London Borough of Newham: Adult Learning Service

Published date 14 July 2010 Inspection Number 345787 Unique reference number: 53139

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Name of lead inspector: Harmesh Manghra HMI

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Address:

Newham Adult Learning Service London Borough of Newham Newham Dockside 1000 Dockside Road London E16 2QU

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Address:

Telephone number: 0208 4302000 London Borough of Newham

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Information about the London Borough of Newham

1. London Borough of Newham provides learner responsive provision and learning for social and personal development under contract from the Skills Funding Agency through Newham Adult Learning Service (NALS). NALS provides learning from five main sites in Forest Gate, Manor Park, Beckton, North Woolwich and Canning Town, together with a broad range of community venues. The strategic group manager for adult learning has the overall responsibility for learning and is supported by the quality assurance manager, the curriculum development team and a team of tutor coaches. Four group area managers manage the operations and line manage 150 part-time tutors.

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Information about the London Borough of Newham

2. In 2008/09, 6,267 learners consituted 10,708 enrolments on various courses. Some 32% of these enrolments were for courses leading to qualifications. This pattern has continued into 2009/10. The provision in preparation for life and work has increased and now comprises 42% of the total provision. The inspection team inspected and graded early years’ care along with teaching assistants, preparation for life and work, arts, media and publishing and family learning. The team used evidence from another six subject areas to report under the main findings.

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Information about the London Borough of Newham

3. Newham is the sixth most deprived area in England and Wales and the third most deprived in London. Some 43% of people are classed as living in poverty and 35% are economically inactive. Approximately 20% of the working age population have no qualifications. Some 75% of residents are under the age of 45, and 70% are from Black and minority ethnic communities. The borough has the largest transient immigrant population in London. The largest employers in the borough are the local authority and the health service. Newham has the largest regeneration projects in Europe, with 58 proposed or active regeneration projects. These include the 2012 Olympics; the regeneration of Stratford international train station; Canning Town, the developments in the Royal Docks and various transport, retail and hospitality projects.

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Information about the London Borough of Newham

4. The following organisations provide training on behalf of the London Borough of Newham:

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Information about the London Borough of Newham

 Shalom Employment Action Centre (information and communication technology (ICT) and preparation for life and work)  The Learning Centre, Woodgrange Road (ICT, business administration and preparation for life and work).

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Young learner provision

Further education (16 to 18) 224 part-time learners

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Adult learner provision

Learning for qualifications Learning for social and personal development 3,130 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 3 Safeguarding Equality and diversity

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Overall effectiveness

5. Outcomes for learners are good. Many learners gain in confidence and self- esteem by participating in learning. Benefits gained by learners include a sense of well-being; the development of personal and vocational skills; better prospects for employment; and an improved ability to help their children. Most learners make good progress from relatively low starting points and acquire a broad range of sustainable skills. Where courses lead to qualifications, the large majority of learners succeed. However, attendance at some classes is poor.

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Overall effectiveness

6. Most tutors prepare thoroughly for their lessons. They plan a variety of tasks to keep learners motivated and interested. In a few subject areas, tutors do not use technology sufficiently to promote different ways of learning. Learners feel safe in pleasant and safe learning environments and enjoy their learning. NALS provides an extensive range of learning opportunities in pleasant surroundings. Well-established partnerships with Newham College and other agencies extend learners’ choice and aid their progression. Tutors provide good personal support to learners. Although most learners have plans with individual learning targets, many of these targets are too general. It is difficult to measure learners’ progress.

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Overall effectiveness

7. NALS has a very clear vision and mission. It is making an excellent contribution to raise educational achievement and alleviate poverty for learners across the borough. Through joint working with various partners, the managers secure an extensive range of resources and use them well to provide good value for money. Recent changes in the management arrangements have not yet had a full impact. The managers do not sufficiently monitor some aspects of compliance and quality improvment, such as monitoring of staff training after the observation of teaching and learning, sharing of good practice and completion of course reviews. NALS has not given sufficient priority to fully establishing safeguarding procedures.

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Main findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Success rates for courses leading to qualifications are high and above the national averages. Success rates on a few courses in floristry and flower arranging, arts, media and publishing are low. Learners enjoy their courses and develop a wide range of good personal and vocational skills. Learners feel safe attending sessions.  Teaching and learning are good. Tutors plan sessions well. Most interest learners through a wide range of activities and appropriate use of information learning technologies (ILT), but not all tutors use it across the whole provision.  Initial and ongoing assessment is satisfactory. NALS has satisfactorily improved the recognition and recording of learners’ progress and achievement (RARPA) process. Many individual learning plans for the learners have group targets, rather than specific and measurable personal learning goals. Learners see the

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Main findings

process of target setting and reviews as paperwork rather than measurement of their success on the courses.  Good partnerships offer a broad range of learning, support and employment opportunities for learners. They enhance the range of provision, which meets the needs and interests of people across the borough well.  Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Tutors provide good personal support to learners. Learners receive appropriate guidance on the courses they attend and progression routes in their subject areas. However, career guidance to explore broader study and employment options is not sufficient.  NALS has not conducted appropriate risk assessments for all of the provision. For example, the processes to ensure the safeguarding of learners on work placements are informal. Learners feel safe and value the security at learning sites. Staff took part in online training for safeguarding during the inspection

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Main findings

week.  Curriculum management is good. Tutors value the support from curriculum leaders and tutor coaches. This has helped tutors to keep abreast of the developments in their subject areas. Curriculum leaders establish good partnerships at local level to avoid duplication and ensure coherence of provision to aid learner progression.  The roles and responsibilities within the recently introduced management restructure are unclear for many staff. Performance management for part-time tutors is weak and based mainly on one annual observation of teaching and learning. A few staff in early years care and in the preparation for life and work subject area do not have sufficiently high levels of qualification and/or experience.  NALS makes satisfactory use of data to monitor the participation, retention and success rates of learners. However, it does not conduct a deeper analysis of a broad range of management information to set relevant targets to improve

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Main findings

attendance and retention rates.  The promotion of equality and diversity in the broader provision and in lessons is good. Work to widen social inclusion is particularly successful. Many disadvantaged learners are encouraged to participate successfully in education and training for the first time.  Tutors listen to and treat learners’ and partners’ views seriously. In response to learners’ concerns, they change things wherever possible. However, quality assurance procedures are not systematic, although the self-assessment process is inclusive and the report is broadly accurate.  While conducting observations of teaching and learning, observers focus on the completion of various documents and evaluate teaching rather than learning. A few grades are generous. Managers do not monitor the action plans for the tutors to deal with some areas of professional development.  Monitoring of several aspects of quality improvement are not systematic. NALS

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Main findings

has not established a minimum threshold for quality assurance. Managers do not conduct sufficient audits of various documents, such as individual learning plans, to ensure consistency. NALS tutors and managers do not share best practice from within the service or from similar services to benchmark its provision.

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improve further?

 Ensure all learners have specific, measurable and challenging individual learning targets in order to ensure that learners make consistently good progress.  Improve the quality of teaching and learning further by ensuring that observers focus on learning and identify areas for development clearly. Ensure that the tutors have adequate support and training to improve their practice and monitor their progress.  Improve the levels of staff qualifications and experience of all staff through an ongoing programme of staff development that meets the needs of the service through coaching, sharing good practice and mentoring programmes.  Review current roles and accountabilities of all staff, including managers, in the overall delivery and development of the service. Clarify and communicate the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of area-based managers, together with managers of curriculum development and tutor coaches, to all staff so that

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improve further?

they are aware of their professional accountabilities, the support available and line management arrangements.  Formalise the current information, advice and guidance arrangements by linking with other providers to ensure more integrated and effective guidance. Ensure that the learners make informed choices after receiving full information about career or progression pathways as well as employment opportunities.  Prioritise the safeguarding arrangements by conducting a thorough analysis of the young people and vulnerable adults within NALS. Assess the relevant safeguarding requirements of all centres and ensure tutors reinforce relevant aspects of safeguarding and health and safety in all sessions.  Fully establish and communicate a robust quality improvement cycle that all tutors and managers fully understand and follow to improve the provision on a continuous basis. Enable tutors and managers to share good practice to

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improve further?

benchmark their service against similar services.

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What learners like:

 the different ways in which learning enhances their lives  the high quality of the teaching and training  the wide range of courses available in high-quality local venues  acquisition of skills and knowledge that they can use to help their families  making new friends  the opportunity to pass a qualification  the learning that is fun and light hearted  the highly skilled, knowledgeable and supportive tutors.

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What learners would like to see improved:

 the opportunity to attend more classes to improve skills quicker  insufficient challenge in several classes  the increase in the number of relevant work placements to enable them to complete their assignments  the poor quality of washing facilities in one centre  the opportunities to share ideas on how to improve the provision  the size of some classrooms to accommodate more learners who are on the waiting list for family learning classes  the range of resources in arts, media and publishing  the limited number of work placements on the early years programme.

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inspectors

 the shared vision and commitment that enables the service to offer adult learning throughout Newham  the imaginative ways in which the service offers a broad range of services to learners  the positive partnership approach that helps meet the objectives of all partners  the significant difference the service has made to the participation of parents and carers in school life and to the morale and achievement of the children.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 3

8. Newham Adult Learning Service’s capacity to make and sustain improvements is satisfactory rather than good as claimed in the self-assessment-report. Since the last inspection, NALS has improved the quality of provision and improved the outcomes for learners to good. Overall effectiveneess of the provision is now good. Grades for three out of four subject areas inspected and graded are good. NALS has made significant progress to implement the Skills for Life strategy. It has maintained the quality of the vastly expanded provision in preparation for life and work at a satisfactory level.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 3

9. Newham Adult Learning Service has rectified many of areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. For example, the observation process has led to some improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. The good standard of teaching and learning in the visual and performing arts provision has been maintained and the unsatisfactory teaching in preparation for life and work has been improved and is now satisfactory.

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Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 3

10. The self-assessment process is inclusive and broadly accurate. Grades and judgements in the report broadly reflect inspection findings. Inspectors however, awarded a lower grade to one subject area and for leadership and management. Inspectors found some areas for improvement in operational management and quality improvement. Managers do not make sufficient use of data to set targets to improve attendance, retention, curriculum planning and monitoring of courses by cohorts of learners. The monitoring of various quality improvement measures, such as completion of course reviews and sharing of good practice, is not thorough. Some of the staff are not trained adequately and performance management in securing good teaching and learning is not fully effective.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

11. The standard of learners’ work is high. Learners enjoy their learning, in some cases for the first time in their lives. They make good progress in achieving their personal and social goals, growing in confidence and self-esteem. Learners develop good technical knowledge and skills. Some learners on family learning courses overcome adverse personal circumstances to attend sessions regularly and complete weekly homework activities with their children. Learners are successful in gaining relevant skills and qualifications that increase their chances of employment and promotion.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

12. Learners’ success rates are high on courses leading to qualifications. In 2008/09, the overall long course success rate was 77% and for short courses it was 80%. Success rates are well above national averages for learners on intermediate courses and just above for learners on foundation programmes. Success rates are good on accredited courses in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and satisfactory on literacy and numeracy programmes. Success rates are very high on accredited family learning courses. Men and women achieve equally well, as do learners with a disability.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

13. Learners feel safe attending sessions. Tutors are knowledgeable about health and safety in the classroom. Careful risk assessments are made of all venues. Parents and carers attending family learning programmes appreciate how staff train their children to keep themselves safe.

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Outcomes for learners Grade 2

14. Learners make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live. For example, parents and carers participate in volunteering programmes in schools to assist teachers to manage challenging classes.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

15. Teaching and learning are good. Lesson planning is detailed in most lessons. Tutors use a wide range of interesting activities to engage learners. The pace of lessons is fast and learners make good progress. Tutors offer good help to learners, both in small groups and individually, to ensure that they make good progress. However, not all tutors make sufficient use of ILT to enhance learning in some subject areas. Staff do not share good practice between subject areas. Tutors receiving a satisfactory or an indequate grade are supported well through lesson observations and coaching. The overall proportion of good and outstanding sessions declined slightly in 2008/09 due to the increased rigour of lesson observations. A very small proportion of lessons remain inadequate.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

16. Initial assessment and induction are satisfactory. However, the findings from detailed initial assessments are not always used to support planning of learning. The setting of targets in development plans and reviews is satisfactory overall. However, these often focus on the completion of tasks rather than on the development of skills. Learners and tutors see little value in completing documents.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

17. Learning resources are satisfactory. Learning centres are situated in easily reached venues and have good ICT facilities and other resources. Most staff have relevant qualifications and vocational experience. However, a minority of staff in some subject areas are not sufficiently qualified and/or experienced. The quality of handouts in a few practical sessions is poor.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

18. Assessment is satisfactory. NALS has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection to improve RARPA across many areas of its provision for social and personal development. All tutors in subject areas such as arts and languages keep very detailed and useful records of their learners’ progress against specific individual learning targets. In a minority of family learning and preparation for life and work classes, target setting is insufficiently detailed.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

19. The range of provision to meet the needs and interests of people across the borough is good. NALS is an associate faculty of Newham College of Further Education. In an exceptionally good partnership arrangment with the college, both partners plan the curriculum to offer a broad choice of programmes and clear progression routes for learners. NALS learners become associate learners of the college and are able to use many of its facilities. Other provision is located for the convenience of the learners and to provide them with the best experience in venues such as local schools, Stratford Circus and with many community groups. For example, in partnership with the local probation service and Metropolitan Police, NALS has provided literacy, numeracy and language training to recently released offenders to increase their employability and reduce their risk of re-offending. The provision in preparation for life and work,

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The quality of provision Grade 2

particularly in ESOL and numeracy, has increased significantly and is now mostly accredited to meet the needs of the learners.

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The quality of provision Grade 2

20. Care, guidance and support are good. Course information leaflets are detailed and contain helpful information on entry qualifications, outcomes and progression. Learners appreciate the good personal support they receive and the extra lengths tutors go to in supporting them. Information, advice and guidance for learners on how to progress within their courses and in their chosen field are satisfactory. However, guidance on broader employment and study options is not sufficiently systematic.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

21. Newham Adult Learning Service has a very clear vision and mission. All staff, managers and elected representatives work well to increase participation in learning from Newham residents; removing their barriers to work; developing skills to match identified employment opportunities and promoting community cohesion. NALS works effectively to meet local and national priorities of improving employability and promoting life-long learning.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

22. The recently reorganised management structure is not yet fully effective. The management roles and responsibilities are not clear. Some tutors teach across many areas and they have more than one line manager. Performance appraisal is limited to one teaching observation per year. The curriculum development team and coaches make suggestions for improvement to the provision and staff training and development. However, they feel they have limited authority to ensure changes are implemented.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

23. Newham Adult Learning Service had a good range of data and management information which managers use for funding purposes. However, they do not conduct sufficient analysis of the management information and do not use it sufficiently to set targets for improvement in retention rates and monitoring of courses.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

24. The management of subcontractors is satisfactory. The detailed service level agreement outlines the respective roles and responsibilities. Performance management of the subcontractors is, however, limited to observation of tutors and a desk-based approach measuring enrolments and success rates.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

25. Procedures for safeguarding learners are satisfactory. NALS meets all government requirements for children aged up to 18 and vulnerable adults. All staff have undergone checks through the Criminal Records Bureau and their details, including identity checks, are recorded in a single register. A designated senior member of staff has overall responsibility for safeguarding. Safeguarding policies are comprehensive and reviewed annually by a safeguarding group that coordinates and promotes this work. The service has well developed links with the relevant agencies for making referrals. All staff have had a detailed briefing on recognising various forms of abuse and referral processes. NALS has taken highly effective action to deal with some issues identified. However, it had not identified all vulnerable learners and not provided training in safeguarding for all staff.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

26. Equality and diversity is at the core of the service delivery. NALS has a thought- provoking inclusion policy that sums up clearly its commitment to raising participation and achievement levels of learners who face a range of disadvantages. Learners from various cultural and religious backgrounds work well together in an atmosphere of mutual respect that enhances community cohesion. They develop good levels of skills and qualifications and gain employment. This improves their life chances significantly. Minority ethnic staff are well represented in NALS, some in senior positions. NALS has worked well with all groups in the community to provide an extensive curriculum with a good mix of learning for personal and social development and learning for qualifications. It has conducted good analysis of the learners’ needs to increase and/or diversify its learning offer. Some of the examples include the provision

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Leadership and management Grade 3

for African elders, learners with mental health needs, and discrete classes for ESOL learners with little or no formal experience of schooling. The learning centres are well located and easily accessible. Support arrangements, including crèche facilities, are good and available in all centres. Tutors incorporate equality and diversity into their lessons well. NALS celebrates both learners’ achievements and many festivals in all centres. Learners are well aware who they should contact in any case of bullying and harassment. However, NALS does not evaluate the impact of its actions on specific groups of learners. It has not set itself detailed equality and diversity impact measures. NALS has not developed alternative ways of seeking feedback from learners with language needs and those with learning disabiities and/or difficulties.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

27. Arrangements for collecting and acting upon the views of partners are good and they are satisfactory for learners. Managers take effective action to establish new courses and projects and improve the service through regular formal and informal dialogue. Staff and managers take the views of learners seriously and often make arrangements to accommodate them. The processes, however, are informal and vary between centres.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

28. The quality improvement arrangements of NALS are satisfactory. Various aspects such as learners’ and partners’ feedback, self-assessment and lesson observations are improving the quality of provision. Some of the aspects such as accommodation and resources have improved. However, other aspects of quality improvement are not systematic. For example, tutors do not fully understand the quality cycle. They are supposed to complete course reviews, however, only just over a half have completed them. The quality of these reviews is variable. In a few subject areas, they are evaluative and provide useful information for planning. NALS does not share good practice sufficiently, particularly with other similar services. NALS has recently appointed a quality manager to lead on quality improvement. It is too early to evaluate the impact of work.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

29. The observation of teaching and learning process is effective. Observers conduct regular observations of lessons and provide very supportive and useful feedback to the tutors that helps them improve their practice. However,they focus heavily on measuring teaching and do not pay sufficient attention to learning and learners’ attainment. In some cases, the recording of observations does not accurately reflect the post-observation discussions. Managers do not always monitor the tutors’ progress against the post-observation action plan. For example, some tutors continue to have similar development needs every year. A few of the grades in teaching observations are too generous.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

30. The self-assessment process satisfactorily includes a broad range of evidence including the views of learners and other stakeholders. The associated quality improvement plans deal with the identified areas for improvement.

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Leadership and management Grade 3

31. Newham Adult Learning Service offers good value for money. Learners with poor prior attainment are making good progress, developing skills, obtaining qualifications and improving their prospects of securing employment. Accommodation is generally of a high quality and well resourced. Budgets are tightly managed with monthly reviews of expenditure and income. Senior managers of the service work very effectively in partnerships to secure resources and benefits to the learners.

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Learning for qualifications

Other learning for qualifications provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded : floristry and flower arranging, information and communication technology, and business administration

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Context

32. NALS offers accredited programmes in childcare from foundation to advanced level and training for teaching assistants at intermediate and advanced levels. Some 128 learners are on part-time courses to train as teaching assistants. A further 249 learners are on part-time courses to train as child minders and in pre-school practice and special needs. There are 12 learners aged 16 to 18 and a total of 590 learners aged over 19 on accredited and non-accredited courses. Some 97% of the learners are female and 86% of them are from minority ethnic groups. Nine tutors teach on these courses.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Pass rates are high and success rates on most programmes are above the national average. Most learners start with significant language and literacy needs and make good progress in the development of their vocational and communication skills. They achieve two qualifications in language or literacy and in early years care simultaneously. This enhances their employment prospects.  Retention on a few courses has been below the national average over the last three years. Managers have taken effective action to improve the retention to satisfactory levels.  Learners make good progress, often starting from a low command of English language or from First Step courses to achieve advanced level qualifications. The standard of their work is very good in work placements and leads to employment. Many learners progress to higher education. The standard of learners’ written work is satisfactory. Learners use these valuable skills to

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Key findings

improve their parenting.  Teaching and learning are good. In most lessons, tutors use a wide range of interesting and stimulating activities to embed knowledge and promote thoughtful debate. A lively pace, good working relationships and effective classroom management create a positive learning environment. Learners are highly motivated to see the clear relevance of theory and practice.  Initial assessment is comprehensive, but tutors do not make sufficient use of the results to inform the planning of individual learning on vocational qualifications. Progress reviews are regular, but targets are often insufficiently personalised and detailed. In a few cases, tutors have not formally reviewed learners’ progress.  The accommodation is generally good. Learners enjoy and learn from a good range of work placements. General resources are up-to-date and display areas for work are used well. However, a minority of teaching staff are insufficiently

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Key findings

qualified and some do not have sufficient occupationally relevant experience. Teaching in lessons led by these tutors is satisfactory.  The curriculum provides a good match to meet the needs and interests of learners and employers. Learners with low levels of literacy, language and numeracy develop their skills and gain qualifications. Partnerships with schools and other council services work extremely well to support hard-to-reach learners. NALS plans the classes and crèche facilities carefully to ensure the good attendance of learners.  Care, guidance and support are good. Learners benefit from systematic information advice and guidance. Learners value highly the support from staff and other learners. Crèche facilities are good. Learners and their children are well looked after in safe facilities.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. Tutors have a clear understanding of the strategic direction of NALS and its role in community

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Key findings

development. They value the role of the curriculum coordinator. However, they are still unclear about some of the new management arrangements. Managers do not make full use of available information and targets to monitor and improve the service.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. All learners and staff value the diversity of the learner community and treat each other with respect. Positive action meets the needs of those from the very diverse local community. However, the profile of the learner population is stereotypically female. The service has taken steps to increase the number of male learners onto the programme but with limited success.  Quality assurance processes, although satisfactory, are not yet fully effective. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate. The quality improvement plan is too narrow. Action plans and the monitoring of the improvements after teaching observations are not sufficiently specific.

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Key findings

 The service has not sufficiently prioritised safeguarding arrangements. The managers have not been proactive in identifying safeguarding issues while securing work placements.

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further?

 Review and extend the use of detailed information from language, literacy, and numeracy assessments to inform the teaching and assessment of vocational learning. Ensure all tutors agree specific and measurable actions with each learner to meet individual needs.  Formalise and implement the plans for regular professional updating of all staff to achieve appropriate qualifications at a higher level in order to provide a consistently good service.  Revise the processes associated with the organisation of work placements to ensure clear checks and regular monitoring to safeguard learners in the workplace.

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Context

33. NALS offers ESOL, literacy and numeracy from pre-entry to intermediate level, and courses for adults with learning difficulties or disabilities (ALDD) in 25 centres. ESOL comprises over half of the provision, followed by 20% for ALDD, 15% for literacy and 12% for numeracy. Approximately half of the ESOL provision is accredited. The remaining ESOL provision is for pre-entry learners with little or no previous schooling experience. The provision has grown by over 60% in the past five years. Some 75% of learners are female and 55% of the learners have joined the service in the current year. Courses last 18 weeks. Learners attend for up to six hours a week. The Skills for Life manager, supported by four subject specialist coordinators, is responsible for the coordination and management of the provision. Seven permanent and 42 part- time tutors teach on programmes.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Many ESOL learners develop a good knowledge of relevant vocabulary and language skills to help them in daily situations and life in the United Kingdom. The achievement of qualifications for ESOL learners has been improving over the past three years and is currently good. Success rates on literacy and numeracy courses are satisfactory.  The service claimed high rates of retention in its self-assessment-report, although the use of data to calculate retention rates was not fully reliable. Attendance is satisfactory. Learners overcome difficult personal circumstances to attend classes.  Learners make good progress to improve their economic and social well-being. In vocationally linked courses, learners develop good levels of confidence and apply literacy skills to aspects of childcare. Many ESOL learners develop higher levels of confidence to be able to speak and integrate in to society. In most

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Key findings

classes, learners are diligent and work well independently.  Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In most good sessions, tutors use a variety of learning materials and imaginative activities to engage and motivate all learners. Learners in these sessions develop good levels of literacy, language and numeracy skills. In a few lessons, planning for individual needs is weak and tutors make limited use of a broad range of activities and ILT. Learners’ progress in these lessons is satisfactory.  Tutors do not conduct a thorough assessment of the learners’ needs to set them specific and measurable targets in their individual learning plans. Most individual learning plans consist of group learning objectives. Tutors have not fully completed the process of RARPA for over half of their learners. The monitoring of the targets and progress is also weak.  NALS offers a broad range of programmes that provides a good match to meet

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Key findings

the needs and interests of learners. The courses include progression routes to vocational courses, citizenship and provision from pre-entry to intermediate level, including ESOL for non-literate learners, and independent living skills for learners with additional learning disabilities and/or difficulties.  Partnership working is strong. It has improved the embedding of literacy and numeracy into vocational subjects, broadened the curriculum offer and increased opportunities for learners to progress onto courses that lead to employment. A partnership of ESOL providers very successfully provides clear information and shares good practice across the borough.  Care, guidance and support are good. In-class support for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. Tutors provide informal advice and guidance on progression routes, for instance to entry-level classes in ESOL. Currently, learners do not have access to a sufficient level of information,

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Key findings

advice and guidance for wider career progression.  Curriculum leadership is good and management is satisfactory. The provision has expanded significantly since the last inspection. Curriculum leaders provide good support to the tutors. However, line management arrangements are confusing and some tutors do not receive sufficient support in their centres. A few tutors are insufficiently qualified in their subject specialism.  Quality improvement arrangements, although satisfactory, are not sufficiently systematic. Some of the areas requiring improvements include the monitoring of teaching, course reviews, and audits of individual learning plans. Observers focus on measuring teaching and not learning. Grades awarded to a few tutors are generous. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Learners with poor educational achievement and disadvantaged backgrounds attend classes in their localities in

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Key findings

safe learning environments and improve their employment prospects and quality of life. NALS is good at celebrating learners’ success.

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What does the London Borough of Newham need to do to improve further?

 Develop robust processes for collecting data on attendance, retention and success rates. Ensure that the measurement and monitoring of learners’ progress is fully reliable.  Ensure that tutors give greater attention to the individual needs of learners during group activities, on learning plans and in reviews in order to maximise learners’ progress and promote independent learning.  Continue to develop the specialist skills of tutors so that they can offer good quality teaching and learning in all lessons. Ensure that tutors take responsibility for reflecting on the quality of their teaching and learning in classes to improve their practice further.  Create systematic opportunities for information, advice and guidance so that learners are more aware of learning and/or employment opportunities available for progression.  Improve the quality monitoring processes to ensure that tutors complete key documents to a good standard.

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Learning for social and personal development

Other social and personal development learning provision considered as part of the main findings but not separately graded : floristry and flower arranging, construction, information and communication technology, beauty therapy, hairdressing and catering, sport and fitness, English and languages

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Context

34. Currently, 1,532 learners constitute 2,751 enrolments on a wide range of non- accredited learning programmes with 102 learners on a smaller number of accredited courses. Some 81% of the learners are female. Some 90% of the provision, consisitng of 224 courses, is non-accredited;19 courses are accredited. The area offers a wide range of courses available at 14 accessible venues including adult learning zones, specialist performing and visual arts centres and residential homes for the elderly. The programmes include blacksmithing, art, ceramics, photography, silver jewellery, dressmaking, keyboarding, oil painting, textiles, street and hip-hop dance, and singing. The subject area is led by a curriculum development tutor who is supported by area managers. Forty part-time tutors teach on courses.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good with success rates of 91% for non-accredited courses. Success rates for the small proportion of accredited courses at advanced level are below the national average. Attendance is good in most classes.  The standard of learners’ work is good. Learners, including those just beginning their studies, develop good practical skills and techniques quickly. Their confidence and self-esteem increases. Learners participate in challenging, enjoyable and rewarding sessions. They feel safe and enjoy learning. Several learners use their skills to produce work which they can sell.  Specialist health and safety information is satisfactory. However, tutors do not promote it sufficiently within classes. Some warning notices are unclear and out of date. The quality of handouts in some cases is poor.  Teaching and learning are good. Teaching in performing arts classes is motivational. Enthusiastic and passionate teachers transmit their skills in

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Key findings

excellent learning environments. Peer support in classes is excellent. Tutors are highly skilled at teaching mixed-ability sessions. They plan their lessons in detail, using a wide variety of teaching methods and activities to support learners with their individual needs.  In a minority of lessons, the pace is slow with a narrow range of teaching strategies and long verbal introductions. Tutors do not use ILT to improve the presentation and contents of the lessons. A few individual learning plans do not have measurable learning targets.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good and celebrated in all classes through teaching and learning. Learners from a wide variety of cultural and religious groups enjoy acquiring a variety of skills. For example, half the learners on the blacksmithing course are women. Most classes are culturally inclusive and feature work based on different cultures.  NALS has established outstanding partnerships with local organisations to offer

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Key findings

learners realistic and challenging opportunities to develop skills and perform in front of audiences. For example, dance learners are working with East London Dance to prepare for participation in a large public event. Similarly, adult classes at Stratford Circus have good provision for singing.  The range of provision is good with some unusual subjects offered, such as blacksmithing, and embroidery for elders. NALS uses easily accessible and commonly used venues such as cafés and small centres to provide learning. Learners’ progression in classes and to college provision is good.  Care, guidance and support for learners are good. Learners feel well supported. Tutors provide sensitive support to ensure that learners achieve their objectives. Crèche facilities at the centres are good. Learners receive good information about materials required for the courses with clear pre-course information. The college prospectus is well promoted and available in local

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Key findings

libraries and venues.  Curriculum management is satisfactory. Course reviews and the self- assessment report are accurate. However, observers focus on documentation and processes rather than on learning. Support and guidance to tutors after observations is insufficient. Managers do not follow through the support and improvement plan for the tutors sufficiently. Tutors do not always share good practice from other parts of NALS.

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What does the London Borough of Newham need to do to improve further?

 Create opportunities for part-time tutors to share good practice from other parts of the curriculum area or NALS, including better use of ILT.  Improve the quality and presentation of handouts in classes so that all learners can see the information with greater clarity.  Provide the most appropriate support for tutors after lesson observations in order to improve their teaching skills further.

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Context

35. Since September 2009, some 1,575 learners have attended courses in 25 schools and in eight children’s centres across the borough. Courses and taster events cover family language, literacy and numeracy, and a range of wider family learning programmes. In 2008/09, 95% of learners were women, 80% were from minority ethnic backgrounds, most of whom speak another languge at home, and 12% were over 50 years of age. In 2008/09, some 50% of the 1,583 learners registered for nationally recognised qualifications at foundation level.

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Key findings

 Outcomes for learners are good. Pass rates for nationally recognised examinations are good at 82%. Retention rates are also high. For example, in 2008/09, retention rates were 92%.  Learners’ self-confidence improves significantly as does their ability to communicate with others in English and to make friends. They make a highly positive contribution to their own families by using the newly developed skills of communicating in English, reading stories and doing craft activities at home. This enhances their children’s confidence and performance at school.  Teaching and learning are good. Tutors work well with learners using everyday materials to make puppets and storybooks, thus improving their speaking, listening as well as reading and writing skills. Most tutors use ILT well to make learning exciting and memorable. However, a few tutors do not use the results of initial assessment to plan sufficiently for individualised learning.

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Key findings

 Initial assessment and assessment for learning are primarily written and paper- based. This is inappropriate for a minority of learners with significant ESOL needs, as the tutors may not fully appreciate the whole range of support needs of the learners. Learners receive appropriate verbal feedback in lessons. However, tutors do not use alternative methods such as photographs and audio technology. Individual reviews of learners’ progress are infrequent. Monitoring documents are also ineffective, as these do not outline what progress the learners have made, the quality of their work and what they need to do to improve.  Partnerships internally within the council services and with nursery, primary and secondary schools, as well as children’s centres, are highly effective. Some of the benefits include maximising funding, resources, joint planning and marketing to parents. Schools value the tangible benefits of family learning

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Key findings

including greater participation in school affairs by parents and the improved performance of their children at schools.  NALS’s approach to social inclusion is highly effective. It uses data well to target its provision at poorly performing schools. The service uses multilingual leaflets and bilingual family support workers to promote learning to parents and carers at appropriate times. NALS uses excellent thematic approaches to celebrate cultural diversity and provide coherent learning programmes that meet the needs of adults and children.  Quality improvement is satisfactory. NALS makes excellent use of partners’ and learners’ views to improve the provision. Lesson observation reports focus heavily on teaching rather than learning. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate.

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What does the London Borough of Newham need to do to improve further?

 Develop tutors’ expertise in the use of initial assessment to plan individualised learning and monitor their implementation through regular audits and lesson observations.  Develop more appropriate assessment methods for ESOL learners who are learning the English language by using more visual, aural and auditory methods.  Develop a method for recording learners’ progress to which tutors and learners can contribute. Ensure that appropriate review of progress and targets takes place to support learners.  Improve quality improvement arrangements to reflect judgements regarding the standard of skills and knowledge that learners acquire and ensure that observers evaluate all aspects of learning during observations.

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Information about the inspection

36. Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and four additional inspectors, assisted by the provider’s group strategic manager, as nominee, carried out the inspection. Inspectors also took account of the service’s most recent self- assessment report and development plans, previous inspection reports and data on learners and their achievement over the period since the previous inspection.

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Information about the inspection

37. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and emails. They looked at questionnaires that learners and employers had recently completed. They also observed learning sessions and assessments. Inspectors collected evidence from programmes in the four subject areas inspected and from other subject areas that NALS offers. Record of Main Findings (RMF)

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London Borough of Newham

Learning types: 16-18 Learner responsive: FE full- and part-time courses, Foundation learning tier, including Entry to Employment; 19+ responsive: FE full- and part-time courses; Social and personal development: all adult safeguarded provision

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London Borough of Newham

A. Outcomes for learners 2 2 2 2 A1. How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 3 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? 3 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 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 3 3 3 3

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London Borough of Newham

C1. How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations 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 16-18 Learner responsive 19+ Learner responsive Social and

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London Borough of Newham

Approximate number of enrolled learners Part-time learners 4,400 118 1,918 2,364 Overall effectiveness 2 2 2 2 Capacity to improve 3 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 Newham

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 Newham

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 Newham

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

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London Borough of Newham

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

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