Wilberforce College Ofsted Report

Full inspection result: Requires Improvement

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Inspection report: Wilberforce College, 8 – 11 October 2013 2 of 16

Full report What does Wilberforce College need to do to improve further?

 Improve success rates and ensure that all students achieve their potential within expected timescales.  Ensure that all students receive appropriate advice and guidance and are enrolled on the most appropriate course; that their starting points are assessed prior to enrolment and prompt support given; that induction assesses early progress and identifies any further support needs.  Work with teaching staff to:

- raise the expectations and self-reliance of students

- ensure that teachers make consistently good use of students’ prior attainment information so that learning activities are planned to meet individual needs, enabling all students to reach their potential

- improve the development and monitoring of students’ English, mathematics and functional skills

- ensure that feedback to students and action planning for improvement give students sufficiently detailed guidance on what they need to do to improve and on the progress they are making.  Accelerate the improvement of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:

- observers focus consistently well on the impact of teachers’ activities on students’ learning and progress

- clear and precise action plans for individual teachers are produced to enable continuing professional development to be tailored very closely to their needs

- best practice continues to be shared across the college.  Increase the rigour of quality assurance by ensuring:

- a close focus on the whole student experience

- that the root causes of any underperformance are researched thoroughly and that identified strengths are built upon leading to more consistent outcomes for students

- indicators of success are identified precisely and clear, realistic and aspirational targets are set

- the impact of actions taken to improve are monitored and evaluated frequently and systematically and that quality improvement plans are revised promptly if required.

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Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement  Success rates of students on long courses are variable between levels and across subjects. They fell to a low rate in 2011/12, improved markedly in 2012/13 but remain below the success rate of similar colleges.  The success rate of AS level students fell in 2011 and 2012, improved in 2013, but remains below that of similar colleges. The previously high success rate of A-level students declined in 2012/13, to just below that of similar colleges. Success rates of advanced-level vocational students are average.  A significant number of students do not complete advanced-level courses within two years. Too many students who start on the first year of one course do not progress to the second year of that course but move onto the first year of a different course, at the same level. Too few students who start the full AS level course successfully achieve at A level, because of poor pass rates on some AS subjects, especially in science and mathematics, and poor progression onto the A-level programme.  Most students on AS- and A-level courses make the progress expected of them during the year although some higher-ability students make slow progress. Second year extended diploma students make good progress. On some first year advanced vocational courses students’ progress is slow.  While retention is low on the new foundation course, achievement of students who complete is high on the main programme and on work skills, but very low in literacy and numeracy. Success rates on the growing number of intermediate level courses are too variable between subjects.  There is no significant difference in achievement between male and female students, those from minority ethnic backgrounds or those who declare a disability. Attendance is satisfactory.  In 2013, more students achieved a grade A* to C in English and mathematics at the college than previously and this is now above the national rate. However, students’ achievement in functional skills in English and on a proficiency course in mathematics is very low. The development of students’ English and mathematical skills is weak across subject areas. Students develop valuable employability skills through work experience or realistic work projects, especially on vocational courses.  Newly developed provision at the college for young people not in education, employment or training has enabled many to progress onto further study. Progression from intermediate to advanced-level courses and from advanced-level courses into higher education and employment is satisfactory. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement to ensure students make better progress and achieve the high grades of which many are capable. In all subject areas inspectors found good and satisfactory lessons. The college has effectively eliminated inadequate lessons but too little is outstanding.  In the better lessons, teachers have high expectations and set ambitious aspirational targets. They plan for the needs of all students who make good progress. Students are encouraged and motivated to learn independently and are enthusiastic and well engaged. The few outstanding lessons are characterised by detailed attention to individual learning; by innovative approaches to ensure all students are interested and engaged in learning; and by skilful assessment of learning.

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 However, this practice is not consistent across the college. Initial assessment does not routinely inform all lesson planning. The checking of learning in lessons and the promotion of independent learning in teaching sessions are inconsistent across the curriculum areas. Questioning does not always probe to develop higher-level skills, knowledge and understanding. In many subjects, the pace is slow and more-able students do not have activities that stretch and challenge them.  Teachers are beginning to share good practice through the formation of quality improvement development groups but this process has not yet had sufficient impact to demonstrate consistent improvements. The provision of out-of-classroom support and dedicated study time, for example in mathematics, is good.  The use of information and learning technology is improving. It is often used just to host basic course documents. However, there is good practice, for example, the use of computer tablets in sport is good and resources on the college virtual learning environment (VLE) are used well in and out of sports lessons.  Information, advice and guidance are insufficiently robust. Not enough students who started their courses have completed them, and too many have not completed in the expected time. Initial assessment is not conducted swiftly enough and information from this is not used consistently by teachers to inform lesson planning. The initial publicity about courses does not give sufficient information to enable potential students to make fully informed choices.  The quality of written feedback is inconsistent. In a few cases, the detailed and thorough feedback helps students to improve but in other examples marking and the checking of learning is too superficial to inform students what they need to do to reach the next level.  The development of English and mathematics is inconsistent. The use of ‘word walls’ and ‘word of the week’ is helping to widen students’ vocabulary. However, teachers often fail to correct spelling and grammar in written work.  The newly introduced electronic student monitoring and record system is good and provides comprehensive details of individual students to help monitor progress, attendance and performance issues, however, it is too early to see the impact on students’ progress. The setting of individual targets is adequate. Personal tutorials require improvement because the tutors’ specialist skills are not matched to the subject area. Staff who give generic tutor support are not always able to provide students with the subject specialist support and advice they value.  Enrichment opportunities are good both across the college and within subject areas. Students benefit from activities such as visits, trips and related work experience opportunities which arise from productive links with employers. The college is committed to the Active College initiative; significantly more students than in previous years participate in sport activities. Work experience is offered in several curriculum areas. This combination encourages students from all curriculum areas to participate, organise and lead activities, helping to develop employability and social skills.  The promotion of equality and diversity across the college requires improvement. In many lessons the promotion of equality and diversity is inconsistent. A newly established equality and diversity development group is helping support teachers to share best practice in promoting equality themes in teaching and learning but it is too early to judge its impact.

Health and social care and early years

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement reflecting success rates which are at or below the national average for most courses. The progress made by students relative to their starting points is satisfactory although too many take more time to complete their

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course than is expected. Students who started their courses this year are making better progress as a result of recent changes in staff and management.  Teachers are enthusiastic and seek to inspire students with a variety of teaching methods. In the better lessons teachers successfully extend all students’ knowledge and skills and enable them to relate theory to vocational practice. An intermediate childcare group studying legislation governing health and safety identified a wide range of potential risks and hazards children might encounter, such as dog excrement in the park and uncovered electric sockets in the nursery. In a minority of lessons more-able students are not stretched sufficiently and opportunities to link theory to practice are missed.  Students enjoy their lessons and are well behaved and attentive. However, a few lessons are lively without being effective; students are busy but do not learn enough because the teacher has not sufficiently planned for learning. The monitoring of students’ progress is satisfactory. However, insufficient attention is given to identifying students’ literacy and numeracy needs especially if there are anomalies between GCSE English and mathematics grades and initial assessment results. Students are not sufficiently clear about their strengths and weaknesses to take advantage of the help available to develop these skills.  Written feedback on students’ work is variable. Much feedback, both in written work and in lessons praises achievements without indicating what students might do to further improve. The more-able students, in particular, lose out because of this.  Teachers use ‘word walls’ of technical terms and a ‘word of the week’ well to develop and expand their students’ vocabulary. In both childcare and social care lessons most teachers emphasise the importance of, and encourage good, clear verbal communication skills. However, there is insufficient attention to the development of written English and mathematics as part of vocational lessons and identification of errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar on marked work is neglected. Where errors are identified there is limited guidance on how students might go about improving their skills. Students feel very well supported by staff. However, students do not benefit from a personal tutor who could provide specialist support, or advice and guidance, if required.  Equality and diversity are well promoted. Resources including dolls that reflect ethnic diversity are used well in lessons to create realistic work situations. A varied programme of trips and visiting speakers, including residents of the neighbouring residential care home, as well as experts in disabilities and social disadvantage, enhance students’ understanding of the needs of people they will be working with.

Science

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement reflecting success rates which are not consistent year-on-year and remain low at AS level. At AS and A level, the proportion of high grades is well-below national rates and last year declined in GCSE science. Students’ progress is inconsistent across subjects and has declined to below average at AS. Too few AS students currently progress directly to A2. Managers have well-thought-out recovery plans in place and have taken robust actions to bring about improvements in all aspects of provision.  In the best lessons teachers plan a good variety of learning activities to motivate students and support their learning. In a chemistry lesson students were exploring the reaction of hydrochloric acid with different substances, moving between workstations, demonstrating good practical skills and the ability to work collaboratively. Teachers extend students’ understanding and knowledge through clear explanations and their use of high-quality learning resources.

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 Teachers review learning by a variety of methods. Most, but not all, use questioning well; moving on only when they are satisfied students’ knowledge is secure. Some make good use of probing questions to deepen and extend students’ knowledge, for example in a psychology lesson on Milgram’s experiment on compliance with authority. Students are well behaved, attentive and hard-working.  On occasion, teachers do not provide sufficient challenge for the more able, or extra work for those who finish early. At times, student involvement is low and over-reliance on written examples results in students having insufficient opportunities to develop their understanding in other ways, such as discussion or working in pairs.  Teachers encourage independent learning through homework and assessment tasks. Students make good use of text books, work books and the internet. Science teachers are developing the college’s VLE further to support research. Psychology teachers make good use of social media, for example to alert students to research articles they can find on the internet.  Students are aware of their target grades and their progress in meeting them, through regular homework, tasks set in class and formal assessments. More rigorous procedures for assessment were introduced this year and new electronic systems facilitate better monitoring. Most teachers return marked work with helpful written comments but this is not yet consistent and in some subjects comments are scant. Students’ work is of an appropriate standard although the quality of presentation varies. Students’ results in formal assessments show early signs of improvement.  Teachers use the results of initial assessments to plan learning and support for students who need it. In most lessons, teachers make sure students understand specialist terms such as ‘androcentric’ and ‘diffusion gradient’ using a word wall to ensure familiarity with new vocabulary. Students’ number skills are developed during lessons, for example in calculating the concentration of a substance dissolved in water. In physics, teachers develop students’ algebraic skills at the start of their course.  This year, better guidance, stricter adherence to the entry requirements and a broader course offer aim to ensure new students are on the right course and to improve their progression from AS to A2, but it is too early to see the impact of this. Visits by external speakers, for example on criminology, trips and projects such as the involvement of university staff in teaching help broaden students’ horizons. Progression to higher education is good in the natural sciences but low in psychology.  Students feel they are treated fairly and that mutual respect exists throughout the college. They are not aware of any bullying. In psychology an awareness of equality and diversity is integral to the subject, for example in a consideration of ethics but the promotion of equality and diversity across the curriculum is not yet fully established.

Mathematics and statistics

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement reflecting success rates which are around national averages. Managers have identified the areas that require improvement but are still in the early stages of developing robust actions to address these issues.  In the better lessons teachers challenge students’ answers and encourage them to think more deeply and to offer reasons why they have given that answer. In the best example, students developed an understanding of the fundamental building blocks of a complex mathematical topic by watching the changing shape of a sine curve as the trigonometric function was repeatedly differentiated.

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 Teachers use effective techniques in class to check on students’ learning and progress, for example, by giving out feedback sheets at the end of a lesson which teachers collect in and use to plan subsequent lessons. In one lesson, students sketched answers on mini- whiteboards to give the teacher a quick visual check on questions about intercept points of quadratic equations.  The GCSE mathematics course is well planned. Students take a detailed assessment at the start of the course and subsequently attend activities that are tailored to the parts of the mathematics syllabus that they require most help with, which improves their progress and has contributed to the recent improvement in success rates.  Students work best and make most progress when they are engaged in interesting activities and working in pairs or small groups. However, in some lessons, the activities are not sufficiently well planned to meet the needs of all students. Sometimes, students that are more able are insufficiently challenged and inactive while the rest of the class catch up.  Students who are unable to make progress on a particular activity are too dependent on the availability of the teacher to help them move on. There are help sheets and text books available but teachers do not give students enough direction or encouragement to find solutions independently. There are useful resources for students on GCSE and AS mathematics courses on the college VLE but for all other courses this is limited mostly to past papers and mark schemes.  Teachers do not do enough to demonstrate how the mathematical concepts they introduce can be used practically in the real world, for example, in calculations involving the maximum and minimum areas of shape.  Students’ progress is properly assessed through regular tests and homework. Students who may be struggling with a particular problem or topic are well supported by the frequent extra revision sessions and the help willingly given by teachers outside lesson time. The students value the clear help and advice given to them in their tutorial sessions, especially concerning university entrance requirements. The majority of students who achieve a D grade or above at AS level continue to study mathematics at A level and almost three quarters of those who succeed at A level go on to higher education.  Students’ written work and homework are satisfactory but some students, especially those at GCSE and AS level, are careless with diagrams, for example by not properly labelling graph axes. Teachers mark and return work promptly and give clear instructions to students on what they need to do to improve.  Aspects of equality and diversity are not promoted in lessons and teachers do not indicate how they might do this in their lesson plans and schemes of work.

Sport

16-19 study programmes

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, reflecting students’ good achievement on the majority of courses. Action has been taken to tackle underperforming courses. A revised curriculum and earlier interventions ensure students are on suitable courses and this is improving retention, success and progression.  Teachers have good subject knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm and use this well to motivate and engage students. Good relationships and mutual respect among staff and students create a positive learning environment.  In the better lessons a range of effective teaching methods are used to engage students. The development of literacy, language and numeracy is good. For example, students calculated breathing rates and stroke volumes in a physiology lesson and used their results to measure the effects of exercise. Information and learning technology (ILT) is used well in some

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lessons, for example using mobile technology to develop peer and self-assessment in sports coaching.  Students demonstrate good evidence of employability skills including confidence, communication, and a willingness to contribute to discussion and presentations. Work experience is not embedded into sports courses limiting opportunities for students to experience a real working environment.  Students work well independently showing good levels of concentration, engagement and application. However, a small minority of teachers do not plan sufficiently to meet the individual needs of students or provide sufficiently challenging extension work for more-able students.  Assessment of students’ work is robust. Students receive feedback with clear references to criteria met and how to improve work. Teachers use directed questions very well to check students’ understanding of the subject effectively and thoroughly. However, there is over reliance on this method in a few lessons; teachers do not always use a range of assessment activities to meet the differing abilities of students.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Images of Paralympic athletes to promote learner discussion and to challenge stereotypes are used well. A discussion on the effects of Ramadan on energy levels for athletes during the Olympic Games 2012 helped develop students’ knowledge and awareness of different cultural backgrounds.  High-quality facilities and lesson resources are used effectively to develop students’ understanding of sport. Students value the subject resources on the VLE and use these well to develop and extend their learning beyond the classroom. Students are well supported at college. They particularly value the individual tutorials, availability and approachability of teachers outside lessons via text, email or the VLE for help and advice to support them in making good progress.  Students value highly the enrichment programme in sport. Opportunities for students to achieve, progress and succeed in chosen sports are available through structured training programmes, Wednesday afternoon fixtures in the British Colleges’ league and selection to represent college, regional and national teams.  There are strong links with local sports clubs. Coaches and professional athletes come into college to enhance students’ knowledge, experience and understanding of a wide range of activities, for example archery, and the life of elite sports performers. Students feel safe and enjoy coming to college.

Performing arts

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement reflecting variability in success rates over time. Overall success rates fell in 2012/13 and are below national averages, although they remain high on many A-level courses.  Teachers provide good support and feedback during classes. In the best cases students produce high-quality work through constant encouragement and support. The standard of students’ work is mostly good and in many cases demonstrates a clear understanding of complex techniques and performance skills. Students develop a good understanding of music genres, dance movements and an ability to compose music for moving images. They use subject specific language and terminology appropriately and with confidence. In musical theatre they explore how to convey dramatic intentions of shock or horror in short performances.  In the well-planned lessons a clear structure, a variety of teaching and learning strategies, a good pace and effective use of ILT, the college VLE and social media inspire students and

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encourage them to improve their performance. Drama and theatre studies’ students access blogs and on-line forums when contributing to group reviews of theatre visits and to share research findings about costumes.  In a few lessons checking of all students’ understanding is not routine. Questions are not sufficiently challenging to stretch students’ knowledge. In a number of instances, student focus and engagement are not maintained during question and answer sessions and other activities, leading to some lessons running beyond planned timings.  Initial assessment of individual student need is not always used to plan lessons. Lesson plans contain detailed information about individual needs. However, they lack detail on how specific needs such as dyslexia, ASD or Asperger’s will be met to ensure all students are able to participate fully.  Staff use their contacts and professional experiences well to develop exciting and vocationally relevant enrichment activities and course assignments, enabling students to gain a clear understanding of the expectations and requirements of creative industries. Dance students are involved in the Pride of Nations opening ceremony and entertainment for the Rugby League World Cup. Visits to major theatre productions with follow up workshops led by professional practitioners reinforce the importance of individual and group responsibilities to rehearsals and performances.  Assessment is satisfactory and fair. Teachers’ feedback is constructive and enables students to identify where and how improvements can be made to achieve higher grades. Correction of spelling and grammar in written work is inconsistent. The development and assessment of literacy and numeracy skills are satisfactory.  Timely and effective guidance is provided to support student applications and progression to higher education. However, pre-course information, advice and guidance are poor and do not help potential students make an informed decision about their choice of course. Initial assessment takes place after enrolment and is not timely.  Students feel safe and apply safe working practices in practical sessions such as setting up sound rigs for a music performance and during warm up exercises prior to movement or vocal activities. In the best examples these are led by students introducing one another and demonstrating the value of running on the spot, trotting or star jumps, which the rest of the group then follows.  Equality and diversity are incorporated effectively into coursework briefs. This encourages students to acquire a wider understanding and appreciation of diverse genres, social and cultural beliefs and influences which they then incorporated into their music, dance or theatrical performances.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The new senior team is building a more collaborative culture, to support improvements that have already started to raise students’ success rates in 2013. Responsibility to improve students’ outcomes is now shared. Recent changes include holding staff to account and sharing good practice through development groups. Clear curriculum priorities have also been identified, including improving English and mathematics.  Curriculum managers share responsibility for improvement and are clear on the priorities and the new processes that are planned, or have been implemented. They are less clear on the impact of action taken to achieve their goals. Monitoring reports focus on the actions taken rather than an evaluation of their impact.  Governors recognise where the college is now and what needs to improve. They receive honest information about the college’s performance. They recognise that student outcomes and teaching, learning and assessment require improvement and have begun to reorder their schedule of business to reflect these priorities. Board members understand their role very clearly in improving accountability and performance.

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 The strategic development plan prioritises improved student outcomes, but does not express the college’s strategic position in the city sufficiently clearly. Not all indicators of success are tightly defined, making progress difficult to judge. College managers and staff have good links with employers, schools and the university supporting the curriculum and student progression.  The college curriculum is responsive to student need and prior attainment. The curriculum is broad and flexible with progression pathways to both advanced-level vocational and academic courses, which students can combine. Engineering courses have been introduced in response to local labour market needs.  Closer scrutiny of performance data has informed management decisions and curriculum changes. New performance management and accountability frameworks are planned but implementation and target-setting are at an early stage so it is too soon to judge the impact.  Senior managers use a range of performance indicators to monitor in-year performance. However, their use of data to identify causes or relationships in student underperformance is at an early stage. Improvement strategies to tackle the issues identified are led by teachers and middle managers and this approach develops collective responsibility well to effect the improvements needed. Development groups involving all teachers are beginning to facilitate the sharing of good practice but their impact on improving student outcomes is not yet consistent across all subjects.  The grading of lesson observations is overgenerous and outcomes do not sufficiently inform staff development. Areas for improvement do not give teachers sufficient guidance on how to improve their practice. The college has not yet established monitoring mechanisms to judge the impact of actions taken to improve.  Staff are appropriately qualified; almost all staff are qualified teachers. The very small remainder are working towards their teaching qualifications. Arrangements for appraisal have improved and are now based on course and student performance. New staff are inducted well. Staff development is linked to appraisal for both academic and support staff; however, the mechanisms to judge the effectiveness of staff development are insufficiently developed.  Self-assessment has not yet delivered sustained improvements in outcomes for learners. The college’s assessment of its strengths and areas for improvement is broadly accurate. However, many aspects are over-graded. Quality assurance systems do not cover the whole student experience and do not focus sufficiently on what needs to change in teaching, learning and assessment to improve student outcomes.  Inspectors agree with the college that the existing quality assurance framework has not identified potential underperformance and this needs swift refinement so that the effectiveness of actions taken to improve student outcomes consistently can be judged. The student council is at an early stage of development in informing improvements in the learner experience. The separation of responsibilities for quality assurance and quality improvement within the senior team limits the coherence of the overall quality strategy.  The college meets its statutory duty through the publication of an equality statement, however, the views of stakeholders are not considered as part of policy development. An annual review is reported to governors. Regular analysis of student and staff data ensures no negative impact on individuals or groups with protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of students and staff are made. Students access a range of external agencies including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual support and an advocacy skills group. Policies and procedures are not routinely assessed to avoid any adverse impact on those with protected characteristics.  The college provides a safe environment and meets its statutory requirements for safeguarding students. Staff are appropriately trained. Case work is detailed and carefully managed, with referrals made to relevant support agencies. Individual students at risk are monitored through to their progression route. The college monitors accidents and incidents through clear recording, tracking and follow up of actions taken. Governors receive annual reports. Although college procedures are clear on how to handle allegations made against

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staff, they do not cover allegations made against other students. The outcomes of lesson observations are not routinely used to inform judgements on the effectiveness of students developing safe working practices.

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) Wilberforce College

Inspection grades are based on a provider’s performance: 1: Outstanding 2: Good 3: Requires improvement 4: Inadequate

llarevO yduts 91-61 semmargorp

Overall effectiveness 3 3 Outcomes for learners 3 3 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment 3 3 The effectiveness of leadership and management 3 3

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

Health and social care 3 Science 3 Mathematics and statistics 3 Sport 2 Performing arts 3

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Provider details

Type of provider Sixth form college Age range of learners 16-18

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

Full-time: 1604 Part-time: 14 Principal/CEO Mr David Cooper Date of previous inspection October 2011 Website address www.wilberforce.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 and above

Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships)

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ Full-time 42 0 243 3 1297 64 0 0 Part-time 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Number of traineeships 16-19 19+ Total

Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

0 0 0

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 0 0 0 0 0 0 Funding received from Education Funding Agency and Skills Funding Agency

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

 N/A

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Contextual information

Wilberforce Sixth Form College is located in the east of the city of Hull. The college catchment area includes areas of significant deprivation within the city and also the rural East Riding. More than half of the student population are from postcodes with a high deprivation index. The majority of the college’s students are aged 16 to 18, and 70% of students are drawn from five partner schools in Hull. Four per cent of the student population are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The prior attainment of students is below the average for a sixth form college. In 2013, 49.3% of 16-year-olds in Hull achieved five or more GCSE’s at A* to C including English and mathematics which is below the national rate.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector Anne Taylor HMI

Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and six additional inspectors, assisted by the Vice- Principal 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 and graded the sector subject areas listed in the report above.

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What inspection judgements mean

Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 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