Mock RMV Feedback

14 & 15 March 2017

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Happy St Patricks Day!

Purpose of the visit was to:

Promote rapid improvement for all learners

Make clear to the provider, learners and other users what
steps the provider has taken to improve the provision and
how effective these have been
Inform the funding agencies, government departments
and, where relevant, the Further Education Commissioner
or equivalent of the progress made in improving provision
for learners.
Grades
Insufficient progress: progress has been either
slow or insubstantial or both, and the
demonstrable impact on learners has been
negligible
Reasonable progress: action taken by the
provider is already having a beneficial impact on
learners and improvements are sustainable and
are based on the providers thorough quality
assurance procedures
Significant progress: progress has been rapid and
is already having considerable beneficial impact
on learners.
Theme Grade What do we need to do further
Safeguarding Reasonable Keep monitoring, ensuring what is in place is
progress embedded, understood and consistently
applied across all areas and all learners
Quality of TLA Reasonable Continue to address issues of poor and
progress satisfactory learning , teaching and
assessment. Continue on appropriate CPD,
make possible to share best practice. Focus
on English and maths attendance, feedback,
not working to assignments all the time
Improve OTL and Reasonable Continue with graded observation and
support progress learning walks. Share good practice, continue
to address poor performance and celebrate
good and outstanding practice
Theme Grade What do we need to do further

Improve attendance, Reasonabl Continue with monitoring practices, Duty

punctuality, behaviour e progress Managers, bring about further consistency,
continue to have themed events to raise
awareness.
Improve use of data at Reasonabl Continue to improve the quality and use of
all levels e progress data. PAM meetings, monitoring,
triangulation, building better trust in data
and improve its use to ensure timely
intervention for learners
Align provision to LEP Reasonabl Need to work with employers and LEP
and local priorities e progress much better, plan better, get involved and
be involved. Including better work-
placement, better employer engagement
with meaningful impact on learners and
provision for community.
 What actions have been taken to ensure that all safeguarding
arrangements for all groups of learners are effective Reasonable
progress
Appropriate arrangements to safeguard learners are now in place. College managers, working closely with
local authorities and other regional experts, now ensure the more vulnerable learners are safeguarded
effectively. Procedures are better aligned with best practice. For example, an incident procedure, in which
curriculum and security staff coordinated their responses, was trialled successfully in a recent exercise
involving performing arts learners.
Staff have received training in identifying risks and reporting safeguarding concerns, including most
governors. Assessors will complete their planned training in April 2017.
Staff have carried out assessments of potential risks, including for learners aged 14 to 16, so they can
support their learning at college more effectively. College safeguarding action plans highlight key risks, the
progress made against actions and note any further actions they intend to take. However, the plan is not
always clear how successful completion of actions will be measured, what follow-up actions are required
and when these actions should be completed by.
A stronger focus on developing learners safeguarding knowledge is being introduced through themed weeks,
such as a forthcoming drug awareness week. Leaders and managers are considering how best to share
resources with apprentices and off-site learners.
A safe room for learners aged 14 to 16 has been created and staff are reviewing how they can encourage
these young people to use the facility more regularly at lunch times through planned activities.
Learners at the college spoken to during this monitoring visit reported they felt safe in and around the
college.
What actions have been taken to improve the quality of teaching,
learning and assessment swiftly - Reasonable progress
The newly-formed leadership team is fully committed to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and this
is reflected in the enhanced staffing resource, the Teaching and Learning Coaches, and the greater emphasis on the
evaluation of teaching, learning and assessment through graded lesson observations and learning walks that focus on specific
themes.
This emphasis means that teachers now receive more comprehensive professional development activities, specifically
tailored to the weaknesses identified through the work of inspection and that identified through the observation of lessons.
Recent professional development workshops including effective questioning and behaviour management of learners. For
example, a whole-college workshop to provide appropriate challenge to individual learners in lessons has improved the way
teachers plan for learning. In addition, a broad range of podcasts are currently being developed that will enable teachers to
develop their skills at other times.
The large majority of teachers and support workers are enthusiastic and fully support the colleges drive for improvement.
They instil a culture of high aspirations to their learners, most of whom are eager to learn and actively engaged in lessons.
For example, during an early years lesson, groups of learners devised and posed quizzes to each other. The questions were
relevant and specific to the topics being learnt and the teacher was skilful in maintaining an excited but controlled learning
atmosphere.
The experiences gained by learners during work placements is used effectively to enrich their vocational lessons. Learning
support assistants provided strong support, not just to their nominated learners but to the rest of the class as well.
Too much lesson time is allocated to learners to write-up assignments. During this time, little input or teaching is given to
support the learners. Teachers are not ensuring learners develop good independent learning skills. Not enough sessions are
timetabled for learners to complete homework and their assignments outside of lessons.
The development of English and mathematical skills during vocational lessons is now given a higher profile than previously.
Managers identify these skills through the observation of lessons, although more rigorous auditing of the integration of
English and mathematics skills, for example in schemes of work and lesson plans, would further extend the profile of this
work.
What actions have been taken to ensure that the observation of
teachers practice is strengthened to drive improvements in
teaching, learning and assessment? Reasonable progress

Since the last RMV, a new Director of Quality was appointed and leaders have reviewed the colleges procedures for
improving the judging the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. A well-trained team of observers is now
assembled who all have successfully gained external accreditation for their observational skills. They have
instigated more rigorous systems to observe lessons and improve teachers skills, carrying out regular learning
walks, with identified themes, and graded lesson observations. Their judgements are accurate and they provide
insightful comments to help teachers improve their teaching practices.
Teachers report anecdotally that they particularly value the learning walks because of the rapid and accurate
feedback they receive. However, no formal evaluation of this process has taken place.
Key points from the observation of teaching, learning and assessment are collated into a database, to inform the
overall evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses. Senior and curriculum managers thus gain a more informed and
critical perspective of the quality of the colleges provision. This information also shapes the professional
development activities planned.
Several initiatives are being introduced to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. A rudimentary
Peer excellence forum comprised of teachers graded as outstanding is being formed. It is planned that this group
will lead on peer support between teachers and to extend the sharing of good practice across the college. Regular
drop-in advice sessions now take place in which teachers can receive advice from an experienced coach to support
improvements in teaching and learning.
What actions have been taken to ensure that learners attendance,
punctuality and behaviour are good? Reasonable progress

Leaders, managers and staff are monitoring attendance rigorously, including each aspect of the study programme.
Monthly rewards for full attendance have been introduced recently to motivate learners to attend well. Attendance
monitors identify absence and contact learners and their parents/carers to establish swiftly the reasons behind any
absence; teachers follow up persistent absence. While learners attendance is improving overall, it is still not high
enough, and managers recognise a gap remains between attendance on main courses and English and mathematics
lessons, where attendance is lower. At the time of this monitoring visit, attendance is currently high in motor
vehicle and business, but low in sport, English and mathematics.
The absence of vulnerable learners, other than for learners in care, is not identified specifically so that contact
with these learners can be prioritised. Learners spoken to on this monitoring visit report that punctuality and
absence are tackled promptly and consistently. Parents/carers now receive half-termly reports on learners
attendance.
The college has increased the number of security officers and established more rigorous procedures for duty
managers. This has enabled better monitoring of behaviour in and around the college, including more patrols
around the college perimeter. Managers have clear roles and responsibilities to support good behaviour; for
example, speaking with learners to establish where they should be, visiting communal areas and liaising with
security staff. Behaviour seen in lessons, and in and around the college, was good on this monitoring visit. Learners
spoken to reported that teachers deal with any instances of poor behaviour swiftly and consistently.
 What actions have been taken to ensure that the progress of
learners and apprentices is monitored rigorously and governors,
leaders and managers understand accurately the strengths and
weaknesses of the provision? Reasonable progress
Leaders and managers have established more rigorous systems for ensuring the accurate tracking and monitoring of learners
progress. Predicted achievement rates are now calculated and show the current worst-case scenario for achievement; this
enables staff to carry out targeted work with underachieving groups to raise attainment rates.
Introducing the use of electronic software (eTrackr) is now providing more useful information on the way individual learners
targets are being held centrally. This ensures curriculum and senior managers are kept informed of the progress of individual
learners, and the performance of courses, and enable staff to carry out further work when there is underperformance.
However, some aspects of the eTrackr require refinement to ensure all performance indicators are accurate.
Monitoring and updating the actions in the quality improvement plan/post-inspection action plan (QIP) now takes place
regularly and so governors, leaders and stakeholders are kept informed effectively. For example, a newly-introduced
Governors dashboard will provide governors with support when monitoring key performance indicators more effectively.
However, although key performance indicators for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment are discussed, not all
governors have a clear oversight from personal experience of the quality of teaching and learning.
The college has introduced regular performance appraisal meetings, chaired by the deputy principal, to monitor the
progress of QIP actions. This enables senior managers to take remedial action if required when targets are not being met.
Senior managers acknowledge that the QIP is becoming unwieldy and needs to be streamlined to aid more efficient
monitoring.
The characteristics of teaching, learning and assessment currently in the QIP are sparsely described, with little details of
strengths and areas of development. Senior managers have developed a database that collates the key points of graded
observations and learning walks and there are immediate plans to enrich the QIP with the characteristics of teaching,
learning and assessment, along with actions to improve weaknesses identified in teachers practice.
What actions have been taken to ensure that leaders and
managers work effectively with the local enterprise partnership,
employers and community organisations to ensure the range and
content of all provision is aligned to local and regional priorities?
Reasonable progress
Governors are in the process of finalising the restructure for expanding work with employers and the local
community. Leaders and managers are focusing more strongly on activities and courses that respond to the
skills and training needs of employers, local and regional priorities and on expanding the business enterprise
skills of study programme learners. It is still too early to comment on the impact of much of this work.
At the time of this monitoring visit, many interesting and relevant initiatives are still at planning stage.
Examples of courses proposed for the summer and autumn terms include: training to prepare unemployed
adults for work in retail and customer service roles through Jobcentre Plus; short courses in construction
trades; and a new foundation degree in early years.
Links with key local employers and community groups are being forged, including with the local enterprise
partnership and Chamber of Commerce. A skills board is being created, chaired by the principal, to explore
how best the college can support growth along the M11 corridor, to enable staff to respond to skills and
training requirements more effectively.
Leaders are reviewing curriculum development proposals to ensure they are financially viable and that
appropriate resources are available, utilising existing staff where possible. Governors have set an overall
target for income generation in the current year, which managers report they are on target to achieve.
Through improved employer and community links, staff have been able to expand the work experience
placements on offer to study programme learners, resulting in more learners being placed in a setting or
role that better matches their career goals and aspirations.