Brockenhurst College

Audience Post-sixteen Published date June 2008 Provider reference 130690 Provider reference 130690

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Published date June 2008 Brockenhurst College Inspection report

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Contents

Key strengths and areas for improvement 7

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Grading

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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Grading

The descriptors for the four grades are: • grade 1 – outstanding • grade 2 – good • grade 3 – satisfactory • grade 4 – inadequate

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Grading

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

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Scope of the inspection

In deciding the scope of this inspection, inspectors took account of: the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans; comments from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) or other funding body; and where appropriate the previous inspection report ( www.ofsted.gov.uk ); reports from the inspectorate annual assessment visits or quality monitoring inspection; and data on learners and their achievement over the period since the last inspection. This inspection focused on the following aspects:

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Scope of the inspection

 overall effectiveness of the organisation and its capacity to improve further  achievement and standards  quality of provision  leadership and management.

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Description of the provider

1. Brockenhurst College is a large tertiary college in the New Forest in Hampshire with learners attending from seven local authorities. In 2005/06, 12,782 learners provided 29,730 enrolments with 69% full-time equivalent students being 16-18 year olds and 31% adults. The college also has significant numbers of 14-19 year olds on vocational programmes. Part-time adult education provision is offered at four main sites as well as at a large number of additional community-based locations. The cost to learners of contracted rail and bus services to the main site at Brockenhurst is substantially subsidised by the college. 2. The college is a lead partner in a collaborative Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for applied information technology (IT) for business, and a partner in collaborative CoVEs in leadership and management and early years, playwork and children’s services, as well as leading a regional CoVE in tourism. The

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Description of the provider

college was designated as a Beacon College in 2004 and in April 2006 achieved Action for Business College accreditation. The college leads a Train to Gain partnership of seven Hampshire and Isle of Wight Action for Business colleges as well as a Train to Gain contract with the south west region LSC. In May 2007 it achieved Matrix accreditation for information, advice and guidance and in November 2007 received a Matrix national excellence award.

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Description of the provider

3. Most of the college’s provision is in 10 of the 15 sector subject areas. Courses range from pre-entry to postgraduate. Qualifications offered are principally AS/A level, BTEC, NVQ, GCSE and OCN and include the International Baccalaureate. There is extensive provision for learners with essential skills needs and for young people and adult learners with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Description of the provider

4. Learners from minority ethnic backgrounds make up 4% of 16-19 year old learners and 3% of adult learners, which is higher than the proportion in the local population but lower than the widest travel to learn area. The area is dominated by small and medium enterprises with approximately 80% of companies employing five people or less.

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Description of the provider

5. The college vision is ‘to become the leading educator and trainer in the learning and skills sector’ and its core purpose is ‘to help people make the most of their lives through learning’.

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Leadership and management Outstanding: Grade 1

Equality of opportunity Outstanding: Contributory Grade 1

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Effectiveness of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

6. Overall effectiveness is outstanding. Success rates are very high. Many students achieve beyond their expectations irrespective of their ethnicity, backgrounds, gender or learning needs. However, retention rates on a few courses in 2006/07 fell below the national average. Students produce very good work and thoroughly enjoy college life. Overall the quality of provision is outstanding. Teaching and learning are outstanding. Assessment is comprehensive and helps students improve their work. The college meets the needs and interests of learners extremely well. Educational and social inclusion are outstanding as is equality of opportunity. Guidance and academic, pastoral and welfare support are excellent. Leadership and management, including governance, are outstanding. The college has a highly developed self-critical approach. Quality assurance is rigorous and used very effectively by managers to raise standards.

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Effectiveness of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

Self-assessment is accurate and an integral part of the very good systems to improve provision. Students are effectively involved in the process. Accommodation is good overall and the college has made significant improvements to the college estate since the last inspection. Financial management is very strong and the college provides outstanding value for money.

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Capacity to improve Outstanding: Grade 1

7. The capacity to improve is outstanding. The self-assessment report is accurate and improvement plans are detailed with specific and realistic actions for improvement. Plans are very clearly linked to the strategic direction of the college and staff at all levels understand the process well. A recently introduced on-line self-assessment system effectively aids staff teams to share good practice. Managers use readily available, detailed examination data and information from monitoring activities very well to raise standards in all aspects of provision. The college has maintained or significantly improved students’ already high achievement and standards of work are very good.

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improvement since the last inspection

8. The college has made very good progress in rectifying areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. The consultative, open style of the principal and senior managers, together with clear accountability and very effective quality assurance arrangements, are driving up standards. Teaching and learning have improved. Very good progress has been made on issues identified at the last inspection. More students are achieving higher grades than are expected of them based on their prior achievement. Overall key skills delivery and outcomes have improved. The college has improved the suitability of accommodation.

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Key strengths

 very high success rates  very good progress made by all students  very good teaching and learning  outstanding educational and social inclusion  outstanding academic and pastoral support  excellent advice and guidance  highly effective quality assurance arrangements  outstanding leadership and management.

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Achievement and standards Outstanding: Grade 1

9. Achievement and standards are outstanding and this agrees with college’s self- assessment. Students achieve very well, irrespective of their backgrounds, gender or learning needs. Already high success rates have improved significantly across most provision and are now very high. Overall value added scores show that the progress made by most students in most subjects is above that expected from their prior attainment on entry to the college. Attendance is good and improved from last year. Standards of students’ work are very good.

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Achievement and standards Outstanding: Grade 1

10. Particularly significant are the improvements to the already very high rates at level 1 on all courses for both age groups and level 2 long courses and NVQs for adults. In 2005/06, adult success rates on long courses at level 2 were already well above the national rate and have significantly improved to 83%. Although success rates at level 3 for 16-18 year olds are high, they have remained similar for the last three years and the differential between the college rate and the national average has reduced as national rates have improved. Adults do very well on A/A2 level provision but for the small number of adults who take AS level, success rates fell to a low 50%. Retention on a few vocational courses and GCSEs and AS levels has declined. However, current retention rates on all these programmes show a significant improvement.

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Achievement and standards Outstanding: Grade 1

11. Overall success rates across key skills have improved but the results vary in each qualification and level. For example, success rates on key skills in entry level application of number, level 1 communications and information and communication technology are outstanding at 100%. However, in communications at level 3, although numbers have reduced, success rates remain low at 21%.

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

12. The quality of provision is outstanding and this agrees with the college’s own self-assessment. Overall teaching and learning are outstanding. The college has taken very effective steps in the last year to improve the reliability and accuracy of its lesson observation process. Teaching is good. Inspectors agreed with the college that the current profile is broadly accurate which shows that a large majority of teaching and learning is good or better. However, 18% is satisfactory. In the best lessons students work purposefully with a good understanding of the aims and objectives for the lesson. In these lessons students are able to take responsibility for their learning, use their time effectively and demonstrate a determination to succeed. Teachers create an excellent environment for learning and provide an appropriate level of challenge for all students. Initial assessment is used very well to plan individual

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

13. Additional learning support is particularly effective and well received by students. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is fully integrated within vocational teaching for all courses at levels 1 and 2. Students’ work is marked promptly and thoroughly. Teachers’ feedback is very good and clearly indicates what students need to do to improve their work and achieve higher grades.

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

14. The college’s response to meeting the needs and interests of learners is outstanding. The curriculum is reviewed regularly and developed effectively in response to employers’ and students’ requests. Social and educational inclusion are outstanding. The college works hard to makes its courses accessible to students who might not otherwise take advantage of the opportunities to study. A wide range of study options, flexible timetabling, subsidised transport, individual programmes of study and tailored initial assessment for those without recognised qualifications, all contribute to an accessible curriculum. English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses are timetabled alongside vocational courses where appropriate. The college provides a welcoming and supportive environment in which diversity is valued and respected. The range of subjects and levels of study are extensive. The enrichment programme is wide

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

ranging and promoted particularly well to students. Students on all full-time programmes develop skills which contribute to their future economic well-being by taking part in work experience. The college works successfully with around 14 partner schools to offer flexible programmes of study.

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

15. Guidance and support for students are outstanding. Initial advice and guidance are very good. The introduction of a new students’ day in July has been particularly successful. It offers all full-time students the chance to experience the subjects they will be studying as part of the selection procedure. An extensive range of specialist support is available. Pastoral support is exceptionally good. Personal tutors monitor students’ progress thoroughly. Systems for recording students’ individual learning plans, achievement, attendance and overall performance are excellent. Teachers and tutors share information particularly well and use a range of modern technology to facilitate communication with students and with each other. Very good attention is paid to students’ welfare and safety. Communication with parents is excellent and a parental portal is available on the college intranet. Adult students and part-time

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Quality of provision Outstanding: Grade 1

students have access to a range of tutorial support which is highly appropriate for their needs. Careers advice is readily and widely available through a range of mechanisms including the learning resource centre and an excellent arrangement with Connexions. Students are encouraged to have high aspirations and are well motivated and self-confident. Aspects of the group tutorial system are not well developed and in some cases tutors prefer to use the time for group tutorials for individual support.

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Contributory grade:

Equality of opportunity Outstanding: Grade 1

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Contributory grade:

16. Leadership and management are outstanding as judged by the college itself. The principal provides strong and consultative leadership and, together with senior managers and governors, very clear strategic direction. Key priorities for action are clearly identified and communicated well to all staff. An increased focus on developing employer liaison and networks has been very effective. The college has continued to improve most, already high, success rates. Staff are given autonomy and clear accountability drives forward improvements. Teachers are very well supported by managers and staff development is very good.

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Contributory grade:

17. The college has a strong self-critical culture. Quality assurance systems are thorough and focus very effectively on improvement. Managers use a wide range of data to analyse and compare all aspects of provision. Specific clear action planning prioritises issues well and managers follow-up monitoring ensures improvements are sustained. The formal, well embedded system for observing teaching and learning focuses appropriately on learning and improvement. The process accurately identifies the quality of teaching and learning. Advanced lecturers provide good informal support and mentoring arrangements effectively help new staff to develop their practice.

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Contributory grade:

18. The self-assessment process is thorough, inclusive and rigorous. Moderation effectively involves students and governors as well as taking into account parents’ and employers’ views. However, whilst not all key issues within curriculum reports are brought forward sufficiently critically into the summary level, senior managers clearly identify key issues and set actions to improve these in the quality improvement plan. Timescales are realistic and monitored well. The college has very effectively introduced an on-line electronic process for the production of the self-assessment which includes automatic population of data tables and hyperlinks to important guidance and inspection manuals. It allows easy cross referencing for senior managers and important sharing of good practice by all staff.

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Contributory grade:

19. The college has done much to improve accommodation and facilities and overall they are good, although in a few areas rooms are cramped for the numbers of students using them. The college is at full capacity and has strong potential for growth. The property strategy has enabled continual investment in capital buildings, infrastructure and equipment and has improved access for students with restricted mobility. Senior managers have consulted widely and received support for the extensive new capital building project about to be submitted to the LSC for approval.

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Contributory grade:

20. Governance is outstanding. Experienced and knowledgeable governors with a wide range of skills provide very good support for the college. They challenge senior managers effectively and monitor academic and financial performance well. Annual formal arrangements that link individual governors to curriculum areas enable them to gain good insight into day-to-day issues for staff and students. Financial management is strong and the college provides outstanding value for money.

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Contributory grade:

21. Equality of opportunity is outstanding. The college has a strong ethos of meeting individual students’ needs, and support and guidance are outstanding. The college meets its statutory obligations under child protection legislation, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2002 (SENDA).

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*

Notes to the data tables : where course types have been discontinued or where there are very small numbers of learners, these have been omitted from the table.

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Table 1

Success rates on mainstream level 1 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2005 to 2007, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 1

16-18 19+ Notional Level Exp End Year Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 1

1 Long 04/05 337 80 65 15 1,561 74 62 12 05/06 344 78 69 9 1,312 80 65 15 06/07 351 84 N/A 1,291 84 N/A GNVQs 04/05 … … … … ... ... ... ... 05/06 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 06/07 … … NVQs 04/05 34 85 68 17 2 0 66 -66 05/06 32 72 72 0 4 100 74 26 06/07 21 86 N/A Other 04/05 298 79 64 15 1,559 74 62 12 05/06 312 79 69 10 1,308 80 65 15 06/07 330 84 N/A 1,290 84 N/A * college data for 2006/07

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Table 2

Success rates on mainstream level 2 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2005 to 2007, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 2

16-18 19+ Notional Level Exp End Year Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 2

2 Long 04/05 916 72 61 11 668 62 60 2 05/06 833 74 66 8 868 77 66 11 06/07 957 75 N/A 918 83 N/A GCSEs 04/05 507 69 64 5 69 68 63 5 05/06 379 78 68 10 71 62 67 -5 06/07 466 77 N/A 53 68 N/A GNVQs 04/05 … … … ... ... ... ... 05/06 … … … ... ... ... ... 06/07 … … … … … … NVQs 04/05 62 71 57 14 183 80 60 20 05/06 53 91 65 26 267 76 67 9 06/07 40 70 280 88 Other 04/05 330 78 61 17 416 53 59 -6 05/06 400 69 66 3 530 79 65 14 06/07 450 72 585 82 * college data for 2006/07

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Table 3

Success rates on mainstream level 3 qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2005 to 2007, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type.

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Table 3

Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated. 16-18 19+ Notional Level Exp End Year Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 3

3 Long 04/05 4,552 78 68 10 460 67 58 9 05/06 5,101 79 70 9 588 74 63 11 06/07 5,934 79 590 75 A/A2 Levels 04/05 1,518 92 86 6 34 65 69 -4

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Table 3

05/06 1274 92 87 5 62 77 72 5 06/07 1,890 91 36 78 AS Levels 04/05 2,492 72 66 6 76 57 52 5

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Table 3

05/06 3,277 77 67 10 103 53 55 -2 06/07 3,360 74 64 50 GNVQs 04/05 207 67 61 6 … … … 05/06 143 66 66 0 … … … 06/07 … …. … … … NVQs 04/05 … … … 141 79 56 23 05/06 … … … 181 83 63 20 06/07 … … 182 86 Other 04/05 324 71 60 11 204 63 59 4 05/06 403 69 65 4 238 75 64 11 06/07 680 71 308 74

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