Hereward College of Further Education Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment more rapidly so it is consistently good or better and enables all groups of learners to make at least good or better progress. The college can achieve this by ensuring all activities within lessons are appropriately challenging and relate closely to the skills learners need to develop for everyday life. Additionally, it should ensure all teachers record comprehensively the progress that learners make on a day-to-day basis so the college can gain an accurate picture of their learning over time.  With immediate effect, make sure all staff who teach, or observe the teaching of, the increasing number of learners with very complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities, receive appropriate training and gain relevant qualifications, so that teachers can plan and support learning better and observers will be able to judge more accurately when learning is effective.  Improve learners’ development of English and mathematical skills to enable them to transfer and use these skills easily and effectively in the wider everyday aspects of their lives. Ensure all teachers and assessors reinforce the importance of learners’ spelling and grammar.  Strengthen the management of the college’s training centre, Hereward Training, significantly. Make sure managers closely review how well the provision is doing and ensure all assessors support and monitor the progress of apprentices thoroughly throughout their training programme.  Increase the rigour of quality improvement processes so managers can better review the impact of their actions. In order to do this, ensure managers sharpen their use of data, including trend data, in order to review and report more effectively on what is working well and less well. In addition, make sure managers precisely identify all key areas for development in self-assessment reports and quality improvement plans and prioritise these clearly.  Ensure all reports to the governing body have enough detail and are presented in an easy-to-interpret format, to enable governors to ask much more probing questions of leaders about all key areas of the college’s work.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Good  The great majority of classroom-based learners who take qualifications achieve them successfully and produce standards of work that meet the requirements of awarding bodies.  The majority of learners make good progress in relation to their starting points. Learners with very complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities do not always achieve to their full potential because they carry out tasks that are not always relevant or meaningful to their development.  Outcomes for most learners taking work-related training programmes are good. Only a few of the very small number of learners following apprenticeships in 2012/13 however completed successfully and within the expected timeframe.  College data for 2012/13 show there were no significant differences in learners’ achievement when differentiated by age, gender and ethnicity. While the college’s self-assessment report does not report systematically on the performance of looked after children or care leavers, most of these learners achieve well.  Learners’ behaviour is good. They become increasingly competent at managing their own behaviour and anxieties. They improve their self-awareness and self-confidence very well. Learners note in their journals how their time at the college has changed their outlook on life Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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and enabled them to progress onto areas they had previously not considered as being possible for them. Learners improve their ability to articulate their wishes and to direct their lives.  Learners enjoy their work. They take great pride in carrying out useful activities, for example, a group of learners set up a successful credit union with a focus on increasing learner awareness of money management. This involved considerable interaction with other learners and members of the public and resulted in the winning of a national prize.  Through the increasing number of work-related experiences on offer, which has more than doubled over the last two years, many learners gain a wide range of skills that will help them pursue future employment.  Learners develop a good range of employability skills through their participation in a large number of enterprise activities. For example, a group of intermediate level learners on an information technology course refurbished redundant college computers in order to sell them. They worked well as a team to ensure the computers were up to the required standard and subsequently improved their understanding of recycling, marketing and dealing with customers. Other learners run a college shop, research fair trade items to sell and learning how to maximise profits.  Learners gain adequate mathematical and English skills throughout their courses. Learners do not always develop their use of these skills sufficiently in non-work-related activities and fully transfer what they have learnt in the classroom into wider everyday aspects of their lives.  The majority of learners develop skills for independence well. Many become more competent at travelling on their own. They budget and shop for food which, where appropriate, they prepare themselves. Residential learners move onto a more independent living environment during their time at the college.  The great majority of learners progress to a higher level of study or into employment. Of the minority of learners who study at advanced level, just under half progress to higher education or employment. Most learners aged 14 to 16 progress successfully to post 16 full-time courses at the college. Learners on an outreach community-based programme achieve well and the vast majority move onto employment, voluntary work or work experience.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Requires improvement  Not enough teaching, particularly in classroom settings, is consistently good or better and this impedes the progress some learners make in these lessons. The wide range of broader learning opportunities, such as enrichment, and specialist support for learners, is good and contributes successfully to learners’ achievement and their progression onto higher-level courses or other positive destinations.  Teachers do not always use the information they have about their learners, such as what learners can already do and what they already know, well enough to plan activities that will ensure all learners make as much progress as they can in the lesson time. This is particularly, although not exclusively, where learners have very complex learning needs. In these cases, teachers do not always have the necessary expertise or experience to plan meaningful learning.  Learners enjoy their lessons and are highly motivated when teachers plan activities that successfully draw on learners’ own experiences and link effectively to work experience and long-term career goals.  In an effective business studies lesson, learners held their own course meeting, including taking formal minutes. They presented ideas individually to the group on how they can use different materials and equipment, including index tabs and memory sticks, to help them in the completion of assignments. Careful planning by the teacher enabled learners to take charge of many of the activities. As a result, learners effectively developed an array of skills including debating, listening and researching, as well as gaining confidence in presenting to their peers. Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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 Many learners benefit from a range of well-run additional learning activities and enterprise projects that are effective at widening and reinforcing their learning. An additional learning session, entitled ‘graphics enterprise’, had learners working together to form their own graphics company. After agreeing a company name, learners designed the company logo enthusiastically, in advance of undertaking externally commissioned work, including producing leaflets about disability for a local university.  As part of one enterprise project, learners operated their own franchise. They acted as representatives of a cosmetics firm and delivered booklets, ordered items, collected monies and communicated effectively with customers. Learners reported positively on how this has helped them develop their interpersonal and organisation skills.  Most teachers use technology well to support learning. Where appropriate, teachers encourage learners to research their assignments using the internet and enliven their projects by producing photographs and videos of their work. The range of assistive communication devices available to learners is extensive and helps them to interact and integrate successfully with their fellow learners and within the wider community.  Teachers have only recently begun to record and measure learners’ personal, social and emotional development more effectively. Often teachers focus too much on course accreditation criteria and do not give enough thought to learners’ individual learning targets or realistic longer-term goals when they record progress.  While many teachers refer to English and mathematics during lessons, they do not plan enough opportunities for learners to practise these skills in ways that will enhance their independence. For example, one learner used a computer to identify different coins but opportunities were missed to enable the learner to use coins in a realistic setting, such as purchasing a drink from the café at break.  Most work-based learners managed by Hereward training receive regular reviews of their progress by college assessors. Assessors help build on learners’ prior learning and raise learners’ awareness of safeguarding matters effectively. Assessors however, do not always promote learners’ understanding of equality themes sufficiently or reinforce the importance of the quality of learners’ portfolio presentations and the accuracy of their spelling.  Specialist support for learners overall, is very effective and a key contributing factor to why progress for the majority of learners is good. Specialist support services, including speech and language therapy, are comprehensive and enable learners to participate fully on their programmes. Staff monitor learners’ behaviour closely and the levels of individual and group support provided improve learners’ ability to manage their own anxieties.  The promotion of equality and diversity within sessions is uneven. In a few cases, staff do not always take the opportunity to challenge learners’ preconceptions robustly enough. Nevertheless, teachers effectively and continuously reinforce the importance of learners respecting their peers.

The effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement  Management actions to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the last inspection have been neither effective nor rapid enough. A period of notable and unexpected senior and middle management changes over the last two years has hindered the pace of improvement. In response, the principal and senior leadership team have recently increased accountability for quality improvement across all levels of management, including curriculum management.  The governing body has taken appropriate steps to intensify its monitoring of learner performance and has increased its challenge of senior leaders. In a few cases, the information Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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governors receive, for example on work-based learning provision, is insufficient, which prevents them from asking more probing questions of managers. Governors monitor the college’s financial position well.  The principal has successfully initiated a number of carefully considered and innovative partnerships to help support learners’ employability opportunities and to raise the profile of learning difficulties and/or disabilities regionally. For example, a joint project with a local college and a specialist school saw learners from Hereward working together collaboratively to present their experiences and the benefits of work placement to an audience of over 20 employers. One learner benefitted immediately with the offer of a substantial internship within a large national utility company.  Managers have recently strengthened the college’s process for monitoring the quality of lessons and managing staff performance through appraisal. As a result, managers now have a more accurate picture of what teachers need to do to improve their practice and are providing staff with more bespoke support and training. Not enough teachers and observers however, have had the necessary training needed to teach or observe the growing number of learners with more complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities.  Quality improvement and self-assessment processes are insufficiently rigorous across all areas of the college’s work. While the use of data by managers at all levels has improved, not enough use is made of trend data to indicate patterns of improvement or decline. Managers monitor improvement plans often but do not always focus enough on the impact of actions taken in order to gauge their full effectiveness.  The management of the college’s work-related learning provision, Hereward Training, is not coherent and requires improvement. Senior leaders have recognised this and the provision is currently undergoing a full restructure. The college have appropriate arrangements to monitor the quality of subcontracted work.  Managers collect learners’ views frequently through their work with the student union, and feedback from student governors and learner surveys. They use this information effectively to improve the learner experience. For example, learners’ suggestions have led to changes to the timetabling of breaks and lessons and more opportunities for learners to have friends visit the residences.  The curriculum provides an appropriate range of opportunities for learners to progress to higher-level courses and employment. Internal progression routes between courses are firmly established and successful at meeting the needs of the majority of learners. Extra-curricular activities and increased work experience opportunities are notably enhancing the education, employment opportunities and independence for many learners.  Staff plan a reasonable range of events to raise learners cultural awareness throughout the year. The college is expanding this further in 2013/14 to cover wider equality themes such as sexual orientation. Learners’ understanding and appreciation of their own and others’ learning difficulties and/or disability are good. For example, a well-established Asperger’s group enables learners with the condition to share experiences and help broaden other people’s awareness of the disorder.  While managers’ analysis of the performance of different groups of learners has improved, it still lacks detail. Managers do not always focus sufficiently on whether gaps in learners’ achievement over time are widening or closing. The college does not systematically report on how well looked after children are doing or detail the outcomes for work-based learners.  The college meets its statutory requirements for the safeguarding of learners. Staff receive frequent refresher training in safeguarding. Learners report feeling safe and several have been involved in developing the college’s anti-bullying policy. The governing body receive regular updates on safeguarding matters. A few reports, however, do not always contain sufficiently detailed data to enable governors and managers to monitor trends over time. Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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Record of Main Findings (RMF)

Hereward 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 semmargorp yduts 91-613 2 3 3 i gnnraeL +91 semmargorp3 2 3 3

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3 2 3 3

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

Independent living and leisure skills 3

Provider details

Hereward College

Type of provider

General further education college

Age range of learners

16+

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year Principal

Full-time: 221 Part-time: 289 Shelia Fleming

Date of previous inspection

October 2010

Website address

www.hereward.ac.uk

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

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

Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships)

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

Full-time

55

Part-time

6 83 116 24 7 25 125 10 4 21 87 0 0 0 5

Number of traineeships Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

16-19 0 19+ 0 Total 0

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 9 19+ 47 16-18 0 19+ 29 16-18 19+ 0 0

Number of learners aged 14-16

5 Full-time N/A Part-time 5

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:

 Citee Ltd. Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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Contextual information

Hereward College is a very small general further education college located in Coventry. It offers residential and day provision with specialist facilities for learners with a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The college is a charity by exemption. The college has a training centre, Hereward Training, which provides work-based learning programmes to employers predominantly within health and social care sector. In 2012/13, 11 learners followed apprenticeship programmes. Most learners who attend the college are from the Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull areas. Some 40 learners are residential. Around 30% of learners study on programmes at entry level. Since the last inspection, the proportion of learners with more complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities has grown and the proportion of learners with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased from around 10% to 28%. Some 16% of learners are of minority ethnic heritage. The college appointed a new principal in 2011.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Deborah Vaughan-Jenkins HMI

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and three additional inspectors, assisted by the vice principal for quality and curriculum 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 employers; these views are reflected throughout the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all of the provision at the provider. Inspectors looked at the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across all of the provision. Inspection report: Hereward College, 17–19 September 2013

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Judgement

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

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

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

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