Mount Camphill Community Ofsted Report

Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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

 Start to plan for leavers’ destinations much earlier in the programme, so that students know where they are going and can move on and successfully build on the progress they have made. Ensure that students are better prepared to participate in the community where they will be living.  Further develop opportunities for external work placements so that more students can practise their outstanding practical skills and skills of social interaction in other environments. Ensure that the contractual arrangements with employers are clear.  Continue to provide support for tutors so that they all make use of opportunities to consolidate and develop the functional use of English and mathematics in sessions and exploit the possibilities of technology, particularly mobile technologies, as a tool for learning.  Continue to develop ways of capturing data on all aspects of the programme, including destinations, so that trustees and managers can better evaluate the quality of the programmes of learning and the outcomes for students.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Good  Students achieve well across all aspects of their programmes, with examples of outstanding progress in the development of social communication skills.  All students show good progress in developing independent living skills, particularly in the residences. They grow in self-confidence, supported well by the co-workers who provide a calming environment in which students can flourish and improve their skills of social interaction.  Students achieve high standards in their practical work, with example of artefacts in pottery, weaving, bakery and wood work that meet commercial requirements. They learn to use equipment, such as lawn mowers in estates maintenance, and in gardening they grow produce of marketable quality.  Students develop essential skills of balance and better mobility through the movement programme, and learn to work and plan together through activities such as drama productions.  The pass rates for the small number of students who enter for qualifications related to independent living and social skills, catering and hygiene are very high. Although those who enter for functional skills qualifications all achieve, the numbers entering are low.  There are no significant differences in achievements between male and female students or between students from differing minority ethnic backgrounds.  The college has made improvements in capturing the progress made by students from their starting points, and has recently introduced a system for a visual representation of achievement that draws together all aspects of the programme, including progress in the residences. However, this needs further refinement so that it can provide a useful management tool for evaluating the effectiveness of the programme for all students.  The college arrangements for work experience require further development. Although progress has been made, and a minority of students enjoy successful placements, the current arrangements do not take sufficient account of the specific practical skills that students have already developed. Too few students benefit. The college does not have service level agreements with employers to aid the effectiveness of work experience.  When they leave the college, too few students progress to formal further learning to build on their achievements. Too many leavers were not clear about their next steps after college by the penultimate week of the year. Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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 Students enjoy their programmes and can identify what they can now do that they were unable to do before they started at the college. Rates of retention, punctuality and attendance are very high, although attendance data lack clarity about authorised absences.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good overall, with a few examples of outstanding teaching and this reflects the good outcomes for students. Teaching staff are highly motivated, enthusiastic and have high expectations of students.  In practical workshops tutors expect and get quality items in pottery, woodwork, weaving and bakery. Students are supported well to achieve high standards of finished work and are encouraged to challenge themselves and develop strong independent living and learning skills.  Support for speech and language development and behaviour management is outstanding. Students have a comprehensive and detailed speech and language assessment which clearly informs their individual learning programmes. The shared application and promotion of communication strategies are highly effective across all aspects of college life. Similarly, the tutors have developed very effective behaviour management approaches with a focus on enabling students to develop the necessary skills to manage their own behaviour.  In the most effective sessions, tutors make very good use of questioning to elicit understanding and to encourage students to reflect on their progress against their individual targets. Tutors plan carefully to motivate students, using a range of effective teaching approaches that enable them to develop good levels of practical, independent learning and living skills. Tutors provide good, detailed and constructive verbal feedback and encourage and assist students to assess the work of their peers.  Health and safety are very good in practical workshops with reinforcement through displays, regular checking and good risk assessments. Tutors have a strong focus on health and hygiene in the workshops. Students demonstrate an understanding of the importance of being safe and keeping others safe in a range of working and domestic environments, such as the need to wear protective clothing and to wash their hands when handling food items or working with clay.  The initial assessment process before admission and the longer baseline assessment period in the first term are very thorough. Each student has an individual programme, based on the results of these assessments. Students have individual targets and these are reviewed on a termly basis. However, the college recognises that the review arrangements require further development in order to capture students’ progress with greater clarity.  The co-workers provide very clear evidence in the students’ support plans, identifying well and concisely the progress made by students in the residences.  Information, advice and guidance to prepare students for their destinations on leaving the college require further improvement. Planning for students’ next steps starts too late and the college does not have effective arrangements to build on the skills developed by students during their three years at the college. The college has identified the need to improve this area of its provision within its current development plan.  The development of skills in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT) is not consistently good. In the best sessions tutors consolidate or develop communication skills well through the use of simple linear instructions or pictorial prompts, and by asking questions or requiring the reading of recipes. Mathematical skills are consolidated through measuring materials, weighing ingredients, doubling recipes and cooking within a budget.  In a minority of sessions opportunities for the development of functional skills are missed. Tutors make too little use of computers and mobile technology in sessions and in the preparation of students for life after college.  The promotion of cultural diversity is good, the college provides a harmonious, supportive environment in which to live and work. The college celebrates the cultural heritages of the Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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volunteers from overseas, and they provide opportunities for students to gain an understanding of the wider world. Tutors prepare well to meet the learning needs of individual students in lessons.

The effectiveness of leadership and management

Good  Leadership and management are good because members of staff at all levels in the organisation encourage the students to achieve in all aspects of their programmes, and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now consistently good. The excellent therapeutic support and behaviour management provided for students enable them to improve their well-being and participate productively in their programmes of learning.  A new management structure, with clear lines of responsibility, has helped to move the college forward in achieving its strategic aims and mission, and has raised the achievement of students. Managers recognise that further work is needed to improve the capture of data to enable them to evaluate the quality of the provision more effectively.  The trustees provide very sound critical support for the managers. They bring valuable professional or commercial experience to the board, and each trustee has a specified area of interest, such as safeguarding. They provide a good level of challenge to the staff. Reporting to the board is thorough and clearly illustrates the improvements the college is making. Trustees have a sound grasp of the financial implications arising from funding changes within the sector, monitor the finances carefully, and are seeking to increase sources of income.  The revised arrangements for the observation of teaching, learning and assessment have resulted in greater rigour in evaluating the quality of learning activities. The team of observers has undertaken external training and participated in regional specialist college training, and this has been instrumental in the development of clearer guidelines about good practice in teaching and learning.  The performance of tutors has been observed with greater frequency and rigour than in previous years, and those tutors requiring support are mentored individually until they reach a good standard. The observers have also dropped into sessions to focus on specific topics, such as the effectiveness of the teaching assistants in the classroom. Tutors are encouraged to share good practice. These actions have resulted in good teaching and learning across all aspects of the curriculum.  The college trains its staff well, with thorough, relevant induction of new staff, and timely updates, which focus on the specific requirements of the student cohort, including strategies for behaviour management and approaches to supporting students on the autistic spectrum. The college provides good English language training for the volunteer trainee co-workers who support the students in the residences and in their taught sessions. This training contributes to the high quality of support that enables students to benefit from the programmes of learning.  The self-assessment report is more evaluative than at the previous inspection, with a stronger focus on evidence to support judgements, which are consequently more realistic. The views of students are taken into account. The quality improvement plan is now a working document, which is updated frequently, giving managers a clear picture of what still needs to be done. They recognise, for example, that more needs to be done to develop transition arrangements and in the arrangements for external work experience.  The curriculum is well resourced and meets the needs of students very well. The individual timetables for students are based on an approach pedagogy which encompasses rural craft and land-based activities, combined with movement, arts and therapies. Students produce artefacts in woodwork, pottery, weaving and cookery, as well as garden produce that they sell at local fairs. Some of the craft work is commissioned. This combination of activities enables students to develop self-confidence and to work positively with others.  All students have some form of English and mathematics as part of their study programme and they have an extensive programme of enrichment activity in the evenings and at weekends. Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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However, members of staff recognise that the programme of work experience needs further development, so that it builds on the skills and understanding that students have developed.  The college meets its statutory requirements for the safeguarding of students. The safety of students has a very high priority, and swift action is taken to minimise risks in learning and in residential provision. Managers have responded very well to the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to make sure students are able to make safe choices and decisions, and all staff are swiftly updated on any new requirements.  Students feel safe and able to report with confidence if they feel bullied or harassed, knowing that these issues will be quickly acted upon and resolved. The managers record any incidents thoroughly, and report them to the trustees, but do not analyse them sufficiently in order to identify trends and possible ways in which they could be reduced. The college lacks a sexual relations policy.  Respect for individual students is a significant strength of the college’s focus on equality and diversity. Students model this behaviour with their peers. The specific learning needs of individual students are clearly identified in lesson plans and inspectors observed good examples of sessions in which tutors met those needs well. Staff are kept up to date with legislative changes relating to equality. However, the college does not focus sufficiently on preparing students for the equalities issues they might encounter when leaving the college.

Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) The Mount Camphill Community

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance: 1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate Overall effectiveness Outcomes for learners The quality of teaching, learning and assessment The effectiveness of leadership and management

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

Independent living and leisure skills 2

Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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Provider details Type of provider

Independent Specialist College

Age range of learners

16−25

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

29

Principal/CEO

Mr Andrew McDougall

Date of previous inspection

February 2011

Website address

www.mountcamphill.org

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

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

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

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 1 23 - - - - - -

Intermediate Advanced Higher

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

16-19 - 19+ - Total -

Number of learners aged 14-16

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

Number of community learners

N/A Number of employability learners N/A

Funding received from

Education Funding Agency (EFA)

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

N/A

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Contextual information

The Mount Camphill Community is a specialist college providing further education opportunities for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, some of which are severe or complex. It is located in Wadhurst, East Sussex, and is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. It is part of the international Camphill Movement, with an acceptance of the uniqueness of each human being regardless of race or religion. The college offers a holistic programme in which practical work in crafts is complemented by creative activities, movement education and individual therapies. The curriculum draws on, and is informed by, the principles and practices of Rudolf Steiner. The students live on the site and are supported in the residences and in their education by co-workers, some of whom are trainees, who come as volunteers from overseas and stay for one year.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Joyce Deere HMI One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and two additional inspectors, assisted by the Head of Education 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 parents; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider. Inspectors graded the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision. Inspection report: The Mount Camphill Community, 9–11 July 2014

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Judgement

Outstanding Good Requires improvement Inadequate Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Handbook for the inspection of further education and skills 2012, Part 2:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/handbook-for-inspection-of-further-education-and-skills-september-2012

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

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

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

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