Uxbridge College REPORT FROM THE INSPECTORATE 1998-99 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 01203 863000 Fax 01203 863100 Website http://www.fefc.ac.uk © FEFC 1999 You may photocopy this report and use extracts in promotional or other material provided quotes are accurate, and the findings are not misrepresented. Contents Paragraph Summary Context The college and its mission 1 The inspection 5 Curriculum areas Mathematics and computing 8 Engineering 14 Business 20 Hairdressing and beauty therapy 27 Social sciences 32 ESOL and foundation programme 37 Cross-college provision Support for students 44 General resources 50 Quality assurance 57 Governance 67 Management 75 Conclusions 86 College statistics Uxbridge 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 expected completions, which is the between strengths and weaknesses. number of initial enrolments on The descriptors for the grades are: qualifications where the student expected to complete the qualification in a given • grade 1 – outstanding provision which has year. For example, a student on a many strengths and few weaknesses two-year programme who began their • grade 2 – good provision in which the programme in October 1995, would appear strengths clearly outweigh the weaknesses in the results for 1996-97 because this is • grade 3 – satisfactory provision with the year in which they expected to strengths but also some weaknesses complete 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 the the strengths students have completed as expected (or are continuing with the prospect of late • grade 5 – poor provision which has few completion). For programmes of study of strengths and many weaknesses. two years or more, retention is calculated Audit conclusions are expressed as good, across the whole programme, that is, from adequate or weak. the start to the end of the qualification Aggregated grades for aspects of cross-college • as an achievement rate, which is the provision and curriculum areas, for colleges number of qualifications students have inspected during 1997-98, are shown in the fully achieved as a percentage of following table. completed qualifications with a known outcome. Partial achievements are not Grade shown. 12345 %%%%% Curriculum areas 9 60 29 2 – Cross-college provision 18 54 24 4 – Source: Quality and Standards in Further Education in England 1997-98: Chief inspector’s annual report Sample size: 108 college inspections Summary Uxbridge College Strategies to improve both achievements and retention are being implemented; the impact on Greater London Region achievement rates has been more marked. There is an effective staff appraisal and staff Inspected March 1999 development system. Accommodation and resources generally are good. New building Uxbridge College is a general further education works currently being carried out will create a college in the London borough of Hillingdon. new community campus on the college’s site at The college produced a self-assessment report Hayes. The college should improve: students’ which identified most of the key strengths and achievements on some courses; students’ weaknesses of its provision. The report did not attendance and retention; the analysis of always place sufficient emphasis on weaknesses students’ achievements; the quality of some in students’ achievements. teaching; and the use of performance indicators The college offers a wide range of courses in within programme reviews. nine of the 10 programme areas funded by the The grades awarded as a result of the inspection FEFC. Provision in six of these areas was are given below. inspected, together with aspects of cross-college provision. Courses are well managed. Support for students is outstanding. The college is successfully widening participation and introducing inclusive approaches to learning. There is effective governance by a corporation which has a valuable range of skills and expertise amongst its members. There is strong leadership from senior managers, which has resulted in significant improvements to the college’s financial position, its accommodation and other resources, and links with external agencies. Communications within the college are good and there is an effective strategic planning process. There is a strong commitment amongst staff to the continuous review and improvement of provision. Curriculum area Grade Cross-college provision Grade Mathematics and computing 4 Support for students 1 Engineering 3 General resources 2 Business 2 Quality assurance 2 Hairdressing and beauty therapy 1 Governance 2 Social sciences 3 Management 2 ESOL and foundation programme 2 Uxbridge College 1 Context The College and its Mission 4 West London is a major area for international business investment and has many 1 Uxbridge College is a general further thriving industries, particularly those which education college situated in the London employ advanced technologies. There has been borough of Hillingdon on the outer fringes of rapid economic development of the area. The West London. The college provides courses in skills levels of Hillingdon residents are average nine of the 10 programme areas funded by the when compared with those of residents in other Further Education Funding Council (FEFC). Greater London boroughs. However, the skills These courses lead to an extensive range of demands of employers in Hillingdon and the qualifications from entry level to higher surrounding area cannot entirely be met from education. The college operates in a very local residents. Despite the economic prosperity competitive environment. In the borough there of the area, there are pockets of social are 12 grant-maintained secondary schools and deprivation and educational underachievement. three secondary schools maintained by the local There are increasing numbers of asylum seekers authority; most of these schools have sixth form and refugees who live in the area. The college provision. There are also three special schools. works with external agencies and through There are seven further education sector outreach activities with young people and adults colleges within a 10-mile radius of the college. to widen participation amongst groups who do 2 The college is the only further education not normally enter further education. It is college in Hillingdon. In February 1999, there within this context that the mission of the were 6,621 students at the college, of whom college seeks ‘to contribute to the increased 42% study full time and 58% part time. Over competitiveness of the local and regional 30% are 16 to 18 year olds and nearly 70% are economy and, through education and training, over 19. Full-time student numbers have grown improve prosperity and enhance the life chances by 34% since the college was last inspected. of individuals’. Just over half of the students come from Hillingdon, including an increasing number from The Inspection the less-prosperous eastern and southern areas of the borough. In 1995-96, students from 5 The college was inspected in March 1999. minority ethnic groups accounted for 42% of the Before the inspection, inspectors considered college’s population. This figure rose to 53% in the college’s self-assessment report. They also 1997-98. By comparison, 15% of the population reviewed information from other directorates of Hillingdon is of minority ethnic origin. The of the FEFC which included data on students’ unemployment rate in Hillingdon is 2.6%. achievements for the three years from 1995 to 1997 derived from the individualised student 3 The college has two campuses which are record (ISR). Further data provided by the located in Uxbridge and Hayes. The Uxbridge college on students’ achievements in 1998 were campus is extensive, with modern buildings. checked against class registers and pass lists The Hayes site is being redeveloped in from the examining bodies. The college was partnership with the local authority and the given two months notice of the sample