Cirencester College Ofsted Report

Full report

Information about the provider

• Cirencester Sixth Form College is located on a single campus. Most students are aged 16 to 18 and follow level 3 programmes. Of these, two thirds study on a broad range of A-level programmes and a third combine A levels and vocational programmes or take vocational programmes alone. The College has a small adult learning provision previously delivered by a sub-contractor. The College currently has 122 apprentices in training.
• The immediate local area has a low unemployment rate. The wide college catchment includes very rural areas of Gloucestershire with poor infrastructure and isolation and urban wards in Gloucester and Swindon which experience high levels of deprivation. Over a third of students come from Swindon, which has one of the lowest rates of progression to higher education in England.

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

• Leaders and managers should improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers:
  • plan learning that supports students who are least able and challenges those most able.
  • check students’ knowledge and understanding effectively before moving on to new learning
  • ensure that students capture and record their learning to help their future progress
  • share more widely the best practice that exists within the college.
• Leaders and managers should ensure that all A-level students who plan to move into employment or apprenticeships undertake a relevant external work placement.
• Leaders and managers should ensure that teachers and assessors enable students on level 2 vocational courses and intermediate apprentices to make good progress and complete their programmes within planned timescales.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders have maintained many of the good achievements identified in the previous inspection in 2007. However, although most teaching, learning and assessment continue to be effective, a small minority of students do not receive the challenge necessary for them to achieve their potential.
• College governors, leaders and managers share a very strong commitment to meeting the needs of students, parents, employers and the local community. Teachers, support staff and specialist teams work very closely with students and know their needs and aspirations well. College staff provide students with extensive practical care and support which help students stay on their course and make good progress. Most students complete their college courses and move into an apprenticeship, to employment or university. Students receive good support and encouragement to apply to high-performing universities.
• Leaders and managers have developed the curriculum thoughtfully and thoroughly in collaboration with local communities, employers and the local enterprise partnership. They have also listened carefully to students and parents, widening the range of academic and vocational subjects on offer in response. Leaders have used this information well to ensure that careers guidance and academic staff know the varied career options available to students as a result. Consequently, students receive high-quality information advice and guidance that help them make informed choices about their courses and career aspirations.
• Leaders and managers have developed specific courses to meet the needs of particular groups and employers in areas such as archaeology, and the digital and creative industries. However, senior leaders have only recently introduced new planning and monitoring processes to ensure high-quality work experience for all students moving to employment or apprenticeships.
• Leaders have developed ambitious and demanding strategic goals for the college to achieve during the next few years. The great majority of teaching and support staff understand these goals and share the college’s overall vision and ethos. Senior leaders are aware that staff morale is not consistently high and are actively responding to staff’s concerns
• Senior leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision very closely. Leaders’ scrutiny of underperforming subjects, in most cases, results in their improvement. Managers use the outcomes of their evaluations well to inform the annual self-assessment cycle. However, at the time of inspection the self-assessment report for 17/18 was incomplete and inspectors could not evaluate fully its effectiveness.
• Leaders make good use of regular surveys to gather the views of staff, students, parents and employers. Leaders and managers use the surveys well as indicators of what is working well and what they need to improve.
• Leaders have devised a very challenging strategy to improve teaching and learning across the college to a consistently high standard. They recognise, however, that they have some considerable way to go before meeting the stringent criteria they have set. Managers’ lesson observation records are too often cursory and do not provide constructive detail about what teachers did well and what they need to improve. Leaders and managers have put in place useful measures to develop teachers’ professional practice. However, these do not translate routinely into direct improvement, as too few teachers have sufficient opportunity to put ideas fully into practice. While the large majority of teachers have improved their practice, others have since left the college.
• Managers provide regular monitoring and review meetings to support teachers and there is good peer-to-peer networking to enable teachers to share practice. However, leaders and managers have identified that the existing staff appraisal system does not capture staff development and improvement well enough. They are currently implementing a revised pilot scheme.
• Leaders and managers take very seriously the potential threats facing their students. Managers make sure that students have a good understanding of safeguarding, British values and the ‘Prevent’ duty. For example, students take part in practical rehearsals in case of an attack, either at college or while on a college visit. Students have a good understanding of how to stay safe online and when using social media. The college is a diverse, tolerant and calm environment. Students move around the college politely and purposefully.
• The college campus is highly inclusive, welcoming students from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures and faiths. Managers have developed the provision for students who have high needs effectively, increasing access and support arrangements, which students value. Managers monitor closely the impact of its equality, diversity and inclusion arrangements to ensure that both staff and students can achieve their best.
• Leaders use information on students’ progression to higher education to develop useful relations with high-performing universities and to prepare students well for the transition.
• Leaders and managers have prioritised the teaching of GCSE English and mathematics, securing very high rates of achievement for students studying these subjects. They have also ensured that all students develop their written and spoken English skills in most courses. The majority of students continue to develop their mathematics skills.

The governance of the provider

• Governance is effective. The governing board meets regularly and includes representatives from the local community and employers. Governors hold leaders and managers closely to account and are well informed about all key aspects of the college.
• Governors are routinely informed about survey outcomes and have a good understanding of the performance data the college uses. Board minutes from the past year show governors’ detailed questioning of the principal and other senior staff on aspects including the quality of teaching and learning, strategic planning, staffing, and finance. Governors discuss routinely recurring critical issues at each meeting. They monitor closely the impact of improvement actions and work with leaders to identify new strategies where needed.
• Each governor has a specific focus role on specific aspects of the college. For example, governors visit the college to observe first-hand areas such as safeguarding, teaching and learning and apprenticeship delivery. Governors attend school-level ‘health checks’ to support the improvement of any particular college concerns. Their close involvement ensures that governors are particularly well informed in order to hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, managers and staff prioritise students’ safety highly. Consequently, there is a strong awareness and culture of safeguarding in all aspects of college life. Designated safeguarding staff maintain very close links with students and are well known to them. Well-informed, trained and vigilant college staff ensure that students identified at risk are reported to the safeguarding team promptly and effectively.
• Managers keep detailed records of any interventions and maintain a regularly reviewed list of students who may be vulnerable to harm. The safeguarding team has very good working partnerships with relevant local safeguarding children boards and local authorities.
• The safeguarding team works well with different social work agencies to support children in care and care leavers. A high proportion of these students progress successfully to university.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Most students at the college follow full-time 16 to 19 study programmes. Two thirds of students study A levels. The remainder follow advanced vocational courses, with a few enrolled on level 2 courses. The largest A-level subjects are biology, history, psychology, sociology and business studies. The largest vocational subjects are business, health and social care, engineering, public services and sport. There is a small but increasing proportion of apprentices on level 2 and level 3 creative media, business administration and accounting apprenticeships. Two thirds of apprentices study at level 3. The number of adult students studying at the college has declined and is now very small. Most adults study English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) or full-time study programmes.
• Teachers use their subject expertise and knowledge of assessment requirements to prepare students well for future exams. Most teachers plan activities carefully to build students’ understanding and skills incrementally. Teachers frequently return to previous topics to ensure that students consolidate and retain knowledge for their homework and exams. For example, in an A-level law lesson, students developed higher-level thinking and communication skills by acting multiple roles in a variety of legal case scenarios. They deepened their knowledge through applying theories from different perspectives. The teacher used questions skilfully to review and challenge students’ views and to ensure that they had grasped key concepts required for future assessment.
• Employer mentors use coaching techniques successfully to help apprentices to practise and apply the theory of their course through roles and tasks in the workplace. Adults studying ESOL courses enjoy their learning and develop their English skills well. They benefit from a wide variety of teaching and learning activities. For example, teachers creatively use common objects as visual prompts in active role-play sessions. As a result, students’ language skills quickly improve.
• Teachers reinforce and develop students’ confidence in their subject through the effective use of well-designed, helpful workbooks. Students use workbooks very well to organise their academic work and for revision.
• Teachers set routinely homework for students to embed knowledge and practise exam technique. Most teachers provide helpful verbal and written feedback to students that identifies clearly what they need to do to improve. Teachers are particularly skilled at ensuring that students work on their weaker areas of knowledge, helping them to make good progress. For example, in an A-level French lesson the teacher used French films to help successfully develop students’ language skills to a high level. As a result, students demonstrated a good understanding of different regional dialects.
• Teachers make good use of information about students’ starting points to identify and communicate clearly their individual support needs. Students, including those who have high needs, benefit from highly effective, tailored support. They receive support inside and outside of the classroom, online and in academic and technical workshops. As a result, students become confident in their abilities and make progress at least as well as their peers.
• Accommodation and resources for students are very good. Classrooms are well presented, with good displays that promote positive thinking and attitudes to learning. In the creative arts, students benefit from modern, spacious and well-equipped studios. This helps them to produce a wide variety of technical and creative work. Apprentices use industry-standard digital media equipment to hone their creative production skills.
• Teachers develop students’ use of correct terminology and technical language very well. Students improve their spoken English skills well. Most teachers provide helpful feedback to students about their written work. As a result, students’ academic writing is of a consistently high standard.
• The majority of students continue to develop their mathematics skills. However, too few apprentices who already have the GCSE mathematics qualification they need for their apprenticeship develop further their skills in this subject.
• In a small minority of lessons teachers do not plan work so that in lessons they challenge effectively those least and most able to make the progress that they should. In these lessons, teachers do not plan appropriate strategies carefully enough and consequently check if students understand fully the topic or have mastered particular skills before moving on. Additionally, assessors do not plan well enough apprentices’ off-the-job training, consequently slowing apprentices’ progress.
• A small minority of teachers’ written feedback to students is not helpful enough to ensure that students know what they need to do to improve.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

• Students speak eloquently about their experience at college. They are confident in the knowledge and skills they acquire and are positive about achieving their learning goals so that they can progress and realise their ambitions.
• Students work productively, and their behaviour inside and outside of lessons is exemplary. They respect each other, take account of each other’s views and work well in a harmonious learning environment. Students feel safe and contribute positively towards a respectful and safe environment. There are very few incidents of bullying or harassment at the college. Students use college computers and their own electronic devices to complete work and are confident in keeping themselves safe online.
• Students benefit from appropriate, impartial careers guidance to help them choose the right qualifications for their future careers. Well-qualified and experienced staff provide high-quality individual guidance for students. A few students receive exceptional support for careers in medicine and veterinary nursing. Those students planning a university education receive especially detailed and specific information about high-performing universities. A high proportion benefit from this and secure places at high-performing universities.
• Students receive high-quality individual support. As a result, students learn to manage personal challenges and develop strategies to manage their issues. This helps them all, including those with high needs, to attend regularly and achieve well. Personal tutors and additional learning support specialists make at-risk interventions, providing students with tailored assistance. Students can reflect and take time out in quiet areas. Where needed, they can access a counselling service, which is very well used. Additionally, a ‘student ambassadors’ programme helps first-year students to settle in and receive further guidance in their studies. Parents value highly the feedback that they receive from teachers about the progress of students and the support that they receive.
• Leaders provide students with a comprehensive variety of enrichment opportunities and additional qualifications to extend their skills for life in modern Britain. Students participate in sport and other activities that help them with their physical and emotional wellbeing. The National Citizenship programme and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme help students to build their confidence and the attributes, such as team-building, that employers value. Leaders have recently started to monitor the extent to which all students benefit from these experiences. However, although students are positive about the skills they have developed, managers are unable to assess the full impact of their enrichment programme on students’ progress.
• Most students benefit from work experience and work-related learning to help them develop the skills for their future careers. Students studying information technology (IT) receive talks from a large local IT company on career pathways. Students studying animal management work with local farms and students studying sport undertake projects during local sporting events. The few students who have high needs who follow level 1 courses benefit from a well-planned supported internship programme. However, too few students taking A-levels, who plan to move into employment or apprenticeships have work placements with an external employer.
• Most students attend regularly, arrive on time to lessons and are ready to learn. They take pride in their work and great care in making notes for future reference. Most students enjoy their lessons. The attendance of a minority of students at group tutorials is low.

Outcomes for learners Good

• The large majority of students are aged 16 to 18 and study a very wide range of A-level courses from art, graphic design, sciences, law, politics, economics and archelogy. A small minority of students follow level 2 and 3 vocational courses in a range of courses including sport, engineering, animal management and information technology. Additionally, the college offers opportunities for apprenticeships and small range of courses for adults, including ESOL.
• Most students make good progress based on their starting points. Students on A-level chemistry, geography, art and media and on vocational courses in sport, public services, and information technology make particularly good progress.
• The very large majority of students complete and pass their qualifications. However, the proportion of students who complete AS-level, level 2 vocational and intermediate apprenticeship courses requires improvement. Students who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve as well as their peers. However, the few students in receipt of free school meals do not make good enough progress. A high proportion of students studying level 2 vocational courses move into apprenticeships or employment.
• A high proportion of students studying English and mathematics GCSE make very good progress and achieve high grades. Students develop their English skills well on their study programmes. They develop their debating skills and the ability to write for different purposes, and master specialist and complex terminology. However, apprentices who already have the qualifications they need in these subjects do not develop them further.
• On most programmes, the standard of students’ work meets or exceeds that expected for the level of the course. It is particularly high in textiles, fine art, film studies, economics, law and media. Most students can explain the skills they have developed and what they have learned.
• A very high proportion of students move on to higher education, apprenticeships or employment. Over half of students, on completing a two-year programme, enter higher education, many into prestigious universities. Most other students move into high-quality apprenticeships or full-time employment. A high proportion of students with education, health and care plans move into further education, apprenticeships and employment.

Types of provision

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Leaders have high expectations for students and manage the study programme effectively. Leaders and managers have ensured that programmes meet government requirements. They also ensure that the programmes’ design meets local and regional skills priorities. Most students make good progress and at least the progress expected of them. Most students move into higher education, employment and apprenticeships.
• Most students on study programmes study A-level subjects or are on level 3 vocational courses. The college has a small amount of vocational provision at level 1 and level 2 helping students to progress to higher-level qualifications and employment. Students mix academic and vocational qualifications to meet their individual needs closely. One student pursuing a career in conservation, studied countryside management with A-level geography and biology. This enabled them to develop the practical skills and academic knowledge to progress successfully towards their ambition.
• Teachers have high expectations for students. Lessons in the large majority of academic and vocational subjects are well planned and help students to develop good subject knowledge and consolidate learning. Art and design students developed good etching and printing skills as they practise collagraph and surface building techniques for their final examination pieces.
• Teachers use their subject specialist knowledge and skilful questioning to deepen students’ understanding and encourage higher-level analysis and evaluation. For example, as a result of precise questioning, business students evaluated the impact of new technology on a wide range of business functions. They demonstrated their knowledge of complex business terms and command of relevant terminology.
• Students who fall behind in their work receive effective additional support to catch up. They take part in additional workshops and drop-in sessions with tutors. Students value tutors’ accessibility during breaktimes, after lessons and by email. A booster session in law provided targeted activities, helping students improve their work. As a result, students learned about revision approaches, the structure of written answers, examination techniques and were motivated to continue their studies.
• Students benefit from regular homework which, in the majority of subjects, is returned promptly, with useful feedback. The large majority of feedback is clear and helps students to improve their work. Teachers challenge students to ‘own’ the feedback given to them and to work diligently to make improvements and achieve their improvement targets. Teachers routinely review these targets with students, helping them to stay on track and reflect on what they need to do to improve further. Consequently, most students make good progress.
• Students requiring GCSE English and mathematics qualifications make very good progress and achieve high grades. Students further develop their English skills in reading, writing, and presenting. In countryside management, students discussed the word ‘listless’ in relation to animal welfare and how it might be referred to during future assessment. As a result, the students were better prepared for the assessment and working practice. The majority of students continue to develop the specific mathematics skills needed for their subjects.
• Students benefit from the impartial careers guidance they receive to help them make informed decisions and pursue their future ambitions. Students make frequent use of the college website to search for job opportunities. Webinars and guest speakers give them important insight into skills required for employment. Students receive exceptional help to choose and apply to university. Specialist speakers discuss the various options available to students, including application requirements. Consequently, over half of those students progressing to university achieve places at the high-performing universities
• Students who have high needs are supported well when making the transition from school to college. Teachers work well with students’ individual support workers so that, where necessary, they adapt planned activities to ensure that students can access and take part fully. Consequently, where appropriate, students receive effective individual help to work at the same level and make at least the same progress as their peers.
• Students work safely in their subject areas and online. Students on business courses used their mobiles to research the benefits of the dark web and recognise the personal freedom it provides for people in countries where communications are highly restricted.
• In a small minority of lessons, teaching does not meet the varying needs of students well enough. Students with higher or lower ability are not consistently set tasks which enable them to achieve their potential. In a few cases, feedback on students’ work is not helpful enough for them to improve their work.
• A minority of students do not value and attend group tutorial sessions because teachers and tutors do not plan activities sufficiently well. Managers produce tutorial themes and presentations slides centrally, but not all tutors are familiar with them or make them relevant to students. A small minority of students do not attend tutorials when they are scheduled on a day when no other lessons take place.

Apprenticeships Good

• The college provides a small but increasing apprenticeship provision at intermediate and advanced level. Apprenticeships include programmes in media and production, business administration, accounting, customer service and marketing. Very few are standards-based apprenticeships. The large majority of level 3 apprentices achieve their programme within the time allocated. However, too few apprentices on level 2 programmes, which account for almost a third of apprentices, achieve on time.
• Leaders and managers plan most apprenticeship programmes well. Leaders work collaboratively with employers to ensure that apprenticeship provision links closely to local industry and their employment needs. For example, creative digital apprentices develop the specific practical skills needed to secure permanent employment in the growing digital media sector in the local region. Consequently, most apprentices completing their programme continue on to permanent positions with their existing employer.
• Assessors use information about apprentices’ starting points well to ensure they are placed on the right level. Apprentices benefit from a comprehensive introduction to their programme. They are well informed and have clear expectations of their role.
• Assessors plan training carefully with employers so that apprentices apply their learning in practice and develop the technical and practical skills that their employers demand. Employers help to design the apprentices’ programme and choose specific qualification units that match closely to their business. Apprentices are then able to undertake more responsible roles at work. For example, a business administration apprentice learned about e-marketing and set up an online marketing tool for a web-based pet therapy business, improving their customers’ experience. As a result, employers value highly the contribution that apprentices make to their business.
• Apprentices receive effective on-the-job training and coaching support. Consequently, they develop well their confidence and wider employability skills such as customer service and team leading skills. For example, an apprentice in a human resources role, received positive feedback for the development of their telephone and customer service skills. This resulted in the apprentice feeling more confident about dealing with enquiries and handling more complex cases.
• Apprentices studying media, accounting and online learning for financial services enjoy their off-the-job training. They develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to successfully develop their careers. For example, one accounting apprentice gained knowledge and experience of payroll systems that was in addition to the specifications of their qualification they were studying.
• Employers participate routinely in apprentices’ reviews and provide them with helpful feedback and specific targets to make good progress. Apprentices respond well and describe confidently the skills they have developed and their readiness to achieve the tasks ahead.
• Apprentices use the helpful careers information they receive to plan and set ambitious targets for future job roles. For example, one apprentice received specialist media training and advice that helped them develop their filming and editing skills. The apprentice subsequently set up their own filming business and now works for their former employer on a freelance basis.
• Apprentices feel safe and know whom to contact if needed. They complete an online induction that ensures that they understand the importance of keeping themselves safe in their respective areas of work. For example, one creative and digital media apprentice described the importance of managing their personal safety when filming on location. Apprentices have a sound understanding of the risks from extremism and the threat of radicalisation.
• A small minority of teachers do not plan sufficiently well off-the-job learning sessions in functional skills and business administration. Too few apprentices are set work to help them consolidate and build on previous knowledge quickly enough. Additionally, apprentices who have already achieved GCSE English and mathematics at grade 4 or above do not routinely develop these skills.
• Apprentices on level 2 programmes do not receive sufficient feedback on their progress to keep on track with their work. Although managers have recently begun to monitor progress more closely, too few of these apprentices receive targets which are helpful enough.

Provider details

Unique reference number 130686 Type of provider Sixth form college Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 16+ 2,862 Principal/CEO Mr Jim Grant Telephone number 01285 640994 Website www.circencester.ac.uk

Provider information at the time of the inspection

Main course or learning programme level Level 1 or below Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 8 37 146 53 2,063 41

• 9 Intermediate Advanced Higher 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 44 47 29 18
• 4 16–19
• 19+
• Total
• Number of traineeships Number of learners aged 14 to 16 Number of learners for which the provider receives high-needs funding At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:

• 26

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the vice-principal curriculum as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

Inspection team

Richard Deane, lead inspector Nick Crombie Clifford Shaw Alison Muggridge Barbara Hughes Tracey Griffin Nikki Sendell Mark Parton

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector