Ealing London Borough Council

Published date 1 July 2010 Inspection Number 345785 Unique reference number: 50162

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Address:

14–16 Uxbridge Road Ealing W5 2HL Telephone number: 0208 8255577 London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

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Learning Service

1. The London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service (EALS) is currently part of the council’s Customer Service Directorate. It holds a contract from the Skills Funding Agency to deliver adult and community learning within the borough of Ealing. EALS offers a range of adult learning opportunities including provision leading to qualifications and learning for social and personal development. EALS provides roughly half the provision directly and sub-contracts the remainder to a large number of community organisations. Currently 2,053 learners are attending EALS courses. Of these 585 are working towards a qualification. The provision is predominantly in family learning and community learning. The provider offers courses in 50 community venues and 60 schools. Approximately 78% of learners are from minority ethnic backgrounds and 93% are women. All learners are aged 19 or over.

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Learning Service

2. Ealing is a predominantly affluent borough but it includes pockets with high levels of deprivation. In six wards 30% or more residents have no qualifications and an additional seven wards have 20% or more of residents with no qualifications. Three wards in the borough are among the 10% most deprived in England. The borough is ethnically diverse, with 45% of residents identifying themselves as White British.

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Learning Service

3. The following organisations provide training on behalf of the service:

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Learning Service

 Acton Learning Resource Centre  Adult Training Network  Blair Peach Primary School  Brentside High School  Centre for Armenian Information and Advice  Clifton Primary School  Dairy Meadow Primary and Nursery School  Dormer Wells Community Centre  Dormer Wells Infant School and Children’s Centre  Dormer Wells Junior School  Downe Manor Primary School  Drayton Green Primary School  Durdans Park Primary School  Ealing Centre for Independent Living  Ealing Dyslexia Association  Fashion and Development Centre  Featherstone Primary and Nursery School  Fielding Primary School  Gifford Primary School  Grange Primary School  Greenfields Nursery/Children’s Centre  Grove House Children’s Centre  Hamborough Primary and Nursery School  Havelock Primary School  Hobbayne Priamry School  Lady Margaret Primary School  Mandeville School  Maples Children’s Centre  Montpelier Primary School  Nexos Latino Americanos

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Learning Service

 North Primary School  Oldfield Primary School  Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Primary School  Perivale Primary School  Springhallow School  St Anselm’s Catholic primary School  St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School  Three Bridges Primary School  Vicar’s Green Primary School  Viking Primary School  West Acton Primary School  West London Academy (Primary School)  West London Academy Secondary  West Twyford Primary School  Willow Tree Primary School  Wood End Infant School  Wood End Junior School

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Adult learner provision:

Learning for social and personal development 2,284 part-time learners

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Summary report

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

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Grade

Leadership and management 2 Safeguarding Equality and diversity

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Overall effectiveness

4. The overall effectiveness of the provision is good. All aspects of the provison are good, as is provision in both of the subject areas inspected. The provider’s capacity to improve is good. The nature, scope and management of the provision are very different from that inspected in 2005 and particular improvement has taken place over the last two to three years. Learners achieve their aims, gain qualifications and develop confidence and skills well. They are engaged and learn well in well-planned and taught lessons. Most resources are good; however, in a few cases accommodation is cramped and furniture inappropriate. Although learners progress well, this progress is not always effectively recorded. The provision meets the needs of the learners very well and focuses effectively on the most deprived areas of the borough. The service actively seeks out and responds to the views of learners and community

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Overall effectiveness

groups. EALS works closely and effectively with partners within the council, with community and other groups and with its own sub-contractors. Managers have aligned the provision closely with the council’s strategic aims and values, in particular helping the unemployed to overcome barriers to employment and promoting community cohesion in the culturally and ethnically diverse population of the borough. The provider’s safeguarding arrangements for vulnerable adults are good. It promotes equality and diversity well. The service has introduced a number of new quality improvement arrangements; however, they are not yet fully embedded.

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Main findings

 Overall, learners’ success is good. Learners on non-accredited courses achieve both their course and personal aims well. Those on accredited courses have high success rates. The combined success rate for both increased from 76% to 92 % from 2007/08 to 2008/09 and continues to rise in year. The provider recognises that some of the aims used to calculate success are insufficiently challenging and has plans to introduce more accreditation and to encourage the setting of more challenging aims for learners on the remaining non-accredited courses.  Learners develop personal and social skills well. They gain in confidence and are better able to communicate effectively with others in the community, their children’s schools and with the establishment. They are also engaged by the learning and are keen to progress further.  Teaching and learning are good. Sessions are generally well planned. Tutors use a wide range of activities to engage learners. They also integrate themes

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Main findings

such as healthy eating and citizenship well. Sessions are well paced and extend learners’ knowledge and skills. Tutors provide good individual support to learners during sessions. Accommodation overall is satisfactory but in a few cases rooms are cramped or furniture is inappropriate.  The recording of learners’ progress is ineffective. Progress against main learning goals is monitored in individual learning plans and through the collection of data, but there is insufficient evaluation of the quality of learning achieved. In community learning, the recording of gains in ‘soft skills’ is inconsistent, and in family learning there is insufficient focus on what learners need to do to improve. Individual learning plans are brief in content and do not measure progress effectively.  The provision meets the needs and interests of users very well. Curriculum planning is well informed by local data about needs and priorities and through

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Main findings

effective engagement with partners. The provision is very responsive to learners’ and partners’ views. These views are used very effectively to inform the planning and delivery of courses. The range of provision is appropriate to the needs of the diverse local communities and includes both accredited and non-accredited courses.  Partnership arrangements are used very effectively to develop provision and meet learners’ needs. The service works with schools, children’s centres, nurseries and a wide range of community-based organisations to plan and deliver provision in priority areas. Partnership arrangements also effectively support recruitment of hard-to-reach groups and progression route planning. The management of contracts with partners is used well to identify target groups for delivery.  Guidance and support for learners are good. Learners receive good personal support from tutors. They are signposted to relevant external sources of

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Main findings

support as appropriate. Language support is available for learners at most centres. Information and guidance to learners are good and provided both informally and formally. Progression routes are well mapped and promoted to learners to ensure they can progress. Qualified information and guidance advisers provide specialist information and guidance on next steps for training, education and employment.  The service effectively seeks and acts upon the views of user groups. There is a systematic approach to gathering views from learners and partners. The provision is very responsive and some courses have been developed in direct response to specific requests from learners and partners.  Strategic direction is good. Managers have successfully realigned the provision to closely support the council’s strategic aims and values, in particular those to address worklessness and increase community cohesion. Courses on offer now

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Main findings

concentrate on the engagement of residents through pre-entry and entry level courses. Managers use detailed data about the borough to focus the provision and target it on the most deprived areas in the borough.  Safeguarding arrangements are good. The service adheres to the council’s comprehensive policies and applies them appropriately to the nature of its work. All staff have been subject to enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and have received safeguarding training. The service awards a high priority to health and safety in both its direct and sub-contracted provision. Plans are in place to comply with the reporting requirements under the vetting and barring scheme when it comes into force.  The provider promotes equality and diversity effectively. The service has further developed the council’s comprehensive equality schemes and policies to reflect the nature of adult education and the particular needs of the more deprived

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Main findings

areas of the borough. The provider has recently introduced an equality and diversity tool for all teaching staff to self-assess the degree to which they promote equality and diversity within learning sessions. The provider celebrates diversity positively.  Quality improvement arrangements are satisfactory. The self-assessment process drives the quality improvement process within the service well and generates action plans for improvement. Staff and partners contribute appropriately. The observation of teaching and learning process is satisfactory. However, some recently introduced quality improvement arrangements are not yet fully embedded.

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need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the monitoring and recording of learners’ progress to ensure tutors record the quality of learning achieved.  Fully embed the quality assurance and quality improvement systems to ensure consistency across the provision and to systematically drive forward improvement.  Improve the use of data as a management information tool.  Continue to use contract management processes to improve the quality of accommodation and resources.

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What learners like:

 the numeracy lessons, improving their maths so that they can apply for jobs  learning some English, which improved their reading and writing and makes it easier to communicate with teachers and understand what their children are saying now  the improved confidence in understanding how they can help their children learn through play  learning about how to eat healthily and making healthy packed lunches for their children  being now confident to go shopping, use the telephone and talk to teachers  the excellent standard of teaching – teachers being friendly, patient and using lots of varied activities to make the lessons fun  the focus on spoken English on the ESOL courses  the help in improving their life chances.

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What learners would like to see improved:

 longer, more frequent courses  more help on the course  more lessons in each course  more practice on business-related software  better access to computers  more English teaching.

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What stakeholders/partners like:

 the good support and guidance from the family learning coordinators  the improved confidence in the children and their improved achievement in school  the improved relationship parents have with children after attending family learning courses  the very organised and helpful ACL staff  the sharing of experiences at the family learning development group meetings and networking with other providers is very useful  the way Reception children are communicating more confidently and articulately  trips to Kew and the Zoo widen horizons.

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What stakeholders/partners would like to see improved:

 learners should make a £10 deposit at enrolment which would be refundable after successful completion of the course, as this would improve their commitment and retention  courses for non-literate English speaking learners  less paperwork  more after-school provision  more funding up front rather than having to keep bidding for funding  the ability to infill courses with external parents if there is insufficient take-up in the centre.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 2

5. The provider has demonstrated a good capacity to make and sustain improvement. Success rates for both accredited and non-accredited courses have risen year on year over the last three years and are now high. The provison has been changed appropriately to reflect the needs of residents in the most deprived areas of the borough. Managers have taken decisive actions to address identified unsatisfactory aspects. The self-assessment process draws well on the views of learners and other stakeholders and the report accurately identifies most of the strengths and areas for improvement identified at inspection. The associated quality improvement plan contains approriate actions to address the identified areas for improvement.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

6. Overall, learners’ success is good. Learners on non-accredited courses achieve both their course and personal aims well. Those on accredited courses have high success rates. The combined success rate for both increased from 76% to 92% from 2007/08 to 2008/09 and continues to rise in year. The method of calculating success on non-accredited courses is robust. However, the provider recognises that some of the aims used in the calculation of success are insufficiently challenging and has plans to introduce more accreditation and to encourage the setting of more challenging aims for learners on the remaining non-accredited courses.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

7. Learners develop personal and social skills well. They gain in confidence and are better able to communicate effectively with others in the community, their children’s schools and with the establishment. They are also engaged by the learning and are keen to progress further. Many gain sufficient confidence to engage in volunteer work, enabling them to consolidate and further develop their skills.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

8. The quality of provision is good. Teaching and learning are good. The majority of sessions are well planned and tutors use a wide range of teaching and learning activities such as individual work and group work to engage learners and stimulate their interest. In family learning, themes such as healthy eating and citizenship are well integrated into course content. Enrichment activities are also offered as appropriate to promote learning. Sessions are well paced and extend learners’ knowledge and skills. Schemes of work are adapted effectively to meet learners’ needs. Resources are used well to support teaching and learning. Tutors are appropriately qualified and have a good understanding of their learners’ needs and barriers to learning. They provide good individual support to learners. Initial assessment is satisfactory. Individual learning plans satisfactorily identify learners’ main learning goals. However, some goals are

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The quality of provision Grade 2

too generic and lack detail. In a minority of sessions, the more able learners are not sufficiently challenged. Accommodation is satisfactory overall but in a few cases, better quality accommodation and furniture is an area for improvement.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

9. The recording of progress is ineffective. Progress against main learning goals is monitored but there is insufficient evaluation of the quality of learning achieved. In community learning, the recording of gains in soft skills is inconsistent, and in family learning there is insufficient focus on what learners need to do to improve. Individual learning plans are brief in content and do not effectively measure progress.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

10. The provision meets the needs and interests of users very well. Curriculum planning is well informed by local data and through effective engagement with partners. The provision is very responsive to learners’ and partners’ views. These views are used very effectively to inform the planning and delivery of courses. The range of provision is appropriate to the needs of the diverse local communities and includes both accredited and non-accredited courses. For many learners, English is a second language. In response to learners’ interests and needs, specific courses have been developed which very effectively combine the development of language skills with vocational learning. Courses have also been developed which meet the targeted needs and priorities of partners such as local authority departments, community organisations and schools.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

11. Partnership arrangements are used very effectively to develop provision and meet learners’ needs. The service works with schools, children’s centres, nurseries and a wide range of community-based organisations to plan and deliver provision in priority areas. Partnership arrangements also effectively support progression route planning. The management of contracts with partners is very effective in identifying target groups for delivery. As part of the bidding process for funding to deliver courses, providers have to demonstrate that courses will meet identified needs of specific target groups. Partners also have to identify progression routes for their respective courses. Partnership arrangements are also used very effectively to recruit hard-to-reach learners and learners for whom community-based provision is their preferred learning option. A selection process is used well to ensure providers are well matched to

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The quality of provision Grade 2

the priorities of the service. Regular meetings are held with partners to monitor the quality of the provision and to ensure issues affecting delivery of learning are identified.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

12. Guidance and support for learners are good. Learners receive good personal support from tutors. They are signposted to relevant external sources of support as appropriate. Language support is available for learners at most centres. Information and guidance to learners are good and provided both informally and formally. Progression routes are well mapped and promoted to learners to ensure they can progress. Qualified information and guidance advisers provide specialist information and guidance on next steps for training, education and employment. A new project has been developed to extend the capacity of the service to offer guidance and support to learners. However, there is not a systematic approach to recording the support or the impact of support that has been provided.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

13. Strategic direction is good. Managers have successfully realigned the provision to closely support the council’s strategic aims and values, in particular those to address worklessness and increase community cohesion. The service works closely with other council departments. Courses on offer now concentrate on the engagement of residents through pre-entry and entry level courses. Managers use particularly detailed data about the borough to focus the provision on the most deprived areas in the borough and to set realistic targets for the number and location of courses on offer. Curriculum management is good, with managers using performance management well to ensure that sub- contracted and direct provision combine to form a coherent offer of provision. 14. Safeguarding arrangements are good. The service adheres to the council’s comprehensive policies and arrangements and applies them appropriately to

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Leadership and management Grade 2

the nature of its work. All staff have been subject to enhanced CRB checks and have received safeguarding training. Sub-contractors have to satisfy the provider that their safeguarding arrangements are in line with the service’s own. The service awards a high priority to health and safety in both its direct and sub-contracted provision. The council has detailed plans in place to comply with the reporting requirements under the vetting and barring scheme when it comes into force. 15. The provider promotes equality and diversity effectively. The service staff are culturally diverse, although they do not fully match the very diverse nature of the borough population. The service is subject to the council’s comprehensive equality schemes and policies, which it has further developed and focused to reflect the nature of adult education and the particular needs of the more deprived areas of the borough. The promotion of equality and diversity is

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Leadership and management Grade 2

embedded in all aspects of the provider’s work. The provider has recently introduced an equality and diversity tool for all teaching staff to self-assess the degree to which they comply with the service policies and promote equality and diversity within the planning and delivery of their teaching and learning sessions. The provision is targeted at the most deprived areas of the borough and in particular at those with barriers to employment such as literacy, numeracy and language development needs, including those with very low levels of English. The provider uses data well to identify achievement gaps among the different groups of learners and works to close them. The provider celebrates diversity positively through a series of events, linked to a comprehensive faith calendar, which support a wider council objective of increased community cohesion.

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Leadership and management Grade 2

16. Quality improvement arrangements are satisfactory. The self-assessment process drives the quality improvement process within the service and generates action plans for improvement. The self-assessment report is self- critical and largely accurate; however, it lacks some judgements against the latest common inspection framework. The post of quality improvement manager is currently vacant. Responsibility is currently shared among other managers and identified staff, who have specific responsibility for various quality improvement processes. Meetings with staff and with partners are also used to share information relating to the quality of delivery. The observation of teaching and learning process is effective and has been developed to ensure action plans are a key outcome of the process. Managers have taken appropriate actions to improve the standard of teaching and learning. Inadequate sessions, which accounted for roughly one in four sessions in 2008,

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Leadership and management Grade 2

have been virtually eliminated. The self-assessment process generates the development plans that cover different functions and processes within the service such as observations of teaching and learning, health and safety and continuing professional development. However, some recently introduced quality improvement arrangements are not yet fully embedded.

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Learning for social and personal development

Other social and community learning provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded: none

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Context

17. At inspection 139 learners were following ten personal and community development learning (PCDL) courses in crafts, arts, languages and basic computing skills. Sixty-nine learners were following seven first steps courses mainly in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) at entry level 1, 2, and 3 and information and communication technology (ICT). A further ten first step courses are offered in primary schools and community venues via indirect provision. Seventy-five per cent of first step courses are accredited. A further 70 learners are using the one-to-one sessions in the community to develop computing skills. The majority of learners on first-step courses are female in the age range 25 to 44 and PCDL learners are mainly female in the 35 to elderly age range.

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Key findings

 Learners’ achievements of their learning aims are good. Learners’ work shows good progress during sessions. Portfolios show the development of skills and the level of attainment. Learners enjoy their sessions and make good progress in relation to their prior attainment and potential. Art work of a high standard is displayed in a public gallery.  Learners report gains in confidence to progress to other courses. In some sessions such as ESOL embedded within ICT, learners develop skills in both language and computer studies. Learners develop good ICT skills, enabling them to work with their children on the home computer. Learners feel safe. Tutors raise health and safety issues as necessary to ensure learners adopt safe working practices, for example, when using computers or craft materials.  Teaching and learning are good. Sessions are well planned and build on previous learning. Tutors use questions well to challenge learners, check

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Key findings

learning points and develop understanding. Tutors involve learners in decisions about their learning aims.  Tutors are skilled at creating a relaxed and supportive learning environment. The pace of lessons is good. Tutors mix whole group, small group and individual work appropriately to stimulate interest. Learners are encouraged to work independently to achieve their learning aims. Individual learning plans are satisfactory and referred to during the course to check on identified learning aims. However, individual learning plans do not consistently capture gains made in ‘soft skills’.  Learners are focused on their work throughout the sessions. Learners receive constructive feedback on their progress and how they might improve. The good rapport in sessions allows learners to ask questions and seek further help when needed.  Tutors tailor the sessions to meet the needs and interests of the learner.

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Key findings

Where appropriate, tutors adapt the scheme of work to suit the abilities and interests of the learners. Courses in internet shopping, gardening, form-filling, sign language, hairdressing and beauty therapy are now offered in response to requests through learner feedback. The provider set up one-to-one sessions in ICT skills in a community setting as a result of interest expressed by potential learners.  Good partnerships with the schools and community venues support the learning opportunities. The provider set up a successful crafts course in a community venue near learners’ day centres in response to a request from social services to provide activities for adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. The schools are supportive of the first steps programmes. Parents become more confident about visiting their children’s school and understand what children are learning.  Ongoing support in sessions is good. At the end of each course learners are

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Key findings

given guidance and advice about opportunities for progression. Lesson plans are clear and include differentiation, health and safety, and equality and diversity issues. However, inspectors observed little promotion of equality and diversity. Safeguarding is promoted appropriately.  Overall, curriculum management is good. The coordinator manages two team leaders, both of whom are away from work on a long-term basis. One full-time tutor and four part-time tutors deliver all the direct courses. The contract arrangements for the partners and the indirect provision are well monitored. When a course is found to be unsatisfactory it is suspended until improvements can be made. Appropriate internal verification and moderation processes are in place.  The provider uses management data such as analysis of learner feedback regularly to review the offer and learner satisfaction. Success rate data include retention and attainment figures and indicate annual improvements. Some

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Key findings

group sizes are small. Systems are new and as yet insufficiently embedded. This includes the adaptation of some of the data already produced to be simpler and timelier.  Continuous professional development is regular and effective and is extended to the sub-contractors. Quarterly community forums and extended school meetings provide an opportunity to share good practice and update training, for example, in safeguarding, health and safety and equality and diversity.  Learning resources are well produced, plentiful and appropriate for the learners. Some venues have good accommodation for learners. However, other venues are small and inappropriate for adults, with limited space in which to work. Some areas lack access to computer facilities.

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What does EALS need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the achievement of ‘soft skills’ is consistently captured and embedded across all courses.  Develop more simplified, timely and appropriate data to be used as a management tool for planning and analysis purposes.  Continue the review of the accommodation to ensure that all learners have an appropriate space in which to work. Review the learners’ access to a computer to produce their work as necessary.

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Context

18. During 2009/10 to date, 1,280 learners have completed courses in family literacy, language and numeracy (FLNN) and wider family learning (WFL). At the time of inspection 141 learners were on courses in FLLN and WFL. Some 99% of learners are from a minority ethnic heritage and 10% are male. All courses are part-time and range from two-hour taster workshops to 49-hour courses, most being for social or learning development. All take place in schools and other community settings. Learners on FLLN work towards achieving units of qualifications, mostly at entry level. Family learning is managed by a full-time coordinator.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good and improving. In 2008/09, overall success rates rose from 78% to 90%. The trend is still rising in the current year. Most learners are progressing well on the course, increasing their levels of literacy and numeracy and language significantly. Portfolios for accredited provision are well presented and of a good standard. Attendance is satisfactory. Learners are motivated by their success and most progress to other courses to gain further qualifications.  Learners are developing good personal and social skills, communicating better with their children’s teachers by telephone or letter. Learners have a better understanding of how children learn and are enjoying supporting their children with play and homework. This is improving family relationships and the children’s progress at school. Learners feel very safe, and benefit from social contact with other parents, improving community cohesion. Some parents are

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Key findings

now sufficiently confident to volunteer in school activities.  Teaching and learning are good. Most lessons are well planned and enjoyable, and are linked well to the school curriculum being followed by the learners’ children. Themes such as citizenship and healthy eating are well integrated. Well-experienced and qualified teachers use a variety of interesting and imaginative activities to engage learners. Teachers give good one-to-one support and use differentiated activities well to meet individual needs. Lessons are well paced. Language, literacy and numeracy are skilfully embedded into wider family learning courses.  In a minority of lessons, more able learners are not sufficiently challenged, and teachers do not always encourage learners sufficiently to engage in conversation with each other to develop speaking and listening skills. Opportunities to promote diversity within lessons are sometimes missed, and

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Key findings

good practice is insufficiently shared. Not all teachers have a class profile to inform lesson planning.  Learners have good access to a wide range of well-designed learning resources, including computers, DVD players and well-presented handouts. Teachers make effective use of well-prepared visual aids, and use smartboards competently. At most venues, the learning environment is good, and most classrooms have interesting and stimulating wall displays. A minority of classrooms are untidy and neglected.  Recording of progress is ineffective. Learners on accredited courses receive reviews midway through the course, but there is little formative assessment of progress on non-accredited courses. Most individual learning plans are very brief and do not effectively measure distance travelled or what the learner needs to do to improve. A virtual learning environment is currently being developed to enable more detailed records to be kept electronically. However,

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Key findings

teachers set and mark homework regularly and give constructive feedback to learners. Initial assessment is adequate and appropriate for the type of course being followed.  The provision meets the needs of learners well. Learners are skilfully recruited through a combination of targeting by the school, parent surveys and advertising leaflets. Parents have the opportunity to attend taster workshops before enrolling on courses. Courses are designed to meet local and national priorities, and the content is often modified to meet the needs of particular cohorts. Learners have a wide choice of courses during school hours, but none at times when working parents could attend. Progression pathways are well planned.  Partnership working is good. The service works productively with local schools, child centres, nurseries and community groups to ensure the provision is meeting local needs, taking the views of parents into account. Staff have good

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Key findings

links with specialist groups such as dieticians, music groups and local networks for family learning and teaching assistants. Enrichment activities, such as visits to Kew Gardens and the zoo with their children, enhance learners’ experience and link well to the school science curriculum.  Guidance and support are good. The comprehensive induction prepares learners well for their course. Teachers give effective individual support to learners in lessons and build their confidence significantly through praise and celebration of success. Sufficient staff are available at most centres to support learners in their own language. Staff use good links with external support agencies to signpost learners for expert advice when needed. Specialist information and guidance advisers give good individual counselling on next steps for training, education or employment. However, support is not well recorded.  Curriculum management is good. Curriculum leaders are raising the aspirations

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Key findings

and achievements of disadvantaged learners. Courses are planned coherently to meet national and local agendas for reducing worklessness and child poverty, and improving immigrants’ language skills. Internal staff communications are good and there are regular meetings and visits with centre staff. The arrangements for obtaining feedback from users are good. However, staff do not use data sufficiently to improve provision.  Social inclusion is good. The selection of providers is rigorous, with priority being given to the most deprived areas of the borough and newly arrived immigrants. The service uses external funding judiciously to widen participation and improve the range of courses. Teachers broadly represent the learner profile. Equality and diversity are well promoted in many lessons, but best practice is not yet shared sufficiently between teachers. Materials are generally suitably adapted to meet the reading levels of learners.

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Key findings

 Many improvements have been made since the reinspection to improve the quality of provision. Numbers participating have increased and the choice of courses is wider. The service provides better monitoring and support for providers. The providers meet regularly to share good practice. An outreach worker helps with paperwork and carries out spot checks in the centres, and the completion of paperwork and returns is now more timely and accurate. The quality of teaching and learning has improved through the internal observation system. Peer observations and peer mentoring between schools improve practice.  There is considerable variation and inconsistency in the quality of recording. The recording of progress in individual learning plans is inadequate, particularly for non-accredited learning. Individual learning plans do not measure adequately the distance travelled by learners. Recording of support given to

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Key findings

learners is inadequate. Lesson plans vary in quality and often lack sufficient structure and detail. Most lesson plans indicate how differentiation will be managed, but do not indicate how diversity will be promoted. Good practice is not shared sufficiently. Standardisation meetings are not held frequently enough for accredited courses.  The self-assessment process is inclusive and thorough, and the report identified strengths and areas for improvement which broadly agreed with inspection findings. The action plan is detailed and robust, and is monitored regularly.

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What does EALS need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and consistency of record keeping across centres by building on good practice.  Improve the quality of lesson planning through staff development to ensure that the standard is consistently good across all provision.  Continue to build on the good practice of promoting equality and diversity through differentiation. Develop and use strategies which celebrate diversity naturally through imaginative and thoughtful planning. Use best practice to encourage staff.  Improve the use of data to inform planning by training staff and developing their confidence.  Increase the number of standardisation meetings in accredited provision to improve consistency across the provision.

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Information about the inspection

19. One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and three additional inspectors, assisted by the provider’s interim head of adult learning as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors also took account of the provider’s most recent self- assessment report and development plans, comments from the Skills Funding Agency, Framework for Excellence indicators, the previous inspection report, reports from the inspectorate’s monitoring visit and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection.

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Information about the inspection

20. Inspectors used group, individual interviews, telephone calls and emails to gather the views of learners. They looked at questionnaires learners and stakeholders had completed on behalf of the provider. They also visited learning sessions, assessments or progress reviews. Inspectors collected evidence from programmes in each of the subjects the provider offers. Record of Main Findings (RMF)

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

Learning types: Social and personal development: all adult safeguarded provision

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

A. Outcomes for learners 2 2 A1. How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 A1.a) How well do learners attain their learning goals? A1.b) How well do learners progress? A2. How well do learners improve their economic and social well- being through learning and development? A3. Do learners feel safe? 2 A4. Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and well being?* A5. How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* B. Quality of provision 2 2 B1. How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning and development? B2. How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of users? B3. How well do partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and others lead to benefits for learners? B4. How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in helping them to achieve? C. Leadership and management 2 2 C1. How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

and promote ambition throughout the organisation? C2. How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide leadership, direction and challenge?* C3. How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of learners? C4. How effectively does the provider actively promote equality and diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? C5. How effectively does the provider engage with users to support and promote improvement? C6. How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the provision and outcomes for learners? C7. How efficiently and effectively does the provider use its available resources to secure value for money? *where applicable to the type of provision Grades using the 4 point scale 1: Outstanding; 2: Good; 3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate Overall Social and personal development

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

Approximate number of enrolled learners Full-time learners Part-time learners Overall effectiveness 2 2 Capacity to improve 2 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. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

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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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

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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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

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

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London Borough of Ealing Adult Learning Service

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

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