Landmarks Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Full report What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the implementation of the functional skills strategy to ensure students have good opportunities to extend their English and mathematics skills across all learning activities.  Managers should review their procedures for setting shorter term targets and carry out further staff training on this aspect to ensure greater consistency in targets and in recording students’ progress in lessons.  Managers should ensure the continued development of staff skills so that all learning support is at least good. They should also share examples of outstanding practice more effectively across the college.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Good  Students make good progress in relation to their starting points in developing the personal and social skills they need for their future lives. The majority of students learn to manage their own behaviour more effectively which impacts positively on their lives.  Where appropriate, students achieve relevant vocational qualifications to support their long-term goals. A minority of students progress and achieve higher level units in vocational and functional skills qualifications.  Students make good progress in developing their personal and independence skills. Travel training further develops students’ skills enabling them to access wider community activities and where appropriate, to travel independently to their work placements.  Students develop appropriate English and mathematics skills such as counting, size, reading and writing in many lessons. They are encouraged to develop and use their speaking skills in lessons. Students demonstrate good gains in their levels of confidence and communication skills. In one lesson, students discussed their responsibilities as adults when making choices. The standard of students’ work is generally good.  Students improve their personal and practical skills very well in a range of different settings particularly through the increasing number of work placements. They interact well with members of the public in community settings including the college’s shop, as well as through collaborative work with partner organisations. For example, students increase their communication skills and confidence through a joint animal care lesson with pupils from a mainstream high school. A high level of support from tutors and job coaches helps students to adapt to new environments and develop their practical and work-related skills.  College data indicate no significant variations in achievement of learning goals between different groups of students and inspection evidence confirms this is generally the case.  Students’ attendance is satisfactory and retention is high. Students make good progress towards realising their long-term goals. The majority of students enjoy and participate fully in their learning and college life. Many students progress to their chosen destinations. In 2012/13 all learners for whom this was appropriate progressed into voluntary work. Arrangements to support the continuation of work placements after students have left college are well-developed.

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment have improved since the last inspection and are now good. Students enjoy their learning and make good progress. Staff have high expectations of what students can achieve. Teachers create a safe atmosphere for students. They structure practical learning activities, create ample opportunities for students to practise new skills with learning support staff, recap frequently on new learning and help students evaluate their own work. Learning materials are good.  Specialist therapeutic support from the multidisciplinary team is very effective. Speech and language therapists, an occupational therapist and a technologist collaborate successfully with teachers to provide students with highly individualised communication strategies that enable them to access learning. More recently, assistive technology benefits students greatly, for example during independent travel training where talking photographic records of regular journeys provide students with useful reminders. Students benefit from good access to psychological support from qualified counsellors.  Behaviour management is good. Teachers, therapists and support staff know the students well and use a wide variety of individual strategies to help them to better manage their anxieties. Working with horses or small animals, doing practical activities in the open air or engaging in quiet practical activities such as ceramics help to calm and focus students at moments of tension. Arrangements for a small number of students who need to work alone are good and provide well-designed activities to develop skills for self-employment.  Care and personal support are good. Staff liaise closely with parents or carers to share support strategies and ensure that, wherever possible, students practise their independence skills at home. Learning support by experienced staff in college is skilled and sensitive. A few less effective learning support staff do not provide sufficient time for students to process questions before answering.  The initial assessment of students’ starting points is thorough and well informed by specialist therapists. Students’ long-term goals are clear and specific. Shorter term targets cover all aspects of the students’ programmes effectively, including independence, vocational, mathematics and English. While many targets are suitably challenging and specific, others are too vague or too complex which hinders the consistent recording of students’ progress in lessons. Managers are aware that this requires further improvement.  Teachers and support staff give frequent positive feedback on students’ progress in lessons, with clear indications about what they need to do to improve. Teachers record students’ progress against their targets frequently and in detail on a useful learner journey record and they review this in regular subject and pastoral tutorials.  The college gives significant priority to the development of students’ English and mathematics skills through integrating them in most activities. While this has begun to have an impact, the college recognises that it needs a dedicated specialist to lead further development of the strategy. Work on improving students’ oral communication skills is good and is central to all learning activities.  Advice and guidance are good. Information and advice for students and their families before entry to the college are supportive and helpful. Consultations with students’ families are particularly frequent and valuable in relation to students’ destinations on leaving the college. Staff work tirelessly to try to find suitable voluntary or paid work, to support students in applying to college, to advise about the use of a personal budget or to support liaison with social services.  Equality and diversity are promoted well in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and students’ ability to make choices, as well as through the independence and transition programmes.

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Teachers strongly challenge behaviour that shows discrimination towards any group or individuals.

The effectiveness of leadership and management

Good  Leadership and management of the college have improved significantly since the previous inspection and are now good. Senior managers and the trustees have a clear vision for the future of the college. Plans are at an advanced stage to move to a new site with better facilities. Managers have exceeded their recruitment target for the number of students in a time of significant changes to funding for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff at all levels have greater accountability for improvements to the provision.  Oversight and challenge of the college by the board of trustees has improved greatly since the last inspection and is now good. Board members now closely scrutinise reports on students’ progress and records of teaching and learning. A focused training programme has given board members having a greater understanding of their role; they now have specific areas of responsibility such as health and safety and have a higher profile within the college, for example by taking part in learning walks.  Since the last inspection, a review by managers has led to improvements in the curriculum that benefit students’ needs well. A move away from students taking accredited courses towards a greater focus on providing highly individualised programmes is more successful in meeting students’ needs. Practical activities promote skills development well.  Further successful actions to strengthen staffing resources to support learning since the previous inspection include the appointment of four job coaches and a technologist to promote the increased use of information and communication technology (ICT). Increased speech and language therapy and occupational therapy input and greater responsibility for managers contribute well to improvements. New and increased staffing has resulted in a more relevant curriculum. The equine area now has a useful all-weather riding facility.  Partnership work is good. Trustees have recently attended a joint training day with board members and governors from other colleges to share ideas on how to fulfil their role more effectively. Managers work with other colleges to moderate and standardise judgements relating to the achievement of non-accredited outcomes and this is improving rigour in the measurement of students’ progress.  Performance management is much improved as a result of revised policies and procedures for the observation of teaching, learning and assessment. For example, managers provide a highly focused programme of support for any teachers or learning support assistants whose performance requires improvement. This results in significant improvements to the quality of teaching and learning. Inspectors’ judgements on the quality of lessons broadly agreed with those of the college observation team.  The self-assessment report identifies the main strengths and areas for improvement of the college adequately. Students’ and others’ views inform the report and many of their suggested changes to improve the provision are acted upon. The trustees regularly monitor progress against the quality improvement action plan. However not all actions are sufficiently focused to enable easy measurement and too few contain specific targets or performance indicators.  A large number of useful quality improvement measures are now in place including quality audits on many aspects of the students’ experience. Comprehensive quality checklists ensure staff are clear about the standards expected of them; peer reviews of each other’s work contribute to this understanding.  Safeguarding processes and procedures are rigorous and meet statutory requirements. Managers and staff make students’ well-being and safety a high priority. All staff receive regular training on safeguarding. Managers follow up identified safeguarding issues very effectively.

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Students feel safe and are confident to talk to staff if they have any concerns. Managers and staff instruct students skilfully on how to keep safe within the college and wider community. For example, easy read resources are available for students on a range of safeguarding issues including ‘staying safe’ and ‘e-safety’.  All staff provide a learning environment in which each student’s individual needs are met well. They create an atmosphere of mutual respect and support. Recent improvements to the management information system are leading to a clearer analysis of outcomes by different student groups.

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) Landmarks

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

Overall effectiveness

Outcomes for learners The quality of teaching, learning and assessment The effectiveness of leadership and management

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Subject areas graded for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment Grade

Independent living and leisure skills 2

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Provider details Type of provider

Independent specialist college

Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

16+ 26

Principal/CEO

Dr Dawn Green

Date of previous inspection

February 2013

Website address

www.landmarks.ac.uk

Provider information at the time of the inspection Main course or learning programme level

Level 1 or Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 below and above

Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age Number of traineeships

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 11 21 0 1 0 0 0 0

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 N/A 19+ N/A 16-18 N/A 19+ N/A 16-18 N/A 19+ N/A

16-19 N/A 19+ N/A Total N/A

Number of learners aged 14-16

N/A Full-time N/A Part-time N/A

Number of community learners

N/A Number of employability learners N/A

Funding received from

Education Funding Agency (EFA)

At the time of inspection the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:

N/A

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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Contextual information

Landmarks is a land-based college located in Creswell, north east Derbyshire. It is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. The main base for the college is a 20 acre working farm with purpose built workshops. The student population ranges in age from 16 to 60 and all have a learning difficulty and/or disability. Most students live within a 25 mile radius of the college and travel on a daily basis. The college currently has 84 students, of whom 33 are funded by the Education Funding Agency (EFA). The remaining 51 students are mostly funded by social services and are not in the scope of the inspection. Of the 33 EFA funded students, 70% are male and 3% are of minority ethnic heritage.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Margaret Hobson HMI

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors, assisted by the deputy principal as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the areas listed in the report above.

Inspection report: Landmarks, 21–23 May 2014

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Judgement

Outstanding Good Requires improvement Inadequate Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills 2012, Part 2: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills-september-2012

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website:

www.ofsted.gov.uk If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

Learner View is a website where learners can tell Ofsted what they think about their college or provider. They can also see what other learners think about them too. To find out more go to www.learnerview.ofsted.gov.uk

Employer View is a new website where employers can tell Ofsted what they think about their employees’ college or provider. They can also see what other employers think about them too. To find out more go to www.employerview.ofsted.gov.uk