London Borough of Havering

Inspection number 319687 London Borough of Havering

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Contents

Background information ......................................................................................................... 3 Inspection judgements........................................................................................................... 3 Scope of the inspection.......................................................................................................... 3 Description of the provider...................................................................................................... 4 Summary of grades awarded .................................................................................................. 5 Overall judgement.................................................................................................................... 6 Effectiveness of provision ..................................................................................................... 6

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Contents

Capacity to improve............................................................................................................ 6 Key strengths ............................................................................................................................ 7 Key areas for improvement..................................................................................................... 7 Main findings............................................................................................................................ 8 Achievement and standards................................................................................................... 8 Quality of provision............................................................................................................... 8 Leadership and management ................................................................................................. 9

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Contents

Equality of opportunity....................................................................................................... 9 What learners like.................................................................................................................. 11 What learners think could improve...................................................................................... 11 Sector subject areas................................................................................................................ 12 Sport, leisure and recreation................................................................................................ 12 Performing arts .................................................................................................................... 15 Classical and modern foreign languages ............................................................................. 18

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Contents

Education and training......................................................................................................... 21 Literacy and numeracy ........................................................................................................ 24 Family learning.................................................................................................................... 27

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Inspection judgements

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about achievement and standards, the quality of provision, and leadership and management, which includes a grade for equality of opportunity .

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Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Satisfactory Grade 4 Inadequate

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Key for inspection grades

Further information can be found on how inspection judgements are made on www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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Scope of the inspection

In deciding the scope of the inspection, inspectors take account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body. Where appropriate, inspectors also consider the previous inspection report ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ), reports from the inspectorates’ quality monitoring or annual assessment visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

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Scope of the inspection

In addition to reporting on overall effectiveness of the organisation, its capacity to improve further, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management, this inspection focused on specialist provision in:

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Scope of the inspection

 Sport, leisure and recreation  Performing arts  Classical and modern foreign languages  Education and training  Literacy and numeracy  Family learning

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Scope of the inspection

Inspectors also took into consideration provision not directly graded in health, social care and public services, agriculture, horticulture and animal care, information and communication technology, history, philosophy and theology when grading overall effectiveness, capacity to improve, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management

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Description of the provider

1. The London Borough of Havering Council (LBH) is a Greater London local authority. The adult and community learning service, known as Havering Adult College, was founded by the local authority in 1965. The London east Learning and Skills Council (LSC) fund the adult and community learning provision. LBH does not contract to or from other providers.

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Description of the provider

2. The adult and community learning service is part of the Department of Regeneration and Strategic Planning. The provision is managed by a lifelong learning manager who is responsible to the head of service and ultimately the chief executive of the local authority. The senior management team consist of three adult education managers and a finance systems officer. In addition four elected council members have responsibility for governance. The proportion of part time staff providing adult and community learning overall is 97%.

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Description of the provider

3. LBH offers provision in 10 sector subject areas at 43 venues. Since the previous inspection in 2003 provision in science and mathematics, and retail and commercial enterprise is no longer offered. Approximately 50% of the provision is accredited.

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Description of the provider

4. The population as of 2006 is 227,300. The number of people with an NVQ 2 equivalent qualification is below the average for London and nationally. The indices of multiple deprivation 2004 gives LBH a rank average score of 214. Unemployment as of January 2008 was 1.7% against 2.2% nationally and 2.6% for London. The number of pupils attaining five General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) at A*-C including mathematics and English in 2007 is 56% against the national average of 46.7%.

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Description of the provider

5. The number of learners overall in 2006/07 was 4138. Currently the number of learners is 1644. Most learners attending LBH courses this year are female. During the autumn term there were 1050 new learners and 1278 entitled to concessionary fees. There are a fairly similar number of learners in different age groups. Most learners are of a white ethnic group. A small proportion of learners overall are recorded as having a disability or learning difficulty.

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Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3 Capacity to improve Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Achievement and standards Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Summary of grades awarded

Leadership and management Satisfactory: Grade 3 Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Sector subject area

Sport, leisure and recreation Inadequate: Grade 4

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Sector subject area

Classical and modern foreign languages Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

6. Overall effectiveness is satisfactory. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Overall success rates and the standards of work are satisfactory. The acquisition of social and workplace skills are generally good. The quality of provision overall is satisfactory. Provision is good in three sector subject areas, satisfactory in two and inadequate in one. The quality of teaching and learning overall are satisfactory. Some aspects of teaching and learning are unsatisfactory such as the planning and monitoring of learners progress. The provision is good at meeting the interests and needs of learners. Overall support, advice and guidance are satisfactory but the quality and accessibility of course information and advice and guidance is unsatisfactory.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

7. Leadership and management overall are satisfactory as are equality of opportunity and social inclusion. Good links are made with other providers. The implementation of recognising and recording achievement and progress and monitoring performance has been mostly ineffective. The self-assessment report is sufficiently self-critical and reflects the change in provision. However, the report contains no overall grades for overall effectiveness, capacity to improve, achievement and standards and the quality of provision. Action planning to improve the quality of provision is improved and is now satisfactory.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

8. Capacity to improve is satisfactory. LBH has implemented a successful and comprehensive restructuring of its adult education services over the last two years. The organisation has been slow to resolve weaknesses effectively from the previous inspection. However, it has become significantly more effective in its management of provision over the last six months. Key job roles and personnel have been successfully reassigned. LBH has improved working relationships and sharing of expertise. Links with employers are growing in number and joint working with community organisations is good. LBH has worked hard to maintain the quality of its provision during this period of organisational change and overall success rates for accredited courses have improved for the last three years and are now satisfactory. Arrangements for observing learning sessions are satisfactory, with good support and staff development opportunities. However, not

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

enough is recorded about teaching and learning activities. Learner feedback is collected well and complaints are acted upon promptly. Newly revised quality assurance arrangements have been shared with assistant curriculum managers but it is too early yet to judge the impact.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

9. The self-assessment process does not include all staff. However, course evaluations are completed by all staff and learners and staff are committed to the organisation’s approach to quality improvement. LBH is providing satisfactory support and training to curriculum managers to increase the numbers involved in and understanding of the self-assessment process.

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Key strengths

 Good range of provision  Good quality provision to meet national priorities  Clear strategic planning and leadership  Good partnerships

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Key areas for improvement

 Satisfactory success rates  Ineffective arrangements to assess and record learners’ start points, progress and achievement  Insufficient pre-course advice and guidance  Quality improvement arrangements  Promotion of equality of opportunity

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

10. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Overall success rates for accredited courses in all curriculum areas including those not directly inspected are satisfactory and have improved for the last three years. Retention rates on all non accredited courses are at least satisfactory. The minimum levels of performance overall in 2006/07 are satisfactory. Most learners attain good skills. The standards of work overall are satisfactory. Attendance is satisfactory overall. Learners make good progress on literacy and numeracy and teaching assistant courses. LBH graded approximately half the sector subject areas as having good achievement and standards in the self-assessment report. Learners generally enjoy their classes and feel they are gaining new skills.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

11. The quality of provision is satisfactory. This broadly matches the qualitative information contained in the self-assessment report. Teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. Standards of teaching and learning are good in literacy and numeracy and inadequate in sport, leisure and recreation. Learners are highly motivated, participate well and enjoy their courses. Learning sessions judged to be good or better are lively and planned well. Tutors use a good range of activities to promote learning. Weaker sessions have an insufficient range of learning activities to meet the needs of all learners. Teaching and learning resources are satisfactory overall.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

12. Tutor use of the recognising and recording progress and achievement processes is under- developed in most curriculum areas. Many tutors do not use initial assessments or learning plans effectively to establish learners’ starting points or to set useful individual learning goals. Learners’ progress is not adequately measured or recorded in most curriculum areas and learners do not receive sufficient guidance on what they need to do to improve. However, modern languages tutors monitor learners’ progress effectively and provide constructive feedback on learners’ assignments.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

13. The provision is good at meeting the interests and needs of learners. A good range of accredited and non accredited provision is offered in a variety of venues which are conveniently located for learners. Education and training progression routes are good and literacy and numeracy learners’ needs and aspirations are matched well. The borough has developed a range of community initiatives which provide, for example good learning opportunities for deprived communities. The provision is generally socially inclusive and successfully recruits new learners, adults with disabilities, proportionate numbers of adults from different age groups and adults from different social backgrounds. However, males are generally under-represented. Good operational strategies are in place for developing provision with a range of community groups and employers.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

14. Personal and community development programmes are not promoted well. Many learners do not receive adequate pre-course information about course content and course requirements and some have enrolled on inappropriate programmes. LBH recognises this and new pre-course guidance and enrolment procedures have been agreed for 2008/09. Learners on literacy and numeracy and education and training programmes receive an appropriate induction and good individual guidance. Information about progression opportunities varies across the provision but is generally satisfactory.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

15. Guidance and support for learners is satisfactory overall. Learners benefit from good informal support from tutors. Arrangements for literacy and numeracy support are satisfactory. LBH provides an appropriate range of adaptive and specialist equipment and in-class support is available when a need is identified.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Satisfactory: Grade 3

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

16. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. LBH has directed many resources to a comprehensive re-structuring of the adult and community learning provision. The borough has worked hard to maintain the quality of its provision during this period of change and has successfully improved success rates on all its accredited courses as well as already meeting its LSC minimum success rate targets in 2007/08. However, some of the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection still remain and progress to improve some others has been slow.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

17. LBH council members responsible for governance of the provision are highly committed and supportive of adult learning and its contribution to the local community. Senior managers have provided clear strategic leadership during a period of considerable change. Improvements to provision have been particularly effective over the last six months with challenging short term targets set for implementation of the new structure and improvement to accommodation and resources.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

18. Communication between staff and managers has improved significantly and regular, productive meetings now take place at every level. Staff morale is significantly raised and the newly introduced whole service approach is recognised by most as a positive development. The sharing of information and good practice is improved and is good in some areas. Some well targeted staff development is attended by increasing numbers of staff. However, in modern foreign languages and some areas of performing arts participation is low.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

19. New job roles are clearly defined and managers set measurable, realistic targets for performance. All staff are committed to improving the provision in their area. Managers at senior level have appropriate information to manage improvement of the provision. However, some centres are producing insufficient timely and accurate information.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

20. Most staff are suitably experienced and many are qualified to teach in their specialist areas. Sixty nine % of the teaching staff are qualified or working towards a qualification. In literacy and numeracy, however, none of the teaching staff have the required level four qualification. All full time staff are satisfactorily appraised annually and part time staff are appropriately appraised through their annual teaching and learning observation.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

21. Overall equality of opportunity is satisfactory. Learners from a variety of backgrounds are represented well and learners and staff recognise and respect diversity. However, LBH has made slow progress in promoting equality and diversity since the previous inspection. LBH is mostly compliant with the requirements of recent race legislation. However, insufficient use is made of data to monitor the comparative performance of different cultural groups. The borough meets its responsibilities adequately in response to disability legislation. LBH has a co-ordinator who manages the additional support for learners with a declared disability. Links with a local organisation working with people with disabilities are good. Equal opportunities training offered by LBH has been poorly attended in the past. However, LBH has now secured the offer of more comprehensive equality training from a partner in the Muslim community. LBH appropriately monitors formal complaints.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

The skills for life strategy has been slow to evolve and a formal policy has yet to be adopted and implemented. However, good provision exists in literacy and numeracy and family learning.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

22. Links with employers are satisfactory and improving. The borough has established some good partnerships in the community. Joint working with community organisations is good and expanding. Health and safety is satisfactory at most centres with appropriate risk assessment. However, inspectors identified some accommodation as unsuitable for the activities offered. Some staff were not aware of the nearest first aid assistance. Arrangements for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults are satisfactory. LBH has a comprehensive child protection policy and appropriate checks are conducted on staff who have contact with young people or vulnerable adults. Compulsory training has been completed by LBH staff working with such learners and is now mandatory for all staff across the provision.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

23. The observation of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall. All observers are appropriately trained and qualified to undertake the role. Inspectors agreed with many of the judgements made by observers. However, some of the sessions were graded too high. Some of the observation records lack detail and thoroughness. Most staff are getting appropriate support and training opportunities to make the improvements identified. Most staff are scheduled to be observed during 2007/08.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

24. Quality improvement arrangements are insufficiently developed and have been since the previous inspection. However, assistant curriculum managers have been meeting weekly since their appointment in February 2008 to implement standardised procedures. Many of these procedures are newly devised or are being reviewed as part of the current quality assurance and improvement strategy.

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Satisfactory: Grade 3

25. The self-assessment report broadly reflects many of the findings of inspectors. However, there is an over-emphasis of some strengths and a failure to identify some areas for improvement and some of the grades awarded by inspectors were different. Quality improvement planning is improved and links sufficiently to the self-assessment report

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What learners like :

 Growth in confidence and personal skills  Enjoyable sessions  The opportunities to learn new skills  Convenient times and locations of courses

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What learners think could improve :

 ‘Too many forms, some which seem irrelevant’  ‘Some communication difficulties’, ‘emails not responded to quickly’  Accommodation – too small  Some poor course information

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Context

26. Currently 425 learners attend sport, leisure and recreation courses offered during the day and evening lasting 10 or 25 weeks. Twenty four courses are located at various schools, church halls and community centres. Most learners are female, 15% have a disability or learning difficulty, 8 % are from black and minority ethnic groups, and 48 % are over sixty years of age. One assistant curriculum manager and 12 part time tutors teach between one and a half and six hours per week.

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Areas for improvement

 Insufficient initial assessment of health and fitness  Weak individual target-setting and review of progress  Insufficient monitoring and correction of learner performance during sessions  Inadequate advice and guidance for learners  Incomplete health and safety arrangements

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Achievement and standards

27. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Learners improve or maintain their health and fitness experiencing increased mobility, strength, balance and co-ordination. Older adults in particular experience good improvements to mental alertness. Learners particularly value the social benefits of meeting and learning with people with similar interests. Exercise performance is satisfactory overall. Retention is satisfactory at 76 % in 2006/07 which is a small improvement from the previous year. Attendance is satisfactory.

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Quality of provision

28. The quality of provision is inadequate. Teaching and learning are inadequate. Initial assessment of learners’ health and fitness is insufficient. Tutors insufficiently test learners’ strength and flexibility at the start of the course. Although most tutors have an awareness of learners’ broad capabilities when they begin, these are usually not recorded. Opportunities to assess learner capability during sessions are missed. Some adequate initial assessments are used to assess learner subject knowledge in yoga and keep fit. In one yoga session, tutors identify, assess and record learners’ abilities and progress well. 29. Individual target-setting is weak. Learners’ personal learning goals are not clearly identified. Recorded learning goals are often not clearly defined. Review of progress towards learning goals is insufficient and learners receive little useful recorded feedback about their progress. In one keep fit session, the tutor gives detailed, positive and specific

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Quality of provision

30. Tutors insufficiently monitor individual learners’ performance in learning sessions. Tutors do not effectively observe learners during exercises. Poor performance often displayed by learners when stretching in fitness sessions is not adequately identified and often goes uncorrected. Individual assistance and feedback to improve learner performance or technique and improve confidence is poor in some sessions. Little emphasis is placed on correct posture in fitness sessions. In sports sessions, technique is not sufficiently evaluated. In some yoga sessions tutors carefully check and correct performance and encourage learners to develop improved awareness of exercise technique. Tutor demonstrations are clear and accurate and instructions are clear. Music and lighting are used well in keep fit and yoga to create an appropriate learning environment.

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Quality of provision

31. The range of provision is satisfactory. Sufficient daytime and evening courses are offered which learners living in any part of the borough could easily travel to. Adequate progression opportunities are available in yoga. A good range of fitness sessions exist which are popular with older adults. Specifically planned basketball sessions to recruit underrepresented groups such as males are successful.

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Quality of provision

32. Advice and guidance are inadequate. Learners do not receive sufficient course information to make confident decisions about a programme’s suitability. They are often not aware that they are able to try out classes before enrolment. Learners receive insufficient advice about other physical activity teaching and learning sessions elsewhere in the borough.

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Leadership and management

33. Leadership and management are inadequate overall. Support for tutors is good. Tutors receive regular communication from the assistant curriculum manager. Observations of teaching and learning are regular and actions identified are followed up with individual support and staff development. A good range of continuing professional development activities are attended and there is some sharing of good practice at regular team meetings. New tutors are supported well with a useful induction, individual support and a peer mentoring system. Tutors enjoy good working relationships with managers and feel valued.

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Leadership and management

34. Curriculum planning is satisfactory. Overall use of data to inform planning is satisfactory however, it is not collected and collated effectively when courses are running. The department has insufficiently qualified specialist tutors. Managers generally set adequate targets to improve provision however, insufficiently set targets to increase under- represented groups. Plans are underway to implement sessions to target learners from specific minority ethnic groups. Tutors have attended adequate equality and diversity training.

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Leadership and management

35. Insufficient attention is paid to the quality of the teaching and learning activities and improving learner performance. The observations of teaching and learning place too much emphasis upon the completion of college paperwork. Learner feedback is adequately sought and used to inform self-assessment. The self-assessment report failed to identify many of the areas for improvement identified at inspection.

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Leadership and management

36. Health and safety arrangements are incomplete. Health screening is carried out and tutors are usually aware of learners’ medical conditions. However, at times health risk factors are not identified and sufficiently followed up with instructions to seek a doctor’s consent. Some forms are not properly completed by learners including the consent section. Tutor understanding about the purpose of and procedures for health screening is poor. Several tutors fail to take sufficient measures to minimise health and safety risks. In several classes, insufficient space is available to safely accommodate all the learners.

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Context

37. Currently 537 learners attend mainly non-accredited part-time evening performing arts courses. Non-accredited courses include mostly music and dance classes. A newly appointed interim assistant curriculum manager oversees the area and its six part time tutors.

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Strengths

 Good achievement of personal goals  Good celebration of learners’ achievements

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Areas for improvement

 Ineffective process for planning learning and monitoring progress.  Ineffective implementation of quality assurance arrangements

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Achievement and standards

38. Learners’ achievements and standards overall are satisfactory. Achievement of planned learning goals on non-accredited courses is good. Many learners improve their confidence levels and aspirations and enjoy the challenge of learning a new skill although in many cases recorded goals are not sufficiently subject specific or measurable.

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Achievement and standards

39. Learners’ achievements are celebrated well. Dance learners have good opportunities to perform at live show case events. Creative writing learners enter their finished work for competitions and prizes and have had their work published. Dance and music learners demonstrate generally appropriate technique and stylistic awareness, and sufficient knowledge of specialist language. Some dance learners identify benefits of improved or maintained fitness levels. Creative writing learners demonstrate a good understanding of form and genre.

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Achievement and standards

40. Success rates on the small amount of accredited provision are good at 83% in 2006/07. Retention rates have improved over two years and are generally satisfactory, although poor in some dance classes. Many learners progress from beginners to higher level courses in dance, guitar and creative writing. Attendance rates in classes observed were generally satisfactory. In some dance classes attendance is poor.

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Quality of provision

41. The quality of provision is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In most sessions learners participate enthusiastically in a satisfactory range of tasks and activities and follow tutors’ directions well. Learners on creative writing courses complete a good range of preparatory writing for classes. In the best sessions, learners work independently and share and review their learning and progress. In these lessons, learners develop good technical skills and further their understanding of how to produce creative work or perform well. Some sessions include activities such as group discussion, independent rehearsal and opportunities to share, review and reinforce learning well with peers. Tutors use their good specialist knowledge and skills to demonstrate techniques and explore ideas. However, in some sessions learners are too reliant on tutors for direction. Poor technique and posture are not sufficiently corrected and insufficient attention is paid to

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Quality of provision

safe warm-up and cool-down exercises. Teaching and learning activities do not sufficiently meet learners’ wide-ranging needs and prior experience. Tutors supply an appropriate range of resources to support learning. Many courses are reliant on tutors’ personal equipment such as CD players.

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Quality of provision

42. The process of planning learning and monitoring progress is ineffective. All learners complete individual learning plans and their previous experience is recorded. However, on many music and dance classes initial assessment of learners’ prior knowledge and experience is poor. For example, recorded information is not always relevant to learners’ course of study. Learners on dance classes have only very recently completed detailed health assessment questionnaires. Goals identified in individual learning plans are often limited to shared group goals identified by the tutor. Assessment and review of progress towards achievement of short term learning goals is not recorded. Internal verification arrangements for accredited courses are not sufficiently timely. However, on creative writing courses, the identification of learners’ goals, previous experience and aspirations is good. Tutors use this information well to plan learning and review progress.

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Quality of provision

43. The range and location of provision is satisfactory. Courses take place in an adequate number of community venues across the borough. Courses are offered at a satisfactory range of levels providing learners with appropriate opportunities to progress. Some recent useful partnership arrangements with a local hospital have established new provision for learners with mental health difficulties. However, despite some increased progression routes in creative writing, the overall range of courses offered is largely unchanged since the previous inspection. Around 25% of courses advertised in 2007/08 were cancelled due to low enrolments. The needs of learners of very mixed ability and levels of experience attending the same class are not always well met.

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Quality of provision

44. Guidance and support for learners are satisfactory overall. Learners value the good informal support from tutors. Learners get sufficient support to progress to the next level. Learners’ additional support needs are identified adequately during enrolment. Pre-course publicity information regarding differing levels of course content and course entry requirements is insufficiently detailed. Course titles do not always adequately reflect course content. Course descriptions do not sufficiently identify the level of expected learning.

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Leadership and management

45. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Confidence in the management of the area has increased following a very recent restructure, and an interim appointment of an assistant curriculum manager. Communication between staff and managers has improved, with a renewed focus on improving standards. Staff have appropriate vocational expertise and most are working towards, or have, appropriate teaching qualifications. A satisfactory range of staff development is available but few staff have attended. Accommodation and resources to support learning are improved and are now satisfactory overall. Classes take place in accessible and appropriate classrooms and school and community halls. Management information is accurate, but timely information to monitor learners’ performance and attendance is not systematically used. Most of the key judgements in the self-assessment reflect inspection findings. However, some are what is expected as normal

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Leadership and management

practice and some weaknesses were not sufficiently identified. The promotion of equality of opportunity is generally satisfactory. Some learners are unclear about how to register complaints and receive little feedback on actions taken by the provider to improve provision.

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Leadership and management

46. The implementation of quality assurance arrangements to drive improvements is ineffective and progress to resolve some weaknesses highlighted in the previous inspection has been slow. The observation of teaching and learning scheme is comprehensive but information does not always reflect the grades given. Improvement recommendations sometimes lack sufficient focus on enhancing learners’ experiences. 47. The service offers 55 courses in seven languages at 11 centres across the borough from entry level to level 3. Most courses are in the evening, accredited and last for 28 weeks. A small proportion of courses run on employers’ premises. Some 590 mostly female learners are currently enrolled. Twenty three hourly paid tutors teach the courses. A fractional specialist language co-ordinator post is vacant.

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Strengths

 Good standards of learners’ work at higher levels  Good range of stimulating learning activities  Good monitoring and recording of learners’ progress  Good partnership work with other language providers

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Areas for improvement

 Insufficient use of foreign language by tutors at lower levels  Poor initial assessment  Inadequate course information  Inadequate leadership and management

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Achievement and standards

48. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Learners at higher levels produce good standards of work in reading, writing, listening and, to a lesser extent, in speaking. They are able to undertake thorough independent research and provide entertaining presentations which are of interest and educational. Learners generally make good progress in learning sessions. Success rates on courses at most levels are satisfactory. However, retention and attendance on many year 1 courses at level 1 are unsatisfactory.

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Quality of provision

49. The quality of provision is satisfactory overall. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Tutors in most sessions plan a good range of stimulating learning activities. They skilfully introduce lively activities to reinforce language learning and vocabulary using games, quizzes, role-plays, listening and information gap exercises. Individual, small group and pair work provide variety and create a good learning environment. Activities are designed well to support learners with different needs. In approximately a third of classes, tutors use interactive whiteboards well to extend the range of visual materials available to them. Some tutors use data projectors to show news programmes to greet learners at the start of lessons. Others have music playing from the countries where the course language is spoken. However, many tutors do not have sufficient access to information and communication technology or visual materials to generate speaking without recourse to

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Quality of provision

text. Some tutors do not use the foreign language sufficiently, particularly with less advanced learners. Learners have limited opportunities to become familiar with listening and speaking with the language. Tutors often give praise and simple directions in English and do not teach essential classroom vocabulary such as to ask for help or request a repeat.

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Context

50. Monitoring and recording of learners’ progress is good. Tutors keep careful records of learners’ achievements. They give useful and encouraging written and verbal feedback on ways to improve which is valued by learners. Initial assessment is poor. Very few tutors make an objective assessment of learners’ specific language skills on entry to check that the course is at the right level. Tutors have little information to plan learning for individuals.

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Context

51. The programme satisfactorily meets the needs and interests of learners in the borough. LBH offers a wide variety of languages including British Sign Language, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Turkish. Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese and Russian are also offered but did not recruit sufficient learners in 2007/08. Progression routes from level 1 to level 3 are good in the four main European languages, Greek and Turkish. Entry level courses are offered for languages with an alphabet new to most learners. Shorter courses for learners wishing to learn a language for holidays abroad begin in the New Year. All courses offer good opportunities for learners to obtain qualifications which provide good progression routes for language learning. A successful small full cost programme of French, German and Spanish is commissioned by a large local business. French courses for primary school teachers and assistants are offered to

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Context

52. Advice, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Tutors support learners well by providing missed work and keep in touch with them during periods of enforced absence. They support learners with hearing and sight impairments effectively. Tutors skilfully make text more accessible to people with dyslexia. Course information is inadequate. Guidance on course levels in the prospectus is separated from course listings and is hard for potential learners to find. The prospectus contains no simple self-assessment of the particular skills needed at each level for potential learners to use before enrolling. Course information sheets lack clarity and are not available until after enrolment.

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Leadership and management

53. Leadership and management of the curriculum area are inadequate. Until very recently interim management arrangements have been unsuccessful. A vacancy exists for a specialist language co-ordinator. Course cancellations at the start of 2007/08 were very high. Too few staff are qualified to required levels. Attendance at staff development events is low. Communications with some centres are unsatisfactory. Enrolment, attendance and course closure information does not always reach the college centre in a timely fashion. However, a new interim manager is now in post. The specialist co- ordinator’s post is soon to be advertised. The college now has a more informed strategy for planning language programmes. The first paid regular meeting for tutors was welcomed and well attended.

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Leadership and management

54. The college has established good partnerships with specialist language schools. Benefits from these partnerships include shared equipment and training, joint course planning and financial backing for less commonly available languages.

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Leadership and management

55. Quality assurance is unsatisfactory. Insufficient observations of teaching and learning have been undertaken in the current academic year. Tutors are unsure whom to contact for support. Course reviews where undertaken do not feed into the self-assessment report. The report is contradictory, with contributions by a number of different managers. Grades for some key questions are generous and do not all match the judgements made. However, the overall judgement about the quality of the programme and the grade awarded are accurate. Internal verification is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

56. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. The programme successfully attracts first time language learners and a higher than usual proportion of men. However, there is little active promotion of equalities through the curriculum. 57. Currently 203 learners attend education and training programmes. Of these, 26 are on learning support assistant courses at level 1, 156 on teaching assistant courses at levels 1 and 2 and 14 on the Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector. In addition seven learners attend the new Level 1 Support Work in Schools course. Learners on teaching assistant courses complete a level 2 qualification in literacy and an optional one in numeracy. The Level 3 Award in Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector is also offered. Courses range from 12 hours to one day a week for 30 weeks. Courses are taught during the day and in the evening. Most provision is in the south of the

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Strengths

 Good achievement and progression on learning and support assistant courses  Good development of personal and professional skills and knowledge  Good progression routes  Good curriculum development

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Areas for improvement

 Insufficient use of initial assessment to plan and review progress  Insufficiently planned tutorial support

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Achievement and standards

58. Achievement and standards are good. Learners’ achievement and progression in learning support assistant courses is good. Pass rates for 2005/06 and 2006/07 are good. Most learners progress well into voluntary or paid employment on completion of the course. Many also progress to level 2 or level 3 courses. For example, 13 of the 21 learners from 2006/07 have progressed to level 2 in 2007/08.

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Achievement and standards

59. Success rates on NVQ courses are broadly satisfactory. All nine learners who completed the Award in the Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector achieved the qualification and seven have progressed onto the next level.

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Achievement and standards

60. Learners demonstrate good development of personal and professional skills and background knowledge. Learning support assistants and teaching assistants gain in self- esteem and confidence to support children. They are able to take on more responsibility in the classroom. They understand the implications of school policies such as health and safety and child protection, learn new ways to manage behaviour and demonstrate a good professional approach to their work. They bring good ideas learnt from other learners to their school.

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Achievement and standards

61. Teacher trainees develop the confidence to try out new approaches to learning. They are more confident in planning their lessons and have a greater understanding of how to help learners with disabilities such as dyslexia. They have a good understanding of the need to

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Context

develop learners’ literacy and numeracy skills and incorporate these well into their lessons. They demonstrate the ability to reflect on their practice well.

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Quality of provision

62. The quality of provision overall is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers are knowledgeable and plan lessons well. Activities are relevant to the workplace. Learners have good opportunities to work together and learn from one another. In some lessons, teachers model good practice effectively and encourage learners to reflect on their own practice. Learners enjoy challenging and imaginative activities which stimulate learning. Some lessons are too teacher led and not enough attention is paid to individual needs, abilities and interests.

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Quality of provision

63. Learning resources are satisfactory. The training centre is adequately resourced with interactive whiteboards, technology aids such as video cameras, a DVD player and books

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Quality of provision

64. Initial assessment is not sufficiently used to plan and review learners’ progress. Teachers use relevant tasks to assess learners’ knowledge and understanding but the results of these are not recorded. They are not used to identify learners’ starting points or to set individual targets. It is difficult for learners to know their progress in developing their skills. Individual learning plans do not reflect learning needs, abilities and prior experience.

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Quality of provision

65. Tutorial support to monitor learners’ progress is insufficiently planned. Tutors provide much informal support to learners but individual tutorials are only offered on request. The amount and timing of support is not linked to learners’ progress or needs and does not sufficiently contribute to monitoring the effectiveness of workplace support.

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Quality of provision

66. The programme meets the needs and interests of learners particularly well. Progression routes for learners are good. Those with no experience of working in schools can take the learning support assistant course which often gives them the confidence and knowledge to gain a placement in a school. They have opportunities to progress to teaching assistant courses at levels 2 and 3. Those who wish to teach in the lifelong learning sector may progress from an introductory level course to level 4.

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Quality of provision

67. Advice, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Advice and guidance to learners before starting and during courses is satisfactory and their suitability for the course is satisfactorily assessed.

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Leadership and management

68. Leadership and management are good. Curriculum development is good, managers have implemented many new initiatives to improve the quality and extend the range of provision. A skills for life specialist is working well as part of team to integrate literacy and numeracy with all courses. The college has worked effectively with local schools and the Schools Inspection and Advisory Service to set up teaching assistant courses and the new support work in schools course for a range of school support workers. The college is also extending progression opportunities by planning to offer a foundation degree course for teaching assistants. 69. The team are all highly committed and enthusiastic in taking forward new initiatives. Staff is suitably qualified and support for staff is good. Teachers’ personal and professional development is supported well. They take advantage of opportunities to improve their skills and gain practical experience.

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Leadership and management

70. Internal verification processes are thorough. Quality assurance is satisfactory. Course reviews are used well to plan new programmes. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate; however, it has not identified some of the weaknesses in teaching and learning. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. It is included in lesson plans and assignments and learners are aware of its application in the workplace. Observations of teaching and learning lack sufficient evidence for judgements and subject specific detail to be useful for identifying areas for development.

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Context

71. The service provides 28 courses in literacy and numeracy at eight venues. Almost all learning undertaken in this area is accredited. Currently, 224 learners attend courses, similar to the number of learners recruited in 2006/07. Provision is offered at adult education centres, libraries and schools. In addition classes also run in a house and at two learning shops located in recognised areas of deprivation.

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Context

72. Literacy and numeracy forms part of the skills for life curriculum area which is managed by a full-time deputy curriculum manager. There is a part-time assistant curriculum manager for literacy and another for numeracy. The provision is taught by 19 hourly paid tutors and a further nine part-time personal support tutors.

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Strengths

 High pass rates in literacy and numeracy at Levels 1 and 2  Very good teaching and learning  Good provision to meet the needs and aspirations of learners

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Achievement and standards

73. Achievement and standards overall are good. Overall pass rates for literacy and numeracy are high. Pass rates have improved over the past three years and are currently 86% for literacy and at 87% for numeracy. Entry level pass rates have been satisfactory over the last two years and improving.

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Achievement and standards

74. Most learners make very good progress. Learners make good progress in reading and writing skills as well as gaining in confidence and self-esteem. When reviewing their individual learning plans learners are encouraged to reflect on how newly acquired skills are being used in their daily lives. One learner commented on how these new skills had given them the confidence to participate in workplace discussions.

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Achievement and standards

75. Retention rates on most courses are satisfactory. However, they have not improved significantly over the last few years. Attendance on many courses is poor and has been at a similar rate over the previous two terms. Punctuality is good with learners well prepared for their classes. The target of 70 % attendance set in the current quality improvement plan is insufficiently challenging.

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Quality of provision

76. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are thoroughly planned and include detailed notes on how activities are to be adapted to meet the needs and interest of individual learners. The pace of most sessions is challenging. Tutors provide a varied range of relevant and interesting activities, and readily adapt the content of lessons to meet the needs and interests of learners. Specific literacy skills needed by one learner to successfully conduct staff appraisals in the workplace were skilfully included in the teaching programme.

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Quality of provision

77. Individual learning plans are used well when monitoring and reviewing learners’ progress. Targets set for learners are specific detailed and sufficiently challenging. Some progress has been made in making the process of assessment and recording procedures more systematic. However, the learners progress in developing their personal skills and confidence is insufficiently recorded.

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Quality of provision

78. LBH provide good provision to meet learners’ needs and aspirations. Initial interviews are carried out in a sensitive manner and learners speak positively about the guidance they receive before starting the programme. Learners’ prior attainment and skills are matched well to the appropriate course. Initial and diagnostic assessment is good for both literacy and numeracy with tutors building the individual starting points of learners into their individual learning plans, schemes of work and session planning. The annual short story competition, celebrating national book week, is successful in engaging learners at different levels in a creative writing project.

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Quality of provision

79. Advice, guidance and support are good. Support for learners with additional needs or disabilities are effectively identified at the start of a course. Personal Support Tutors and volunteers are provided with relevant training and are given clear direction in the classroom. Personal support tutors make a significant contribution in assisting learners with mobility or specific learning difficulties and they are successful in helping to maintain the pace and challenge of activities. The information available to prospective learners is poorly presented for learners with poor literacy skills. However, learners receive appropriate advice on accredited courses available to them.

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Leadership and management

80. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Tutors appreciate the helpful and timely support they receive from the assistant curriculum managers and are actively encouraged to share good practice at team meetings. Tutors’ needs are supported practically and issues resolved well. Recent changes to the management structure have improved communication between curriculum areas. Productive links exist with the council to provide literacy and numeracy training to teaching assistants.

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Leadership and management

81. Quality assurance procedures are satisfactory. The arrangements for self-assessment reporting are satisfactory with staff making an appropriate contribution through mid year and end of year course reviews. Development plans are reviewed regularly. The judgements on strengths and weaknesses made in the most recent self-assessment report are broadly similar to those made during the inspection. Observations of teaching and learning contain detailed assessments and tutors value the feedback provided. Recent observations have focused too much on weaker aspects of curriculum provision and are graded too high. 82. All staff have at least a relevant minimum qualification for teaching literacy and numeracy at entry level but none have yet gained a level four qualification. No skills for life strategy exists for planning the delivery of literacy and numeracy across the college.

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Leadership and management

83. Resources have improved since the previous inspection but there is no availability of data projectors or interactive whiteboards. Although accommodation is strategically located some rooms are cramped, noisy and have poor ventilation.

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Context

84. An interim Assistant Curriculum Manager co-ordinates family learning provision and is supported by a core team of three part-time tutors. Currently, 38 learners are registered on programmes. Ninety eight courses are on offer in 2007/08. Provision is predominantly family language, literacy and numeracy (FLNN) with a smaller wider family learning provision. Courses vary in length from two and a half hour workshops to a six month blended learning programme.

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Strengths

 Good achievement and progression  Good range of provision to meet learners’ needs  Good additional individual support for learners  Very effective partnership arrangements

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Areas for improvement

 Insufficient recording of learner progress

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Achievement and standards

85. Achievement and standards are good. Achievement of learners’ personal goals is good. Learners develop good personal skills and knowledge. Learners are better able to support their children as a result of their learning. They build good relationships with schools and have a better understanding of school provision and their child’s learning. On some courses such as the football coaching course, learners develop good vocational skills. Progression to employment is good. For example, two former learners from the football coaching course are now employed by the community department within West Ham United football club. All the learners from the Level 1 Football Coaching course have progressed onto the Level 2 course. Other learners have progressed onto other courses within family learning.

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Achievement and standards

86. Learners produce good work during sessions. In one Saturday morning creative arts session, parents and children have fun making three large craft items in class. In a literacy and healthy living session, learners develop their own and their children’s literacy skills while making fruit salads and drinks. In a football coaching session, learners worked well in groups to evaluate and record their discussions about the purpose of session plans.

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Quality of provision

87. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Session plans are detailed and mapped to the Every Child Matters outcomes. In some sessions, tutors provide a good range of activities to stimulate learning. Literacy is integrated well with topics such as healthy living. Learners improve their literacy skills while developing their knowledge in other areas such as nutrition. In some sessions, there is insufficient challenge for learners. Tutors mostly identify learners who need support rather than to challenge learners who are more able and confident to undertake more demanding tasks and activities.

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Quality of provision

88. Recording of learners’ progress is insufficient. Information recorded about learners’ progress lacks detail. Many weekly review sheets indicate that learners have only partially met their learning objectives but there is insufficient detail about what learners need to do to fully meet their learning objectives or improve their learning. Some short term targets are too broad.

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Quality of provision

89. A good range of provision meets learners' needs and interests. The provision includes wider family learning courses and family literacy, language and numeracy courses which are integrated with other topics such as healthy living. Courses are developed to meet at least three Every Child Matters outcomes. Some provision is carefully developed in negotiation with schools to support specific school improvement targets or specific needs identified for parents and children. In one school, healthy eating programmes were offered to address issues around poor nutrition in families. The service is responsive and provision meets parents’ identified interests and needs. The football coaching course has been very successful in recruiting and retaining male learners who are underrepresented in family learning provision. A Level 2 Football Coaching course has been developed in response to demand. A good range of enrichment activities provides learners with new experiences.

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Quality of provision

For example, the French literacy course includes a day trip to France. Other courses include visits to museums and theatres.

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Quality of provision

90. Guidance and support for learners are good. All sessions are double staffed and at least one member of staff with a literacy and numeracy teaching qualification. Learners’ support needs are identified well during initial assessment. Tutors give good individual support to learners during and after sessions. Additional literacy and numeracy support sessions have been effectively incorporated into the Football Coaching course to help learners progress on the course and achieve accreditation. Induction sessions are used effectively to provide information and guidance about programmes and to identify learners’ needs and interests. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Quality of provision

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Leadership and management

91. Overall leadership and management are satisfactory. The college has developed very effective partnerships to widen participation and promote learning. There are partnership links with schools, pupil referral units and environmental organisations. A new external link has also been established with a high street restaurant company. Learners will be using the company’s kitchens to learn how to create healthy pizzas. A particularly good working relationship exists between LBH managers and West Ham United football club’s community department. Through the partnership, a Level 1 and Level 2 Football Coaching programme has been developed and used successfully to recruit male learners. Celebration of achievement is good. Learners received their awards from the manager of the football club and their children are invited to attend a coaching session on the football club’s pitch.

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Leadership and management

92. Tutors are well qualified and experienced. They are confident and well motivated. A recent management re-structure has had a positive impact on provision. Communication within the team has improved. Tutors receive good support from their manager and have good access to staff development opportunities. Equality of opportunity is satisfactory. Provision is located in centres at the heart of communities to attract new learners. The self-assessment process insufficiently involved tutors. The self-assessment report was broadly accurate although it did not reflect recent changes in provision.

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