew from courses last year without the knowledge of the service.

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Achievements and standards

20. The development of learners’ technical and creative skills is poor on most arts courses. Learners are not given enough encouragement to experiment and express themselves creatively. Some learners do not acquire the basic principles of painting and drawing. Many learners continue on the same course for a number of years and do not progress sufficiently well.

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Achievements and standards

21. Retention and attendance rates are poor on dance courses. In 2004-05, the overall retention and attendance rates were, respectively, 71 per cent and 75 per cent. Tutors have to spend time repeating dance sequences for learners who have been absent from classes in previous weeks.

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Achievements and standards

22. The development of learners’ technical skills is poor in dance classes. Some learners are unable to complete dance routines to an appropriate standard, or to commit the

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Achievements and standards

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Achievements and standards

sequences to memory. In some classes, learners’ progress is slow and experienced learners are insufficiently challenged. In the better classes, learners develop good technical skills.

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Achievements and standards

23. Retention and attendance rates are poor on music courses. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate was 67 per cent. Some learners have stopped attending classes and go to private sessions with the same tutor. Attendance rates on many courses are declining, and there are some courses where learners attended only one class. If attendance rates are poor, learners are not able to carry out performances involving groups of people.

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Achievements and standards

24. Retention and attendance rates are poor on modern foreign language courses. In 2004-05, the overall retention and attendance rates were, respectively, 67 per cent and 72 per cent.

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Achievements and standards

25. Learners’ skills are insufficiently developed on many modern foreign language courses. Some learners develop their vocabulary and have a good understanding of language structures, but too many are insufficiently fluent and accurate for the level of course and the time they have been attending. Many learners are hesitant and rarely use the language spontaneously.

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Achievements and standards

26. Learners’ punctuality is poor in many independent living and leisure classes. On some courses, large groups of learners who travel together in one minibus arrive late for their class. Learners who arrive on time are distracted from the learning activities by noise and often have to wait to start the class when group activities are planned.

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Achievements and standards

27. Progression rates are poor on family learning programmes. There are introductory sessions and workshops to stimulate parents’ and carers’ interest in learning, but curriculum planning is insufficiently developed to ensure that progression opportunities exist in centres that learners can attend. Learners are not sufficiently aware of possible progression routes.

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The quality of provision

Grades given to learning sessions Grade Grade Grade Grade Total

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The quality of provision

Leisure, travel and tourism 54 1 20 26 7 Arts, media and publishing 90 4 34 31 21 Languages, literature and culture 33 0 11 12 10 Preparation for life and work 20 2 12 5 1 Family learning 8 1 4 3 0 Total 8 77 81 39 205 28. The arts studios in most centres are equipped well. Several venues have purpose-built studios for arts classes. Many classrooms are spacious, well lit and have good displays. Studios are equipped with specialist furniture, including easels, drawing tables and drawing boards. Storage facilities are good. However, some classrooms are too small and the ventilation at some centres is poor.

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The quality of provision

29. Accommodation and resources are good for learners on craft courses. Tutors are well qualified and are practising professionals. Many of the centres have good specialist facilities for a wide range of craft courses. Learners value the spacious accommodation and good storage facilities. Many centres have good displays of learners’ work, which are used

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

30. Tutors provide good enrichment activities for learners on dance courses. Learners use performance events, parties and social dances to dance together, practise their skills and improve their self-confidence and self-esteem.

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The quality of provision

31. The range of resources is good for learners on music courses. Standards of equipment are good. Classrooms are well lit and spacious, with good ventilation and acoustics. Tutors use well-produced handouts and theory sheets, which are written to reflect the different levels of learners’ ability. Most of the tutors are experienced and knowledgeable musicians and use their knowledge of the music industry to motivate learners.

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The quality of provision

32. The LEA offers a good range of modern foreign language courses. The choice in the most popular languages, such as French and Spanish, is extensive and ranges from beginner to advanced level. The service provides 13 different languages, including Greek, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish and Portuguese.

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The quality of provision

33. Teaching and learning are good on independent living and leisure skills courses. Most lessons are planned well to meet learners’ individual needs. Learners take part in a wide range of interesting and challenging activities. The content of many lessons is relevant to learners’ needs and interests.

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The quality of provision

34. Teaching and learning are good on many family learning courses. Courses are planned well and have clear aims and learning outcomes which are explained to the learners. Learning sessions are paced well with short interactive tasks and other activities that require more careful thought and deliberation. At the end of each session, tutors check the learning outcomes to assess learners’ progress and achievements.

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The quality of provision

35. Support for learners is managed well in independent living and leisure skills courses. The service’s learning assistants provide particularly good support for learners, and volunteer assistants support learners well. Many tutors guide additional support workers well in their roles in classes.

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The quality of provision

36. Staff pay insufficient attention to individual learners’ needs in many sport and leisure classes. Learners do not always complete health screening questionnaires before they start courses. In some classes, more advanced learners are not challenged sufficiently and less able learners struggle to complete the activity correctly. Individual coaching and the correction of learners’ posture and technique are poor.

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The quality of provision

37. The formal monitoring of learners’ progress is inadequate on sport and leisure courses. Few tutors keep adequate records of learners’ progress and learners’ reasons for attending courses are not recorded sufficiently in their paperwork. Many learners repeat the same course for a number of years. Learners are not sufficiently aware of the progress they make to develop their technical skills.

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The quality of provision

38. Health and safety arrangements are inadequate on sport and leisure courses. Some tutors do not use appropriate procedures to check the risks involved in activities. Tutors’ teaching practices are potentially dangerous in some classes. There is insufficient reinforcement of safe exercising practices, such as posture and joint safety.

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

39. Teaching and learning are poor in arts classes. Learners are insufficiently involved in some sessions. Some demonstrations by tutors are too long and fail to sustain learners’ attention. Tutors do not routinely teach basic techniques and skills to support learners’ individual development. Group work is poor in many classes.

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The quality of provision

40. The formal recording of learners’ prior achievements and progress is inadequate on arts courses. In some classes, there is no formal assessment of learners’ work. Learners are not sufficiently involved in agreeing their learning targets. Some learners are enrolled on courses that are not suited to their level of ability.

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The quality of provision

41. There are too few opportunities for arts learners to progress. Learners do not always have enough access to advice and guidance on progression routes to advanced courses. Some learners who want to progress to higher-level courses are unable to do so.

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The quality of provision

42. Teaching and learning are poor on craft courses. Lessons are poorly planned and do not have sufficient structure or focus. Tutors take too little account of learners’ preferred ways of learning when planning lessons. Too many learners are allowed to choose projects that do not lead to the development of new skills.

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The quality of provision

43. The monitoring and recording of learners’ progress are poor on craft courses. The targets set for learners are insufficiently detailed. Many learners’ progress records are incomplete or contain too little relevant information. Some tutors have devised their own appropriate methods to record learners’ progress.

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The quality of provision

44. Teaching and learning are poor on dance courses. Tutors do not focus sufficiently on the development of learners’ technical skills, or the correction of poor techniques. Learners’ creative skills are not developed sufficiently, and more experienced learners are not always challenged to extend their learning and skills.

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The quality of provision

45. The monitoring and recording of learners’ progress are inadequate on dance courses. Learners’ abilities are not always assessed before they enrol on courses. Where initial assessments do take place, tutors’ written comments are insufficiently detailed and do not assist in setting individual learning goals for learners. Some tutors make good use of their own paperwork, which they have developed to monitor learners’ progress.

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The quality of provision

46. Too much of the teaching and learning on music courses are ineffective and uninspiring. Some tutors cannot answer learners’ questions adequately, and leave them confused and dissatisfied. Some sessions are led entirely by the tutor, with very little involvement by learners. In some classes, tutors do not plan adequately to listen to individual learners’ performances. They move on before establishing that all learners are prepared adequately for the next stage of the session.

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The quality of provision

47. The monitoring of learners’ progress and skills development is poor on music courses. In some classes, there are no records of learners’ progress and insufficient monitoring of learners’ skills development. Some tutors do not give learners enough informal verbal feedback during classes. Many learners cannot recall being formally assessed on the standards of their playing before joining courses, or being given individual targets.

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

48. Teaching and learning are inadequate on many language courses. Some tutors do not have enough subject expertise to develop learners’ skills. They make basic errors when speaking or writing the language they teach. Planning is poor on many courses and learners’ individual needs are not taken into account adequately. Many tutors speak too much in classes and do not use the foreign language enough. Learners spend too much time translating and do not practise speaking skills at all in some classes.

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The quality of provision

49. Assessment and target-setting are weak on most language courses. Tutors do not always set clear learning goals for learners. Most tutors do not analyse learners’ skills at the beginning of a course. Tutors do not adequately record the achievement of learning goals, and many do not effectively evaluate the skills that learners develop.

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The quality of provision

50. The accommodation at some centres for independent living and leisure courses is poor for learners. The upper floor at one venue, and steep slopes at another, make some accommodation inaccessible to learners with restricted mobility. A dual-purpose room at one of the centres, which is frequently used by learners, is cramped and inappropriate for use by two groups at the same time.

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The quality of provision

51. In family learning, there is insufficient provision for adults with language needs. In schools where a large proportion of children and parents speak English as an additional language, the LEA does not provide enough appropriate family learning programmes. L d hi d

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Leadership and management

52. The service has a wide range of productive internal and external partnerships. It works well with a number of other sections in the council to develop a range of successful projects. Managers have worked hard to improve the service’s relationships and communications with a number of local general further education colleges. The service has successful external partnerships to develop a number of good projects for different groups of learners across the county.

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Leadership and management

53. The service has a number of good projects to widen participation and recruit new and under-represented groups of learners. Staff are skilled at using links with the community and their own knowledge to develop initiatives to meet the needs of local communities. Projects are co-ordinated well by the manager responsible for this area of work. They take place in community venues, where learners feel comfortable about the learning environment. Good initiatives to widen participation in family learning have led to links with local schools, the library service, museums and the history centre.

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Leadership and management

54. Curriculum leadership and management are poor in most areas of learning. In most areas of the provision there is no strategy for curriculum development. Managers do not use data sufficiently to plan the curriculum, and there are too few strategies for attracting under-represented groups of learners. Some managers do not have enough curriculum expertise to plan and manage their areas of learning. Too many courses are cancelled and retention and attendance rates are poor in most curriculum areas. However, curriculum leadership is strong in independent living and leisure. Support for tutors is good and problems are resolved quickly through practical support and advice.

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Leadership and management

55. There is insufficient planning for the management of resources. The council does not provide any funding for adult and community learning, and the service has had a

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

substantial financial deficit in each of the past two years. The service’s overall curriculum development strategy is insufficiently detailed and does not identify how resources are used and managed. Some managers do not understand the need to monitor retention and attendance rates. They are not sufficiently aware of the large numbers of learners who withdraw early from courses. Some curriculum leaders find it difficult to manage their workloads and managers rely too much on the goodwill of staff.

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Leadership and management

56. Management information is not used and analysed sufficiently to plan and evaluate the provision. The service does not have a clear strategy for the regular collection, analysis and use of reliable data for planning the provision. Managers have been slow to identify the significance of some important trends, such as declining enrolments and insufficient new learners. There is widespread re-enrolment in many curriculum areas and too few progression routes. Management meetings are not used sufficiently to evaluate targets or monitor progress against important performance indicators.

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Leadership and management

57. The service’s role in the planning of the subcontractor’s curriculum is insufficiently established. The management of the contract process with East Surrey College is ineffective and does not adequately target those learners who are identified as a strategic priority. The strategy for deciding the level of funding given to the subcontractor is not clear. The service’s curriculum leaders have not met with heads of department at the college to plan the curriculum.

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Leadership and management

58. Assessment practices in non-accredited learning are inadequate. In many areas of learning, initial assessment arrangements are too informal, and many learners do not have individual learning plans or targets for achievements. The monitoring and recording of learners’ progress are weak. Some staff do not understand the need to assess learners’ progress and achievements on non-accredited courses.

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Leadership and management

59. The arrangements for staff development and training are ineffective. The service does not have an overall staff learning plan, and curriculum leaders interview for new tutors in areas of learning where they do not have sufficient expertise. There is no up-to-date record of all the tutors’ qualifications. Tutors’ attendance at staff training events is poor.

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Leadership and management

60. The service has been slow to implement its arrangements for equality and diversity . It does not have its own equal opportunities policies, specific to adult learners. The LEA’s equality and diversity group has identified that the management of equality of opportunity is a weakness. There is insufficient promotion and awareness of equality and diversity throughout the service. Too few tutors have received any formal equal opportunities training. Teaching and learning are poor in many mixed-ability classes.

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Leadership and management

61. The implementation of quality improvement procedures is inadequate. Many staff are unclear about the service’s overall quality improvement arrangements. Management meetings spend too little time monitoring and reviewing the quality of teaching and learning. The management information system is not yet established enough to produce reliable data that would help managers analyse the effectiveness of their programmes. Classroom observations are not always carried out by subject specialists. In many curriculum areas, the action plans arising from classroom observations are too vague. The overall profile of teaching and learning grades given by the service is significantly higher than that given by inspectors. The arrangements to monitor health and safety are poor. Inspectors identified a number of poor health and safety practices that put learners at risk

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

62. The service’s self-assessment process is ineffective. Staff have not received enough training in how to evaluate the provision for self-assessment purposes. Many of the judgements about the quality of the provision are insufficiently self-critical. The grades given by inspectors for many areas of learning are lower than those given by the service. L d hi d

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Strengths

productive internal and external partnerships 00 • good projects to widen participation 00 •

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Weaknesses

insufficient planning for the management of resources 00 • insufficient use of management information to plan and evaluate the provision 00 • insufficiently established role in the planning of the subcontractor’s curriculum 00 • inadequate assessment practices for non-accredited learning 00 • ineffective arrangements for staff development and training 00 • slow action to implement arrangements for equality and diversity 00 • inadequate implementation of quality improvement procedures 00 •

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Sport, leisure and recreation Sport, leisure and Grade 4

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Strengths good health and social benefits for many learners 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • insufficient attention to individual learners’ needs 00 • inadequate formal monitoring of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate health and safety arrangements 00 • ineffective curriculum leadership and management 00 • ineffective quality improvement arrangements 00 •

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Dance

Strengths good social and personal gains for learners 00 •

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Dance

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Dance

good enrichment activities 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • poor development of learners’ technical skills 00 • poor teaching and learning 00 • inadequate monitoring and recording of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 • poor accommodation at many centres 00 •

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Music

Strengths good standards of practical work in many singing and instrumental sessions 00 • good range of resources 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • too much ineffective and uninspiring teaching 00 • poor monitoring of learners’ progress and skills development 00 • poor curriculum management 00 •

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Fine arts

Strengths good standards of work in sculpture 00 • good personal and social gains for learners 00 • well-equipped studios in most centres 00 • Weaknesses poor development of learners’ technical and creative skills 00 • poor teaching and learning 00 • inadequate formal recording of learners’ prior achievements and progress 00 • insufficient opportunities for progression 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Crafts

Strengths good personal benefits for learners 00 • good accommodation and resources 00 •

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Crafts

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Crafts

Weaknesses poor teaching and learning 00 • poor monitoring and recording of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Languages, literature and culture

Strengths good achievements in creative writing 00 • good range of modern foreign language courses 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates on modern foreign language courses 00 • insufficient development of learners’ skills on many modern foreign language courses 00 • too much inadequate teaching and learning 00 • weak assessment and target-setting on most courses 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Independent living and leisure skills

Independent living and leisure skills Independent living Grade 2

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Independent living and leisure skills

Strengths good progress by learners 00 • good teaching and learning 00 • well-managed support for learners 00 • strong curriculum leadership 00 • Weaknesses poor punctuality 00 • poor and inaccessible accommodation at some centres 00 •

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Adult and community learning

Adult and community learning Adult and commu Grade 3

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Adult and community learning

Strengths good acquisition of skills by most learners 00 • good teaching and learning on many courses 00 • good initiatives to widen participation 00 •

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Adult and community learning

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Adult and community learning

Weaknesses poor progression rates 00 • insufficient provision for adults with language needs 00 • insufficient implementation of quality improvement arrangements 00 •

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Adult and community learning

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT SURREY LEA:

the accessible learning locations, which have a friendly atmosphere • the supportive and friendly tutors • learning with their children • the good opportunities to perform dance routines in public • the good resources • the opportunity to develop self-confidence • the opportunities to interact with like-minded people - the effect that learning has on peoples’ lives •

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT SURREY LEA:

’the courses are good value for money’ •

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK SURREY LEA COULD IMPROVE:

the opportunities to progress to other courses, particularly those which are accredited • ’we don’t like mixed-ability classes’ - the way in which mixed-ability classes are taught • the information about the content of courses • the opportunities to practise speaking skills in language classes • ’the summer break is too long - courses should take place during school holiday periods’ •

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK SURREY LEA COULD IMPROVE:

the availability of introductory courses • the arrangements for enrolment • the communications with learners when courses are cancelled or merged •

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK SURREY LEA COULD IMPROVE:

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK SURREY LEA COULD IMPROVE:

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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skills

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. 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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goals

Person teaching adult learners or guiding or facilitating their learning Person providing individual, additional support, guidance and advice to learners to help them

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Trainer

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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Learner Learner

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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framework

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

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Language of the Adult and Community Learning Sector

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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 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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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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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 self managing, sustainable communities.

p.21

building

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p.21

citizenship

The process whereby people recognise the power they have to improve the quality of life for others and make 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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citizenship

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Strengths

productive internal and external partnerships • good projects to widen participation •

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Weaknesses

insufficient planning for the management of resources • insufficient use of management information to plan and evaluate the provision •

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Weaknesses

insufficiently established role in the planning of the subcontractor’s curriculum •

p.23

Weaknesses

inadequate assessment practices for non-accredited learning • ineffective arrangements for staff development and training • slow action to implement arrangements for equality and diversity • inadequate implementation of quality improvement procedures •

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Weaknesses

63. The service has a wide range of productive internal and external partnerships, and uses them well in a number of curriculum areas including languages, literature and culture, independent living and leisure skills, and family learning. The service works well with a number of other sections of the council, such as libraries, adult and community care services, day centres and local schools, to develop a range of successful projects. For example, in partnership with adult and community care it has set up a café at one centre, which is staffed by learners with learning difficulties. Language learners make good use of the learning resources at libraries across the county. In partnership with the libraries section, family learning staff invited a famous children’s author to talk about his work to over 60 parents and their children. Managers have worked hard to improve the service’s relationship and communications with a number of local general further education colleges.

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Weaknesses

Staff have a good understanding of the need to avoid duplicating provision. Good partnership working with the colleges has led to the closure of some unsuitable teaching venues. The service shares its centres with a number of colleges, providing courses jointly, and promoting their programmes well in its prospectuses. For example, approximately 7,000 learners at Brooklands College attend courses on the service’s premises. The service provides administrative support for local colleges to input data to their management information systems. The head of adult and community learning has recently been appointed a governor at East Surrey College. External partnership working is good. The service has worked successfully with a wide range of partners, such as the local learning partnership, community learning partnerships and commercial enterprises to develop projects for different groups of learners across the county.

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Weaknesses

64. The service does not have an overall strategy for literacy, numeracy and language support. Most of the learners are enrolled on personal development courses, and are not assessed to identify any literacy, numeracy or language needs at the beginning of a programme. However, tutors have a satisfactory awareness of what to do if they identify

p.23

Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

learners in their classes who have additional learning needs, and where to obtain appropriate support. The service’s curriculum leader for supported learning gives good advice and guidance to managers and tutors in other curriculum areas to help them develop strategies to support learners with particular needs.

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Weaknesses

65. There is insufficient planning of the management of resources. The strategic priorities of the children and young people’s directorate primarily support children’s learning and do not acknowledge sufficiently the wider benefits that adult and community learning bring to the residents of Surrey. The three-year strategy for the community services section does not include sufficiently detailed strategies for adult learning. The council does not provide any funding for the adult and community learning service, but retains a significant proportion of the service’s income to pay for corporate overheads. The service has had a substantial financial deficit in each of the past two years. Most areas of learning do not have written strategies for how resources are used and managed. The service’s overall curriculum development strategy is insufficiently detailed, and there is no strategy for 2005-06. Some managers do not know enough about important aspects of teaching and

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Weaknesses

learning to identify accurately what improvements are required. They do not understand the need to monitor retention and attendance rates. The service’s definition of retention is inappropriate and managers are not sufficiently aware of the large numbers of learners who withdraw early from courses. Some curriculum leaders find it difficult to manage their workloads. They are very committed, but many of them are responsible for large numbers of learners located across the county. Centre managers spend a lot of time coping with vacancies among tutors and administrative staff, and rely too much on the goodwill of staff. Some curriculum leaders do not have the necessary expertise to manage aspects of the provision such as classroom observations, in other areas of learning. Too many tutors withdraw late from teaching courses. In 2004-05, approximately 850 courses were cancelled in the three main curriculum areas. In most areas of learning, staff make too little

p.24

Weaknesses

use of information learning technology (ILT). The service has carried out some effective management of accommodation, closing unsuitable centres and refurbishing existing venues well.

p.24

Weaknesses

66. Management information is not analysed or used sufficiently to plan and evaluate the provision. The service does not have a clear strategy for the regular collection, analysis and use of reliable data. Annual targets set by the service to recruit particular groups of learners, such as men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, are not reviewed. Curriculum leaders do not have enough accurate or timely data to carry out curriculum planning. The service has used external consultants recently to examine the reasons for trends in the provision. However, managers have been slow to identify the significance of some important trends, such as declining enrolments, insufficient new learners, too few men and too few younger learners, and have not acted sufficiently quickly to rectify these problems. Learner numbers have fallen by almost 30 per cent since 2002-03, and new learners by almost 50 per cent since 2001-02. Monthly reports from centres and

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Weaknesses

curriculum areas are too descriptive, and are not written in such a way as to clearly identify trends in the provision. Staff have worked hard recently to improve the accuracy and availability of data, and the service has appointed an assistant management information manager. However, in previous years, information about learners’ enrolments, retention rates, achievements, attendance and progression has been unreliable. In 2004-05, attendance rates and retention rates were poor in many areas of learning, but the data was not entered onto the management information system until recently. There is widespread re-enrolment in many curriculum areas and too few progression routes. Management

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Weaknesses

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p.24

Weaknesses

meetings are not used sufficiently to evaluate targets or monitor progress against important performance indicators.

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Weaknesses

67. The service’s role in planning the subcontractor’s curriculum is insufficiently established. It does not currently have a signed contract with the college for 2005-06 to clearly identify the responsibilities of the two organisations. The management of the contract process with East Surrey College is ineffective and does not adequately target learners who are identified as a strategic priority. The only targets set by the service in its negotiations with the college are for the numbers of learners and enrolments. No targets are set for the recruitment of under-represented groups, such as men, and those from priority postcodes or minority ethnic backgrounds. In 2004-05, 90 per cent of the learners were re-enrolments. The total funding allocated to the college does not depend on the achievement of any success criteria, and the strategy for deciding the level of funding is not clear. The service’s curriculum leaders have not met heads of department at the college to

p.25

Weaknesses

plan the curriculum. The service has identified this weakness in its self-assessment report, and the college has carried out a recent restructuring of the management of its adult and community learning provision.

p.25

Weaknesses

68. Assessment practices for non-accredited learning are inadequate. In many curriculum areas, initial assessment arrangements are informal, and many learners do not have individual learning plans or targets for achievements. The monitoring and recording of learners’ progress are weak. The paperwork designed by the service for recording learning outcomes is not appropriate for all areas of learning. Decisions about learners’ achievements seldom involve learners sufficiently in evaluating whether they have achieved their learning outcomes. Some tutors have not received enough training in how to use the service’s assessment paperwork. Some staff do not appreciate, or welcome, the need to assess learners’ progress and achievements on non-accredited courses. However, some tutors have developed their own appropriate and imaginative procedures and paperwork to monitor learners’ progress, and learners value the feedback they receive.

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Weaknesses

69. The arrangements for staff development and training are ineffective. The service’s training programme is promoted in a well-presented booklet and there is a wide range of events, which are clearly explained with imaginative titles. However, the service does not have an overall staff learning plan. The curriculum leaders who interview tutors for posts do not always have sufficient expertise in the area of learning. They do not have sufficiently detailed information about the subject knowledge and qualifications tutors need. The service does not have an up-to-date overall record of tutors’ qualifications. Important whole-staff training events have been used to prepare for inspection and not to improve teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are poor in most curriculum areas, with particular weaknesses in lesson planning, subject expertise, attention to individual learners’ needs, and involvement of learners in classes. Tutors’ attendance at staff training events

p.25

Weaknesses

and some curriculum area meetings is poor. The service employs almost 700 tutors. In 2004-05, 70 per cent of the events were attended by less than 10 tutors. Classroom observations are not used to plan tutors’ training and development. Many tutors are not aware how classroom observations are followed up.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

70. The service has a number of good projects to widen participation and recruit new and under-represented groups of learners. Staff are skilled at using community links and their own knowledge to develop initiatives to meet the need of the local community.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

Partnership working is good and projects are co-ordinated well. Successful initiatives have included a learning champions’ project, which was developed in partnership with a local care trust to promote learning opportunities in disadvantaged communities. The service has recruited 43 learning champions to date, and more than 400 learners have joined community learning programmes. There has been a successful project to develop a curriculum for older learners in two areas of the county, and two independent groups of learners have now gained their own funding to continue learning together. The projects take place in community venues, where learners feel comfortable about the learning environment. The curriculum leader for supported learning gives good support learners with additional needs.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

71. Learners with restricted mobility have satisfactory access to the wide range of learning venues. The LEA employed a team of consultants to carry out a thorough audit of the service’s compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The audit identified a number of problems and over the past four years the LEA has spent more than two million pounds in grants to resolve them. A plan of work is agreed each year, which has included the installation of stairlifts at two venues in 2005-06. Where learners with restricted mobility are enrolled on courses, classes are moved to the ground floor of the building or to alternative venues. The procedure for learners’ complaints is satisfactory. Booklets which explain the complaints procedure are displayed in all centres. Most staff and learners are familiar with the procedures. Positive images reflecting men, women and a range of races and disabilities are used in the service’s promotional materials, including the

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

posters and leaflets that are displayed at most venues. Promotional materials and the service’s policies are available on request in six different languages, large print and audio format.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

72. The service has been slow to implement its arrangements for equality and diversity. It has recently formed an equalities group, but has not yet agreed the terms of reference for the group. The group met for the first time in the summer to agree an equalities action plan, but it is too early to assess the effect of this. The service does not have its own equality and diversity policies, specific to adult learners. The council’s equality of opportunity policies for learners make too little reference to current equal opportunities legislation, and do not include policies to prevent bullying or harassment. The LEA’s equality and diversity group has identified that the management of equality and diversity is a weakness. It produced a report in October 2005, which identified that equality of opportunity has a low priority as Surrey does not have a diverse community and no issues have been raised. The report also notes that there had been too little effort to involve

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

minority ethnic communities in learning, and that there were problems over staff grievances.

p.26

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

73. There is insufficient promotion and awareness of equality and diversity throughout the service. Full-time staff have received training on aspects of equal opportunities, but too few tutors have received any formal training. Handbooks are issued to all tutors, but they make little reference to equality of opportunity. Many tutors interviewed during the inspection were not sufficiently aware of the contents of the handbook. Tutors are directed to the council’s intranet for more detailed equal opportunities policies, but these were not accessible during the inspection. Paper-based versions of the policies are not available. In many of the learning sessions graded by inspectors, teaching strategies did not take sufficient account of learners’ diverse learning styles and abilities. Teaching and learning in many mixed-ability classes are poor.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 4

74. The service collects data on learners’ ethnicity, age and gender, but this is not analysed to identify the participation, retention and achievement rates for different groups of learners, or to monitor the effectiveness of the service’s equality and diversity policies. The service has offered courses to attract more men but these have not been sufficiently successful. The service does not monitor effectively East Surrey College’s compliance with the service’s equality and diversity policies, and no targets are set in the contract with the college for the recruitment of particular groups of learners.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

75. The implementation of quality improvement procedures is inadequate. The service’s quality improvement framework was established in 2000-01 and it is reviewed each year. One of the area managers is responsible for quality improvement, and it is discussed at curriculum leaders’ meetings. Any proposed amendments to the framework are noted by the relevant area manager, and incorporated into the annual review of the quality improvement policy. The framework outlines the quality assurance activities for all areas of the service, such as the recruitment and induction of new staff, paperwork for courses and the self-assessment process. Staff are given a detailed and well-presented handbook, which contains useful information about tutors’ responsibilities and course administration. However, many staff are unclear about the service’s overall quality improvement arrangements. Tutors have not been sufficiently involved in the development of some

p.27

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

important new paperwork, such as records of learning outcomes for learners. Schemes of work and learning session plans are insufficiently detailed in many areas of learning. Some staff do not appreciate the importance of monitoring the quality of their work. Where tutors have developed innovative and successful ways of recording learners’ progress and achievements, they are not shared with other tutors.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

76. There is insufficient monitoring and reviewing of the quality of teaching and learning at management meetings. Minutes of meetings are often insufficiently detailed to identify specific action points. Where action points are identified, they are not always followed up at subsequent meetings to ensure they have been carried out. The management information system does not yet produce enough reliable data to help managers analyse the effectiveness of their programmes.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

77. Managers aim to observe part-time tutors in the classroom every three years to monitor their progress and to give them feedback. Some tutors have only been observed once in the past year, while some have never been observed at all. The service’s policy is to immediately observe those tutors who give cause for concern, but this policy is not always adhered to. For example, when a learner complained and withdrew from a course, the tutor had still not been observed six weeks later. In many curriculum areas, the action plans arising from classroom observations are not detailed enough, and insufficient focus is placed on the effect of teaching practices on learning and the development of learners’ skills. Learning sessions are not always observed by subject specialists, and the outcomes are not used routinely to identify staff development and training needs. In some instances, the comments made by observers do not reflect the grades given for the sessions. The

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

overall profile of grades given by the service for learning sessions is significantly higher than that given by inspectors.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

78. The arrangements to monitor health and safety are poor. Inspectors identified a number of poor health and safety practices during the inspection, which put learners at risk

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

during learning sessions. For example, in a jewellery class, the tutor did not follow correct safety procedures when using a blow lamp or when mixing sulphuric acid with water. Learners in a rock climbing class do not follow the correct procedures to ensure their safety at the top of a climbing wall. Many risk assessments are missing or incomplete, and tutors do not receive enough feedback on those that are completed. Some tutors and managers do not appreciate the significance of carrying out risk assessments.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

79. The service’s self-assessment process is ineffective. The service produced its first self-assessment report in 2000-01, and its most recent in October 2005. The self-assessment process is inclusive and involves staff at all levels. However, many of the self-assessment reviews completed by the centres, which contribute to the final report, are incomplete and insufficiently detailed. Staff have not received enough training in how to evaluate the provision and make supporting judgements. Many of the judgements about the quality of the provision are not sufficiently self-critical and it is not clear how many of the strengths identified have a positive effect on the quality of provision. Judgements were not included to support the strengths and weaknesses in leadership and management, equality of opportunity and quality improvement. The grades inspectors gave for many areas of learning were lower than those given by the service.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 4

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 4 Adult and community learning 4,034 13 4

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 4

80. Sport and leisure courses account for approximately 25 per cent of the service’s total provision, and at the time of the inspection, 4,034 learners were enrolled on 214 sport and leisure courses, all of them non-accredited. In 2004-05, there were 10,934 enrolments. Sixteen per cent of the provision is delivered by East Surrey College. Yoga, bridge and exercise courses account for 40 per cent, 17 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, of the provision. Other courses include tai chi, pilates, badminton, volleyball, golf and rock climbing. Most courses are open to adults of all abilities, although some are for specific groups, such as the over 50s and pregnant women. Courses take place during the daytime and evenings, and run for between eight and 10 weeks. They are offered at a variety of venues, including schools, village halls, church halls and the service’s adult learning centres. In 2004-05, 81 per cent of the learners were women, and 3 per cent were from minority

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 4

ethnic groups. A curriculum leader and a part-time assistant curriculum leader are responsible for the sport and leisure provision, and they manage approximately 120 part-time tutors who teach for between one and 12 hours a week.

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Sport, leisure and recreation Sport, leisure and Grade 4

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Strengths good health and social benefits for many learners 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • insufficient attention to individual learners’ needs 00 • inadequate formal monitoring of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate health and safety arrangements 00 • ineffective curriculum leadership and management 00 • ineffective quality improvement arrangements 00 •

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Achievement and standards

81. Many learners achieve good health and social benefits on sport and leisure courses. They enjoy their learning sessions and notice substantial improvements in their general health, mental agility, physical mobility and co-ordination. Many older learners experience improved recovery and rehabilitation rates following serious illnesses and major surgery. In tai chi, some learners improve their memory and co-ordination through the repetition of long sequences of movements. In a yoga class observed by inspectors, a learner who had had problems with his knees and had difficulty bending over was able to tie his shoelaces

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

without the need for knee surgery. A learner suffering from multiple sclerosis experienced significant improvements in muscular control. Some learners have used the courses for social reasons, and meeting with other learners to participate in other activities, such as walking, bowling and quiz nights. Some learners have set up their own clubs, for example in bridge, volleyball and badminton. One learner has progressed to become a yoga tutor.

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Achievement and standards

82. Retention and attendance rates are poor. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate and the attendance rate were both 72 per cent. Attendance at the time of the inspection averaged 75 per cent. Almost 3,000 learners withdrew from courses in 2004-05 without the knowledge of the service. In some learning sessions, learners’ punctuality is poor.

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The quality of provision

83. Guidance and support for learners are satisfactory. Learners find out about courses from an appropriate range of information, including newspaper advertisements, prospectuses and course leaflets. Staff in centres use written course descriptions to advise learners on the most appropriate course to meet their needs. Learners are put on waiting lists when courses are full, or given information about alternative programmes available at other centres. Support for learners with additional literacy, numeracy and language needs is satisfactory. Most tutors have a good awareness of the service’s arrangements to refer learners with additional needs to the supported learning co-ordinator. Learners with hearing difficulties are provided with appropriate equipment and signing interpreters. In 2004-05, a bridge class was moved to a classroom on the ground floor in one centre to meet the needs of a learner with restricted mobility.

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The quality of provision

84. In many learning sessions, tutors give insufficient attention to individual learners’ needs. Learners do not always complete health screening questionnaires before they start courses. Tutors do not carry out sufficient initial assessment of learners’ current fitness levels and experiences of exercise, and when they do collect information it is not used effectively to plan overall schemes of work and individual classes. In most learning sessions, tutors do not share the learning objectives for the class with learners. In the weaker learning sessions observed by inspectors, the tutors’ choice and level of activity did not meet the needs of all learners. In some classes for learners with mixed abilities, more advanced learners are not challenged sufficiently, and less able learners struggle to complete the activity correctly. Individual coaching and the correction of learners’ posture and technique are poor. The

p.30

The quality of provision

better classes observed by inspectors were planned well and tutors provided good demonstrations, explanations and individual correction of learners’ movements.

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The quality of provision

85. The formal monitoring of learners’ progress on sport and leisure courses is inadequate. Group learning outcomes are not sufficiently detailed and do not provide tutors with an accurate starting point from which to measure learners’ progress and attainment. Few tutors keep adequate written records of learners’ progress or of their reasons for attending courses. Tutors do not agree appropriate individual targets with learners. Many learners repeat the same courses for a number of years, and their learning targets remain unchanged. Most tutors monitor learners’ progress informally during classes, but provide insufficient individual feedback to enable them to improve their techniques, knowledge or understanding of exercise practice. Learners are not sufficiently aware of the progress they are making with their technical skills.

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The quality of provision

86. The arrangements for health and safety are inadequate. Tutors do not routinely use risk assessments or pre-exercise questionnaires. Many risk assessments are too general and are

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

not amended to contain detailed information about the course or venue being used. In some learning sessions observed by inspectors, tutors’ teaching practices were potentially dangerous. For example, a yoga tutor covered a lamp with a curtain to create an appropriate level of lighting in the class. In other learning sessions, there is insufficient reinforcement of safe exercise practices, such as posture and joint safety. Some classrooms are too small to accommodate all the learners. Some learners lean on stacked tables and chairs and hot radiators to maintain their balance during exercise routines.

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Leadership and management

87. Curriculum leadership and management are ineffective. The service does not have a strategy for the development of the sport and leisure provision across the county. Curriculum planning is poor. Managers carry out little formal analysis of learners’ needs. They do not analyse previous initiatives, such as the provision of yoga courses for men, to identify the reasons for the poor levels of enrolment. Partnership activity to develop new programmes is ineffective, and does not provide learners with sufficient complementary provision, or enough progression routes to accredited courses. The range of daytime and evening courses is appropriate, although very few programmes take place at weekends. Some courses are available for specific groups of learners, such as older learners, those with limited mobility and those who are new to exercise.

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Leadership and management

88. Managers do not use data sufficiently to plan and monitor the curriculum. More than 230 sport and leisure courses were cancelled in 2004-05. There are no targets to improve enrolments and retention rates, or to widen participation by under-represented groups of learners. Retention, achievement and attendance rates are not monitored sufficiently. The service collects data on enrolments and cancelled courses, but does not use it sufficiently to plan marketing activities, or to identify potential gaps in the provision. There is too little analysis of learners’ destinations or progression rates. Learners’ feedback is collected twice a year, but is not used effectively to improve the provision.

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Leadership and management

89. There is not enough staff training and development. A recent survey of tutors’ qualifications is incomplete and managers are unable to assure the validity of the qualifications and whether they are up to date. Training for tutors in the completion and use of important paperwork, writing lesson plans and schemes of work, and the use of risk assessments is ineffective. Attendance at most training events is poor.

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Leadership and management

90. The arrangements for quality improvement are ineffective. Tutors are not sufficiently aware of the requirements of the service’s quality systems. The completion and accuracy of important paperwork are not adequately monitored. The sharing of good practice is poor. Insufficient use is made of teaching and learning observations to improve the quality of the provision. In 2004-05, only 40 per cent of tutors were observed. The grades given by observers are significantly higher than those given by the inspectors. Observation reports focus too much on the completion of paperwork, and not enough on learners’ attainment. The observations are frequently carried out by non-subject specialists who do not have enough technical knowledge and subject expertise. The arrangements to monitor the quality of subcontracted courses at East Surrey College are inadequate. Significant numbers of courses are cancelled. The service’s curriculum leaders do not receive

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Leadership and management

sufficient information to monitor the quality of the provision or to co-ordinate curriculum planning.

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Leadership and management

91. The self-assessment process is ineffective. The self-assessment report for 2004-05

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

identifies a number of strengths which were not identified by inspectors, and omits some important weaknesses. The grade given by inspectors for this area of learning is lower than that given by the service.

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Leadership and management

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Arts, media and publishing Grade 4

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Dance 4 Adult and community learning 1,419 13 4 Music 4 Adult and community learning 424 13 4 Fine arts 4 Adult and community learning 2,473 13 4 Crafts 4 Adult and community learning 3,248 13 4

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Arts, media and publishing Grade 4

92. The visual and performing arts provision is one of the service’s largest. There are 7,564 learners enrolled on 513 courses, all of which are non-accredited. Arts account for 32 per cent, and crafts for 42 per cent of the learners. In 2004-05, 4,138 learners enrolled on courses, of whom almost 80 per cent were women. Arts courses include drawing, watercolour painting, portrait painting, life drawing, picture making, sculpture and acrylic painting. Craft courses include jewellery, lace-making, upholstery, clock repair, making stained glass and dressmaking. The dance programme is made up of courses in line dancing, tap dancing, ballroom dancing, middle-eastern dance, salsa, modern jive, Scottish country dancing, ballet and ‘Bollywood’ dance. Music courses include singing, piano, guitar, keyboards and opera appreciation. Courses are held at a range of venues throughout the county, including the service’s adult learning centres, local schools, village

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Arts, media and publishing Grade 4

halls, church halls and community centres. Most run for six to 34 weeks during the daytime and evenings. The courses are taught by 267 part-time tutors, who are supported by two curriculum leaders and two assistant curriculum leaders.

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Dance

Strengths good social and personal gains for learners 00 • good enrichment activities 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • poor development of learners’ technical skills 00 • poor teaching and learning 00 • inadequate monitoring and recording of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 • poor accommodation at many centres 00 •

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Achievement and standards

93 Learners on dance courses achieve good social and personal benefits on dance courses. For example, a learner interviewed by inspectors uses his course to have time

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

away from his sheltered accommodation where he feels isolated. Older learners and learners with physical disabilities or who are recovering from illness, increase their fitness, and improve their co-ordination and mental stimulation. One learner, who has had major heart surgery, uses his tap-dancing class to build his fitness.

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Achievement and standards

94. Retention and attendance rates are poor. In 2004-05, the overall retention and attendance rates were, respectively, 71 per cent and 75 per cent. Learners’ progress is restricted by the need to repeat choreography for those who have been absent in previous weeks. In one learning session observed by inspectors, learners spent the whole class repeating a sequence they had learnt the previous week to accommodate the learners who had been absent.

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Achievement and standards

95. The development of learners’ technical skills is poor in dance classes. In some learning sessions observed by inspectors, learners were unable to complete dance routines to an appropriate standard. Some learners are able to dance simple routines through direct observation of the tutor, but many are unable to commit the sequences to memory. In some weaker classes, learners’ progress is slow and experienced learners are insufficiently challenged. Many learners do not use their skills sufficiently to develop their creative ability. In the better learning sessions, learners develop good technical skills. For example, in a salsa class, the learners carried out a complex turn and integrated this with their own freestyle dancing.

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The quality of provision

96. Good enrichment activities are used on dance courses to enhance the curriculum. A performance event organised by the service at the end of 2004-05 provided a good opportunity for 115 performing arts learners to celebrate their work. Learners from seven different dance courses performed a wide variety of dances to an enthusiastic public audience. Learners were given the opportunity to see different dance styles and improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. Many tutors organise parties and other events at the end of courses to celebrate learners’ achievements. Learners on three Egyptian dance classes meet at the end of the year to demonstrate their skills and receive peer assessment. A salsa tutor and a ballroom dance tutor organise social dances each month that allow learners with a range of abilities to dance together and practise their skills in a social environment.

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The quality of provision

97. The range of dance courses is satisfactory and in some areas of the county, it is good. The service makes good use of community venues such as schools, church halls and village halls to ensure that learners have suitable learning opportunities. Learners value the location of courses near to local communities and main transport routes. The service responds well to requests from learners and tutors for new courses, and runs a number of introductory sessions and short courses to assess the viability of longer programmes. For example, the service organised an introductory session and two short courses in ‘Bollywood’ dancing to encourage participation by the local Asian community in Woking. In 2004-05, the service developed a successful partnership with a local employer in Dorking to provide line dancing and salsa classes for employees of the company and to encourage them to enrol on further courses. However, few opportunities exist for learners

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The quality of provision

to progress to more advanced courses. Many learners re-enrol on the same course for a number of years and some are bored with repeating the same course content. Learners in a tap dancing class have repeated the same level of course several times. Some learners are prepared to pay more for advanced level courses, which have been cancelled in

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

previous years, but staff are not clear whether this is allowed. Some learners interviewed by inspectors want to gain accreditation for their work.

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The quality of provision

98. Support and guidance are satisfactory for learners on dance courses. Tutors are given good advice by learning support staff on how to integrate learners with learning difficulties or physical disabilities into dance classes, and they support them well. For example, one tutor was given good practical advice and specific guidance on teaching a learner with Downs Syndrome. A tutor who teaches line dancing to learners with learning difficulties is supported well by a learning support assistant. The learners are achieving good social and personal gains. Pre-course information is satisfactory. New learners have the opportunity to speak to staff, and sometimes to tutors, in centres before they enrol on courses. However, on some courses, communication with learners is poor. Some learners do not receive any confirmation of their enrolment and they are unclear about whether they have been given a place on the course. Some learners are not told what clothing and materials

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The quality of provision

they need until the first session of the course. They are not always told about cancellations of programmes or changes to the course timetable.

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The quality of provision

99. Teaching and learning are poor. Twenty-nine per cent of the learning sessions observed by inspectors were inadequate. Tutors do not focus sufficiently on the development of learners’ technical skills, or on correcting their poor techniques. In the weaker classes observed by inspectors, learners are not supported well and they are given insufficient constructive feedback to help them progress and improve their skills. Some classes continue work done in previous learning sessions and do not have separate learning objectives. Tutors do not differentiate activities enough to ensure that the needs of different learners are met. Learners’ creative skills are not sufficiently well developed. More experienced and advanced learners are not always sufficiently challenged to extend their learning and skills. The better learning sessions are planned well, with a good pace of learning, and learners are given useful feedback.

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The quality of provision

100. Learners’ progress is not monitored and recorded adequately. Tutors carry out too little initial assessment of learners’ prior abilities, and some tutors have no written record of learners’ skills before they joined a course. Where initial assessments do take place, tutors’ written comments are insufficiently detailed and do not help to develop learners’ individual learning goals. Tutors identify group learning outcomes, but they are not always sufficiently challenging for more advanced learners. Some tutors make good use of their own paperwork, which they have developed to monitor learners’ progress.

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Leadership and management

101. Curriculum management is inadequate. Managers do not have a clear strategic plan for the dance provision. They do not have sufficient expertise in performing arts to carry out curriculum planning. Data and market research are not used sufficiently to plan the provision. Strategies for staff recruitment have not been successful enough to attract experienced tutors to teach dance classes. Some popular courses have been cancelled. Equality of opportunity is not promoted well. Tutors are not always aware of the service’s equal opportunities policies and procedures. Cultural diversity is not promoted or celebrated sufficiently through the curriculum offer.

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Leadership and management

102. The arrangements for quality improvement are inadequate. Course reviews are not carried out to monitor the provision and bring about continuous improvements. Classroom observations are carried out by managers who do not have sufficient subject expertise to

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

identify appropriate action points for tutors. The service’s lesson observation grade profile is significantly higher than that of inspectors. The sharing of good practice is poor. Tutors’ attendance at staff training and development events is poor. No system exists to ensure that tutors update their specialist skills and knowledge. Health and safety are not reinforced sufficiently. Staff are unclear about the implementation of pre-exercise checklists for learners and the service does not monitor the completion of risk assessments for courses.

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Leadership and management

103. The accommodation for dance courses is poor at many centres. Some classrooms are purpose-built for dance classes, but many have inappropriate floor surfaces or lack adequate temperature control and ventilation. The concrete-tiled floors in some classrooms are too hard for learners to practise footwork. Some floor surfaces provide too much resistance or are too slippery, particularly for older learners. The standard of maintenance is poor at some centres, and some halls are not always clean. One learner interviewed by inspectors had slipped over on a dusty floor and broken her arm in a dance class.

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Leadership and management

104. The self-assessment report is insufficiently self-critical. The service does not adequately identify how the strengths in the report improve the provision. Inspectors identified a number of important weaknesses which had been omitted from the report. The grade given by inspectors for the curriculum area is significantly lower than that identified by the service.

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Music

Strengths good standards of practical work in many singing and instrumental sessions 00 • good range of resources 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates 00 • too much ineffective and uninspiring teaching 00 • poor monitoring of learners’ progress and skills development 00 • poor curriculum management 00 •

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Achievement and standards

105. The standards of practical work are good in many singing and instrumental sessions. Individual learners and groups of learners display accuracy and fluency in their playing. In singing classes, they use the correct breathing techniques and postures to produce good vocal tones. They develop their musicality and enjoy the classes. Learners learn to make the appropriate adjustments to improve the quality of the sounds they make. For example, they remember when to breathe within a musical phrase. In guitar classes, they achieve good chord shapes using the correct hand positions and know how to move their fingers on the fret board to improve the sound of chords. Learners’ solo performances and group work develop successfully. They are keen to practise and perform at music events, using such events to increase their self-confidence and self-esteem. Learners develop an appropriate understanding of rhythmic patterns and basic music theory. In opera

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Achievement and standards

appreciation classes, learners’ knowledge of classical and contemporary music repertoire is satisfactory. There is some good critical discussion and analysis of music works.

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

106. Retention and attendance rates are poor on music courses. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate was 67 per cent. Some learners have stopped attending learning sessions and go to private classes with the same tutors. At the time of the inspection, the average attendance rate was 67 per cent. Attendance rates on many courses are declining, and there are some classes where no one attends. On other courses, learners attend the first session but do not return. Where attendance rates are poor, learners are not able to carry out performances involving groups of people. Tutors have to change the session plan and are not able to develop group work effectively.

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The quality of provision

107. The range of resources is good. Learners use well-tuned pianos with adjustable piano stools and up-to-date keyboards. Many classrooms have good acoustics and are well lit and spacious, with good ventilation. At some centres, mirrors are provided for learners on singing courses. Tutors use well-produced handouts and theory sheets, which are written to reflect the different levels of learners’ ability. For example, in a good guitar class observed by inspectors, the tutor produced a clear handout on strumming. In another learning session, learners were given a very good synopsis of opera plots and characters. Learners are given a good range of practical worksheets that accurately explain rhythm, notation and time signatures. Tutors bring musical scores of popular pieces to vocal classes. There is a good range of musical materials to enable learners to extend their singing styles. Most of the tutors are experienced and knowledgeable musicians. Two are

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The quality of provision

professionally trained opera singers and others are professional musicians who perform regularly at concerts, recitals and master classes. They use their knowledge of the music industry to motivate learners. For example, they describe how to deal with performance nerves and the different styles of music conductors.

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The quality of provision

108. The range of music courses is generally satisfactory. Most learners comment that the programme offer meets their expectations and relates closely to their needs and interests. Courses match learners’ aspirations to improve their performance skills, to expand their knowledge of musical repertoire, to help their children to learn music and to enhance their musical appreciation. However, some courses are repetitive and do not incorporate new work at an appropriate pace. There is widespread re-enrolment with some learners remaining on courses for several years. Too much of the programme is based on western classical traditions of music. The curriculum offer does not promote or celebrate cultural diversity sufficiently.

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The quality of provision

109. Support for learners is satisfactory. Tutors are approachable and share their expertise with learners. They tell them about local choirs, singing groups, festivals and amateur performance societies where they can practise and improve their skills. However, on some courses, learners receive insufficient advice and guidance on further opportunities to sing and play instruments once they complete the programme.

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The quality of provision

110. Too much of the teaching and learning on music courses is ineffective and uninspiring. Nineteen per cent of the learning sessions observed by inspectors were inadequate. Some tutors are unable to find successful solutions for learners who do not understand a particular part of the class. They cannot resolve learners’ questions adequately, which leaves learners confused and dissatisfied. In too many classes, learning points are insufficiently detailed. Some learning sessions are led entirely by the tutor, with no group discussion and very little involvement by learners. In one learning session observed by inspectors, none of the learners spoke for the first hour of the class. In some

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

sessions, tutors do not plan adequately to listen to individual learners’ performances. Many learners do not receive enough detailed and critical feedback to improve their skills. Tutors’ checking of learning is often poor, and some tutors move on too quickly without checking that all learners are prepared for the next stage of learning. More experienced learners dominate some classes, leaving others with insufficient opportunities, or encouragement, to contribute to the session.

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The quality of provision

111. The monitoring of learners’ progress and skills development is poor. In some learning sessions, there are no records of learners’ progress and insufficient monitoring of learners’ skills development. Some tutors do not give learners enough informal verbal feedback during classes. Tutors have a poor awareness of the need to develop progress records for learners. Many learners cannot recall being formally assessed on the standards of their playing before they join their course, or being given subsequent individual targets based on their initial performance. Individual learning goals are too general and the same ones are used for all learners in the class. They are not updated or reviewed often enough. Tutors use a narrow range of success measures to define and celebrate learners’ progress. They make little use of the opportunity to share learners’ performances within groups, for their peers to comment on their performance skills. IT is not used to record learners’

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The quality of provision

performances, and there is no visual or sound-based record of learners’ development, particularly in performance-based learning.

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Leadership and management

112. Curriculum management is poor. Managers do not have sufficient expertise in music to carry out appropriate curriculum planning. They do not use course reviews to gather tutors’ feedback on issues and trends at course level. Managers who carry out classroom observations of teaching and learning do not have enough subject knowledge to make the process meaningful. Action points identified following observations do not rectify weaknesses in teaching and learning. Some tutors have not been observed for a long time, and some do not appear on the planned schedule of classroom observations. The service’s lesson observation grade profile is significantly higher than that of inspectors.

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Leadership and management

113. Tutors’ attendance at training events is poor and too few other opportunities exist for them to share their experiences or any good practice. Tutors are not given sufficient guidance on how to monitor learners’ progress effectively or how to measure learners’ achievements. Managers do not check tutors’ schemes of work and lesson plans often enough.

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Leadership and management

114. The self-assessment report fails to identify important strengths and weaknesses in the music provision. Tutors are not involved sufficiently in the self-assessment process. Too few judgements are made on the standards of teaching and learning, and the grade given by inspectors for the curriculum area is significantly lower than that identified by the service.

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Fine arts

Strengths good standards of work in sculpture 00 • good personal and social gains for learners 00 • well-equipped studios in most centres 00 •

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Fine arts

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Fine arts

Weaknesses poor development of learners’ technical and creative skills 00 • poor teaching and learning 00 • inadequate formal recording of learners’ prior achievements and progress 00 • insufficient opportunities for progression 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Achievement and standards

115. The standards of work are good in sculpture. Learners use a wide range of materials to produce innovative finished products. They combine technical competence with creative ability and a keen appreciation of the subject matter. Many learners complete challenging projects successfully and produce very good standards of work for exhibition. Learners are enthusiastic about their progress and many feel they exceed their personal learning goals. In a learning session observed by inspectors, a tutor helped a visually impaired learner to produce carefully modelled pieces of good work. In most cases, tutors are practising artists in their own specialist area, and some learners travel considerable distances to attend the courses they run. New learners progress well and use a wide range of imaginative materials. More experienced learners work on individual projects, which develop their creative and technical skills.

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Achievement and standards

116. Learners achieve good personal and social gains. They value their improved self-confidence, self-esteem and concentration levels. Some learners interviewed by inspectors spoke of the positive therapeutic benefits gained from attending classes. For example, two learners who have suffered strokes are able to express themselves through their art, and a widower interviewed by inspectors has used the course he attends to give new focus and meaning to his life. Some learners value the positive benefits that courses have on their everyday lives, such as a learner with restricted mobility who has chosen to walk to her class to set herself personal development targets.

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Achievement and standards

117. Retention rates are satisfactory. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate was 79 per cent. However, the service’s definition of retention is inappropriate.

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Achievement and standards

118. The development of learners’ technical and creative skills is poor on most courses. Learners are not given sufficient encouragement to experiment and express themselves creatively. Many learners’ sketchbooks are poorly developed and their portfolios show a narrow range of work. In many learning sessions observed by inspectors, learners were not working in sufficiently large formats to develop their skills. Tutors rely too much on secondary sources of work and not enough on first-hand observation. Some learners do not acquire the basic principles of painting and drawing. Many learners continue on the same course for many years and do not progress sufficiently well. Their self-confidence and ability are not developed well enough. Some learners are not given enough encouragement to use abstract or imaginative approaches to develop their creative skills.

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The quality of provision

119. There are well-equipped studios in most centres. Accommodation at several of the venues has been improved and has purpose-built or refurbished studios for arts classes. Many classrooms are spacious, well lit and have good display space. Some studios have

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

additional lamps to support the teaching of design principles, such as tonal values, light and shade and contrast. Many studios have specialist furniture, including easels, drawing tables, drawing boards, and rotating plinths for life models. Good storage facilities are available for larger pieces of work, so that learners do not have to carry large amounts of equipment or work to and from classrooms. However, some classrooms are too small, and in one learning session observed by inspectors, an older learner tripped over an easel leg when moving around a cramped classroom. The ventilation at some centres is poor. Some learners interviewed by inspectors complained of headaches after using oils and turpentine in arts classes.

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The quality of provision

120. Support for learners on arts courses is satisfactory. Learners with hearing impairments or restricted mobility are supported well by tutors. The service has not identified any learners in this curriculum area who need additional literacy, numeracy or language support. Some pre-course information is insufficiently detailed, and the description of course levels is not always accurate.

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The quality of provision

121. Teaching and learning are poor. Twenty-six per cent of the learning sessions observed were inadequate. Learners are insufficiently involved in many classes. Too few tutors hold appropriate teaching qualifications, and many use a narrow range of teaching methods and do not teach mixed-ability classes well. Tutors allow learners to rely too heavily on secondary sources of work, with insufficient working from primary sources. One learner interviewed by inspectors commented that after attending the course for a number of years, she had used all the tutors’ photographic resources, and was now having to start again. In the weaker learning sessions observed by inspectors, tutors do not routinely teach basic techniques and skills to support learners’ individual development and independent working. Group work is poor in many classes and learners have too few opportunities for peer review or critical evaluation of their work. One learner interviewed by inspectors had

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The quality of provision

not been encouraged to monitor her progress by keeping her work in a sketchbook, and threw all of her paintings away. Some demonstrations by tutors are too long and fail to sustain learners’ attention. Tutors do not use ILT enough to develop learners’ technical skills. The quality of some handouts is poor. In the better learning sessions, tutors give clear and inspiring demonstrations, which encourage good interaction with learners.

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The quality of provision

122. The formal recording of learners’ prior achievements and progress is inadequate. In many learning sessions observed by inspectors, there was no formal assessment of learners’ work. The service has designed its own learning outcome records for learners, but many tutors do not use these appropriately. Some tutors have started to introduce their own imaginative ways of recording learning outcomes. The service does not monitor the implementation of the new paperwork sufficiently, and has not given tutors enough training to use it correctly. Learners are not sufficiently involved in the negotiation of their learning targets. Some learners are enrolled on courses that are not suited to their level of ability. In some classes, learners express the opinion that they are restricting the progress of more accomplished learners.

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The quality of provision

123. There are too few opportunities for progression and some learners who want to progress to higher-level courses are unable to do so. Learners do not always have enough access to advice and guidance on progression routes in arts. More experienced or talented learners are often on the wrong course level. Too many mixed-ability classes are managed poorly, with insufficient differentiation for learners. The service does not have a strategy to recruit new learners, or to retain existing learners. However, some learners in the east of

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

the county have progressed to accredited courses at East Surrey College.

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Leadership and management

124. Curriculum management is inadequate. Curriculum leaders do not use data sufficiently to plan the curriculum. The service does not have an overall strategy to raise standards and enhance the arts provision. Course advertisements in local newspapers contain a number of mistakes. Attendance rates on many courses are poor, and in 2004-05, when the attendance rate was 79 per cent, more than 400 visual and performing arts courses were cancelled. Some tutors do not fully understand the roles and responsibilities of managers. Attendance at staff training events is poor, and there are too few subject-specific training opportunities for arts tutors. The sharing of good practice is poor. There is insufficient diversity in the curriculum, and tutors rely too much on traditional western European idioms. Very few of the secondary sources used by tutors make any reference to other cultures. Tutors in some mixed-ability classes use language

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Leadership and management

125. Managers’ observations of teaching and learning do not support quality improvement adequately. The service’s lesson observation grade profile is significantly higher than that of the inspection team. The staff who carry out lesson observations have insufficient subject-specialist knowledge to bring about improvements in teaching and learning. Some tutors do not value the process, and do not receive sufficient detailed feedback to improve their teaching practice. Many tutors do not understand the importance of procedures to bring about quality improvements, and comment that many of the systems introduced by the service are too bureaucratic.

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Leadership and management

126. The self-assessment process does not contribute to the continuous improvement of the arts provision. The self-assessment report for 2004-05 is not sufficiently self-critical and fails to identify many of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. The grade given by the service is significantly higher than that identified by inspectors.

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Crafts

Strengths good personal benefits for learners 00 • good accommodation and resources 00 • Weaknesses poor teaching and learning 00 • poor monitoring and recording of learners’ progress 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Achievement and standards

127. There are good personal benefits for learners on craft courses. In many of the learning sessions observed by inspectors, learners benefited mentally and physically from social interaction with other learners, and the development of new skills. For example, a learner who is the sole carer for his very sick wife described the course as a chance to get away from the stresses of his everyday life and focus on the development of other skills. In

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

a stained glass class, a learner with a physical disability was regaining his strength and mobility through the manipulation of tools and materials. Many learners’ personal goals are enriched through visits to galleries, theatres, exhibitions and craft fairs. The service organises end-of-year exhibitions at which learners celebrate their work, improving their self-confidence and self-esteem. Learners on some courses take advantage of additional workshops held at weekends or during holiday periods to extend their knowledge and skills. Eighty learners on a bobbin lace course took part in a project to make an Elizabethan-style lace ruff for use in a performance at the Globe Theatre in London.

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Achievement and standards

128. The standards of learners’ work are satisfactory. Most learners talk confidently about their work and can give detailed explanations of the processes and techniques they use. In the better lessons, learners plan and record their work, using sketch pads and notebooks.

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The quality of provision

129. Accommodation and resources are good for craft learners. Tutors are well qualified and many have developed their professional skills through good links with industry. Many of the centres have good specialist facilities for jewellery, stained glass, soft furnishings, garment making and upholstery. Workshops are equipped well with specialist tools. Good storage facilities are available for larger craft items, such as upholstery, so that learners do not have to carry large amounts of equipment or work to and from classrooms. Learners value the spacious accommodation and wide-ranging equipment. Many centres have good displays of learners’ work, which are used to motivate and inspire their peers.

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The quality of provision

130. Support for learners on craft courses is satisfactory. Learners value the support and advice they receive from tutors. In a number of learning sessions observed by inspectors, tutors gave appropriate support to learners with learning difficulties and physical disabilities. Courses are promoted through the service’s prospectuses, advertisements in local newspapers, posters, and leaflets distributed to shops and libraries. However, course and centre details are not always advertised correctly.

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The quality of provision

131. The range of craft courses is satisfactory. Courses take place in 28 venues across the county and learners value the location of courses in their local community and near to main transport routes. Courses are offered in an appropriate range of subjects, including jewellery, pottery, stained glass, upholstery, soft furnishings and garment making. However, some more advanced learners re-enrol on courses as few opportunities exist for progression to higher level non-accredited courses or accredited programmes.

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The quality of provision

132. Teaching and learning are poor. Twenty per cent of the learning sessions observed by inspectors were inadequate. In the weaker classes, planning is poor and learning sessions do not have sufficient structure or focus. Very few of the classes observed by inspectors included a formal introduction to the session or any recap of learning from previous sessions to put the lesson into context for the learners. Tutors use a narrow range of teaching methods, and learners’ preferred learning styles are not taken into account sufficiently when planning lessons. Many of the classes are made up of mixed-ability groups and less experienced learners value the opportunity to turn to more advanced learners for advice and support. However, many advanced learners are not sufficiently challenged by the activities offered, and too many are allowed to choose projects that do not lead to the development of new skills. For example, in an upholstery class observed by

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The quality of provision

inspectors, a learner was re-covering four identical dining room chairs. In another class, a learner was handsewing curtains for the whole session. The learner could have completed

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

this task without any supervision from a tutor.

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The quality of provision

133. Learners’ progress is poorly monitored and recorded. In the better learning sessions, tutors have devised their own appropriate methods to record learners’ progress, and they encourage the learners to assess their own progress. However, in the weaker classes, the targets set for learners are insufficiently detailed to lead to meaningful learning outcomes. In many cases, the service’s own learning outcome records are not used appropriately. In some mixed-ability classes, the learning goals set are only for new learners. Many learners’ progress records are incomplete or contain insufficient relevant information.

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Leadership and management

134. Curriculum management is inadequate. The curriculum is poorly planned and managers do not use detailed market research to plan the provision. Tutors and existing learners are asked for suggestions for new courses, but there is no strategy to target non-traditional learners. Sixty-two per cent of the learners are aged over 55 and most are women. Too few progression routes exist for more advanced learners.

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Leadership and management

135. Classroom observations are not used effectively to improve the quality of teaching and learning. In 2004-05, just over a quarter of the tutors were observed, and few observations were carried out by subject specialists. Many of the comments recorded do not identify significant strengths and weaknesses in the sessions observed. Managers agree action plans with tutors but do not always use them to plan and monitor tutors’ identified development needs. The service’s lesson observation grade profile is significantly higher than that of the inspection team. There is little sharing of good practice, and many differences exist in the quality of teaching between tutors of the same subject. Learners’ feedback is not used enough in curriculum planning. Many tutors are not sufficiently aware of the service’s quality improvement arrangements, and there have been too few checks to ensure they read and understand the tutors’ handbook. Attendance at staff training events

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Leadership and management

136. The self-assessment report for 2004-05 is inaccurate. Tutors contribute to the self-assessment process by completing a comments form, which is linked to the Common Inspection Framework. However, their feedback is not sufficiently evaluative and does not always identify exactly what evidence is available to support the judgements. The report fails to identify some significant weaknesses and does not accurately explain how the strengths improve the quality of the provision. The grade given by inspectors for the curriculum area is significantly lower than that given by the service.

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Leadership and management

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Languages, literature and culture Grade 4

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Language, literature and culture of the British Isles Adult and community learning 277 13 4 Other languages, literature and culture Adult and community learning 2,161 13 4

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Languages, literature and culture Grade 4

137. In 2004-05, there were 3,284 learners on 499 courses in modern foreign language, literature and creative writing. The service is currently providing courses for 2,161 modern foreign language learners and 277 learners on literature and writing programmes. Almost 70 per cent of learners are women and almost 20 per cent are over 65. Various levels of courses are offered in French, Italian and Spanish, which make up 75 per cent of the provision. Other languages include Arabic, Chinese, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Russian. All courses are non-accredited and 67 per cent are at levels 1, 2 or 3. They take place in a variety of venues across the county, including schools, libraries, community centres, church halls and the service’s own centres. Courses are offered during the daytime and evenings, and run for one to two hours each week, for between five and 27 weeks. Courses are taught by 120 part-time tutors who are

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Languages, literature and culture Grade 4

managed by a full-time curriculum leader and two part-time assistant curriculum leaders. Strengths good achievements in creative writing 00 • good range of modern foreign language courses 00 • Weaknesses poor retention and attendance rates on modern foreign language courses 00 • insufficient development of learners’ skills on many modern foreign language courses 00 • too much inadequate teaching and learning 00 • weak assessment and target-setting on most courses 00 • inadequate curriculum management 00 •

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Achievement and standards

138. Achievements are good on many creative writing courses. Some learners have won local and regional competitions and a number have had their work published as books or articles in magazines and journals. Learners in two creative writing groups celebrate their achievements at reading events each year. Learners gain confidence with their success and enjoy having a critical audience of other learners to review their work.

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Achievement and standards

139. Retention and attendance rates are poor on modern foreign language courses. In 2004-05, the retention rate was 67 per cent, and the attendance rate 72 per cent. The attendance rate from September 2005 to the date of the inspection was 76 per cent.

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Achievement and standards

140. Learners’ skills are insufficiently developed on many modern foreign language courses. Although some learners develop their vocabulary and have a good understanding

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

of language structures, too many are not as fluent and accurate as they should be for the level of course and the time they have been attending classes. Many learners are hesitant and rarely use the language spontaneously.

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The quality of provision

141. The range of modern foreign language courses is good. The choice of courses in the most popular languages, such as French and Spanish, is extensive and ranges from beginner to advanced level. The service provides 13 different languages, and offers courses at different times of the day. Learners value the opportunity to attend classes in their local communities.

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The quality of provision

142. Guidance and support for learners are satisfactory. Learners find the course descriptions in prospectuses useful, but many are not sufficiently aware of the more detailed course outlines available at centres. Some learners receive good guidance from tutors before enrolling on courses. Learners value the supportive and helpful tutors. Learners who choose to disclose additional support needs are supported appropriately, but the service’s arrangements for initial assessment do not systematically identify whether other learners require literacy, numeracy or language support.

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The quality of provision

143. Teaching and learning are inadequate on many courses. Thirty per cent of the learning sessions observed by inspectors were inadequate. In the weaker classes, tutors do not have enough subject expertise to develop learners’ skills. Some tutors make basic errors when speaking or writing the language they teach. Learners’ mistakes in speaking and writing are not always corrected appropriately. Tutors’ planning is poor on many courses, and learners’ individual needs are not adequately taken into account. Schemes of work are insufficiently detailed and do not clearly identify the skills that learners will practise during learning sessions. In one learning session observed by inspectors, learners were not taught the skills required before a listening activity, and they became very confused. Tutors do not plan adequately for mixed-ability groups of learners. Learning activities are not designed to meet individual learners’ needs and learning styles. More advanced learners

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The quality of provision

are insufficiently challenged and many find the pace of learning sessions too slow. In other classes, activities are carried out too quickly and learners do not have enough opportunities to practise and consolidate their language skills. Many tutors speak too much in classes and do not use the target language enough. Some tutors answer their own questions to learners. Learners spend too much time translating and do not practise speaking skills at all in some classes. Tutors rely too much on paper-based teaching and learning resources and do not use audiovisual aids and ILT sufficiently to stimulate learning. Learning handouts and transparencies are often produced poorly.

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The quality of provision

144. Assessment and target-setting are weak on most courses. Tutors do not always set clear learning outcomes for learners. Learning targets are too general and learners are not given enough encouragement to add their own personal targets to group learning goals. Most tutors do not analyse learners’ skills at the beginning of a course. They do not check systematically that learners can sustain new knowledge, and many do not evaluate learning with learners effectively. They do not adequately record the achievement of learning goals. Where records are kept, tutors’ comments focus too much on the learning process and not enough on the development of new language skills.

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The quality of provision

41 © 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE SURREY LEA

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Leadership and management

145. Curriculum management is inadequate. The monitoring of learners’ attendance and retention rates is poor. Some learners have never attended courses but remain on class registers. Management information is incomplete and difficult to interpret. Tutors’ attendance at staff development and training events and curriculum meetings is poor. The sharing of good practice is poor. However, a group of tutors who teach Italian have set up an effective e-mail group that provides good opportunities to share information. Managers do not know enough about tutors’ qualifications and training needs.

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Leadership and management

146. Classroom observations of teaching and learning are insufficiently rigorous. They do not focus enough on learning and attainment. The service’s lesson observation grade profile is significantly higher than that of inspectors. Some useful recommendations are made in the feedback to tutors following observations, but the actions, and the improvements they bring about, are poorly monitored.

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Leadership and management

147. The self-assessment report for 2004-05 identifies some of the weaknesses in the area of learning, but not the poor teaching and learning and the inadequate curriculum management. The grade given by inspectors for the curriculum area is significantly lower than that identified by the service.

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Leadership and management

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Preparation for life and work Grade 2

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Independent living and leisure skills 2 Adult and community learning 775 13 2

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Preparation for life and work Grade 2

148. In 2004-05, 736 learners enrolled on independent living and leisure courses. At the time of the inspection, 775 learners were enrolled on 98 courses in this area of learning. Courses take place at 21 venues across the county, and learners enrol three times a year. Programmes are run for learners with learning difficulties, with mental health conditions, for learners who are visually impaired and learners with physical disabilities. Courses include arts and crafts, cookery, living skills, literacy and numeracy, and communication skills. All courses are non-accredited and most learners are enrolled on pre-entry level programmes. Some courses, particularly in lip reading, run at higher levels. Most classes take place during the daytime. Fifty-one part-time tutors teach courses in independent living and leisure, supported by 37 learning support assistants and almost 30 volunteers. Tutors teach

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Preparation for life and work Grade 2

classes for between two and 10 hours a week and they are managed by a full-time curriculum leader and three part-time assistant curriculum leaders.

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Independent living and leisure skills

Independent living and leisure skills Independent living Grade 2

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Independent living and leisure skills

Strengths good progress by learners 00 • good teaching and learning 00 • well-managed support for learners 00 • strong curriculum leadership 00 • Weaknesses poor punctuality 00 • poor and inaccessible accommodation at some centres 00 •

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Achievement and standards

149. Learners make good progress on independent living and leisure courses, and in most classes their attainment is good. They gain confidence in acquiring new skills, and learn how to communicate more effectively with each other and with their tutor. Learners on cookery courses use the food preparation skills they develop to carry out everyday domestic activities. They can now cook for themselves and for their families and friends. Three learners have progressed into a supported work environment and help to run a café in one of the adult learning centres. Another learner has progressed from a pre-entry level course onto a mainstream pottery programme. Learners with mental health conditions improve their self-confidence and self-esteem. For example, one learner has been able to produce pottery to a standard that has allowed him to present his work at a local art exhibition. Learners on lip reading courses develop good skills as well as a broad

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Achievement and standards

understanding of basic linguistic principles. Retention rates on most courses are satisfactory. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate was 80 per cent.

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

150. Learners’ punctuality is poor in many classes. In 25 per cent of the classes observed by inspectors, learners arrived 15 minutes late or more. On many courses, large groups of learners come to the class by minibus and arrive late. Learners who are on time are distracted by the noise of their arrival and if group activities are planned, they often have to wait to start the class. The average attendance rate in the learning sessions observed during the inspection was 87 per cent.

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The quality of provision

151. Teaching and learning are good. Seventy per cent of the learning sessions observed by inspectors were good or better. Most lessons are planned well with relevant content to meet learners’ individual needs. Learners take part in a wide range of interesting and challenging activities. Tutors incorporate the development of learners’ literacy skills successfully into leisure activities. For example, in a tai chi class for older learners with severe learning difficulties, the tutor included a poem by a famous martial arts film star, which enabled the learners to develop their critical abilities alongside the practical activity.

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The quality of provision

152. Support for learners is managed well. The service’s learning assistants provide particularly good support, which enables learners to focus effectively on the tasks they are carrying out and to maintain the pace of learning activities. They give the learners good physical and verbal prompts. Care workers from residential homes attend many of the courses for learners with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities to help them feel comfortable in a classroom environment. Volunteer assistants support learners well. Many tutors provide good guidance to enable the support workers to accurately identify their role in the learning session. In a literacy class observed by inspectors, the tutor used a number of volunteers successfully to provide good individual support for learners.

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The quality of provision

153. Assessment and monitoring of learning are generally satisfactory on independent living and leisure courses. Tutors carry out effective initial assessments of learners’ prior abilities and experience, and incorporate their individual targets in schemes of work and lesson plans. Tutors monitor and assess learners’ progress usually once a week, and provide them with regular verbal feedback on the quality of their work. In a needlecraft session observed by inspectors, the tutor encouraged learners to comment on their own achievements during the class and to give other learners in the lesson positive feedback on their work. Tutors use a range of effective strategies to gather learners’ feedback at the end of courses. Learners receive satisfactory guidance on opportunities for progression. Some learners progress to accredited courses at local colleges.

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The quality of provision

154. The range of courses is appropriate. Different groups of learners are attracted to different locations and types of provision. Learners can choose from a satisfactory range of subjects, including cookery, pottery, arts, crafts and tai chi.

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The quality of provision

155. The accommodation at some centres is poor. The upper floor at one venue and steep slopes at another make them inaccessible to learners with restricted mobility. A dual-purpose room at one of the centres, which is used frequently by independent living and leisure learners for cookery and arts classes, is cramped. Good specialist resources are used for some courses, such as cookery and pottery.

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The quality of provision

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Leadership and management

156. Curriculum leadership is strong. The curriculum leader is extremely enthusiastic and well motivated. The tutors are supported well, and are continually encouraged to share good practice and information. Communications are very good. For example, a tutor disseminated strategies for developing learners’ literacy and numeracy skills to all tutors in the curriculum area. Tutors value the support they receive. Problems are resolved quickly through practical support and advice. Partnership working with a wide range of statutory bodies, community groups and voluntary organisations is effective in supporting the needs of tutors and learners. The curriculum leader holds frequent meetings with staff at three local colleges to develop a strategy for independent living and leisure to meet learners’ needs across the county. Staff work particularly closely with Brooklands College to ensure continuity in curriculum planning.

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Leadership and management

157. The arrangements for quality improvement are effective. Classroom observations of teaching and learning are rigorous and bring about improvements in tutors’ teaching practices. All new staff are observed during their first term. Some tutors have been appointed as mentors to support less experienced staff to write schemes of work and lesson plans. Staff training events are very relevant to the needs of tutors, and several have been well attended. However, some risk assessments for courses are not sufficiently rigorous.

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Leadership and management

158. The arrangements for self-assessment are effective. The development plan for the curriculum area is reviewed regularly to identify progress against the targets set. The most recent self-assessment report accurately identifies many of the strengths of the provision. The grade given by inspectors for the area of learning is higher than that given by the service.

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Leadership and management

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Family learning Grade 3

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Adult and community learning 3 Adult and community learning 65 13 3

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Family learning Grade 3

159. The LEA provides family literacy, language and numeracy programmes, and projects and workshops for wider family learning, which are aimed at parents and carers in areas of high social deprivation and low academic achievement. At the time of the inspection, 65 learners were enrolled on 11 courses, all in literacy and numeracy. From September 2005 to the time of the inspection, 225 learners have enrolled on family learning courses. In 2004-05, 957 learners enrolled on family learning programmes, 75 per cent of which were literacy and numeracy courses. Nineteen per cent of the learners were men and 23 per cent were aged under 34. The courses offered include family literacy and numeracy, keeping up with the children, family information and communications technology (ICT), family cookery, drama, parenting skills and reading with attitude. Courses take place during the daytime and early evening at 34 schools and 15 community venues across the county,

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Family learning Grade 3

including libraries, museums, and community centres. Some introductory courses, which run for between two and four hours, take place at weekends and in the school holidays. Classes are taught by 73 part-time tutors, 43 of whom are employed by the LEA and 30 per cent of whom are self-employed. The service’s family learning co-ordinator is responsible for managing the provision.

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Adult and community learning

Adult and community learning Adult and commu Grade 3

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Adult and community learning

Strengths good acquisition of skills by most learners 00 • good teaching and learning on many courses 00 • good initiatives to widen participation 00 • Weaknesses poor progression rates 00 • insufficient provision for adults with language needs 00 • insufficient implementation of quality improvement arrangements 00 •

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Achievement and standards

160. Most learners on family learning programmes acquire good skills. They increase their numeracy skills through a wide range of practical activities with their children. In a cookery class observed by inspectors, adults learnt to weigh, measure and estimate quantities using metric measurements. These skills were then reinforced while making cakes with their children. Learners improve their understanding and skills in reading, writing, listening and comprehension through supporting their children with homework. They use imaginative and creative writing techniques to improve their grammar and spelling. They benefit from unexpected outcomes, such as improved self-confidence, to express views and opinions about their own, and their children’s, learning. Some parents who had previously had a

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

bad experience of education now know that school can be friendly and fun.

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Achievement and standards

161. Retention rates are satisfactory. In 2004-05, the overall retention rate was 99 per cent. Approximately two-thirds of the courses were introductory sessions and workshops, which ran for between two and three hours. The average attendance rate at the time of the inspection was 94 per cent.

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Achievement and standards

162. Progression rates are poor. The aim of the introductory sessions and workshops is to stimulate parents’ and carers’ interest in learning and to encourage them to progress to further learning opportunities. However, curriculum planning is insufficiently developed to ensure that progression opportunities exist in centres which learners can attend. Joint planning with local colleges is not used to promote progression routes into skills for life programmes or other vocational courses. Learners are not sufficiently aware of possible progression routes, and there are few records of learners who progress to further courses or into employment. In 2004-05, only 29 learners out of a total of 957 learners were recorded on the service’s management information system as having progressed to other options.

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The quality of provision

163. Teaching and learning are good on many courses. Courses are planned well with clear aims and learning outcomes, which are explained clearly to the learners. Tutors check learning outcomes at the end of classes to assess learners’ progress and achievements. They use introductory activities skilfully to assess learners’ prior abilities and previous experiences. Learning sessions are paced well with short interactive tasks interspersed with learning activities that require more careful thought and deliberation. Learners value the challenging and stimulating learning environments. For example, in one learning session observed by inspectors, learners were asked to write a short biography of a family member or someone they knew well and then read it aloud to the class. Many tutors use good question and answer techniques to recap and reinforce learning. They use a wide range of good teaching and learning resources, such as masks, puppets and theatrical costumes to

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The quality of provision

stimulate learning. They develop informative handbooks for some learning sessions, which incorporate tasks to help them assess learners’ additional support needs. There is a good selection of books for learners, many of which promote and celebrate different cultural backgrounds. Reading material is used successfully to introduce learners to aspects of parenting skills and healthy eating and to promote active discussions about good and bad practices. However, in the weaker learning sessions, teaching and learning do not always meet the needs of individual learners. In some classes, tutors do not sufficiently assess learners’ understanding of important terms and vocabulary. Joint learning activities for parents and children are not adequately planned.

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The quality of provision

164. There are good initiatives to widen participation in family learning. Good partnership arrangements with local schools ensure that family learning projects take place in the 10 most disadvantaged wards in the county. Courses are planned well to encourage learners to participate in introductory sessions and workshops at weekends and during the school holidays. The family learning co-ordinator has developed productive links with a range of internal and external organisations including the library service, museums and the history centre, in order to target vulnerable groups of adults. A successful partnership with the foster care service has led to the development of introductory ICT courses for parents to improve their computing skills. Staff used an inventive and successful series of eight workshops called ‘You, the Author’ to encourage learners to develop their writing skills

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

together with their ability to analyse writing styles.

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The quality of provision

165. Support for learners is generally satisfactory. The service uses free programmes to promote learners’ participation in courses. Learners are given basic classroom materials, such as stationery, to support their learning. Childcare is not always available for parents with younger children, and classes are sometimes disrupted by noise levels from parents tending to the needs of their children. Tutors offer support that is sensitive to the individual needs of learners, and additional individual support is provided if necessary. One learner with a hearing impairment was able to attend a family learning course with help from a sign language interpreter.

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The quality of provision

166. Assessment is satisfactory on family learning courses. Most of the courses are short introductory or workshop sessions. Tutors use skilful strategies to assess learners’ starting points and previous experiences. However, on longer courses, tutors do not always carry out sufficient initial assessment of learners’ previous skills, particularly their language skills. Learners receive good verbal feedback in most classes, but this is not always recorded formally.

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The quality of provision

167. There is insufficient provision for adults with language needs. Too few appropriate family learning courses take place in schools where there is a high proportion of parents and children whose additional language is English. In one school where 12 per cent of the children come from families for whom English is an additional language, there are no courses to meet their parents’ needs. Some learners with language needs are not supported well in learning sessions. In one class attended predominantly by learners from minority ethnic groups, a number of adults with poor language skills did not understand some of the language used in learning activities.

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Leadership and management

168. The strategy for the curriculum area has not been updated recently and is not used sufficiently to plan the provision. However, the day-to-day management of the area of learning is satisfactory. Two tutor organisers have been employed recently to support the family learning co-ordinator. The co-ordinator meets each week with the area manager responsible for widening participation to discuss operational issues. Family learning tutors have recently started to meet, but attendance was poor at the first meeting.

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Leadership and management

169. The arrangements to ensure equality of opportunity are satisfactory. Equality of opportunity is promoted well in the curriculum. Many teaching and learning resources challenge gender stereotypes and reflect cultural diversity. Most learners are aware of their entitlements and some learners with additional needs are supported well. Learners with restricted mobility have good access to the centres. However, very few tutors have attended any training on equality of opportunity. The service does not set targets for the recruitment of learners from minority ethnic backgrounds to family learning courses.

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Leadership and management

170. There is insufficient implementation of quality improvement arrangements. Tutors’ schemes of work, learning session plans and records of learners’ progress are not monitored sufficiently. Tutors’ qualifications and levels of expertise are not always checked by managers. Too few tutors have been observed as part of the service’s classroom observation scheme. In 2004-05, only 10 per cent of the 73 tutors were observed. The sharing of good practice is poor. Some tutors spend a long time developing teaching and learning strategies and others produce learning materials when they already exist elsewhere

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

in the service. Tutors do not use the family learning website sufficiently. The family learning action plan incorporates actions to resolve the weaknesses identified in the self-assessment report, but fails to identify how the service will achieve strategic objectives.

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Leadership and management

171. The most recent self-assessment report accurately identifies some of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. However, it understates the significance of the learners’ skills development and the good teaching and learning on some courses. The judgements to support the strengths and weaknesses are insufficiently detailed and do not focus adequately on the quality of the provision. The grade given by inspectors for the area of learning matches that given by the service.

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