Setting

Context

Landmarks is a specialist day college located just outside Creswell, in northeast Derbyshire. The college facilities include a 20-acre working farm, purpose built workshops, an adjacent farm as well as additional facilities and accommodation within local further education colleges and social services. The college provides for 14 day learners from local counties with a wide range of moderate to severe learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Of the LSC funded learners, three are aged 16 to 18 years and 11 are over 19 years of age. Of the 14 learners, 11 learners are male, three are female, and none are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Landmarks College offers a range of externally accredited courses in animal care, practical land-based activities and handicrafts as well as skills for life and daily living skills provision from pre- entry to Level 1.

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Context

At the previous inspection in May 2007, the college’s overall effectiveness was judged to be satisfactory overall, as were all key aspects of the college’s provision.

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Achievement and standards

What progress has been made in developing target setting and monitoring of personal skill development?

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progress

Learners’ targets in literacy, numeracy and communication (LNC) are closely linked to the elements of the LNC core curriculum. Personal development targets provide the learner with a focus on aspects of social interaction or behaviour to be addressed. All targets are developed by the personal tutors and are regularly reviewed and revised, if necessary, every six weeks. The LNC and personal development targets are on all lesson plans and reviewed sufficiently regularly to contribute to the six weekly reviews. However, the targets are insufficiently specific or measurable and the wording is inaccessible for most learners. There is some consultation with learners but the college is aware of the need to involve them more fully at the start of the target setting process.

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progress

What steps have been taken to develop communication skills and a ‘total communications environment’?

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progress

Each learner has a communication target which is regularly addressed in lessons, as an integral part of the lesson plan. The communication targets are effectively embedded throughout all elements of each learner’s programme. The timely recruitment of speech and language therapy support from the local resources for social services and health has effectively linked the college into the North Derbyshire communication strategy. The speech and language therapist has supported the college in developing a clear action plan to steer the college towards a total communications environment (TCE). As part of this initiative the college has developed helpful symbolised timetables for those that need them, developed effective symbolized signage throughout the college and developed convenient and useful symbol booklets for staff to use with communication passports for selected learners. At the pre-entry assessment stage the college now conducts dyslexia assessments with

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progress

specialist support and uses a useful general screening tool to assess communication concerns. These are effectively linked to personal tutors for target-setting. There are regular and active links between the college and the external support services through the college’s own occupational therapist. Whilst the TCE is still in the process of being developed, other initiatives, such as a communications display board, the learner forum and training for all staff in autistic spectrum conditions have already made effective contributions to improving communications.

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Quality of provision

What resources and opportunities have been developed to learn independent living skills? How well have these been integrated across the curriculum? What impact have these had on learners?

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progress

Since the inspection, the college has undertaken an externally supported audit of the content of the independent living skills (ILS) curriculum. As a result the content has changed to specifically build on the views, aspirations and goals of the learners. The learner profiles have been reviewed and revised extensively to provide a comprehensive overview of each learner's learning intentions, the range of support required and key factors that may affect learning. Detailed individual learning plans effectively summarise learners’ aspirations and goals. The approach to developing individual learning plans has been changed radically from using college-based activities to active community involvement and access. This encourages the relevant development of applied practical skills whilst extending the learners’ awareness of different facilities through use and experience. The college has extended the opportunities for individualised practical cookery by leasing a

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progress

further local resource, making full use of other off-campus resources and extending the use of some of the existing main site resources. Information and communications technology (ICT) resources are used effectively to reinforce key messages arising from practical experience. The day learners do not undertake personal care activities within ILS, but the college has explored and negotiated individual arrangements for selected learners and their carers. The college recognises that there are some insufficient opportunities to record ILS skills within other parts of the curriculum.

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progress

The inspection report noted ‘insufficient provision for personal, social and health education’. What progress has the college made in developing this provision?

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progress

The college has a well-established reputation for developing the self confidence of its learners through the practical activities within the college and off-campus activities as part of personal, social and health education (PSHE). A recent camping trip to the Lake District provided excellent opportunities for social interaction, self reliance, leadership, tolerance and development of acceptable behaviour in testing circumstances.

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progress

PSHE is embedded throughout learners’ activities, with some reinforcement of skills learned through accredited routes. Enrichment and curriculum enhancement activities such as a local recycling project, woodland trust projects and supporting elderly people who attend an off-campus centre provide good opportunities for further developing PSHE skills. The college is aware of the need to develop further aspects of PSHE in citizenship, awareness of personal and sexual relations and raising awareness of the dangers of smoking, drugs and alcohol.

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Leadership and management

What steps have been taken to improve the rigour of monitoring of assessment, target setting and the quality of reviews?

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progress

There are now clear and effective links between pre-entry assessments, baseline assessments and individual learning plans. Learners who are undertaking accredited courses have a high level of scrutiny and standardization of paperwork through the college’s effective internal verification processes. The revised quality cycle includes an extensive review of individual learning plans but most targets are too general and insufficiently accessible to most learners. The college intends addressing this issue and focus on targets that are relevant to the learners’ future after college. The college is also developing a clearer focus on the recognition and recording of progress and achievement in non-accredited learning (RARPA) with a more active participation by learners. There are regular six-weekly reviews of progress conducted by the personal tutors. These contribute to the annual reviews which now generate detailed transition plans. These recently-

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progress

developed transition plans provide an effective and measurable action plan for the next 12 months.

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progress

information quoted is reproduced verbatim without adaptation, and the source and date of publication are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted website (www.ofsted.gov.uk).

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