Joseph Priestley College Inspection Report

Joseph Priestley College Inspection report

Unique reference number: 130546

Name of lead inspector: Jan Bennett HMI

Last day of inspection: 11 February 2011

Type of provider: General Further Education College

Beeston Campus Burton Avenue Address: Leeds LS11 5ER

Telephone number: 0113 3076 160

Published date March 2011 Inspection Number 363129

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Information about the provider

1. Joseph Priestley College is a small general further education college serving areas of South Leeds. It operates from three campuses in Beeston, Morley and Rothwell. The Rothwell campus was developed in 2000 as a Training and Enterprise Centre to provide professional courses and skills development. The centre at Beeston includes specialist construction and information and communication technology (ICT) facilities. The accommodation at Morley offers a range of provision for adults and young people and some leased accommodation in the town centre houses hairdressing and beauty therapy salons. The college’s mission is ‘to deliver excellent education and training to develop the skills for life and work that support employers, economic prosperity and the regeneration of the communities we serve’.

2. Unemployment in Leeds remains above the national average. A number of the communities served by the college are in the 10% most deprived wards in the country. The proportion of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) in Leeds has been consistently above the national average for the past five years. Approximately 8% of the population of Leeds are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

3. The college offers courses in 13 subject areas, several of which have very small numbers. In 2009/10 the college’s learner responsive enrolments included 575 learners aged 16 to 18 and 3,335 adults. Approximately 68% of learners were female and 18% were from a minority ethnic background. Almost half of the enrolments were at intermediate level. The Services to Business Unit works with over 220 employers nationally, mainly in health and social care, management, statutory provision and literacy and numeracy. The college also offers vocational provision to around 225 school pupils aged 14 to 16.

4. The college was last inspected in December 2009 when its overall effectiveness, capacity to improve and leadership and management were judged to be inadequate. The quality of its provision was satisfactory and the subject areas inspected were satisfactory, or better.

5. The inspection took into account all the provision offered by the college. Provision in ICT and literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) was inspected in depth.

6. The college provides training on behalf of the following providers:  The University of Huddersfield (Post Graduate Certificate in Education and Certificate in Education)  Calderdale College (Enhancement)  Jobcentre Plus (Six Months +)

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Type of provision Number of enrolled learners in 2009/10 Provision for young learners: 14 to 16 225 part-time learners

Further education (16 to 18) 381 full-time learners 108 part-time learners Foundation learning 76 full-time learners 50 part-time learners Provision for adult learners: Further education (19+) 325 full-time learners 3,123 part-time learners Employer provision: Train to Gain 557 learners Full cost 1,136 learners

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Summary report

Grades: 1 is outstanding; 2 is good; 3 is satisfactory; 4 is inadequate

Overall effectiveness of provision Grade 3

Capacity to improve Grade 3

Grade

Outcomes for learners 3

Quality of provision 2

Leadership and management 3 Safeguarding 2 Equality and diversity 3

Subject areas Grade

Information and communication technology 3

Literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other 3 languages

Overall effectiveness

7. Joseph Priestley College is now providing a satisfactory standard of education and training. Governors, leaders and staff have not let redundancies, a major restructure or the forthcoming merger deflect them from improving provision for learners. They have ensured that the quality of provision has improved considerably over the last year and demonstrated their capacity to bring about further improvements.

8. In the past, too many learners left courses early, without gaining a qualification but more learners are staying on their course this year and early awarding body results show a marked improvement. Pass rates are particularly high on Train to Gain and ESOL courses and have been for several years. Teaching is now good and current learners make satisfactory or better progress. The college works particularly well with vulnerable and traditionally hard to reach learners. Care, guidance and support for learners have been strengthened and are good at all three sites. Support for learners with physical, emotional or learning difficulties is especially good. The college works very well with a range of partners and its provision for employers is outstanding.

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9. Since the previous inspection, college leaders have led a relentless drive for improvement. Leadership and management have improved and are satisfactory. Communications are much improved and teamwork is more effective. The college’s financial position remains weak. However, plans to merge are well underway. Nonetheless, leaders and staff are working together with a renewed sense of purpose, staff morale is high and learners are very positive. Systems to monitor performance have been strengthened and data are more widely used in evaluation but the college recognises the need for further development in this area. Main findings

 Outcomes for learners are satisfactory. In the past, too many learners left courses early but college data show that retention rates have improved this year. Achievement on courses for adults is satisfactory, or better, at all levels. However, the achievement rate of learners aged 16 to 18 at foundation level fell to below average last year. Although achievement on advanced level courses improved and was above average.  Success rates on Train to Gain provision are outstanding. Many learners joined the programme with few or no qualifications. Success has raised their aspirations and enabled them to take on more demanding roles within their organisations. Courses for the unemployed also lead to positive outcomes for many. Achievement on part-time vocational courses for school pupils is good.  Data show no significant differences in the performance of adults from different minority ethnic groups but success rates for females are much higher than for males. This is partly because more males joined distance learning courses in ICT and media that proved unsuccessful and which are now being phased out.  The college has made satisfactory progress in integrating the Every Child Matters outcomes into its work. Learners enjoy their courses and good attention is paid to their safety. The standard of learners’ work is at least satisfactory and is often better. They have a positive attitude to learning, participate well in lessons and develop good levels of vocational skills. Punctuality and attendance are good.  Teaching and learning are good. Most lessons are good and there is some outstanding practice, especially in ESOL. There is little weak teaching. Lessons are well planned, with a good blend of activities to interest and motivate learners. Information and communication technology is used well to enhance learning and the networking problems from last year have been resolved.  Assessment arrangements are sound. Marking is thorough and includes the correction of misspelling, poor punctuation and grammar. Feedback to learners is constructive and helpful. The use of individual learning plans is developing across the college, with some excellent practice on Train to Gain programmes. However, targets for learners often lack sharpness, or are insufficiently personalised.  The college has strengthened the lesson observation system. Joint observations by inspectors and college observers show that graded judgements are accurate.

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However, observation records do not always focus on learning or provide sufficient evidence to support the grade awarded.  The college is satisfactory at meeting the needs of learners, employers and the wider community. Provision for foundation level learners is good and the college has built an excellent reputation for responding to employers’ needs. Partnership work is good.  Care, guidance and support are good. Improved initial guidance and a more effective induction ensure that learners are on the right course. Support for learners with specialist needs is very good. Tighter attendance monitoring and earlier identification of learning support needs are helping learners to stay on their course.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. A culture of openness, created by the new Principal, is building confidence and optimism among staff. Links between appraisal, self-assessment and development planning are tenuous and not everyone has been appraised over the last year.  The governing body has given valuable support, while also providing increasing levels of challenge to senior leaders. Members of the governing body give very freely of their time, in order to maintain a strong focus on improving provision for learners, at the same time as negotiating plans for the merger. However, there has been slippage in the updating of their training and reviewing of policies.  The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. The college reaches out to many vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and everyone is treated with respect. The performance of different groups is monitored but the analysis and reporting are neither systematic, nor sharp.  Quality assurance has been strengthened considerably over the last year. Self- assessment is developing well and data are used more effectively to evaluate provision but managers are not evaluating the impact of any improvements effectively enough. The self-assessment report is broadly accurate but lacks incisive evaluation. What does Joseph Priestley College need to do to improve further?  Ensure that the satisfactory and better progress seen in lessons leads to higher success rates by maintaining the rigorous monitoring of learners’ progress and attendance.  Improve the success rates of male learners by identifying all of the barriers to their success and taking appropriate action.  Refine the lesson observation system to capture completely, and record the quality of, the learning taking place and ensure that the strengths and weaknesses identified fully support the grade given.  Provide further training to ensure greater consistency in the quality of targets set in individual learning plans. Make targets more specific and personalised with realistic but challenging deadlines so that they help learners to make progress.

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 Ensure that the governing body is up to date, especially on safeguarding.  Increase the use of data to make regular checks on progress against college targets and to assess fully the impact of actions taken.  Ensure that self-assessment is evaluative and comprehensive at all levels and is clearly linked to actions to improve.  Ensure that the appraisal system is used well to drive up quality by promoting individual target setting derived from strategic plans and self-assessment

Summary of the views of users as confirmed by inspectors What learners like:  the extremely helpful staff  the very good support from staff  learning new skills  the small size of the college, with not too many people  the fact that students feel safe and well cared for  the good locations  being able to work in teams with other students  the quality of teaching.

What learners would like to see improved:  the variety of food in the canteen  the insufficiency of social areas  the ventilation in the salon  the insufficient heating in cold weather  the narrow range of ESOL library books  the range of payment options.

Summary of the views of employers as confirmed by inspectors What employers like:  the way that assessors are very accommodating and flexible  the good support in identifying the correct course for employees  having programmes designed to meet their specific needs  the high quality of the programmes  the effective working relationships between college and employers  the frequent and effective communication.

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What employers would like to see improved:  the difficulties in getting certificates sent out by post.

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Main inspection report

Capacity to make and sustain improvement Grade 3 10. Significant progress has been made since the last inspection to improve the quality of provision and learners’ progress. The lesson observation system is accurate and the quality of teaching and learning has improved markedly over the last year. Learners make satisfactory, or better, progress in lessons and attendance and retention rates have improved. The high success rates on Train to Gain courses have continued to rise. The quality of care, guidance and support is much improved.

11. Quality assurance is more effective. Data are used increasingly well but the college knows that further development is needed. Self-assessment is more rigorous but is insufficiently evaluative in places and several weaknesses have been understated. Action planning has improved considerably over the past year.

12. Team work is much stronger and communication is more effective. Staff say that significant improvements in the way the college operates are starting to have a real impact on the learners’ experience. Learners’ views are regularly sought and action is taken as a result. Feedback from learners is extremely positive.

13. The governing body took decisive action to seek a merger partner once the seriousness of the financial situation was known and it has much better oversight of the college’s performance than at the last inspection. The governing body, leaders and staff have worked hard to ensure that the worsening financial situation has not had a negative impact on learners and have demonstrated a strong commitment to improve the college.

Outcomes for learners Grade 3 14. Strategies introduced after the last inspection, to improve retention and achievement rates, had insufficient time to have an impact on 2009/10 success rates. However, college data for the current year show a higher proportion of learners have stayed on their courses, compared to the same time last year. Learners make satisfactory, or better, progress in lessons and enjoy their learning and work well. They arrive punctually and attendance has improved this year.

15. Success rates on Train to Gain courses are very high. The programme enables many learners, who have been out of education for a long time and have no formal qualifications, to succeed and advance in their career. The programme also enables those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to achieve success.

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16. The college has developed courses to reduce the number of young people not in education and training. A high proportion of these learners move on to find employment or continue in education. Specially designed courses are tempting unemployed adults back into education and many then progress to further courses. The number of learners going to higher education is increasing. Achievement rates are high for school pupils aged 14 to 16 taking vocational courses at the college.

17. Achievement rates are satisfactory, or better, for adults studying at all levels. However, before this year, retention rates were low. Success rates on courses for learners aged 16 to 18 have been well below average for several years. Achievement rates for this age group are; above average at advanced level and improving, and at around average at intermediate level. However, at foundation level, rates fell below average last year.

18. Outcomes are inconsistent across different subject areas. Success rates are very high on ESOL courses and average in horticulture, construction and health, public services and care. Retention rates were low in both hairdressing and sport last year but well planned strategies were introduced that are already having an impact. Distance learning courses in media and ICT have proved unsuccessful and are being phased out.

19. Data show no long-standing differences in the success rates of different groups of learners aged 16 to 18, except for those of Pakistani heritage, which have been low but are improving. Success rates of adult females are considerably higher than those of males. There is no significant difference in the success rates of adult learners from different ethnic backgrounds.

20. Most learners are making at least satisfactory progress and develop a range of social, practical and employability skills. Progression to further education and into employment is satisfactory. Many learners on Train to Gain programmes improve their self-confidence and raise their aspirations considerably, enabling them to take on more demanding roles in their organisations. Learners also benefit from work experience, visits to employers, talks by guest speakers and real work projects within the college.

21. Safety and safeguarding within the college are a high priority. Learners feel particularly safe and pay close attention to using safe working practices. Learners have a good understanding of their own responsibilities regarding safety and tutorial activities are particularly effective in increasing their awareness of internet safety and cyber bullying. The introduction of a personal self-defence course has proved popular with learners from across the college.

22. The college effectively promotes health and well-being across its subjects areas and within group tutorials. Partnerships provide learners with access to a range of sexual health and well-being facilities. The range of sporting activities is relatively narrow but used by an increasing number of learners. Learners’ contribution to the community is satisfactory with regular fundraising activities for local and national charities and voluntary work in the local community.

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The quality of provision Grade 2 23. Teaching and learning are good. Improving teaching and learning has been a prime focus of the college since the previous inspection. In the sample of lessons observed during the inspection many were judged good, or better and none were inadequate.

24. In the better lessons teaching is well planned and contextualised to meet individual needs, with a good range of vocationally relevant activities and effective use of questioning to check learning. Training on the Train to Gain programme is very effective and linked particularly well to the needs of individual learners. Teaching in practical lessons is effective in developing good levels of vocational skills with good use of extension activities to keep all learners motivated and challenged. Weaker lessons tend to be teacher dominated and the pace is too slow.

25. The use of ICT to enhance learning is improving and network problems, evident at the previous inspection, have been resolved. The virtual learning environment is well used by teachers to share teaching materials and it is increasingly used to support learners. However, it is still insufficiently developed in some subject areas.

26. Assessment is thorough and feedback to learners is good. Teachers’ comments help learners understand what they need to do to improve. Assessment arrangements on Train to Gain programmes are particularly flexible to fit with the working patterns and personal responsibilities of employees. Verification is satisfactory and meets awarding body requirements.

27. Initial and diagnostic assessment, an area for improvement at the previous inspection, is good and enables the timely provision of support to meet learners’ needs. The process of individual learning plans and target setting has been redesigned and improved. However, the quality of the targets set is still too inconsistent across subject areas and the college is aware of this. On Train to Gain programmes initial assessment is very thorough and individual learning plans are used extremely well.

28. The college has improved arrangements for observing teaching and learning; an area for improvement at the previous inspection. The proportion of good or better teaching is increasing and inspectors agreed with the judgements and grades awarded during paired observations. Managers have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and learning. However, the observation records insufficiently focus on learning and the summary of strengths and areas for improvement do not always support the grade given. Mentoring support arrangements following observations are good.

29. The college’s response to meeting the needs and interests of learners, potential learners and local communities is satisfactory. The college provides a broad range of courses from entry level to higher education with suitable progression opportunities that meet the needs of learners. Specific provision is targeted at;

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learners with few prior qualifications, at employers, and at learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to meet the diverse community needs in South Leeds. Following funding cuts there are fewer learning opportunities for adults but full-time courses attract a good mix of young people and adult learners. The enrichment programme is satisfactory.

30. The college’s partnership work is good. Partnerships contribute effectively to supporting programmes for foundation and vulnerable learners. The link programme with schools, for pupils with learning difficulties, is particularly successful. Young people at risk of not participating in education, employment and training have benefited from tailored programmes to help them gain confidence and employability skills. Nearly all of them have progressed to further learning. Good use is made of employers’ views on identified training needs, community needs and market intelligence in planning programmes.

31. Care, guidance and support for learners are good. Very good support is offered on training programmes for employers, and to learners with specific learning, physical or emotional needs. Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection to the management and arrangements for care, guidance and support but it is too early yet to assess their full impact and managers have yet to carry out a thorough evaluation of the impact of different strategies.

32. Much earlier identification of learners needing help with literacy or numeracy ensures that support is put in place promptly. Attendance monitoring is more rigorous. Good collaborative working between curriculum and learning support staff results in rapid action to help learners at risk of dropping out at all stages of their learning. Close collaborative working with specialist organisations enhances specialist support for learners.

Leadership and management Grade 3 33. The college is in a period of rapid change as a result of serious financial difficulties. In addition, the Director of Curriculum and Quality and the Finance Director left the college last year and have not been replaced. Throughout this difficult period, college leaders and staff have worked tirelessly to improve provision for learners. Teaching is much better and the quality of care, guidance and support has improved. Learners are making better progress in lessons and fewer are leaving their course early, but the improvements have yet to have an impact on published success rates.

34. There has been a renewed focus on raising standards and quality improvement. Staff are well informed about the college’s future direction and feel well supported during this time of change. They are positive about the merger proposals and feel confident about the future of the college. The new structure is working well and both teamwork and communications have improved. College managers, including the Principal, are highly visible and accessible to staff and learners. Streamlining of paperwork and a reduction in the number of meetings means that managers spend more time on issues directly affecting learners.

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35. Governance is satisfactory. The governing body is proactively challenging poor performance helped by the availability of timely and comprehensive information. The governing body took prompt action to secure the future of the college by progressing merger options once the financial challenges, facing the college, became clear. Staff and student governors say that the governing body has become more open and proactive since the arrival of the new Principal. However, there is no schedule for the review of policies and there are gaps in the training programme for governors.

36. Safeguarding arrangements are good. Safeguarding has a high profile in the college and there is good communication of information to both staff and learners. Reporting procedures for safeguarding issues are rigorous and the response is prompt. The college pays careful attention to risk assessment, safe working and using safe learning environments. College policies are appropriate and regularly reviewed by senior managers.

37. The promotion of equality and diversity is satisfactory. Staff and learners are treated with respect. Learners report that they work well together and are happy at college. Course teams use data showing the performance of different groups of learners to inform planning. Actions are taken to address underachievement at individual and course level. However, there is insufficient systematic monitoring of the achievement of different groups of learners at college level. The promotion of equality and diversity in lessons is improving.

38. The use of learners’ views to promote improvement is good. The college effectively gathers learners’ views through a variety of methods including notices with tear off slips, student ambassadors, the use of ‘mystery shoppers’, questionnaires and focus groups. Action plans are developed as a result of feedback and learners are kept informed of progress. Staff and learners report a number of welcome changes as a result of learners’ feedback.

39. Quality improvement arrangements are satisfactory and there is outstanding practice in the employer responsive provision. Self-assessment is more rigorous, data are more readily available and good practice is starting to be shared. Self- assessment reporting at a college level tends to be insufficiently evaluative but the quality of action planning is much improved. The quality of subject area self- assessment and action planning is inconsistent.

40. The staff appraisal process is under review but not all staff have been appraised over the last year. Staff targets are drawn from self-assessment reports and are set at course level but the links with both college wide strategies and individual action plans are weak. There are effective links between lesson observations and professional development and the mentoring of teachers.

41. Financial management and value for money are satisfactory. The college is welcoming and well equipped. Staff are appropriately qualified and support learners well. Managers are clear about the need to stay within budget and have been proactive in making savings. Course teams also take effective actions to

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save costs. However, staff utilisation and average class size are not monitored centrally.

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Subject Areas

Information and communication technology Grade 3

Context 42. Information and communication technology courses are offered at all four campuses throughout the day and evening. Some 44 full-time learners, most aged 16 to 18, are on courses at intermediate and advanced level and the 313 part-time learners are mainly adults. Part-time courses include Computing for the Terrified and the European Computer Driving Licence. Just over half of the learners are female and 14% are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

Key findings  Outcomes for learners are satisfactory overall but are inconsistent. Success rates on short courses are high and the achievement of learners on advanced level courses is satisfactory. However, too many learners on intermediate and foundation courses drop out early. Retention rates improved markedly in 2009/10 and current in-year retention rates are high. Progression to higher education is good. Attendance is satisfactory and punctuality is good.  Learners are making satisfactory, or better, progress in lessons. Some are making good progress because they are fast-tracked through their qualification. Part-time learners are developing skills which they use to keep in touch with friends and family around the world. Learners on advanced courses undertake projects to tackle real business issues.  Learners enjoy their learning and feel safe in college. Staying safe has a high priority and is reinforced throughout the year, starting during induction and reinforced in group tutorials. Learners enjoyed and benefited from the sessions on cyber-bullying, anti-bullying and sexual health especially.  Teaching and learning are satisfactory. In the better lessons, teachers plan effectively to cater for individuals’ needs and use skilled questioning to check understanding and stretch the more able learners. In the weaker lessons, however, teachers tend to talk for too long, the pace is too slow and time is wasted. In a few observed lessons, equality and diversity were promoted well.  Learners receive constructive feedback on their work that clearly identifies what has been achieved and what needs to be done to improve further. Spelling and punctuation errors are corrected on learners’ work. Internal verification is satisfactory but deadlines have been missed on a few occasions as there is no annual verification plan.  The range of provision is satisfactory. Learners on the second year of the advanced programme value visits to a university fair and to local universities. Provision for enrichment is patchy and although a newly appointed member of staff is developing this area of the provision, it is too early to see the impact.

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 Support for learners is satisfactory. Initial assessment accurately identifies the level of support required. However, learning support for full-time learners was not provided until the fourth week of term this year, due to staffing shortages. Learning support tutors worked with teachers, however, to minimise the impact on learners. A wide range of support for learners with disabilities is provided, including specialist ICT software for partially sighted learners.  Attendance is monitored effectively and learners at risk of falling behind are identified early and appropriate action is taken. All learners complete an individual learning plan which is used to set targets and monitor progress. Targets are not sufficiently personalised, however, and are repetitive.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. Lines of responsibility are much clearer this year and staff are more accountable. Managers prioritise well in order to improve the success of learners. Data are increasingly used to monitor the performance of different groups of learners and to improve the utilisation of resources.  Teams work well together and there is some sharing of good practice, for example, as part of the standardisation process and via the virtual learning environment. However, opportunities to share good practice in teaching are not sufficiently developed.  Self-assessment is broadly accurate but some strengths are overstated. All staff are included in the quality improvement process and contribute to self- assessment but not everyone is confident in assessing the department’s performance accurately. Action planning has improved during the year but some targets and deadlines are too vague.

What does Joseph Priestley College need to do to improve further?  Improve outcomes on foundation and intermediate level programmes by continuing to monitor learners’ attendance closely and supporting those at risk of not completing the course.  Enable learners to develop individual and measurable targets in order to improve achievement.  Develop further the sharing of good practice within and across the information technology and computing teams and increase opportunities to observe other teachers.  Improve self-assessment and action planning by helping staff to identify areas for improvement more accurately and to set specific targets for improvement that can be monitored closely.

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Literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of Grade 3 other languages

Context 43. The area includes literacy, numeracy and ESOL plus functional skills and GCSE English and mathematics. Courses are available from entry to intermediate level. Around 450 learners are enrolled on literacy or numeracy courses, 180 studying GCSE English or mathematics and roughly the same number on ESOL courses. The college ran a functional skills pilot with very small numbers last year and there are around 600 learners on functional skills courses this year, mostly doing English. Around 40% of learners in this area are female and around 30% are from a minority ethnic background.

Key findings  Outcomes for learners are satisfactory overall. Success rates are very high on ESOL courses at all levels, but below average in literacy and numeracy and in GCSE English and mathematics. Failure to retain learners has been an issue in the past and too many left without completing the course. However, college data suggest that retention rates are much improved this year and are satisfactory.  Learners enjoy their learning and are making satisfactory or better progress. Many learners say that their course has transformed their lives for the better and many learners are developing skills that will help them to progress to employment or further training.  The standard of current learners’ work is good. Assignments for literacy, numeracy, English and mathematics are very carefully planned and thoroughly marked leading to a good understanding and a faster pace of learning.  The outstanding practice in ESOL has spread into other areas of the provision. Tasks are more personalised and achievement is tracked more closely than a year ago, in all areas of the provision. Learners are actively involved in self- assessment during lessons and in tutorials. Individual learning plans are used well, especially in ESOL, but target setting is still developing in other areas.  Teaching and learning are good. Learners, in all areas of the provision, interact well with each other and participate enthusiastically in activities. Teaching is well planned and contextualised with a good range of activities and effective sharing of learning objectives. Good recapping of previous work at the start of the lesson and a thorough review of learning at the end of each lesson consolidate learning very effectively.  Teaching and learning resources are good and technology is used well. Learning is enhanced by the effective use of quality handouts, the interactive whiteboard, computer presentations and video clips. Practical activities also stimulate interest. Modelling clay was used to add fun to a warm up session for ESOL learners and bags of groceries helped numeracy learners to understand weights.

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 The good range of provision meets the needs of learners well. Women only classes in the community meet the cultural needs of Asian and Muslim women. Effective partnerships have been formed with the Asian community around the Beeston campus and a bilingual member of staff has used her cultural and linguistic skills to attract learners who would not otherwise engage with the college. Enrichment is satisfactory.  Advice, support and guidance for learners are good. Good access to specialist help is available for learners with learning disabilities and/or difficulties and additional funding is available, where needed, to assist learners to complete their studies. Initial assessments are more rigorous this year and learners’ progress, including attendance, is monitored more effectively.  Leadership and management are good. The area has been brought together under one curriculum manager and good practice, mainly from the ESOL area, has been shared very effectively. Teams regularly work together to share resources and information, staff speak highly of good communications, improved systems, standardisation of processes and good collaborative working relationships.  The constant drive to improve retention and achievement rates has resulted in better quality provision. Formal unannounced lesson observations and informal peer observations are helping to raise the quality of teaching. Mentoring by experienced teachers is also helping to spread best practice. Self-assessment is satisfactory and broadly accurate.

What does Joseph Priestley College need to do to improve further?  Continue to improve success rates on English, mathematics, literacy and numeracy courses.  Increase the consistency and accuracy of target setting through the quality monitoring of individual learning plans.

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Information about the inspection

44. Two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and five additional inspectors, assisted by the college’s Principal, as nominee, carried out the re-inspection. Inspectors took account of the college’s most recent self-assessment report and development plans, the previous inspection report, reports from the inspectorate’s monitoring visits, and data on learners and their achievements over the period since the previous inspection. 45. Inspectors used group and individual interviews, telephone calls and emails. They looked at questionnaires learners and employers had recently completed on behalf of the college. They also observed learning sessions, assessments and progress reviews. Inspectors collected evidence from programmes in each of the subject areas the college offers.

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Record of Main Findings (RMF) Joseph Priestley College Learning types: 14 – 16: Young apprenticeships; Diplomas; 16-18 Learner responsive: FE full- and part-time courses, Foundation learning tier, including Entry to Employment; 19+ responsive: FE full- and part-time courses; Employer responsive: Train to Gain, apprenticeships

Grades using the 4 point scale

1: Outstanding; 2: Good;

16 18 -

3: Satisfactory; 4: Inadequate -

Overall 14 16 Learner responsive 19+ Learner responsive Employer responsive Approximate number of enrolled learners Full-time learners 626 0 354 259 13 Part-time learners 2868 225 104 1538 375 Overall effectiveness 3 3 3 3 1

Capacity to improve 3

Outcomes for learners 3 3 3 3 1 How well do learners achieve and enjoy their learning? 3 . How well do learners attain their learning goals? 4 . How well do learners progress? 3 How well do learners improve their economic and social well-being 3 through learning and development? How safe do learners feel? 2 Are learners able to make informed choices about their own health and 3 well being?* How well do learners make a positive contribution to the community?* 3 Quality of provision 2 2 2 2 2 How effectively do teaching, training and assessment support learning 2 and development? How effectively does the provision meet the needs and interests of 3 users? How well partnerships with schools, employers, community groups and 2 others lead to benefits for learners? How effective are the care, guidance and support learners receive in 2 helping them to achieve? Leadership and management 3 3 3 3 1 How effectively do leaders and managers raise expectations and 3 promote ambition throughout the organisation? How effectively do governors and supervisory bodies provide 3 leadership, direction and challenge?* How effectively does the provider promote the safeguarding of 2 learners? How effectively does the provider actively promote equality and 3 diversity, tackle discrimination and narrow the achievement gap? How effectively does the provider engage with users to support and 2 promote improvement? How effectively does self-assessment improve the quality of the 3 provision and outcomes for learners? How efficiently and effectively does the provider use its available 3 resources to secure value for money? *where applicable to the type of provision

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The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231 or email [email protected]. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA