UTC Swindon

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About UTC Swindon


Name UTC Swindon
Website http://www.utcswindon.co.uk
Inspections
Ofsted Inspections
Executive Principal Mrs Samantha Knowlton
Address Bristol Street, Swindon, SN1 5ET
Phone Number 01793207920
Phase Academy
Type University technical college
Age Range 14-19
Religious Character Does not apply
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 184
Local Authority Swindon
Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending UTC Swindon. They attend regularly, are punctual and are smartly dressed. In most classes, pupils behave well and show positive attitudes and genuine interest in their studies.

Pupils have chosen to attend the college because of its engineering and digital technology specialisms. Their learning is enriched through the high-quality resources available in the college and in the vast network of local and national employers that the college works with. Pupils particularly value the projects and assignments that employers set and the visits to various workplaces.

At breaks and lunchtime, the college is a calm and orderly place. Pupils, and their pare...nts, comment on the good behaviour. Pupils report that bullying is very rare.

Where there are any unkind behaviours, the vast majority of pupils comment how well staff work with pupils to resolve these. Consequently, relationships between pupils are positive. The number of exclusions has fallen sharply.

The quality of education is not yet good enough. The curriculum plans are well thought through and include many interesting, often practical, activities. However, in some classes, they are not always enacted well.

Teachers pay too little attention on the basics of writing well and basic mathematics calculations, such as times tables, across subjects.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Across subjects, staff have planned their courses well. These allow pupils to build their subject knowledge over time.

However, the quality of education is too variable.

Many pupils struggle to record their thoughts in writing. Across the subjects, pupils' writing is weak.

They write relatively little and their spelling, punctuation and grammar are poor. Teachers do not insist on the same high standards as they do when pupils are completing practical tasks. Similarly, staff too readily accept poorly presented work or work that is not complete.

Teachers assess pupils' work regularly, but they do not insist that pupils finish tasks or make corrections.

Reading has not been prioritised within the college. Some staff shy away from asking pupils to read aloud as pupils are not confident readers.

Very few pupils read for pleasure. Leaders are aware of this and have set out their expectations, but this has not been rolled out to staff or pupils yet.

Teachers do not have the precise information they need about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The information they have is heavily focused on pupils' personal development and too little on their academic needs. As a result, learning is not planned well enough to meet these pupils needs.

Over recent years, outcomes at the end of key stage 4 and the sixth form have been low.

Current pupils are doing much better, although they are still not achieving as highly as they should.Leaders have worked tirelessly to improve the college's work. This has been most successful in their work with employers.

High-quality work experience placements, visits to employers, assignments that local and national employers have set, and mentoring have enhanced the college's work no end. Pupils engage fully in these and employers are delighted with UTC Swindon pupils. Pupils develop the personal attributes that employers are looking for.

Consequently, the proportion of pupils who go on to apprenticeships in engineering or digital technology is high. Increasingly, sixth-form students are securing higher or degree apprenticeships. Similarly, year on year an increasing number of students carry on to undergraduate degrees at university.

This is a good reflection of the high-quality careers advice and guidance that pupils receive.

The personal professional development course that all pupils follow prepares them well to survive and succeed in life. They learn about how to manage their money, particularly when they do not have much.

They also gain some insight to different religions and cultures although this is not as strong as it should be. Pupils do not show a strong understanding of the world around them, now or in the past. Although some subject teachers try to include this in their teaching, there is no clear plan for developing an understanding or appreciation for this.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils are taught well about the risks that they might face in the community and online. This helps them to devise strategies to avoid harm.

Staff are suitably trained in safeguarding. They are aware of their role in keeping pupils safe and use their training to identify when things might not be quite right in a pupils' life. Leaders are effective in supporting pupils who need help.

They work with the local authority and follow the procedures well. When other agencies do not respond quickly enough, college staff chase them up to make sure that pupils and their families get the support they need.

Occasionally, records are not as well organised as they might be.

Leaders are aware of this and are seeking to improve their record-keeping to reflect the good practice that is taking place.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils struggle to write down what they know. Their work is poorly organised, and teachers' expectations of pupils' writing are not high enough.

This means that pupils do not fully express all that they know or understand. Leaders should ensure that the school's common approach to literacy is fully implemented to ensure that pupils write well and express themselves clearly and accurately. .

The quality of education within and across subjects is too variable. This is leading to weaker outcomes in some classes and subjects than others. Leaders should take action to ensure that teachers receive the support and training they need so that the quality of teaching consistently meets leaders' own high expectations.

. Teaching is often not matched well enough to the abilities of pupils with SEND. Teachers do not have the information they need about the specific needs that these pupils have.

Leaders should make sure that teachers have sufficient detail about the particular needs that pupils with SEND have. Leaders should also make sure that staff have the knowledge and training they need in subject-specific approaches to meet these pupils' needs. .

Due to the college's specialism and curriculum design, much of pupils' knowledge about the wider world, now and over time, is embedded in the curriculum through subjects. However, this is not as effective as it should be. Leaders should ensure that pupils have the cultural capital that they need to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the world around them.


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