Chelmsford College

Audience Post-sixteen Published date June 2009 Provider reference 130679 Provider reference 130679

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Published date June 2009 Chelmsford College Inspection report

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Contents

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

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Contents

Summary of grades awarded ………………………………………………………………………..5

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Contents

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

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Contents

Key strengths and areas for improvement ……………………………………………………..7

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Contents

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

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Contents

Sector subject reports ………………………………………………………………………………..12

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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  specialist provision in: health, public services and care; engineering; hospitality and catering; crafts, creative arts, design and media; and independent living and leisure.

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Description of the provider

1. Chelmsford College is a medium-sized general further education (FE) college which operates from three sites within the town. The college serves a relatively affluent area, although some pockets of deprivation exist in the centre of Chelmsford. In 2008, 59% of 16 year-olds in Chelmsford achieved five or more GCSEs at A* to C, including mathematics and English, which was above the national figure of 48%. Some 11% of learners are from minority ethnic backgrounds, compared with 5% in the Chelmsford population. 2. The college provides courses in most sector subject areas. Learner numbers are highest in preparation for life and work, health, public services and care and in engineering and manufacturing. Qualification levels range from pre-entry level to higher education (HE). The majority of learners follow courses at level 2 and level 3. There are currently 3,192 learners enrolled at the college. Some 58% of

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Description of the provider

these are aged 16 to 18 and 54% are male. Most learners aged 16 to 18 follow full-time courses and most adult learners study part time. Part-time courses for 140 young people aged 14 to 16 are offered in collaboration with 14 local schools.

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Description of the provider

3. The mission of the college is: ‘Chelmsford College will enable success for all learners through the provision of high quality, flexible teaching and learning opportunities across a broad range of vocational and academic disciplines’.

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Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Good: contributory grade 2

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Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

4. The effectiveness of provision is good. Achievement and standards are good, with high and improving success rates on the majority of courses. Learners develop good vocational skills. Attendance has improved significantly and is now good.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

5. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers have good subject knowledge and their working relationships with learners are positive and productive. Some aspects of teaching, including the challenge provided in lessons to learners of different abilities, the use of questioning techniques and the use of information learning technology (ILT) to support learning, are better developed in some sector subject areas than others. Procedures for identifying additional learning support needs and the quality of the support provided are highly effective.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

6. The college’s response to meeting the needs and interests of learners and employers is satisfactory. The college provides an appropriate range of courses but its response to employers’ needs is underdeveloped in some sector subject areas. Educational and social inclusion are good.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

7. Guidance and support are good. The arrangements for supporting vulnerable learners are comprehensive. The college provides a good range of support services which are greatly appreciated by learners.

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Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

8. Leadership and management are good. Improvements in standards have been underpinned by the strong leadership of the principal and senior managers. Quality assurance procedures are comprehensive and highly effective. Much of the college’s accommodation is well maintained but of poor quality.

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Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

9. The college’s capacity to improve is good. The rapid and sustained improvements in learners’ achievements demonstrate the positive impact of quality improvement strategies. One curriculum area of the college was graded over-generously but self-assessment is generally accurate in identifying strengths and areas for improvement. The clear on-line links between self- assessment, action plans, performance review, lesson observations and the college improvement plan provide strong support for timely intervention and the effective monitoring of progress towards targets. Resources are well targeted on learners’ needs and governors monitor the work of the college effectively. Lesson observation is well embedded and generally effective; however, it has not yet secured consistently good teaching across all curriculum areas.

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improvement since the last inspection

10. The college has made good progress in rectifying the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. In particular, the impact of self-assessment on planning improvements and the use of data to bring about change are now significant strengths of the college. Learners’ achievements have improved rapidly at all levels and for all age groups. The proportion of good or better teaching has increased and the promotion of equal opportunities is good. With the exception of provision in independent living and leisure, the profile of inspection grades has improved. Quality assurance is well embedded and has led to improvements in many curriculum and college business areas.

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Key strengths

 strong leadership and effective management of improvement  high and improving success rates on the majority of courses  good development of learners’ vocational skills  positive and productive working relationships between teachers and learners  highly effective quality assurance  comprehensive procedures for ensuring good attendance  highly effective additional learning support.

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The college should address:

 inconsistencies in some aspects of teaching  uneven response to employers’ needs  ineffective curriculum management in independent living and leisure  outdated and inflexible accommodation.

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Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

11. Achievement and standards are good. This is the same as the college’s self- assessment. Success rates are high on the majority of courses and have improved rapidly since the last inspection. The most significant increases have been on courses for adults, where success rates on courses at level 1 and level 2 are well above average and retention and pass rates are both very good. Success rates on level 3 courses for adults are above average. Success rates for learners aged 16 to 18 are good at level 1 and level 2 and are satisfactory at level 3. Where data on the prior attainment of learners are available they indicate that learners make at least the progress expected of them, based on their starting points.

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Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

12. Success rates for learners from minority ethnic backgrounds match those of other learners. The achievement of male learners is improving and the gap in performance between male and female learners, particularly for those aged 16 to 18, has narrowed. Success rates for learners aged 14 to 16 are good and the majority progress to more advanced courses on completion. Key skills success rates have improved but the college is aware that, although results match national average standards, they require still further improvement.

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Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

13. Standards of work are good. Engineering learners demonstrate particularly high levels of competence in practical skills, thus equipping them well for their future economic well-being. Attendance is good.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

14. The quality of provision is satisfactory. This is lower than the college’s self- assessment. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers and learners share positive and productive working relationships which encourage purposeful activity in lessons. Learners feel well supported and enjoy their lessons.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

15. Teachers have good subject knowledge and vocational expertise which they use effectively to make learning interesting. They interpret complex ideas well through clear and relevant examples which are designed to make theory more relevant for vocational learners. In workshop sessions, learners develop a thorough appreciation of health and safety and safe working practices.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

16. The college recognises in its self-assessment report that aspects of teaching are inconsistent across the college. Although lesson plans are generally thorough and detailed, teachers do not always plan sufficiently to challenge learners of differing abilities or to respond to learners’ identified development needs in literacy and numeracy. Many teachers make good use of effective questioning to consolidate learning. However, in weaker lessons, teachers do not use questions effectively to check learners’ understanding and opportunities are missed to draw on learners’ own experiences to stimulate further learning. Although the college has made a significant investment in additional computing facilities and in equipping classrooms with interactive whiteboards, teachers do not always integrate ILT effectively into their planning or make appropriate use of ILT in classes to support learning.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

17. Arrangements to support learners with additional learning needs are good. Initial diagnostic assessment identifies accurately learners’ development needs in literacy and numeracy, as well as individual support needs for learners with dyslexia and dyscalculia. Success rates for learners in receipt of support are very high.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

18. Assessment is satisfactory. Teachers review progress regularly with their learners. However, target setting for learners is of inconsistent quality. Although many individual learning plans provide an effective record of progress with clear and achievable targets, too many learning plans contain targets which are too broad to be helpful to learners or to enable their progress to be measured effectively. Parents of younger learners are kept well informed of, and involved in, their progress.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

19. The college’s response to meeting the needs and interests of learners is satisfactory. The college offers an appropriate range of courses and progression routes, particularly for full-time learners, and plans to increase still further its entry and level 1 provision. There is currently no apprenticeship or Entry to Employment provision, although some 130 learners follow a Train to Gain programme which is managed by a neighbouring college. The college has capitalised on its strong links with local schools to develop a good programme of courses for learners aged 14 to 16. Provision for key skills is satisfactory but recent changes to the management and co-ordination of key skills have encouraged higher levels of participation and improving results in external tests. Enrichment activities developed within curriculum areas are good and are particularly strong in public services, sport and travel and tourism. However,

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

learners say that they would welcome more activities which involve the whole college.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

20. Engagement with employers is satisfactory. Although existing links are strong in health, public services and care, they are not as effective in other sector subject areas. However, when employers request training, the college responds promptly and appropriately. New procedures to develop links with employers have been introduced but it is too early to assess their full impact.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

21. Educational and social inclusion are good. The college has been successful in recruiting learners from a diverse range of ethnic heritages and from local areas of relative disadvantage. Programmes have been developed to enable learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to study within the community and for those who are at risk of withdrawing from education. The involvement of learners in college decision making is good and improving. Learners feel safe at the college and welcome the strong sense of mutual respect it promotes.

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Quality of provision Satisfactory: Grade 3

22. Guidance and support are good. Pre-enrolment advice and guidance are good and transitional arrangements for vulnerable learners are comprehensive. Links with external support agencies for those learners requiring more specialised support and guidance are well established and effective. Learners value the good range of support services, including finance, welfare and counselling, that are available and easily accessible to them. The college’s procedures for ensuring good attendance have been successful and underpinned a significant improvement in attendance since the previous inspection. Retention rates are now high and reflect the much improved effectiveness of tutorials and learner progress monitoring. Careers advice and guidance are good and assist the majority of learners to progress to higher and further education, work-based learning or employment.

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Contributory grade:

23. Leadership and management are good. This is the same as the college’s self- assessment. Rapid and significant improvements to success rates at all levels have been secured through highly effective quality improvement strategies. The clear college mission and values are well understood and supported by staff and governors. The principal provides strong and consultative leadership. Managers and teachers demonstrate confidence in their own and senior managers’ ability to sustain improvements and morale is high.

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Contributory grade:

24. The college has created an innovative on-line college improvement plan (CIP) linked explicitly to self-assessment; equality and diversity action plans, performance review and lesson observation. The progress of courses and curriculum areas is monitored rigorously through performance review boards with timely interventions and actions recorded in the CIP. A particular feature of the quality assurance process is the good integration of business areas, such as finance and human resources, to support thorough monitoring and evaluation. The self-assessment report presents a detailed and mainly accurate evaluation of strengths and areas for improvement. Most curriculum areas inspected have improved the overall grade awarded at the last inspection. Leadership and management are significant strengths in: health, public services and care; engineering; and hospitality and catering. However, the self-assessment report

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Contributory grade:

over-graded provision in independent living and leisure and failed to identify areas for improvement including inadequate leadership and management.

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Contributory grade:

25. The college has a strong focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning. The observation of teaching and learning is well established and has led to improvements in the proportion of teaching judged to be good or better. However, teaching is not yet consistently good across all curriculum areas and there are instances of over-generous grading of lessons. Quality improvement is especially well supported through accurate and accessible data. Most curriculum areas are well managed with teachers and curriculum leaders playing an active part in judging the quality of provision.

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Contributory grade:

26. Learning resources are often good and most areas have appropriate ILT available. However, the college buildings are ageing and areas, such as the art and design buildings, are of poor quality and restrict learning. The college has well developed plans for a new campus which are currently subject to national constraints. Financial management is outstanding and value for money is good.

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Contributory grade:

27. Governance is good. The college benefits from the wide range of skills and good local knowledge of the corporation. Governors, including the student governors, support and challenge managers appropriately and demonstrate a keen awareness of issues and standards achieved by learners.

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Contributory grade:

28. Equality of opportunity is good. The college complies with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. The college complies with current government requirements for Child Protection and the college provides a safe and welcoming environment.

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Contributory grade:

29. A single equality scheme is in place with actions integrated and monitored through the CIP. The performance of particular groups of learners is monitored closely at curriculum and college level. The gap between male and female success rates has been targeted and the latest data show broadly similar outcomes. Success rates for those in receipt of additional learning support are higher than the college average. The recruitment of learners from minority ethnic heritages has increased and is above the local average. However, most numbers remain too small for robust statistical analysis of success rates. The one more substantial group of Black British learners achieve success rates significantly above the college average.

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Contributory grade:

30. Staff recruitment, promotion and retention are monitored closely and reported regularly to the senior management team and corporation. The college has successfully increased the proportion of staff from minority ethnic heritages to well above the local average. At present, the governing body reflects the overwhelmingly White British make up of the community. However, governors have made links with local and national organisations to attempt to increase the diversity of the corporation.

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Context

31. The college offers full-time and part-time courses in health and social care, public services and childcare at levels 2 and 3. Of the 884 learners currently enrolled, 449 are adults, 382 are aged 16 to 18 and 53 are aged 14 to 16. There are 347 learners following full-time courses and 537 following part-time courses. In total there are 355 learners at level 2 and 502 learners at level 3. The vast majority of learners are female.

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Strengths

 very high success rates on public services and distance learning courses  good teaching and learning  responsive and flexible provision to meet the needs of learners and employers  highly effective curriculum leadership and management  good promotion of equality of opportunity.

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Areas for improvement

 insufficient use of individual learning plans to coordinate learning.

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Achievement and standards

32. Achievement and standards are good. Success rates have improved on all courses and are above the national average, except on a few childcare courses where they are nevertheless satisfactory. Success rates on all public services and distance learning courses are very high. Retention rates are high on all courses and are continuing to improve.

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Achievement and standards

33. Standards of learners’ work are good. Written work demonstrates a clear understanding of research and the interpretation of complex data, often including useful illustrations and accurate academic referencing. Learners develop valuable occupational skills whilst on work placement.

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Quality of provision

34. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are good. Most lessons are well planned and include appropriate references to professional practice. Teachers take careful account of the different abilities and learning styles of learners when planning activities and use ILT well to make their lessons interesting. Assessment is fair and detailed feedback is provided to help learners improve their work. Accommodation and resources for learning are satisfactory. 35. The extent to which programmes meet the needs of learners is good and relationships with employers are strong. The types of qualification offered and the organisation of courses are planned carefully in liaison with employers. The range of distance learning qualifications in health and social care has been extended appropriately to meet Department of Health recommendations and the needs of service users in care settings. Full-time learners benefit from a

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Quality of provision

wide and varied range of enrichment activities, particularly in relation to public services occupations.

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Quality of provision

36. Guidance and support are good. Initial assessment is effective in identifying learners’ additional learning needs. College data demonstrate that learners who receive additional learning support achieve higher success rates than other learners. Learners with disabilities receive particularly effective support. Some aspects of progress monitoring are underdeveloped. Teachers do not use the individual learning plans to record the progress made by learners in all aspects of their learning and targets set often concentrate solely on assignment and qualification deadlines. Learners receive very good support whilst on placement. Workplace supervisors are regularly included in learner progress reviews.

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Leadership and management

37. Leadership and management are good. Strong leadership and highly effective teamwork have provided the basis for recent improvements. Self-assessment is self-critical and accurate. The promotion of equality of opportunity is good, both through the curriculum and through teachers’ day-to-day contacts with learners. Learners from minority ethnic groups are well represented and there is an effective strategy in place to increase the number of male learners on childcare courses.

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Context

38. The college offers full-time and part-time courses in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, electrical and electronic engineering. Of the 653 learners currently enrolled, 371 are adults, 268 are aged 16 to 18 and 14 are aged 14 to 16. There are 178 learners following full-time courses and 475 following part-time courses. In total there are 23 learners at level 1, 340 learners at level 2 and 276 learners at level 3.

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Strengths

 high success rates on electrotechnical level 3 and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) programmes  high standard of learners’ practical work  good and improving teaching and learning  good range of provision which meets the needs of learners and employers  highly effective leadership and management.

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Areas for improvement

 low success rates on national certificate and diploma courses  poor use of ILT in some theory lessons.

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Achievement and standards

39. Achievement and standards are good, with high success rates on electrotechnical level 3 and NVQ programmes. However, success rates are low on electrical and electronic engineering certificate courses and the manufacturing engineering diploma course. Mechanical and electrical engineering learners demonstrate a high standard of work. They confidently display a good range of vocational skills in the college workshops and produce a wide range of engineering products to industry specifications.

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Quality of provision

40. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are good and improving. Teachers plan well and manage their lessons extremely effectively so that learners maintain interest. Teachers have extensive industrial experience and make good use of industrial components and assemblies in explaining engineering principles and processes. ILT is used poorly in some theory lessons; diagrams and wording on interactive whiteboards are often difficult to understand and are sometimes inaccurate. Teachers promote and reinforce health and safety practice well. Assessment is thorough. Project work is assessed against clear criteria and teachers provide learners with detailed and thorough feedback on the quality of their work. 41. The extent to which programmes meet the needs of learners is good. There is an appropriate range of full-time courses and good opportunities for part-time learners to study at times which complement their work patterns.

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Quality of provision

42. Guidance and support are satisfactory. Teachers are making increasingly effective use of on-line reports so that learners can receive clear advice based on a good range of performance measures. Written records are less impressive and important information is sometimes missing. Learners who find learning difficult receive good additional support.

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Leadership and management

43. Leadership and management are good. Recent improvements in standards have been impressive; for example, the overall retention rate for engineering learners has improved significantly this year. Termly performance boards provide much greater rigour in identifying areas for improvement and teachers are highly motivated to achieve the challenging performance targets they are set. Weekly computerised performance data reports identify issues quickly and provide a wide range of information on the results of actions taken to support learners. Self-assessment is evaluative and broadly accurate. The report graded engineering provision as satisfactory; however, inspectors judged it to be good. Arrangements to promote equality of opportunity are satisfactory. There are no significant differences in success rates between different groups of learners.

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Context

44. The college offers full-time and part-time courses from entry level to level 3. Of the 143 learners enrolled, 27 are adults, 94 are aged 16 to 18 and 22 are aged 14 to 16. There are 92 learners following full-time courses and 71 following part-time courses. In total there are 10 learners at entry level, 39 learners at level 1, 72 learners at level 2 and 22 learners at level 3.

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Strengths

 high success rates on full-time NVQ level 1 hospitality and full-time level 2 professional cookery courses  high rates of progression from level 1 courses  learners’ good practical skills  highly effective quality assurance.

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Areas for improvement

 poor retention on part-time professional cookery courses at level 2  too many satisfactory lessons  the placement of learners on insufficiently challenging courses  insufficient employer engagement.

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Achievement and standards

45. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. Success rates on full-time NVQ level 1 hospitality and full-time level 2 professional cookery courses are high but for part-time adult learners at levels 2 and 3 and learners aged 14 to 16 success rates are low. Pass rates on part-time level 2 courses are high but retention on these courses is very low. Progression from courses at level 1 is very good. Learners develop good practical skills, often demonstrating competences which are more advanced than those required on the courses they are following.

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Quality of provision

46. The quality of provision is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The best lessons are well planned and identify learning outcomes and activities which are appropriately matched to the requirements of individual learners. However, in the less successful lessons, individual learning outcomes are not identified clearly enough or opportunities to make full use of kitchen technology are missed. In a few lessons, incorrect health and safety practices are not challenged.

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Quality of provision

47. The extent to which programmes meet the needs of learners is satisfactory. There is an appropriate range of programmes but menus in the college’s realistic work environments rarely reflect local industry. There is insufficient engagement with employers. 48. Guidance and support are good. Learners speak highly of the help they receive from their teachers. Initial advice and guidance identifies accurately the learners who require additional learning support and the help they need is provided promptly and effectively. However, the guidance does not ensure that learners are placed on a course at an appropriate level. Some learners at levels 1 and 2 are capable of completing and are often working at levels above that required by the courses they are following.

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Leadership and management

49. Leadership and management are good. Recent management changes, highly effective quality assurance and rigorous improvement planning are helping to raise standards and address areas for improvement such as the lack of employer engagement. Communication is good. Self-assessment is an inclusive process and the resulting report is accurate. Teachers are well qualified and experienced. The promotion of equality of opportunity is good. Accommodation and resources are good.

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Context

50. The college offers full-time courses at levels 2 and 3. Of the 274 learners currently enrolled nearly all are aged 16 to 18. In total there are 27 learners at level 2 and 247 at level 3.

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Strengths

 high success rates on the majority of courses  very good attendance and punctuality  good and productive working relationships between teachers and learners  very good progression from courses at level 2  imaginative use of resources in media.

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Areas for improvement

 insufficient challenge for more able learners in a minority of lessons  inconsistent quality of tutorial guidance  poor accommodation and resources.

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Achievement and standards

51. Achievement and standards are good. Success rates are high and improving on the majority of courses. Increasing numbers of learners are achieving the highest grades in external assessments. Standards of work for presentation in portfolio, for special events and in coursework, are of an appropriate standard overall and good in General Certificate of Education (GCE) AS/A-level portfolios. Learners are extremely conscientious and this is reflected in their very good attendance and punctuality. Nearly all learners who complete a level 2 course progress successfully to level 3 and increasing numbers of level 3 learners progress to higher education.

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Quality of provision

52. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The good and productive working relationships between teachers and learners underpin the high success rates which learners achieve. Teachers plan their lessons carefully and generally to good effect, although in a minority of lessons the variety of activities is insufficient and some more able learners are not challenged or extended enough. Teaching is constrained by some poor accommodation and resources. However, in media there is a good range of specialist equipment and software which is used imaginatively to enhance learning, albeit within unsatisfactory accommodation.

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Quality of provision

53. Assignments are well written and vocationally relevant with teaching and supporting materials accessible to learners remotely on the college intranet. Assessment in GCE AS/A-level lessons is rigorous, informative and greatly valued by learners. Feedback to learners is generally comprehensive, although it is sometimes insufficiently focused on the experience of the learner.

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Quality of provision

54. The extent to which programmes meet the needs of learners is good. There is a good range of full-time courses which provides learners with opportunities to work in a wide range of media. Learners benefit from an interesting range of subject-specific enrichment activities.

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Quality of provision

55. Guidance and support are good. Learners receive effective advice and guidance on entry which ensure that they are placed on an appropriate course. Progress monitoring is good but the quality of tutorials is variable. In the best examples tutorials are used well by teachers to encourage the development of learners’ critical faculties and to establish an ethos of professionalism. However, on some courses individual learning plans do not provide sufficient detail to measure all aspects of learners’ progress accurately.

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Leadership and management

56. Leadership and management are good. Teachers are well qualified and experienced and share a common vision to improve standards still further. Teaching and learning are closely monitored and followed up with performance review and support where necessary. Self-assessment is accurate; themes and priorities are well integrated into team planning, tutorials and quality assurance processes. The promotion of equality of opportunity is good.

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Context

57. The college offers courses for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities at pre-entry and entry level. Of the learners currently enrolled, 51 are aged 16 to 18 and 51 are adults. Some 62 learners follow full-time courses and 40 follow part-time courses. There are currently 52 learners at pre-entry level and 50 learners at entry level.

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Strengths

 high success rates  excellent attendance  good tutorial support.

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Areas for improvement

 insufficient attention to the needs of individual learners in some lessons  insufficient identification and monitoring of learners’ progress  a few learners on inappropriate courses  inadequate leadership and management.

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Achievement and standards

58. Achievement and standards are satisfactory. There are high success rates on all externally accredited courses. Learners demonstrate good progress and achievement in relation to the requirements for external qualifications and awards. However, the drive to achieve qualifications means that some individual learning needs are not being fully met. The standard of learners’ work is satisfactory. There is good development of appropriate skills in work placements. Learners understand the learning targets set within this context and demonstrate good progress. Attendance is excellent. Many learners travel to college independently and demonstrate good time management skills.

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Quality of provision

59. The quality of provision is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers know their learners well. In the better lessons teachers plan carefully, use everyday contexts to support learning and use a good range of teaching and learning approaches. In the less successful lessons tasks are not sufficiently varied to meet the needs of individual learners. Teachers do not use learners’ individual targets to inform lesson planning and the targets are not contextualised in lesson activities. For learners with learning difficulties working at entry or pre-entry level, targets are too broad to capture and celebrate small progress steps. Individual learning plans are of variable quality and essential information is often not recorded or is unavailable, reducing the value of these documents in tracking learners’ progress. 60. The extent to which programmes meet the needs of learners is satisfactory.

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Quality of provision

There is a satisfactory range of courses leading to external accreditation but a few learners have been placed on inappropriate courses, such as learners who have studied or achieved GCSEs, who have been placed on entry 2 or pre-entry courses.

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Quality of provision

61. Guidance and support are good. Learners are well supported in the college. Initial assessment is generally accurate and tutorial provision is good. All learners on full-time courses receive two hours per week of tutorial support. Learners on part-time courses complete tutorial-type activities as part of their course. Teachers and support staff work well together. However, learning support staff record what learners have done rather than what they have learnt or achieved. Learners enjoy coming to college and speak highly of the help they receive.

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Leadership and management

62. Leadership and management are inadequate. Curriculum managers have not identified the areas of significant weakness identified by inspectors. The self- assessment is inaccurate in several important aspects and the college’s lesson observation profile presents an overly optimistic assessment of the quality of teaching and learning. Although teachers are qualified and have good access to staff development opportunities, few hold specialist qualifications. Accommodation and resources are satisfactory. Equality and diversity are good.

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Table 1

Success rates on mainstream level 1 long qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2006 to 2008, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type

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Table 1

Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 1

05/06 441 65 69 -4 500 77 65 12 06/07 405 78 74 4 129 74 70 4 All Long - Level 1 07/08 431 83 103 88 05/06 13 31 73 -42 * 06/07 * * GNVQs/ AVCEs 07/08 * * 05/06 52 71 72 -1 180 75 74 1 06/07 42 81 75 6 * NVQs

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Table 1

07/08 60 85 * 05/06 376 65 69 -4 320 78 65 13 06/07 363 77 74 3 129 74 70 4 Other

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Table 1

07/08 371 82 103 88 * courses not running

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Table 2

Success rates on mainstream level 2 long qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2006 to 2008, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type

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Table 2

Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 2

05/06 774 65 66 -1 1379 77 66 11 06/07 774 69 70 -1 645 77 69 8 All Long - Level 2 07/08 800 79 998 86 05/06 201 82 68 14 58 57 67 -10 06/07 182 81 71 10 28 54 70 -16 GCSEs

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Table 2

07/08 200 82 57 84 05/06 * * 06/07 * * GNVQs/ AVCEs 07/08 * * 05/06 83 55 65 -10 157 75 68 7 06/07 111 52 68 -16 137 71 69 2 NVQs

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Table 2

07/08 66 82 116 85 05/06 490 59 66 -7 1164 78 65 13 06/07 481 68 70 -2 480 80 69 11 Other

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Table 2

07/08 533 78 825 86 * courses not running

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Table 3

Success rates on mainstream level 3 long qualifications, by qualification type, expected end year and age, 2006 to 2008, compared to the national rates for colleges of a similar type

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Table 3

Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff Starts - Transfers College Rate National Rate Diff

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Table 3

05/06 1064 66 71 -5 725 64 64 0 06/07 962 71 73 -2 513 65 68 -3 All Long - Level 3 07/08 917 74 453 77 05/06 168 87 87 0 43 81 72 9 06/07 176 91 87 4 25 88 76 12 A/A2 Levels 07/08 111 93 23 87 05/06 422 59 67 -8 43 56 55 1 06/07 244 71 69 2 15 87 59 28 AS Levels

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Table 3

07/08 227 69 8 100 05/06 132 85 66 19 19 89 57 32 06/07 3 100 59 41 * GNVQs/ AVCEs 07/08 1 100 * 05/06 10 80 71 9 105 55 63 -8 06/07 15 73 74 -1 136 65 69 -4 NVQs

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Table 3

07/08 21 52 148 66 05/06 332 57 65 -8 515 64 64 0 06/07 524 64 70 -6 337 63 69 -6 Other

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Table 3

07/08 557 73 274 82 * courses not running

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Table 3

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