This week: Standing alone in this week’s inspections, one prison in Hampshire shows the rest how

A community prison situated in the county of Hampshire, HMP Winchester received largely good marks from Ofsted in its latest inspection.

Operating training classes out of the prison and two other annexes, most of the vocational training is provided at the Westhill annex. Information, advice and guidance is provided to HMP Winchester by a range of providers including Bridge Consultancy, the Department for Work and Pensions and two staff from Southampton City Council.

Education is provided by Milton Keynes College which is subcontracted by the Isle of Wight College. Vocational training is available in horticulture, carpentry and joinery, brickwork, industrial cleaning and physical education.

Ofsted’s report found that the prison had high pass rates of many programmes. Success rates were 68 per cent in ICT at level 2, 85 per cent on Physical education short courses, 91 per cent in barbering and 100 per cent in industrial cleaning.

The report noted that HMP Winchester had very good support and direction from the prison’s senior management team, very effective education strategies and a range of good opportunities across the prison to develop learners” personal and social skills.

Though largely positive, Ofsted point out that the prison needed to work on individual learning plans. The prison’s current plans failed to contain clear progression targets. Many of the recorded learning goals were too brief or vague.

Matthew Sharp

HMP Winchester

Overall effectiveness: Grade 2 (Good)

Capacity to improve: Grade 2

Achievement and standards: Grade 2

Employability training: Grade 2

Literacy, numeracy and ESOL: Grade 2

Personal development and social integration: Grade 2

Quality of provision: Grade 2

Employability training: Grade 2

Literacy, numeracy and ESOL: Grade 3 (Satisfactory)

Personal development and social integration: Grade 2

Leadership and management: Grade 2

Equality of opportunity: Grade 2