Croydon College Inspection Report 2000
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Croydon College R E P O RT FROM THE INSPECTORATE 1999-00 THE FURTHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL THE FURTHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) has a legal duty to make sure further education in England is properly assessed. The FEFC’s inspectorate inspects and reports on each college of further education according to a four-year cycle. It also inspects other further education provision funded by the FEFC. In fulfilling its work programme, the inspectorate assesses and reports nationally on the curriculum, disseminates good practice and advises the FEFC’s quality assessment committee. College inspections are carried out in accordance with the framework and guidelines described in Council Circulars 97/12, 97/13 and 97/22. Inspections seek to validate the data and judgements provided by colleges in self-assessment reports. They involve full-time inspectors and registered part-time inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work they inspect. A member of the Council’s audit service works with inspectors in assessing aspects of governance and management. All colleges are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member. Cheylesmore House Quinton Road Coventry CV1 2WT Telephone 024 7686 3000 Fax 024 7686 3100 Website www.fefc.ac.uk © FEFC 2000 You may photocopy this report and use extracts in promotional or other material provided quotes ar e accurate, and the findings are not misrepresented. Contents Paragraph Summary Context The college and its mission 1 The inspection 7 Curriculum areas Science and mathematics 10 Engineering 17 General business and business administration 23 Business: work-based provision 29 English and access (social science) 37 ESOL 44 Basic skills 52 Cross-college provision Support for students 60 General resources 69 Quality assurance 76 Governance 83 Management 92 Conclusions 102 College statistics Croydon College Grade Descriptors Student Achievements Inspectors assess the strengths and weaknesses Where data on student achievements appear in of each aspect of provision they inspect. Their tables, levels of achievement are shown in three assessments are set out in the report. They use ways: a five-point scale to summarise the balance • as number of starters, which is the number between strengths and weaknesses. of enrolments on qualifications where the The descriptors for the grades are: student was expecting to complete the qualification that college year. For • grade 1 – outstanding provision which has example, a student on a two-year many strengths and few weaknesses programme who began their programme • grade 2 – good provision in which the in October 1995, would appear in the strengths clearly outweigh the weaknesses results for 1996-97 because this is the • grade 3 – satisfactory provision with year in which they expected to complete strengths but also some weaknesses their qualification • grade 4 – less than satisfactory provision • as a retention rate, which is the in which the weaknesses clearly outweigh percentage of qualifications which students the strengths have completed as expected or where they are continuing their studies beyond the • grade 5 – poor provision which has few expected end date of the qualification. For strengths and many weaknesses. programmes of study of two years or more, Audit conclusions are expressed as good, retention is calculated across the whole adequate or weak. programme, that is, from the start to the Aggregated grades for aspects of cross-college end of the qualification provision and curriculum areas, for colleges • as an achievement rate, which is the inspected during 1998-99, are shown in the number of qualifications students have following table. fully achieved as a percentage of completed qualifications with a known Grade outcome. Partial achievements are not included. 1 2 3 4 5 %%%%% Curriculum areas 10 53 30 7 – Cross-college provision 14 54 23 7 2 Source: Quality and Standards in Further Education in England 1998-99: Chief inspector’s annual report Sample size: 104 college inspections Summary Croydon College programme areas was inspected. Basic skills provision across the college was also inspected Greater London Region alongside aspects of cross-college provision. The curriculum is well managed and there are Inspected May 2000 positive working relationships between students and staff. There is strong, accessible leadership Croydon College is a large, general further and the college is effectively managed. education college with a significant higher Communications are excellent. Governors and education provision. It offers an extensive range managers work together effectively and of full-time and part-time courses which contribute appropriately to strategic planning. respond effectively to the needs of Croydon and Inspectors found no significant weaknesses in the surrounding region. Since the last governance which benefits from the exceptional inspection, the college has diversified its commitment of board members. The college is provision to widen participation and address strongly committed to the regeneration of the social exclusion. The college produced its local community and enjoys productive second self-assessment report for the inspection. partnerships with a range of external The report was comprehensive and organisations. There is much good teaching and demonstrated a genuine desire to improve the the integration of quality assurance with quality of the college’s provision. Inspectors planning is a strength. The college has an agreed with many of the college’s judgements effective appraisal scheme which links staff and found some additional strengths and development to the college’s strategic objectives. weaknesses. The report placed insufficient Students’ views are valued and there has been a emphasis on problems with management considerable investment in buildings and information and the difficulties these are accommodation. The college should: improve causing for systematic monitoring of retention poor attendance and punctuality on many and achievement. In addition, the report under- courses; raise levels of achievement and emphasised poor levels of achievement in some retention on some courses; review tutorial curriculum areas. Inspectors agreed with five provision; improve take-up rates for learning out of seven curriculum grades awarded by the support; address issues concerning the accuracy, college and awarded lower grades for two retrieval and evaluation of data; further develop curriculum areas. One inspection cross-college IT facilities; develop a college-wide strategy for grade was higher than the grade awarded by improving students’ basic skills. the college; another was lower. The grades awarded as a result of the inspection The college offers courses in nine of the FEFC’s are given below. 10 programme areas. Provision in five Curriculum area Grade Cross-college provision Grade Science and mathematics 4 Support for students 3 Engineering 2 General resources 2 General business and Quality assurance 3 business administration 3 Governance 1 Business: work-based provision 2 Management 2 English and access (social science) 2 ESOL 2 Basic skills 3 Croydon College 1 Context The College and its Mission were entered for two or more general certificate of education advanced levels (GCE A levels), also 1 Croydon College was founded in 1888 achieved results which were lower than those and has grown to become a large college of for England as a whole. There is a wide variety further and higher education based on one of state and private secondary education in the campus situated in the centre of Croydon. borough, including two city technology colleges. Higher education comprises approximately Competition for post-16 students is intense. 25% of the college’s provision. A major building Further education in Croydon is provided by programme has resulted in a refurbished Croydon College and two sixth form colleges higher education centre and a new library, and there are eight other colleges within easy opened in October 1998, which cost £1 million. travelling distance. The adult education service 2 The Borough of Croydon is the largest provides a range of educational and business London borough with a population of 335,000. training. Croydon College is the only provider It is the thirteenth largest commercial centre of higher education in the borough and is an in the United Kingdom, outside central London, affiliated college of the University of Sussex. and one of the largest shopping centres in the Plans are in hand to expand higher education south east. The main employment sectors in Croydon through a commercial partnership within Croydon’s economy are: public services; within the university sector. distribution, hotels and catering; business 4 Croydon College offers a wide range of services; and financial services. Croydon is courses from entry level to postgraduate level, home to the regional headquarters of over providing many opportunities for students to 20 blue chip companies and has a rapidly progress within the college. Courses are offered growing number of small and medium-sized in nine of the 10 programme areas funded by enterprises. The immigration centre of the the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC). Home Office is based in central Croydon. The average age of students is about 30 years. The college recruits just over 50% of its Almost 70% of them are over 19. About 30% of students from within the borough, the students are