The Maltings College Ofsted Report

Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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

 The governing body and senior managers should take urgent action to address weaknesses in English and mathematics provision. They need to ensure there are sufficient specialist teachers, strengthen links between vocational areas and English and mathematics staff, and ensure that timetabling arrangements encourage students to attend English and mathematics classes.  Senior managers should establish robust quality assurance procedures for all aspects of the provision, including subcontracted work, and ensure that monitoring focuses on the impact of actions on the learners’ experience.  In order to achieve high success rates on all courses, and promote good attendance, managers should eliminate inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning. In particular, teachers need more opportunities to learn from each other so that the best practice is shared.  Senior managers should monitor the effectiveness of the newly introduced tutorial programme to ensure that it engages students’ interests and contributes effectively to their personal development.  The governing body and managers should increase access to impartial careers education and guidance for students, in order that they gain sufficient information and advice to help prepare them for leaving college at the end of their programme.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Inadequate  The college specialises in vocational provision. Courses with the largest number of students aged 16 to 18 are hairdressing and beauty therapy, motor vehicle studies and subcontracted sports provision. Around one third of students are on catering or care courses. A smaller number are enrolled on horticulture, fitness and information technology courses. School pupils attend for one day a week to take qualifications in vocational areas, such as catering and motor vehicle studies.  Students’ progress in English and mathematics on study programme courses at all levels is inadequate. In its first year of operation, the college did not have authorisation to offer GCSE qualifications in these subjects. Success rates for those taking functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics are very low.  In the current year, students who are studying towards GCSE and functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics are not making sufficient progress in either subject. The college does not have enough teachers for these subjects and so students from entry to GCSE level study in the same group, which hinders their learning. Work in learners’ books in both subjects does not show enough progress over time as work is often incomplete and students repeatedly make the same mistakes.  Students on courses at levels 1 and 2 of the study programmes gain good vocational and work-related skills in the majority of subjects, especially in catering and motor vehicle. Industry-standard facilities promote work-readiness in the kitchen, garage, hairdressing and beauty salons, the fitness suite and the on-site nursery. For example, in the garage, students complete job cards for work on customers’ cars and learn how to cost a repair. However, there are insufficient external work placements available to students.  Success rates on vocational courses vary too much across courses and are too low in hairdressing and beauty therapy, horticulture and motor vehicle. This is largely due to poor Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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retention on these courses last year. Retention has improved significantly in the current year, but too many students do not attend classes regularly.  Students on the level 3 information technology course make inadequate progress. They do not gain the skills required at this level of the study programme; for example, in delivering a presentation, students just read from the slides they had prepared.  The progress of learners in provision delivered by subcontractors is not monitored well. Subcontracted provision has expanded significantly this year to around one quarter of the total student number. A large proportion of these are on level 3 sports courses and managers were unable to provide sufficient information to inspectors for a judgement to be made on their progress.  Due to the lack of a structured tutorial programme at all levels of the study programme until very recently, students have not had the opportunity to develop sufficiently their understanding of a range of personal, social and health education topics.  Students on courses at levels 1 and 2 of the study programme speak of the confidence and increased knowledge they gain through external work placements, but their progress during placements is not evaluated in any formal way. On the level 3 information technology course, work placements are not personalised sufficiently to help students gain the most relevant knowledge and experience for their intended career path.  For learners who completed their course last year, progression is generally good. Around one fifth progressed to apprenticeships or employment, and a very small number are not in education, training or employment. Most learners on level 1 courses progressed to level 2.  In 2013/14 there were gaps in achievement between different groups of learners. Too many from lower socio-economic groups did not achieve qualifications. Female students on courses at level 2 gained lower success rates than males. The small number of learners from minority ethnic backgrounds achieved better than their peers. Managers do not have sufficient data to enable inspectors to judge how well students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve compared with their peers.  Learners aged 14 to 16 who attend college on a part-time basis achieve well. A large proportion gained units towards a level 2 qualification last year and most are making good progress this year towards completing the qualification.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Inadequate  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate, as reflected in learners’ success rates. In a significant number of theory lessons, teachers’ expectations of learners are not high enough and, as a result, they set undemanding work. Too frequently, all students undertake similar work irrespective of their ability. Group work is not well managed and students waste time. During whole-class plenaries they do not always listen well to each other or the teacher.  Practical teaching and learning are effective for learners on study programmes at levels 1 and 2 in catering, motor vehicle, hairdressing/beauty therapy and horticulture. In these lessons, teachers challenge learners to work to the best of their ability and use exciting and fun learning activities. Teachers help students to share ideas and learn from each other.  Students on all levels of the study programmes receive inadequate opportunities to develop both English and mathematical skills. Staff often timetable additional support in English and mathematics at times when learners are not required in college for their vocational programme and attendance at these sessions is poor.  Students’ ability to improve vital skills in both English and mathematics is severely limited by the lack of specialist teachers. Vocational teachers often struggle to help students improve their English and mathematics.  A small number of vocational teachers use mathematical concepts effectively and in context, for example via the calculation of body mass index in a level 2 fitness instructors’ programme. In catering, tutors take opportunities as they arise to develop mathematical skills, for example Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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when students were unsure if there was enough butter for a recipe and how they would divide the butter between them. The teacher helped them to work out how they could tackle this problem before they went back to the practical task. However, this good practice is not shared and too many staff lack confidence to explain concepts when learners make mistakes.  Few subjects use information and learning technology (ILT) well enough to support learning and assessment. Excellent practice exists in motor vehicle; for example, learners use tablets to record and improve their work and to gain instant feedback from their teacher. They have also set up a blog in connection with the kit car they are building. The use of ILT is another example where expertise and ideas are not shared among teachers.  The work placement aspect of the study programme requires improvement. Not all learners have sufficient external placements which would enable them to widen their experience of workplaces. Teachers do not record the skills and experience gained during these placements.  Innovative links with employers inspire students and motivate them to learn. Work skills are promoted well in the hairdressing and beauty therapy salons, the kitchen and the motor vehicle garage. These sessions are often taught by staff with up-to-date experience in well-known companies and students work for real clients. School pupils attending college part time also benefit from high-quality vocational teaching in these areas and make good progress.  Teachers’ monitoring of students’ progress and use of targets is inconsistent and good practice is not shared. Monitoring arrangements are unsystematic and inspectors found many instances where students do not have individual learning plans to establish short-term challenging targets. Targets often lack a specific focus, are unrealistic, and staff do not review them frequently enough.  The assessment of learners’ work and the quality of feedback varies considerably across subjects. Too often, teachers do not provide sufficient written evaluative feedback to show learners how they can improve.  Initial advice and guidance require improvement. In 2013/14 the focus was on recruitment rather than the selection of students onto the most appropriate courses. This has improved in the current year and most learners are now placed on the most suitable course. They receive specialist careers advice from an external service, but the number of days contracted for this is insufficient to meet the needs of all students.  Specialist support for students with specific learning difficulties is inadequate. For example, the college does not have a teacher with specialist qualifications to help students with dyslexia. Pastoral support is strong; students speak highly of the welfare advice and help they receive with financial issues and other practical problems.  Prior to January 2015, learners received no structured programme to develop their personal and social skills. Equality, diversity and health and safety themes, including cyber-bullying and internet safety, form a major focus of the new tutorial programme.  The promotion of students’ understanding of cultural diversity requires improvement. Good practice in catering, where students learn about dietary requirements in different cultures and how this might affect business practices, is not shared sufficiently across the college.  The college is a welcoming and friendly place where a strong culture of mutual respect is promoted.

Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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Hairdressing and beauty therapy

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement

Teaching, learning and assessment in hairdressing and beauty therapy require improvement because:

 the proportion of learners who complete their qualifications successfully is too low  attendance has declined and is not good enough  managers cannot judge the progress that students enrolled in the subcontracted provision are making; they do not gather information and track their progress and are unable to identify any students who may be falling behind  teachers use ineffective questioning techniques to encourage learners to think for themselves; questioning is superficial, does not explore the knowledge that students have acquired, and teachers too readily provide the answers themselves  teachers do not ensure that learners develop their English and mathematical skills sufficiently to ensure that they can use these skills confidently in all aspects of their future lives  teachers do not provide sufficient challenge to learners to develop good communication skills; for example, students’ lack of confidence when carrying out consultations with clients prior to a service or treatment means that consultations are often too brief  tutorials require improvement; teachers do not review progress adequately to help students set clear targets that include the development of personal and social skills.

In hairdressing and beauty therapy the provider has the following strengths:

 students who attend regularly make good progress in developing their practical skills as they have the opportunity to work on a range of clients from an early stage in their programme  teachers provide good opportunities that enable learners to broaden their knowledge by attending external industry events, and by observing visiting creative stylists in action  specialist facilities and equipment are of high quality; learners benefit from working in salons that reflect high industry standards  students’ progression to further education is good; many progress to advanced qualifications in beauty therapy, and hairdressing students further develop their skills through progression to barbering or by taking up an apprenticeship.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The college opened in September 2013 and experienced a series of difficulties during its establishment; nevertheless, senior leaders have been too slow in achieving their ambition to provide high-quality vocational education. Difficulties included a change of status from being a school sixth form to becoming a sixth form college, and the departure of the Principal Designate and the Executive Headteacher of the Maltings Academy Trust. All staff and managers are committed to the college’s inclusive and ambitious aims, but quality processes are not sufficiently developed to achieve these goals. Staff changes are leading to better-quality provision in most subjects this year. The senior leadership team lacks sufficient capacity to bring about swift improvement in all areas; it comprises the Principal, a part-time vice-principal who works mainly in a local school, and a business manager. Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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 Governance requires improvement. Governors are experienced and knowledgeable about the local area as well as being fully committed to the ethos of the college. They recognise the need for the college to improve and, when they are well informed, offer strong support and challenge to the Principal. Too often, reports to the Board are not sufficiently evaluative and the minutes do not record an appropriate response to their questions. Occasionally, governors do not receive sufficient reports from the Principal; for example, they have not yet considered a report on learners’ views or monitored the quality improvement plan.  The college’s self-assessment is an inadequate tool to improve teaching, learning and assessment. It lacks evaluation and strengths are overstated at college and subject level. Managers monitor the impact of actions to improve the weaknesses that have been identified but governors are not yet involved in this process.  Quality assurance is ineffective. Lesson observation reports overstate the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The identified areas for improvement inform staff development but this has not yet had sufficient impact on improving teaching. Managers have not made arrangements for the sharing of good practice among teachers. The quality assurance of subcontracted provision is inadequate.  Managers have not introduced staff appraisal, and performance management is inadequate. The lack of appraisal has been recognised by governors and senior managers but it has not been acted upon and no formal system was in place for any staff at the time of inspection. Target-setting is underdeveloped in the college and is not used systematically to improve.  The full requirements for study programmes are not being met. Vocational learning is well-organised but arrangements to develop students’ English and mathematics skills are inadequate. In a few areas such as hairdressing, there is a wealth of high-quality extra-curricular activities. Managers recognise the need to track these and to increase enrichment opportunities for other students. The college has been too slow to offer a group tutorial programme, which only began in January 2015.  The vocational aspects of the curriculum are well matched to local needs and provide good opportunities for students to gain work-related skills including apprenticeships. Leaders and managers work effectively with high-profile industrial partners to develop the curriculum in many areas so that students are able to learn in professional learning environments. Horticulture students do not yet benefit from this ‘gold standard’ partnership arrangement.  Links with schools are very effective in delivering a high-quality part-time programme for pupils aged 14 to 16. Pupils interviewed during the inspection are very positive about their experience at college and how this motivates them to work harder at school.  Managers do not have formal arrangements to gather the views of students, although many staff act on informal feedback from learners to make changes aimed at improving provision. A student council was set up recently.  The promotion of equality and diversity requires improvement. The college welcomes students from all backgrounds but managers have not been effective in addressing the issue of too few applicants from students from minority ethnic backgrounds. Managers have also taken too little action to narrow achievement gaps between different groups of learners.  The college’s safeguarding of learners requires improvement. This is because a group tutorial programme, which includes personal safety topics such as cyber-bullying, was only introduced in January 2015. The college is meeting government requirements with regard to the safeguarding of children and young people and it offers a purposeful calm environment permeated by mutual respect. Effective external partnerships are in place to support students with specific problems. After a period of absence, ‘return to work’ interviews with students are followed up quickly by the welfare officer who works confidently with students with complex needs. Early indications show that this work and that of the new attendance officer are enabling more students to stay on their courses and succeed. Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) The Maltings 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

llarevO

4 4 4 4

noisivorp emit-trap 61-41

2 2 2 2

noisivorp emit-lluf 61-41

N/A N/A N/A N/A

semmargorp yduts 91-61

4 4 4 4

semmargorp gnnrael i+91 i sphseenarT ii sphsecitnerppA ytililbayopmE i gnnrael ytinummoC

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

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

Hairdressing and beauty therapy 3

Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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Provider details Type of provider

16-19 academy

Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

14+ 127

Principal/CEO

Mr J Dowson

Date of previous inspection

No previous inspection

Website address

www.maltingscollege.co.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

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

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 64

N/A

125

N/A

106

N/A N/A N/A

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18

N/A

19+

N/A

16-18

N/A

19+

N/A

16-18

N/A

19+

N/A 16-19 N/A 19+ N/A Total N/A

Number of learners aged 14-16

Full-time N/A Part-time 92

Number of community learners

N/A Number of employability learners N/A

Funding received from

Education Funding Agency (EFA)

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

 Futsal Huddersfield FC  VLUK - Halifax  All about Beauty  Ground works Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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Contextual information

The Maltings College opened in September 2013. It originated from a local school’s wish to create a vocational centre. In November 2013, the Department for Education decided that it would operate as a sixth form college. The college was part of a Trust that also included the secondary school and a nursery. The school was subsequently put into special measures and the college is currently in discussion with the Department for Education with a view to joining another Trust. The college recruits a high proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and many students have low levels of literacy and numeracy on entry to the college.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Sue Harrison HMI

One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and three additional inspectors, assisted by the Principal as nominee, carried out the inspection with short notice. Inspectors took account of the college’s most recent self-assessment report and development plan. Inspectors also used data provided by the college on learners’ achievements to help them make judgements. Inspectors used group and individual interviews to gather the views of learners and employers; these views are reflected throughout 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 all of the provision and graded the sector subject area listed in the report above. Inspection report: The Maltings College, 13–16 January 2015

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Judgement

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

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

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

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

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