Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education Ofsted Report

Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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

 Increase success rates on functional skills qualifications and for learners aged 19 and over on foundation and intermediate programmes by identifying the reasons for their poor performance and taking corrective actions.  Reduce the proportion of lessons that require improvement by: integrating English and mathematics fully within the curriculum so that teachers help learners make more rapid progress in improving their English and mathematics supporting teachers to make better and more imaginative use of ILT to enliven lessons.  Work with employers and external partners to increase further the volume of work placements for learners on study programmes.

Inspection judgements

Outcomes for learners

Good  The proportion of learners completing their courses successfully is high. Success rates on long courses have risen steadily for the last three years and are now above national averages. Learners aged 16 to 18 perform well at all levels. Success rates for learners aged over 19 on advanced-level courses have risen and are now well above national averages. However, their performance at foundation and intermediate level, though much improved, has only recently reached national averages.  The proportion of learners completing short qualifications successfully has increased and is now above the national average. Apprenticeship success rates dipped in 2011/12 but the college’s data for 2012/13 show that they have now recovered. The overall success rates for intermediate-level and advanced-level apprentices are now good, though the proportion of advanced-level apprentices who achieve within the planned period of study is low. Other work-based learners achieve good results.  The proportion of learners who achieve functional skills qualifications in English and mathematics requires further improvement, as does the proportion of learners who achieve grades A* to C in GCSEs in English and mathematics.  The college’s team of progression mentors and achievement coaches, as well as teachers, work with each learner individually to identify and overcome barriers to achievement. Consequently, current learners are making good progress relative to their starting points.  No gap exists in the achievements of different groups of learners. Overall success rates for learners studying at the Yorkshire Coast College have moved close to national averages but require further improvement. Learners needing extra help with their studies and those with learning disabilities achieve particularly well. Learners’ attendance and punctuality are generally satisfactory. However, attendance is not consistently high enough across all courses and departments.  The college recruits a high proportion of learners with low prior educational attainment, often from disadvantaged rural and coastal communities. Learners develop their confidence, self-esteem and social skills significantly. They enjoy their learning and the wider social and economic opportunities their enhanced confidence gives them. Good partnership with a wide range of community organisations and employers helps learners to gain valuable employability and job-search skills. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 Learners’ conduct in lessons and in the college’s social areas is exemplary. They enjoy college life, participate enthusiastically during practical and theory sessions and produce work of a high standard. Managers and teachers create a very positive culture of success through competitions and award ceremonies. These are well publicised to learners and motivate the large majority of them to work hard.  The college provides learners with significant opportunities to develop skills in employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship. Learners participate in an impressive array of enriching activities that promote their health, personal well-being and community engagement. Many learners have won awards, prizes and gained recognition for their success.  Learners make good progress from lower-level courses to higher. In 2012/13, the proportion of learners progressing from foundation level to intermediate programmes increased considerably. The use of increasingly reliable data to record learners’ destinations indicates that the large majority of those who left in 2012/13 and whose destinations the college knows, progressed into further or higher education, training or employment.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Good  Learners benefit from the very high expectations that teachers, curriculum managers and senior staff have of them. Teaching and learning, which are mostly good and often outstanding, align well with the good outcomes for most groups of learners. Staff are highly enthusiastic. They have good vocational experience and are skilled in motivating learners, many of whom have low expectations when they first start. Teachers and managers provide good role models for learners and expect learners to achieve well despite their individual barriers to learning.  The college’s team of progression mentors and achievement coaches is particularly effective in supporting learners at risk of withdrawing from a course early to complete successfully their programme of study. Those struggling with aspects of their course or with personal, social or financial difficulties receive very good support to enable them to succeed.  Teachers have very good subject knowledge and use this well to engage and motivate learners. They use a wide range of methods effectively to motivate and stimulate learners. The college’s effective observation of teaching and learning scheme has contributed to improvements, though observers grade a small minority of lessons too generously. In the best sessions, teachers check learners’ understanding well to ensure that learning is taking place. They use questioning techniques particularly well to stretch the most-able learners and to challenge those who lack confidence to participate.  Learners on study programmes participate in a wide range of activities which develop their vocational skills and work-readiness. Teachers weave employability topics skilfully into the main curriculum and help learners to acquire useful skills in writing CVs and preparing for interview. Learners behave very well because staff reinforce the college’s ‘acceptable standards’ policy diligently both in class and in the college’s social areas.  Learners benefit from the college’s good range of internal work placements in its own hairdressing salons and training restaurants, as well as dog grooming as part of its animal care provision. However, the college does not have enough external employer work placements or enough dedicated resources such as job search facilities, for all learners to benefit.  In the few lessons that require improvement, the pace of learning results in learners either not having enough to keep them occupied and stimulated, or struggling to keep up. A minority of teachers use ILT, including the virtual learning environment (VLE) well as a tool to motivate and engage learners. However, the extent to which teachers in different departments and college sites make effective use of ILT and the VLE is inconsistent.  Initial assessment is effective and used well to place learners onto a programme that meets their needs, interests and aptitudes. Teachers identify learners’ preferred learning style to help them learn effectively in lessons. They identify additional needs well and implement support arrangements promptly. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 Teachers monitor learners’ progress and achievements well. An effectively administered web-based electronic monitoring system records all aspects of achievement and learners clearly understand the progress they are making. Staff and managers use the monitoring process increasingly well to keep track of learners’ progress and provide extra support when learners fall behind.  Teachers generally provide constructive and helpful comments on learners’ work, though the quality of feedback varies considerably between curriculum areas. Learners are generally aware of the progress they have made and, where relevant, of their target grades. In a small minority of cases, teachers and assessors do not provide sufficiently detailed comments on learners’ work.  The development of learners’ English and mathematics skills is satisfactory in most curriculum areas, including in workplace learning, but it requires further improvement. Some teachers identify and correct learners’ spelling, punctuation and grammar effectively but this is not true across all of the college’s sites and curriculum areas.  Information, advice and guidance are good. The college runs a comprehensive schools guidance programme that includes visits to schools, open days, careers fairs and taster sessions across departments within the college. Induction is thorough and learners receive good information about their programmes and alternative routes. On-course guidance is good with learners having access to very well-qualified and experienced guidance workers at a range of levels. Information about fees and costs associated with university study is very good.  Teachers integrate equality and diversity with taught subjects effectively, though not all teachers are equally confident at doing so. Too many teachers fail to exploit naturally occurring opportunities for discussing equalities issues fully. Teachers and assessors in engineering promote equality and diversity well in sessions. Learners work together very effectively and show mutual respect and understanding.

Health and social care

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Good  The good quality of teaching, learning and assessment reflects learners’ high success rates, much improved retention and good skills development. Teachers have good, recent vocational experience and share their knowledge with learners enthusiastically. Learners rightly have high regard for their teachers and respond to them positively.  Learners are cared for, guided and supported well. Many become more confident and better able to communicate effectively with peers, supervisors and clients. One learner explained that she now had a good understanding of ‘stereotypical behaviour’ and how this had led her to be less judgemental of others in her views and attitudes.  Learners value their time at college and they know how their experiences and qualifications will benefit them in their future employment. They set themselves high expectations and are ambitious for their future. For example, many learners have developed competence in using a range of information technology (IT) skills to support their capacity to work in the care sector, where good IT skills are increasingly required of all employees. Many learners go on to be successful nurses, social workers and midwives.  In the best lessons, teachers use highly effective open questions to elicit detailed knowledge from learners about social policy or the purpose of specific health care legislation and policies. Learners use appropriate vocational knowledge to explain their understanding. For example, one group of learners was able to participate effectively in a debate about who makes the rules that staff and clients have to follow in a care home. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 In the few weaker sessions, learners fail to progress quickly enough. Teachers do not always meet the needs of all learners and they do not use e-learning activities to engage learners. Questioning techniques do not always stretch and challenge the more able. These sessions are characterised by too much teacher talk and learners’ passivity.  Staff use initial assessment to identify quickly learners’ additional support needs early on in their programme and make effective arrangements to help them achieve. The college’s team of progression mentors and achievement coaches have a very positive effect on teachers and learners by providing an additional layer of support and development.  Learners value the verbal and written feedback they receive on assessed work because it helps them to improve. Feedback to learners is highly constructive and helps learners to improve their work.  Teachers integrate English and mathematics with the taught curriculum well and learners make good progress. For example, in one lesson, learners were able to work out the weight gain of a client on a high cholesterol diet and to correct the mispronunciation of the word ‘obese’.  Information, advice and guidance are good. The majority of learners receive good support that meets their needs, especially those with particularly low prior attainment. They receive impartial information and guidance on their next steps in training, for example, through teaching and assignment work, group tutorials, individual reviews and a wide range of work placements.  Teachers promote equality and diversity extremely well. Learners are respectful of each other and teachers. Teachers expect high standards of behaviour in and outside of the classroom and are confident and highly competent in challenging inappropriate language and stereotypical comments. This prepares learners well for university education and future employment.

Engineering

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment have resulted in long-course success rates that have been consistently above the national averages for the last three years. Improvement strategies are in place to address the decline in success rates for the very few learners following an apprenticeship programme.  Learners benefit from motivated, supportive, well-qualified and experienced teachers who use their expertise well and set learners challenging tasks. Learners develop good vocational and personal skills. They enjoy their learning, grow in confidence and learn to work productively in teams, which employers value. Although most theory lessons are effective, the large majority of teachers do not use directed questions effectively to engage all learners and to check their knowledge and understanding.  Practical lessons are particularly good. Learners carry out industry standard engineering tasks. In a fabrication and welding lesson, learners used low carbon steel to design and manufacture high-quality scaled lifting beams. Learners interpreted engineering drawings correctly. They measured, marked, cut and shaped steel plates accurately and produced beam components within the specified tolerances. They used manual metal arc welding safely and effectively to join the components.  Teachers and learners use technology well to support learning. Teachers make effective use of the college’s VLE to help learners with their assignment work and to promote independent learning. Teachers use interactive whiteboards and specialist computer software effectively to develop learners’ skills. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 Teachers use learners’ profiles and the results of their initial assessment effectively to plan lessons and to identify the support needed for individual learners. Teachers set learners realistic and time-bound targets, and monitor their progress well.  Assessment of learners’ work is consistent, accurate and timely. Most teachers provide appropriate comments on learners’ work. A minority of teachers are particularly skilful at writing detailed and constructive feedback to help learners improve the quality of their work. On-site assessment and reviews are weak. They lack detail and fail to set sufficiently clear and measurable goals for apprentices.  The development of learners’ mathematics skills is good. In a lesson on milling machines, lathes and grinders, mechanical engineering learners used basic equations and calculated accurately lathe cutting speeds, spindle speeds and feed rates. In contrast, the development of learners’ English skills requires improvement. Teachers do not correct learners’ spelling and grammatical mistakes routinely.  Learners are highly supportive of the good information, advice and guidance they receive on career and progression pathways. They are aware of their rights and responsibilities as learners or as employees. Learners receive good support in and outside the classroom. They are highly appreciative of the help they receive from their vocational teachers and cross-college staff.  Teachers and learners have a good understanding of equality and diversity. Learners are attentive in lessons and behave well. Teachers and learners show each other mutual respect. Engineering learners visited Germany and Finland recently to study the practices and the products of several different engineering industries. Learners have designed college posters to promote better awareness of equality and diversity, including one for an international day against homophobia. Teachers and learners pay good attention to safe working practices.

Construction crafts

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes Apprenticeships

Good  Learners benefit from good teaching, learning and assessment, as reflected in the high overall success rates for classroom-based learning. However, teaching in a few carpentry and painting and decorating courses requires improvement. Employed learners studying qualifications in the workplace succeed very well.  Staff are enthusiastic, well qualified and in the best sessions use their relevant experiences to align learning with industry practices and standards, while also drawing on and using learners’ experiences. The college ensures that construction workshops across the four sites meet learners’ needs well by equipping them well and providing good quality and well-maintained tools and equipment.  Teachers plan lessons thoroughly. Learners are engaged in a wide variety of activities in the classrooms and in the workshops. For example, in a brickwork lesson learners researched, discussed and then used an internet search engine to view and identify copings and cappings to walls. The session inspired, motivated and engaged all learners fully through expertly managed activities with routine assessments of learning taking place, which stretched and challenged them.  Learners on the ‘Get Started in Construction’ entry course demonstrate significant improvement in their work readiness. The well-motivated, passionate teachers enthuse the learners by the skilful use of ILT, and in one lesson demonstrated various images and models of the effect of smoking on the body. Learners were involved in using nicotine testing and respiratory equipment as part of the lesson, which resulted in learners developing a good understanding of the impact on the body of smoking. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 Initial assessment is effective in ensuring that learners are on a suitable programme. Initial assessment identifies learners’ additional needs early, ensuring that learners receive appropriate timely additional support. The college’s progression mentors and achievement coaches assist and intervene promptly where learners are at risk of falling behind or at risk of withdrawing from the course before completing it.  Teachers and assessors assess work thoroughly, set high expectations for each learner and support each individual to reach their full potential. Verbal feedback is constructive, supportive and helps learners to understand how they could improve further. Learners demonstrate effective health and safety working practices and teachers reinforce a safe working culture consistently.  Learners and apprentices develop their mathematical skills through discrete lessons in the subject, complemented effectively by teachers’ skilful integration of mathematics with vocational subjects. However, the development of English and literacy skills, particularly in spelling, punctuation and grammar, is less effective because teachers have not yet integrated fully these skills within the curriculum.  Teachers provide good quality impartial advice and guidance on careers in the construction industry. They give clear guidance on the range of courses that learners can progress to and advise them about specialist qualifications and career pathways in the building industry.  The college promotes equality and diversity effectively. The promotion of equalities through teaching and learning is satisfactory, though some teachers do it particularly well. For example, in a joinery lesson, learners and apprentices discussed the domestic installation and positioning of internal fittings for people with disabilities, stimulating further discussion about the individual needs of different groups of people.

ICT for users

19+ Learning programmes

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment are good, as reflected in the high and improving success rates. Learners develop good skills in understanding specialist software that improves their prospects of employment in the information technology sector. Most go on to become independent and confident learners.  Teachers have high expectations for learners and set individual learning goals in every lesson. Learners engage with the tasks set for them and show enthusiasm and interest in the subject. Teachers in the information technology learning centres make use of good workbooks to enable learners to develop independent learning skills and the confidence to work at their own pace.  Teachers use their skills and knowledge to plan and deliver sessions well. Many teachers have recent industrial and commercial experience, which they use well to motivate learners, for example in the use of editing and programming tools such as Blender for 3-D modelling.  In the best lessons, teachers make good use of directed questioning to develop learners’ understanding. In theory lessons, teachers engage and encourage learners well and offer praise when learners achieve goals and complete work tasks.  Initial advice and guidance are good. Teachers make good use of diagnostic skills assessment to help learners make informed choices about the content and level of the programme they enrol on. Teachers generally use the results of initial assessment well to complete detailed individual learning plans to help learners achieve at a pace that matches their needs and prior attainment.  Target-setting is good with individual learning goals set for learners at the start of sessions. Learners have good support from the centre staff when completing their workbook modules. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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Teachers work well with learners and monitor their work carefully to help them achieve challenging targets.  Teachers assess learners’ work well and are rigorous in doing so. Skilled and knowledgeable staff provide learners with clear and useful feedback on assessed work during their period of study on the course modules. Teachers’ provide good quality verbal and written feedback. Learners are able to understand the feedback and make improvements in subsequent assignments. Teachers correct spelling and grammatical errors, but they do not consolidate sufficiently learners’ understanding of English by integrating it with the taught material.  Teachers provide clear advice and guidance on next steps and on the range of academic and vocational routes available to learners upon course completion. They have good relationships with learners and are caring and supportive of their learning and career goals. Most learners progress well from pre-foundation through to intermediate programmes, as well as into employment.  Promotion of equality and health and safety are good. Learners feel safe when they are working in the information technology centres. They respect staff and each other and are attentive and well behaved in class.  Visual displays in the classrooms help learners to adopt the correct posture when seated at a computer desk. Classroom furniture includes specialist computer desks for wheelchair users and resources to support learners with visual impairment. Teachers are careful to remind learners to take regular breaks away from the computer screens.

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Good  Teaching, learning and assessment for learners studying at the college’s campuses in Grimsby and Louth, which make up the large majority of provision, are good, as reflected in their consistently high success rates. For the minority of learners studying at the Yorkshire Coast College and at Skegness College of Vocational Training, success rates are below national averages.  Learning is well planned and executed. Teachers use a wide variety of well-prepared and effective learning resources such as quizzes, word searches and dice games. Reviews are thorough and well planned and include self-evaluation through the learner diary to encourage learners’ awareness of their responsibility as independent learners. However, in many theory sessions, learners demonstrate insufficient preparedness for learning. For example, in several lessons, learners routinely wore inappropriate outdoor coats in class regardless of the temperature in the room.  Teachers help learners to develop a sound understanding of career opportunities in hairdressing and beauty therapy. References to the norms and expectations of the industry, particularly in hairdressing receive good coverage and high standards of commercial practices are encouraged. Learners have the opportunity to generate income by taking on clients. However, teachers in beauty therapy do not reinforce such expectations sufficiently.  The learning environment is well maintained and resourced. Learners benefit from being able to gain access to the VLE when at home. Teachers make some use of ILT to make learning more interesting, but too often it is unimaginative and fails to engage learners fully.  Teachers use initial assessment effectively to provide additional support. Learners are on the right level of course and are interviewed and occupationally tested before progressing to the Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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next level. Well-planned progression routes enable learners to study up to foundation degree level.  Target-setting is good. Learners benefit from well-planned and detailed assessment monitoring and tracking processes. Progression mentors and achievement coaches work well with course teachers and learners to set, agree and monitor targets. Teachers record reviews through specialist tracking software.  Assessment is good and learners are clear about the progress they are making. Teachers use feedback effectively to promote learning. They provide regular and constructive feedback to learners on their progress. Feedback is comprehensive and constructive and helps learners to understand clearly what they have to do next. Parents of learners aged 16 to 18 receive regular and detailed reports on their child’s progress.  Learners’ development of English and mathematics is good. Lesson plans include opportunities for reinforcing application of number and communication which are evident through the learner diary, for example in activities that required learners to add up total daily salon takings and apply a range of discounts. Written feedback clearly identifies spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.  Advice, guidance and support arrangements are good. Support for learners is effective in helping them to stay on programme and to achieve. Learners speak highly of the support they receive from teachers and feel that induction prepared them well for the demands of their learning programme.  Teachers include equality and diversity in all schemes of work and lesson plans. However, they do not always link equality topics clearly with the curriculum. For example, in a beauty class, the topic of body painting in different cultures was not exploited sufficiently to explore diversity. Staff have a satisfactory understanding of gender and racial inequality, but they do not always give sufficient weight to inequalities based on social and occupational background.

Hospitality and catering

16-19 study programmes 19+ Learning programmes

Good  Good teaching, learning and assessment ensure that most learners make good progress and achieve their qualification, as shown by the high success rates. However, success rates for a minority of learners on foundation courses at Yorkshire Coast College require improvement. Learners enjoy lessons and learn well because of good teaching and supportive relationships with staff. Learners’ attendance is good and their behaviour and attitudes to learning are very good.  Teachers have high expectations of their learners. At Yorkshire Coast College, learners develop good hospitality skills and behaviours by interacting with customers in the college’s training restaurant. At the Grimsby campus, learners have fewer opportunities to develop these skills because they have less exposure to customers using the restaurant.  Teachers use a variety of interesting practical activities and examples from their professional experience to motivate and engage learners. In the best lessons, learners participate in peer evaluations of dishes and provide constructive feedback to support future improvements. Learners are generally enthusiastic and most respond well to their highly motivated and inspiring teachers.  Teachers develop high-quality resources through the VLE to support learners’ assignment work and promote their independent learning. However, they do not use ILT effectively within lessons to promote interactive learning. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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 Learners learn well outside of the classroom through competition work and supporting local community events such as providing the catering at Scarborough Arts Festival. Industry experts provide master classes to raise learners’ aspirations in professional cookery. However, learners do not carry out work experience outside of the college’s facilities to broaden their industry-related skills and to develop an awareness of commercial working practices.  Staff use the recently improved initial advice and guidance and induction activities well to ensure that learners are on the right course. Learners have a clear understanding of progression opportunities and many progress to a higher-level qualification or employment on completion of their studies.  Teachers provide clear and constructive feedback to learners on their written assignments that helps them to improve. Most teachers provide good oral feedback on learners’ work in practical lessons, with action points on how to improve. In a few cases, however, learners do not always prepare dishes to the standards expected of them and teachers fail to provide sufficiently detailed feedback on how they can improve.  Staff have improved their monitoring of learners’ progress and arrangements are now good. Learners are set challenging targets by their progression mentors for progress and personal development such as timekeeping, communication skills and attendance.  Teachers often fail to maximise the available opportunities to help learners develop their skills in English and mathematics. For example, they do not always exploit opportunities that naturally occur within lessons to develop basic mathematical skills such as portion control, cost analysis, and accurate weighing and measuring.  Information, advice and guidance arrangements are good. Learners receive impartial advice at each stage of their learning journey and many go on to work in the hospitality and tourism industries in the nearby coastal towns and throughout North East Lincolnshire.  The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Schemes of work refer to awareness and diversity themes but teachers miss opportunities to promote and reinforce equality and diversity in lessons. In the best lessons, teachers use opportunities to reinforce customers’ dietary requirements, cultural differences in diets with menus to celebrate a broad range of cultures.

Teaching and lecturing

19+ Learning programmes

Outstanding  Teaching, learning and assessment are outstanding, as reflected in the very good outcomes and outstanding success rates for trainees. Overall success rates have been well above the national average for the last three years. Teachers have very high expectations of trainees, the large majority of whom aspire to become teachers, or to provide teaching and learning support in an educational setting.  Most teaching is outstanding and very little is less than good. Trainees grow in confidence markedly and they gain useful skills to help them plan teaching and learning effectively. Those employed at the college perform as well as other teachers.  Courses are well structured and the planning of programmes is good. Trainees respond very positively to the high expectations set by staff and the very good support they receive. A very strong emphasis on reflective practice by trainees is evident in lessons. Learners are highly engaged, and demonstrate very positive attitudes to study. Attendance and punctuality are excellent.  Trainees benefit significantly from the extensive vocational and teaching experience which the highly qualified staff draw upon to good effect within teaching and learning. Highly effective Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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questioning draws out trainees’ knowledge very effectively. Teachers also use their research skills well to plan learning.  Trainees deploy a very good range of high-quality learning resources. They make good use of the VLE and keep in close contact with their tutors by email. However, not all trainees make the best use of ILT, for example by video recording their teaching in order to encourage self-evaluation and reflective practice.  Very good initial assessment arrangements ensure trainees have appropriate aptitudes for teaching in the further education sector. Teachers identify trainees with particular needs promptly and incorporate this information into their lesson planning. Very effective arrangements for monitoring and reviewing progress characterise the well-structured tutorials.  Teachers assess trainees’ work very carefully and return marked work promptly. They pay careful attention to correcting mistakes in spelling and the use of grammar. Trainees receive clear advice on how to improve their work. Teachers set a very good example to prospective teachers and assessors. Most trainees display very high levels of attainment and some choose to resubmit work even though they have already achieved high marks.  Trainees’ understanding of the importance of developing learners’ skills in English and mathematics is a prominent feature of the courses. Trainees apply this requirement well to their own subject area and devise good strategies for developing literacy and numeracy skills in future lessons.  Excellent initial advice and guidance ensure that trainees have realistic expectations of working as a teacher or lecturer. A very good induction process provides trainees with a clear idea of what is required of them in order to succeed. Clear progression routes exist within the college for those trainees who wish to become fully qualified to teach in the further education sector. However, the college does not carry out sufficient monitoring to track the destination of leavers.  The promotion of equality and diversity is very good. It features clearly within schemes of work and trainees learn how to make their lessons inclusive. However, some trainees miss opportunities to explore these issues within their micro-teaching sessions. The very clear lesson plans show that trainees understand how to meet the specific needs of their learners.

Foundation English

16-19 study programmes

Requires improvement  Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement and reflect outcomes for learners, which also require improvement. Success rates have remained at around national rates for the last three years. Teachers make sure that learners understand how their progress in English enhances their further learning and employment prospects. The majority of current learners enjoy their course, make the progress expected of them and improve their skills and abilities in using English.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too inconsistent. In the better lessons, teachers plan activities effectively and ensure that all learners develop good skills and knowledge. The pace of these lessons is good and learners make good progress. Teachers check regularly that learning is taking place. They provide detailed feedback so that learners know how much progress they are making and understand what they have to do to improve.  Teachers make sure that learners understand how they can apply their new knowledge and skills in work settings. For example, in one session, motor vehicle learners recognised the importance of attention to detail and accuracy in the preparation of Ministry of Transport (MOT) certificates. In a different lesson, learners increased their confidence and job interview prospects Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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well by practising handwriting skills, spelling and pronunciation of key words such as ‘hospitality’ and ‘fabrication’.  In the less effective lessons, teachers do not plan thoroughly and fail to check sufficiently regularly that learning is taking place. The pace of these sessions is often too slow for learners to make sufficient progress and feedback lacks detail. In a few lessons, teachers do not monitor learners’ behaviour properly, which causes significant distractions for many learners and disrupts learning. In a minority of lessons, teachers use learning resources that have little relevance to the learners’ main programme of study.  Initial assessment is particularly thorough and identifies learners’ starting points and learning needs effectively. Teachers use this information well to ensure that learners are on the right course and at the right level. Staff generally have a good understanding of learners’ individual goals and ambitions, but do not always use this effectively to plan learning to ensure that they each make sufficient progress. Not all of learners who require additional in-class support in English and mathematics receive it, because the college is unable to supply sufficient staff.  Staff provide appropriate initial advice and guidance about the requirements of the courses and learners make well-informed decisions about their options for further learning and career pathways. Teachers promote learners’ development of mathematics well in lessons.  Staff ensure that learners understand how to keep themselves and each other safe. They help learners effectively to overcome barriers which can affect their progress, such as lack of confidence in spelling and pronouncing key words, or reading and understanding directions and instructions. For example, a tutor encouraged a learner skilfully to use a dictionary to spell and understand ‘diversity’.  The promotion of equality and diversity in lessons is good. Teachers ensure that lessons are welcoming and that all learners are valued and can discuss their views openly. Teachers help learners to a broader understanding of different cultures, languages and heritage through well-chosen projects and learning activities, such as choosing appropriate language to describe the needs and interests of older people.

The effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The college’s ‘learner first’ strategy has had a significant impact on how successfully senior leaders and governors focus firmly and effectively on meeting the needs of learners, employers and the communities that the college serves. Strong governance and leadership have promoted a culture of high expectations successfully, as clearly evidenced throughout the organisation.  The college has a good understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement as confirmed by inspection grades and judgements. Targets and actions to improve are realistic, with most achieved within challenging timescales. Governors have supported the Principal in investing heavily to improve the college’s estate and resources to a very high standard.  The college has particularly effective working arrangements with community organisations and employers, all of whom bring benefits to learners in meeting the college’s aspirations towards excellence.  Performance management is good, and the senior leadership team has ensured that the college makes steady and consistent improvement across all aspects of its provision over a considerable geographical spread. However, variations in outcomes between sites are marked. For example, the success rates for the Grimsby and Yorkshire Coast sites are respectively well above and just below the national average for similar colleges. Since the merger of the Yorkshire Coast College with the Grimsby Institute in 2010, actions to stabilise and secure sustained improvements are now well established.  Strategies to improve teaching, learning and assessment are sound and standards have much improved. The college uses an effective variety of ways to assess the quality of teaching and learning and it is currently piloting more innovative methods. Support arrangements for less- Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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effective and new teachers are good. In most cases, the college judges the quality of teaching and learning accurately. In a small minority of cases, however, the focus on learning is not always sufficiently clear and leads to over-grading. The college rightly recognises that the sharing of best practice to standardise the learners’ experience across all sites is an area for further improvement.  The involvement of learners in the support of continuous improvement is outstanding. At all levels of the organisation, learners are actively encouraged to voice their opinions and the college responds quickly and effectively. The college uses management information well and its review of many aspects of the college’s cross-college provision is thorough, critical and leads to comprehensive and challenging action plans to develop and sustain improvement further.  The planning of the curriculum to meet the many and diverse needs of the community and local business is very good. The college works well with a broad range of organisations and employers to develop innovative and, in some cases, specialist learning programmes. The introduction of programmes of study ensures that many learners have opportunities to develop a range of skills that includes employability, enterprise and enrichment. The college has recognised and made substantial improvements to the management of English and mathematics. However, this remains a key area for further and significant development.  The management of equality and diversity is good. The college is inclusive and many new learners quickly adapt to the college’s harmonious and purposeful learning work ethic. The college celebrates diversity actively and effectively. Outstanding partnership arrangements with a broad range of community organisations ensure that many learners benefit from local initiatives to extend their knowledge and learn new skills. Data are analysed well and the college has reduced variations in achievement between different groups of learners successfully. The college has raised staffs’ awareness of the benefits of promoting equality and diversity in the curriculum, and many teachers do it well.  The college’s approach to safeguarding learners is strong and well established. The college meets its statutory safeguarding requirements. Arrangements to support vulnerable learners are particularly effective.

Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) The Grimsby Group

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

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2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

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

Health and social care Construction crafts Engineering ICT for users Hairdressing and beauty therapy Hospitality and catering Teaching and lecturing Foundation English 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 3

Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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Provider details Type of provider

General further education college

Age range of learners

14+

Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year

Full-time: 4,822 Part-time: 15,538

Principal/CEO

Ms Sue Middlehurst

Date of previous inspection

November 2007

Website address

www.grimsby.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

Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships)

16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 16-18 19+ 3 3 8 114

Total N/A

Full-time

833 122 1,291 332 1,435 426

Part-time

42 823 122 1,278 52 582

Number of traineeships Number of apprentices by Apprenticeship level and age

16-19 N/A 19+ N/A

Intermediate Advanced Higher

16-18 164 19+ 386 16-18 78 19+ 665 16-18 19+

N/A

5

Number of learners aged 14-16

Full-time N/A Part-time 73

Number of community learners

114 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:

 Back-up Training and Recruitment Limited  BJB Lift Trucks Limited  Foresight North East Lincs. Limited  Humberside Fire and Rescue Services  JTJ Workplace Solutions  Learning Curve (JAA) Limited  Mortimore Enterprises Limited  NCC Skills Limited  Professional Training Services  Skegness College of Vocational Training Limited  The Skills Network Limited Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 2013

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Contextual information

The college has seven main sites across Lincolnshire, including the Yorkshire Coast College in Scarborough, with which it merged in 2010. The college serves the coastal communities of Lincolnshire, the South Humber and North Yorkshire. Low levels of job mobility and seasonal employment characterise much of the region. Economic activity rates are below regional and national averages. The number of young people not in education, training or employment is high. The proportion of school leavers achieving five or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and mathematics is similar to national averages. The proportion of the population with qualifications at advanced and undergraduate level is well below the national average. The college recruits many of its learners from feeder schools which have considerably lower attainment levels than those in the rest of the region.

Information about this inspection

Lead inspector

Jai Sharda HMI

Three of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and nine additional inspectors, assisted by the assistant principal for 14 to 19 and higher education 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. Inspection report: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, 18–22 November 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