Kingston Maurward College Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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

 Improve students’ progress, particularly that of the more able, by ensuring that all teachers set challenging target grades and identify actions for improvement that will enable students to fulfil their potential. Ensure precise targets are set for students and apprentices who need to improve their English and mathematics.  Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by sharing the good practice that exists, both within the college and regionally, to ensure that all students and apprentices achieve at the highest level and fulfil their potential.  Improve the pace and priority for the implementation of the English and mathematics strategy so that all students are able to study a qualification at an appropriate level, given their prior attainment. Ensure those without a GCSE grade C or above in English or mathematics have the opportunity to achieve this as part of their study programme.  Draw on all available sources of evidence to inform self-assessment and the prioritising of actions for improvement. Ensure managers use all of the relevant performance data and management information, particularly value-added data, to evaluate the effectiveness of courses.  Increase the rigour of senior managers’ monitoring and target setting for improvement across all subject areas, so that the quality of provision is of consistently high quality.  Support teachers to increase their promotion of cultural diversity in lessons, tutorials and reviews.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Good  Around two thirds of full-time students study work-related courses at college and around a third of students are on apprenticeship courses, learning in their workplace. About two thirds of the students are aged 16 to 18, and around a third of students are on courses at level 3.  Outcomes for learners are good. The very large majority of college and work-based students achieve their qualifications, and the proportion has risen over the last three years for most subject areas and levels.  A high proportion of college-based students complete their courses and achieve their qualifications, and this has risen markedly from the previous year. Very few students leave the college before they complete their qualifications. Students studying floristry, horticulture, horse care and preparation for life and work are very successful at achieving their qualifications.  Most apprentices achieve their qualifications within the planned timescale, and the proportion has risen significantly over the past three years. Apprentices in agriculture, animal care and sport leadership are particularly successful in achieving their frameworks. However, the proportion of advanced apprentices in business administration and learning support who achieve their framework is much lower.  Most students on study programmes, particularly at level 3, make at least the progress expected of them. Around two thirds achieve high grades in their qualifications. Students in some subjects, including countryside management, horse care and floristry, make better progress than expected from their prior achievements. Students studying animal management, agriculture and outdoor adventure achieve broadly in line with their predicted grades.  No significant differences exist between the rates of achievement of different groups of students. Male students achieve at a similar rate to female students, and students with learning Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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difficulties and/or disabilities achieve at the same rate as their peers. Students aged 16 to 18 and adults achieve their qualifications at a similarly high rate.  The proportion of students who achieve qualifications in English and mathematics, as part of their study programme, is high. However, these rates declined for most groups of students in 2013/14, and staff do not challenge enough students to follow qualifications at level 2. Students studying below level 1 make very significant improvements in their English and mathematical skills in their subject lessons, which help them to pass qualifications. The development of students’ English and mathematical skills is less well planned and effective in lessons at levels 2 and 3.  Students work and learn well together on the extensive and well-maintained college estate. They respect their environment, their teachers and each other. They behave very well in lessons, which they attend regularly, and the vast majority are punctual. Students work safely and are able to identify the risks and hazards associated with a wide range of potentially dangerous practical tasks.  College-based students develop the essential practical skills for their chosen industry well. For example, horse care students learn grooming and horse presentation skills and they work to a high standard, appropriate for working in the equine industry. Apprentices develop their practical skills well through effective training in their workplace.  Students develop very good skills for employment, such as teamwork, communication, reliability and a strong work ethic through working with others and completing routine practical tasks, such as milking or gardening, in the college’s commercial units and training facilities. They further develop their practical and employment-related skills by completing work experience placements with a very wide range of employers in the county.  College managers systematically collect data on the destinations of students when they complete their course. The proportion of students whose destination is unknown is very low. The rate at which students progress to apprenticeships, employment and higher education is high, and very few students do not find a job. However, the rate of progression to higher level courses within the college is low. Managers do not use information on students’ destinations well enough to evaluate the impact that the college’s provision is having on meeting skills requirements or resolving skills shortages in the county.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good  Teaching in the majority of subject areas promotes good learning, as shown by students’ high success rates and the large proportion that move into further study or employment. Most teachers make very good use of the extensive land-based estate and the high quality resources to ensure students are ready for employment. Apprentices learn and achieve well, both on- and off-the-job, because staff provide high quality training and assessment and have very good links with employers.  In a small minority of subjects, teaching and learning are less effective and teachers are undemanding of their students. As a result, although students often complete the qualification aim requirements, they do not gain as much knowledge and skill as they could if teachers inspired and challenged them to a higher level. Too few teachers use assessment information about students fully to match work closely to the differing capabilities of students, particularly those of middle and higher ability.  In most subjects, teachers use practical work and work experience very effectively to make sure students practise vocational skills frequently, and work to a high standard so they can cope with industry demands. For example, equine students work in the college’s riding school and apprentices in hospitality and catering are part of the conference and wedding management team.  Teachers use information and learning technology well to enhance learning in the majority of subjects. For example, teachers and students use tablet computers to record and evaluate Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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practical activities, such as the long reining of horses or plumbing demonstrations, very effectively. However, in a few subjects, teachers’ use of technology is much less effective.  Most teachers are good role models for students because they have high levels of industrial credibility and are knowledgeable. They promote good health and safety awareness and students mostly adopt good practice quickly and effectively. Teachers have good working relationships with students and give them plenty of support, which students value highly.  Teachers mostly ensure students develop their wider skills, such as teamwork and communication, well. Students learn to supervise others as they become more experienced, but the assessment and provision of feedback on this aspect of their work is underdeveloped.  In the best lessons, teachers repeatedly challenge students and develop teaching points effectively, for example by relating these to topical issues, making links across subjects and between theory and practice, and by drawing on students’ experiences to illustrate topics. However, at times, teachers allow students to rely on them too much; they do not make them think for themselves. In a minority of lessons, teachers set a slow pace and require too much repetition of the completion of tasks at a basic level.  Teachers’ verbal feedback on assessment is mostly very good, but their written feedback is not consistently of high quality. They use a range of assessment methods regularly, and in most cases well, during learning activities, including peer and self-assessment. However, the consistently skilful use of questioning by teachers is not widespread across subjects, and teachers do not always make their questions difficult enough to test all students thoroughly.  Good teaching, highly skilled specialist support and very good use of work experience ensures that students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have equal opportunities to learn compared to other groups of students, and they do so consistently well. Teachers structure these students’ experiences carefully and incorporate a range of enjoyable and productive activities which absorb their interest and help students develop the skills they need for progression. For example, in an enjoyable practical lesson, students collected and labelled leaves and seeds from trees around the estate which helped them to improve their writing, communication, identification and creative skills.  Students’ learning of mathematics is mostly good on entry level courses, but is not good enough at level 2. At this level, teachers do not challenge students sufficiently or ensure they gain accreditation relative to their prior attainment quickly enough. Vocational teachers’ reinforcement of mathematical learning varies too much, and in a few subjects is insufficient.  Teachers help students improve their English skills mostly well, although not enough of the more able students have progressed quickly enough to resit GCSEs. In a few vocational areas, teachers develop students’ writing, spelling and familiarity with technical language very well. For example, in construction, teachers, working closely with learning support assistants, insist that students write up technical terms in notebooks during demonstrations, and ensure that they spell and pronounce words correctly.  Staff provide good advice, guidance and support which ensures that few students withdraw early from their course. Tutors are improving tutorials and progress monitoring by ensuring that assessment information, progress reviews and improvement actions are easily accessible by all and are fully documented. In a minority of subjects, teachers’ setting of targets to promote achievement requires improvement because the targets are imprecise and not reviewed fully to ensure completion.  Too often, staff do not promote students’ understanding about cultural diversity beyond a basic level. In contrast, staff promote fairness, a respectful culture and the importance of working together mostly very well. Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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Agriculture and environmental conservation

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement leading to the adequate, rather than good, progress made by the large majority of college-based students towards gaining their qualifications. Apprentices make very good progress. The work they carry out in college links well with their responsibilities and activities at work. Students’ attendance in a minority of lessons is low. The quality of teachers’ lesson planning and target setting for students in tutorials varies too much; with a small minority so poor that it hinders students’ progress.  Students behave well in most lessons. The more effective lessons are based on the standards required by industry and have a strong commercial focus, helping to prepare students for work. In heathland management lessons, students work enthusiastically and collaboratively, and evaluate the impact of natural events and human interventions on the natural habitat.  In the majority of lessons, teachers do not challenge individual students sufficiently and this limits their progress, especially the more able. In a minority of lessons, teachers talk too much and students become easily distracted. However, students on the second year of level 3 countryside management courses use private study time effectively to explore and research topics and thus improve their learning.  Teachers’ use of technology to support learning varies considerably and some is ineffective. For example, apprentices in lessons on dairy cow health and nutrition make effective use of the computerised recording system on the college farm. Teachers refer to the use of the college’s virtual learning environment, but the large majority of students use it simply for locating assessment plans and copies of learning materials issued in lessons. Teachers make little use of interactive technology in lessons. Students and apprentices use high quality tractors that are in line with industry standards, although some associated farm machinery is outdated and does not prepare students well for work.  Teachers mark students’ assessments accurately, but their written feedback is insufficiently detailed to help students to improve their work. Students’ written work on level 3 courses is mostly good; on level 2 courses, while it is sufficient, it lacks brevity and evidence of deeper understanding of the topic. Teachers do not check students’ learning sufficiently in a minority of both classroom and practical lessons, and assume that students understand concepts without confirming this. Teachers make annotations to grammatical errors in students’ work, but provide no guidance to students about what they need to do to develop their use of appropriate English.  Apprentices receive excellent support from their assessors and teachers. Reviews for apprentices are regular, rigorous and very effective, and they make good progress as a result. Teachers management of tutorials is inconsistent and not all college-based students receive as many as they should over the year. Teachers set appropriate targets for students, but they do not review and evaluate the achievement of targets regularly to ensure they are always met and students make good progress.  Teachers reinforce and monitor the use of appropriate personal protective equipment in practical lessons to help students learn to work safely. In the most effective practical lessons, such as in ploughing, all students pay careful attention to their health and safety. However, teachers do not routinely share risk assessments with students to enable them to assess the hazards and risks associated with practical classes. Risk assessments used in a small minority of practical activities are not regularly updated and a few are well out of date.  Teachers do not always develop students’ mathematical and English skills sufficiently well in lessons. Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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 Teachers promote equality of opportunity well in the majority of lessons, for example by ensuring that all students take an active part in class discussions. Teachers do not promote students’ understanding of diversity beyond a basic level or encourage them to broaden their views on topics outside their everyday experience.

Horticulture and forestry

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, as shown by the large proportion of students who successfully gain qualifications and progress to other courses and employment. However, very few students progress to higher education.  Teachers are experienced and knowledgeable about their subjects and plan learning effectively. They successfully mix theory with practical teaching to develop students’ skills and knowledge. Students behave well and are inspired by their teachers to achieve a high level of knowledge and expertise.  Teachers expect their students to do well and encourage them to work hard and develop high- level thinking skills. For example, students mowing a sports pitch also discussed alternative ways of using turf on rooftops to provide habitats, water-storage capacity and energy-saving potential. In another lesson on water and food transport in trees, students accurately evaluated the progress they have made in their learning.  Teachers continuously emphasise to students the importance of working to industry standards, and they work safely. Students in lessons on using chainsaws pay rigorous attention to health and safety. In a sports turf practical, students discussed risks, benefits and limitations of various ride-on mowers, before carefully preparing the pitch, ready for a match.  Students develop very good practical skills working in the extensive gardens and estate, on work placements and by taking part in community housing gardening projects. They gain a secure understanding of their chosen career path, and an awareness of wider industry practice, through regular visits to historic gardens, national collections, study trips and opportunities to take part in competitions.  Employers are fully involved with setting targets for apprentices to develop relevant skills and match seasonal work to what is being learned at college well. Employers are very satisfied with the support they receive from the college. The vast majority of students on study programmes undertake high-quality external work experience during which they develop further their practical skills and work readiness.  Students are self-assured, communicative and supportive of each other. They develop good interpersonal skills and work together well in teams, including often acting as supervisors. They enjoy evaluating each other’s work using agreed protocols.  Most teachers use computers and digital media effectively to enhance learning and assessment and to encourage students and apprentices to work independently and develop research skills. Floristry students produce high-quality arrangements for events, such as open days and the opening of the new glasshouses. They illustrate their portfolios well with photographs and use social media and a wide range of software applications to showcase their designs. Forestry students evaluate their progress by recording each other on video to highlight good and poor practice ahead of assessment.  While the majority of teaching is good, in a minority of lessons, teachers assume students understand concepts when further explanations are needed or students need more practice. They fail to check learning regularly, do not link learning to students’ own experiences or spend too much time on basic plant identification exercises. Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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 Students benefit from suitably challenging assessment which supports their learning, and also helps to develop thinking and problem-solving skills. Assessors work closely with employers to plan work schedules and assessments for apprentices to maximise training opportunities. Teachers give detailed and constructive written feedback on students’ and apprentices’ work, including feedback on their spelling and grammar and how this could be improved. Students’ assessed work reflects the high standards teachers expect.  Teachers know the backgrounds and capabilities of their students, set realistic learning targets for them and monitor their progress closely. Apprentices are supported well by assessors, who respond promptly to deal with questions or problems. Teachers’ good support and guidance for students contribute to the increasing proportion of students who gain qualifications.  Teachers develop students’ writing, communication and technical language skills well. They integrate mathematical skills such as estimating, measuring and costings adequately into learning, but do not always emphasise the commercial importance of these skills to students.  The effective working relationships between teachers and students are built on trust and respect. Students show care and consideration for each other, whatever their backgrounds and capabilities. The skill with which teachers integrate cultural diversity themes into lessons is well developed in floristry where, for example, students explore different approaches to celebrations and funerals around the world. In other areas, the development of an understanding of diversity is adequate.

Sport and public services

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment ensure that most students make good progress and achieve their qualifications, as shown by the high rates of achievement on sport and public services courses. Most students on sports apprenticeships achieve their qualification in the agreed timescale. Students develop their practical skills very well and the majority secure industry-related employment or progress to a higher level of study.  Teachers motivate students well by using a wide variety of activities and examples from their own experiences to maintain the interest of students. For example, a teacher with a military background promoted the need for good communication skills by using examples from military exercises. Teachers gave level 3 students responsibility to run a day of group activities for over 140 school pupils, giving valuable real-life instructional experiences.  Teachers do not develop students’ analytical skills sufficiently in theory lessons. In a minority of lessons teachers talked for long periods, which did not involve or challenge students sufficiently to promote learning. Students are encouraged to carry out basic research, for example to find out the details of sport organisations, but too few level 3 students are stimulated or guided to research further or independently, in their own time.  Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support, advice and guidance for students, which help develop their personal and employment skills. For example, students who had a deferral following an army recruitment test have been given specific targets to improve their fitness and aptitude. Students have a clear and well-informed understanding of employment opportunities in sport and public services.  Teachers ensure students have up-to-date knowledge and skills through good use of external resources, such as those offered by employers, who contribute positively to students’ study programmes. For example, members of the Exeter Rifle Corps run relevant and exciting assessment activities with public services students. Outdoor adventure and leisure employers provide good resources and work experience placements and effective apprenticeships for students on sport courses. Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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 Sport and public services teachers develop students’ English and mathematical skills to a level required for their course; in the best lessons, teachers link learning tasks with the students’ main subject interest. For example, in a sports lesson, one teacher reinforced the need for correct spellings of technical terms; in a public services lesson, the teacher developed students’ mathematical skills in navigation exercises. Teachers do not always correct grammar and spelling errors in marked work or correct inaccurate use of language in class, missing opportunities to emphasise the standards required in the workplace.  Staff monitor students’ progress well. This enables students to be fully aware of their level of attainment. In most practical lessons, teachers give appropriate and motivating learning targets to students to help them make further improvements. Targets for improvement in students’ theory work are insufficiently specific and time-bound, which leads to a slower rate of progress for a minority of students.  Teachers’ assessment practice is good; teachers use a wide range of assessment methods well. In the best lessons, students and apprentices are encouraged to assess themselves and their peers and to reflect on their work. For example, public services students video each other giving verbal guidance on taking bearings in a navigation exercise, and share their judgements on their effectiveness. Assessment on apprenticeship programmes is particularly effective.  Teachers promote well the importance of equality. Students are treated fairly. Female students, although in the minority in most sport and public services courses, are treated equally by other students and teachers. For example, in a practical rope-climbing preparation activity, both male and female students were given equally challenging physical tasks.  Teachers’ promotion of an understanding of diversity in lessons is insufficient. Sports students have only a basic understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity. For example, sports students in one lesson were unable to identify differences in cultural expectations for sports development.

Foundation mathematics

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement leading to the declining proportion of students on level 1 and level 2 courses who achieve their qualifications. Students on entry programmes make good progress, as shown by their success in achieving their qualifications. Too often, the more able students work at an undemanding level; those students who are capable of level 2 study have made slow progress towards accreditation. Staff are implementing much-needed changes to learning programmes, including the introduction of a GCSE course, but not all changes are timely enough.  Teaching is not consistently good. Teachers do not use assessment information well enough to ensure that the tasks and work they set are suitable to develop the mathematical abilities of individual students, particularly those of higher ability. Groups of students often work on the same activities regardless of their capabilities; this means some are not sufficiently challenged to learn. Teachers do not help students to understand clearly the progress they are making; they do not monitor their progress sufficiently well, or provide full and constructive feedback.  Arrangements to support students with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia are very good. Students receive carefully planned, specialist support early on in their programme, which is adjusted to reflect the progress they make at each stage of their learning. Staff help students overcome barriers to using mathematical skills in different situations, such as taking payments in a shop. They help them gain confidence in communicating with customers alongside undertaking relevant calculations.  Staff often provide good support in lessons, particularly on entry-level courses. They use effective questions to check understanding of concepts such as place value, rounding numbers and estimating. However, teachers and teaching assistants do not consistently work closely Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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enough to ensure that students routinely have to think for themselves. For example, sometimes teaching assistants give students too much help rather than making them tackle teachers’ challenges independently.  Teachers use a range of interesting practical activities to motivate students and help them link their mathematical skills to real-life situations, such as budgeting. Most resources are of high quality, including interactive games to support students’ understanding of mathematical concepts, for example the use of fractions, or to reinforce the four rules of mathematics.  Teachers use assessment well to keep students interested and motivated. Their verbal feedback provides students with valuable information on how they can improve their skills. However, written feedback on students’ work is insufficient and does not challenge students to improve their skills further. Teachers make too few corrections to poor use of English, spelling and grammar, missing opportunities to emphasise the standards required in employment.  Teachers encourage students to develop their wider skills in communication, note taking and reading, which support their confidence in giving verbal feedback to their peers. Teachers often help students to develop work-related skills, such as entering mathematical findings from research into spreadsheets.  Teachers are improving their advice and guidance to students about the level and type of qualification they need to aim for to support their future progression. However, they do not always emphasise the importance of mathematical skills and accreditation at the highest level. For example, teachers do not identify improvement actions for students’ mathematical skills often enough when reviewing their progress. A few teachers are skilled at promoting an understanding of diversity in lessons, but not all teachers help students improve their understanding when opportunities occur.

The effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement  The effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement. Managers’ strategies to bring about improvement in teaching, learning and assessment have improved the proportion of students who achieve their qualifications for a third successive year. They have a clear focus on raising standards and are taking decisive action informed by a better understanding of management information. However, managers’ actions have not ensured a consistently high quality of provision across all subjects, and students’ progress in a few areas is not good enough.  Managers have introduced appropriate staff development, informed by their evaluation of lessons and the skills gaps identified in staff reviews. In those subject areas that have raised standards, including work-based learning, department managers have established an effective range and variety of classroom practices to interest students and assess learning and progress accurately. In these same areas, managers carry out additional quality assurance checks regularly. However, leaders and managers do not consistently apply this approach across the college. Their lack of urgency to improve professional practice in some subjects has resulted in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment not improving at a sufficient rate in those areas.  Senior managers are not ensuring sufficient rigour and oversight of performance management for it to bring about improvement across all areas. Middle managers have improved their focus on the management of teachers’ performance. The completion rate for appraisals is very high, and in the better subject areas targets for improvement are effective in raising the standard of teachers’ work. Conversely, in other areas, managers have insufficient focus on improving teaching and learning and students’ experience. In work-based learning, managers and coordinators are clear about the quality assurance processes. They have tackled the poor practice identified in the previous year and outcomes have improved as a result.  Teachers and managers use the recently introduced electronic system to monitor student performance, identify more quickly those students at risk of not achieving their full potential and Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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to take swift action. Students who use the system find that it is assisting them to understand their progress and promote ambition to achieve high grades. However, the system is not yet fully implemented, nor has its impact been evaluated in all subject areas.  Governors have a wide range of skills and a detailed understanding of the strengths and areas of development of the college. They challenge senior managers to provide sharply focused analyses of headline performance. Governors are appropriately involved in the self-assessment process. They undertake learning walks, which inform their understanding of the quality of teaching and learning, and are fully involved in the student conference. Governors have a clear vision and purpose for the college in its community now and for the future. They are conversant with, and well informed of, their legislative duties.  Managers’ processes for evaluating the quality of provision are adequate; these have been strengthened through the inclusion of external peer review and performance reviews of individual subjects. The early draft of the self-assessment report contains some overstated initial judgements, and fails to include the very clear strengths, areas for improvement and recommendations arising from the subject reviews. Actions required to tackle weaknesses identified through the review process have not all been sufficiently swift for the impact to be evaluated. Managers have not implemented strategies to ensure that students meet study programme requirements for English and mathematics quickly enough.  Senior leaders and managers use employer networks and partnerships well to inform the curriculum provision and new course development. They have ensured a good breadth to the curriculum, with entry points at all levels and progression opportunities into higher levels of learning and employment. The Dorset Studio School, situated on the campus, was established as a direct response to the increasing number of 14-year-old students seeking to study at the college. An expansion in work-based learning has occurred, with ambitious targets for further growth. The curriculum design for apprenticeships, jointly created with employers, ensures relevance and currency, benefiting both employers and apprentices.  Managers have established a strong culture of inclusivity, and ensure the provision of high quality personal and learning support to meet students’ individual needs. Differing levels of achievement between groups of learners have been closed. Teachers know that they are expected to plan for, and promote, an understanding of diversity in their lessons. However, not all managers and teachers demonstrate a good understanding of what this means in practice.  Arrangements for keeping students safe are good, and managers ensure that the college meets statutory requirements. Members of the safeguarding team are well informed of current legislation; they work with other agencies to identify vulnerable students and put appropriate measures in place for their support. Regular training for staff and students on e-safety takes place and this is underpinned by clear policy. Students are well informed about controversial topics, for example related to the cull of badgers, hunting and genetically modified crops and food production, and the activities of potentially extremist groups. Students being prepared for higher education are alerted to the dangers of campus recruitment and grooming by other potentially extremist organisations.  Teachers and managers have health and safety as a high priority in most aspects of their work and examples of dynamic risk assessments exist, although a minority require updating. Students confirmed that they feel safe and they are clear on the reporting process for concerns or incidents. They spoke highly of the ‘text the top’ initiative, which is a direct line to the Principal for students who feel they are unsafe or for any other questions or concerns. Students felt they were listened to and cited examples of resources that had improved as a result of their feedback.

Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) Kingston Maurward College

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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2 2 2 3

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

Agriculture Environmental conservation Horticulture Forestry Sport Public services Foundation mathematics

3 3 2 2 2 2 3

Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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College details Type of college

Specialist further education college

Age range of students

16+

Approximate number of all students over the previous full contract year

2,092

Principal/CEO

Clare Davison

Date of previous inspection

May 2013

Website address

http://www.kmc.ac.uk/

College 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 students (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+ 140 62 265 112 313 126 1 17

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 136 19+ 99 16-18 31 19+ 125 16-18 19+ - -

16-19 - 19+ - Total -

Number of students 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 and Skills Funding Agency

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

N/A

Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 2014

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Contextual information

Kingston Maurward is a specialist land-based college based on a 750-acre estate comprising farmland, equestrian and animal care centres, parkland, gardens and conservation areas. The college estate is located two miles east of Dorchester, the county town of Dorset. Residential accommodation is provided on-site for around 50 students. The college works in partnership with The Thomas Hardye School. The curriculum is predominantly based on land-based subjects, but also includes courses in sport, outdoor education, public services, business, metalwork and foundation level courses. Work-based learning is offered in eight subjects, the largest being land-based. Dorset is a largely rural county with the highest concentration of population in the South West. A few areas of social and economic deprivation exist in the towns of Weymouth and Portland. Unemployment in the county is lower than regionally and nationally. In Dorset, the proportion of students aged 16 achieving five grades A* to C at GCSE, including English and mathematics, is close to the national average.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Richard Pemble HMI

Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and five additional inspectors, assisted by the interim deputy principal 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 within the report. Inspectors observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the college. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the provision and graded the sector subject areas listed in the report above. Inspection report: Kingston Maurward College, 30 September–3 October 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.studentview.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