Setting

REINSPECTION REPORT RE_PART 18/01/2007 00:00:00

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18 January 2007

29/01/2007 14:33:01 29/01/2007 14:33:01 WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based learning within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including:

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

• work-based learning for all people aged over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • learndirect provision • Adult and Community Learning • training funded by Jobcentre Plus • education and training in prisons, at the invitation of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons • adult information, advice and guidance services ( nextstep ).

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Adult Learning Inspectorate

Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member.

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Grading

Inspectors use a four-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and Jobcentre Plus programmes, as well as to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes equality of opportunity and quality assurance. The descriptors for the four grades are:

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Grading

• grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - inadequate

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Summary

Description of the provider 1 1.00 Grades 1 1.00 About the reinspection 2 1.00 Leisure, travel and tourism 4 WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

1. The Wandsworth Local Education Authority (LEA) adult and community learning provision is managed by the lifelong learning department of Wandsworth Borough Council (the council). The head of lifelong learning takes overall responsibility for the management of the adult and community learning provision. The LEA subcontracts delivery of around 60 per cent of its provision to South Thames College (STC). It subcontracts a further 17 per cent to a number of community-based organisations, and around 10 per cent of the total each to Putney School of Art and Design and to Southfields Community College, an extended school housing a city learning centre. The service directly delivers the remaining 3 per cent of the learning provision.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE PROVIDER

2. London Central Learning and Skills Council provides the core funding for adult and community learning within the borough. The council attempts to manage adult and community learning as part of explicit strategic objectives that link effectively with local and national policies. Close working relationships exist with other key agencies and council departments such as leisure and amenities, the policy unit (lead agent for neighbourhood renewal), SureStart, the local strategic partnership, the 14 to 19 development group, Excellence in Cities, and the economic development office. The head of lifelong learning is part of the operational group for the Every Child Matters strategy and is on the steering group for the implementation of the extended schools initiative.

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GRADES

grade 1 = outstanding, grade 2 = good, grade 3 = satisfactory, grade 4 = inadequate Grades awarded at previous inspection

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Leadership and management 2

Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 2 Quality improvement 3

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Information and communications technology 2 Information and communications technology

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade ICT for users 2 Adult and community learning 358 2

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Leisure, travel and tourism 4 Leisure, travel and tourism

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 4 Adult and community learning 973 4

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Leisure, travel and tourism 4 Leisure, travel and tourism

1 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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Arts, media and publishing 2 Arts, media and publishing

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Dramatic arts 2 Adult and community learning 294 2 Crafts 2 Adult and community learning 1,784 2

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Languages, literature and culture 3 Languages, literature and culture

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Other languages, literature and culture 3 Adult and community learning 1,187 3

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Preparation for life and work 3 Preparation for life and work

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade ESOL 3 Adult and community learning 174 3 Independent living and leisure skills 4 Adult and community learning 135 4

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Family learning 2 Family learning

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Adult and community learning 2 Adult and community learning 124 2

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Leisure, travel and tourism 2 Leisure, travel and tourism

Contributory areas: Number of learners Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 2 Adult and community learning 542 2

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

3. This is a partial reinspection report. It covers only leisure, travel and tourism, which was the only aspect of the LEA’s provision to be found inadequate at the previous inspection. The reinspection took place in two stages. There was one monitoring visit by one inspector for one day, followed by a final visit by two inspectors for four days each in January 2007.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

4. The LEA was inspected in full in January 2006. The overall effectiveness of the provision was satisfactory. Leadership and management were good, as were its

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

2 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

arrangements for equality of opportunity. Quality improvement was satisfactory. Provision was good in information and communications technology and in arts and media and family learning, satisfactory in languages and in preparation for life and work, and inadequate in leisure, travel and tourism.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

5. The LEA has made significant changes to its sport and leisure provision. In particular, management and co-ordination of the two subcontractors responsible for delivery of the programme is much improved. The adult and community learning provision in leisure, travel and tourism is now good and the LEA’s overall effectiveness is now also good.

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

Number of inspectors 2 Number of inspection days 9 Number of learners interviewed 35 Number of staff interviewed 2 Number of subcontractors interviewed 2 Number of locations/sites/learning centres visited 5

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ABOUT THE REINSPECTION

3 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

Number of learners Contributory areas: Contributory grade Sport, leisure and recreation 2 Adult and community learning 542 2

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

6. The LEA provides a range of sport and leisure courses aimed at attracting participants to meet the LEA’s identified strategic objectives. These are to recruit primarily older participants who are aged 60 or over, men, members of minority ethnic groups and learners from areas of higher social deprivation. The programmes offered are all non-accredited and include yoga, Pilates, exercise and tone, strength training, trampolining, badminton, climbing, archery and bridge. Almost all of the provision is subcontracted to two providers. Eighty per cent of the provision is delivered by STC and the remainder by the Southfields centre, an extended school. A range of levels is offered in some activities. Courses are run at six centres spread around the borough. At the time of the reinspection, 542 learners were enrolled on 45 courses. In term one of the provision, 662 learners enrolled. Of these, 33 per cent were from minority ethnic groups,

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Leisure, travel and tourism Grade 2

3 per cent registered with a disability, 16 per cent were men and 30 per cent were over 60 years of age. In 2005-06, the provision consisted of 1,259 learners who enrolled on 161 courses.

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Sport, leisure and recreation

Strengths good teaching and training 00 • good resources at most centres 00 • good range of provision 00 • good management of area to rectify identified weaknesses 00 • Weaknesses no significant weaknesses identified 00 •

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Achievement and standards

7. The achievement of learners is satisfactory. High levels of activity are achieved and maintained in the classes observed, with good levels of enjoyment. Some challenging activities are included in classes and these are sometimes performed well. Many tutors include terminology and theoretical aspects to the practical sessions that they teach. Learners reaffirm that they experience a wide range of additional social and health benefits, as was identified at the previous inspection.

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The quality of provision

8. Teaching and learning are good. Seventy per cent of teaching observed was good or better. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the reinspection. In the best

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The quality of provision

4 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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The quality of provision

examples, tutors develop detailed schemes of work with very effective plans for each session. These are reviewed and evaluated so that subsequent sessions can be improved. Tutors take full notice of individual learning objectives and use individual learning plans and pre-activity health questionnaires to ensure that maximum enjoyment, participation and learning is achieved by the learners. Sessions are fun, enjoyable and greatly appreciated by the learners, some of whom have been attending for long periods of time. Tutors include additional learning such as the theoretical principles and the philosophy of activities as well as the anatomical names and terminology of body structures and functions. Attendance at observed sessions was good at 90 per cent.

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The quality of provision

9. In the less good classes, tutors did not manage whole-group activity effectively to ensure maximum involvement of all learners in the learning activity. Coaching expertise was not always fully used to benefit all the learners at the session.

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The quality of provision

10. The LEA’s subcontractors provide good resources at most centres. Tutors are well qualified, with either relevant teaching qualifications or sport/activity qualifications from recognised awarding bodies. Classes are held in clean, bright rooms that, in the main, are well decorated and some of which contain effective wall displays that are relevant to the activity. Most rooms have sprung wooden/block flooring which is good for exercise activities. Specialist equipment is also provided at many centres, including mats, blocks, straps and activity-relevant charts showing anatomical functions and structures. Many tutors provide good-quality handouts to enable learners to practise and reinforce their understanding and knowledge. High-quality specialist equipment is provided at the climbing centre. The safety standards of this equipment are very well monitored and checked.

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The quality of provision

11. The LEA provides a good range of activities as part of its sport and leisure provision. Managers have effectively reviewed the courses offered and have identified courses more closely linked to health issues rather than learning. These courses have been realigned to a more appropriate delivery area. The LEA makes very effective use of a variety of activities to target specific groups such as those aged 60 or over, men and minority ethnic group members. The courses are offered at a range of venues to enable access by the target groups and good use is made of postcode analysis to review the offer against deprivation levels and learners’ access rates. Different programme levels are available in some activities to make progression opportunities available to learners. Providers make effective links between programmes to attract target groups, for example linking an adult and community learning offer such as football with family learning, to attract fathers onto

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The quality of provision

the programmes. They also offer complimentary programmes at the same time to enable children and parents to attend activities, making good use of the extended school programme to attract target key groups.

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The quality of provision

12. Learners receive satisfactory support and guidance. The LEA contracts with a specialist provider to ensure that all learners, regardless of programme level or type, can access information, advice and guidance. Both the main providers also have systems for additional information, advice and guidance for learners and include access to counselling services and a range of other learner support and assistance services.

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The quality of provision

13. Individual support and guidance to learners in sessions has improved since the previous inspection. Tutors now make a good effort to ensure that individual learners receive individual support when needed. Correction of movements and body shapes is

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The quality of provision

5 © 2007 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE WANDSWORTH LEA REINSPECTION

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The quality of provision

delivered in a very constructive and positive way to learners. The use of handouts to support learning and self-study also provides effective support for learners.

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Leadership and management

14. The LEA has managed the area well to resolve the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Good strategic management is provided by a range of team meetings such as the lifelong learning development group, regular termly meetings with the main providers as well as the formation of curriculum management groups to oversee curriculum operational management issues and development. The key borough objectives are incorporated into subcontractor contract targets and service level agreement requirements. A detailed three-year development plan is in place that defines the key target objectives regarding widening participation in adult learning by recognised population groups. Personal community development learning is safeguarded in the plan and funding for it is protected for at least the next two years. The main subcontractor has employed a full-time area specialist tutor since the previous inspection. This tutor

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Leadership and management

provides good specialist support to part-time tutors and input into management processes.

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Leadership and management

15. The LEA’s management of the main subcontractors has improved. There are regular termly meetings held with each subcontractor, as well as six-weekly curriculum management meetings. These have much improved collaboration between the two providers and have improved the co-ordination of the activities offered and their timings. Common course level descriptors are now used, making things simpler for learners. Good sharing of specialist staff knowledge and expertise takes place by way of presentations to tutors on adult and community learning principles in sport and co-observing teaching sessions as part of a collaborative observation process.

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Leadership and management

16. Tutors observed now demonstrate a much improved focus on and implementation of the principles of recognising and recording progress and achievement in non-accredited learning. All staff have received appropriate training on the application of adult learning principles and how recognising and recording progress and achievement in non-accredited learning applies in a sport context. Staff focus their attention well on reinforcing the concept of learning in sports activities. The use of individual learning plans by tutors is improved. Some make very good use of them to record and monitor learners’ progress against identified aims and objectives.

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Leadership and management

17. The LEA’s managers carry out extensive analysis of data and management information. This is used effectively to guide the decision-making process. A range of factors is analysed including gender, disability, benefits, fee reduction, ethnicity, postcodes and qualifications. Individual programmes are analysed using the same factors, enabling managers to highlight issues or trends and take relevant actions. Recruitment and course retention data is also reviewed by the lifelong learning development group. Information and analysis are used to identify gaps in provision, as well as learners’ recruitment patterns to fill identified gaps. The LEA maintains a good overview of observation reports to improve the quality of teaching.

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