Milton Keynes College
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Milton Keynes 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 Summary of grades awarded to teaching and learning by inspectors Achievement and standards Quality of education and training Leadership and management Part C: Curriculum and occupational areas Science and mathematics Engineering Business, administration, management and professional studies Information and communications technology Hospitality and catering Sport, leisure and travel Hairdressing and beauty therapy Health, social care and public services Visual arts and media Humanities English and communication English for speakers of other languages Literacy and numeracy Part D: College data Table 1: Enrolments by level of study and age Table 2: Enrolments by curriculum area and age Table 3: Retention and achievement Table 4: Quality of teaching observed during the inspection by level Basic information about the college Name of college: Milton Keynes College Type of college: General Further Education Principal: Mr Rob Badcock Address of college: Milton Keynes College Chaffron Way Campus Leadenhall Milton Keynes MK6 5LP Telephone number: 01908 684444 Fax number: 01908 684399 Chair of governors: Mr Andrew Peck Unique reference number: 130609 Name of reporting inspector: Bob Avery HMI Dates of inspection: 1-11 March 2004 Part A: Summary Information about the college Milton Keynes College is the only general further education (FE) college within the borough of Milton Keynes. It was created in 1982 by the merger of Bletchley College and Wolverton College. A new campus was opened at Chaffron Way in 1984 and a further wing added in 1993. A new centre at Bletchley was opened in 2002. The college recruits locally and regionally and enrolments to courses expanded by over 60% between 2000 and 2002. At the time of the inspection, some 2,200 full-time and 11,500 part-time students were studying at the college. The college is responsible for managing the training programmes of over 500 work-based learners. Approximately 75% of students are from the Milton Keynes area and 85% are aged 19 or over. Almost 65% of students are female. The population of Milton Keynes is approximately 210,000 and is one of the fastest growing in the country. Despite low unemployment, many wards suffer severe deprivation. In 2003 the proportion of year 11 pupils gaining five or more general certificates of secondary education (GCSEs) at A* to C was below the national average and below the average for the area covered by the Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Learning and Skills Council. The college's curriculum covers the 14 areas of learning and the college operates a sixth form centre at the Chaffron Way campus in collaboration with a nearby school. As part of its strategies for widening participation and workforce development, the college has expanded community outreach work and specialist education and training for some local employers. Provision is offered at three community-based information technology (IT) centres, two outreach centres at community venues and at a training facility located in the main shopping centre. Additionally, the college has strong links with local schools and coordinates the `Increased Flexibility' provision for over 100 pupils from nine schools. It has an established centre for vocational excellence (CoVE) in information and communications technology (ICT); provides education and training in three prisons; has recently established a large distribution learning centre for a major supermarket chain; and is responsible for the Prince's Trust national project in the south-east region and part of the eastern region. The college's mission is to create opportunities for people to achieve their personal, educational and employment goals. How effective is the college? Inspectors judged the provision to be good in one curriculum area, satisfactory in nine curriculum areas, and unsatisfactory in three others. The quality of work-based learning was considered to be satisfactory in three areas and unsatisfactory in one curriculum area. The college's main strengths and areas that should be improved are listed below. Key strengths o above national average pass and retention rates on many courses in hospitality and catering, sport, public services, media and graphic design o increased enrolments o good links with organisations in the wider community o good accommodation and specialist resources o effective support for students o sound financial management. What should be improved o pass and retention rates on many advanced subsidiary-level (AS-level) and general certificate of education advanced-level (GCE A-level) courses, IT courses for adults and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses o completion rates of apprenticeship frameworks o attendance of students at lessons o teaching and learning in some curriculum areas, particularly for 16 to18 year olds o development of key skills o rigour of course review and self-assessment o management of sixth form centre provision. 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 Science and mathematics Unsatisfactory. Students' achievements are unsatisfactory. Whilst there is some good teaching, students are not sufficiently challenged. Teachers provide effective support for students and resources are adequate. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory. Engineering Satisfactory. Work-based learning is satisfactory. Pass rates on some courses are high, but on some others have been consistently poor. Teaching on motor vehicle courses is good, but theory teaching on other courses is uninspiring. Work based learners achieve high standards of work, although framework completions for foundation modern apprenticeships are low. Business, administration, Satisfactory. Work-based learning is satisfactory. Retention and pass management and rates overall are satisfactory with some good pass rates, particularly in professional studies accounting. Students display good numerical skills and there is good progression from level 1 to level 4. Work-based learning is co- ordinated effectively and learners receive good support from the college but there has been low achievement of modern apprenticeship frameworks. Information and Satisfactory. Pass rates on the first diploma in IT are improving and communications above the national average. Retention rates on ICT courses for adults technology at the IT centres, although now improving, has been very poor. Teaching on courses for adults at the three IT centres is good, but teaching on courses for 16 to18 year olds is weak. Self-assessment is insufficiently rigorous. Hospitality and catering Satisfactory. Work-based learning is satisfactory. Retention and pass rates are high on college-based courses but low on work based learning programmes. Learning and assessment materials for national vocational qualification (NVQ) courses are of high quality. Students and trainees receive very good support. There are effective strategies for improving work based learning but quality assurance is insufficiently robust. Sport, leisure and travel Satisfactory. Provision for sport is good. Retention and pass rates are high on sports courses but are low on the general national vocational qualification (GNVQ) advanced leisure and tourism course. Students make good progress in lessons but use IT insufficiently. Managers and teachers provide effective support for students and monitoring procedures have resulted in significant improvements in student attendance and punctuality. Hairdressing and beauty Satisfactory. Work-based learning is unsatisfactory. Pass rates on therapy some courses are high. Completion of apprenticeship frameworks is very poor. Much teaching is good or better. Planning of assessment is poor. Development of key skills is slow. Health, social care and Satisfactory. Pass rates on public service courses and NVQ 2 care public services are high. Retention rates on level 3 childcare and NVQ 2 care courses is above the national averages. Pass rates on childcare courses and retention rates on the foundation award in caring for children course are low. Teachers make effective links between theory and work practice in lessons, but in some lessons teaching does not challenge and motivate all students. Academic and pastoral support are effective. Visual arts and media Good. Pass rates on the majority of courses are high. Retention rates on some other full-time courses are low. Much teaching is good or better. Personal and academic support is effective. Development