ISC Inspection findings
2010-2011
Joyce Deere HMI
18 May 2011
Grades: Sept 2009- Mar 2011
21 Colleges
grade
OE
CI
O
QP LM
S
ED
1
3
3
3
3
3
5
1
2
7
7
10 8
7
8
6
3
9
9
7
9
9
7
12
4
2
2
1
1
3
1
2
Grades: April 2010 - Mar 2011
13 Colleges
grade
OE
CI
O
QP LM
S
ED
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
0
2
4
4
7
5
4
6
2
3
7
7
4
6
6
4
10
4
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Inspection Grades of Independent Specialist Colleges
September 2009 to March 2011 (21 colleges)
Equality & Diversity
Safeguarding
Leadership & Management
Quality of Provision
Outcomes for Learners
Capacity to Improve
Overall Effectiveness
0%
10%
Grade 1
20%
30%
Grade 2
40%
50%
Grade 3
60%
70%
Grade 4
80%
90%
100%
Inspection Grades of Independent Specialist Colleges
April 2010 to March 2011 (13 colleges)
Equality & Diversity
Safeguarding
Leadership & Management
Quality of Provision
Outcomes for Learners
Capacity to Improve
Overall Effectiveness
0%
10%
Grade 1
20%
30%
Grade 2
40%
50%
Grade 3
60%
70%
Grade 4
80%
90%
100%
Inspection Outcomes 2009-2011
Grade one: outcomes

Progression routes are excellent. The college has outstanding
success in supporting learners to gain employment. Over the
past two years, through excellent local partnerships, 100% of
leavers have gained sheltered employment averaging about 25
hours per week. The use of robust destination data
demonstrates that the employment is sustained over time.

Target setting is rigorous and well informed by the outcomes
of thorough multidisciplinary assessments. High quality PCLPs
are detailed and comprehensive. They empower learners and
inspire them to achieve the targets they have set themselves.
Each learner is responsible for updating their PCLP with
personal progress and achievement.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: outcomes

Learners make exceptional progress. Outcomes are
outstanding and highly focused on meeting individual need.
The college is very successful in raising the self-esteem and
confidence of learners and promoting self-advocacy. Young
people develop highly effective communication and personal
skills and are enabled to participate actively as valuable
members of the wider community.

A rigorous analysis of destination data clearly demonstrates
that learners make excellent progress in achieving their longterm goals and in a range of national awards from pre-entry
level to level 2. Excellent use of alternative and augmentative
communication systems gives learners the ability to make
choices and express their opinions.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: outcomes

Students make exceptional progress in developing practical
craft skills to a very high standard. Self-confidence increases
significantly and students develop social and communication
skills and their ability to manage their own behaviour
particularly well

Progression is excellent and the majority of students move into
further education, training or employment when they leave the
college.

Outcomes are outstanding. Achievements of national awards
are excellent.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: outcomes

Outcomes for students have not improved since the previous
inspection and in some cases success rates have declined. The
college has no systems in place to evaluate the effectiveness
of the achievement of targets.

The college does not keep adequate records of success rates
and does not track progress on an annual basis. Destinations
data have not been adequately analysed.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: quality of provision

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Teaching is strongly
learner centred. All teaching involves real practical tasks which
engage students’ interest and enthusiasm. Behaviour
management is excellent. Tutors are highly skilled in their own
specialism and developing students’ communication and
practical numeracy skills.

However, the teaching of reading and writing skills is not yet
sufficiently developed.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: quality of provision

Teaching is of a very high standard. Teachers skilfully use a
wide range of strategies to engage, challenge and raise
learners’ aspirations. Comprehensive lesson planning ensures
an excellent focus on matching learners’ individual needs. Staff
promotion of learner interaction in lessons is exceptional.

Assessment processes are outstanding. The trans-disciplinary
approach leads to rigorous, well-used initial and baseline
assessment. Comprehensive person centred plans ensure that
all learner programmes are highly individualised. Individual
learner goals and targets are very specific, challenging and
clearly linked to long-term aims
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: teaching and learning

The promotion of individual learning is outstanding. Highly
qualified teaching staff and specialist therapists work very well
together. They use a highly effective trans-disciplinary
approach to minimise barriers to learning and set high
standards of achievement. The promotion of communication,
social interaction and independence in lessons is particularly
effective.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: teaching and learning

Teachers do not use appropriate methods to engage students
and activities are not planned to meet their diverse needs.
Teachers do not use information and learning technology (ILT)
to enliven sessions, and the resources and use of language are
not always appropriate for adult students.

Teachers do not make sufficient use of assessment information
to identify individual targets. Too many targets are unspecific
or simply copied from qualification specifications. They are
insufficiently focused on students’ vocational work or life goals.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: meeting needs and interests

The college’s approach to meeting the needs and interests of
learners is outstanding. A comprehensive and detailed
curriculum framework minimises the impact of autism
spectrum condition (ASC). Staff reduce barriers to learning and
enable learners to use their disability to their advantage. For
example, obsessive attention to detail is turned into a key
strength in retail and production activities.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: meeting needs and interests

The highly innovative and inclusive curriculum has a strong
and relevant focus on disability arts. A wide range of practical
activities motivates learners to succeed and to improve their
Skills for Life. Excellent opportunities are created for learners
to progress between levels of courses.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: meeting needs and interests

The range of programmes and resources available to students
is outstanding. Students have individually designed flexible
programmes chosen from an unusually wide range of options.
They receive maximum personal attention from working in
very small groups. Work experience opportunities are very
good. The living skills programme is excellent. Students enjoy
a good variety of enrichment activities.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: meeting needs and interests

The curriculum at the College site does not provide sufficient
opportunity for learners to progress and work placement
opportunities are not yet adequate. The curriculum is still in
the early stages of development, with too much focus on the
requirements of qualifications. It does not fit well with a
person-centred approach.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: partnership working

Partnership working is outstanding and a major strength of the
college. Links with a wide range of employers, schools, further
education (FE) colleges, community groups and local
authorities provide excellent work placements.

Outstanding social enterprise is used to increase employer
engagement and to identify and extend opportunities for
developing skills in real work situations.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: support, care and guidance

The college provides outstanding levels of care, guidance and
support. The preentry three-day assessment is exceptionally
thorough and supports students to identify and develop
strategies to manage their own behaviour. Students benefit
greatly from an extensive range of therapeutic support.
Transition planning is highly effective
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: support, care and guidance

The arrangements for care, guidance and support are
outstanding. Individual behaviour support plans are highly
effective and encourage learners to identify and address their
own difficulties and take increased responsibility for
themselves. Transition planning is highly effective.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: support, care and guidance

The arrangements for care, guidance and support are
excellent. The management of learners’ severe and challenging
behaviour is extremely good. Individual behaviour support
plans are outstanding and encourage learners to identify and
address their own difficulties
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: safeguarding

The promotion of safeguarding is outstanding. The college has
created a highly effective learning environment underpinned
by rigorous safeguarding practices. A well-developed culture of
informed risk taking and comprehensive, well monitored risk
assessments ensure that these vulnerable learners can
participate in a range of practical and community-based
activities.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: safeguarding

The college has outstanding procedures and practices to
ensure that students are kept safe. These are executed
rigorously in a climate that nevertheless encourages students
to understand, identify and manage risk for themselves,and
ultimately take responsibility for their own safety. (1)

Safeguarding is a particular strength of the college. Policies
and procedures are robust and are successfully implemented.
The college has strong links with the local safeguarding board
and is highly regarded for its work and expertise in this area
(2)
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: safeguarding

The college has outstanding safeguarding and safety practices
for all environments experienced by learners. Good
relationships with the local safeguarding board contribute to
the highly effective support and training for staff. (1)

Arrangements to secure the safeguarding of learners are
excellent. Staff and students have a very clear understanding
of all aspects of health and safety. Risk assessments are
extensive and very effective. (2)
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: safeguarding

Safeguarding is inadequate. The college has appropriate
policies and all staff have had Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
checks. However, the college has not systematically reported
incidents to governors and the recording and follow up of
incidents are inadequate. The college does not carry out
checks to ascertain whether agency staff have had adult and
child protection training and not all staff enforce protective
safety procedures.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: equality and diversity

The promotion of equality and diversity permeates all activities
in the college. Meticulous analysis and evaluation of learners’
performance identifies those at risk of underachieving and
removes barriers to learning. Governors and managers have
ensured that appropriate policies and procedures are in place.
Annual reports to the board monitor staff employment well,
but information on the performance of individual and groups of
learners is more limited.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: equality and diversity

The promotion of equality and diversity is inadequate. The
promotion and monitoring of equality and diversity are not
sufficiently embedded across the college. The single equality
scheme and impact assessments are insufficiently developed
and equality and diversity targets lack challenge.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: equality and diversity

The promotion of equality and diversity is inadequate. The
college has been slow to respond to equalities legislation.
Learner achievement data and wider equality data, including
for staff are not analysed or monitored sufficiently to identify
any significant variation over time and to ensure all potential
discrimination is avoided. The promotion of equality through
the curriculum is improving but is not yet consistent
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

The college has outstanding capacity to improve. Since the last
inspection, the management structure has been significantly
revised to create a more inclusive and responsive community.
This has been achieved without compromising the core
principles by which the college operates, and has been
accompanied by a substantial rise in students’ achievements to
an outstanding level, and in the proportion of lessons which
have been judged to be good or outstanding. The rate and
extent of progress made over the last four years is impressive.
The college knows itself very well.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

Quality assurance and self-assessment are conducted
collaboratively, are highly evaluative and enable the college to
identify accurately strengths and areas for further
development. Senior leaders and trustees are highly ambitious
for the further development of the college, yet pragmatic in
their business and financial planning for the future. With
excellent morale, outstanding promotion of staff training,
vigorous engagement of students in the daily life of their
college and an underlying set of principles that give academic
weight and philosophical coherence to all that it does on
behalf of students, the college is extremely well poised to
make and sustain yet further improvement.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

The college has outstanding capacity to improve. It has a successful
track record of meeting challenging targets. Excellent progress has
been made in addressing all of the areas for improvement from the
last inspection, most of which are now strengths. A clear strategic
direction for the college to become a centre of excellence has been
established. Leaders have implemented a management restructure
that has increased levels of accountability. Arrangements for quality
improvement and self-assessment are rigorous and support year-onyear improvements. Governors know the college very well and are
committed to its success. Sound financial management has improved
the position of the college. Support from ……… is ensuring that the
college has the plans in place to secure its future.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

Leaders have implemented a management restructure that has
increased levels of accountability. Arrangements for quality
improvement and self-assessment are rigorous and support
year-on-year improvements. Governors know the college very
well and are committed to its success. Sound financial
management has improved the position of the college. Support
from ……… is ensuring that the college has the plans in place
to secure its future.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

The college’s capacity to improve is outstanding. The chief
executive and trustees effectively oversee sustained
improvements in all aspects of provision. National and local
priorities provide the firm basis of highly effective strategic
planning. Senior managers inspire staff and learners to exceed
challenging targets. Excellent local partnerships successfully
contribute to the outstanding achievement of all learners
gaining sustained sheltered employment and independent
living. The college has implemented significant improvements
in all aspects of the provision since the last full inspection.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade one: capacity to improve

All strengths have been maintained and all areas for
improvement effectively addressed so that many are now
significant strengths. The process of self-assessment is
comprehensive, rigorous, fully inclusive and used successfully
to secure improvements. A clear and detailed development
plan, and termly quality reports, support the strong culture of
continuous improvement. Management structures are clear
and well defined with highly effective mentoring and
supervision process. Outstanding training opportunities ensure
that staff develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to
recognise and interpret the complex needs of learners with
autism spectrum condition (ASC).
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: capacity to improve

The college has not shown improvement since the
previous inspection and many areas for
improvement remain, with slow progress made. The
college continues not to provide adequate
information in the self-assessment report about the
overall performance of students, and the systems
for measuring the progress of students over time
are in the early stages of development.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: capacity to improve

Governors have not set the college targets and have not
required the college to provide reports on performance, or on
specific issues such as safeguarding incidents or the equalities
action plan. The merging of the college with the school has not
been implemented appropriately for students in a further
education college. The college has not ensured that its staff
are adequately trained to meet skills for life requirements, and
further staff training is required to meet the increasingly
complex needs of the students. The college is still in the
process of restructuring and defining its management roles.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: capacity to improve

Progress against the two areas for improvement identified at the last
inspection is inadequate. The monitoring and recording of individual
achievement is still variable in quality and the college’s response to
equalities legislation remains a significant area for attention. In
addition, the college has not sustained all of its previous strengths. The
college’s recent restructure has yet to be fully embedded and lines of
accountability are not explicit enough. The self assessment report was
overly positive about most aspects of provision and in many cases
judgements were not substantiated with robust evidence or data.
Overall, cross-college quality improvement arrangements are not
thorough or cohesive and target setting is imprecise. Staff are
committed to the college and learners’ well-being. Resources and
accommodation are of a high standard and financial management is
sound.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Grade four: capacity to improve

Progress against the two areas for improvement identified at the last
inspection is inadequate. The monitoring and recording of individual
achievement is still variable in quality and the college’s response to
equalities legislation remains a significant area for attention. In
addition, the college has not sustained all of its previous strengths.
The college’s recent restructure has yet to be fully embedded and
lines of accountability are not explicit enough. The self assessment
report was overly positive about most aspects of provision and in
many cases judgements were not substantiated with robust evidence
or data. Overall, cross-college quality improvement arrangements are
not thorough or cohesive and target setting is imprecise. Staff are
committed to the college and learners’ well-being. Resources and
accommodation are of a high standard and financial management is
sound.
Inspection Outcomes 2010-2011
Trends





Safeguarding a strength

Lower number of outstanding colleges
Outcomes better than other aspects
Too much leadership and management just satisfactory
Equality and diversity significantly lower than other aspects
Too much quality of provision just satisfactory: teaching and
learning is the main grade