Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority

Published date March 2010 Inspection Number 343708 Unique reference number: 54636

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Address:

Stoke-on-Trent City Council Civic Centre – Floor 3 Glebe Street Stoke-on-Trent ST4 1HH Telephone number: 01782 236 887 Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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Focused monitoring visit report

Focused monitoring visit: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 27 January 2010 2 of 6

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Context and focus of visit

Staffordshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has a contract with Stoke-on-Trent City Council (the ‘council’) to provide adult safeguarded learning and work-based learning. The council also receives European Social Fund (ESF) money to deliver Skills for Jobs contracts. At the time of the previous inspection, the council subcontracted most of the adult safeguarded provision to a further education college. The council now subcontracts most of this provision to voluntary and community sector organisations but provides work-based learning in-house. Work- based learners follow Entry to Employment (E2E) or apprenticeship programmes in sport and leisure.

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Context and focus of visit

This monitoring visit follows the inspection in April 2009 at which inspectors judged the council’s overall effectiveness to be satisfactory. Inspectors found all aspects of adult and community learning and ESF provision to be satisfactory. Provision in sport and leisure was satisfactory and in family learning, it was good. However, inspectors judged the overall effectiveness, achievement and standards, quality of provision and leadership and management of work-based learning to be inadequate. Provision in employability training was also inadequate.

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progress

Self-assessment is now a more rigorous and inclusive process. Staff contributed to the 2008/09 self-assessment report. Following the previous inspection the council arranged a well attended self-assessment training event for staff that covered the key aspects of the revised Common Inspection Framework. The managers for E2E and apprenticeships produced comprehensive self-assessment reports for their areas that senior managers then moderated. These reports contribute to the council’s overall judgements about the provision as a whole. Judgements arising from the self- assessment process are now more evaluative. Staff make much better use of data to support conclusions about the quality of provision.

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The council has successfully tackled most of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Data are accurate and understood by managers. They use this information well to set targets and for continuous improvement. Outcomes for learners have improved significantly. The quality improvement plan sets out clearly the key targets, the challenges and actions expected for improvement. Targets are realistic with timescales and responsibilities identified. Managers monitor the quality Focused monitoring visit: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 27 January 2010 3 of 6

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improvement plan regularly and they ensure that it leads to continuous improvement.

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Outcomes for work-based learners have improved considerably since the inspection. The proportion of E2E learners who progressed into education, training or employment in 2008/09 was 68%, compared with a figure of just 42% for 2007/08. Provisional data for 2009/10 shows that of the eight leavers in this period, seven went on to further education, training or employment. The proportion of E2E learners who achieved qualifications in literacy and numeracy at the time of the previous inspection was too low. Achievement rates for these qualifications are now satisfactory. Apprenticeship success rates for 2008/09 in sport and leisure have also improved, but remain satisfactory overall at 69%. However, provisional data for 2009/10 shows that of the 10 apprentices who left in this period, eight have already achieved the full framework.

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The attendance of E2E learners has improved significantly. The council has introduced a rigorous procedure for recording and following up poor attendance. Learners who demonstrate good attendance and behaviour receive financial and other rewards to help motivate them.

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The council has made appropriate revisions to the E2E passport for learners. The passports now bring together all elements of the learner’s journey into a single file that they use regularly. However, ILPs remain weak. The ILPs do not enable staff to assess clearly learners’ progress. Though targets for qualifications and skills development are generally satisfactory, targets for personal and social development are often too general. Targets for literacy and numeracy are more specific, but the ILP does not always identify a timescale for achievement. Staff do not use ILPs to challenge and motivate learners sufficiently to complete their objectives in a timely way. For example, many learners fail to meet targets which are easily achievable in one or two sessions either because the ILP does not identify a timescale or it records the target date simply as the end date of the programme. Focused monitoring visit: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 27 January 2010 4 of 6

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Teaching and learning were satisfactory overall at the previous inspection. However, inspectors found that tutors did not always plan for learners to achieve clearly identified learning objectives. Since then the council has implemented appropriate staff training and development activities to support tutors in using improved and standardised lesson plans and schemes of work. Tutors have now a much clearer focus on learning objectives and how to match these to the Every Child Matters outcomes. Literacy tutors apply these methods particularly effectively. Not all tutors are able to explain learning objectives clearly.

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Initial assessment is good. The council has purchased appropriate software to assess accurately learners’ needs. Tutors identify learners’ starting points quickly, they plan lessons and learning activities well to meet learners’ differing needs. They challenge learners appropriately. Tutors display professionalism in their work and they work well as a team. They have a high level of awareness of how to engage learners. However, some tutors, particularly in numeracy lessons, rely too much on worksheets.

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At the previous inspection, inspectors found that the council did not provide discrete literacy and numeracy provision. Not all tutors were sufficiently qualified. The council has made several effective changes to the programme to tackle this area for improvement. All learners are now entitled to one-hour timetabled lessons in literacy and numeracy each week. Take-up of these sessions is satisfactory. All tutors are now appropriately qualified or are working towards an appropriate teaching qualification to support their capacity to teach literacy and numeracy. Staff have benefited from external training to improve their teaching skills in literacy and numeracy, as well as updating their professional qualifications. The council has appointed a well-qualified member of staff to provide individual additional support to learners to meet identified needs. The service now integrates literacy and numeracy

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better with vocational areas. For example, literacy has been thoughtfully included in the assessment of assignments of vocational qualifications. Learners recognise the importance of developing their literacy and numeracy for their future employment. Focused monitoring visit: Stoke-on-Trent City Council, 27 January 2010 5 of 6

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The council has strengthened its quality improvement arrangements to improve the provision for learners. A comprehensive review of the council’s meetings framework and reporting arrangements now ensures that the work-based learning teams meet regularly to monitor the provision. They report regularly to the service manger, who closely monitors improvement planning. Learners at risk of leaving the programme early are identified and actions taken to help them complete the qualification. Managers hold monthly meetings to monitor the work-based learning improvement plan and to make any necessary changes. Staff are much clearer about their roles and responsibilities. They know what they have to do to secure improvements to the provision.

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The council has improved the observation of teaching and learning process. The new procedure ensures that trained quality officers carry out observations. The ‘paired’ lesson observations undertaken during this visit were graded accurately. Staff receive clear guidance on how to make improvements to their teaching practice. Action plans are clear. However, the council has made many of these changes relatively recently and it is too soon to determine their effectiveness. inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments.

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It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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If you would like a copy of this report in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester, M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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