Kensington and Chelsea College Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Kensington and Chelsea College, 12−15 November 2013 2 of 16

Full report

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement rates through a greater focus on meeting the needs of individual learners in all subject areas and, in particular, the setting of challenging work for more able learners.  Analyse the reasons why certain groups of learners do not perform as well as their peers and take the necessary actions to improve their success. Implement processes for monitoring and measuring learners’ progress overall across the college, particularly on advanced level courses.  Take urgent action to improve success rates on apprenticeships through better management of the provision, clearer relationships with employers and the continuation of actions already in place to ensure apprentices do not withdraw from their training.  Carry out a review, already started in the case of functional skills, to examine the way in which courses are designed and delivered to ensure that learners have a realistic chance of succeeding on all the qualifications they study in addition to their main programme.  Take urgent action to ensure learners in a number of subject areas take part in work experience or some other form of enterprise activity. Establish rigorous checks for learners who are receiving training in the workplace to ensure they are always safe and are clear about what they do if they have problems at work.  Train managers to ensure they implement quality improvement processes equally effectively in all subject areas. Establish a more differentiated approach to quality improvement where necessary to focus in greater detail on poorly performing parts of the curriculum. Improve the sharing of best practice from within the more successful areas of the college with those that perform less well.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  The overall proportion of learners completing their courses successfully is satisfactory. The college has been particularly successful in improving the performance of the smaller cohort of learners aged 16 to 18 over the last two years. Success rates have improved and are now at the national average. This is largely due to a very significant improvement in retention, although these remain low for young learners on intermediate courses. Pass rates are low for learners aged 16 to 18, particularly on advanced level courses where they are significantly below the national average.  Success rates are at the national average for the much larger cohort of adult learners, but have remained static for the last four years. Retention is particularly high for adult learners on advanced level courses, but pass rates are only satisfactory at all levels.  Learners’ achievement is particularly poor on short courses. Success rates are declining and are significantly below the national average, most notably for adult learners. The college has identified a need to reduce the amount of additional qualifications that learners are expected to achieve alongside their main course and also a necessity to review the ways in which some curriculum areas structure their programmes to ensure learners succeed.  Success rates show significant variations in the small number of subject areas offered by the college. For example, most learners who begin courses in early years are successful and success rates are mostly above the national average in hairdressing and beauty therapy, visual arts and initial teacher education; however, those studying in health and social care, sport, performing arts and on English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses are less likely to succeed. The proportion of learners achieving high-grade passes on the small amount of A-level provision in modern foreign languages is high.

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 Most learners who enrol at the college have performed satisfactorily on their previous GCSE courses or equivalent programmes. Very few have high prior attainment. They make good progress on early years, hairdressing and beauty therapy, visual arts and initial teacher education courses, but their progress is inconsistent in other subject areas. The college does not yet have a process in place for measuring and improving the overall progress that learners make in their studies, particularly on advanced level courses.  The college has been successful, to some extent, in reducing gaps in achievement between different groups of learners. Learners without identified learning needs who did not perform as well as their peers in 2011/12 are now equally successful in achieving their qualifications. Some cohorts of learners from minority ethnic heritages achieve less well than their White British counterparts, most notably those on foundation level programmes and from African, Caribbean and Asian backgrounds. Male learners perform less well than their female peers, although the gap has narrowed over the last two years. The difference in how well learners succeed by gender is most pronounced on intermediate level courses.  The college serves a diverse range of learners at its two very different main sites. Learners feel safe around the college and standards of behaviour and mutual respect are good. The college has stringent policies on punctuality which it enforces, for the most part, to good effect. Attendance is improving and is now good, particularly as most learners have long journey times to the college from other London boroughs and many have challenging and complicated personal backgrounds.  Learners enjoy studying at the college and are highly motivated in many lessons. Standards of work are very good in early years and visual arts and learners on hairdressing and beauty therapy courses develop good, or better, practical and technical skills. Learners from across the college take part in a wide range of voluntary and cultural activities. The college’s peer mentoring scheme has been successful in developing the personal skills of adult mentors who have helped to improve the retention of young learners at risk of withdrawing from their courses. Learners benefit from imaginative curriculum enrichment in a number of subject areas; but this is not yet consistent throughout the college.  The development of learners’ skills in English and mathematics is satisfactory, but is too variable in different subject areas. The college is very successful in ensuring that most of the learners who complete their GCSE mathematics and English courses achieve their qualifications at grades A* to C. However, functional skills success rates are very low and declining. Initiatives to develop learners’ employability and enterprise skills are under developed in some parts of the college.  Success rates for the very small numbers of apprentices training in the workplace are inadequate, although they have shown a slight improvement over the last two years. Very few apprentices complete their qualification in the timescale planned for them. The proportion of apprentices staying on their courses has started to improve and the college is hopeful this will raise success rates over the next 12 months.  The college has been successful in 2012/13 in capturing data on destinations from a higher proportion of learners when they finish their courses than in the previous year. Relatively few learners progress to higher education. A significant number of learners progress to prestigious universities from Foundation Degree and Access to Higher Education courses. Progression between levels of study in the same subject area or to other new courses in the college is low.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment overall requires improvement. This reflects the outcomes for learners, for whom success rates across the college are broadly at the national average. Teaching in the majority of lessons is good, but a significant minority requires improvement and assessment practices are too variable. Teaching, learning and assessment vary within, and between, most subject areas and this reflects the considerable inconsistencies in learners’ outcomes across different courses and levels of study.

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 In the best lessons throughout the college, teachers have high expectations of their learners and are ambitious for them to succeed. Learners value very highly the considerable range of expertise and knowledge of their teachers, many of whom are very well regarded in their chosen professions outside the college. These teachers plan a wide range of stimulating learning activities to inspire and motivate learners. They link theoretical topics very effectively to practical applications, both inside and outside the classroom, particularly in visual arts, fashion, hairdressing and beauty therapy.  In the poorer lessons, teachers do not use their knowledge of learners sufficiently well to plan teaching that meets their individual needs. The teaching is not sufficiently captivating to involve learners fully in classroom activities and discussions. In a few lessons, poor punctuality disrupts learning. Teachers do not check learners’ understanding of important topics in sufficient detail. They do not plan their lessons in order to challenge learners to realise their full potential.  The use of information and learning technology (ILT) and the college’s virtual learning environment (VLE) to support learning, both inside and outside the classroom, is improving but is not yet consistently effective in all curriculum areas across the college. For example, learners in visual arts and media and trainees on initial teacher education courses use ILT and the VLE particularly well to enhance their learning. Teachers encourage ESOL learners to access the VLE outside the classroom, but do not check if, or how well, they use this resource. Teachers in health and social care do not plan sufficiently well for the integration of ILT with their lessons.  In many subject areas, teachers make effective use of information gained through initial assessment about learners’ pre-existing skills and knowledge to plan, and provide, both discrete and well-integrated learning support for learners with identified additional needs. Many learners also benefit from further assessments during their induction period when they first start at the college. However, in other curriculum areas, such as ESOL, teachers do not use this information as effectively to plan to meet learners’ individual needs, or to extend the knowledge and skills of more able learners in subjects such as hairdressing and beauty therapy and health and social care.  Student support services work effectively in collaboration with youth workers and information, advice and guidance advisers at an early stage in learners’ courses at the college to recommend and provide the most appropriate learning and pastoral support to meet their individual requirements. Learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are integrated very well with mainstream courses, which offer appropriate and well-planned resources and support to meet their individual needs. For example, well qualified interpreters support learners with hearing impairments very effectively in lessons.  Assessment practices are variable across the college, which reflect the low achievement rates overall and in a number of subject areas. In some curriculum areas, such as visual arts, fashion, media, hairdressing and beauty therapy, assessment of learners’ work and reviews of their progress are thorough and regular. However, in others, the assessment of learning is infrequent or not sufficiently detailed. The standard of teachers’ written feedback on learners’ marked work varies too much. Whilst some teachers provide learners with detailed feedback which helps them to develop their knowledge and writing skills, others do not and learners do not always know what they need to do to improve their work.  The college has recognised the urgent need to improve functional skills success rates and has recently put in place a functional skills rapid implementation plan, incorporating a comprehensive set of actions to improve both the discrete and vocationally integrated teaching of English and mathematics. Functional skills tutors now have clear links with each curriculum area. However, it is too early to assess the impact of this new initiative. The success with which teachers integrate the teaching of English and mathematics with their vocational teaching more generally varies across the college. The correction of learners’ spelling and grammatical errors in assignments is not thorough enough in all subject areas.  Learners benefit from a good range of initial advice and guidance during pre-enrolment discussions and interviews with course teachers and advisers, which helps ensure they enrol on the right course and level of study to best suit their future career aspirations. Learners value

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highly the specialist knowledge and advice their teachers have about higher education and employment opportunities in their subject areas.  The promotion and reinforcement of equality and diversity in the curriculum and around the college are good. A calendar of cultural activities and events is widely advertised at both sites, supported by a very diverse range of curriculum enrichment which often celebrates and highlights people’s differences. Most teachers plan their lessons well to explore specific equality and diversity topics in relation to the subject being taught.

Health, social care and early years

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. They are good on early years courses where a significant majority of learners complete their qualifications successfully. In health and social care, teaching and learning are satisfactory, which reflect the lower and more variable success rates. Too few learners achieve high grades. Learners’ attendance and punctuality are improving and are good overall, but punctuality remains an issue in some health and social care lessons.  In the better lessons, the majority of which are in early years, teachers use well-chosen and stimulating activities based on good analyses of initial and on-going assessment that confirm and extend learning and understanding. Learners make good progress. In one particularly good lesson, learners considered the concept of effective dietary management and, through an accurate analysis of the range of calorific values, were able to calculate intake values correctly to determine appropriate dietary plans for young children.  Teachers make highly effective use of their extensive vocational knowledge and experience to promote learning that reflects industry practices and scenarios, often incorporating practical uses of English and mathematics well into their lessons. This results in energetic and captivating classes that create a culture of achievement for learners and a community of good practice. This is particularly demonstrated across the range of early years courses.  In the weaker lessons, teachers do not plan effectively to ensure they meet the needs and interests of all learners. They make little, or no, reference to the outcomes of initial assessment or other data about learners held in group profiles. Teachers’ expectations of learners are not sufficiently high and teachers do not allow learners to develop their ideas in enough detail. Learners’ notes are too brief and disorganised and this hinders their subsequent progress in completing assignments. Teachers do not plan for the effective use of ILT in lessons and make little reference to the use of the VLE as a learning resource. Learners do not always have the opportunity to develop their confidence in using technologies that they may encounter in their future careers.  Learners value the good quality information, advice and guidance they receive, particularly on early years courses. Staff use information about learners’ previous achievements carefully to ensure they place them on the most appropriate course and level of study. Managers have identified that initial information, advice and guidance for prospective learners on health and social care courses need to be more focused to improve success rates and have taken steps to improve this for the next intake of learners.  Where teachers use initial assessment effectively to devise group profiles, individual learning plans and lesson plans, this is reflected in the high proportion of students completing their courses, particularly on early years courses. Personal tutors support learners well, providing them with thoughtful and effective academic and pastoral support.  The college ensures that learners have opportunities to develop essential links between theory and vocational practice through arranging work placement activities. However, staff turnover has resulted in delays and disruption in the assessment of learners in their work placement

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settings. At the time of the inspection, no monitoring visits had taken place during the current academic year. Managers are seeking to remedy this issue and are in the process of recruiting appropriately qualified and experienced assessors to carry out the monitoring role.  Assessment is good in the best lessons, where teachers assess learning very effectively and use questioning to good effect to confirm learning and understanding. Teachers promote collaborative learning between learners well, resulting in learners providing thoughtful feedback to each other. The tasks set in most health and social care lessons do not challenge the more able learners sufficiently to extend their learning and produce high quality work.  Most teachers ensure that learners work purposefully towards completing their assessed work successfully and that they develop higher-level skills of analysis and evaluation. However, not all teachers use information from learners’ previous work sufficiently well to set clear individual targets that ensure all learners will improve and achieve high grades.  The best teachers ensure they assess learners’ work carefully and that their feedback is detailed, clear and encouraging. The correction of errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar is assiduous and learners understand fully what they need to do to improve. However, teachers do not always demonstrate this good practice on health and social care courses. Learners report that teachers do not always return assessed work promptly.  In the more effective lessons, teachers promote equality and diversity very well. Learners are confident in discussing strategies to ensure early years support services are available to everyone and that barriers to fair and equal access are removed. However, in too many health and social care lessons, teachers miss opportunities to stretch and challenge learners’ thinking and understanding of equality and diversity.

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Much of the teaching and learning in lessons is good. However, the overall standard of provision is not yet good enough to ensure improvements in all aspects of the learners’ experiences at the college. Success rates are improving, particularly on full-time courses, but a minority of programmes have success rates below, or well below, national averages. Overall, attendance and punctuality are good or better.  Managers and teachers are highly motivated to improve the provision and the teaching team has clear expectations for its learners. Teachers have taken part in recent training to develop their teaching practice, particularly in the use of ILT and the promotion of equality and diversity, and this has improved standards of teaching.  Teachers are knowledgeable, well qualified and enthusiastic about their subjects. In the better lessons, teachers have high expectations for learners and challenge and motivate them well, using a wide range of innovative teaching and learning techniques. Many learners develop good independent learning skills using the VLE. For example, during an advanced level beauty therapy practical class, learners filmed a demonstration performed by their teacher which was uploaded on to the VLE for them to view subsequently at home or at the college. In a minority of lessons, the pace of learning is too slow, teachers miss opportunities to develop learners’ English and mathematical skills, and do not make sufficient use of questions to check and measure learners’ understanding of important theory topics.  Learners develop good customer service skills in practical lessons and when working on the salon reception desk. However, they do not have the opportunity to practise on an up-to-date online electronic client record and appointment booking system. The salons at the Kensington site have not been refurbished fully for some years and do not currently reflect commercial standards.

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 Overall, most learners make good progress and develop good, or better, technical skills. For example, during an advanced level hairdressing practical lesson, learners exhibited exceptional standards of finger wave styling and the use of additional hair to produce creative hair styles. However, too many learners do not develop realistic employability skills as a result of the lack of focus on working to commercial timings and on retailing opportunities. Learners benefit from master classes and workshops in hairdressing and beauty, but links with local employers within the curriculum are insufficient overall. Learners do not have enough opportunities to take part in purposeful work placements to prepare them fully for sustainable employment.  Assessment and monitoring of learners’ progress are effective. Most learners are clear about what they have achieved and are on target to complete their qualifications. They receive regular and detailed feedback on their strengths and how to improve in practical lessons.  The standard of learners’ written work is satisfactory overall. Most learners progress well and receive helpful feedback on assignments, which is effective in motivating them to complete tasks competently. However, feedback to learners is not always sufficiently detailed to challenge them to improve their learning and standards of work. Teachers’ correction of learners’ spelling and grammar in assessed work is insufficiently detailed.  Initial assessment is effective in identifying learners’ individual learning needs at an early stage in their studies. Teachers use the outcomes of initial assessment well to set challenging tasks and to provide additional support for less able learners in lessons. However, the use of this information to plan equally challenging activities to ensure the significant number of more able learners reach their potential is insufficient.  Academic and pastoral support for learners is wide ranging and teachers make significant adjustments to class timetables to support them. Learners value this support highly. Individual tutorials encourage and boost learners’ confidence. Learners benefit from meaningful short and long-term targets negotiated with their teacher to help them progress. However, the identification and recording of what support is available to help learners achieve their targets require improvement.  Teaching and learning incorporate well-planned and effective promotion of equality and diversity. Learners are respectful and supportive of each other and work together well. They have a good understanding of equality and diversity and understand the differing needs of clients from a range of different cultures and backgrounds. The recent introduction of the ‘style and finish African type hair’ module on all intermediate level hairdressing courses has prepared learners more effectively for working in the ethnically diverse local community.

Visual arts, media and communication

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, and in some instances outstanding, in art, design and fashion, but require improvement in media studies. This reflects, for the most part, learners’ outcomes on the diverse range of courses across these subject areas. In the most successful fine art, design and fashion lessons, learners are highly motivated, attend well and are punctual. Attendance in art and design has improved to meet the college target, but this is not the case in media studies. In some less successful media classes, learners are uninterested and are not always stimulated by the tasks they are given to complete.  Learners benefit from teachers’ high expectations in most lessons. The standard of work produced in fashion, jewellery, glass, photography and painting is very good. Learners’ practical work demonstrates flair and creativity, culminating in innovative exhibitions and fashion shows. Teachers provide excellent support and care for learners in these lessons and accompanying tutorials, helping learners to develop high levels of confidence in their creativity.

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 Learners enrol on the right courses that reflect their abilities through careful and rigorous interview procedures. Target setting for learners is good on most courses. Teachers are highly committed to helping learners improve the quality of their drawings, designs and products. In a minority of less successful lessons, the most able learners lack sufficient challenge to extend their learning and skills fully.  Learners benefit significantly from working with professional artists. Fashion, architecture, photography, fine art and film practitioners visit the department to work with learners in setting highly relevant assignments of a professional standard. An increasing number of learners have gained employment through work experience arranged by the college with local and national arts organisations.  Teachers nurture independent learning at all levels. Learners on introductory foundation level courses gain confidence through exciting ceramics and drawing lessons which fire their imagination. Lessons at intermediate level make innovative use of photography and digital illustration, whilst those at advanced level focus on enabling learners to become confident and creative practitioners in jewellery, glass, sculpture and ceramics. However, learners on advanced level courses do not always have sufficient time to interpret information given to them for themselves.  Most lessons integrate theory with practice well. Learners make many visits to national galleries and exhibitions to develop their visual imagination. They compile impressive sketchbooks and use primary research well to develop their underpinning knowledge of theory.  Teachers and learners make outstanding use of ILT to extend learning and to monitor learners’ progress. Learners use mobile telephones to photograph and track the progress of visual projects. Staff and learners use social networking and research websites very effectively to share information and to discover new facts about arts subjects.  Assessment is good. Regular and thorough assessment helps learners to improve their skills and to gain high grades. Informal assessment in lessons is clear and constructive, helping learners to improve their technical skills. Verbal feedback is both positive and developmental. Teachers in art, design and fashion set interesting and challenging projects for learners which extend their skills and knowledge very effectively.  Learners’ standards of English and mathematical skills have improved significantly in art and design and are now good, but they are only satisfactory in media studies. Most learners understand the essential value of skills in reading, writing and number for use in higher education and employment. They benefit from many opportunities to extend these skills in lessons.  Information, advice and guidance are timely and effective. Recruitment processes are good on most courses, but require further review and development in media studies. Learners receive excellent support and guidance in applying for jobs and for places on higher education courses. In 2012/13, all learners on the Foundation Degree course progressed to higher education or employment, with many gaining places at prestigious arts schools and universities.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. The curriculum incorporates a strong emphasis on the appreciation of cultural diversity, with many projects and lessons focusing on international art. Visiting artists, from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, help learners to widen their awareness of people’s differences and artistic views and practices. Learners take part in regular exhibitions and the work they display often experiments thoughtfully with issues of gender and disability.

Initial Teacher Education

19+ Learning programmes

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, both for those trainees who are teachers at the college and for those who work for other education and training providers. This is reflected in

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the numbers of trainees completing their courses successfully and also in their acquisition of good teaching skills and the progress they make from their starting points on initial teacher education courses. Trainees attend well and display excellent punctuality. Teachers who deliver the courses are advanced teaching practitioners at the college and model good teaching practices. This helps trainees to recognise and understand the principles of what constitutes highly effective classroom practice and to develop their own skills.  The college designs courses well, often combining a number of disciplines so, for example, trainees can develop their English language skills at the same time as learning about the craft of teaching. Courses take place at both college campuses, at different times, and can be studied in the classroom or online to facilitate access for external trainees. Teachers meet trainees’ needs well through skilful teaching and helpful tutorials, which are augmented by appropriately trained mentors. This good support has helped a number of trainees who have had to leave their course early to re-join and resume their studies. The college provides mentors from amongst its own staff to support external trainees, who otherwise would not have a suitable mentor at their place of work.  Teachers make particularly good use of ILT in lessons. Trainees have easy access to well-designed course materials and resources online. Teachers use video recorders to film and improve trainees’ presentations and teaching practices. Trainees provide good role models for learners in the use of ILT in their own classroom teaching.  Initial assessment is effective in identifying trainees’ English and mathematics skills prior to them joining the teacher training courses. Teachers also use initial assessment well to pinpoint trainees’ academic development needs in order for them to become competent teachers. Teachers and mentors work well together to monitor trainees’ progress closely through lesson observations and regular assessments of the quality of their written work.  Learners make rapid progress as trainee teachers as a result of the constructive feedback and detailed action points they receive from their teachers. They develop good analytical skills and are able to reflect accurately on teaching methodologies used by their trainers in lessons.  Teachers correct trainees’ English and mathematical work diligently throughout their training. They stress the importance of the trainee teachers doing so themselves in their own lessons and of integrating the development of learners’ English and mathematics skills with their own vocational or academic teaching and training. Teachers give good advice to trainees for whom English is not their first language on how to develop their language skills further.  Information, advice and guidance for trainees are good. Staff ensure that trainees enrol on the most appropriate course at the right level to suit their abilities and ambitions. They provide useful on-going advice and guidance throughout the teacher training courses, particularly during tutorials, and at the end of the programmes to advise on further training or progression routes to employment. However, trainees comment that the college website is difficult to navigate prior to enrolment to ascertain the different types of teacher training courses available.  Teachers stress the importance of trainees promoting equality and diversity well in their own teaching. Trainees’ different backgrounds provide a culturally and ethnically diverse mix to the training courses. This facilitates good considerations of inclusion and people’s differences in the training. For example, trainees are encouraged to reflect on the need for faith observance in devising schemes of work and lessons plans. Trainees show a good understanding of the support needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

ESOL

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement on ESOL courses, which reflects the low and, and in many cases, declining success rates. Success rates are particularly low for

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learners on full qualifications and just below the national average for courses incorporating unitised awards. Teachers create a welcoming atmosphere for learners in lessons which they find motivating. Learners gain confidence and develop their skills in speaking English, enabling them to communicate more effectively in their local community and at work. Their attendance is satisfactory, but poor punctuality causes disruption in a number of lessons.  Learners on all courses value the good support and care they receive from teachers, particularly when preparing for examinations. The college provides learners with free lessons for examination revision and technique. Many learners benefit from a positive learning environment that enables them to concentrate fully on their studies and which prepares them well for employment. They enjoy the college environment and are confident they can obtain whatever help they require to support their needs from staff at all times.  Teachers use their experience and expertise effectively in the best lessons to plan stimulating activities that meet learners’ needs and interests well. For example, group work on how to renovate a rundown flat motivated learners to extend their vocabulary and to improve their use of the past tense. In these lessons, teachers also promote the good development of learners’ study skills. However, in a significant minority of lessons, teachers dominate the lesson too much and do not encourage learners to develop their skills and to learn independently.  Teachers make good use of ILT to support learning in most lessons. However, in some classes, they rely too much on paper-based resources and learners spend too much time completing worksheets and gapped handouts. This restricts the free flow of spoken English between learners.  Tutorials for individual learners are satisfactory. However, they focus mostly on how much progress learners are making towards completing the different units of their qualification and on practice for examinations and not enough on the development of learners’ skills or any personal issues.  Staff routinely carry out initial and diagnostic assessments of learners’ prior language skills, but make insufficient use of the outcomes in setting targets, planning learning, conducting progress reviews and identifying future learning outcomes. Much of the teaching in lessons does not take account of the wide range of learners’ pre-existing abilities or backgrounds. Individual learning plans do not always contain sufficiently detailed short-term targets and focus too much on the completion of the qualification.  Assessment is satisfactory. Learners benefit from teachers’ positive verbal feedback and good questioning techniques, which help them to develop and extend their spoken English. A lesson on divorce and ‘ideal marriage’ promoted much lively debate amongst learners. In the best lessons, teachers use a variety of well-chosen methods to provide feedback to learners. However, the marking of learners’ written work is not sufficiently timely and feedback is insufficiently detailed to help learners improve.  Information, advice and guidance for learners are satisfactory. Teachers have introduced more rigour in the assessment of learners’ skills to ensure learners enrol on the right course which is most appropriate to their needs. Progression rates to higher level ESOL courses are satisfactory.  Teachers promote equality and diversity appropriately in lessons and integrate opportunities to do so effectively with their schemes of work and lesson plans. Teachers make good use of learning resources to reinforce positive perceptions of people’s differences. However, African learners on ESOL courses achieve much less successfully than their counterparts from other ethnicities.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement  Senior leaders, governors and staff have high expectations for their learners and are ambitious for the future of the college. Staff have responded well to the college’s new vision and the reshaping of its provision, designed to secure the college’s future. Governors and the new Principal, together with interim senior managers, have made good progress in securing the

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college’s financial health from an inadequate position caused by the loss of a major contract. Managers and staff improved some aspects of learners’ outcomes in 2012/13, notably retention rates for those aged 16 to 18; however, success rates remain broadly at the national average.  Governors now have a firm understanding of the college’s financial position and have improved the management of risk. They are implementing a well-considered and realistic recovery plan, which is making the most of established areas of strength, meeting the needs of the diverse communities served by the college, and encouraging entrepreneurship. Governors now have a stronger understanding of the college and its curriculum. They acknowledge the need to increase the rigour of their scrutiny of the college’s teaching, learning and assessment. Staff and learner governors make a strong contribution to assisting governors’ understanding of the curriculum and learners’ experiences.  The college’s self-assessment process for 2012/13 is more rigorous than previously, and has enabled staff at all levels to contribute to the report more effectively. Its judgements are broadly accurate. Quality improvement plans identify accurate actions, leading to improvements in most areas of the college. Recently, new leaders have ensured more rigorous observations of teaching and learning, leading to a more realistic assessment of the quality of provision in line with learners’ outcomes. Findings from the observations have shaped an improved programme of professional development for teachers, with an enhanced role for advanced practitioners. Performance review boards are holding curriculum managers to account and ensuring closer monitoring of progress against targets. The Principal is leading a revision of the staff appraisal scheme to improve the performance management of staff.  The college’s curriculum was reviewed as part of its recovery plan. Three broad subject areas provide good internal pathways between levels and enable good progression for learners to employment and higher education in a number of, but not all, instances. Many courses have strong reputations with employers, for example those training learners in millinery, and the college makes good use of its location to foster many of these relationships. Access to Higher Education programmes include unique and very relevant pathways in, for example, paramedic and African and Caribbean studies, with good links to higher education institutions. The college provides a good range of courses for vulnerable people and those who would not normally enter further education, including former offenders, enabling them to gain employment.  The college provides a respectful and inclusive environment. Staff promote equality and diversity well through information, posters and enrichment activities. Staff analyse data at subject level to identify and rectify any differences in achievement between specific groups of learners, although too many learners continue to achieve less successfully than their peers in the college. Resources to support learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are good. An active student council provides an effective forum for collecting learners’ views and making improvements to the accommodation and curriculum.  The college meets statutory requirements with regard to checks on staff, including criminal records checks. It maintains an appropriately detailed central record for safeguarding purposes, although some paper files for staff appointed before 2007 do not provide full evidence for electronically held data. All staff have received training on safeguarding learners, but a small minority who requires an update has not yet completed the online training. The college responds quickly to child protection matters, dealing very effectively with any incidents and liaising appropriately with other agencies.  Learners feel safe at the college. Checks to ensure learners’ safety on work placements do not all cover how the employer informs learners what to do about bullying, harassment or discrimination. In some instances, risk assessments for work-related activities are not in place where required. Appropriate arrangements exist to manage health and safety on college sites and managers and staff rectify any poor practice observed in lessons swiftly.  Youth workers provide good support for learners who are a cause for concern, enabling a high proportion of them to complete their courses. The college monitors the progress of young learners who have been in care prior to enrolling on their course, but does not always record this monitoring and its outcomes in sufficient detail.

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) Kensington and Chelsea College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance: 1: Outstanding 2: Good

3: Requires

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improvement

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

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

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

Health and social care 3 Early years and playwork 2 Hairdressing and beauty therapy 3 Visual arts 2 Media and communication 3 Teaching and lecturing 2 ESOL 3

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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

Full-time: 1,086 Part-time: 5,785 Principal/CEO Mark Brickley Date of previous inspection March 2012 Website address www.kcc.ac.uk

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

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

Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships)

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ Full-time 15 25 98 104 81 272 38 79 Part-time 62 1,232 127 878 32 190 1 73

Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total

Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

- - -

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 19 47 0 14 - -

Number of community learners 733 Number of employability learners 55

Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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

 Victoria & Albert Museum  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Adult and Family Learning  Groundwork London

Inspection report: Kensington and Chelsea College, 12−15 November 2013 14 of 16

Contextual information

Kensington and Chelsea College is a medium-sized general further education college located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The college has two main centres in the borough and one smaller site and serves a very wide catchment area, attracting students from a significant number of other London boroughs. Most of the students are over 19 years of age. The locality is characterised by very diverse communities; some have high levels of social and educational disadvantage, whilst others comprise people employed in professional and managerial careers. More than half of the residents of working age have a level 4 qualification or above. The unemployment rate is one of the lowest in London. The number of pupils at schools in the borough attaining five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, was well above the national average in 2012/13, having risen significantly from the previous year.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector Richard Moore HMI Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and five additional inspectors, assisted by the interim Vice Principal for 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 of the 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: Kensington and Chelsea College, 12−15 November 2013 15 of 16

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 new 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