North East Lincolnshire Council

Inspection number 320958 North East Lincolnshire Council

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Background information ............................................................................... 3

Inspection judgements ..................................................................................... 3 Scope of the inspection..................................................................................... 3

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Overall judgement ........................................................................................ 6

Effectiveness of provision.................................................................................. 6 Capacity to improve ....................................................................................... 6

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Main findings................................................................................................. 8

Achievement and standards .............................................................................. 8 Quality of provision .......................................................................................... 8 Leadership and management ............................................................................ 9 Equality of opportunity ................................................................................... 9

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Sector subject areas ................................................................................... 12

Arts, media and publishing.............................................................................. 12 Classical and modern foreign languages........................................................... 15 Preparation for life and work........................................................................... 18 Business, adminstration and law...................................................................... 21

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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’ monitoring 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

 Arts, media and publishing  Classical and modern foreign languages  Preparation for life and work  Business, adminstration and law

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Description of the provider

1. North East Lincolnshire Council Community Learning Services (CLS) is part of the council’s Directorate of Children’s Services. CLS is located at the council’s offices in Grimsby. The previous adult and community learning service and the employment development service merged in 2006 to create one service delivering adult, community and work-based learning.

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Description of the provider

2. The service contracts with the Humber LSC to provide programmes in further education, personal and community development, and work-based learning. CLS uses around 60 venues, including children’s centres, schools and employer premises.

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Description of the provider

3. The service offers provision in 10 of the 15 sector subject areas. CLS has 2,848 learners on 534 courses. Of these, 39% are on further education courses, 57% on personal and community development programmes and 2% are work-based learners. The specialist provision inspected represents 66% of provision for all learners. Currently CLS has 236 learners in arts, media and publishing, 182 learners in classical and modern foreign languages, 386 learners in preparation for life and work and 130 learners in business, administration and law.

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Description of the provider

4. The service is managed by an interim head of service, supported by three senior managers and a curriculum team which includes 68 full- and part-time tutors.

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Description of the provider

5. Around 3.6% of the population of the borough are from minority ethnic backgrounds against a national average of 9.1%. Many wards within the local authority have high indices of deprivation. The local unemployment rate is 6.2% compared with the national rate of 5.2%.

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Summary of grades awarded

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2 Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Summary of grades awarded

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2 Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Summary of grades awarded

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2 Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Summary of grades awarded

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2 Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Summary of grades awarded

Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Sector subject areas

Arts, media and publishing Good: Grade 2

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Sector subject areas

Classical and modern foreign languages Good: Grade 2

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Sector subject areas

Preparation for life and work Good: Grade 2

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Sector subject areas

Business, adminstration and law Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

6. The overall effectiveness of the provision is good. Success rates for most learners, who often have little experience of successful education and training, are good. Learners gain a good range of skills and develop confidence in their ability to progress to other courses, gain employment and to help their children. Success rates for work-based learners are good.

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Good: Grade 2

7. The quality of provision is good. The quality of provision in arts, media and publishing, classical and modern foreign languages, preparation for life and work and business, adminstration and law is good. The range of programmes to meet learners’ needs and interests is good. The service is particularly successful in engaging learners who are hard to reach. These include learners with community orders, long-term unemployed or from deprived communities. Guidance and support is good overall. Learner support arrangements are very effective, and learners with learning difficulties achieve as well as others.

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Good: Grade 2

8. Leadership and management are good. The service has been very effective in strategic planning, and has implemented post-inspection action plans well. Planning of provision focuses strongly on community, local and national priorities. Equality of opportunity is good. Partnership working has been particularly effective in widening participation by under-represented groups.

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Good: Grade 2

9. The service’s capacity to improve is good. CLS has taken very effective actions to improve the quality of provision since the inspection of its adult and community learning provision in 2004, and the reinspection of its work-based learning in 2005. Success rates have significantly improved, and many are at or above national rates. The observation of teaching and learning process is thorough and is generally implemented well. Quality arrangements are broadly effective in identifying areas for improvements. However, the quality of some aspects of the provision is not monitored systematically.

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Good: Grade 2

10.The self-assessment process is good. The process is coordinated well and engages the views of staff, learners and stakeholders through formal and informal feedback. The self-assessment report is comprehensive, critical and evaluative. The service uses learner performance benchmarks particularly well to evaluate its performance. Inspection findings generally reflected the self- assessment’s judgements, and matched all the grades proposed. The self- assessment report is supported by a detailed development plan, which identifies priorities for improvement.

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Key strengths

 Good and improving success rates  Good development of learners’ personal and vocational skills  Good learner support and guidance  Good strategic planning  Very good response to post-inspection action plans  Strong partnership working  Good initiatives to widen participation

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Key areas for improvement

 Insufficient quality monitoring of some aspects of provision  Insufficient good teaching

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Good: Grade 2

Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

11.Achievement and standards are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Learners’ success rates on further education courses have significantly improved, with success rates for some courses well above national rates. Learners develop self-confidence and a good range of vocational skills. Success rates for learners on arts, media and publishing courses in 2007/08 are high. Learners produce a very high standard of work which is exhibited to public. Learners’ success rates on language, literature and culture in 2007/08 are good overall, and outstanding on level 2 long courses. Modern foreign language learners use their language skills confidently. Success rates overall in 2007/08 for learners in preparation for life and work learners are good. However, success rates of learners on entry level short courses are low.

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Good: Grade 2

12.Overall success rates on apprenticeship programmes are high. Apprenticeship success rates are high at 81% in 2007/08, and timely success rates increased to 81% for the same period. Success rates on accredited provision for business administration learners are high, particularly on National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) courses, which increased to 88% in 2007/08.

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Good: Grade 2

13.Outcomes for learners with additional support needs are good. In 2006/07, 12% of learners accessed additional support and 91% of those learners achieved or exceeded their personal learning goals.

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Good: Grade 2

Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

14.The quality of provision is good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the best sessions the activities are carefully planned containing a good range of tasks to meet the different needs of learners successfully. In art and modern language sessions, teaching challenges learners and encourages them to achieve high standards. Tutors display good levels of subject knowledge and enthusiasm. However, too much teaching is only satisfactory, and information technology resources are not always available to tutors, or used effectively to support learning. 15.Procedures for recognising and recording progress and achievement (RARPA) in non-accredited learning are broadly satisfactory and provide learners with opportunities to set realistic learning goals, which are validated by teaching staff. However, the RARPA process is not fully established across all the provision and

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Good: Grade 2

arrangements for moderation are incomplete.

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Good: Grade 2

16.Programmes generally meet the needs and interests of learners well. The service offers most of its courses within deprived areas. Learners on work-based learning programmes enjoy a wide range of enrichment activities and additional learning opportunities. However, in some sector subject areas the choice of available programmes is too narrow. Support for development needs of learners in literacy and numeracy is good.

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Good: Grade 2

17.Learners on vocational programmes receive particularly well tailored advice and guidance on suitable learning programmes. They also receive more general advice on finance, housing and employment options. Learners speak highly of this advice and guidance. The service gathers feedback from learners about the quality of advice and guidance, but does not use this information sufficiently to make further improvements.

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Good: Grade 2

Adult and community learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Work-based learning Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2 Equality of opportunity Contributory grade: Good: Grade 2

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Good: Grade 2

18.Leadership and management are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. The service’s strategic planning is good. The plan reflects council, regional and national priorities well, particularly community regeneration and employment. Council members and senior staff have a very thorough knowledge of the strategic direction of the service, and work well to support its progress.

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Good: Grade 2

19.The service’s response to post-inspection action plans has been very effective. CLS uses its improvement targets well, and monitors progress very closely. CLS has successfully resolved most significant areas for improvement identified in previous inspections. The service has significantly improved its management information systems and its use of management data.

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Good: Grade 2

20.Partnership working is strong. The service works well with partners to develop programmes for different groups of learners. Many of the partnerships have enabled the service to access alternative sources of funding such as an European Social Fund Train to Gain programme. A highly successful information and communication technology (ICT) programme is delivered to young apprentice footballers to help them develop alternative work skills. 21.The service has developed good initiatives to widen participation, which are responsive to local, regional and individual learner needs. CLS works hard to ensure its provision meets learners’ needs in the most disadvantaged areas of the authority. It works well with young offenders and those at risk of offending. Tutors provide good additional support to ensure that learners are not disadvantaged. They provide suitable clothing for learners attending interviews.

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Good: Grade 2

Promotional strategies have also been used effectively to overcome gender bias in some areas of employment, for example, for female drivers of heavy goods vehicles and male teaching assistants. However, the information on equality of opportunity in the learners’ handbook does not relate directly to learners’ own experience.

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Good: Grade 2

22.The procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements. CLS closely follows the policy and procedures set out by the council’s safeguarding board, and all staff have an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau check. The service contributes effectively to the local authority’s Every Child Matters targets.

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Good: Grade 2

23.The self-assessment process is thorough and inclusive. It involves all the main partners, the senior staff at the council and tutors. The use of data and trend analysis is used particularly well to evidence the self-assessment judgements. The service has developed a detailed action plan based on its latest self-assessment report. The development plan provides good basis for further improvement.

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Good: Grade 2

24.A thorough system of lesson observations is in place in adult and community learning. This supports the mostly accurate evaluation of teaching and learning in the self-assessment report. However, for those staff who have a satisfactory observation, no immediate action is taken to help them improve.

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Good: Grade 2

25.The quality monitoring of some aspects of the provision is insufficient. CLS’ quality guide does not include sufficiently detailed procedures for monitoring the quality of training documentation or processes. Some quality procedures are not fully implemented in both adult and community learning and the work-based learning provisions. The self-assessment report partially identifies this area for improvement.

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What learners like:

 ‘Fantastic tutors’  ‘Accessible local venues’  The opportunities it provides - ‘The chance to share the creative journey with my grandchildren’  The way it changes attitudes to learning  The practical nature of the sessions

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What learners think could improve:

 The range of provision - ‘More languages and levels’  The length of courses - ‘The course felt rushed’  The range of teaching approaches – ‘Some sessions were boring’

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Context

26.The arts, media and publishing provision represents 15.3% of the total enrolments in the service. Courses are offered in four venues including an adult learning centre and an arts centre. Currently 236 learners are enrolled, with 136 learners on adult and community learning programmes and 100 learners on further education courses. Women constitute 87.7% of these learners, 16.9% have a disability and 1.3% are from minority ethnic groups. Courses offered include drawing and painting, life drawing, mixed media, portrait painting, embroidery and patchwork and quilting. Currently 58.5% of the provision is accredited at level 1, level 2 or level 3. Most courses are offered for two hours each week for 10 weeks. Further education courses are offered for three hours per week and sessions are held during the day and evening. Provision is managed by one manager and nine part-time tutors.

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Strengths

 Good achievement  High standards of work  Well planned and challenging teaching  Good advice and support

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Areas for improvement

 Insufficient use of ICT to support learning  Insufficient curriculum development to widen participation  Insufficiently thorough course review and evaluation

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Achievement and standards

27.Achievement and standards are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Learners enjoy their courses and make good progress. Success rates on level 1 courses are significantly above the national average. On level 2 accredited design for craft courses, success rates have improved over a three year period to 91% in 2007/08. Learners make good progress and in many cases are significantly above the expected level. Learners with little or no previous experience in the visual arts rapidly acquire a range of skills and can use them with confidence. Personal and social gain is significant for a number of learners.

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Achievement and standards

28.Standards of learners’ work are good. Much of the learners’ work displayed at an annual show demonstrates commercial potential. Learner portfolios include work which has used a good range of planning and research. One learner gained a certificate for outstanding achievement from an awarding body. Strong peer group support encourages learners to experiment with new techniques. Attendance throughout the inspection is satisfactory at 87%.

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Quality of provision

29.The quality of provision is good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Teaching and learning are good. Most tutors are practitioners and have taken effective steps since the previous inspection to ensure their subject knowledge and practice is up-to-date. In the most successful sessions, learners are challenged to explore new techniques and ways of looking at everyday objects. In a patchwork and quilting session for instance, one learner produced a coral reef using only white materials. Initial assessment is very effective in identifying additional needs. Tutors and managers carefully monitor the progress of those learners identified as being at risk of leaving their courses early without achievement. Assessment practices are satisfactory although the level of annotation in sketch books is not always sufficient.

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Quality of provision

30.In less successful sessions, tutors rely too much on individual teaching, and expected learning outcomes are unclear. Tutors do not use RARPA processes effectively to plan and record learner progress. They make insufficient use of information learning technology to support teaching and learning.

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Quality of provision

31.The range of programmes to meet the needs and interests of learners is satisfactory. The curriculum is inclusive. Learners with additional needs are successfully integrated with mainstream courses or access discrete accredited courses. Progression opportunities for learners are good. Learners benefit from an appropriate range of enrichment activities including workshops, an annual show and gallery visits.

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Quality of provision

32.Advice, guidance and support are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Clear pre-course information and very effective advice from tutors help learners to join suitable courses. Enrolment procedures are good. CLS plans very effectively to meet the support needs of adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Tutors offer very good personal support, often in innovative ways, to ensure that these learners enjoy a safe and healthy environment on all sites. Tutors provide good progression advice and many learners progress from level 1 to level 3 on accredited courses.

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Leadership and management

33.Leadership and management are satisfactory. The inspection team did not agree with the service’s self-assessment that leadership and management were good. Staff are well supported and managers make effective use of meetings, emails and the virtual learning environment to involve and inform tutors. The management information system is used effectively to monitor retention rates and success rates on accredited courses. 34.Curriculum development does not focus sufficiently on widening participation, as identified in the self-assessment report. Enrolments overall have significantly decreased since the previous inspection. The range of courses and venues does not provide sufficient opportunities for learners in local priority areas to access programmes. The service does not have sufficient specialist staff to increase learner numbers.

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Leadership and management

35.The process of observation of teaching and learning is thorough and effective. However, procedures for course review and evaluation are insufficiently thorough. Learner feedback is routinely collected through surveys but is not taken into account sufficiently in programme development. The self-assessment report did not identify this area for improvement and overstates the strength of the RARPA process.

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Leadership and management

36.The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Workshops in African and Aboriginal arts are well attended and prompt consideration by learners of other cultures. Some tutors refer to other cultures in sessions but most do not promote diversity in learning activities.

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Context

37.CLS offers accredited courses in French, Italian and Spanish at both beginner and intermediate levels, and at an advanced level in French. In addition the service offers non-accredited conversation courses in German and Spanish. Currently 182 learners are enrolled, with 162 following accredited programmes. Of these learners, 68% are female, 3.1% are from minority ethnic groups, 11 declared disabilities, and 30% are over the age of 65. CLS employs five qualified part-time tutors, and one tutor working towards an appropriate teaching qualification. Courses generally last for 30 weeks, or 60 hours. Sessions last for two hours and are held once a week in two locations, in either the morning, afternoon or evening.

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Strengths

 Outstanding success rates on level 2 long courses in 2007/08  Good use of foreign language in sessions  Very effective planning for learning  Good additional learning support  Very effective curriculum management

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Achievement and standards

38.Achievement and standards are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Success rates have significantly improved since the previous inspection. In 2007/08, the success rate for learners on level 2 courses is outstanding at 91%.

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Achievement and standards

39.Learners acquire very good language skills that enable them to communicate effectively and confidently. Increased levels of confidence enable many learners to use their language skills for social, personal and work related purposes. Learners attend well and are punctual. Learners complete challenging tasks that inspire and motivate them. Advanced learners are very ambitious in their use of language.

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Quality of provision

40.The quality of provision is good, as identified in the self-assessment report. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Tutors make good use of foreign language in sessions, and most use the language almost exclusively for all aspects of communication and instruction. Learners develop effective strategies for understanding unfamiliar language and structures, and are able to communicate with confidence. In the best sessions, learners are encouraged to be ambitious in their use of the foreign language, and take every opportunity to use the language for their own purposes. Tutors monitor and assess learners’ progress effectively through class and homework, giving detailed and constructive feedback that contributes to learners’ development.

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Quality of provision

41.Sessions are well planned and managed. In the best sessions, learners are inspired by the selection and effective use of a wide range of interesting resources. For example, in a session on grammar, computer animation was used very effectively to illustrate the verbs of motion in an engaging and memorable way. Resources and equipment are of a good standard and are used effectively by tutors and learners. These include generally good use of interactive boards, audio and video equipment.

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Quality of provision

42.Individual learning plans are used appropriately to support learning. Learning objectives are clear, and reviews are completed at appropriate stages. Learners reflect on their learning well and adjust their learning objectives as they progress. Learners receive good support. Tutors listen attentively to learners during pair and group work, and sensitively tailor intervention and support according to the confidence level of individuals. Opportunities are built in effectively for more confident learners to experiment and to adapt the new language and structures to express their own interests.

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Quality of provision

43.The extent to which the provision meets the needs and interests of learners and employers is satisfactory. Course content is tailored to meet learners’ needs and interests. Where learner numbers are small, programme lengths are negotiated with learners to secure appropriate progression. The self-assessment report correctly identifies insufficient progression routes beyond level 2.

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Quality of provision

44.Advice, guidance and support are good. Good support is offered for learners with disabilities and/or learning difficulties. Good additional assistance is provided to learners through individual support as required, including those with a hearing impairment. Pre-course information and guidance are satisfactory overall. Learners access appropriate information through leaflets in public buildings, through direct enquiries to venues and through the internet.

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Leadership and management

45.Leadership and management are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Curriculum leadership and management are good. Managers work well with tutors to share and develop good subject expertise. Tutors meet regularly to share information and good practice, and to discuss the curriculum and accreditation procedures. Tutors are encouraged to develop innovative teaching approaches, and value the support they receive to meet professional development needs. Tutors receive good training in the use of information learning technology. 46.Actions to improve quality of the provision are effective. An appropriate plan of observation of teaching and learning is carried out by a subject specialist. Observation grades are generally accurate and broadly reflect inspection findings. Tutors have contributed well to the self-assessment process. The self-assessment report identifies most of the strengths and areas for improvement found during

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Context

47.CLS has 385 learners enrolled on 47 language and numeracy courses. Of these 22% are male and 6% are from minority ethnic groups. Most courses are offered with mixed level groups. Courses are provided in four main centres and 18 other locations. Most courses last for 30 weeks and are held during the daytime and evening. No weekend provision is available. Provision is managed by one manager and three project workers who support 16 part-time tutors.

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Strengths

 Good achievement  Good use of volunteers to provide effective learning support  Good spread of courses across the local authority  Good curriculum management  Good equality of access to opportunities

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Areas for improvement

 Low success rates on entry level short courses  Insufficient monitoring of individual learning plans

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Achievement and standards

48.Achievement and standards are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Achievement rates have increased by 36% over the last three years. Success rates of learners on entry level long courses during 2007/08 are good at 81%, compared with the national rate of 75% in 2006/07. The success rate for learners on level 1 long courses is very good at 92%. Learners make good progress and work hard to complete their awards as quickly as possible. Several learners now help their children with homework. Attendance is satisfactory, and retention is satisfactory at 87%.

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Achievement and standards

49.Success rates on entry level short courses in 2007/08 are low at 59%, compared with the national rate of 79% in 2006/07.

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Quality of provision

50.The quality of the provision is satisfactory. This aspect was over graded in the self-assessment report. Teaching and learning is satisfactory. Volunteer tutors provide effective long-term support and are good role models for learners. Tutors work very hard to meet the needs of learners with different levels of literacy and numeracy support needs. Tutors carry out appropriate initial and diagnostic assessment and identify suitable learner support. Tutors make good use of information and communication technology where available and tutors and learners frequently make effective use of online resources. Homework is completed and marked with useful feedback to learners. However, monitoring of individual learning plans is insufficient. The use of learner target-setting is under developed. Tutors rely too much on practise papers which are not suitably adapted for to meet individual learners’ ability and experience. Some tutors focus

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Quality of provision

too much on the development of the skills needed to pass tests rather than tackling learners’ general skills development needs.

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Quality of provision

51.The extent to which the provision meets the needs and interests of learners and the communities is good. The good geographical spread of courses across the local authority meets the needs and interests of learners well, as identified in the self-assessment report. Courses are held at very convenient locations for learners, particularly in areas of high deprivation. Additional courses are arranged to meet the needs of specific groups of learners, such as lone parents or probation service clients. CLS is committed to maintaining local access for disadvantaged and under-represented learners, despite low numbers on some programmes. The service attracts a high percentage of entry level learners and supports them well.

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Quality of provision

52.Guidance and support for learners are satisfactory. This is partially identified in the self-assessment report. Initial advice and guidance are effective. Where courses are held in children’s centres, staff in partner organisations provide appropriate progression advice and information to learners. Many learners have access to the free childcare facilities.

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Leadership and management

53.Leadership and management are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Good curriculum management is strongly focused on improving learners’ performance. Staff pay good attention to policies and practices which improve retention, achievement and success rates and implement them well. Tutors and managers routinely discuss concerns about learners who are at the risk of not completing successfully. Data is used well to identify trends of learner performance and to improve this performance. Staff are encouraged to work closely with other services, and support council staff to achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications. Communication between tutors and managers through team meetings, training and social events is good. The service provides good staff development opportunities internally and at regional level to support new developments and initiatives. A voucher scheme entitles volunteers and staff to

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Leadership and management

free courses every year. Volunteer tutors have satisfactory access to the computer based learning system and attend identified training. However, the service does not maintain a composite record of individual training, and does not evaluate the impact of training well.

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Leadership and management

54.The service provides good equality of access to opportunities. Almost all learners have had very poor or interrupted experience of education and training. They have anxieties about learning and have little confidence in their ability to learn and progress. Tutors clearly recognise the significant barriers which these learners face, and treat learners with particular empathy and respect. Learners successfully gain confidence and some are able to write effectively about the difficulties they have faced. Other learners have successfully progressed to work in schools, or to support their own children to overcome social exclusion.

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Leadership and management

55.Actions to improve the quality of the provision are effective, including the approach to the observation of teaching sessions. Termly progress reports are routinely used by the senior managers to monitor the quality of the courses. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate and appropriately critical. Areas for improvement are identified accurately and actions are effectively implemented.

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Context

56.The service has 130 learners in business, administration and law on further education and work-based learning courses. Of these 90% are female, two are from minority ethnic communities, and 12 have disability. Of those learners on work-based learning programmes, 50 are apprentices and 22 are advanced apprentices. Further education provision is managed and delivered by one manager, supported by one full-time and three part-time tutors. Work-based learning is led and delivered by one curriculum manager with three full-time tutors and two part-time marketing staff. Further education learners attend courses at five community centres. Work-based learners have work-placements in council departments and with other local employers.

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Strengths

 Good achievement  Good teaching to develop learners’ workplace and personal skills  Well-managed programme of work-placements in work-based learning  Good use of initial assessment and support for learners  Good information, advice and guidance  Very successful action to resolve previous work-based learning inspection findings  Very thorough and effective approach to self-assessment

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Areas for improvement

 Low success rates on level 3 courses in text processing  Insufficiently coherent arrangements for quality assurance

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Achievement and standards

57.Achievement and standards are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Learners’ achievements are good. Success rates on accredited provision in adult and community learning are generally high, particularly on NVQ courses in administration, which rose to 88% in 2007/08. Overall success rates on apprenticeship programmes are high. Apprenticeship rates increased from 55% in 2005/06, to 81% in 2007/08, and the timely success rate increased to 81% in 2007/08, significantly above the national rate for 2006/07. Overall success and timely success on the advanced apprenticeship programme were 100% in 2007/08, the first year for which data is available.

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Achievement and standards

58.Learners make good progress in improving their social and workplace skills. Learners on apprenticeship programmes grow in self-confidence, and develop practical administration and office skills. Progression onto higher level programmes and into local employment is good. In adult and community learning, learners acquire new skills, and attendance levels are good. The standard of learners’ written work is good. Portfolios of evidence are well organised and presented.

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Achievement and standards

59.Success rates are low on the certificate in text processing course at level 3 and have declined from 60% in 2006/07, to 50% in 2007/08.

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Quality of provision

60.The quality of provision is good, as identified in the self-assessment report. Teaching and learning are good in adult and community and in work-based learning. Teaching is very effective in developing learners’ workplace and personal skills. Adult and community learning sessions are well planned, and feature a good range of teaching and learning activities. Learners find sessions challenging and enjoyable and are motivated to learn. Effective learning support is given to learners on an individual basis when required.

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Quality of provision

61.In work-based learning, tutors and supervisors provide good support to learners in the workplace. Arrangements for assessment are effective, and tutors make good use of regular visits to discuss progress, observe learners’ workplace activities and conduct professional discussions. The quality of progress reviews, target-setting and individual learning plans overall is satisfactory. Employers are not always sufficiently involved in the monitoring of learners’ progress through the assessment process.

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Quality of provision

62.Work-placements for learners on work-based learning programmes are well organised, and support learners’ progress and development well in their programmes and into employment. The recruitment process is thorough and matches learners’ aims and experience well to places of work. Most work- placements are modern and well equipped, and workplace managers have a good understanding of training requirements. Learners participate in a broad range of work activity that links well with their needs and interests.

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Quality of provision

63.Initial assessment is used well across the programme. Arrangements to identify additional learning needs and the provision of additional learning support are systematic and thorough. Programmes are tailored effectively to meet learners’ needs. Learners often negotiate individual learning programmes which match their goals, for example, by choosing the order of study units. Learners are referred appropriately to other providers if the service can not offer a suitable programme.

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Quality of provision

64.The extent to which the provision meets the needs and interests of learners, communities and employers is satisfactory. This was identified in the self- assessment report. Progression routes are satisfactory. Adult and community learning courses are delivered in five community locations, and all centres provide a safe, secure and supportive learning environment. Accommodation is modern and pleasantly furnished, and appropriate for adult learners. The standard of computing equipment is good. Staff use the virtual learning system to provide extra resources for learners, but the use of computers in work-based learning sessions is insufficient.

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Quality of provision

65.Advice, guidance and support for learners are good. This was partially identified in the self-assessment report. Information, advice and guidance for learners in relation to courses and career planning are good. Work-based learners receive good career planning advice, for example, about options if they wish to progress to higher education. Staff effectively promote a safe and secure learning environment for all learners. Tutors are sensitive to learners’ personal circumstances and help them to be open about any difficulties they face.

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Leadership and management

66.Leadership and management are good, as identified in the self-assessment report. The service has taken very successful actions to resolve areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection of work-based learning. Managers make very effective use of the management information system to monitor the performance of learners and have developed a good system of monitoring the implementation of post-inspection action plans. Managers set a clear strategic direction for the tutors, who have a strong commitment to delivering a high standard of education and training.

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Leadership and management

67.The service’s approach to the self-assessment process is very thorough and effective. All staff contribute well to the process, and the self-assessment report accurately reflects the strengths and areas for improvement identified during inspection. The self-assessment process over the years has been a significant factor in improving the provision. The use of benchmark data is particularly good in helping the course team to be reflective and critical about the quality of the provision.

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Leadership and management

68.The response to national and local initiatives has been effective overall. The work-based learning team has worked well with the council’s sports department, police force and other local support agencies to implement the South Humberside Police project to encourage persistent young offenders to engage in education and training. However, links with local employers outside the council to identify training needs and for curriculum planning are incomplete.

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Leadership and management

69.Internal verification is satisfactory. Quality assurance arrangements across the provision are not yet sufficiently coherent or consistently implemented. For example, the observation of teaching and learning process is in place for adult and community education, but has not yet been implemented in work-based learning. The annual course review process is insufficiently thorough. The service has identified this area of improvement and is progressing well to improve this. Annex

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Leadership and management

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Learners’ achievements

Success rates on work-based learning apprenticeship programmes managed by the provider 2006 to 2008

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Business administration and law

Programme End Year Success rate No. of learners* Provider NVQ rate ** National NVQ rate** Provider framework rate** National framework rate** overall 5 100 74% 100 71% Advanced Apprenticeships 2007/08 # timely 5 100 - 100 - overall 31 61% 62% 55% 57% 2005/06 timely 31 58% 44% 55% 41% overall 27 78% 68% 78% 65% 2006/07 timely 28 79% 54% 75% 53% Overall 26 81% 74% 81% 71% Apprenticeships

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Business administration and law

* Learners who leave later than originally planned are counted in the year they actually leave. This group of learners are then added to the learners who planned to complete in a given year and did so or left earlier than planned ** Provider and national qualification success rates are calculated using LSC published data derived from the Individual Learning Record (ILR) # When available and validated by the LSC

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