United Colleges Group Ofsted Report

Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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Full report

What does the college need to do to improve further?

 Continue to focus on the quality of teaching, the assessment of learning and tracking of progress to secure further improvements in students’ achievements.  Increase the proportion of outstanding lessons by training and supporting more teachers to provide better pace and more suitable challenge to students, and to plan learning activities that are more imaginative and creative.  Fully implement the existing English and mathematics policy to ensure consistently good practice in all curriculum areas.  Target appropriate resources more imaginatively to improve those curriculum areas where the student experience is weaker, for example in mathematics, science and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).  Develop the rigour and impact of the teachers’ performance review process by drawing on a wider range of relevant evidence, recording more thorough evaluations of key competencies and agreeing objectives that are more challenging.  Establish and implement a rigorous and effective policy to govern the deployment of teachers pending their criminal record clearance.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Requires improvement  The number of students achieving their qualifications has improved significantly in each of the last three years and is now close to the national average; this number is still rising, and at a faster rate than it is nationally. Students in construction, performing arts, media, sport and information technology, as well as those gaining their qualifications in the workplace, achieve well. On foundation-level courses, students make good progress, and this is reflected in the high number that progress to further study or training at the college.  Students on A-level courses, however, have low achievement rates, and, of those that do gain their qualifications, most do not realise their full potential. Students on other advanced-level vocational courses make no better than expected progress, and those on science, mathematics and social science courses achieve poorly. A significant minority of students does not gain their functional skills qualifications.  Students benefit from the employment opportunities presented by the increasing number of apprenticeships. Historically, apprentices’ achievements have been satisfactory at best, but the successful strengthening of the assessment process has ensured that many more apprentices are now due to complete their training in the allotted time. Apprentices gain valuable experience of the workplace and make useful contacts for future employment opportunities.  Attendance at lessons has improved over the last three years and is now satisfactory. Students enjoy studying at the college. For many, the college provides an oasis of calm that promotes and encourages learning. Students travel from all over London to benefit from the college’s wide range of courses and very impressive new premises. However, some students often arrive late for lessons; teachers do not challenge this sufficiently robustly and sometimes allow latecomers to disrupt the learning of others.  Achievement rates for students are broadly similar, regardless of gender or heritage and background; students with specific learning needs achieve very well due to the extra support that they receive. However, younger students studying for advanced-level qualifications continue to perform less well than other groups of students. Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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 Students have access to a variety of additional qualifications, and achievement rates are very high. These qualifications support students well in their progression to further education, training or employment. For example, travel and tourism students take a cabin crew qualification and sports students gain relevant experience in coaching and fitness testing. Students benefit from a programme of activities at the start of their courses that improves their understanding of how to learn and study effectively and, where appropriate, ensures that they adopt safe working practices.  Students improve significantly their employability skills. Teachers secure work placements for large numbers of students, and encourage advanced-level students to find their own placements; many do so successfully. Local companies provide valuable curriculum vitae and interview guidance. Managers are responding well to emerging employment opportunities, for example developing courses in computer forensics and cyber security.  Students benefit from very effective links between curriculum areas that successfully promote an appreciation of the breadth of potential employment opportunities. For example, media and science students work together on crime scene investigations; business and performing arts students collaborate on marketing and front-of-house organisation for college productions.  The college is leading a very successful cross-London project to re-engage young people not currently in training or education. Of the substantial number of young people who have registered onto this programme, the vast majority have benefited from the excellent links between the college and local businesses, training providers and charities. All but one of them have successfully completed their initial training and nearly half of them have already secured an apprenticeship.  Young homeless people, and children in the care of the local authority, study on a variety of courses and achieve well. Students with learning difficulties develop successfully their everyday living skills, such as independent travel.  Students apply in good numbers to university and the majority of applications result in the student securing a place. Students demonstrate the analytical and independent learning skills that universities value highly. However, where students leave college and do not apply to university, managers do not reliably track the destination of sufficient numbers of students. This results in a lack of rigour in the analysis of the effectiveness of some of the college’s courses in preparing students for further training, education or employment.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good  The frequency of good teaching has improved steadily over the past three years and is now high. Alongside this, good guidance, very effective support and strong assessment practice are all having a positive impact; an increasing number of students are on target to achieve their qualifications this year. Despite these improvements, outcomes for students are not yet good and require further improvement. The proportion of lessons that is outstanding is low and a very small number of lessons are inadequate.  The majority of teachers have high expectations of their students and use their vocational expertise particularly well to motivate, challenge and enhance students’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers are skilled at developing students’ technical abilities and practical skills.  In the best lessons, teachers use their expertise very effectively, planning a good range of learning activities to enthuse and motivate students. They develop students’ knowledge and understanding well, ensuring activities are appropriate to meet the individual needs of students. Teaching maintains students’ interest very well by planning and implementing a range of learning activities that are imaginative and creative.  In weaker lessons, course planning does not sufficiently identify how activities are to be adapted for individual students, the pace of teaching is often too slow to maintain students’ focus and, in a minority of lessons, the teaching is dull. Teachers sometimes fail to challenge the more able students, for example with effective questioning. Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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 Since the last inspection, the college has moved into a new, purpose-built main site and the innovative design affords students good opportunities to work outside classrooms. Students use the pods in the learning resource centre for productive small group work as well as making effective use of three quiet zones allocated at different points within the building. Students make good use of the small break-out areas arranged on each of the seven levels to work independently.  The use of information and learning technology and the virtual learning environment are developing very well and students now use these effectively in some curriculum areas. Students have good access to laptop computers from the learning resource centre and make good, appropriate use of them.  Teachers use information from the thorough initial assessments to plan for, and provide, discrete and well-integrated learning support for students with identified additional needs. Students benefit from further assessments during an extended six-week induction period and from supportive tutorials.  A wide range of other support helps students to overcome any potential barriers to learning they may have. Particularly good support is given to students who are more vulnerable, whether enrolled on discrete or mainstream courses. This includes students with specific learning requirements such as dyslexia, profound and multiple learning difficulties, students on the autistic spectrum and those with physical or sensory impairments.  Good use is made of assessment in most curriculum areas to help and motivate students to achieve their full potential. Apprentices benefit from regular visits by assessors to the workplace. Both apprentices and employers value the detailed information on assessment outcomes that indicates how apprentices can improve their work.  The tracking of students’ progress and the use of target setting are much improved and are now good. Where curriculum areas have fully adopted the new electronic tracking system, it is very effective in reviewing and updating students’ progress. Students value being able to monitor their own progress more easily. However, this system was introduced fairly recently and is not being used consistently well in all curriculum areas.  The teaching of English and mathematics within vocational courses is inconsistent. There are some good examples of how teachers support and develop students’ use of English and mathematics. Teachers expect business students to use appropriate business language and apprentices develop functional skills that effectively meet their employers’ needs. In music lessons, teachers develop mathematics skills very well. However, teachers do not embed these skills so well in other curriculum areas, such as sport.  Students benefit from a good range of initial advice and guidance during pre-entry talks with course tutors and advisers to ensure that they enrol on the right course and level to meet their future career ambitions. Additional support is readily available and students value the knowledge that their teachers have about future careers in the area they are studying. Students also benefit from the college’s experienced careers and higher-education advisers.  The planning and promotion of equality and diversity are well embedded within most curriculum areas. However, teachers sometimes miss opportunities to promote them fully within the context of the subject being studied.

Sport, leisure and recreation

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good; consequently, a high proportion of students achieves their qualifications. Standards of students’ work and the progress students make in lessons are good. Students demonstrate leadership skills, work well in teams and a large majority enjoy learning. Although most teachers have high expectations of students, some do Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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not challenge sufficiently well the minority of students who are either late for lessons or do not attend fully.  Teachers afford a high level of support to students, understand their learning needs well and provide good pastoral care. They are available outside lessons to help students improve the quality of their assignments. Students facing challenging personal circumstances benefit from the excellent care provided by their teachers and the college’s support services.  In the better lessons, teachers plan creative learning activities. They adopt a good range of teaching strategies to challenge and involve all students, promote learning and encourage independence. Students confidently lead fitness testing and personal training sessions using industry-specific equipment and language in a professional manner.  In the weaker lessons, the planned activities fail to inspire students. This leads to persistent, low-level disruption. Often, in these lessons, teachers focus too much on assignment tasks within the lesson objectives. As a result, students do not always gain a broader understanding of the key sporting concepts.  The monitoring of students’ performance has improved significantly and is now good. Teachers work with students to set meaningful targets that they review and update regularly using the new electronic tracking system, motivating students and keeping them on target to achieve. However, teachers do not always set sufficiently challenging targets for advanced-level students and, consequently, a minority of these students do not achieve their full potential.  Teachers assess students’ work accurately and students benefit from frequent and timely feedback that makes it clear what they need to do to improve. However, teachers do not consistently use other assessment techniques as effectively, such as questioning; as a result, some students are not able to demonstrate their understanding fully.  Students develop their employability skills well and benefit from a variety of visits, work placements, guest speakers and the opportunity to achieve additional coaching qualifications. However, teachers do not always plan learning sufficiently to make use of opportunities to reinforce or improve students’ English and mathematics.  Teachers apply course entry requirements rigorously to place students on appropriate programmes and they make their high expectations of performance and conduct clear at the initial interview. The timely information and guidance that teachers provide to students ensure that high numbers of students progress to appropriate training, further education or employment.  Teachers have a high level of awareness of the individual needs of their students and, in the better lessons, they use this knowledge well to motivate students from diverse backgrounds. Teachers promote equality and diversity effectively, but do not yet fully integrate them into learning. Students demonstrate high levels of respect, both for each other and for their teachers.

Visual arts, media and communication

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Good  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. As a result, achievement rates have risen to well above national averages for the large majority of courses. The standard of students’ work is consistently high, and is outstanding in media studies. Students are motivated, enthusiastic and produce highly creative and interesting work.  Teachers plan lessons well to ensure that the large majority of students make good progress. In most lessons, teachers’ planning takes into account the needs of individual students to ensure that they remain focused on their work throughout the lesson; as a result, students develop a professional work ethic and greater confidence. Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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 Many interesting interdisciplinary projects take place, which help to cultivate students’ creative and negotiation skills. Students from media, music, visual and performing arts collaborate regularly on high quality and inspiring performance projects and exhibitions.  Many teachers are current practitioners and are very knowledgeable, bringing much commercial acumen to lessons. This offers a professional dimension to the students’ experience. As a result of commissioned project work, students develop relevant skills that equip them for future careers or higher-level study. In most lessons, students are inspired by the work of an inclusive range of artists and practitioners, and benefit from opportunities to exhibit their work at professional venues.  Students benefit from many opportunities to develop their English through discussion and evaluation activities with teachers and other students. Many are now more confident and articulate as a result. Students in media develop good screenwriting and reporting skills; art and design students annotate their work confidently; music students develop relevant mathematical skills for business planning and invoicing.  In a minority of art and design and music lessons, the pace is slow and teachers’ questioning does not always challenge students fully, nor provide sufficiently thorough checks on learning. In these lessons, students are not always encouraged to evaluate either their own or other students’ work sufficiently rigorously.  Students thrive in the safe, creative environment of the college, well supported in their learning by their teachers. Tutorials help students to plan for their future training or employment and to raise their self-esteem. Creative studies courses have a life-changing impact, and help to raise students’ aspirations significantly.  An outstanding range of resources in media, photography and music contributes to the good progress that students make. Students in these subjects benefit from access to professional-standard software, equipment and accommodation. However, space is constrained in two art and design studios, limiting the range of creative tasks that can be undertaken successfully.  Teachers and tutors set meaningful, individualised targets for students and provide clear feedback to them on their work. Assessment is rigorous and feedback clearly identifies areas for further improvement. Students are encouraged by the positive and constructive tone of comments on assessment feedback sheets.  Additional learning support staff provide good support to help students achieve and make further progress. Dyslexic students receive particularly good assistance, helping them to develop improved writing skills. Students applying for higher education courses receive appropriate information, advice and guidance, with over half of students progressing to university.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good across all subjects, resulting in excellent working relationships. All teachers actively encourage students to develop their understanding of different cultures through assignment briefs and through the range of artefacts chosen for students to study. Teachers facilitate well students’ understanding and awareness of social, political, cultural and gender influences on media.

ESOL

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Although the majority of students achieve their qualifications and enjoy their learning, progress in many lessons is slow and many students do not realise their full potential. Most students on ESOL programmes progress to higher-level language courses and some find full- or part-time employment as a direct consequence of the qualifications that they gain.  Challenging learning activities in the best lessons enable students to achieve a high standard of work. For example, in one lesson the teacher used the business environment effectively to Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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develop the language and mathematics skills of young students. In another lesson, the students did not only develop their reading and writing skills but also a deeper understanding of how the English language works.  In less effective lessons, teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations when planning. Some activities lack challenge and in many of these lessons the pace is too slow to keep students focused on what they are learning. Teachers give students too little opportunity to practise using the English language in a wider context beyond the exercises that they are completing.  Teachers correct students’ work frequently and make useful comments on how to improve the accuracy of spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Those that teach pronunciation, stress and intonation well create valuable opportunities for students to improve the clarity of their spoken language. However, not all teachers provide feedback on students’ spoken English and few teachers use the outcomes of their assessment of students’ work to set suitably individualised targets.  Teachers’ planning for meeting the needs of individual students is weak. This has a negative impact on the quality of learning, especially in lessons where students have a wide range of existing language skills. Teachers do not always set a suitable level of task to students of differing levels of ability, or give them the appropriate attention that they require to learn successfully.  Students have access to a good range of enrichment activities. A new initiative to provide in-college work placements has proved very popular with students. Since many have never worked in this country, they value the addition of this experience to their curriculum vitae. In the English for Work programme, however, which is aimed at unemployed people, too many lessons lack a work-related focus. Teachers make insufficient use of the intended job destinations of the students to plan work-focused lessons.  The support that students receive for their learning is good, both from their teachers and from staff in the learning centres. Pastoral support is very good; teachers provide their students with helpful guidance on personal problems, such as homelessness or financial difficulties.  The incorporation of equality and diversity into lessons is good. Teachers use relevant topics to compare practice between this country and the students’ countries of origin. For example, in one group, adult students were involved in a lively discussion exploring attitudes to the environment. Students feel safe and a part of the college community. They work well together and treat each other with respect.

Foundation English

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+ Foundation Learning

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Although the number of students gaining their qualifications has risen steadily over the last three years, this number is still not high enough. There is too much variability in the quality of teaching, which leads to students making inconsistent progress.  Teachers’ planning of learning is not consistently good enough. In the better lessons, teachers plan in detail an appropriate range of interesting activities that are well suited to ensuring that all students achieve their full potential. Teachers skilfully plan for the use of a variety of electronic resources, and select interesting topics to support the more able students in building their range of vocabulary. Students confidently use their newly acquired vocabulary to write interesting articles for magazines and to express their views in detail.  In less successful lessons, the lack of planning means that students do not understand how the work they are doing is relevant to their main programmes. Teachers on the vocational courses Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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do not work together effectively with the English teachers to contextualise the work sufficiently well; many students quickly lose interest in these lessons.  Most of the students who are working on their English skills alongside their main vocational courses make no more than satisfactory progress, mainly due to teachers’ lack of challenge and low expectations. However, significant structural changes to the management and organisation of these courses are beginning to have a positive impact upon improving the students’ experience.  GCSE English students benefit from good teaching and improved assessments and they consequently make the expected progress. A significant number improve their study techniques and are well motivated to extend their analytical skills and achieve high grades.  Teachers use their extensive experience and expertise to motivate foundation-level students to perform well by providing clear explanations and instructions to increase students’ understanding. Well-presented and stimulating visual aids help students to follow complex written instructions more accurately and they are able to perform practical tasks with greater independence. Most foundation-level students develop a good range of personal and employability skills. A majority gain employment or progress to higher-level courses.  Students benefit from good support provided by teachers and learning support assistants and this allows them to gain greater confidence in completing set tasks. Teachers of GCSE English provide detailed written feedback on work, which increases students’ understanding of what they need to do in order to develop their language competence. A significant number of vocational students, however, do not receive such constructive and specific feedback and this hinders the further development of their language skills. Teachers’ attention to correcting grammar, spelling and punctuation is improving, but it is still not consistently good enough.  Teachers guide students well at the start of their courses by assessing their current levels of English and ensuring that they are on appropriate courses. Foundation-level students receive good advice on progression opportunities that helps them to move into employment, training or further education. However, teachers do not make effective use of the new electronic tracking system to monitor progress. Students do not always have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve and their teachers do not review their progress regularly enough.  Teachers manage diverse groups of students very well to ensure that everyone participates productively in lessons. However, sometimes teachers do not challenge students’ use of unacceptable language and do not maximise opportunities to develop students’ understanding of equality and diversity.

Business

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+ Apprenticeships Other work based learning

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good and, consequently, the number of students gaining their qualifications has improved to around the national average for most courses, and is very high for students learning in the workplace. Teachers usually have high expectations of students and create an environment beneficial to learning. However, college-based students’ attendance and punctuality are only just satisfactory and do not reflect the high standards expected in a business environment; teachers do not challenge these aspects of behaviour emphatically.  Students enjoy studying at the college and the majority participate well in lessons. Students successfully develop skills relevant to business such as teamwork, communication and entrepreneurship. All full-time students develop and launch their own mini business that provides an opportunity to practise their skills in a real business situation. Many students participate fully in guest lectures and competitions provided by business organisations, such as Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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Google and Santander Bank. Apprentices rapidly develop skills valued by employers, enabling most to move into permanent employment.  Teachers and assessors frequently check students’ learning and provide useful feedback, which aid the development of students’ skills and workplace performance. In the best lessons, teachers use their feedback to help students realise their full potential. However, some teachers do not give students on advanced-level courses sufficiently detailed feedback to ensure that they can make further progress on their own.  Students benefit from a range of effective support activities. Teachers provide guidance, often through targeted feedback, that enables students to improve their work. Employers provide good support and mentoring for students in the workplace. Most teachers monitor carefully students’ progress and set students individual targets that are frequently reviewed and updated; this maintains students’ motivation to improve. In a minority of lessons, where teachers do not set students appropriate goals, students make little progress; some become easily distracted.  Students develop their skills well, both in writing and speaking English, and in the use of appropriate technical business vocabulary. Teachers ensure that apprentices gain the appropriate English and mathematics skills that they require in the business environment. Marketing apprentices use innovative, online, face-to-face tutoring which has enabled those who were struggling to make rapid progress.  The quality of students’ written work is good. Students produce documents to a professional business standard, often incorporating visual images and charts to help illustrate key business concepts. Teachers provide constructive feedback on students’ written work that helps students to improve the quality of their assignments.  The use of technology to support both learning and assessment is variable. Teachers in college make very good use of technology to bring real business issues into the classroom, enriching the students’ experience. Students make effective use of resources on the college virtual learning environment. However, for most students in the workplace, the use of technology to promote a broader understanding is underdeveloped and some training resources for digital marketing do not match industry standards.  Support and guidance to help students choose the next step in their learning or work are good. Information and advice are available from a variety of sources and students use these well. Taster sessions provided prior to the start of the academic year are popular with students and help give an insight into different subjects, enabling students to make more informed choices.  Learning about equality and diversity is well embedded. Students draw effectively on their diverse cultural backgrounds when completing assignment tasks, for instance in the creation of a Polish restaurant as part of a business start-up activity. Students in college and the workplace consider in some depth the impact on business of operating in a multicultural society.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leadership and management are good. In the three years since the last inspection, the Principal and senior managers have steadily improved the college. Effective target setting and the tight monitoring of curriculum, course and student performance have become established features of the culture of the college and made a crucial contribution to the year-on-year increases in success rates.  Strategic aims and objectives appropriately prioritise outcomes for students and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Action plans to achieve these objectives are well constructed and closely monitored. In the last few years, the college has met the ambitious targets set for students’ outcomes and teaching and learning, alongside its recruitment and funding targets.  Most governors make an enthusiastic and valuable contribution to the life of the college and are keen to add more value. They are self-critical in evaluating their own performance. Their own business experience has influenced the reshaping of how student outcomes are reported to them and they monitor these data and the quality of teaching and learning with growing Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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confidence. They provide robust challenge to the college’s management team, although their oversight of safeguarding is not as punctilious as it should be.  Managers have successfully addressed many of the key areas for improvement identified in the last inspection report. For example, they now use data much more effectively to support monitoring activities, identify aspects needing improvement and measure progress made. However, improvements in students’ attendance, in A-level provision and in the amount of progress made by students from their various starting points are more limited and still require remedial action by managers.  Performance management is beginning to play a more significant role in contributing to raising the quality of students’ experience. Too much variability remains in how thoroughly and rigorously curriculum managers evaluate the performance of individual teachers, but reviews usually provide a clear indication of at least one aspect of their role each teacher should try to improve. Where support and development have failed to secure sufficient improvement, appropriate resort is made to capability and disciplinary procedures.  Managers have increased the rigour of the lesson observation process so that it provides a more reliable measure of the quality of lessons. Training for observers has successfully shifted the focus and basis for grading from the teacher’s performance onto the quality of learning taking place. Development plans following graded lesson observations mostly provide a good basis for individual improvement. However, inspectors saw slightly higher proportions of lessons which require improvement or were inadequate than the college’s own observations would indicate.  Lesson observations and performance reviews are carefully monitored to inform the planning of staff development, which is strongly focused on securing further improvements in teaching, learning and assessment through whole-college development days, ‘bite-sized’ development packages and support from advanced practitioners. The emphasis is on supporting more teachers to provide good lessons; however, the low proportion of outstanding lessons also needs addressing. Key managers have a good sense of which aspects of teaching and learning have improved and where further improvements are required. The range of improvement strategies and their suitability for different categories of teachers are increasing.  Quality assurance arrangements are comprehensive and increasingly influential in determining priorities for improvement. Although these arrangements were extended only recently to those organisations providing training on behalf of the college, managers have acted decisively to terminate such arrangements where quality is unacceptably low.  Self-assessment is an inclusive process, well informed by the views of students. At college and curriculum area levels, self-assessment reports are thorough and judgements are mostly well evidenced. They provide largely reliable evaluations of strengths and areas for improvement, although occasionally a headline grade or judgement is overstated. Well-developed and carefully monitored quality improvement plans provide a successful framework for raising standards in many areas, although too much inconsistency remains in the quality of provision between different curriculum areas. At course level, self-assessment is a much more superficial activity.  Curriculum planning takes account of the quality of alternative providers locally to avoid over supply. Managers evaluate market intelligence carefully and new courses must navigate a rigorous approval process. The college is expanding its apprenticeship provision and has developed expertise in building the skills and confidence of hard-to-reach groups such as the homeless.  The college is highly inclusive and provides a stimulating and well-resourced learning environment. Data are closely analysed for any discrepancies in achievement between different groups of students and managers act swiftly to rectify any which materialise.  Managers have grown more confident at promoting equality and diversity. Media screens throughout the college highlight and celebrate the diversity and achievements of current students particularly well. Several faith or cultural festivals and social landmarks are celebrated within college, although not those of the smaller minority ethnic groups. Managers are rightly targeting further improvement in teachers’ ability to plan and manage learning activities which Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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are more responsive to the range of students’ abilities and to integrate equality and diversity themes into lessons.  Excellent security arrangements contribute significantly to students feeling very safe at both college sites. For many students the college provides a haven in which they recognise and value the opportunity to improve their lives. This is reflected in the high levels of respect with which they treat each other, staff, visitors and the college’s facilities. Arrangements for ensuring the health and safety of students and staff are good. Staff know how to diffuse tensions, are alert to signs of students’ distress and deal comprehensively and robustly with the relatively few incidents of bullying.  The college meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding students. However, it does not implement fully the recommended guidance on good safeguarding practice; in particular, arrangements are inadequate for assessing and managing risk where newly-appointed teachers start work pending a criminal record check. Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) City of Westminster College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

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

Overall effectiveness

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2 2 llarevO2

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

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

Sport, leisure and recreation Visual arts

Media and communication ESOL Foundation English Business

2 2 2 3 3 2

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Provider details

City of Westminster College

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: 2795 Part-time: 2381

Principal/CEO

Mr Keith Cowell

Date of previous inspection

February 2010

Website address

www.cwc.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)

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+

Full-time

250 297 495 132 1180 441

Part-time

58 564 189 1192 62 301 0 0 0 15

Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 58 19+ 102 16-18 27 19+ 113 16-18 19+ 0 0

Number of learners aged 14-16 Number of community learners

0 0

Number of employability learners

676

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

Street League Community Systems Network Learning Centres UK Ltd. Complete Assessment and Training Solutions Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

        

Impact Training Services Elpis Training Ltd. Middleton Murray Astute Minds DiVA Inspection report: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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Additional socio-economic information

City of Westminster College is a large general further education college situated to the north west of the Borough of Westminster. Students from a wide range of heritages and backgrounds travel from all over London to attend the college. The Borough of Westminster has an unemployment rate that is below that for London as a whole. The number of school leavers with high grades in five or more GCSE subjects, including English and mathematics, has risen steadily, and is now above the London average. A large majority of adults is educated to at least A level or equivalent. However, these statistics mask the fact that in the north of the borough there are wards that have amongst the highest levels of deprivation in the country.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Stewart Jackson HMI

Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the Vice Principal (Curriculum) as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the college’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors also used data on students’ 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 students 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 college. 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: City of Westminster College, 3-7 June 2013

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Judgement

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

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

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

Learner View is a 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