USP College Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 2 of 17

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

 Take immediate steps to ensure that governors fulfil their responsibilities for reviewing safeguarding policies and procedures and by providing training for governors help them fully understand their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding.  Ensure the continued improvement of teaching, learning and assessment, so that most are good or outstanding, through building on the existing best practice of teachers, meeting the needs of all students in lessons and paying particular attention to providing sufficient challenge for more able students. Help teachers to improve their use of technology, to support learning in their lessons.  Improve the progress of all students, to match performance in the subjects where they make good or better progress by promoting ambition better in all lessons and ensure that teachers are able to better check the progress of their students, by full, and successful, implementation of the college’s new electronic tracking process.  Improve teaching, learning and assessment for foundation English and mathematics, the proportion of high grades for GCSE English and the extent of successful completion for functional skills mathematics. In particular, make sure that teachers of foundation English teach what is relevant to students’ vocational learning or likely employment. Improve students’ understanding of the relevance of English by ensuring that their subject teachers link English skills to students gaining their qualifications, employment and higher education.  Ensure that quality improvement arrangements to improve teaching and learning become fully effective by raising the standard and detail of the action plans developed to help teachers improve and significantly increase the monitoring by managers of teachers’ progress against their action plans.  To meet the requirements of 16 to 19 study programmes, fully implement plans to provide students with a rigorous, and quality assured, programme for students’ employability skills and work experience.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  Around two thirds of students are enrolled on vocational courses and a third on AS and A-level courses. Nearly all students are aged 16 to 18, following study programmes at level 3. The college has a sizeable, and growing, number of apprentices, on programmes which it provides in partnership with local industry and commerce.  Based upon the college’s own data, the overall percentage of students successfully completing their qualifications has increased well since the previous inspection, but too many still do not successfully complete or they make less than satisfactory progress given their starting points.  The increase in successful completions exists for all course levels, including level 3, which hosts around half of the college’s students. Successful completions for AS-level are now good. They are high for A-level, but have not increased over the last three years. Overall, and for students aged 16 to 18, the college performs at the same level as other providers in areas with similar deprivation.  Students’ successful completion of vocational qualifications at level 3 was low. It has now improved to a good level for BTEC subsidiary diplomas overall, but for extended diplomas it still

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 3 of 17

requires improvement. Overall, successful completions on vocational courses at level 2 have fallen over the last three years and are poor.  Successful completions and pass rates vary significantly between subjects and courses. Those with low outcomes in 2013/14 include AS government and politics, religious studies, use of mathematics and media studies and A-level government and politics and information and communication technology (ICT).  Apprentices do well in their studies. Their overall completion over the last two years is high and currently most apprentices complete their programme successfully. The number completing, successfully within agreed timescales is also high.  At the previous inspection, too many students on courses at level 3 were not making the progress expected of them, based on their attainment before coming to the college. Students on AS-level courses now make good progress overall and the progress of A-level students is improving, especially to satisfactory levels. However, in too many subjects, especially for A-level, students make less than satisfactory progress. The proportion of high grades students achieve continues to be low.  Overall, students on vocational courses at level 3 make better progress than that expected and on around half of their courses, they make particularly good progress.  Students’ work is often good and many develop good skills, especially relating to their vocational studies, as, for example, in health and social care and early years, and sport.  On the 16 to 19 study programmes, opportunities for students to understand employability and to develop skills for employability are insufficient.  Students insufficiently develop a good range of skills in English and mathematics, which is reflected in the significant variability in students’ success. For example, while the successful completion of entry level 2 functional skills mathematics was 100% in 2013/14, it was particularly low for level 2. While students achieve a good proportion of high grades in GCSE mathematics, for English it requires improvement.  Successful action has resolved the difference in performance at the previous inspection when male students achieved far less well than female students.  Students’ attendance and punctuality, which were not consistently good across all areas of the college at the previous inspection, have improved significantly.  The majority of students progress to higher-level qualifications or into employment. Around a third of students continue their studies with the college each year. Progression from AS-level to A-level courses is high and was 88% for the start of the 2014/15 academic year. Over the last three years, each year, around 50% of students progressed to employment or higher education in roughly equal measure, 10% to other further education and 8% were seeking employment.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement  As part of this inspection, inspectors sampled and graded a proportion of the college’s provision in health and social care, early years and playwork; science and mathematics; sport, leisure and recreation; sociology and psychology; foundation English and business.  Classroom-based teaching and learning are improving, as reflected in the good progress made by students on a significant proportion of AS-level and vocational programmes at level 3. However, not all learning activities, inside and outside the classroom, enable all students to extend and develop their knowledge fully, as reflected in the insufficient progress of too many students on A-level and vocational courses at level 3 in 2013/14.  Staff have set clearer expectations for students’ conduct, work ethic and attendance. Students’ punctuality and attitudes to learning are good. The positive impact of initiatives to improve teaching, such as advanced teaching practitioners to support individual teachers’ development

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 4 of 17

and share good practice, is beginning to take effect. For example, teachers have improved their use of questioning to check students’ understanding more effectively. In an AS politics lesson, the teacher’s skilful questioning enabled students to think through the meaning of ‘represented democracy’. The teacher reinforced key subject terminology and used technology well to provide stimulating visual prompts throughout the discussion and students made good progress.  Teachers’ use of technology to support learning out of lessons is steadily developing. However, the imaginative use of technology is not widespread. The extent and quality of learning resources on the college’s virtual learning environment (VLE) varies too much between subjects.  In a significant minority of lessons, teachers do not plan well enough to ensure students’ knowledge is sufficiently deepened or extended. Often, this is because the work set for students is not ambitious enough or they allocate too much time to complete the tasks and activities, leading to less than challenging learning.  Teachers return students’ work promptly and most attentively correct spelling, punctuation and grammar and, while the level of detail varies, provide clear written feedback on what students can do to improve their work. Increasingly, teachers encourage students to assess each other’s written work, which they do to very good effect, and this develops students’ skills in proofreading and critical analysis.  Training for apprentices and trainees is good and this is reflected in their good outcomes overall. Apprentices receive frequent and rigorous assessments and progress reviews. Well-structured supported internships with local organisations for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have increased significantly this year. Teaching, learning and assessment of subcontracted provision are good.  Teachers’ promotion of students’ English and mathematics skills is not yet consistently good. Almost all students not achieving a grade C or above in GCSE English or mathematics are following a programme to develop these skills further.  Students’ extra-curricular activities in sport remain wide-ranging, well publicised and attended. Wider enrichment to develop students’ personal and social skills remains limited, but managers have substantive plans to expand this in 2014/15.  Opportunities for the large majority of students on 16 to 19 study programmes to extend their skills and knowledge, in preparation for work, require improvement. Managers and staff in this academic year have defined the course entitlement to develop these skills and knowledge more clearly. Recently introduced ventures are underway, such as ‘The Core’, the college’s dedicated retail and commercial centre, that enables students to develop their entrepreneurial skills.  Teachers review students’ progress frequently and their monitoring of students’ attendance is consistently rigorous. Managers recognise that the tracking of students’ progress, particularly on vocational courses, has been uneven and lacks cohesion. However, they have not yet fully implemented a revised electronic tracking process. Managers and staff monitor closely most students at risk, or in need of support of not completing their courses and those in care.  Advice and guidance for students are good overall. Careers guidance is good, particularly for students wishing to progress to higher education. A revised tutorial programme, with a clearer focus on careers guidance and preparation for progression, is in place for this academic year, but it is too early to determine its effectiveness. Students with identified academic support needs receive good support from the college’s specialist support teams and the newly introduced student learning mentors.  Staff continue to promote an inclusive and positive learning environment for students. The behaviour of students around the college and in lessons is very good. However, while the majority of teachers carefully plan and promote students’ awareness of the values required to live and work in modern Britain, such as tolerance, diversity and appreciation of different cultures, a significant minority do not.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 5 of 17

Health, social Care and early years

16-19 study programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, as reflected in the improved, and now good, outcomes for students overall. These are best on courses at level 2 and for apprentices on childcare and health and social care programmes. Reduced retention on classroom-based courses at level 3 led to poorer performance in 2013/14.  The majority of students make good progress in lessons. A significant majority achieve high grades, reaching or exceeding their targets, and progress well to further study or employment. Assessors now visit apprentices more frequently, enabling them to complete within the expected timescale.  Teachers and assessors ensure students develop good knowledge and skills essential for their future work, including effective communication skills and self-esteem. Employers comment positively upon students and apprentices’ better understanding of the needs of those for whom they care. For example, working in a childcare setting, an intermediate apprentice demonstrated a good understanding of social and emotional development when working with a young child who could not speak English. She identified key words in his own language, helping him to settle and participate with others as he developed English.  Well-qualified, experienced and enthusiastic teachers and assessors encourage students and apprentices to undertake research and work independently, or as part of a team. Their high expectations motivate students and apprentices to gain confidence and aim high. Resources for learning are good and learning materials reflect diversity.  Teachers use a range of creative learning activities, motivating and interesting students very well. Students enjoy and benefit from their practical lessons. For example, a teacher prepared a room with a number of potential hazards for children. Students at level 2 enthusiastically completed a risk assessment, identifying hazards and levels of risk, before ably discussing their findings with peers. Each drafted a report for the manager of the setting, demonstrating a good understanding of the issues.  Teachers make good use of students’ self and peer assessment, to help check learning in lessons. Students learn to be supportive and constructively critical. In better lessons, teachers carefully plan the mix of student groupings for a task. In less effective lessons, teachers do not provide activities for all students to extend learning fully, or sufficiently include links to students’ developing professional practice.  Teachers and assessors ensure that assessments are well planned and timely. Assignment briefs clearly match grading criteria. Written comments from teachers and assessors are constructive and detailed, encouraging reflection on how to improve. Reviews and assessment plans for apprentices are thorough, enabling good monitoring of their progress, in collaboration with employers.  Teachers and tutors provide good information, advice and guidance to students and ensure that they are on the correct course. Personal and academic support meets the needs of students well. Closer liaison between parents and teachers has led to a marked improvement in students’ attendance and punctuality and both are now good. Students value, and benefit from, well-planned additional support in lessons and in the college’s centre to support learning ‘Learning Plus’. Good work placements for students help them to make better progress  Students make better progress with the development of their English skills than with their mathematics. In English, they work towards either functional skills or GCSE and teachers link this well with their vocational studies. In most lessons, teachers do not fully develop students’

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 6 of 17

skills in mathematics. Students and apprentices on childcare courses do not gain confidence and competence with interactive white boards, a key employability skill, as the technology is lacking.  Students and apprentices show respect for others and recognise the importance of valuing individual differences. They have a good understanding of safeguarding and its implications for professional practice, and pay close attention to safe working practices.

Science and Mathematics

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement, as do outcomes overall. Too many students do not make the progress expected of them, given their prior attainment, especially at A-level, and too few achieve high grades. On courses for foundation mathematics, the proportion of students gaining A* to C grades in GCSE mathematics is high, but successful completion on functional skills courses is too low.  The quality of teaching and learning, in both mathematics and the sciences, varies too much, although it is better in the sciences. In better lessons, teachers have high expectations of all students, creating a positive enthusiasm for learning and encouraging students to extend their knowledge and understanding. Teachers share with students their objectives for the lesson and use them as markers to check learning. However, too often, teachers provide insufficient challenge to all students and develop the lesson too slowly, failing to meet the different learning needs of students. They do not plan lessons to meet students’ different learning styles or levels of ability and the more able lack challenge and stimulus.  Where good teaching takes place, teachers use their skills and knowledge of students to plan thoroughly and use activities which stimulate and motivate students. Teachers promote independent learning and frequently check students’ understanding. Students work in small groups, deepening their understanding, as they support, and learn from, each other. Teachers usefully often require students to write their calculations on white boards and they provide constructive criticism to help students understand important theoretical concepts.  A few teachers are good at checking understanding and develop further students’ skills and technical knowledge, including the use of probing questions to ensure that all students are fully involved in the lesson.  Better teaching and learning are accompanied by good assessment, where teachers ensure that students are tested frequently and their progress closely monitored. Teachers inform students what they need to do to improve, often leading to better progress and understanding. In this context, students enjoy their studies and talk positively about the support they get from their teachers.  Teachers set target grades for improvement for all students, but too many do not use them in their discussions on progress with students. A few students cannot recall what they need to do to improve. In all subjects, teachers regularly set homework, based on previous examination questions, or insist that their students use the VLE to do extra tasks, to improve their understanding. Students’ attendance has improved well since the previous inspection, but it is too low for lessons in foundation mathematics.  In the best science lessons, teachers effectively develop students’ mathematical skills to support their studies and improve particular skills. The extent to which teachers successfully develop students’ English skills significantly varies between subjects. In applied science and biology, some development of English skills is good, but in physics, chemistry and mathematics it is too little.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 7 of 17

 Good initial advice and guidance by specialist college staff ensure that students are on correct courses. Students also receive timely and valuable support with their applications for higher education. They value highly the support they receive from teachers outside of lessons, especially in mathematics. Practical science lessons and the opportunity to work with the college’s science technicians, as part of their work experience, help students prepare for future study or work. Teachers and technicians pay good attention to safe working practices for their students.  Teachers and staff appropriately introduce students to aspects of equality and diversity. For example, in a science lesson observed by inspectors, students had a very good grasp of ethical and moral issues surrounding pressure groups and science.

Sport, Leisure and Recreation

16-19 study programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment lead to successful outcomes for the large majority of students. Their successful completion of short duration courses at level 1 and of most courses at level 2 is consistently high. A very high proportion of students successfully complete their AS-level and A-level courses. In contrast, successful completions on all vocational diplomas at level 3 require improvement. The progress which students make, based on their prior attainment, is often good or better, but this requires improvement for A-level physical education.  Students develop good practical sporting skills and often reach high standards in teams and sporting competitions.  Teaching and learning across all courses are good. In the best lessons, teachers prepare and plan their lessons very well, giving careful consideration to extension and homework activities to challenge and demand more of students. They clearly identify key learning objectives which they regularly reinforce during lessons.  Teachers use a wide and sensible variety of teaching and learning activities which interest and involve students. They make highly effective use of skilful and tenacious questioning of students, peer observations, group discussions and modern technologies, including mobile phones and the VLE to, promote independent learning.  Teachers fully encourage students to play a leading role in planning for their own learning and students make very good use of the college’s and departmental learning resources centres in their studies. Students benefit from having ready access to good learning resources and facilities which they and their teachers use well to develop their academic and practical knowledge, skills and abilities.  Teachers use well the outcomes of students’ initial assessments to ensure they are on courses at the appropriate level. They use their skills well to motivate students and set challenging individualised attainment targets, based on the initial assessment outcomes. Teachers closely monitor students’ progress towards achieving targets. The good use of tutorials ensures that students remain on track to achieve their learning goals.  The quality of teachers’ feedback on students’ assessments is inconsistent. While students on courses at level 3 often receive detailed, constructive, informative and developmental written feedback, those on other levels of course receive helpful, but insufficiently detailed comments.  Most teachers develop students’ English and mathematical skills well in subject learning tasks and activities. All teachers routinely check students’ spelling and grammar and make good use of annotation on assessed work to improve these skills.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 8 of 17

 Students benefit from receiving timely information advice and guidance prior to enrolment, during induction and at different stages in their learning programme. Teachers use individual tutorials well to provide individual support and guidance and assist students with any concerns that they may have. Teachers effectively promote a caring and supportive learning culture and students feel valued and safe.  While students do not benefit from a college-wide programme of work experience, their opportunities to link with their future industries and employers are good. The development of students’ employability skills, through tutorials, is not sufficient.  Students work in an inclusive and tolerant culture. However, teachers give insufficient attention to developing and putting in context students’ awareness of equality and diversity issues in lessons.

Sociology and Psychology

16-19 study programmes

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment are reflected in the good proportion of students successfully completing their courses. The outcomes for AS- level students are particularly good and their work in lessons is of a high standard, and in a minority of cases above that normally found at this stage of their courses. Outcomes for A-level students are not as good and their achievement of high grades requires improvement, but current students are making good progress. Attendance and punctuality are particularly good.  Teachers have high expectations of their students, who have good recall of previous learning, and a good understanding of the complex sociological and psychological perspectives they discuss. Students refer accurately to relevant research to illustrate the points they make. Teachers require the students to provide robust evidence to substantiate their answers and to demonstrate that their arguments are justified and coherent.  Teachers support students very well and they are generous with their time. Teachers provide timely and very effective guidance to students who have specific concerns relating to their work. Personal tutors effectively look after the pastoral care needs of students.  Students enjoy their lessons. Teachers’ well-chosen teaching and learning activities extend students’ learning and understanding. These include particularly well managed group and paired work, the completion of individual written tasks, the creative and confident use of computers and well-managed class question and answer sessions. Most teachers valuably direct their well-focused and challenging questions to nominated students. Students do not always make sufficiently detailed notes of the learning points arising from discussion or from the informative question and answer sessions. The lack of development of this important skill hinders students making the most of current learning and their preparation for study in higher education.  Learning resources are good. Students use the module workbooks and other resources produced by teachers to record key learning points effectively. Teachers and students make effective use of information learning technology to support teaching, learning and assessment. Teachers use well-chosen video clips to illustrate theoretical points and stimulate discussion.  Teachers carefully assess students’ written work. Their feedback is appropriately detailed and students understand what they need to do to improve. The use of well-managed peer assessment is very effective. Through this system, reinforcement of assessment criteria is good and students learn from each other. Teachers carefully monitor students’ progress through the tracking of their grades. Individual achievement targets are clear and understood by students. Teachers and students regularly review the targets.  Teachers effectively support the development of English and mathematical skills. They check and confirm the understanding of specialist vocabulary. Teachers and peers correct errors in

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 9 of 17

spelling, punctuation and grammar when assessing work. However, strategies are not always in place to ensure that students make individual records of the new terms. Teachers and students effectively use statistical studies and other numerical data to discuss subject issues and to develop mathematical skills.  Initial advice and guidance for students are good. Teachers and managers ensure that students are on appropriate programmes and enjoy their courses. The induction programme enables new students to settle quickly into the college and their programmes. Students receive very good support in making the transition from AS to A-level work. They respond to new challenges with confidence and maturity. A high proportion of the students who progress to higher education choose to study the social sciences at university.  Teachers’ promotion of equality and diversity is good. Teachers adapt their teaching and learning approaches to meet the needs of different groups of students. Timely specialist support is available to students with specific additional needs. For example, a scribe effectively supports a student who is hearing impaired. Good, informed and very respectful discussions of minority groups, their customs, practices and beliefs are informative and very well managed.

Foundation English

16-19 study programmes Apprenticeships

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement, as reflected in the outcomes for students, which also require improvement. A high and increasing proportion of students successfully complete their qualifications, but the number achieving higher grades is too low. Arrangements to develop fully the English skills of those students who already hold a grade C in GCSE English are insufficient. Effective initial and diagnostic assessment places students into suitable broad ability groups and ensure that students are on the right English course and level.  In the best foundation English lessons, teachers make good use of students’ test profiles to plan learning. Guidance from teachers is clear, calm and helpful. Teachers challenge students and they make good use of the questioning of individual students to maintain their focus, test learning and encourage them to think, reflect and extend their knowledge. Students are attentive and often work productively, producing English work of a good standard. Teachers set clear standards to manage behaviour effectively and defuse potential disruption. They suitably challenge students’ late arrival to lessons. Teachers are appropriately qualified and experienced.  In weaker English lessons, teachers have less useful class profiles and they focus more on a whole class approach which holds back the improvement of English skills because they are not meeting the different individual learning needs of students. The momentum of weaker lessons is too slow and students have to wait while the teacher works with others. In a few larger classes, the cramped space makes it difficult for teachers to use productive small group teaching. Managers have taken substantive steps to resolve this immediately.  Teachers of foundation English do not ensure that what they teach is relevant to students’ vocational learning or likely employment. Tasks and activities reflect the English curriculum, but make few links to how English skills may apply in students’ vocational work and too many students lose interest in lessons due to this approach. Learning materials in a minority of lessons for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities do have a valuable vocational context.  Too much vocational teaching fails to develop and apply the skills learnt in discrete English lessons. Communication between vocational and English teaching teams has improved with the appointment of a co-ordinator this year, but it is too early to judge any impact on this significant area requiring improvement.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 10 of 17

 Teachers provide sufficient feedback to students to enable them to improve. Verbal feedback by teachers to students in lessons is encouraging, and specific. In better lessons, teachers make good use of students’ peer and self-assessment. Teachers mark students’ work neatly with constructive comment about what has been done well and what needs to improve, but some spelling and punctuation corrections are missed and some self and peer marking is incorrect.  Teachers’ use of ICT to improve students’ learning is insufficient. Students and teachers use interactive whiteboards, mobile technology and the VLE infrequently. Students use computers for writing assignments. In one ICT classroom, students’ chairs at workstations are not adjustable.  Teachers carefully track students’ progress against targets set and their attendance. Staff promptly provide support to students at risk of falling behind in their learning. This support is well established for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, but it requires further improvement for students on 16 to 19 study programmes.  Teachers provide students with suitable advice and guidance to support their learning. Students understand the requirements of the qualifications and achieve their target grade. However, they do not receive sufficient advice to encourage them to achieve higher grades and to continue to extend and apply their skills. Too many students see a GCSE grade C as a final target, rather than adopting aims which are more aspirational.  Teachers’ promotion of equality and diversity in lessons is insufficient. For example, they do not select well material and text to challenge stereotypes, raise awareness or to explore diversity topics. Students feel safe and know who to speak to if they need support, but are not sufficiently aware of safeguarding risks, particularly e-safety.

Business

16-19 study programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment have led to improved, and good, outcomes for students. The number of students achieving high grades has increased and they are making good progress against their expected target grades. Apprentices successfully complete their programmes well within expected timescales. Students’ progression to further study and employment is high.  Teachers have high expectations of students. Students’ positive response to this is evident in the good knowledge that they demonstrate in lessons. For example, a group of A-level students expertly provided presentations about measures they would introduce to improve the performance of a poorly performing national supermarket chain. The teacher also linked this activity well to their summative assessment.  Teachers use ICT effectively to provide variety in their teaching methods and activities. For example, in a retail lesson students ably found job descriptions for actual vacancies which they then compared and analysed.  Teachers’ very good use of a broad range of questioning means that students develop a deeper understanding of business concepts. Teachers regularly ask students to explain why they have given a particular answer and challenge them if it is incorrect. The use of live briefs and business challenges, although underutilised by teachers, accelerates students’ learning, as for example, when second year vocational students take part in the Young Enterprise programme and set up real businesses. They are assigned a job role, use e-marketing and social media, and deal with real money. One group of students have successfully started a business selling t-shirts in the ‘The Core’. Local employers and past students chair panels to interview students as part of their assessment on preparing for employment units.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 11 of 17

 In spite of these valuable work-related activities, managers and teachers in the area recognise that developing student’s employability skills in lessons, and creating opportunities for them to experience real work, require development, especially for students on 16 to 19 study programmes.  Teachers give students timely and helpful feedback on assessed work, helping them to improve their grades. Second year students all know their target grades and what they need to do to achieve them. Peer assessment helps to build students’ evaluative skills and teachers and students use it productively in A-Level lessons. Inspectors agreed with students that at this stage of the year tutorials are not as structured and useful to them as their main programme of study  The development of students’ English and mathematics skills requires improvement. Teachers do not take full advantage of the many opportunities in lessons to link business themes to the development of English and mathematics. However, level 2 students keep a ‘key terms’ glossary where they write down words they do not understand, to help them in their assessments and the standard of English in students’ notes and in their individual course files is very good. Teachers encourage students to write detailed notes.  Inspectors agreed with students that the timely initial advice and guidance that staff provide helps them make the right decisions about which course to study. They also value their inductions to the college.  Teachers’ schemes of work and lesson plan cover thoroughly how to develop students’ understanding of equality and diversity. However, in lessons, teachers often do not follow their plans even when topics could easily provide opportunities for teachers, such as market segmentation and customer service.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement  In the relatively short time since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have successfully promoted a culture and ethos of improvement throughout the college. These have started to have a positive impact on improving provision and outcomes for students. Leaders and managers recognise they need to do more work to achieve good improvement across the college and to remove inconsistencies in the quality of provision.  Leaders and managers have a clear vision and mission for the college and they have made good progress in transforming the ethos of the college, to give greater accountability and clearer responsibilities for staff. Communications within the college are very good.  Governors suitably challenge leaders and managers on key aspects of performance, including students’ success and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, although not on safeguarding. They receive detailed reports and briefings on most aspects of financial and academic performance of the college, which are risk-rated to enable greater focus on priority areas. They help set and monitor college targets overall and play an important role in reviewing the curriculum.  The new management team is thoroughly engaged in driving forward further improvement. Improved management of the sixth form provision has already led to better outcomes for students, but with still too much inconsistency between subjects and course levels. Since the previous inspection, managers and staff have improved cross-college areas including attendance, retention and pass rates of different groups of students.  The extent to which managers secure college-wide improvement in teaching and learning requires improvement. While teaching and learning are improving, their quality still varies significantly across subject areas. The scheme to observe lessons has weaknesses. For example, in one curriculum area, lesson observations were not conducted within the poorest performing part of the provision, with the risk that poor performance would continue. Action plans for improvement often do not provide sufficient detail to help teachers. Managers do not rigorously

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 12 of 17

monitor the progress with these action plans. When managers identify priorities for development, their support for teachers to help improve is good, including a team of highly respected and competent practitioners which mostly provide good training to teachers.  The self-assessment report is evaluative, includes good use of data on students’ performance, and identifies most key strengths and areas for improvement. Managers pay too little attention to recurring areas for improvement, resulting in a minority of areas of underperformance continuing from one year to the next. Within a large majority of improvement plans, actions to resolve weaknesses are insufficiently clear to help improve the quality of provision for students.  Management of the college’s significant subcontracted provision is robust, resulting in the vast majority of students with subcontractors successfully completing their qualifications. Subcontractors value the frequent communication they have with managers and the continuing support and development they receive.  Managers have been slow to implement the work experience or work-related learning aspects of 16 to 19 study programmes and students have insufficient opportunities for these. Managers recognise the need for further development in this area to improve students’ study programmes.  Good planning ensures that the curriculum meets the different needs of local employers and the interests of students. Managers use local and regional employment and economic data well to help plan the curriculum.  The Principal and managers have developed strong partnerships with employers and other local stakeholders to improve opportunities for students. Leaders and managers are effectively positioning the college as an integral part of the community.  Most staff effectively promote key themes of equality and diversity in their dealings with students. However, managers pay too little attention to how teachers promote this area, within lessons.  Safeguarding of all students requires improvement as governors do not meet their statutory responsibilities for annually reviewing safeguarding policies and procedures. In other respects, the college meets its statutory requirements for learners. Managers and staff consider promptly individual safeguarding concerns and involve the relevant local support agencies. The very large majority of staff have received appropriate training. To ensure governors are clear regarding their responsibilities, they urgently need update training. Arrangements for safer recruitment practices are good.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 13 of 17

Record of Main Findings (RMF) Seevic College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance: 1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 2 3 2 Outcomes for learners The quality of teaching, learning and assessment The effectiveness of leadership and management

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

Health and Social Care 2 Early Years and Playwork 2 Science 3 Mathematics and Statistics 3 Sport, Leisure and Recreation 2 Sociology and Social Policy 2 Psychology 2 Foundation English 3 Business 2

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 14 of 17

Provider details

Type of provider General further education college Age range of learners 16+

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

2956 Principal/CEO Mr Nick Spenceley Date of previous inspection April 2013 Website address www.seevic-college.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

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 165 33 372 5 1882 50 30 4

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 86 117 37 126 1 6

Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total 33 N/A 33 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 and Skills Funding Agency

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

 Southend United Football Club Limited  The Thames Group  Southend University Hospital  Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital  Beauty Booty Limited  Careers by Design Limited  Green Inc Limited  Watertrain Limited.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 15 of 17

Contextual information

Seevic College is a medium-sized general further education college, which was formerly a sixth form college up to 2010. Its campus is in Benfleet, Essex. Students attend the college from a diverse and wide-ranging catchment area, including a number of districts with high deprivation. Unemployment in the local area is below the national average. The main employment sectors are administration and secretarial services and professional and technical occupations.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector David Martin HMI

Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the Deputy Principal, Curriculum and Quality, 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 sector subject areas listed in the report above.

Inspection report: Seevic College, 29 September – 3 October 2014 16 of 17

What inspection judgements mean

Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 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