Pennine Camphill Community Ofsted Report

Full report

Information about the provider

• Pennine Camphill Community (Pennine) is an independent specialist college that provides further education and training for learners aged between 16 and 25 who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pennine offers residential and day provision for 38 weeks a year. The college is located near Wakefield on a 54-acre site. It is a registered charity and a private company limited by guarantee. Within the campus are community houses, practical craft workshops, a market garden, a farm and a riding school. The college staff include residential and day staff and co-workers; the co-workers are volunteers from a wide range of countries who usually work at Pennine for one year.
• At the time of inspection, Pennine had 59 learners, 19 of whom were residential. Learners study on a programme that aims to provide them with education, training and support towards independent living, supported employment, further education and community engagement.

What does the provider need to do to improve further?

• Further develop quality improvement arrangements to ensure that priorities for improvement are clear, and the progress in improving provision is monitored and evaluated closely.
• Strengthen the analysis and reporting of learners’ progress and performance, and use the information to monitor and improve vocational programmes and support learners to achieve their full potential.
• Improve the progress and achievement of learners and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers: - plan and use activities that take account of learners’ starting points and provide the necessary challenge so that they achieve their potential - improve the monitoring of learners’ progress and set clear and helpful targets that link personal objectives and vocational qualifications, so that learners can see the relevance of vocational qualifications to their personal objectives - improve the development of learners’ English and mathematics skills - deploy support staff more effectively in lessons to ensure that learners have sufficient time to practise their organisational skills and help them to develop greater independence.
• Ensure that trustees challenge leaders effectively and hold them to account for learners’ slow progress.
• Improve the use of early assessment and guidance that learners receive to ensure that they are on relevant programmes and have clear and realistic work plans for their future.
• Take action to improve learners’ awareness of the risks they may face when online or talking to strangers.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders, managers and trustees have not been successful in improving the quality of provision. The quality of teaching has declined and learners’ progress has become slower since the previous inspection. Following concerns over performance, the trustees decided recently to appoint a new leadership team. Trustees and new leaders have started to implement a clear strategy that contributes to the core mission of the parent organisation, The Camphill Communities. This mission focuses on preparing learners to live their adult lives independently, with an emphasis on sustainability.
• Leaders and managers do not collect or analyse information on learners’ progress well enough. The systems that they use are too complex and do not enable teachers or managers to monitor learners’ progress or achievements accurately. As a result, they do not take swift enough action to improve learners’ achievements or progress towards independence. This was a weakness identified at the last inspection and has not yet been remedied successfully.
• Self-assessment is too positive and focuses too much on processes rather than their impact on learners’ progress. Improvement objectives are not challenging enough and leaders do not consider the impact of their actions on improving the quality of vocational education. Consequently, leaders are unaware whether their actions are having a positive impact on learners’ progress.
• Arrangements to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are not effective enough. Managers accurately identify strengths and weaknesses during lesson observations and provide helpful feedback and training to support teachers to improve aspects of their practice. However, they do not ensure that teachers prioritise the specific areas of their professional practice that they need to develop. As a result, teachers do not improve quickly enough, and leaders and managers are unable to monitor the impact of their actions.
• Leaders and managers ensure that learners receive personalised objectives that help them to achieve their life goals. These objectives focus well on the services offered by the local authorities in learners’ home areas and the requirements of education, health and care plans. However, leaders and managers do not ensure that all learners receive a sufficiently individualised vocational programme. A small proportion of learners do not benefit from participating in a vocational programme that links well to their work aspirations. These learners do not fully develop their awareness of specific jobs or extend their work-related skills as well as they could.
• Leaders and managers have given a high priority to the development of partnerships with local employers and relevant services. This is proving successful in helping learners to secure supported work experience opportunities from a wider range of employers and organisations than at the previous inspection. Leaders and managers have made changes to the curriculum and introduced an access to work programme for learners coming to the end of their vocational programme. As a result, these learners develop the work skills that they need to move successfully to supported employment or long-term work placements.
• Leaders use the funding for learners who have high needs well to provide on-site learning opportunities that support learners to develop effective practical and communication skills in realistic working environments.
• Leaders, managers and staff foster a culture of inclusivity for learners. The environment is welcoming; learners manage their behaviour well and are respectful of staff, visitors and each other.

The governance of the provider

• Trustees know the college well and understand its challenges. They supported the leadership team effectively to shape plans for the future and to strengthen leadership capacity following the restructure. However, the changes that trustees have made to the staffing and structure of the organisation have not yet had sufficient impact on improving important aspects of the college’s work, and some weaknesses from the last inspection remain.
• Trustees and leaders do not evaluate accurately the progress that they make in key areas of the college’s work such as the quality of the provision and learners’ achievements. Trustees challenge leaders well to improve performance in many areas of the college’s work, such as the use of resources, the quality of care, and the use of funding for specialist support. However, they do not receive incisive reports on learners’ progress and achievements. As a result, they do not hold leaders to account for ensuring that all learners develop the skills that they require to live successful independent lives, including English and mathematics skills.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Appropriate policies and guidance are in place in relation to safeguarding arrangements, including the ‘Prevent’ duty. Leaders, managers and staff use these well and take appropriate actions to protect learners at risk from harm. A safe recruitment procedure is followed for staff, volunteers and co-workers.
• Learners are safe when attending college and when accompanied on external activities. Managers and staff regularly update individual risk assessments and care and support plans in relation to learners’ changing needs. However, learners are not fully aware of all the risks they may face when online or talking to strangers.
• Staff receive training on safeguarding and the ‘Prevent’ duty. However, leaders do not ensure that staff are confident in explaining some aspects of safeguarding appropriately to learners such as the potential risks of radicalisation and extremism.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not have high enough expectations of what learners can achieve. Consequently, too much teaching does not enable learners to make the progress of which they are capable.
• Teachers do not complete rigorous early assessments that take into account learners’ personal aspirations and previous achievements; they do not provide learners with challenging personal learning objectives linked to their work. Staff do not provide helpful enough early guidance to learners about the range of courses available. As a result, learners too often make slow progress in the early stages of their programme.
• Teachers and support workers do not expect enough of learners. They praise learners for their contributions during lessons, but do not provide constructive feedback to help learners understand what they do well and what they need to do to improve. Where learners make mistakes, staff provide too much support and do not allow learners to work independently; their use of questioning does not encourage learners to develop their problem-solving skills well enough. Staff do not encourage learners to take responsibility for developing their independence in lessons through, for example, collecting their own materials and equipment to complete activities. As a result, learners do not develop their understanding and organisational skills fully.
• Teachers work well with external partners who provide specialist training and support. These effective partnerships ensure that most learners who require specialist support are able to participate fully in their programmes and make progress in line with their peers. For example, teachers and support workers supporting learners who require physiotherapy receive specialist training to promote learners’ mobility during lessons. Learners who have a dual sensory impairment benefit from regular specialist support from staff and external specialists. External specialists share information and strategies to support learners with college staff effectively.
• Teachers have a good understanding of learners’ behavioural support needs. They skilfully use positive strategies to diffuse situations so that learners remain on task and complete their work. For example, within a social area, staff sensitively supported learners who were reluctant to tidy away after their break to understand that the area needed cleaning. Learners were encouraged to resolve the issue quickly, and they completed the task by carrying out basic cleaning and rinsing, ensuring that the area was sufficiently clean for other users.
• Teachers use their knowledge and expertise well in practical subjects. They help learners to develop good practical skills and complete tasks to meet industry standards. Learners demonstrate effective use of tools and equipment and demonstrate an understanding of why and how they complete tasks. For example, in woodwork lessons learners can explain why it is important to sand along the grain of wood. In craft lessons, learners confidently use weaving looms and numerical calculations to create patterned rugs.
• Staff work closely with parents, carers and social workers to support learners’ well-being. They provide helpful information at the start of the programme about the facilities and support available. They agree the broader aspects of learners’ education, health and care plans in preparation for adulthood. Residential learners make good progress in developing their independent living skills as they learn to take responsibility for their daily living needs. Learners take pride in their work and develop their physical and practical skills well; for example, they prepare healthy meals and clean their own rooms.
• Teachers and careers education specialists ensure that learners, towards the end of their programme, receive effective careers education and guidance to help them prepare for their next steps. Learners on the access to work programme frequently review their own progress with staff, and use feedback from job coaches and employers to recognise their achievements in the workplace. Learners and staff use the information well and set challenging personal targets that help learners to develop the skills that they need to progress on to positive destinations that meet their work aspirations. Leaders have recognised that learners require careers education during all stages of their programme. They have introduced recently a new system to provide earlier guidance and support to help learners prepare for their future work destinations. However, it is too early to see the impact of this initiative.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

• Learners do not make sufficiently swift progress in developing the skills that they will need for their futures. Only a very small proportion of learners complete vocational qualifications that would enable them to progress towards their chosen career. Learners are not supported well enough to see the relevance of the theoretical and practical work that they undertake on the campus in meeting their personal objectives.
• Most learners make slow progress in developing their English skills. They are not challenged consistently to extend their written English throughout the vocational programme and, as a result, too many do not consolidate or develop sufficiently the skills that they require for everyday life. A small proportion of learners improve their literacy skills through practical garden tasks such as reading instructions and completing the produce delivery order for the residential houses.
• Learners also make slow progress in improving their mathematics skills. Where education, health and care plans do not identify objectives for mathematics, staff do not help learners to extend their skills further. Consequently, learners do not develop fully the competencies that will help them in adulthood. However, a small proportion of learners consolidate and practise their numeracy skills in the completion of practical garden tasks such as counting plant seedlings to plant a full row of tomato plants.
• Staff do not prepare learners for life in modern Britain well enough. They do not provide enough opportunities for learners to develop their understanding of diversity. For example, staff selected only a small proportion of learners to participate in a drama production that explored sexual orientation. As a result, too few learners benefited from learning about the issues raised in this production. Staff manage inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour well.
• Learners practise and develop skills that they need for independent living. For example, during basket-weaving workshops, learners undertake roles such as clearing away and making drinks for the group at breaktime. Learners develop a good understanding of their responsibilities in workshops and residential settings. They demonstrate safe working practices in their practical sessions and follow directions from staff to complete work safely.
• Learners are proud of their achievements and the skills that they develop. They engage in a range of activities that involve their social interaction within the wider community such as events to raise funds for charities, craft workshops with local school children, community litter picking and friendship groups with older residents who live in care homes. Learners develop their enterprise skills by producing household and food items that they sell locally, such as small carpet rugs, wooden cheeseboards, ceramic lamp holders and preserves. They report that since coming to the college, they are able to communicate with other people better and participate more in community life.
• A small proportion of learners benefit from meaningful work experience with local employers that matches their skills and aspirations well. Learners proudly report that they can now work independently in local cafes for longer periods. Learners demonstrate a readiness to work and a clear understanding of the work skills that employers and customers require, including the importance of personal presentation.
• Learners enjoy their learning. They attend well and are punctual. Managers monitor attendance well and respond well to emerging issues that arise so that the disruption to learners’ progress is minimised.
• Learners behave very well. They work cooperatively with staff and peers, enabling them to participate in all activities and to complete their work to the appropriate standard.
• Learners feel safe and understand with whom to share their concern. Staff set clear expectations about safe working practices in their activities and learners work in a safe manner. However, learners do not benefit from support to recognise the risks of keeping themselves safe when online or when talking to strangers. Leaders have recognised the need for this to be included in learners’ programmes and are planning to introduce it.

Outcomes for learners Requires improvement

• The proportion of learners who achieve their vocational qualifications is too low. Too many learners do not make the progress of which they are capable. Too few learners develop their English and mathematics skills to a higher level.
• Leaders and managers do not monitor or report on the progress of learners well enough. They do not evaluate the progress that learners make towards their personal and vocational targets accurately. As a result, it is difficult to judge the progress that current learners make over time.
• For learners that completed their programme in 2016/17, approximately three quarters achieved their personal objectives; they improved their communication and developed effective social and practical skills. There are no significant gaps in attainment between different groups of learners.
• In 2016/17, a small proportion of learners completed relevant external work experience; they developed the resilience to work with a wide range of people and, as a result, progressed to supported employment, internship projects and higher-level of study at a local college. Approximately half of all current learners are making the required progress to help them to move on to supported employment or internship projects, volunteering or a higher level of study at another provider.

Provider details

Unique reference number 131958 Type of provider Independent specialist college Age range of learners Approximate number of all learners over the previous full contract year 16+ 53 Principal/CEO William Taylor Telephone number 01924 255281 Website www.pennine.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 or above Total number of learners (excluding apprenticeships) Number of apprentices by apprenticeship level and age 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 9 50 - - - - - - Intermediate Advanced Higher 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ 16–18 19+ - - - - - - 16–19 - 19+ - Total - Number of traineeships Number of learners aged 14 to 16 Number of learners for which the provider receives high-needs funding At the time of inspection, the provider contracts with the following main subcontractors:

N/A 59 N/A

Information about this inspection

The inspection team was assisted by the education manager, as nominee. Inspectors took account of the provider’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, and the previous inspection report. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and online questionnaires to gather the views of learners, carers, guardians and employers; these views are reflected within the report. They observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. The inspection took into account all relevant provision at the provider.

Inspection team

Tracey Mace-Akroyd, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Rachel Angus Bernie White Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector