Chadsgrove Educational Trust Learning Centre Ofsted Report

Full report

Information about the provider

• Chadsgrove Special School secured funding in 2016 from Worcestershire Local Authority to open Chadsgrove Educational Trust Learning Centre. The centre opened to provide provision for young people aged 19 to 25 with a physical disability and/or complex medical need. In 2017, the centre became a registered company and charity, having secured a contract from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
• The centre is based in Bromsgrove and provides programmes for students who live in Worcestershire. There are currently 11 students on programme. All the students are aged over 19. Students work at pre-entry level to level 1.

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

• Take swift action to recruit teachers and learning support staff who are appropriately qualified and experienced in further education and skills settings.
• Ensure that self-assessment and quality improvement plans focus in detail on improving provision and enable leaders and managers to measure the impact of the actions taken.
• Ensure that performance management links to the outcomes of observations of teaching, learning and assessment, so that learning support staff develop their skills and improve their practice.
• Develop the curriculum to provide tailored programmes for students in line with their education, health and care plans and long-term goals.
• Improve the tracking and monitoring of the progress that students make from their starting points by ensuring that staff:
  • set personalised targets for students and use these to inform the planning of teaching, learning and assessment activities
  • provide frequent feedback for students, so that they know how to improve.
• Ensure that resources and language that staff use are appropriate for young adults.
• Strengthen governance arrangements to ensure that directors of the board have the appropriate expertise, experience and information to enable them to support leaders and managers, and to hold them to account for the quality of students’ experience.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Senior leaders and directors have focused on securing funding and seeking off-site accommodation away from the main school site. They have not placed sufficient focus on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Leaders have not been successful in recruiting experienced teachers or learning support staff who have previously worked in further education settings. A very small number of staff are well qualified. Leaders, managers, directors and staff lack the knowledge, skills and expertise to work with students to prepare them for life after school.
• Leaders and managers have not developed an appropriate curriculum for adult students. Managers have not ensured that programmes reflect students’ starting points, or the expected outcomes of their education, health and care plans. They have limited the programme to the delivery of units of qualifications. These often do not match students’ learning needs or long-term goals. Too few students are developing the skills and knowledge they need to achieve their long-term goals.
• Leaders and managers do not accurately measure the quality of provision through self-assessment. They do not sufficiently identify areas for improvement or monitor the impact of actions they have taken to improve quality. Leaders and managers do not use performance management well enough to provide support, or to identify or plan training for staff, to improve their practice. As a result, leaders and managers have not improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, or outcomes for students.
• Leaders and managers do not sufficiently track and monitor students’ progress from their starting points. They do not have processes in place to monitor or report the progress students make on their programme. Managers and staff do not identify or set targets to improve students’ skills outside their main qualifications. Too many students, in particular the most able, do not make progress according to their potential.
• Senior leaders have sought external help and advice to develop programmes for their students. Too often, they have not acted quickly enough on advice they receive. Leaders and managers have not ensured that programmes focus on the learning needs of young people moving on to adulthood.
• Leaders and managers have developed an inclusive and respectful learning environment for students. Managers provide comprehensive training to ensure that staff understand their responsibilities to deliver a therapeutic and caring environment for students. Most staff are well trained to support students’ medical and personal care, and health needs. Students with complex medical needs receive high-quality therapeutic support.
• Senior leaders of Chadsgrove Educational Trust Learning Centre have worked with determination with parents and partners to develop provision for young people aged over 19 who have complex medical needs. Leaders and managers have worked with the local authority and funding bodies to secure funding for a small group of students. Students can now access local provision to continue their studies when they finish school.
• Managers have developed effective partnership working with local businesses to secure funding for specialist equipment. Students improve their well-being, manage their behaviour and actively enjoy learning sessions.
• Senior leaders and managers have successfully taken into account the views of parents when setting up the centre. They frequently gain feedback from young people and families. Young people and families are very supportive of, and committed to, the centre.
• Leaders and managers have secured effective impartial careers education, information, advice and guidance for students to support their transition on to further training. Students receive comprehensive information before they start to support them to make informed choices about their next steps. Students and their families receive good support to help them make appropriate choices for their futures.

The governance of the provider

• Senior leaders formed the board of directors in 2016. Directors include senior leaders from the centre and experienced governors from Chadsgrove School. They have not been successful in recruiting directors who have experience of working in adult learning or in business.
• Directors meet frequently. However, their focus has been on securing new accommodation for the centre. Directors do not receive regular reports from senior leaders on the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment, outcomes for students, or safeguarding. Directors do not receive detailed information to enable them to hold senior leaders to account. They do not identify or set targets for senior leaders and managers to ensure they can monitor performance and improvements. Directors do not have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and managers have established appropriate arrangements to ensure that students are safe. Managers and staff receive good training to identify the risks posed to young people who have complex medical needs. Managers use risk assessments well to manage students’ health and safety in the centre and in their local community. They have highly effective processes to manage students’ medical and health needs. Students have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They understand how to stay safe in their local communities, and the risks of ‘stranger danger’. Students who attend sessions in the local library have developed their own version of Books Beyond Words, to improve their understanding of the right and wrong ways to find friends and be safe. Learning support staff use sensory books effectively to ensure that students develop a clear understanding of how to be safe and share experiences with others. Students understand online safety and to whom to report if they have concerns.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Learning support staff have the responsibility for delivering students’ programmes. However, they are not trained or experienced in planning teaching and learning, or in assessing the progress of students.
• Learning support staff do not use the information gained on students’ starting points to plan learning well enough. Managers and staff have not put in place learning programmes to meet students’ individual needs. Staff do not plan learning sessions well enough to meet the needs of individual students. Learning support staff do not set targets from starting points to ensure that students improve their skills and knowledge. Too few students make the progress of which they are capable.
• Learning support staff do not provide sufficient feedback to students to ensure they know how to improve. Staff frequently record the activities students have completed in their daily electronic journals. However, they do not provide feedback on how well students are doing, or what they need to do to improve. Students do not receive support to review their own learning. They lack encouragement to review, set or agree their targets. As a result, students are unaware of how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve. A minority of students make slow progress.
• Learning support staff do not monitor students’ progress well enough. Most students’ annual reviews do not have sufficient information on the progress that they make on their programme. Consequently, managers and staff do not know if most students are making progress towards the outcomes of their education, health and care plans.
• Learning support staff benefit from good training to ensure that students receive high standards of medical care and support. Staff support students well in sessions. They manage students’ behaviour well to enable them to remain motivated in sessions. The number of incidents of students’ poor behaviour have declined and are low.
• Learning support staff improve students’ practical skills through work-related sessions. The very small minority of students who undertake short vocational qualifications develop good subject-related skills. Students working in ‘Butterfly’s Beauty’ develop a detailed understanding of treatments and skin types to enable them to carry out hand massages for clients. Students working in horticulture have grown vegetables and successfully produced chutney to sell through their enterprise projects. Students demonstrate the expected standards of work for their qualifications. Most students develop their English, mathematical and information communication technology skills well on their programme. Students use a range of assisted technology to enable them to access information in the format they need. They improve their mathematical skills in cookery by weighing and measuring ingredients. A small minority of students improve their communication skills through a focused signing programme. As students become more confident in signing, they take time with their speech, and, as a result, improve their spoken language skills.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

• Students develop good social, personal and work-related skills through enterprise projects. Managers and learning support staff have developed an extensive range of projects to improve students’ understanding of the world of work. Students who run a tuck shop for school pupils plan the range of items for sale according to customers’ requests. Students serve soup, rolls and toast during the winter, and prepare healthy salads and fruit pots in the summer. They greet customers, take orders, handle money and wrap goods. They improve the skills and behaviours they need for life after the centre.
• Students develop effective communication and numeracy skills through work-related activities. Students improve their skills in running a small business. For example, students who work in the tuck shop identified that making their own soup was too expensive in both cost and time. They now buy catering packs, which saves time and money. They frequently ask for customer feedback to ensure that they provide the same quality soup. They have used the profits from the sales to buy new equipment, and to improve the business. Students improve their communication, numeracy, time-management and work-related skills.
• Students and their families receive good advice from experienced careers advisers to make choices about their next steps. Students gain the information they need to make informed choices, by attending local job fairs, open days and advice sessions. The very small number of students who have left have moved on to further training and supported living.
• Students receive highly effective specialist therapeutic services. They access frequent speech and language and music therapy, and physiotherapy sessions. They develop effective strategies to enable them to manage challenging situations well. Students improve their health and well-being and can take part in sessions.
• Students benefit from enrichment activities which improve their health and well-being. Most students regularly take part in sporting activities. They have access to swimming, rebound, dance, yoga sessions, and specialist equipment including the ‘medimotion’ bike. Students frequently undertake challenges, including the ‘tenner challenge’, to raise money for local charities and to invest in centre activities. As a result, they develop healthy lifestyles and improve their well-being.
• Students’ attendance and punctuality are high. They enjoy their learning and are eager to improve their skills.
• Students have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They have a good understanding of health and safety in practical workshops. They are confident and use equipment safely. Students demonstrate good personal hygiene when working in the kitchen. Students who provide treatments through ‘Butterfly’s Beauty’ have a good understanding of the potential risks when working in a beauty therapy workplace. They take responsibility to keep themselves and their clients safe and healthy.
• A small minority of learning support staff do not use age-appropriate language or resources for young adults. As a result, students do not consistently develop their understanding of the expectations of them as adults studying in further education settings.
• Managers and staff do not ensure that students improve their understanding of diversity. Students celebrate a limited range of festivals and events. Students do not develop their understanding of cultural diversity and life in modern Britain well enough.

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

• Managers and learning support assistants do not track students’ progress sufficiently well. They do not identify or set targets to improve students’ skills outside their qualifications. Learning support staff do not measure progress frequently enough or recognise the small steps of progress that students make. They do not set targets to improve students’ skills and knowledge. Too many students, in particular the most able, do not make sufficient progress towards the outcomes within their education, health and care plans.
• The minority of students who take qualifications have high achievement rates. A very small number of students benefit from taking additional qualifications. Students studying on the ‘signalong’ course increase their signing vocabulary and improve their communication skills. Students develop an understanding of working in teams. They improve their leadership skills through completing their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. A minority of students improve their skills and confidence in sessions and within their local communities.
• The majority of students remain on their course. Managers support students well to move on to their next steps when they leave during their course. The very small number who have left received good support to move on to further specialist training or supported living.

Provider details

Unique reference number 144729 Type of provider Independent Specialist College Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 19+ 13 Principal/CEO Ms Deb Rattley Telephone number 01527 871511 Website http://www.chadsgrovelearningcentre.org.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+ - 11 - - - - - - Intermediate Advanced Higher 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ - - - - - - 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:

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Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the project manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans. 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

Andrea Dill-Russell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Lesley Talbot-Strettle Bev Jessop

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector