Ofsted round-up – This week: Good results from three colleges

East Berkshire College, Berkshire

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Good: contributory grade 2

Sector subject areas:

Health, social care and early years Satisfactory: Grade 3

Engineering and motor vehicle Good: Grade 2

Construction Good: Grade 2

Visual and performing arts and media Good: Grade 2

Literacy, numeracy and key skills Outstanding: Grade 1

English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) Good: Grade 2

 

East Berkshire College is situated on the towns of Slough and Windsor, and operates in a competitive educational environment that includes two nearby FE colleges as 12 local schools with sixth forms. In 2007/08, the large college enrolled 11,078 learners and just over half were adults. It also holds a massive work-based learning contract with some 500 apprentices, oh whom one third are on advanced apprenticeships. The college’s mission is "to provide high quality education so that our learners, whatever their ability, reach their potential".

Overall, Ofsted said East Berkshire College is a good institution, with a good capacity to improve. There has evidently been major improvement in long course success rates over the past two years, and in 2007/08, success rates for all learners on long courses were above average. In the last inspection, the quality of provision in work-based was inadequate, bit now has been rated as good overall. However, inspectors pointed to its inconsistency across a range of subjects.

Attendance and punctuality, which although judged as good, are also an area for improvement in a significant minority of the college’s provision. The report adds that the quality of provision and teaching are good, and are able to successfully develop a learner’s personal and vocational skills. Whereas the promotion of equality and diversity is good, inspectors did now that "the reinforcement of equality and diversity in lessons and learner reviews is sometimes insufficient".

 

Halesowen College, West Midlands

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Good: contributory grade 2

 

Halesowen College is a tertiary college situated eight miles West of Birmingham in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. Its number of full-time learners increased to 3,524 in 2007/08, from 2,780 in 2004/05. Additionally, there are 291 part-time learners aged 16 to 18 funded by the Learning and Skills Council, and 253 adults studied full-time and 1,481 studied part-time. The college has a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Professional Accountancy Support Services.

The overall effectiveness at the college was deemed as good as are achievement and standards. The report notes "overall success rates are well above the national average and are outstanding at levels 1 and 2 for all learners, including those aged 14 to 16". The substantial level 3 provision was satisfactory, and Train to Gain and learning success rates were said to be good and improving, with learners developing good workplace skills.

The college has also increased the proportion of good or better teaching substantially, meaning teaching and learning are now good. Although learners with additional learning requirements enjoyed their lessons, the are not always challenged sufficiently. According to Ofsted, Halesowen’s response to meeting the needs and interests of learners and employers "and its approach to educational and social inclusion are outstanding".

 

Strode’s College, Surrey

 

Summary of grades awarded:

Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2

Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2

Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2

Quality of provision Good: Grade 2

Leadership and management Good: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity Good: contributory grade 2

Sector subject areas:

Science and mathematics Satisfactory: Grade 3

Information and communication technology Good: Grade 2

Arts and media Good: Grade 2

Languages, literature and culture Good: Grade 2

 

Strode’s College caters for full-time 16-18 year olds and also for adults, who are mostly on a part-time basis. It has 1,214 full-time students, and roughly 90 per cent of them are studying at least one level 3 course, and 2,000 adult students. About six per cent of full-time equivalent students are adults and the majority of these study courses at level 1. In the past year, Stode’s College has constructed a new student centre which provides pastoral and learning support, leisure centre facilities and a new classroom block.

Overall, Strode’s College was given a good rating for effectiveness of provision, and achievement and standards are also good. The report says "Success rates improved faster than the national average for sixth form colleges, from well below average in 2004/05 to above average in 2007/08. Students achieve well irrespective of their ethnic heritage, gender and whether or not they have learning difficulties and/or disabilities".

However, although teaching and learning are good, inspectors said the pace of improvement across curriculum areas is variable. In addition although the lesson observation system is rigorous and improves the quality of teaching skills, it "is not consistently effective in addressing lack of appropriate challenge for students in knowledge and skills on a minority of lessons".