Setting

14 October 2005

14/11/2005 13:02:23 14/11/2005 13:02:23 LEEDS 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. LEEDS 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 1 Key challenges for Leeds LEA 2 Grades 2 About the inspection 3 Key Findings 4 What learners like about Leeds LEA 10 What learners think Leeds LEA could improve 10 Leadership and management 14 14

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Detailed inspection findings

14 Leadership and management Equality of opportunity 16 Quality improvement 17 Information and communications technology 19 Arts, media and publishing 22 Languages, literature and culture 25 Preparation for life and work 28 Family learning 32 LEEDS LEA

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. Leeds Adult and Community Learning Service (LACLS), which is part of the Leeds local education authority (LEA), sits within the Jobs and Skills Service of Leeds City Council. The Jobs and Skills Service is placed within the council’s Department of Learning and Leisure. LACLS manages adult and community learning throughout the city through a contract with West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Most of the provision is contracted out to providers across the city from the statutory, voluntary and community sectors. At the time of the inspection, LACLS was contracting with 22 separate providers to deliver provision at over 40 venues across the city. A small proportion of the total provision is directly delivered, including some family learning and mobile outreach information and communications technology (ICT) provision. LACLS provision is targeted in wards and communities within wards which exhibit the highest indices of deprivation. The

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

programmes are predominantly first-step non-accredited provision aimed at engaging or re-engaging those who are not participants in learning. The service directly employs a team of 35 workers, of whom 20 are on permanent contracts and 15 are hourly paid. The manager of the service is supported by a deputy manager, a curriculum co-ordinator and a neighbourhood learning co-ordinator.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. The proportion of people from minority ethnic groups in Leeds is 8.2 per cent. However, in some areas of the city, people from minority ethnic groups account for over a quarter of the population.

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Grade 3 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

3. The overall effectiveness of the provision is satisfactory. LACLS’s leadership and management are satisfactory. Equality of opportunity is good. However, quality improvement is inadequate. Arts, media and publishing programmes are good, while programmes in ICT, sign language and family learning are satisfactory. Preparation for life and work programmes are inadequate.

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Grade 3 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

4. The inspection team had some confidence in the reliability of the self-assessment process. The self-assessment process is part of LACLS’s overall quality improvement framework and is planned into the quality cycle. LACLS requires self-assessment reports from each of its providers to contribute to the overall report. The report identified some of the strengths and weaknesses found by inspectors, particularly those in leadership and management. However, in some areas of learning, strengths and weaknesses are not sufficiently identified. Not all tutors were sufficiently involved in the self-assessment process.

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Grade 3 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

5. The provider has demonstrated that it has sufficient capacity to make improvements. LACLS has recently introduced improved measures to monitor the quality of its provision. A monitoring framework has been produced and new subcontracting procedures place more stringent requirements on providers. However, these arrangements are not yet sufficiently established to be judged effectively. The self-assessment process requires

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Grade 3 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

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Grade 3 OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS

involvement by all subcontractors, but some tutors are not sufficiently involved in the process.

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KEY CHALLENGES FOR LEEDS LEA:

implement strategies to improve the provision • improve the collection, reliability and use of data • improve the planning of individual learning • maintain the focus on individual development • improve the sharing of good practice • maintain effective targeting of provision • improve skills for life across the provision •

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GRADES

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

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Leadership and management 3

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 2 Quality improvement 4

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Information and communications technology 3 Information and communications technology

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade ICT for users 3 Adult and community learning 271 3

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Arts, media and publishing 2 Arts, media and publishing

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Dance Adult and community learning 52 2 Music Adult and community learning 381 2 Fine arts Adult and community learning 88 2 Crafts Adult and community learning 231 2

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Arts, media and publishing 2 Arts, media and publishing

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Languages, literature and culture 3 Languages, literature and culture

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Other languages, literature and culture 3 Adult and community learning 179 3

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Preparation for life and work 4 Preparation for life and work

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Literacy and numeracy Adult and community learning 54 None Independent living and leisure skills Adult and community learning 386 4 Access programmes Adult and community learning 145 4

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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 339 3

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

6. The inspection took place over a period from 3 October 2005 to 14 October 2005. The inspection judged the effectiveness of leadership and management within LACLS in planning, supporting and improving adult and community learning in Leeds. Inspectors also graded the provision in five areas of learning where the numbers of courses running were sufficient to support a robust evidence base. These were ICT, arts, media and publishing, sign language, preparation for life and work, and family learning.

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

Number of inspectors 12 Number of inspection days 61 Number of learners interviewed 457 Number of staff interviewed 121 Number of subcontractors interviewed 44 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 121 Number of partners/external agencies interviewed 20

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ABOUT THE INSPECTION

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Achievements and standards

7. There is good development of personal and transferable skills for learners on ICT programmes. Many learners develop good confidence in the use of ICT and are able to use their ICT skills in other areas of their lives.

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Achievements and standards

8. There is very good attainment of personal goals by learners on programmes in arts, media and publishing. They gain greatly in self-confidence and achieve challenging targets. Learners acquire new technical skills and confidently use different media.

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Achievements and standards

9. Learners achieve well in British Sign Language (BSL) sessions. They work well and provide good peer support. Learners acquire a good vocabulary in BSL in a short time with accurate hand shapes and facial expressions.

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Achievements and standards

10. There is good attainment of skills to support children’s learning on family learning programmes. Parents gain a good understanding of children’s learning and understand terms used in their children’s literacy and numeracy curriculum. Parents feel more confident to speak to teachers and join in with voluntary work in school and some progress to accredited courses.

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Achievements and standards

11. Retention and achievement on preparation for life and work programmes are satisfactory. In 2004-05, 87 per cent of learners remained on their courses. Attendance at classes is usually good. There are variations in achievement rates across providers.

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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

Information and communications technology 17 1 8 8 0 Arts, media and publishing 29 5 14 9 1 Languages, literature and culture 7 1 3 2 1 Preparation for life and work 23 1 8 8 6 Family learning 16 0 8 8 0 Total 8 35 41 8 92 12. Teaching and learning are good on e-mail and internet courses. Lesson planning is effective with clear objectives by well-qualified staff. Lesson plans are used to record progress and individual learner interests and needs are accommodated within flexible lesson planning.

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The quality of provision

13. Courses in ICT are well targeted in wards with high indices of deprivation to encourage learners who face considerable barriers to participation. Courses ranging from free entry-level introductory courses to level 2 are available. There is effective working with local community groups to identify and recruit new learners.

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The quality of provision

14. There is much good teaching across arts, media and publishing provision. There are well-planned demonstrations in most classes and a good variety of teaching strategies are used.

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

15. There are very good initiatives to attract new learners onto programmes in arts, media and publishing, involving a good range of first-step programmes and tasters in accessible community-based venues. Many centres used are in targeted communities with easy access for learners and include community centres and local schools.

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The quality of provision

16. LACLS provides well-targeted learning opportunities in BSL provision. Programmes cover different areas of the city and most are located in areas of deprivation. The provision is split equally between day and evening provision and the service attempts to respond to local demand identified by neighbourhood learning development workers.

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The quality of provision

17. There is a good range of learning opportunities in preparation for life and work. Courses are held at many locations so that learners can attend classes in their own neighbourhood. There is a wide range of independent living and leisure skills programmes in the day and evening.

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The quality of provision

18. Teaching and personal support are good in most classes for learners on preparation for life and work programmes. For learners with learning difficulties or disabilities there is a high proportion of individual tuition and activities. Support is provided by paid learning support assistants and by volunteers. Many tutors give information and guidance to learners about how they might continue at a higher level, and some learners have enrolled for more advanced courses.

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The quality of provision

19. There is insufficient assessment and monitoring of achievement on non-accredited courses in ICT. Individual learning plans are not used consistently to measure and record achievement.

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The quality of provision

20. There is insufficient attention to learners’ individual learning needs on ICT programmes. There is no consistent process across the provision to identify and meet learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs. In weaker learning sessions, not enough differentiation strategies are used to meet the range of learners’ learning styles and abilities.

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The quality of provision

21. The recording of learning goals and progress is ineffective on arts, media and publishing programmes. Monitoring of learning in the better sessions is informal, and some supporting paperwork has been developed by individual tutors. In the poorer learning sessions, there is no recording of learning goals and progress, and most tutors do not understand the importance or purpose of individual learning plans.

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The quality of provision

22. There is insufficient attention to the learning needs of some learners on BSL programmes. Most lesson plans show no differentiation to suit the various levels of ability and experience within the group. In poorer learning sessions there is little variety in activities to cater for different learning styles.

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The quality of provision

23. There is insufficient focus on learning objectives in preparation for life and work courses. Individual learning plans frequently contain only general goals for learners to achieve. There are insufficiently specific and time-bound targets or objectives. Too many learning and session plans focus on the activity rather than the skills or knowledge that need to be learnt.

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The quality of provision

24. Accommodation for preparation for life and work provision is poor. Some classes

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

take place in specialist colleges where the facilities are good, and others are held in sports centres or a library where learners mix with the general public. However, many courses take place in unsuitable and, in some cases, unsafe premises.

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The quality of provision

25. The recording of learning goals and progress is ineffective on family learning programmes. There is insufficient recording of individual learning goals or targets. Initial assessments are not used consistently to agree individual goals or targets. Targets that are set are not easily measurable. Most learners work to the same learning goals. L d hi d

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Leadership and management

26. Strategic management of adult and community learning is good. LACLS has a clear strategic direction understood by staff and subcontractors. It targets provision to encourage participation by those not currently in learning. LACLS manages the LSC-funded non-accredited first-step provision for adults across Leeds and commissions provision from statutory and voluntary agencies across the city.

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Leadership and management

27. LACLS works well with partners to increase learning opportunities for individual adults, groups and communities in targeted areas in Leeds. It is an active partner in a learning partnership and works well with its subcontractors. The neighbourhood learning development workers very successfully develop partnership working at a local level between statutory, voluntary and community organisations.

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Leadership and management

28. There are good communications with providers. The service is a key partner in a citywide strategy group on learning for families. Staff resources are shared with colleges and there is effective joint planning of programmes. Effective use is also made of learning mentors in schools to work with and support families and develop programmes.

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Leadership and management

29. LACLS is particularly effective in widening participation. The neighbourhood learning development workers have been very successful in establishing links in targeted communities with local groups and with voluntary and community organisations. Provision is well targeted at a diverse range of learners in areas of high deprivation. LACLS is successfully working with different groups with very specific barriers to learning and employment.

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Leadership and management

30. There is good specialist support available to BSL tutors, learners and managers. A specialist team is able to help with the organisation of courses and recruitment of suitably qualified tutors. It provides details of the availability and content of classes. It can supply teaching materials to tutors and arranges termly meetings of a tutor support group.

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Leadership and management

31. Communication is satisfactory. While communication with tutors was identified as a weakness by the service in its self-assessment report, steps have been taken to improve it, with a revised tutor pack. However, communication with BSL tutors is inadequate.

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Leadership and management

32. The approach to providing information, advice and guidance to learners is insufficiently co-ordinated across the provision. Information, advice and guidance is built into some programmes by some providers. However, accessibility of impartial information, advice and guidance on progression and other learning opportunities is inconsistent across provision.

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Leadership and management

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Leadership and management

33. Skills for life, the government’s strategy on training in literacy, numeracy and the use of language, is insufficiently developed and implemented across the provision. While skills for life is integral to family literacy, language and numeracy programmes (FLLN) and is a focus within preparation for life and work, there has been insufficient staff training to integrate skills for life effectively and consistently across the provision as a whole. A co-ordinator has been appointed to develop skills for life and to support staff in its implementation.

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Leadership and management

34. Quality improvement measures are insufficiently established. LACLS has developed and recently introduced a clear systematic framework to quality assure the subcontractors. However, this has only been recently introduced. LACLS carries out observations of teaching to assure the quality of the provision provided by the subcontractors. However, information from provider observations is not always available to LACLS. Where good practice is identified there is no mechanism for sharing this across the service.

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Leadership and management

35. The self-assessment process is an integral part of the overall quality improvement framework and is planned into the quality cycle. LACLS requires self-assessment reports from each of its providers to contribute to the overall report. However, many tutors are not sufficiently involved in the self-assessment process.

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Leadership and management

36. Data is insufficiently used for quality improvement. Data collected on retention and achievement is not adequate to monitor and set provider and staff targets. At programme level, data is not sufficiently analysed to make judgements about how well learners are progressing and achieving. In many of the areas of learning the use of data is inconsistent and is not used effectively in the overall operational planning and development of each curriculum area. L d hi d

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Strengths

good strategic management 00 • good partnership working 00 • very effective strategies to widen participation 00 •

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Weaknesses

insufficient co-ordination of information, advice and guidance for learners 00 • insufficient implementation of skills for life across all provision 00 • insufficiently established quality improvement measures 00 • insufficient use of data for quality improvement 00 •

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ICT for users

Strengths good development of personal and transferable skills 00 •

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ICT for users

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ICT for users

good teaching and learning on e-mail and internet courses 00 • good range of provision 00 • Weaknesses insufficient assessment and monitoring of achievement on non-accredited courses 00 • insufficient attention to learners’ individual learning needs 00 • inadequate management of learner information 00 •

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Arts, media and publishing

Strengths very good attainment of personal goals 00 • good standard of learners’ work 00 • much good teaching 00 • very good initiatives to attract new learners 00 • Weaknesses ineffective recording of learning goals and progress 00 • poor understanding of the self-assessment process 00 •

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Other languages, literature and culture

Other languages, literature and culture Other languages, Grade 3

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Other languages, literature and culture

Strengths good attainment 00 • well-targeted provision 00 • good specialist support for tutors, managers and learners 00 • Weaknesses insufficient attention to the learning needs of some learners 00 • inadequate communication with BSL tutors 00 •

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Preparation for life and work

Strengths good range of learning opportunities 00 • high levels of learning support 00 • Weaknesses much unsatisfactory teaching 00 • insufficient focus on learning objectives in many sessions 00 •

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Preparation for life and work

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Preparation for life and work

poor accommodation and some unsuitable facilities 00 • inadequate quality improvement arrangements 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 attainment of skills to support children’s learning 00 • very effective partnerships 00 • Weaknesses ineffective recording of learning goals and progress 00 • insufficient arrangements for quality assurance and improvement of family learning provision 00 •

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Adult and community learning

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WHAT LEARNERS LIKE ABOUT LEEDS LEA:

’have learnt a lot of useful skills that help me with my job’ • ’the skills I’ve learnt are very useful for my work in the community’ • ’tutor is very good and it’s fun to learn’ • ’the relevance of the course to my daily life’ • ’I’ve now got lots of confidence’ • ’made lots of friends’ • ’didn’t believe that I would be able to do this after only three weeks’ • ’never passed a course before - now I know I can’ • ’wonderful course, I’m dreading the end of it, it keeps me going’ •

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK LEEDS LEA COULD IMPROVE:

the space available for car parking at the learning centres • the number of family learning classes • the hygiene and safety at one learning centre • the number of interruptions during classes • the information provided about the classes available • the number of literacy courses • the provision of crèche at some learning centres •

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK LEEDS LEA COULD IMPROVE:

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WHAT LEARNERS THINK LEEDS 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.

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building

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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

good strategic management • good partnership working • very effective strategies to widen participation •

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Weaknesses

insufficient co-ordination of information, advice and guidance for learners • insufficient implementation of skills for life across all provision • insufficiently established quality improvement measures • insufficient use of data for quality improvement •

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Weaknesses

37. Strategic management of adult and community learning is good. LACLS clearly communicates it strategic direction to staff and subcontractors to engage new learners and improve their skills and employability and benefit their local communities. The service prioritises action in the most deprived wards and communities. LACLS has a policy of targeting provision to encourage participation in learning by those not currently in learning and manages the LSC-funded non-accredited first-step provision for adults across Leeds. LACLS commissions provision from statutory and voluntary agencies across the city, utilising providers’ expertise to meet the needs of targeted communities and groups. The commissioning process makes clear LACLS’s priorities and requires potential providers to clarify how their proposals will contribute towards achievement of the service’s aims. LACLS directly delivers some of its family learning provision. The service has also gained

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Weaknesses

neighbourhood regeneration funding which it uses to directly deliver a neighbourhood learning project. In addition, LACLS uses other funding to support community learning and development in the voluntary and community sectors.

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Weaknesses

38. Partnership working is good. LACLS works well with partners to improve provision for individual adults, groups and communities in targeted areas in Leeds. It is an active participant in the learning partnership. LACLS’s manager chairs the adult and community learning subgroup of the partnership and attends the adult strategy group that advises the partnership on post-19 learning. On behalf of the partnership, LACLS has managed two recently completed projects to support English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and learning pathways in targeted wards. Both projects involve initiating and supporting participation and delivery in learning by partners in the statutory and, in particular, the voluntary and community sectors. The community pathways project achieved high learner numbers for small specialist providers. LACLS works well with its subcontractors. LACLS is currently commissioning 22 organisations to deliver its provision with over 50 per cent

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Weaknesses

from the voluntary sector. There are well-established links with a residential college that includes team-building and development activities for voluntary and community groups. The neighbourhood learning development workers, employed by LACLS through neighbourhood regeneration funding, work well to improve partnership working between statutory, voluntary and community organisations. LACLS also supports partners in the voluntary and community sector through its equipment loan scheme and by offering free

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Weaknesses

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Weaknesses

photocopying facilities. It works well with the council’s libraries service to reach learners in targeted communities with first-step ICT provision, and with the family learning centres to provide drop-in and first-step provision.

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Weaknesses

39. Staff development and support are satisfactory. Core staff are recruited and appointed in line with the council’s procedures and are appropriately supported with appraisal and staff development. Their qualifications are appropriate to their roles. LACLS checks the professional and teaching qualifications of staff delivering subcontractors’ provision. Tutors receive an informative and practical training pack and are supported through tutor forums linked to curriculum areas. Training is offered by LACLS to tutors covering issues particularly relevant to adult and community learning, such as e-learning and recognising and recording progress and achievement. Tutors employed by subcontractors are paid to attend LACLS training, but attendance is generally low. Where providers are unfamiliar with paperwork requirements they are given appropriate support to help them understand the procedures.

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Weaknesses

40. Communication is satisfactory. Management meetings are appropriately minuted and communication within the core staff team is effective. The neighbourhood development workers function well as a team. They meet regularly and maintain particularly effective communication with the communities they serve. For example, they use detailed newsletters. LACLS identified in its self-assessment report that communication with tutors employed by subcontractors is insufficiently effective. It has taken steps to improve the situation by revising the tutor pack. Tutor forums meet within curriculum areas, although attendance at some is low.

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Weaknesses

41. LACLS uses management information effectively to identify its target areas of work. The council has a sophisticated system to record detailed geographical and demographic data. LACLS makes good use of this information to target its provision very effectively at a local level. However, the information LACLS collects from its subcontractors is not adequate to be used effectively for quality improvement purposes.

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Weaknesses

42. The policies and procedures to which LACLS adheres are those that cover the council as a whole. Financial management also conforms to the council’s procedures.

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Weaknesses

43. There is insufficient co-ordination of information, advice and guidance to learners. This is a weakness identified by the service and plans are in place to rectify the situation. A leaflet that covers useful contacts for information, advice and guidance for adult education has been produced for staff. Providers are now required to confirm that they have procedures for information, advice and guidance in place. Information about progression is included by providers in some of their provision. However, the accessibility of impartial information, advice and guidance on progression and other learning opportunities is inconsistent across providers. LACLS does not have a system to check the adequacy and impartiality of this information, advice and guidance.

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Weaknesses

44. Skills for life is insufficiently developed and implemented across the provision, a weakness identified by LACLS in its self-assessment report. While skills for life is taught as an integral part of the FLLN programmes, there has been insufficient staff training to integrate skills for life effectively and consistently across the provision as a whole. A co-ordinator has recently been appointed to develop skills for life and to support staff in its implementation.

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Weaknesses

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

45. There are very effective strategies to widen participation. The neighbourhood learning development workers have been particularly successful in establishing links with local groups, voluntary and community organisations, and in identifying appropriate learning opportunities. Provision is well targeted in areas of high deprivation at a diverse range of learners, many of whom face significant barriers to learning. Needs analysis, surveys and links with community workers are used well to support a range of programmes and projects to improve social and educational inclusion. LACLS is successfully working with different groups including the homeless, offenders and ex-offenders, travellers, those who are experiencing or recovering from mental illness, and people with a disability. Most of the provision aims to encourage people to return to learning. Several learners from a creative arts project have progressed into higher education and one learner has recently achieved

p.20

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

an honours degree. Funding was sourced to train two workers from the community to promote learning in their locality. Some current tutors began as learners and act as positive role models for their learners. Many of the local groups involved with community projects have learnt skills to help them become independent. A mobile unit equipped with computers enables learners to develop basic computer skills. Well-equipped crèche facilities are available at many of the community-based learning centres. Venues are chosen so that they are based within the communities being targeted, and are familiar and non-threatening to learners. However, some venues do not provide an alternative learning environment.

p.20

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

46. Publicity material used in the marketing of courses portrays learners from a range of minority ethnic groups and reflects an appropriate balance of gender and age. Information about provision is provided in a variety of languages. Appropriate alternative marketing methods are used where written marketing materials are not suitable.

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

47. Learners are treated with courtesy and respect and are well supported. Staff fully understand their roles and responsibilities and are very aware of the aims of the service. LACLS operates within the equality of opportunity policy of the council which is comprehensive and covers the relevant discrimination legislation. However, some legislation covered in the policy is out of date. LACLS checks that providers have an equality of opportunity policy as part of the contracting process. Equal opportunities information is displayed in a variety of languages in prominent positions throughout the learning centres. Learners’ achievements are well celebrated in exhibitions, displays of learners’ work and awards events.

p.20

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

48. Tutors are provided with a handbook that outlines their responsibilities to the learner and identifies their key roles. Emphasis is given to equality of opportunity and diversity, giving clear guidance on how the LACLS policies should be applied. Equality of opportunity training for directly employed staff is satisfactory with frequent in-house training taking place. However, in some areas of learning, support assistants have not received training on relevant legislation.

p.20

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

49. A satisfactory range of specialist equipment and support is available for learners with additional needs. Such needs are identified at enrolment and induction. There is a bank of resources, including specialist learning equipment, for use by voluntary and community organisations. LACLS identifies venues that are locally accessible to the individuals and groups with which it aims to work and helps arrange modifications to buildings and equipment to improve access to learning. Most learning centres have access for

p.20

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

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Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

wheelchair users and people with restricted mobility. However, accommodation for learners with learning disabilities and/or additional learning needs is poor.

p.21

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade 2

50. Data is collected by LACLS on staff and learners’ gender, ethnicity and disability. The provider exceeds the profile of the local community with regard to participation by those from minority ethnic groups and by those who have a disability. LACLS has detailed data on the ethnic profile for each of the wards and uses this effectively to target provision. However, at an operational level, data is not routinely used to compare the performance and achievement of different groups of learners.

p.21

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

51. The arrangements for collecting feedback from learners are satisfactory. Learners’ satisfaction surveys are carried out by an external organisation that evaluates and analyses the results. In addition, LACLS requires all its providers to carry out course evaluations with all their learners. Learner focus groups have taken place and LACLS is developing a more systematic use of such groups, with pilots planned for the current year.

p.21

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

52. LACLS requires self-assessment reports from each of its providers to contribute to its full self-assessment report. Most tutors in each of the providers contribute to the self-assessment process. However, some tutors are not aware of the report. Course reviews, learners’ feedback and satisfaction surveys are also used. Where the self-assessment process is new to providers, LACLS offers support. The report identified some of the strengths and weaknesses identified by inspectors, particularly in leadership and management. However, some sections of the report are not sufficiently accurate or detailed. The report includes an action plan with timescales, but not all actions have been sufficiently monitored.

p.21

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

53. LACLS has recently revised and improved its measures to monitor and improve the quality of the provision, but these are insufficiently established. LACLS has recently introduced a framework to quality assure subcontractors. The contractual agreement with subcontractors now includes a checklist of quality measures that need to be in place before a contract is granted. Evaluation of each provider’s policies and procedures is carried out by an outside consultant on behalf of LACLS. Subcontractors are required to submit data to evaluate learner progress but the data received is not adequate or reliable. No targets for retention and achievement are set. Regular provider monitoring meetings take place to review the contract. A recently formed quality team meets on a fortnightly basis to review quality monitoring and implement actions. The new quality improvement framework includes a quality calendar that clearly identifies when monitoring processes and quality

p.21

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

evaluation are to take place. However, this has only been introduced recently and it is too early to judge its effectiveness.

p.21

Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

54. LACLS carries out observations of teaching. However, these are not planned to ensure systematic coverage of the provision. In most cases, providers also operate their own observations of teaching and learning. Information from provider observations is not always available to LACLS. Some tutors have not been observed. Arrangements to monitor teaching and learning between observations are not systematically carried out. Where observations of teaching carried out by LACLS identify a development need, action-planning takes place at individual, curriculum or provider level to build on strengths or rectify weaknesses. Where weaknesses have been identified more frequent observations take place. In some cases, LACLS uses a mentoring scheme to help providers

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

and tutors tackle areas for development. Tutors who are unsuitable are removed from the course. Where good practice is identified there is no mechanism to share it across the provision. Some areas of learning do not share good practice among staff.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

55. There is insufficient use of data to aid quality improvement. Data collected on retention and achievement is not adequate to set provider and staff targets. Data is not analysed sufficiently to make judgements about how well learners are progressing and achieving. In many areas of learning the use of data is inconsistent and is not used effectively to plan and develop the provision.

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Quality improvement Contributory grade 4

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p.22

Information and communications technology Grade 3

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade ICT for users 3 Adult and community learning 271 13 3

p.23

Information and communications technology Grade 3

56. In 2003-04, a total of 1,155 learners enrolled, of whom 66 per cent were women. To date, in 2004-05, 1,118 learners have enrolled on ICT courses. Of these, 61 per cent are women, 16 per cent are aged 65 or over and 13 per cent are from minority ethnic groups. In 2003-04, a total of 1,115 learners enrolled on ICT courses. The provision ranges from entry-level introductory to level 2 courses. All subcontracted provision is non-accredited. It is provided by three colleges, three voluntary and community organisations and the libraries service. A number of courses, including accredited provision, are directly provided through a mobile unit equipped with computers, the staff for which are employed by LACLS on a sessional basis.

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ICT for users

Strengths good development of personal and transferable skills 00 • good teaching and learning on e-mail and internet courses 00 • good range of provision 00 • Weaknesses insufficient assessment and monitoring of achievement on non-accredited courses 00 • insufficient attention to learners’ individual learning needs 00 • inadequate management of learner information 00 •

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Achievement and standards

57. There is good development of learners’ personal and transferable skills. Many learners develop confidence in the use of ICT. They are able to use their skills outside the classroom, for example in applying for jobs. Some learners use their new ICT skills in local community projects. Learners develop the confidence to apply their skills to the internet and digital photography. Some progress to certificated courses to help gain skills for employment. Many adults develop skills to help and support their children at school.

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Achievement and standards

58. Learners’ standard of work is satisfactory. Some learners produce particularly good desktop publishing work with well-designed layouts, such as posters for a school fete and a community newsletter. Skills attainment is satisfactory and attendance is good at 77 per cent.

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Achievement and standards

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p.23

The quality of provision

59. Teaching and learning are good on e-mail and internet courses. There is effective lesson planning with clear objectives by well-qualified staff. Lesson plans are used well to record progress and plan teaching and learning. Learners’ individual needs and interests are met through good planning of learning activities. Learners on accredited courses can choose whether or not to take the accreditation. Learners are highly motivated and develop good ICT skills when involved in project work or other work relevant to their personal lives. The small numbers of learners in classes, on average fewer than eight, allows tutors to respond quickly and flexibly to learners’ requests to deal with areas of individual interest.

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The quality of provision

60. There is a good range of provision to encourage learners who face barriers to participation. Courses ranging from free entry level introductory courses to level 2 are available. There is effective working with local community groups, using their local knowledge, to identify and recruit new learners. The tendering and bidding arrangements encourage groups to bid to set up learning programmes that will benefit their local community. There is direct LACLS provision through the provision of a mobile computer resource and good partnerships with neighbourhood groups. These links with community groups contribute both to their sustainability and to the support they provide. There is specific targeted provision through subcontractors such as Age Concern and a tenants association that offers a level 1 accredited spreadsheets course, and information technology (IT) for beginners from an educational association for workers. Partnerships with schools

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The quality of provision

and colleges provide ICT training for parents and classroom assistants. Libraries provide 90-minute group courses to introduce learners to computing, and 40-minute individual sessions to provide specific learning or to develop learner confidence. Libraries review the courses offered every three months to ensure that they meet local needs.

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The quality of provision

61. Resources are satisfactory. ICT specialist resources are mostly up to date and fit for purpose. Sets of mobile IT facilities including laptop computers, printers, scanners, digital cameras and projectors are used effectively in outreach venues. A wide variety of accommodation is available. Some of it does not have enough workspace and in some cases does not comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. However, in most cases, accommodation is fit for purpose and some is very good.

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The quality of provision

62. There is insufficient assessment and monitoring of achievement on non-accredited courses. Inconsistent use of individual learning plans to measure and record achievement takes place and learners’ progress is not measured effectively. Some learners are making slow progress. The measures of achievement are inconsistent, with some based on attendance rather than on new skills gained, and others based on the information gained from returned learner satisfaction surveys.

p.24

The quality of provision

63. There is insufficient attention to learners’ individual learning needs. There is no consistent process across the provision to identify and meet learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs. In weaker learning sessions, insufficient account is taken of differences between learners and few differentiation strategies are used to meet the range of learning styles and abilities. There is insufficient screen projection equipment to enhance learning. Independent work is poorly facilitated with insufficient reference materials available to learners, who in many cases are not able to take their work home. The technology used in some lessons is not appropriate to independent study. Some software

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

does not match that used by learners at home.

p.25

Leadership and management

64. The ICT provision is well planned and structured with a clear strategy for direct, subcontractor and partnership working. The self-assessment process for LACLS direct provision is satisfactory. However, although subcontractors have their own self-assessment reports with action plans, there is no clear link between the subcontractors’ and the provider’s self-assessment report. The strengths and weaknesses found by inspectors did not adequately match those in the self-assessment report. Inspectors judged 53 per cent of the learning sessions to be good or better, compared with 70 per cent graded good or better by LACLS.

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Leadership and management

65. There is inadequate management of learner information. Although retention and achievement was identified in the self-assessment report as good, the data on which this judgement was based is not adequate. There is inconsistency in definitions of achievement across providers. A large number of learners have unknown outcomes and the numbers of new and progressing learners are not available. LACLS has not identified the high withdrawal rates of men, people from minority ethnic groups and those with disabilities. There is no analysis of the differences in completion rates of different learner groups.

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Leadership and management

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p.25

Arts, media and publishing Grade 2

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Dance Adult and community learning 52 13 2 Music Adult and community learning 381 13 2 Fine arts Adult and community learning 88 13 2 Crafts Adult and community learning 231 13 2

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Arts, media and publishing Grade 2

66. There are currently 93 courses in arts, media and publishing comprising nine art, 27 craft, six dance and 51 music courses. The subjects include Asian dressmaking, arts and crafts, painting and drawing, life drawing, drawing for beginners, stained glass, jewellery making, watercolours, music, ballet and dance, pottery and photography. There are currently 752 learners on these courses of whom 69 per cent are women, 24 per cent are aged under 25 and 22 per cent aged over 60. The courses are sited in venues across Leeds, and are delivered by 16 providers including one specialist college. There are 85 part time tutors in the area, each working between two and 16 hours. Each provider has a curriculum manager in art. There is no overall curriculum specialist employed by LACLS. Strengths very good attainment of personal goals 00 • good standard of learners’ work 00 • much good teaching 00 • very good initiatives to attract new learners 00 •

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Arts, media and publishing Grade 2

Weaknesses ineffective recording of learning goals and progress 00 • poor understanding of the self-assessment process 00 •

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Achievement and standards

67. There is very good attainment of personal goals by learners. They gain good self-confidence and social skills during learning sessions, where there is often a good mix of old and young learners. Learners achieve demanding targets and use the skills they have developed effectively to enhance their lives. For example, in paper craft learning sessions held in sheltered accommodation, older learners benefit from the social contact that the class provides.

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Achievement and standards

68. Learners produce good standards of work and are confident in acquiring new technical skills and using different media. In most classes, learners keep portfolios of their ideas and photographs of completed work. These demonstrate well learners’ progress and achievements. More experienced learners in a craft class act as mentors for newer learners. Learners in clothes making classes develop good technical skills and produce very

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

good garments. In art classes, learners are confident in experimenting with new media from an early stage in the course and have a good understanding of key principles. In dance, new learners progress quickly. There are innovative dance classes for learners with complex needs, which enable them to gain new skills and develop good self-confidence and self-expression. Learners can exhibit work throughout the year and music and dance learners are able to perform in public.

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The quality of provision

69. There is much good teaching, with 17 per cent of the classes judged by inspectors as outstanding. Demonstrations are well planned. The better learning sessions are taught using a good variety of teaching strategies. For example, a tutor of a large mixed-ability class carefully arranged the seating to encourage peer mentoring. In a sewing session, learners make samples of difficult processes before using their skills on garments they are making. Tutors fully understand learners’ needs. They have good professional expertise that they use well to help their learners understand current industrial practice. Demanding activities are well planned to suit learners’ needs and tutors differentiate tasks to meet the abilities of learners. In one art class a visually impaired learner was given tasks involving the use of bolder colours. In pottery, learners use computer programmes to develop and refine

p.27

The quality of provision

their designs before making them in clay. Some of the weaker learning sessions do not provide learners with sufficiently demanding learning activities.

p.27

The quality of provision

70. There are very good initiatives to attract new learners through a good range of first-step programmes and tasters in accessible community-based venues. There is good communication to ensure that potential learners are told about the provision, and well-produced marketing information is delivered to most households in the geographical area covered by the service. Publicity material is published in Bengali and Urdu as well as English. E-mail networks have been set up to communicate with local contacts. Neighbourhood learning development workers promote well the provision to the communities in which they work. A bus tours the area to establish a visual presence and provide information on courses in the area. Learning networks have been established to ensure there is no duplication of the courses offered by different providers. Many learning centres are easily accessed by learners and include community centres and local schools.

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The quality of provision

An annual festival is used to develop taster sessions in banner making and art and crafts in outreach centres. Music technology and art classes are offered in a centre for the homeless and staff visit the local hostels to offer information and guidance. Art and craft classes are held in sheltered accommodation for elderly learners. A photographic project for travellers also covered basic literacy and numeracy skills. In one learning centre, a portable potters wheel is taken to outreach venues to offer learners a taster session in pottery. The resulting pots are taken for firing at the centre where learners are required to collect them, encouraging them to visit the centre and to consider taking up further opportunities. There are also classes in Asian dressmaking and specific craft classes for Muslim men.

p.27

The quality of provision

71. There is no consistent system to identify and meet learners’ literacy, numeracy and language needs across the curriculum area. However, where a need is identified, some constructive initiatives have been put in place. In addition to the travellers’ project noted above, a bilingual assistant provides support in a sewing class.

p.27

The quality of provision

72. Accommodation and resources are not of a consistent standard across the provision. Some accommodation and resources are good, with accessible venues and some good facilities. Some classes take place in pleasant, well-equipped community centres.

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The quality of provision

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p.27

The quality of provision

However, some of the venues are not well maintained. During one learning session, the room was also used by a centre employee to make telephone calls. Another classroom was used as a thoroughfare to another part of the building while a learning session took place.

p.28

The quality of provision

73. The recording of learning goals and progress is ineffective. Monitoring of learning in the better sessions is informal, and some supporting paperwork has been developed by individual tutors. In the poorer sessions there is no recording of learning goals or progress, and most tutors do not understand the importance or purpose of individual learning plans. In some cases these are filled in at the end of the programme. Most assessment is informal.

p.28

Leadership and management

74. This area of learning offers the largest number of programmes and recruits the largest number of learners to the service. It is used well by LACLS to widen participation. Courses and tasters successfully attract new and under-represented learners.

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Leadership and management

75. Some tutors and managers have a poor understanding of the self-assessment process. Most tutors had little or no input into the self-assessment process and were unaware of the strengths or weaknesses in the self-assessment report. The self-assessment report does not accurately reflect the area of learning. It is disproportionate in its focus on small contributory areas of learning. For example, there is too much emphasis on dance, which represents a small proportion of the provision, and insufficient focus on the much larger curriculum areas of music and crafts.

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Leadership and management

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p.28

Languages, literature and culture Grade 3

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Other languages, literature and culture 3 Adult and community learning 179 13 3

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Languages, literature and culture Grade 3

76. LACLS currently provides 12 sign language courses. All are at beginners level and are not accredited. Classes are held on weekdays at 10 venues including schools, adult learning centres and community centres. Fifty per cent of the courses are provided in the daytime. Most run for two hours a week over 30 weeks. There is one short course of eight weeks and one provider runs two courses of 20 weeks. There were 180 learners on programmes during 2004-05. There are currently 179 learners. Nine tutors deliver the provision on a part-time basis and a programme manager at each centre is responsible for the overall delivery of the programme.

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Other languages, literature and culture

Other languages, literature and culture Other languages, Grade 3

p.29

Other languages, literature and culture

Strengths good attainment 00 • well-targeted provision 00 • good specialist support for tutors, managers and learners 00 • Weaknesses insufficient attention to the learning needs of some learners 00 • inadequate communication with BSL tutors 00 •

p.29

Achievement and standards

77. Attainment is good in learning sessions. Learners are very attentive and provider good peer support. They acquire a good vocabulary in BSL in a short time with accurate hand shapes and facial expressions. In addition, they show good awareness of deaf culture. Many learners report increased confidence in communicating with deaf people at work and in their personal life. Others have achieved their personal goals. For example, one learner, who was unable to read or write, has successfully completed two courses in BSL. Another learner, who was an asylum seeker, progressed onto an accredited college course. Data is not adequate to accurately measure achievement. However, enrolment numbers in 2004-05 increased by 146 per cent. In 2003-04, 76 per cent of learners completed their programmes. However, in 2004-05, the data available indicates that the figure was unsatisfactory at 55 per cent. Attendance in sessions is 77 per cent.

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The quality of provision

78. The provision is targeted well. BSL programmes are run by three college providers that cover different areas of the city and work well not to duplicate venues. As LACLS funding supports initial non-accredited provision, it enables providers to offer courses they would be unable to offer otherwise. Most are located in areas of deprivation. The provision is

p.29

The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

split equally between daytime and evening provision and the service attempts to respond to local demand identified by neighbourhood learning development workers. One example of this is a course at a Young Men’s Catholic Association centre. Another is at a community centre crèche where the mothers wanted to improve their communication with another mother who is deaf.

p.30

The quality of provision

79. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Most tutors have BSL as their first language and are suitably qualified. In the better lessons they are skilled at presenting the language by mime, with infrequent use of translation. In the better sessions the pace is appropriate for the group and learners work well with their tutors and each other. Learning activities are carefully sequenced and there is good reinforcement of new vocabulary. Learners are able to confidently finger spell and understand simple stories.

p.30

The quality of provision

80. Most tutors assess their learners on an informal basis at the start of the course and monitor their progress carefully during sessions. However, there is little formal recording of progress. One provider has produced a helpful booklet for learners on learning outcomes. This also contains a course record to be completed by the learner on a weekly basis and an evaluation form for when it ends.

p.30

The quality of provision

81. Accommodation is generally satisfactory and rooms are rearranged to allow learners to sit in a semicircle so as to have an uninterrupted view of the tutor. They are large enough to allow for pairwork and groupwork. A small number of rooms have poor lighting. The teaching room at one learning centre is unsuitable, being used as a thoroughfare to other parts of the building during the session. Nearly all rooms contain distractions in the form of wall displays and, in one case, the storage of large equipment.

p.30

The quality of provision

82. Learner support is satisfactory. Promotional materials contain adequate details of the provision and most learners have heard about the courses through the booklets which are delivered to their homes. Induction to the course is carried out at the first session. In some instances an additional member of support staff assists the tutor. Individual support needs are identified at enrolment and learners with mobility or health problems are dealt with appropriately. Registers are checked each week and learners are contacted by staff after an absence of two weeks. Information, advice and guidance is satisfactory. Towards the end of the course a member of staff visits the class to give details of progression opportunities.

p.30

The quality of provision

83. There is insufficient attention to the learning needs of some learners. Most lesson plans are not sufficiently detailed. They show no differentiation to meet the various ability levels and experience within the learners group. Some tutors struggle to cope with the different ability levels and use language that is too complicated for some learners. In poorer lessons there is little variety in activities to cater for different learning styles. In these lessons there is insufficient use of any other visual stimulus such as pictures and photographs. Handouts are generally poorly produced. There is no use of video or other methods for learners to check their performance and progress.

p.30

Leadership and management

84. There is good specialist support available to tutors, learners and managers. A specialist team is able to help with the organisation of courses and the recruitment of suitably qualified tutors. It provides details of the availability and content of classes. It can also supply teaching materials to tutors and arranges termly meetings of a tutor support group. At these meetings there are opportunities to share information and discuss problems. It

p.30

Leadership and management

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p.30

Leadership and management

also organises social events such as a popular Christmas party for all BSL learners in the city.

p.31

Leadership and management

85. Communication with BSL tutors by LACLS is inadequate. Tutors do not feel part of the LACLS team. Many have little knowledge of the self-assessment report. Some do not understand the purpose of the observation of teaching and learning carried out by LACLS and by the subcontractors. Not all tutors are observed on a regular basis and sometimes there are long gaps of several years between observations. The tutor handbook produced by LACLS is not adapted to suit BSL tutors and training has not been provided for them to use its content. There is insufficient training across the service for managers and staff in deaf awareness. There is no evidence of the use of management information to analyse performance and set targets for improvement. Until recently, retention data was calculated by individual tutors at their respective subcontractors. The data is unreliable.

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Leadership and management

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p.31

Preparation for life and work Grade 4

0.00 Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Literacy and numeracy Adult and community learning 54 None Independent living and leisure skills Adult and community learning 386 13 4 Access programmes Adult and community learning 145 13 4

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Preparation for life and work Grade 4

86. There are currently 585 learners attending preparation for life and work learning programmes. In the previous academic year there were 992 learners, of whom 72 per cent were women and 21 per cent were from minority ethnic groups. In the current academic year, 100 courses are offered across the city by 15 subcontracted providers. Fifty courses are available for the 386 learners with learning difficulties and disabilities, many of whom have profound and complex needs and attend specialist provision, either full time for up to two years or part time depending on their needs. There are six part-time literacy, numeracy or language courses catering for 54 learners and 44 part-time courses that offer a range of leisure or personal and social development opportunities such as healthy living, active retirement, building confidence and art and crafts. There are 145 learners enrolled on these courses. Most courses are at pre-entry or entry levels and all courses are

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Preparation for life and work Grade 4

non-accredited. Some provision is targeted in geographical areas of need across the city and classes are held in day centres, hostels for the homeless, colleges and community centres. Course duration ranges from three to 40 weeks. Most classes last for two hours during the day. Thirteen classes take place in the evening and five are offered at weekends. There are over 60 part-time tutors, some of whom work for more than one provider. The curriculum area is managed by the head of adult and community learning. Strengths good range of learning opportunities 00 • high levels of learning support 00 • Weaknesses much unsatisfactory teaching 00 • insufficient focus on learning objectives in many sessions 00 • poor accommodation and some unsuitable facilities 00 • inadequate quality improvement arrangements 00 •

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Achievement and standards

87. There is insufficient data for 2003-04 to accurately judge achievement. Data for 2004-05 is incomplete, but the figures available to date indicate that 45 per cent of learners have achieved their learning goals, with 39 per cent still in learning. There are variations in achievement rates across providers. Attendance at classes is usually good. Many learners are transported to learning centres by their carers or personal assistants. In most classes, learners participate well and are generally fully engaged in their activities. Some learners

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

significantly improve their self-confidence and self-esteem.

p.33

The quality of provision

88. There is a good range of learning opportunities. An art course is run at the request of mothers at a playgroup, and an active retirement course includes visits and activities suggested by the participants. Classes are held at many locations so that learners can attend courses in their own neighbourhood and in familiar surroundings. Courses also take place within centres for people with mental health needs. A centre for homeless people, drug misuse, and refugees offers literacy and ESOL classes. A wide range of independent living and leisure skills programmes is provided in the day and evening. Venues such as colleges, libraries and leisure centres are also used.

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The quality of provision

89. There are high levels of learning support in most classes. For learners with learning difficulties or disabilities there is a high proportion of individual tuition and activities. Support is provided by paid learning support assistants and, in some courses, by volunteers. Carers and personal assistants also assist in some classes. In the better sessions these support workers are well deployed and managed by tutors. Tutors also ensure that learning support assistants are fully informed of the needs of their learners and the teaching and learning strategies to be used with them. At one specialist provider, learners with profound and complex needs benefit from particularly good support from the tutor and learning support assistants during intensive interaction sessions. In a class held at a mainstream specialist college, students provide skilled volunteer support. There is usually good team

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The quality of provision

working and understanding between tutors and learning support assistants. Where volunteers are used, however, some are not as effectively deployed. Information, advice and guidance on further learning opportunities are available to most learners and this kind of support is being further developed by LACLS and its providers. Many tutors give information and guidance to learners about how they might continue at a higher level, and some learners have enrolled for more advanced courses. One programme for learners with learning difficulties and disabilities is preparing learners to find and keep part-time work.

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The quality of provision

90. Much of the teaching is unsatisfactory. Thirty-nine per cent of the teaching and learning observed during inspection was judged to be good or better and 35 per cent satisfactory. However, 26 per cent was judged to be unsatisfactory. Many learning plans focus on the activity rather than the skills or knowledge that need to be learned. Many learning plans do not differentiate activities to match the levels of individual learners in the class.

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The quality of provision

91. There is insufficient focus on learning objectives. On the better courses, such as some provided by a specialist provider for learners with severe, profound and complex learning difficulties or disabilities, there is good initial assessment of learners’ skills and needs. This enables clear learning objectives to be set and assessment of progress in meeting them to be measured. However, in the poorer sessions there is little consistency in the effective use of recognising and recording prior achievement. Individual learning plans frequently contain only general goals for learners to achieve and there are insufficiently specific and time-bound targets or objectives. There is insufficient planning to cover pre-entry level or literacy, numeracy or language at higher levels. Some learners do not have learning plans. Many learning and session plans focus on the learning activity rather than the skills or

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The quality of provision

knowledge to be learnt. Many session plans do not differentiate activities to match the levels of individual learners in the class. In some classes, session objectives and activities do not reflect the individual learning needs recorded on individual learning plans. In the

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The quality of provision

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The quality of provision

poorer sessions the recording of achievement is also poor and does not evaluate the learning that has taken place. Some progress reviews are carried out only at the end of each term or course. In some classes there are insufficient attempts to involve learners fully in progress reviews.

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The quality of provision

92. Much accommodation is poor and some facilities are inadequate. Some classes take place in specialist colleges where the facilities are good, and others are held in sports centres or a library. There is satisfactory public transport to most centres. However, many courses take place in unsuitable premises. At one centre the fire escape is routinely locked for a period each day. One building is insufficiently heated and has a leaking roof. One venue is very noisy with childcare provided in the same room. There is no wheelchair access to one class. Some rooms are used as thoroughfares during classes. At two centres the kitchen facilities are unsuitable, with no low-level worktops or modified drawer handles. Several rooms are also used for storage. In one room, learners are not provided with desks or boards to work on during literacy sessions. Adult learners have to use children’s chairs

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The quality of provision

in one craft class. An old school houses provision for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities and another local authority programme. While the area used by the other programme has been refurbished, the area used by learners with learning difficulties and disabilities is poorly maintained with unsatisfactory toilet arrangements and unsatisfactory wheelchair access to some classrooms.

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Leadership and management

93. There are some good examples of equality of opportunity across the curriculum area. Learners with disabilities in a craft workshop have the same amount of display space as degree-level students in an end of year exhibition at the college. A visiting speaker at one session was highly effective in facilitating discussion and improving learners’ understanding of refugees and asylum seeker issues. However, withdrawal rates for learners from minority ethnic groups are high and more men than women leave their courses early.

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Leadership and management

94. There is currently little provision of literacy, numeracy and language by LACLS. Many of these needs are met through college provision. LACLS has devised a strategy and action plan that will include a greater emphasis on literacy, numeracy and language within the area of learning. Some staff have attended training and development for this strategy.

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Leadership and management

95. Quality improvement arrangements are inadequate. There are insufficient observations of providers’ teaching and learning by LACLS. In 2004-05, only six observations of classes occurred, although more are planned for the current academic year. One provider does not know if any actions are necessary following the observation of one of its tutors. There is no consistent process for teaching observations across providers. There is insufficient monitoring of how effectively the planning and recording of learning is carried out. LACLS carries out monitoring visits to the providers, but these meetings focus only on a narrow range of quality measures. LACLS does not set performance targets for providers and data is not sufficiently discussed. There is insufficient discussion about accommodation, staff training and qualifications. Some volunteers are not trained to support vulnerable adults. One tutor, working on an intensive course with learners with mental illness, has no clinical

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Leadership and management

supervision. Some learning support assistants have not received Disability Discrimination Act training. While the introduction of a co-ordinator for one organisation with provision for severe learning difficulties and disabilities has contributed to improvements in teaching and learning, there is no overall co-ordination within LACLS to manage improvements across the provision. There is insufficient sharing of good practice. There is not enough

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Leadership and management

30 © 2005 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE LEEDS LEA

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Leadership and management

communication with tutors across all providers.

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Leadership and management

96. The self-assessment report accurately identified learning support and the range of targeted services as strengths. It also identified the need to improve planning and the recording of learning goals and achievements, and the collection and use of data. However, it did not identify accommodation and the quality improvement processes as weaknesses. Some tutors are not sufficiently involved in the self-assessment process.

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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 339 13 3

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Family learning Grade 3

97. LACLS provides FLLN and wider family learning programmes. Courses are offered during the day, in the evening and at the weekend, mostly in nursery, primary and secondary schools, but also in community and children’s centres. Wider family learning includes Indian music, computing, woodwork, crafts, and modern foreign languages. FLLN programmes are aimed at learners who wish to develop entry level, level 1 and level 2 skills. Learners can take the national literacy and numeracy tests on FLLN courses and Open College Network (OCN) accreditation. There are currently 30 wider family learning courses and 17 FLLN courses. Courses range from 12 to 72 hours in length. In addition, there are a number of workshops and short events of less than six hours. There are currently 139 learners on FLLN programmes and 200 on wider family learning programmes. In 2004-05, there were 876 enrolments on wider family learning, of whom 28 per cent

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Family learning Grade 3

were men and 44 per cent were from minority ethnic groups. There are currently 876 enrolments on wider family learning programmes, of whom 28 per cent are men and 44 per cent are from minority ethnic groups. Some of the FLLN provision is directly delivered by LACLS, but most is subcontracted and managed by a full-time family learning co-ordinator supported by a tutor organiser. Four full-time and 12 part-time tutors teach on the programmes. In addition, a team of three family learning access workers support the development of family learning in deprived communities across the city.

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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 attainment of skills to support children’s learning 00 • very effective partnerships 00 • Weaknesses ineffective recording of learning goals and progress 00 • insufficient arrangements for quality assurance and improvement of family learning provision 00 •

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Achievement and standards

98. There is good attainment of skills to support children’s learning. Parents attending FLLN courses gain a good understanding of children’s learning. They become familiar with terms used in the literacy and numeracy curriculum and gain good confidence to support their children’s learning. They are able to help their children at home. One parent was able to use coins to help their son with addition and subtraction. Parents also make games to use at home. Parents develop good confidence to speak to school teachers and join in with voluntary work in school. For example, some have joined parent teacher associations and encouraged other parents to join family learning classes. Headteachers give positive feedback on the improved behaviour and attitude in school of children who are involved in

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Achievement and standards

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Achievement and standards

99. Learners can progress to other FLLN courses. Parents also progress to other accredited courses such as teaching assistant and crèche worker courses. Several learners have become teaching assistants in schools. Some learners have also passed literacy and numeracy tests at levels 1 and 2 or achieved OCN accreditation. Attendance is satisfactory.

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The quality of provision

100. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The better sessions are well planned with clear objectives that are understood by the learners. There is an adequate variety of learning activities and resources. Good use is made of audiovisual aids and a range of games that parents can make to use with their children at home to develop early language skills. In some sessions, parents are encouraged to use their first language to support the development of literacy skills. In other sessions, learners do not have sufficient opportunities to practise skills to consolidate learning, and resources are sometimes limited.

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The quality of provision

101. Learning resources are satisfactory but little use is made of ICT. Accommodation is generally satisfactory but some of the classrooms are too small and there is some inappropriate furniture for adults. The standard of maintenance at one community centre is poor. Most tutors are suitably qualified or are working towards an appropriate qualification.

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The quality of provision

102. There is a satisfactory range of programmes to meet the needs and interests of learners. A range of FLLN programmes is provided for parents of children aged from birth to age 13. The courses are at different levels and take place in community and school settings and are targeted at deprived communities in inner- and outer-city areas. There is a good programme of family modern foreign languages and Indian music in wider family learning. These classes take place mainly in the evenings and at weekends. There is a limited range of other wider family learning opportunities available.

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The quality of provision

103. Support and guidance for learners are satisfactory. Tutors are supportive and sensitive to learners’ needs. Working relationships between tutors and learners are good. Childcare provision is generally satisfactory, although on occasions there are not enough places to accommodate all children. Access to advice and guidance is not provided routinely on all courses. Knowledge about wider learning opportunities is not always available.

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The quality of provision

104. Recording of learning goals and progress is ineffective. There is insufficient or no recording of individual learning goals or targets. Initial assessments are not used consistently to agree individual goals or targets. Targets that are set are not easily measurable and do not specify the small steps that could be taken to achieve specific targets. Most learners work to the same learning goals and there is little differentiation in learning activities to take account of differences in skills within groups. Some goals are related to the national curriculum but are not in language that learners can understand, and learners do not use learning plans to regularly update progress. Progress reviews do not take place on a regular basis. While there is a good focus on the needs and development of children, insufficient focus is placed on the learning needs of adults in many classes.

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The quality of provision

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Leadership and management

105. Partnerships are very effective in widening participation in family learning and in the day-to-day management of the programme. There are good communications with providers. LACLS is a key partner in a citywide strategy group for family learning. Successful network events have been held. There is a productive relationship with colleges. Staff resources are shared and there is effective joint planning of programmes. LACLS is responsive to the needs of learners and potential learners and good use is made of access workers to develop new provision and liaise with schools. Effective use is also made of learning mentors in schools to work with and support families and develop programmes. Mentors identify children with behavioural issues who would particularly benefit from attending a family learning programme. Headteachers are very supportive of the programmes and schoolteachers are released to plan the family learning activities with the

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Leadership and management

adult tutor. Regular tutor forums are well attended by tutors and partner staff and are used to update staff on new national developments in skills for life.

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Leadership and management

106. Internal communication is satisfactory. There are regular meetings and informal contacts between staff. There have been training opportunities for tutors linking to key priorities such as skills for life. There is a good celebration of learning on family learning courses, with much photographic evidence of achievements in schools. For example, learners on Indian music courses led a concert to celebrate their achievements in playing a variety of musical instruments.

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Leadership and management

107. Wider family learning has been successful in recruiting men and learners from minority ethnic groups. However, data is not analysed to monitor performance of different ethnic groups and gender. Learners have an adequate understanding of their rights and responsibilities.

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Leadership and management

108. There are insufficient arrangements to assure and improve the quality of family learning programmes. There is little analysis of data to monitor and evaluate the programme. No targets are set by the service for achievement and retention, which makes it difficult to measure the improvement of provision. Partners are not given targets for recruitment, retention or achievement. Monitoring of teaching and learning is weak. There were not enough teaching observations in 2004-05. There is little information from partners about findings from the observations they have carried out. As identified in the self-assessment report, there is no consistency in the monitoring of the advice and guidance available to learners. The monitoring of complaints is inadequate. For example, complaints about hygiene issues in a community centre and inappropriate furniture for adults in schools, have not been resolved.

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