RNIB Vocational College
CONTENTS
Basic information about the college
Part A: Summary
Information about the college
How effective is the college?
Quality of provision in curriculum and occupational areas
How well is the college led and managed?
To what extent is the college educationally and socially inclusive?
How well are students and trainees guided and supported?
Students' views of the college
Other information
Part B: The college as a whole
Achievement and standards
Learning and Skills Council-funded students
Residential training unit adult students
Quality of teaching, training and learning
Leadership and management
Part C: Curriculum and occupational areas
Information and communication technology Vocational studies
Independent living skills and mobility
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Basic information about the college
Name of college: RNIB Vocational College Type of college: Independent specialist college Principal: Tony Warren Address of college: Radmoor Road Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3BS Telephone number: 01509 611077 Fax number: 01509 232013 Chair of governors: Martin Traynor Registered charity number*: 226227 Name of reporting inspector: Gill Reay Dates of inspection: 15-19 March 2004
*charity or registered business number of the company running the college
Part A: Summary
Information about the college
RNIB Vocational College is owned by the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB). In 1989, it moved to purpose-built accommodation on the campus of Loughborough College. The purpose of the move was to enable visually impaired students to gain access to the full range of courses in a general further education (FE) college. RNIB Vocational College has a resource centre, a visual impairment support service team and learning support assistants based inside Loughborough College. RNIB Vocational College has around 60 full-time students. Most students live in the recently built Stan Bell halls of residence that are situated 100 metres from the main campus. The majority of full-time students have a visual impairment. All students have additional difficulties that compound those of sight loss. An increasing number of students have learning difficulties. At the time of the inspection, 24 students are funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and one student is funded by Education and Learning Wales (ELWa) these students are aged between 16 and 25. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) funds 21 adult students under its residential training unit for disabled adults, work preparation, technological updating and employment assessment programmes. In addition, four students are funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and are enrolled at Loughborough College but use RNIB Vocational College's residential accommodation and learning support. The majority of LSC-funded and some adult students attend courses at Loughborough College. Three LSC-funded students are undertaking individual learning programmes based solely at RNIB Vocational College. In total, there were 28 male and 18 female students attending the college at the time of inspection. Some 13% of students were from minority ethnic backgrounds.
In addition to its residential provision, RNIB Vocational College provides specialist support to 109 students attending 16 local mainstream education providers throughout the East Midlands. It directly employs staff based in Leicester, Newark and Sherwood colleges.
The mission of the college is to `work with others so that blind and partially sighted people can develop the skills and personal qualities they need to progress in their lives'.
How effective is the college?
The college provides satisfactory teaching and opportunities for learning for most of its students. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT), vocational studies and adults in the residential training unit is satisfactory. Provision in independent living skills and mobility, and literacy, numeracy, communication and Braille is unsatisfactory. This unsatisfactory provision is mainly that for full-time LSC-funded students. The curriculum for independent living skills lacks coherence and literacy, numeracy and communication provision is underdeveloped for LSC-funded students. There is some good achievement of key skills by adult students in the residential training unit. Personal support for all students is good. Learning support assistants based in Loughborough College provide good support that enables students to develop good study skills and achieve their qualifications.
The college's key strengths and areas that should be improved are listed below.
Key strengths
o development of students' confidence and self-esteem
o achievement of qualifications at Loughborough College
o residential and teaching accommodation at RNIB Vocational College
o personal support for students.
What should be improved
o match between schedule and purchase orders and students' timetables
o use of individual learning plans to plan, monitor and record progress
o the quality of the extended curriculum
o structure of the college day
o coherence and management of the curriculum
o quality assurance of teaching and learning at Loughborough College.
Further aspects of provision requiring improvement are identified in the sections on individual subjects and courses in the full report.
Quality of provision in curriculum and occupational areas
The table below shows overall judgements about provision in subjects and courses that were inspected. Judgements are based primarily on the quality of teaching, training and learning and how well students achieve. Not all subjects and courses were inspected. Inspectors make overall judgements on curriculum areas and on the effectiveness of leadership and management in the range: Outstanding (grade 1), Good (2), Satisfactory (3), Unsatisfactory (4), Very Poor (5)
Area Overall judgements about provision, and comment Information and Satisfactory. RTU contributory grade is satisfactory. There is very communication technology good teaching and learning at Loughborough College with excellent examples of Loughborough College staff working with the RNIB Vocational College visual impairment support service team to adapt their teaching for visually impaired students. All students have access to very good specialist support and resources. There is insufficient curriculum development of the residential training unit provision and students in information technology centre often work for long periods without having their learning checked. Vocational studies Satisfactory: RNIB Vocational College students have access to a wide range of courses at Loughborough College. Students are making progress and achieving qualifications despite experiencing poor teaching that takes little account of their needs. Poor punctuality by students disrupts teaching and learning but there is good support from lesson support assistants and students develop a range of good study skills. Progress is tracked through three different individual learning plans; this leads to a lack of coherence in monitoring and recording progress. Independent living skills Unsatisfactory: Good teaching of practical activities and good and mobility pastoral support contribute to the development of students' confidence and self-esteem. However, monitoring and recording of students' progress, individual learning plans and target setting are underdeveloped. There are insufficient opportunities to develop, practice or maintain skills and the extended curriculum is inadequate. Management of independent living skills and mobility across the college are unsatisfactory. Literacy, numeracy, Unsatisfactory: There is good teaching of Braille and Braille communication and Braille technology and some good skills development. The use of individual learning plans is poor and there is insufficient integration of literacy, numeracy and communication across the extended curriculum. The strategic direction and management of the area are underdeveloped.
How well is the college led and managed?
Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. Several weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report remain; for example, lack of coherence across the curriculum. Quality assurance arrangements of the partnership with Loughborough College are inadequate particularly in relation to teaching and learning. There is insufficient formal sharing of information between Loughborough College and RNIB Vocational College. Operational management of two curriculum areas is ineffective. Strategic planning is understood by staff and governors and challenging targets are set for staff. Financial management by the RNIB national board of trustees provides satisfactory value for money and uses a policy of best value when purchasing resources. Some procedures for monitoring compliance with schedule and purchase orders are inadequate. There is good management of health and safety and risk assessments for individual students and activities. The college's procedures for self-assessment are clear but analysis is underdeveloped, and several weaknesses were underestimated.
To what extent is the college educationally and socially inclusive?
The college's response to educational and social inclusion is satisfactory. RNIB Vocational College promotes issues relating to racial equality outlined in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and meets the required anticipatory duty for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA). However, RNIB Vocational College does not monitor the experiences of students whilst they are studying at Loughborough College in relation to equality and diversity. Currently, 13% of students are from minority ethnic groups. However, there are very few role models within the staff. The local area is well represented by a range of minority ethnic groups and the college is aware of the need to target their services and languages. The management of provision for literacy, numeracy and communication at RNIB Vocational College is poor but there is good achievement of keys skills at level 3 by adult students.
How well are students and trainees guided and supported?
Support and guidance for students are very good; students make good gains in developing their confidence and self-esteem. Induction programmes are well planned. Initial assessment is thorough and baseline assessment for adults in the residential training unit is good. There are effective links with specialist support services. The college has good arrangements for providing careers advice and guidance and has developed good links with the personal advisor from the local Connexions partnership. Students are well supported in their academic programmes by lesson support assistants, particularly those attending Loughborough College. Transition planning is underdeveloped with no formal exit programme. Care plans are comprehensive but there are inadequate links with individual learning plans. Target setting and monitoring of progress though individual learning plans lack clarity and co-ordination.
Students' views of the college
Students' views about the college were taken into account and a summary of their main comments is presented below.
What students like about the college
o being able to live with others as independently as possible
o opportunities to go to other colleges and to join in activities
o useful Braille lessons with a good teacher
o good support from staff
o support they can opt in and out of
o high standard of premises, including residential accommodation
o a caring, safe environment where they feel confident and secure
o range of social activities
o the very helpful Bell Bar staff
o the way complaints are dealt with effectively and confidentially.
What they feel could be improved
o food at Loughborough College
o communication with Loughborough College
o temperamental heating in the Stan Bell centre
o some lessons that do not take account of individual learning needs
o the introduction of a consolidated learning plan
o sound proofing of the residents' block
o more varied curriculum
o more staff on duty in hall at the weekend
o more Braille signage around Loughborough College.
Other information
The college inspection report will normally be published 12 working weeks after the inspection. Once the report is published, the college has two months in which to prepare its post inspection action plan and submit it to the local LSC. The college's action plan must show what action the college will take to bring about improvements in response to issues raised in the report. The governors should agree it before it is submitted to the local LSC. The local LSC is responsible for ensuring that the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) receives the college's post inspection action plan within the stipulated two months.
Part B: The college as a whole
Achievement and standards
1. RNIB Vocational College offers courses for LSC-funded students in independent living skills and mobility, and literacy, numeracy, communication and Braille. The majority of LSC-funded students attend Loughborough College to undertake a variety of academic and vocational courses. Only three students working on individual learning programmes are based solely at RNIB Vocational College. Almost half of the students in the scope of this inspection were adults, working towards information technology (IT) qualifications in the residential training unit IT centre. However, some adult students also attend Loughborough College for a variety of courses, including IT, health and social care.
2. RNIB Vocational College returns data on the performance of individual students to the LSC, however, the data available to the inspection team were college data and have not been validated by the LSC. Therefore, this data will not be used in curriculum tables in this report. Enrolments vary from year to year, being dependent on the interests of individual students.
3. All students develop confidence and self-esteem during their time at college. Attendance at the lessons observed during the inspection was good. The punctuality of both LSC-funded students and Loughborough College students is poor.
Learning and Skills Council-funded students
4. Retention rates are good and match those of other independent specialist colleges. Pass rates for full-time completing students are good with most students achieving their learning goals at Loughborough College. In 2003/04, 16 students achieved general national vocational qualifications (GNVQ) foundation and intermediate in business, ICT, health and social care. Other achievements production and advanced subsidiary (AS) level law. In 2003/04, the following awards are being undertaken by students attending Loughborough College: foundation travel and tourism; GNVQ intermediate in business and ICT; general certificates in secondary education (GCSEs); national diploma in care; general certificate of education advanced levels (GCE A levels); AVCE in ICT; vocational skills at foundation level; and ways to work at entry level. Between 2000 and 2003, success rates improved from 63% to 70%. Whilst students achieve their learning goals at Loughborough College, achievement for independent living skills, literacy, numeracy and communication at entry level is unsatisfactory.
5. There is good progression to FE and higher education (HE). In 2003, 94% students progressed to FE. Students are confident and most manage their learning support well and develop good study skills. The enterprise project is particularly good at helping students to develop and apply their interpersonal and team building skills. The standard of students' work is generally good.
Residential training unit adult students
6. Retention rates for students in the residential training unit are satisfactory. In 2002/03, the retention rate was 70%. The majority of students leave on the grounds of ill health. Most adult students take courses in ICT at the IT centre based in RNIB Vocational College, but six students are studying courses in Loughborough College. In the current year, this includes AVCEs in engineering, health and social care and ICT and a national diploma in care.
7. Pass rates in the residential training unit IT centre are in line with national averages and there is good achievement of level 3 courses at Loughborough College. There is good and rapid achievement related to baseline assessment by some students. Motivated students who achieve well in IT quickly progress to call centre modules, where appropriate. However, not all students are challenged in the IT centre and progress can slow after one or two modules. Key skills were recently introduced and there is good achievement both at levels 2 and 3. National vocational qualification (NVQ) achievement is good at levels 1 and 2, from April 2003 to March 2004, 19 students achieved a full qualification and 5 students achieved a part qualification.
8. Progression to employment is satisfactory with 46% of students achieved a positive outcome in 2003; the target set by the residential training unit is 40%. The quality of students' work is good and one student gained a national award from OCR in 2003. Students' self-esteem and confidence, and practical skills in IT, are developed well throughout their course.
Quality of teaching, training and learning
9. Teaching, learning and attainment were graded by inspectors in 37 lessons. The majority of teaching is good or satisfactory but a significant minority of teaching is unsatisfactory at Loughborough College. The teaching of IT at Loughborough College is particularly good. In these lessons, there was no unsatisfactory teaching and most of the teaching was good or better. For LSC-funded students studying vocational and academic courses at Loughborough College, the majority of teaching was unsatisfactory and did not take into account the needs of visually impaired students. In the best lessons, teachers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subject and they build on what students already know. Teachers make good use of students' prior knowledge and skills and make effective links between theory and practice.
10. The better teaching in IT also demonstrates good adaptation of teaching and materials for students with a visual impairment. Good teaching, particularly relating to adults, reduces students' anxieties in relation to their difficulties by using a friendly and sensitive approach that acknowledges not only their learning difficulties but also their family and work concerns. A central characteristic of good teaching for both adult and LSC students is the use of practical activities to reinforce theoretical knowledge. For example, cookery lessons in independent living skills.
11. In the less successful lessons, teachers fail to take account of individual students' needs, are too reliant on note taking, provide little variety or change of activity and do not actively involve students. This is particularly evident in the teaching of LSC-funded students at Loughborough College. Where teaching is unsatisfactory, teachers have low expectations of students, lack the skills needed to plan lessons effectively and do not use appropriate strategies to challenge poor punctuality or evaluate learning. For example, Loughborough College students observed during inspection were routinely up to 30 minutes late for lessons. In the majority of lessons, there is little use of computers or integrated technology to support learning.
12. A recently initiated teaching observation scheme for RNIB Vocational College staff has had two rounds of observations: in June 2003 and more recently December 2003. Positive outcomes from the observations are posted on the staff intranet under a sharing of good practice link. Team action plans to improve identified weakness are developing but as yet have had little impact on teaching. Loughborough College's teachers are not observed as part of this scheme.
13. The assessment of what students know, understand and are able to do starts with a residential visit to the college. The process includes a three-day residential visit by the student and their parent or carer to the college. Although the initial assessment of LSC-funded students is thorough, it is not systematically shared with Loughborough College teachers. Following initial assessment, individual learning plans are drawn up by residential staff, RNIB progress tutors and Loughborough College course tutors. The RNIB Vocational College plans are held centrally on the college intranet and not all staff and students can easily access or amend them. Many students reported that either they did not know their targets or that there were too many for them to be remembered. The processes for setting targets are not co-ordinated and hinder the effective monitoring of learning.
14. Initial assessment for literacy and numeracy is poor at RNIB Vocational College. There is an effective system for assessing students' independent living skills on entry to RNIB Vocational College but achievement of targets is not systematically planned for or recorded. Monitoring of students' progress in independent living skills is poor. Students' overall progress is regularly reported to parents who value this communication highly. A useful pen portrait of each student's needs and strengths is sent to course leaders at Loughborough College at the start of the academic year. However, the information is not updated as the student develops and some teachers do not receive this information.
15. Achievement of learning goals and qualifications are well monitored and recorded at Loughborough College. However, there is no co-ordination of achievements gained at Loughborough College and the targets set at RNIB Vocational College. Loughborough College teachers contribute to reviews at half term and the end of term that provide detailed and useful descriptions of students' progress. Loughborough College teachers also support monitoring through informal reports with learning support workers, but this is not systematic or consistent.
16. The pre-admission assessment for the students in the residential training unit has recently been revised to provide a clearer focus on employment skills. All adult students have an individual training plan and regular reviews of progress. Overall assessment and monitoring of progress of adult students is satisfactory and in line with awarding body criteria. However, progress is insufficiently checked during lessons.
17. The college provides a broad range of vocational, GCSE and general certificate of education (GCE) A2 and A-level courses through links with Loughborough College that meets individual students' needs and interests. The curriculum is socially inclusive and gives equality of access to mainstream college courses. RNIB Vocational College aims for all LSC-funded students to progress to Loughborough College. The majority of students accomplish this. Access to IT courses for students from the residential training unit who are based at RNIB Vocational College is limited. The IT curriculum is not reviewed regularly to determine if it is meeting the needs of students and employers. English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision is underdeveloped; for example, one student has to attend a college some miles away for assessment, with a view to attending there for an appropriate course.
18. Work experience is well developed and many students undertake work placements. The students from the residential training unit who are undertaking IT courses are able to gain access to the RNIB Vocational College office for preparatory work experience prior to going out to external employer placements. RNIB Vocational College, with backing from the governing body, is successfully developing employer links. Contacts with the local National Health Service (NHS) have provided valuable work placements for placements in the local area as well as in students' home areas. RNIB Vocational College has been active in developing relationships with local employers and has, for example, organised an employers' breakfast to maintain and develop local partnerships. It is also working with a national organisation to provide work placements in students' home areas. Students attending vocational courses at Loughborough College have appropriate work placements arranged as part of their courses.
19. Students meet weekly with RNIB Vocational College staff to choose activities that form the extended curriculum. Activities include occasional trips to local attractions, shopping, sports and a half-term holiday to the Lake District. There are also some themed evening events, such as a celebration of St Patrick's Day. These activities are limited in range. However, some students gain access to Loughborough College's enrichment programme, including, for example, music lessons. Opportunities for students to take part in scheduled independent living skills are inadequate. The overall management of links between care and education courses lacks coherence. Students' files are not easily accessible by staff from different departments; for example, care files are kept within the residential setting. There is an over-reliance on informal communication methods to report students' day-to-day progress. However, there is some effective, formal sharing of information between care and education staff each half-term and more formally at the end of each term.
20. The provision for key skills is satisfactory. For those LSC-funded students who are on intermediate and advanced vocational courses, pass rates are good and averaged 80% in 2003, with some students still continuing towards the qualification. Students receive an initial key skills assessment at Loughborough College and are then placed on the appropriate course at an appropriate level. Key skills portfolios are organised within the vocational course area and progress is reviewed and monitored with RNIB tutors each half term.
21. Key skills examinations are optional for students on GCE A-level courses. Students on a one or two A-level course are encouraged to register for GCSE subjects. There is no evaluation by the college of the impact on those students without a level 2 qualification in numeracy or IT on future applications to FE and HE courses.
22. Residential training unit students are given the option of completing a key skills portfolio. In 2003, 36% opted for the examination; this amounted to 14 students out of 38. Of those taking level 2 qualifications, 78% were successful in numeracy; 63% in communications and 75% in IT. The two students who entered for the level 3 qualifications in communication were successful.
23. Support and guidance for students are good. Residential staff provide personal support and additional counselling is available from Loughborough College support services when required. Some students receive counselling from local specialist organisations. The majority of residential staff hold appropriate first aid qualifications. A dedicated member of staff provides help and support relating to benefits and at tribunal hearings, if necessary.
24. Initial assessment is thorough and informs target setting for LSC-funded students' future courses. Baseline assessment for students in the residential training unit is good. RNIB Vocational College makes satisfactory arrangements for students to receive specialist assessments and support when needed; for example, optometrists to assess students. There are also good links with clinical and educational psychologists. Wherever appropriate, the college also maintains links with students' home specialists. 25. There are effective links with the local Connexions partnership. The link personal advisor is introduced to LSC-funded students at the beginning of their course. They also attend annual reviews for all local students as well as for students whose local home personal advisor is unable to attend. They attend case reviews for all students during their final year. Transition planning, however, is underdeveloped with no formal exit course available to assist with students' next steps. Two members of RNIB Vocational College staff have appropriate careers and guidance qualifications and support students in their future career, education and training decisions. Careers lessons are timetabled for the three students on individual learning programmes at RNIB Vocational College.
26. There is good support for students from the learning support assistants, particularly those attending Loughborough College. Learning support assistants attend lessons with students and perform a range of support activities including taking notes and assisting with diagrams. Students are able to decide on the level of support they require and feel empowered to say when they do not need some of the support offered in lessons. They can also request further additional support when appropriate. Students feel in control of this aspect of their courses.
27. Induction procedures are satisfactory and cover a range of activities including mobility and orientation around the campus. Students meet key staff and their initial assessment targets are reviewed. Attendance and punctuality are monitored by staff and if any problems occur, they discussed with students during their weekly tutorial sessions. There is some poor punctuality of RNIB Vocational College students when attending Loughborough College.
28. LSC-funded students who attend Loughborough College also undertake an independent living skills course at RNIB Vocational College, however, there is a lack of cohesion between the academic/vocational and the independent living skills curriculum. Timetables do not give an overall view of the students' weekly programme and do not indicate where mobility training, independent living skills or activities on the extended curriculum are taking place. LSC-funded students have separate weekly tutorials with both their RNIB Vocational College key worker and academic tutor based in Loughborough College but no information about students is formally communicated. There are, however, satisfactory arrangements in place where the student, key worker and academic tutor meet each half term to review progress. Most LSC-funded students, especially those attending Loughborough College, have three individual learning plans. The individual learning plan produced by RNIB Vocational College tutors is available on line through the college intranet. However, students cannot gain access to this by themselves and do not hold their own copy. There is no sharing of information between the individual learning plan produced by Loughborough College and those by RNIB Vocational College. Care plans are comprehensive, but there are inadequate links with students' other individual learning plans.
Leadership and management
29. Leadership and management of the college are unsatisfactory. Since the last inspection, the college has undergone further significant restructuring of departments and staff, including the appointment of a new principal. Some staff have left and existing roles and responsibilities have changed. Several weakness identified in the previous inspection remain. The senior management team and all staff now have a clear understanding of the college's mission. Strategic plans are produced by the senior management team and are approved by the national RNIB trustees. New strategic and development plans contain challenging targets and a clear direction for the college's future. Students achieve their minimum learning goals at Loughborough College.
30. The governing body is an advisory committee of the board of trustees, without executive powers. However, governors make an active contribution to the development of the college and have good knowledge of the key issues that the college faces. They know areas of the college that are underperforming and monitor effectively the progress being made against the strategic plan and self- assessment report. Two student representatives with voting rights are included on the committee. Two governors stay in the residential accommodation with students when visiting, and spend time with students in the evenings.
31. Policies and procedures are comprehensive and easily accessible through the staff intranet. The management information system is satisfactory. Data provided to inspectors were the college's own data and were not validated by the LSC. There is good management of health and safety, risk assessments, complaints and harassment. Students have access to Loughborough University's student services where they can gain free legal advice, which some have taken up. There is satisfactory promotion of equality of opportunity. The college has a current equal opportunity policy that contains references to appropriate legislation. There is an equality and diversity working group that organises an annual `diversity week' of activities. Currently, 13% of the students are from minority ethnic groups. However, there are very few role models within the staff. The local area is well represented by a range of minority ethnic groups. The college is aware of the need to target their services and vacancies to minority ethnic groups. New marketing literature is available in seven minority ethnic languages. The college celebrates different religious events to promote students' awareness of equality and diversity. The college promotes issues relating to racial equality outlined in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and meets the required anticipatory duty for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA). However, RNIB Vocational College does not monitor the experiences of students studying at Loughborough College in relation to equality and diversity.
32. The self-assessment process is satisfactory. The college's self-assessment report has recently been updated and involves all staff. Inspectors agreed with most of the identified weaknesses but judged that some of the strengths identified were norms that should be expected in independent specialist colleges.
33. There is insufficient quality assurance of the Loughborough College partnership by RNIB Vocational College. There are ineffective strategies to improve standards in teaching and learning at Loughborough College. Although RNIB Vocational College receives copies of teaching observations that Loughborough College undertake of their own tutors, it does not take responsibility for observing teaching for RNIB Vocational College students. There is an over-reliance on the informal communications between lesson support assistant, teachers and students to communicate any issues and insufficient systematic formal sharing of information between the two colleges. Support assistants interpret teaching for students and are crucial to students' achievement of priority learning goals. Until very recently, there has been no formal partnership agreement between RNIB Vocational College and Loughborough College. Whilst there are good communications between the ICT department at Loughborough College and RNIB Vocational College staff, this is not the case across all departments. Most students have three individual learning plans and their main learning goals are not shared.
34. There is ineffective management of the provision for literacy, numeracy, communication, Braille and independent living skills. The curriculum provided by RNIB Vocational College also lacks coherence. Students' files are located in different departments and this makes it very difficult to track students' progress. There are insufficient links between the residential training unit and FE programmes and between the academic programmes and extended curriculum.
35. Financial management and oversight by the RNIB board of trustees is satisfactory. Financial priorities are identified and reviewed by the senior management team and governors. Key staff and departments have devolved budgets that are reviewed quarterly. The college operates a value for money policy when purchasing resources. The accommodation strategy is managed particularly well; a major new building project has been completed successfully. However, specific elements of students' schedule and purchase orders are not being met adequately. Only LSC-funded students undertake independent living skills courses, but there are limited timetabled lessons to support students' progression in this area. The college expects students to pay for the ingredients of independent living skills cookery lessons even though this is identified in their schedule and purchase order and this has resulted in some students having to cancel lessons because they cannot afford to buy ingredients, thus limiting the opportunities that students have to develop and practice their skills. There are insufficient numbers of residential staff to support students in the evenings and at weekends and no strategy has been produced by trustees or the management team to address this problem.
Part C: Curriculum and occupational areas
Information and communication technology
Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3)
Residential training unit contributory grade is satisfactory (grade 3).
Strengths
o very good teaching and learning at Loughborough College
o very good specialist support for students
o excellent working relationships between Loughborough College and the RNIB's visual impairment support service team.
Weaknesses
o insufficient curriculum development within the residential training unit's IT centre
o insufficient monitoring of students' learning in the residential training unit's IT centre.
Scope of provision
36. There are 25 students following ICT courses. Eight LSC-funded students and three residential training unit students attend Loughborough College. They select courses from a wide range of provision that includes GNVQ intermediate, AVCE in ICT, general certificate of education A level (GCE A level) and GCSEs. The remaining 16 students from the residential training unit follow a range of level 1 and 2 Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) qualifications in IT at the RNIB Vocational College's IT centre. These include computer literacy and information technology (CLAIT) and CLAIT plus. Students generally supplement these with some additional single examinations in spreadsheets, databases and word processing in preparation for work placement. Achievement and standards
37. For the last three years, all level 3 students (24 in total) have achieved their learning goals. Retention and pass rates on the CLAIT course are satisfactory. Students who do not gain the full award receive external accreditation for the units completed. The retention and pass rates on all courses at Loughborough College are satisfactory; they are good at level 3.
38. Residential training unit adults are based in the IT centre and have access to a wide range of software and hardware resources allowing motivated students the opportunity to progress rapidly. One student received an OCR achievement award in 2003. Residential training unit students are insufficiently challenged in the IT centre resulting in the slow progress of some students.
39. The students who are based at Loughborough College benefit from very good ICT provision; achievements are above national averages. Targets for these students are reviewed on a two week cycle with inputs from personal tutors and subject teachers ensuring a swift resolution to issues. In one case, it was decided to visit a residential student who was ignoring telephone and written messages. Some of these students produce work of a very high standard. One teacher from Loughborough College reported that an assignment submitted by an RNIB Vocational College AVCE student was the best she had ever seen.
Quality of education and training
40. Loughborough College staff work well with the visual impairment support service team in adapting their teaching materials for visually impaired students. In one lesson, a teacher had made models of different keyboard designs so that they might be experienced by a visually impaired student. Lessons are well prepared and notes produced in electronic or specialist font for RNIB Vocational College students. Loughborough College teachers seek the specialist advice offered by the visual impairment support service team to match their teaching to individual students' needs. In one lesson, the teacher responded to the learning needs of a visually impaired student by using an electronic smart board to `grey out' the whole screen except for the column of interest.
41. In the IT centre, residential training unit students benefit from individual learning plans with detailed lesson plans and aims. Students are able to work at their own pace using tapes or large font guides. Teaching in the centre is satisfactory, though some students would benefit from more frequent checking on their progress during lessons.
42. In all teaching, there is insufficient use of interactive teaching materials and smart board technology to enhance teaching and learning. Outside of lessons, students have access to well- stocked resource centres at both colleges. Teachers and students value their access to the specialist resources available on campus. During the evening, students use the Stan Bell IT resource centre. Some students complain that it is not always reliable. For example, one student reported that the software used by some students in playing games conflicts with specialist software for those who are visually impaired. A laptop loan system operates for students wishing to work from their study rooms.
43. Residential training unit IT centre students are encouraged to organise their own study but in some cases this can cause slow progress as they are insufficiently challenged by teachers. Students value the overnight marking service and the detailed verbal feedback on their work. At Loughborough College, marking and feedback are detailed but do not always take account of RNIB Vocational College students' needs. In one example, a teacher's comments were small and handwritten.
44. The residential training unit's IT centre offers a limited range of IT qualifications and there is no evidence that curriculum reviews are undertaken to determine if courses meet the needs of students and employers. Some teachers at Loughborough College make good use of the RNIB Vocational College to highlight equal opportunity and inclusiveness. In one lesson, a teacher asked an RNIB student to explain the use of function keys for specialist visual impairment software to students who had said they saw little use for the keys. A visit to the RNIB Vocational College had been arranged for AVCE students in order to experience the specialist software for visually impaired people.
45. The visual impairment support service team provides detailed information to Loughborough College staff on how best to support and teach their students. Personal tutors and teaching staff discuss students' progress every two weeks and rigorous procedures are in place to rectify problems. Residential training unit students have a comprehensive induction that includes risk assessment, IT skills and training on visual impairment software. The length of the induction has recently been extended in response to a student's concern that it was too short. The teachers at the residential training unit's IT centre set individual learning goals for each student each day; these are kept by students and allows any member of staff to help and monitor their progress.
Leadership and management
46. Leadership and management are satisfactory. There is a very good working relationship between the RNIB visual impairment support service team and Loughborough College staff, focused on students' progress and aware of their individual needs. The residential training unit's IT centre teaching team are involved in the self-assessment process but have limited ownership of the final self-assessment report, and curriculum management is weak. Opportunities to share best practice between residential training unit staff and Loughborough College staff are not fully explored. Equality of opportunity and diversity are promoted satisfactorily.
Vocational studies
Overall provision in this area is satisfactory (grade 3).
Strengths
o wide range of courses at Loughborough College
o good support for students from lesson support assistants
o increasing achievement of qualifications
o good development of study skills.
Weaknesses
o much unsatisfactory teaching
o poor punctuality that disrupts learning
o lack of coherence in monitoring and recording progress.
Scope of provision
47. The vocational studies area includes: first diploma travel and tourism; GNVQ intermediate business; national diploma in care; AS level and GCE A levels; and GCSE courses. There are 26 LSC-funded students currently on these courses. Loughborough College offers a wide range of courses to students from RNIB Vocational College through a well-established partnership. All lessons for these courses are taught by Loughborough College teachers. The RNIB Vocational College's visual impairment support service team is based in Loughborough College, as is a specialist resource centre.
Achievement and standards
48. Despite the fact that an increasing number of visually impaired students are entering RNIB Vocational College with a more complex range of learning needs, there has been a year-on-year improvement in success rates on courses. Some students achieve partial success whereas others achieve full completion of national qualifications. Retention rates on courses have been above national averages for the last three years. The numbers of RNIB Vocational College students attending Loughborough College have increased from 10 in 1999 to 26 in 2004. Retention rates of 96% are also well above national averages of 87%. Achievement of qualifications is 73%. Attendance is carefully monitored by the RNIB Vocational College's visual impairment support service team based in Loughborough College. Students register with the team at the start of the day. Those who do not attend are telephoned and expected to report their absence to Loughborough College.
49. Poor punctuality was observed in most lessons from both RNIB Vocational College and Loughborough College students. Lateness was a constant across most lessons. Late arrivals often disrupted the learning of other students and there was inconsistency in the way that teachers dealt with it.
Quality of education and training
50. There is much unsatisfactory teaching. Students from RNIB Vocational College who attend Loughborough College experience lessons that do not maintain the attention of most of the students. Many lessons observed consisted of activities that were unsuited to students' abilities. Untidy writing on the white board, which was difficult for sighted students to read but was a focus of the lesson, became a major obstacle for those with visual impairment. Without the support of lesson support assistants in some lessons, there was little opportunity for students to achieve their objectives. Too many teacher-centred lessons failed to challenge or inspire students. RNIB Vocational College students reported that learning was difficult in noisy classrooms in which teachers did not stop students who chattered off-subject for the majority of the lesson. Teaching failed to meet individual students' needs and some teachers showed lack of awareness of the needs of the RNIB Vocational College students. Lack of planning prior to the lesson to ensure appropriate support materials are available from the excellent resources base at Loughborough College can leave students and lesson support assistants struggling to deal with some lessons. One three-hour lesson with a short break in the middle was delivered almost entirely from the front of the classroom via the whiteboard by the teacher who failed to control students who talked off-subject for the majority of the lesson.
51. Some teachers had made simple adaptations for RNIB Vocational College students, for example, one teacher now uses bold font size 14 for all her handouts. This inclusive approach ensures RNIB Vocational College students' identified needs are met automatically. Students interviewed during the inspection emphasised the solution for their support was not just to have a chapter of a book Brailled for them. 52. Academic progress is monitored through recently introduced individual learning plans at Loughborough College. Useful constructive feedback of assessed work clearly shows students why they have been successful and where they need to make improvement. RNIB Vocational College also develops individual learning plans during the first term after initial assessment. Both sets of individual learning plans contain targets relating to study skills and independent learning, however, there is no liaison between the two colleges about individual learning plans and therefore many opportunities to reinforce and develop learning are missed. There is also a lack of coherence in recording and monitoring progress.
53. The specialist resource room and visual impairment support service team provide a good service for RNIB Vocational College students whilst they are studying at Loughborough College. An excellent range of support materials including laptops with specialist applications, and talking scientific calculators are available for use in the resource room or on loan to staff or students. The provision of specialist teaching materials is particularly good. The visual impairment support service team guarantees a 24-hour turnaround time for class notes and five days for Braille course materials.
54. Over 30 learning support assistants, who are trained to `act as the student's eyes' in lessons, are based in the resources room. They are all expected to achieve the open college network (OCN) award in working with students with a visual impairment within 3 years of being appointed. This successful and appropriate course is available in the Loughborough College for both RNIB Vocational College and Loughborough College staff.
55. The visual impairment support service team has run half-day programmes for Loughborough College teachers. Staff development opportunities for Loughborough College teachers are not monitored for attendance or evaluated for impact. Few of the tutors have attended staff development activities.
56. Emphasis is placed on developing students' independent learning skills, and progress with these skills is good. Students organise their learning in well-structured and focused ways. Learning support assistants are effective in helping students develop self-confidence through helping them become as independent as possible. Students' work reaches a high standard and shows a clear understanding of key issues.
Leadership and management
57. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There are no quality assurance systems in place for monitoring the quality of the teaching received by RNIB Vocational College students studying in Loughborough College. Teachers from both colleges do meet formally and informally but the systematic monitoring of students' progress is underdeveloped. Staff development opportunities for teachers at Loughborough College are not effective nor is equality of opportunity promoted through teaching. The self-assessment report did not identify weaknesses that were identified during inspection.
Independent living skills and mobility
Overall provision in this area is unsatisfactory (grade 4).
Strengths
o good development of students' confidence and self-esteem
o good teaching of practical activities
o good personal support for students.
Weaknesses
o insufficient opportunities to develop, practice and maintain skills
o underdeveloped monitoring and recording of students' progress
o underdeveloped individual learning plans and target setting
o unsatisfactory management of independent living skills and mobility across the college
o inadequate extended curriculum.
Scope of provision
58. There are currently 22 LSC-funded students undertaking independent living skills and/or mobility programmes. Students undertake timetabled lessons in cooking for independent living and mobility. Staff also support students in less formal activities relating to independent living in the residential accommodation. These activities include budgeting, laundry, cookery, shopping and personal hygiene. The extended curriculum offers a narrow range of activities in the evenings and weekends, such as trips to the cinema, shopping and social development.
Achievement and standards
59. Students' achievements in practical activities are satisfactory. Development of students' confidence and self-esteem is good. Students' work is satisfactory or good. Students who had not previously cooked independently were developing useful skills and had progressed during their course from simple tasks such as making a drink, toast or a sandwich to making pizza and jacket potatoes. Students develop appropriate mobility skills and make good progress. There is good development of students' understanding and use of landmarks and their ability to cross roads safely. Some who have more advanced skills develop their ability to travel home independently. However, there are limited opportunities to practice mobility skills outside of timetabled lessons.
Quality of education and training 60. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teaching of practical activities is good. The majority of lessons observed were good or better and none was unsatisfactory. Most teaching of independent living skills is on a one-to-one basis, ensuring a clear focus on individual needs and interests. The involvement of students in planning activities is good. The development of personal responsibility for learning is good in most lessons and tutorials. However, in a minority of lessons, teachers give too much help. In some lessons, opportunities to extend students' learning are missed and students' evaluation of their own performance is not developed. Students' learning and progress are inhibited by limited opportunities to practice skills outside of timetabled lessons and a lack of coherence in the independent living skills curriculum. For example, cookery lessons are taught in isolation from opportunities to cook breakfast, lunch or tea at a realistic time. Staff provide opportunities to use kitchens in residential accommodation when they can, but this is not sufficiently structured or planned and is dependent on other duties.
61. Resources are satisfactory. Staff are well qualified and resources are used effectively in lessons. There are good practical resources for teaching independent living skills, including kitchens in the residential accommodation, a small flat and laundry facilities. Effective use is made of the local area to assist in the teaching of mobility skills. However, there is insufficient staff development to help teachers and residential staff meet the needs of students with more complex learning needs and disabilities. The extended curriculum, particularly at weekends, is restricted by inadequate staffing levels.
62. Pre-entry assessment is satisfactory. Specialist expertise, such as educational psychologists, clinical psychologists and visual impairment services, are used appropriately. Formal reviews of students' progress are good. Reviews are held at the middle and end of each term providing detailed reports but day-to-day monitoring and recording of students' progress is underdeveloped. Individual learning plans and targets lack rigour. The most effective plans are clear and detailed but others are in language that is not easy for students to understand. Targets are not always sufficiently broken down to assist staff or students to measure small steps of progress. In some, there is too much emphasis on the completion of activities and insufficient emphasis on skills development. Most students have three separate individual learning plans and many find this confusing. Students do not have access to their on-line plan independently to check their targets and progress.
63. The range of programmes does not fully meet the needs of students. There are insufficient opportunities to develop, practice and maintain skills. The extended curriculum is inadequate. There is a limited range of structured activities to assist the development of skills. The evening activities programme is optional. Students are encouraged to participate, but not all do. There are few weekend activities and few students stay regularly at the weekend to participate.
64. Pastoral support for students is good. Thorough pre-entry assessment ensures that the support they need is planned for them. Once at college, they benefit from good support on personal issues. Residential staff help students to settle quickly into college life. There is regular and effective contact with parents/carers. Students have access to a trained member of staff who assists them with welfare rights issues. Tutorial support is good. Students have useful weekly tutorials with a member of the visual impairment support service team and their key worker that covers both academic progress and personal issues. Regular contact with a specialist personal adviser assists students to plan for their future education or employment.
Leadership and management
65. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There are significant weaknesses that impact on the quality of students' experience. The college has already identified some of these weaknesses and has planned a management restructure to address them. There are insufficient staff to meet all identified needs. There is inappropriate deployment of staff. Staff undertake general residential responsibilities in addition to their teaching. For example, the rehabilitation officer undertakes other duties within the residential team, taking her away from her specialist role. The needs identified in the students' schedules and purchase orders are not always fully met. For example, students are required to pay for ingredients for timetabled cookery lessons, on several occasions this led to cookery lessons being cancelled because students were unable to pay for ingredients. Timetables do not always accurately reflect the amount of structured training that students receive. The independent living skills course is not fully integrated into a coherent learning experience for all students. Communication in the team is regular and effective. All of the team participated in the self- assessment process but the report is not sufficiently rigorous. The team accurately identified some of the strengths but underestimated weaknesses; inspectors identified additional strengths and weaknesses. The promotion of equal opportunities and diversity is satisfactory.
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Overall provision in this area is unsatisfactory (grade 4).
Strengths
o good teaching of Braille and Braille technology
o good skills development.
Weaknesses
o poor use of individual learning plans to plan, monitor and record progress
o insufficient integration of literacy, numeracy and communication across the curriculum
o inadequate strategic management of literacy, numeracy and communication.
Scope of provision
66. Students are able to study literacy and numeracy at pre-entry level, entry level and level 1 on discrete courses at the RNIB Vocational College and as integrated key skills in communication and application of number at levels 1 and 2 both at the RNIB Vocational College and at Loughborough College. Accreditation of key skills is a recent introduction in the last academic year. Braille tuition is offered at various levels from beginners to advanced. The `ways to work' course at Loughborough College contains elements of literacy and numeracy and students attend this with support from the RNIB Vocational College. Literacy, numeracy and communication are also integrated into voluntary additional skills lessons that run in the evenings and into the team enterprise scheme where students run their own company and sell goods that they have produced themselves. Students can take the English Speaking Board assessments and attend classes to prepare for this. There are 19 LSC-funded students and 16 residential training unit students studying literacy, numeracy, communication and Braille.
Achievement and standards 67. A number of students are currently working towards key skills awards in application of number and communication, but it is too soon to measure the success of these courses. The learning goals in individual learning plans are very generalised, for example `to improve spellings'; it is difficult to measure successful achievement of these goals. Although many students make progress in the development of their skills this is frequently not documented.
Quality of education and training
68. There is good teaching of Braille and Braille technologies with effective teaching strategies linked to each student's particular needs and abilities. Students at all levels, from complete beginners through to competent users, make significant progress. There is good linking of various skills, for example, in one lesson, instruction and practice in the use of Braille-Lite was used to teach navigational symbols on a personal computer. This was combined with good reinforcement of the use of a Braille line. There is good general integration of skills development enabling learners to use their Braille skills effectively for independent study. Target setting for Braille students is passed on to progress tutors through email as the college's individual learning plan system is not fully compatible with adaptive software. Some students would benefit from more one-to-one Braille lessons on their timetables. There is only one Braille teacher and no staff cover available when the Braille tutor is absent or has to attend meetings.
69. There is some good development of skills in the extended curriculum; for example, two students went out for a meal having first discussed and decided where to go. One of the students rang the restaurant and booked a table, this was a considerable achievement on her part as she had avoided using the telephone when she first came to the college. The team enterprise scheme integrates aspects of the academic curriculum and skill development, for example, numeracy is incorporated by practising giving change and working out a profit margin; literacy, by students writing up inserts to put into the product in both text and Braille and by taking minutes; IT skills, by sending out the minutes to team members as an attachment; independent study skills, by students having allocated tasks to undertake in their own time; reinforcement of study skills, by reminders to use note takers in class; and the development of skills, by interacting with the public when selling the goods they have made. However, in some cases, skills development is not recorded or shared sufficiently across the curriculum.
70. There are adequate specialist resources for students, however, there are insufficient Braille reading books at entry level and at the time of inspection there was no suitable provision for ESOL students.
71. There is a poor use of individual learning plans to plan, monitor and record students' progress. Individual learning plans contain generalised aims and targets and little in-depth exploration of skills that have already been obtained and skills that need to be developed. For example, the answer to the question `what skills do I need to develop?' was in one case `literacy and number skills' and in another `English, maths and computing'. Long-term targets are also very generalised. Individual learning plans contain few strategies to show students how they can improve their work. For example, one student who has four half-hour slots of private study on his timetable has a target in his individual learning plan to discuss how this time is used. This target does not have any review or achievement dates nor is there any breakdown as to how the student could most profitably use this time. The individual learning plan has standards for students about support and key worker issues but very little related to the academic curriculum. Students are not able to access the individual learning plan on the network. It is very much a tutor-led document with targets written in tutor rather than student language. Some staff are unhappy using an electronic system of individual learning plan and others are unaware that the individual learning plan is an ongoing working document and view it as something to be filled in only at the start of a new student's programme. The outline of schedule and purchase order agreement on the individual learning plan does not always match what is on students' timetables. There is no baseline assessment information on the individual learning plan by which to measure progress and value added. Although reviews are conducted regularly with students, the results of these are not always added to the individual learning plan. In many cases, students are not fully aware of the progress they have made.
72. There is insufficient integration of literacy, numeracy and communication across the curriculum. There are missed opportunities to develop and integrate students' basic skills and Braille skills across the extended curriculum, for example, within the Bell Bar and during social activities. When these skills are developed it is not always noted and shared throughout the college. There is adequate Braille signage in RNIB Vocational College but few notices about current events in Braille to build on Braille skills development, although students have access to notices on the intranet and there is a talking notice board every Friday morning. Students report that although there is textured flooring and contrasting colours in RNIB Vocational College teaching accommodation, some corridor junctions and entrances to classrooms are not clear. Within Loughborough College there is insufficient Braille signage; management are aware of this.
Leadership and management
73. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. There are yearly staff appraisals and varied staff development activities but few are directly related to the teaching of literacy, numeracy and communication. At RNIB Vocational College, there is no overall management of literacy, numeracy and communication and no college-wide strategy for the integration of literacy, numeracy and communication across the curriculum. There are no formalised arrangements for the sharing of information and integration of teaching between the literacy and numeracy team and the Braille tutor. For example, one student was asked to write a letter in Braille the day after she had written one in a literacy lesson at Loughborough College, the Braille tutor was unaware of this. There are inadequate arrangements for staff cover: lessons are cancelled if staff are off sick or attending meetings. There is very little formal sharing of good practice, resources and information between teaching teams. There is no strategy in place to map the curriculum to the new national standards and no strategy for staff to attend core curriculum training; only one member of staff has attended any such training. There are no formal links with the management of literacy, numeracy and communication at Loughborough College. There is, as yet, no strategy for ESOL provision. The self-assessment report identified many of the issues noted by inspectors. The promotion of equal opportunities and diversity is satisfactory.
© CROWN COPYRIGHT 2004. This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non- commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated. Inspection reports are available on the Ofsted web site (www.ofsted.gov.uk).