Tyne Coast College Ofsted Report

Inspection report: South Tyneside College, 15-19 October 2012 2 of 15

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

 Strategically review the rationale for underperforming provision, such as AS levels and GCSEs, and put effective actions in place to address the weaknesses identified. Ensure that these actions are closely monitored so that the pace of improvement here improves rapidly.  Closely monitor the performance of all students so that they make the best progress possible. Ensure they receive more tailored and critical feedback across all subjects, matching that currently seen in the strongest areas, to help challenge and extend them further.  Refine the sharpness of the self-assessment process. Ensure that action plans are specific and focused on the key factors needed for driving forward improvements so that progress continues to be made and highly effective practice is embedded in all areas.  Further develop the sharing of best practice and ensure that the innovative practice seen in some areas, such as the use of mobile technology, is spread across all areas and used to enhance teaching and learning.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  There has been a strong upward trend in success rates over the last four years. Overall, the long-course success rate has increased by 10 percentage points over that period. In 2010/11 the long-course success rate was around the national average. It has increased slightly in 2011/12, but is not yet high enough.  There are variations between the success rates in different subject areas and for different levels. For example, there was a strong improvement in the success rates for health and social care and childhood studies. The success rate for engineering has improved but remains below the national average. The success rates for learners aged 16 to 18 and 19+ are strongest at foundation level, where they are high.  The success rate for learners aged 16 to 18 at advanced level is not high enough and has not improved over the last three years. A major factor is the success rate of learners on AS courses. Provision here is small but there is significant underperformance, particularly in science and mathematics.  Most learners aged 16 to 18 enter the college with below-average prior attainment at GCSE. Overall learners make the progress expected, when comparing their success rates to their previous qualifications. The progress learners make in lessons, as observed by inspectors, is often good. This is a key factor behind the improving success rates.  Success rates for the large numbers of learners on functional skills courses in English and mathematics are high. However, for the smaller number of learners taking GCSE English and mathematics courses in 2011/12, the A* to C success rates were low.  The strong focus on employability skills across the college helps learners develop high levels of skills that support them in gaining employment. For example, in business studies learners face a competitive process to take part in a paid internship over the summer break, which has led to full-time employment.  Learners from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as, or better than, their peers. The achievement gap that was apparent for learners receiving additional learning support has been eliminated so that in 2011/12 the success rates for these learners were slightly above those of their fellow learners.

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 Most apprentices are in hairdressing, where high numbers achieve their qualification in the timescale planned when they start the course. For the much smaller number of apprentices in engineering, success rates, especially within the planned timescale, are less positive but improving.  Over the last few years the college has developed systems to record accurately the progression of learners. These show that there are high levels of progression between levels in some subjects, such as in hairdressing and beauty therapy, and on to employment.  Learners have high levels of attendance and punctuality and very positive attitudes to learning. These support them in making good progress in their studies and on to further study and employment. In most subjects learners clearly understand what they need to do to progress in their chosen career.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good  Improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is a key strategic priority for the college, and there is a strong trend of improvement. Robust lesson observations are used to develop teachers’ skills and identify training and development needs. The introduction of teaching, learning and assessment coaches has successfully promoted a culture in which good practice is now shared more consistently across subjects. This is having a positive impact upon learner attainment and supporting the upward trend in success rates.  Teaching and learning are challenging and support the development of learners’ good professional skills, particularly in vocational areas. Teachers plan learning carefully to ensure learners make progress, confidently using a wide range of learning activities and good resources to stimulate interest and motivate learners. For example, in first-aid lessons teachers used sharp and incisive questions to check students’ knowledge and deepen levels of understanding. However, too many teaching sessions in science and mathematics are less effective.  Teachers have a very strong focus upon health and safety in all practical areas. In engineering, learners routinely carry out risk assessments and identify hazards associated with workshop machinery before using it.  Workplace learners benefit from frequent well-planned assessments both at work and in college. Visits to the workplace are planned to meet the needs of employers and learners. Detailed assessment outcomes provide the learner and employer with clear information on further learning needed to ensure workplace skills are of the highest standard. Assessment feedback provides clear information on how learners can improve their work and any support needs they may have.  The use of technology and the use of the virtual learning environment (VLE) to extend learning are insufficiently developed in some areas. Mobile technology is used innovatively in music, sociology, information technology (IT), and marine engineering. This includes taking photographs of work on mobile phones and uploading it to the college virtual learning site for the group to access. Music students are using iPads as portable recording studios for live professional standard recording while on location. Marine engineers are converting learning resources for use on electronic devices so that when they are away at sea they can still access them. However, this good practice has not yet been shared consistently across the college.  Learners are placed on programmes with careful consideration of their abilities. Initial advice and guidance are well devised; the extended induction and initial assessment period provide much better information than previously about learners’ capabilities. The ‘right student right course’ initiative means that very few learners are on courses that are either not suitable for them or that do not lead to clear opportunities to progress to higher-level learning.  Assessment of learning is mostly strong. In almost all areas assessment is used effectively to check understanding and to encourage learners to improve. Assignment briefs are clear and

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learners know what they have to do. Good use is made of questioning to check and develop understanding.  Personal learning coaches work closely with their learners, setting them short-term performance-improvement goals that are reviewed and updated. Reviews are helpful and focus upon attendance, assignment completion and punctuality. However, there is insufficient focus upon academic progress and performance against target grade, and the use of the college’s electronic monitoring system is not yet consistent. The quality of teachers’ feedback to learners, while strong in many areas, is not always sufficiently detailed in some areas to identify how learners could improve the quality of their work.  For students identified as having additional needs, sensitive, discrete and high-quality support is offered. Those receiving additional learning support achieve as well as, or better than, their peers. Good links exist with local schools and transition arrangements are managed very effectively.  Teachers pay close attention to developing students’ skills in English and mathematics. In one good example in a travel and tourism lesson, students were required to peer mark a group activity for accuracy of content and spelling of technical terminology. In A-level law the quality of feedback on written work is excellent. Grammar, spelling, technical terminology and helpful guidance ensure that students are very clear about what needs to be done to improve the quality of their homework.  Equality and diversity are promoted very effectively in the classroom, particularly in health and social care, and hairdressing and beauty therapy. Learners demonstrate a good appreciation of the sensitivities relating to their clients’ cultural background and how this will affect the way in which they work with them. Workplace learning assessors are working hard to ensure equality and diversity are fully embedded into the assessment and review processes of all apprentices through the use of a growing resource bank of increasingly challenging questions.

Health and social care, early years and play work

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Good  Teaching and learning are motivational and encourage the development of good professional skills in this very large curriculum area. Learners across both care and early years programmes develop good vocational skills at and beyond the standard for the level and stage of their programmes. These high levels of skills development and the strong progress learners make are clearly reflected in the good success rates. Teachers highly effectively and skilfully support learners in using their practical experience from the work placements in the classroom, enlivening the sessions with real examples from their practice. Learners make good progress in lessons, work effectively and cooperatively together, clearly develop in confidence and produce work of a high standard.  Very well planned and organised sessions ensure learners make good progress. Most teachers confidently use a wide range of activities and resources to engage and motivate the learners. Therefore, learners are interested and purposeful and respond well to further challenge, particularly in helping them to think critically about their practice and to work independently. For example, childcare learners confidently plan and deliver creative and interesting learning activities for young children.  In first-aid learning sessions, sharply focused questions and regular review and recap help learners to evaluate critically and reflect on their practice and how best they might respond in an emergency situation. However, a very small minority of lessons are too teacher led and, as a consequence, learners lose interest.

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 Initial assessment is good and used very effectively to plan learning and to identify and provide additional support. Advice when joining the programme ensures learners are placed onto the appropriate programme and they consider they had good advice regarding the requirements of the programme. Staff use the electronic monitoring system confidently to carry out learner reviews which are thorough. Target-setting is effective and sufficiently challenging to stretch learners.  Good use is made of assessment to support and encourage learners to make the progress expected of them. Learners understand assessment tasks and find the feedback useful. However, feedback is not always sufficiently critical or challenging to ensure learners are pushed to achieve at a higher level.  Learners receive helpful feedback regarding their functional skills. Some teachers are able to skilfully embed these into classroom sessions with particularly good examples seen in English and in IT. For those learners identified as having additional needs, sensitive and discrete in-class support ensures these learners are as successful as their peers.  Teachers provide good advice and guidance to support learners in planning effectively for their futures in health and social care and early years. Well-organised provision provides coherent progression routes for all learners from intermediate to advanced levels. Learners on advanced-level programmes have direct access to appropriate foundation degrees delivered at the college and the majority are planning to progress to these.  In the classroom there is good promotion of equality and diversity. Inspectors were impressed with the quality of discussions on equality and diversity observed in teaching sessions. For example, a useful discussion was held with learners about emergency care and the need to be sensitive to the client’s cultural background. Learners displayed a thorough understanding of their own rights and the need to respect the rights of the children and adults with whom they work.

Science, mathematics and statistics

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Inadequate  Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate in this very small curriculum area. This is reflected in the low success rate at AS level and the low progression rates from AS to A level. However, learners who do progress to A level pass the course. In the past, pre-course guidance has resulted in learners being enrolled onto AS courses despite achievements at GCSE that did not adequately prepare them for A-level study. A revised enrolment process has been introduced in 2012 which ensures learners are enrolled onto appropriate courses.  Teachers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable but the majority of teaching requires improvement. A minority of teaching is good. The best lessons have clear objectives, effective use of information and learning technology, a range of activities to develop understanding, effective questioning and a good pace. In one good chemistry lesson, students worked in pairs on a card-sorting activity to identify characteristics of different types of chemical bonds. They then followed this up with a practical activity, again in pairs, illustrating how these characteristics can be identified experimentally. This combination of theory, discussion and practical work helped the learners to develop a high level of understanding of this topic.  In the least effective lessons, pace is often slow, questioning is ineffective and there are lengthy periods of teacher exposition leading to insufficient opportunities for learners to develop their skills and understanding. Learning objectives and learner understanding are not reviewed at the end of lessons. Opportunities to develop employability, oracy and functional skills are limited.

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Often, activities and learning resources are unimaginative and do not provide sufficient challenge for the more-able learners.  Assessment of learning is weak. Strategies for assessing learners’ starting points and their understanding during lessons are often lacking or ineffective. In most subjects, learners do not receive frequent, detailed feedback from teachers following assessment of their learning. Consequently, monitoring of learners’ progress requires improvement in most subject areas. It is inadequate in physics and biology.  Learners feel very safe at the college and learner behaviour in and out of lessons is outstanding. Learners demonstrate a high level of respect for each other and towards college staff. However, there is limited evidence of promotion of equality and diversity in lessons. Attention to health and safety in science practical lessons is very good.  Teachers provide good academic support for learners. Learners value the additional out-of-class support that is available from subject teachers to help them understand topics and the general support and guidance that they receive from their personal tutors. However, the checking of files is insufficient and many learners’ files are disorganised.  In most subjects, particularly in science subjects, there is insufficient work set for learners outside lessons to support the development of their understanding and independent learning skills. This contributes to poor recall of previously acquired knowledge and skills. Adequate learning resources are provided for learners in the library but there is a shortage of useful learning resources available to learners, in particular in the science subjects, on the VLE to support the development of independent learning skills.

Engineering, transport operations and maintenance

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

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good and are supporting the improvements in success rates in this very large curriculum area across both marine and general engineering, which have roughly equal numbers of learners. In the best sessions, teachers make good use of their knowledge and industrial experience to relate theory to practice. They bring to learners up-to-date concepts and current engineering methods. They use directed and probing questions to engage all learners and to test their knowledge and understanding. In these lessons, learners are inspired, interested and motivated, and they make good progress.  Learners develop good vocational and employability skills. In workshops, learners work on realistic engineering tasks. They use machinery safely and competently and produce high-quality work that meets industrial standards. Planned industrial visits add to learners’ awareness of the engineering industry. Engineering learners participate in national and international competitions and have won major prizes.  The emphasis on health and safety is good. Learners carry out risk assessments and identify the hazards associated with workshop machinery before using it. Marine engineering learners complete short safety courses and first-aid training, greatly enhancing their employment prospects.  Not all teachers use learners’ profiles and initial assessment information effectively to plan teaching. In marine engineering, teachers use learners’ profiles appropriately to support lesson planning. In a small minority of lessons teachers take insufficient account of learners’ differing needs and abilities. The tasks do not provide enough stimulus or challenge particularly for the more-able learners and, on occasion, teachers’ input is excessive, resulting in learners being passive.

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 Many lesson plans incorporate equality and diversity. However, they are not consistently embedded in all lessons. Learners have a sound understanding of issues relating to equality and diversity but opportunities to develop their knowledge are not always fully explored.  The college’s VLE is not widely used by learners in general engineering to support their programmes. Learners state that it is not sufficiently developed to support their learning. In marine engineering there is more effective use of the VLE and innovative use of mobile phones for internet research.  The development of learners’ English and mathematical skills is good. Teachers mark learners’ work thoroughly. They correct learners’ texts, grammar and spelling. Mathematics is successfully embedded in the sessions. Learners interpret scaled drawings and carry out measurements and calculations in association with their practical tasks effectively. Learners also develop good evaluative skills in interpreting their experimental data.  Teachers’ assessment of learners’ work is accurate and fair. Assignments are well structured and test learners’ understanding. However, feedback on learners’ work varies in depth and quality. The better feedback provides guidance on how learners can improve their future work. Workplace learners are benefiting from the improved frequency of reviews and assessments.  The range of resources available to learners in marine engineering is outstanding. Facilities to support learners include the simulation centre, which creates a realistic working experience, and the very well-equipped marine safety training centre. The majority of classrooms are conducive to good learning and workshops are fit for purpose and adequately resourced. Attendance levels are high. In classrooms and workshops, learners work productively and their behaviour and attitudes are professionally appropriate.  Teachers give good support to learners. Vocational teachers and the personal learning coaches coordinate their work closely, ensuring that learners are fully supported. As a result learners make good progress to employment and higher education.

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

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

Good  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and this is reflected in the strongly improving and high success rates for this area. Lessons are thoroughly planned with a wide variety of highly effective learning resources to stimulate learning. Internet video clips are used innovatively as back-drop displays in salons and integrated into theory lessons to support learning. Extension tasks and activities extend learning appropriately in most lessons. Learners’ attendance is high.  Tutor expectations are high, with strict adherence to professionalism, corporate uniform and personal appearance. This supports the development of learners’ positive attitudes and behaviour in formal learning situations and when in social areas of the college. Teachers focus strongly on future employment and encourage learners to develop high-level skills. For example, advanced-level learners operate the reception facility and supervise foundation and intermediate learners, who also undertake reception duties. The learning environment is new, bright, well maintained and commercially relevant.  Assessment of learning is good. It is checked frequently and outcomes are revisited regularly. Tutors use realistic examples to assess learners’ understanding and carefully link topics from previous sessions. Tutors use positive language to encourage discussion and participation. In some lessons learners are invited to evaluate the lesson formally.

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 Feedback on learners’ work is supportive and develops learning. Portfolios and learners’ files are well organised. Apprenticeship reviews are thorough and include a self-evaluation activity to encourage learners’ awareness of their responsibility in learning. Individual learning plans are used effectively to monitor targets and learners have their own tracking log which is located at the front of the portfolio.  Attention to correcting and improving learners’ spelling and grammar is weak in hairdressing. A few tutors’ worksheets and class notes on the marker board and computer screen contain spelling and grammatical mistakes. In beauty therapy, spelling and grammatical errors are corrected consistently.  Positive actions are taken to develop English and mathematics. Teachers use positive imagery to support and enhance learning effectively. A colourful poster campaign is evident in all learning settings providing helpful examples of the use of English and mathematics in hairdressing and beauty therapy. Initial assessment processes are robust.  Learners receive good support and value the clear expectations established at induction. Personal learning coaches are based within the curriculum area. This enables the coaches and teachers to coordinate the review process effectively. The VLE is extensively used by learners and provides access to learning materials and lesson presentations.  Innovative case studies illustrate examples of equality and diversity to support learning, for example how to support a deaf client and a client for whom English is an additional language. Aspects of equality and diversity are consistently addressed within the curriculum, for example the size and shape of the bones of the skull by ethnic grouping and the reaction of different skin types to external stimuli such as heat and mechanical treatments. Equality and diversity issues are also reinforced appropriately in workplace learning reviews.  Advice and guidance effectively support learning and progression. Learners receive helpful careers advice, including advice from external prestigious hair and beauty companies. Progression between levels and on to employment is strong.

Foundation English and mathematics

Learning programmes for 16-18 Learning programmes for 19+

Good  The good quality of teaching, learning and assessment supports the positive trends in success rates in English and mathematics qualifications. Teachers make good use of a range of learning strategies to develop learners’ skills. Active learning tasks increase interest and enjoyment, and extend understanding in areas such as units of measure and sentence construction. Learning activities progressively build on previous learning and knowledge.  Teachers take care to provide well-planned lessons to meet individual needs, differing ability levels, confidence and support needs. Planning takes good account of equality and diversity, with effective examples used in lessons to support understanding. Teachers have detailed knowledge of learners’ support needs and their barriers to learning through the good use of learners’ profiles. Staff are experienced and skilled in providing a good range of support to learners.  Teachers have high expectations of learners and challenge them to develop functional skills at higher levels. In instances where learners achieve higher-level results from foundation-level assessment, they are encouraged to take further, more challenging assessments. This encourages higher-level achievement and stretch for learners.  Learners extend functional skills learning by the completion of an effective independent study project available through the college’s VLE. The project increases awareness of employers’ expectations through integrated activities including hyperlinks and video links.

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 While there are examples of particularly good use of interactive learning technology for learning activities and assessment, it is not used to its full extent across the provision. Too frequently its use is limited to the display of learning objectives and their review at the end of the lesson.  Learners receive good in-lesson support from teachers and learning support assistants, ensuring that their progress is monitored during lessons. Lesson planning takes good account of the range of activities and the learners identified to be supported by learning support assistants.  Initial and diagnostic assessments are comprehensive and take place over a four-week period. The graduated approach to assessment assists accurate outcomes as learners are able to concentrate more effectively in the time given and are motivated to complete assessment fully and accurately. Learners are placed on programmes which are carefully matched to their ability levels.  Targets set on some individual learning plans do not take full account of assessment results for entry-level learners. Inconsistencies exist in the setting of short- and long-term targets. Some targets are insufficiently focused on English and mathematics development.  Teachers provide regular feedback to learners on their progress during lessons. Teachers make good use of directed and open questions to assess learning and make effective use of recap. Written feedback is detailed. Functional skills results are made immediately available to vocational tutors through the college IT systems to inform lesson planning.  Learners receive good support and advice from staff. The curriculum area works closely with the student service section and learning support staff. Staff are successful at helping to resolve learners’ personal and social problems, such as housing.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The principal and governors have a clear mission to drive forward standards with a vision to be an outstanding college. Staff at all levels confirm a significant change in the college’s culture and that it is now more open and routed in ensuring the best possible experiences for learners. The strategic objectives are focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning, maintaining financial efficiencies while improving learning resources and working in partnerships to meet the needs of the college’s community locally and through its specialist maritime training nationally and internationally.  The pace of improvement since the last inspection has been rapid. Overall, long-course success rates have improved by 10 percentage points but a few pockets of underperformance remain, mostly on AS provision. In the majority of subjects there has been a consistent improvement in both retention and achievement although the success rates remain low in a small minority of subjects. Further changes have been made this year; entry criteria are now applied more consistently and induction processes are more robust to ensure that students are placed on the correct courses.  The arrangements to improve teaching and learning and to manage the performance of staff have improved significantly and they are now comprehensive and robust. External observers provide an objective view of the quality of lessons. Teachers identified as requiring improvement have good access to professional development and one-to-one support from a learning coach. Managers expect swift improvement in the quality of lessons and where practice does not improve they have implemented competency procedures and several staff have left the college.  Self-assessment is broadly accurate, evaluative and mostly justified by clear evidence. Self-assessment reports are scrutinised and moderated closely by senior managers to provide a detailed picture of the college’s provision. Accurate data are now used across all subjects to support the effective monitoring of provision. Action plans are linked closely to the identified areas for improvement but too many focus on process rather than the impact of actions. It is not always clear how completion of the specified action will lead to the required improvement.

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 The college provides a good range of vocational courses across most subjects with clear progression routes and a limited range of AS- and A-level subjects. In recognition of the differing needs and abilities of learners from the local community, they have significantly expanded the provision at foundation level including a variety of programmes for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The range of specialist maritime courses and facilities, including bespoke training to meet the needs of the industry worldwide, is outstanding. All learners complete functional English and mathematics.  The college has made significant improvements in its strategies to collect and use the views of learners to develop the curriculum and meet their needs. Learners receive detailed feedback on how their suggestions have been acted upon. Business planning processes ensure that managers consider ways of developing links with relevant employers.  In several subjects employers are involved in developing course content and in many areas they provide learners with good work experience places. The range of partnerships has increased and the college now works closely with external agencies, including provision for the long-term unemployed and those not in education, employment or training.  The provider meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding learners. Appropriate policies are in place and the college’s links with external agencies ensure they are well placed to meet the needs of vulnerable learners. At-risk students are monitored closely. Incidents relating to bullying are managed proactively; swift action is taken to a zero tolerance policy and, where appropriate, mediation is provided. Given the high-risk nature of a significant proportion of the college’s work, in engineering there is a very strong emphasis on health and safety with all staff and students.  An equalities group, chaired by the principal, is ensuring that aspects of equality are fully embedded in college plans from the overarching strategy through to lesson plans. Equality and diversity are strongly promoted throughout this diverse and inclusive college. A series of whole- college events support learners’ understanding with just under 100 nationalities involved in the recent day to celebrate diversity. Equality issues are explored thoroughly in many subjects.  Good use is made of data to monitor the performance of different groups. Strategies have been effective in reducing identified achievement gaps, particularly the performance of learners receiving additional learning support. There are no significant differences between the performance of different groups. The college is very responsive to the needs of vulnerable learners, particularly those from more-deprived areas who are supported to be involved in all aspects of college life. Particularly impressive is the integration of learners with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) South Tyneside College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance:

1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate i gnnraeL 61-41 semmargorpi gnnraeL 81-61

semmargorpi gnnraeL +91

semmargorp llarevOi sphsecitnerppAOverall effectiveness 2 2 2 2 2 Outcomes for learners 3 3 3 3 3

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment The effectiveness of leadership and management

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

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

Health and social care, early years and play work 2 Science, mathematics and statistics 4 Engineering, transport operations and maintenance 2 Hairdressing and beauty therapy 2 Foundation English and mathematics 2

Provider details

Provider name South Tyneside 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: 1,317 Part time: 3,612

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Principal/CEO Lindsey Whiterod Date of previous inspection October 2009 Website address www.stc.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 172 90 240 32 600 183 0 0 Part-time 301 526 188 1,015 313 674 23 226

Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 92 96 45 113 0 0

Number of learners aged 14-16 526

Number of community learners 0

Number of employability learners 159

Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency  Accent Regeneration & Community Partnership

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

Ltd  Any Driver Ltd  Baltic Training  Cultivate Training  Groundwork  Infinite Resources  Keith Stevenson Associates Ltd  Learning Curve  Learning Curve Skills Centre Ltd (York)  NIMIS Ltd  Nisai Virtual Academy  PES Security  Plumb-skills  South Shields Community School  Talent Training  Training Assessment & Consultancy Services Ltd  Tyne and Wear LGV

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Additional socio-economic information

The college is situated in an area with a population of around 150,000. South Tyneside is among the 18 local authorities with the highest unemployment rates in England and Wales, and the twelfth highest where unemployment is longer than 12 months. Eleven wards in the borough are among the 10% most deprived nationally. The proportion of the population who have no qualifications is slightly higher than that found nationally. Around 47% hold qualifications at advanced level or above, below the regional average and six percentage points below the national average. The number of pupils attaining five GCSEs at A* to C, including English and mathematics, has increased over the last four years and is now around the national average.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector Heather Barnett HMI

Four of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the deputy principal (planning and performance) 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 learners’ achievements over the last three years to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to collect 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 college. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision and graded the subject areas listed in the report.

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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 'Complaining about inspections', 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 or if you have any questions about Learner View please email Ofsted at: learnerview@ofsted.gov.uk