Army Foundation College INSPECTION REPORT
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INSPECTION REPORT Army Foundation College 18 March 2002 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE Grading Inspectors use a seven-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of learning sessions. The descriptors for the seven grades are: • grade 1 - excellent • grade 2 - very good • grade 3 - good • grade 4 - satisfactory • grade 5 - unsatisfactory • grade 6 - poor • grade 7 - very poor. Inspectors use a five-point scale to summarise their judgements about the quality of provision in occupational/curriculum areas and in New Deal options. The same scale is used to describe the quality of leadership and management, which includes quality assurance and equality of opportunity. The descriptors for the five grades are: • grade 1 - outstanding • grade 2 - good • grade 3 - satisfactory • grade 4 - unsatisfactory • grade 5 - very weak. The two grading scales relate to each other as follows: SEVEN-POINT SCALE FIVE-POINT SCALE grade 1 grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 grade 2 grade 4 grade 3 grade 5 grade 4 grade 6 grade 5 grade 7 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE Adult Learning Inspectorate The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) was established under the provisions of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 to bring the inspection of all aspects of adult learning and work-based training within the remit of a single inspectorate. The ALI is responsible for inspecting a wide range of government-funded learning, including: • work-based training for all people over 16 • provision in further education colleges for people aged 19 and over • the University for Industry’s learndirect provision • adult and community learning • training given by the Employment Service under the New Deals. Inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework by teams of full-time inspectors and part-time associate inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in, the work which they inspect. All providers are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff to participate in the inspection as a team member. Inadequate provision A provider’s provision will normally be deemed to be less than adequate where • one third or more of published grades for occupational/curriculum areas and New Deal options are judged less than satisfactory, or • leadership and management are judged to be less than satisfactory The final decision as to whether the provision is inadequate rests with the Chief Inspector of Adult Learning. The overall judgement as to whether the provision is adequate or inadequate is included in the summary section of the inspection report. ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE SUMMARY The provider The Army Foundation College in Harrogate provides work-based learning for young people as part of its training for junior soldiers. There are currently 1,176 learners receiving foundation modern apprenticeship training. Learners work towards a national vocational qualification (NVQ) at level 2 in using information technology and key skills. Overall judgement The quality of the provision is adequate to meet the reasonable needs of those receiving it. The quality of work-based learning in information and communications technology is good. Leadership and management are good. Equality of opportunity and quality assurance are both good. GRADES Leadership and management 2 Contributory grades: Equality of opportunity 2 Quality assurance 2 Information & communications technology 2 Contributory grades: Work-based learning for young people 2 KEY STRENGTHS • good collaborative management to enable learners to succeed • effective measures to encourage continuous improvement in the quality of training • exceptionally high retention and achievement rates • excellent key skills training © 2002 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 1 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE KEY WEAKNESSES • inappropriate vocational qualifications • insufficiently detailed individual learning plans on which to base progress reviews . OTHER IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED • better sharing of information on learners’ progress between civilian and military staff • closer communication on quality assurance between the military and the training subcontractor • greater continuity in the timetabling of instructors 2 © 2002 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE THE INSPECTION 1. Four inspectors spent a total of 16 days at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in March 2002. They interviewed 103 junior soldiers, and examined 30 portfolios of evidence. Inspectors carried out 31 interviews with managers and staff, both military and civilian, and studied AFC’s most recent self-assessment report, which had been produced in December 2001. Inspectors observed 15 learning sessions, as well as assessments. They also attended two management meetings as observers. Grades awarded to learning sessions Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Total Information & 148200 015 communications technology Total 1 4 8 2 0 0 0 15 © 2002 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 3 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE THE PROVIDER AS A WHOLE Context 2. The AFC opened in September 1998 in Harrogate as the result of an initiative by the adjutant general to improve the recruitment and retention of soldiers in the army, in particular the Royal Armoured Corps, the Royal Artillery and the Infantry. The AFC takes young people from all over the United Kingdom who wish to leave school at 16. Most have few general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) qualifications, but all score highly on the army training and recruiting agency’s tests for aptitude and motivation. The AFC has two intakes each year, the main one in September and another in January, and trains up to 1,344 junior soldiers. There are currently 1,176 young people undergoing training. Junior soldiers attend a one-year course of military training integrated with vocational education, taught over a period of 42 training weeks and divided into three terms. After completing six weeks of basic military training, junior soldiers begin a programme of vocational education. All learners are working towards completing a foundation modern apprenticeship framework and are working towards the information technology (IT) NVQ at level 2. Training is funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and also the North Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The AFC employs military personnel to provide all of the military training and subcontracts the teaching and assessment of the foundation modern apprenticeship training programme to a private training organisation. Facilities management for the training programme is provided by an external private contractor, under the private finance initiative (PFI). The training subcontractor is based at the college and has a director on site, supported by a senior management team of four managers. There are three team leaders, who are also internal verifiers and assessors. They are responsible for seven other assessors, some of whom are also internal verifiers. There are two co-ordinators, one for quality assurance and one for IT. There is also a learning resource centre manager, and a learning support team leader with a team of seven learning support assistants. 4 © 2002 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE Work-based learning for young people 3. Training in information and communications technology (ICT) is good. Achievement and retention rates are exceptional, not only for the foundation modern apprenticeship framework and its component parts but also for the additional key skills training which all learners receive. Ninety-five per cent of learners, in the most recent intake to have completed their training, achieved the full apprenticeship framework. 4. Key skills training is excellent. All learners receive key skills training at a higher level than required by the foundation modern apprenticeship framework, working towards key skills in ICT at level 2 and in some cases level 3. Eighty-four per cent of learners, in the most recent intake to have completed their training programme, achieved key skills in application of number and communication at level 2, and a further 14 per cent at level 3. Of the same intake, 95 per cent achieved key skills in IT at level 3. Key skills training is designed and taught to focus on the military experience, and the use of vocationally relevant material maintains learners’ interest and demonstrates the relevance of key skills. In addition, learners work towards the wider key skills through their leadership and initiative training, which is provided by non-commissioned officers, who also carry out the key skills assessments. The achievement rates for the wider key skills have been the same as for the other level 2 key skills. 5. The choice of an NVQ as the main qualification aim within the apprenticeship framework is inappropriate, as it is difficult to match the assessment requirements of the NVQ to the learning environment in which junior soldiers operate. Much effort has been made to ensure that learners collect evidence for their NVQ which is as real as possible. However, all learners follow the same training programme at a similar pace, completing the same 33 tasks to achieve all the units of the NVQ. Learners’ portfolios are all similar and lack individuality. © 2002 ADULT LEARNING INSPECTORATE 5 ARMY FOUNDATION COLLEGE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Grade 2 6. The AFC is headed by a commanding officer who is responsible for all aspects of college management, working within the constraints of the operating statement from the initial training group of the army training and recruiting agency. The foundation modern apprenticeship programme and the extra key skills training are funded by the local LSC, through a letter of intent with the MoD. The AFC subcontracts most of this vocational training, although the wider key skills training and assessment are provided directly by the army, through the military training programme. The director of vocational education, who heads the training subcontractor’s team of trainers and assessors, is seconded from a further education college. The contract with the training subcontractor is monitored by the AFC’s chief instructor. The AFC uses an external contractor to provide facilities management. This contract is monitored by the AFC’s commanding officer, supported by a MoD contract monitoring officer. 7.