Setting

Context

Langdon College, located in North Manchester, is an independent specialist residential college for Jewish students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Students attending Langdon College come from the major national Jewish communities, mainly from Manchester and London. There are currently 13 male and seven female students on roll. Of the total of 20 students, only two attend on a daily basis. All students are white British; the Learning and Skills Council funds all placements. The college was inspected by Ofsted in November 2006 and was judged to be good overall. Strengths included good achievements and standards of learners' work, an effective learner focused curriculum, comprehensive initial and baseline assessment, effective promotion of the Jewish culture and community, good care and support, effective transition arrangements, good external partnerships, and good oversight by committed governors. Areas for development were pre-entry specialist

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Context

assessments, quality assurance systems, access for learners with restricted mobility and the performance management of staff.

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Context

The College’s primary focus is on helping students to develop independent living skills in an environment that is culturally and religiously appropriate. To achieve this Langdon ‘promotes a Jewish ethos based on the concept of Judaism as a way of life; provides an environment where the knowledge and skills required to lead an appropriate Jewish lifestyle with the minimum of support can be developed through the normal rhythm of the Jewish calendar and through strict adherence to Jewish customs and protocols’.

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progress

The implementation of the framework for recognising and recording progress and achievement (RARPA) continues to develop at a good pace; this takes place through a comprehensive planning cycle. Since the previous monitoring visit there has been an increased focus on improving the quality of recording learners’ progress across both the academic and extended curriculum. Targets are set and monitored by the curriculum team. The college is aware of the need to further differentiate some of these targets. All teaching staff are effectively involved in recording non-accredited learning as part of the RARPA process. The use of RARPA champions within the support staff and the ongoing evaluation of the extended curriculum sessions by managers within the homes have had significant impact on improving individual student achievement. The college operates a broad range of nationally accredited qualifications with very good results in most areas. In the vocational programmes,

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students are encouraged to achieve relevant and specific units to be accredited. There are well established links with other educational providers which provide students with opportunities to access a range of courses to enhance their achievements. The extended curriculum successfully enables students to develop appropriate social and interpersonal skills and so effectively prepares them for their life after college. Students increase their skills through a combination of internal and external work experience. The innovative use of mobile technology provides a range of opportunities for developing independent living skills without the need for direct staff intervention. Small palm-top computers are being used well to provide an ongoing record of achievement and progress which can be easily accessed by the students. The use of MP3 players is now well established and these have been very successful in motivating students to take increased responsibility for their own

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Langdon College has placed good emphasis on developing strategies to involve all learners in their education and future life. Students have successfully participated in the appointment of staff, asking questions and providing useful feedback. For example, students are involved in teaching and learning sessions delivered by prospective teaching candidates and their evaluations at the end provide valuable feedback for the appointments. The weekly student forum provides an opportunity for students to raise issues and voice opinions and to address particular topics such as student rights and responsibilities, behaviour, relationships, equality, diversity and peer-mentoring. As necessary, the students are helped to make formal complaints as part of their learning programme. All residential students are encouraged to take part in day-to-day decision making in such tasks as planning weekly menus, preparing meals, arranging and carrying out domestic duties within the house, taking

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responsibility for their living environment and putting forward suggestions for their leisure time. Through their independent living sessions, day students develop their key skills and are actively encouraged to increase their involvement in the residential life of the college. The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) visits have shown positive improvements being made in terms of the environment, the facilities, the level of student involvement in the day-to-day operations, and the personal development of each student. However, the college has only just developed a formal learner strategy and has yet to formally involve learners in a number of decision making groups and strategic planning opportunities. For example, there is no learner representation on governors or committees such as health and safety or equality and diversity. This area for development was not adequately recognised in the self-assessment report (SAR).

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Arrangements for quality improvement continue to develop well and procedures are increasingly rigorous. The SAR is informative, comprehensive and clearly indicates strengths and most areas for improvement but, in discussion with managers, they are aware of other areas to be developed. However, the SAR does not always address all the areas for improvement that the college has identified. There is a comprehensive overall quality improvement plan designed to maintain strengths and address areas for development. The plan is appropriately detailed and regularly monitored; it contains objectives, actions, target dates, responsibilities and commentary on progress. Most aspects of the provision are effectively covered by the planning cycle. The teaching and learning observation schemes are well embedded across the college and have lead to marked improvements. Observations are monitored by a moderating panel, which includes external consultants and

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managers from other colleges. All new Langdon staff are provided with an effective induction programme and a range of training opportunities. Each residential unit has a regular quality assurance monitoring visit conducted by the student support and curriculum manager.

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Governors are highly committed and are actively involved in all aspects of college life. The board of governors annually and rigorously review the strategic direction of the college and compares progress made against the objectives and targets set in the strategic plan and three-year development plan. The board also analyses the college’s improvement and action plans on a termly basis in addition to reviewing and taking action to address the risk factors, which may impact on the college. Board members are individually selected for their respective expertise. Regular fortnightly meetings of the Chair and Principal, plus monthly discussions and audit reports to the committee members, enables governors to discharge their responsibilities properly. They are aware of the need to further challenge and more rigorously interrogate the information they receive on the outcomes for students.

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The college has taken effective action to meet guidelines on safe recruitment practices and safeguarding. A single central record of vetting and recruitment checks is comprehensive but it is not rigorously monitored by either the Principal or the governors. All staff and volunteers are appropriately checked through the Criminal Records Bureau. Most staff have received timely safeguarding training as appropriate but the nominated safeguarding officer has not received specific training in these duties within the past two year. Although there is a nominated governor with responsibility for links with local authority children and adult services, responsibility for safeguarding issues among governors has not been sufficiently identified.

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Health and safety is given a high priority throughout the college. All students are trained in safe practise in all subject areas, in the residential houses and for accessing the community. Comprehensive and rigorous generic and individual risk assessments are in place and are regularly reviewed and amended as necessary. The concept of the safe learner is actively promoted throughout the curriculum. For example, all students are involved in a health and safety course as part of their first term’s work in the college. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety and linked to this is the work being done by students in developing their own video story-board. Work placements health and safety checks are made prior to and during the student’s placement programme. A comprehensive twice yearly health and safety audit of the college and residential accommodation is conducted to ensure all aspects of the students’ immediate environment is safe and properly

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provided that the 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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