ITEM 6
BOROUGH OF POOLE
COMMUNITY SUPPORT & EDUCATION SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
16TH SEPTEMBER 2004
POOLE ADULT LEARNING INSPECTION REPORT
& POST INSPECTION ACTION PLAN
For Members reference, copies of the Adult Learning Inpection Report and of the Learning Overview Group 16th March 2004 report on the Poole Adult Learning Financial Business Plan have been placed in the Group Rooms
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) inspected the provision of Poole Adult Learning (PAL) during the week commencing 19th April 2004. This report identifies the main outcomes of the process and explains actions implemented to address identified weaknesses.
1.2 The Post Inspection Quality Improvement Plan has been produced by the Curriculum and Quality Management Teams in the service with a leading consultant and has been scrutinised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and amended accordingly. It has now been forward to ALI as requested by 23rd August 2004.
2. DECISIONS REQUIRED
2.1 To note the outcomes of the inspection.
2.2 To endorse the actions stated in the Post Inspection Quality Improvement Plan.
2.3 To note progress towards implementing the actions listed in the plan.
3. BACKGROUND/INFORMATION
3.1 ALI inspections are carried out in accordance with the Common Inspection Framework to establish whether provision meets the reasonable needs of the learners. A five point grading scale is applied to each curriculum learning area and a separate grade is awarded for leadership and management.
3.2 Provision is deemed inadequate where more than one third of grades for occupational/curriculum areas, or leadership and management are judged to be less than satisfactory.
3.3 In 2003 45% of Local Education Authority provision was graded unsatisfactory in leadership and management. A number of contributory factors have been established in this pattern of results from across the country:
· The breadth and diversity of provision offered
· The varied populations and geographical areas served
· The largely part-time nature of the workforce
· The previous lack of investment in management information systems
· An absence of a prevailing ‘data culture’
· The limited exposure to inspection
· The newness of quality assurance requirements including self-assessment
· The complexities of arrangements through which many LEAs secure provision
(Watters, K. 2004,NIACE)
- Poole Adult Learning Grading outcomes
4.1 Area grades
Grade 1 = outstanding, Grade 2 = good, Grade 3 = satisfactory, Grade 4 = unsatisfactory, Grade 5 = very weak
Leadership and Management / 4Contributory grades:
Equality of Opportunity
Quality Assurance / 3
5
Business administration, management & professional / 3
Information and communications technology (ICT) / 2
Hospitality, sport leisure and travel / 3
Hairdressing & beauty therapy / 4
Visual & performing arts and media / 3
Humanities / 4
English, languages and communications / 4
Foundation programmes / 2
Family learning / 1
4.2 The quality of provision is outstanding in Family learning, good in ICT and foundation programmes, and satisfactory in business administration, management and professional, hospitality, sports, leisure and travel, and visual and performing arts and media. Provision is unsatisfactory in hairdressing and beauty therapy, humanities and English, languages and communications. More specifically the LEAs leadership and management are unsatisfactory. Its approach to equality of opportunity is satisfactory but its arrangements for quality assurance are very weak.
4.3 The inspection report identifies specifically the individual strengths and weaknesses in each graded area. The service demonstrates particular strengths as follows:
· Strong and effective partnership arrangements
· Very effective and productive initiatives to widen participation
· Good support for individual learners
· Improve the accuracy and use of management information
· Ensure that staff and tutors understand and are able to apply systems and procedures
· Continue to improve retention and achievement rates
· Improve learners understanding of equal opportunity
5. POST INSPECTION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN
5.1 The action plan was produced with the Programme Co-ordinators and Curriculum Managers, to address the above generic weaknesses and the specific learning area weaknesses identified in the report.
The plan is written to address the following areas as reported by the inspection team and progress will be monitored by the Quality Manager who will produce a monthly status report against actions.
The action plan is owned by the team who have commenced communicating the actions to their teams of tutors at their network meetings.
5.2 The plan has been costed at £39,869 and budgeted for within PAL’s staff development and resources funds and a request has been made to the LSC to provide an additional contribution. The LSC have acknowledged this having now received the plan and are processing the application.
5.3 The ALI re-inspection lead Inspector, Mr Charles Clark, visited the service on 19th August to commence planning. The re-inspection date has been set for 23rd May 2005, the week before half term.
5.4 All areas will be inspected again with particular reference to monitoring actions implemented since the last inspection. Allowance will be made for the short time scale and what can realistically be achieved in some areas e.g. retention and achievement rates. The service has been asked to produce its own observation of teaching session plan for the inspectors this time.
6 PROGRESS TO DATE
6.1 LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT
The service restructure is in its formal consultation period after a draft structure has been released. In general this has been well received with positive acknowledgement of the additional resource dedicated to curriculum management and quality assurance.
6.1.1 A new Management Information System ‘Learnertrack’ has now been purchased and implemented for September courses. Data for the previous 3 years is currently being transferred. The automated reporting feature of the system allows Curriculum Managers, the Learning Manager and the LSC to have monthly learner profile reports sent by e mail. The range of reports are delivered numerically and in graphs to enable managers to interpret trends in learner profile participation rates and retention and achievement rates.
6.1.2 The Quality Manager is now fully in post and is leading the curriculum and tutor teams in production, distribution and use of a Quality Assurance (QA) Policy and Quality Assurance Toolkit. These completed documents of the toolkit for each course will be stored and audited centrally in preparation for the next inspection. This provides a more transparent QA system for all to monitor and generate the necessary information to inform programme improvements.
6.1.3 The Quality Manager has produced an agenda template for each meeting level within the service to ensure that monitoring of data, quality assurance and progress towards the Post Inspection Development Plan is being regularly discussed, actioned and monitored.
6.1.4 A culture of termly tutor network meetings has been established and scheduled for the year where teaching staff will be paid to attend. The objectives of the meeting are to ensure all staff are using Initial Assessment tools, Individual Learning Plans to record learner’s achievements, Student Surveys and Course Reviews. The meetings will encourage the sharing of good practice and promote the availability of good teaching resources. Tutors will be asked to contribute to the annual Self Assessment Review and formally make recommendations for improvements.
6.1.5 Actions have been taken to promote the learners understanding of equal opportunities and the service’s monitoring of this. The Learner Handbook has been rewritten to clearly state the learners responsibilities and the Equality and Diversity Policy is currently being revised.
6.1.6 A mandatory learner induction checklist has been produced to ensure all tutors fully explain learner’s entitlements, rights and responsibilities. Learners understanding will be analysed through the revised Learner Survey to establish levels of understanding. Learners will be questioned during the Teaching Observation process to verbally confirm their understanding of the complaints, appeals, discrimination, rights and responsibilities knowledge.
7. Area 5 BUSINESS, ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT and PROFESSIONAL (Grade 3, satisfactory)
7.1 The weaknesses identified in this area of learning are specifically critical to the classroom participation of learners in some sessions , inadequate initial assessment and recording of learners needs. The Programme Co-ordinator has implemented a 100% tutor observation schedule with follow up EDI and quality assurance procedures and the sharing of good practice will be shared at termly tutor network meetings.
8 Area 6 INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (Grade 2, good)
8.1 EDI’s and subsequent monitored action plans have commenced with ICT Tutors. The Programme Co-ordinator is delivering formal tutor training meetings to ensure tutors understand and use each element of the Quality Assurance Toolkit.
9. Area 8 HOSPITALITY, SPORT, LEISURE and TRAVEL (Grade 3, satisfactory)
9.1 Pre-course information, advice and guidance has been enhanced through offering all learners an interview with the Programme Co-ordinator. The new Information, Advice and Guidance Officer’s post in the restructure will support all curriculum staff in this function. Course Information sheets have been reviewed to ensure accurate information and expectations of learners is communicated.
9.1.1 The weakness in initial assessment of learners knowledge and skills, the setting of learning goals and subsequent monitoring of progress towards them will be actioned through the use of the new Individual Learning Plan. Use of this will be monitored during teaching observations and at quarterly tutor training sessions and network meetings.
10. Area 9 HAIRDRESSING and BEAUTY THERAPY (Grade 4, unsatisfactory)
10.1 The Learning Manager, Curriculum Manager and Programme Co-ordinator held a meeting with the tutors in this area to ensure full communication of the inspection outcomes, the learning area action plan and the importance of making sufficient improvements before re-inspection. This meeting was well received and staff contributed well to improvements in this area. As the main weakness identified targeted professional codes of practice leading to poor achievement rates, poor dress code, poor punctuality and attendance, the tutors all agreed to start the new academic year in September with a much stricter approach. All learners are being interviewed prior to start and codes of conduct are being stressed. Teaching observations and regular classroom visits will monitor compliance with commercial standards.
10.1.1 The Programme Co-ordinator for this area manages learning area 7 also and will have their part-time contract increased from 18 to 30 hours per week after vacancy clearance approves the restructure. This will enable the offer of more support for tutors and learners.
10.1.2 Termly tutor network meetings have already been scheduled and will ensure the sharing of good practice and the production of a teaching resource file. The use of the Quality Toolkit will be monitored by the Quality Manager and through teaching observations.
11. Area 11 VISUAL and PERFORMING ARTS and MEDIA (Grade 3, satisfactory)
11.1 Termly network meetings have been scheduled to train tutors in the use of recording initial assessment outcomes, linking these to Individual Learning Plans and review of learner’s progress against their identified learning goals. Tutors involvement in the Self Assessment Review will be encouraged as with the sharing of good practice.
12. HUMANITIES (Grade 4, unsatisfactory)
12.1 Poor teaching practice has been reviewed and addressed in this area with individual training plans and recruitment of new staff underway. Tutors with very poor retention and achievement rates are under 1 to 1 monitoring and early teaching observation.
12.1.1 The Programme Co-ordinator has enhanced the pre-course information, advice and guidance and speaks to all learners prior to the programme start. This will ensure learners are fully aware of the requirements of the programme before they start and will aim to reduce early leaver rates. Enhanced attendance monitoring will commence once programmes start in September.
12.1.2 100% tutors are to be observed with subsequent training plans in place for any identified weak classroom practice.
12.1.3 Termly tutor network meetings are scheduled to ensure consistent use of Quality Assurance procedures and to share the good practice amongst the team. New resources are currently being purchased for this area and will be promoted during these meetings.
13. Area 13 ENGLISH, LANGUAGES and COMMUNICATIONS (Grade 4 unsatisfactory)
13.1 Weak achievement rates identified in this area have been attributed to poor pre-course Information, Advice and Guidance and over-use of English in language classes. The Programme Co-ordinator has enhanced the pre-course interview and information to ensure all learners are aware of the requirements of the programmes. Tutors have been made aware of the need to communicate more in the language being taught. This will be monitored through 100% teaching observations.
13.1.1 After a long period of sickness from the previous Programme Co-ordinator some of the tutors had become quite isolated and were not sharing good practice or feeding back issues or quality improvement suggestions. The current Programme Co-ordinator is producing a bi-monthly newsletter to encourage the use of new resources and to communicate important issues. Termly tutor network meetings are scheduled to monitor the use of the Quality Assurance Toolkit and to encourage feedback for improvements to be taken forward in the annual Self Assessment Report Development Plan.
14. Area 14 FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES (Grade 2, good) and Family Learning (Grade 1, outstanding)
14.1 This clearly is the services strongest curriculum area in the delivery of literacy, numeracy, embedded and family learning programmes. Immediately after inspection the Programme Co-ordinators reviewed the Individual Learning Plan documentation and its use and have revised this and communicated to tutors the need to refine the recording of learners achievements in line with the Core Curriculum. Formal training sessions are scheduled. Learners will be encouraged to participate in self study through promoting of this learning method at induction and the distribution of task-based activities.
15. CONCLUSION
15.1 All staff responsible for curriculum and quality are fully aware of the specific needs for improving the learner experience. The mechanisms to ensure that quality issues affecting learners can only be communicated through an established Quality Assurance Framework. The service had previously experienced insufficient resource in curriculum management, quality assurance and staff development in these areas.
15.2 The service restructure has addressed the resource gaps and draws together smaller teams of staff to support each other and share good practice. Now directed by the new Quality Manager post, staff have a clear direction and agenda to work too.