Ashton Sixth Form College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Information about this provider

Ashton Sixth Form College was established in 1980 following a reorganisation of secondary education in the borough of Tameside. It became a 16 to 19 academy in February 2019. The college offers a range of provision for 16- to 19-year-old students who follow a full-time study programme, as well as adult and higher education provision.

At the time of the inspection, 2,279 students were studying on education programmes for young people and 99 were studying adult learning programmes. Twelve students have high needs. All 16- to 19-year-old students study A levels, a full vocational programme, a mixed A-level and vocational pathway or a T level.

All students who have high needs st...udy on level 3 courses. A further 17 students at level 2 follow a vocational programme alongside GCSE English and/or mathematics. Most adult learners study access to higher education (HE) or supporting teaching and learning courses.

What is it like to be a learner with this provider?

Students', including those with high needs, and adult learners' behaviour is exemplary. Attendance at classes is high. Students and adult learners enjoy coming to college, where they appreciate the helpful and supportive teachers who, they say, give them the guidance they need to develop the knowledge and skills to move on to their next steps.

Most students, including those with high needs, and adult learners go on to university, apprenticeships or employment.

Students and adult learners are committed to their courses and are motivated to achieve. They enjoy participating in demanding and challenging tasks that develop their skills in readiness for higher education.

Students and adult learners produce high-quality work in which they take pride. They use resources such as the web-based virtual learning environment and phone apps skilfully to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Students and adult learners appreciate the diverse and inclusive culture of the college.

They feel able to express themselves in a rich and diverse community. They enjoy learning more about the cultures, beliefs and backgrounds of others.

Staff are very attentive to the varying needs of their adult learners.

Tutors create welcoming and inclusive environments where learners feel valued. They benefit from a designated building and an adult services team where they can seek help for matters related to their health, well-being and finance. Tutors understand learners' personal circumstances and the demands they face balancing work and study.

Learners appreciate the adjustments teachers make to ensure their safety and well-being when travelling to college for evening classes.

Tutors make sure that the tutorial curriculum is highly contextualised to the communities where students and adult learners live. Carefully selected local experts give students accurate insights into life in the local area.

For example, magistrates share the typical harms that young people may encounter on a night out in Tameside and discuss the implications that these harms may have on a young person's future. Local agencies talk to students and learners about trends in the community, such as the Tameside sexual health team, which discusses the importance of chlamydia testing.

Students and adult learners feel safe.

They report that teachers listen to their concerns and that they trust in their teachers' ability to support them or direct them to the help they need. They appreciate the presence of security staff, particularly when arriving and leaving the college in darkness in the winter months.

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

Leaders plan curriculums in a logical order that ensures students and adult learners build their knowledge over time.

For example, A-level biology teachers introduce students to the foundational topics of cells, enzymes and proteins, which are then used throughout the academic year as students study more complex topics such as DNA and gene technology.

Leaders gather a wide range of information before students with high needs start their course. They collect information from sources such as education, health and care plans, parents and carers and previous education providers.

Leaders use this information effectively to plan individualised programmes for students and to place them on the most appropriate course for their intended university or apprenticeship.

Most teachers use a range of effective teaching strategies in lessons to challenge adult learners and students to relate theoretical knowledge to real-life scenarios. Access to HE learners take part in group discussions to consider ideas and perspectives.

They explore academic research and consider how the findings translate in the current context. In A-level English, when learning about child language acquisition, students participate in workshops, where they talk to young children to understand how they develop language skills and interact with others. They use these interactions to study early language skills alongside observing how parents communicate with their children to learn about the use of repetition, short sentences and simplified grammar in caretaker speech.

This helps students to see how the English language is used in practice.

In a few instances, teachers do not assess prior learning effectively through checking what learners may already know. As a result, these students and adult learners repeat basic tasks or are unable to complete activities without teacher support.

Most teachers provide useful developmental feedback that identifies what students need to do next. Students and learners on, for example, health and social care, A- level law, T levels and access to HE use the feedback to consistently improve their work. A-level biology students benefit from oral feedback following assessments and during class activities.

However, a few biology students do not improve their work following feedback. They continue to make the same errors, such as not applying their knowledge correctly to the questions set. Assessment on the supporting teaching and learning course is limited to whether assessment criteria are met.

Learners on this course do not receive feedback that confirms what they can do well or how they may improve further.

Leaders have planned a very broad and effective range of activities to help students and learners understand their future career options. Curriculum teams weave employer talks, alumni visits and workplace visits through the curriculum.

Students benefit from work experience placements and work-related learning where they work on real-life tasks set by employers. Learners visit universities to explore life in a higher education setting and hear academics and employers speak about future routes and job roles. Staff make sure that students and adult learners access one-to-one careers appointments with careers advisers, where they discuss their aspirations, skills, qualities and interests.

Students with high needs receive effective advice from specialist positive steps advisers, where they discuss their plans for next steps after college.Students benefit from a very wide-ranging enrichment offer. Most students participate in activities through 'Ashton Explore', where they can learn new skills, explore interests or take part in team sports.

They participate in a range of subject-related enrichment opportunities within their subject areas. For example, A-level law students attend the mooting society, where they debate topics such as the legal implications of recognising only two genders. Students, including those with high needs, take part in fundraising activities for local causes.

Most students and adult learners achieve their qualifications. However, in a minority of courses, too few achieve the very highest grades. Leaders rightly recognise that too many students and adult learners in a few A-level subjects and supporting teaching and learning courses leave their courses early.

Although leaders and managers have implemented actions in individual subject areas to improve the proportion of students and adult learners who remain on their courses and achieve their qualifications, it is too early to measure the impact of these actions.

Leaders and managers rightly recognise that the oversight of the monitoring of students' and adult learners' progress and achievement varies across subject areas and courses. In areas such as law, T-level education and early years, teachers and managers quickly and accurately identify students who are underperforming and put in place actions that help them to achieve their targets and qualifications.

However, in a few courses, such as level 3 health and social care, these actions occasionally do not have the desired impact. In supporting teaching and learning courses, teachers and managers do not monitor adult learners' progress well enough, and therefore do not identify when learners fall behind quickly enough. As a result, progress is hindered for these learners.

Leaders and managers have recently implemented a range of strategies to improve the oversight of the monitoring of students' and adult learners' progress and achievement. It is too early to measure the impact of these strategies.

Governors have substantial industry and education expertise.

They use their expertise to ensure curriculums align to local skills priorities. Governors understand the strengths of the college and focus on supporting areas for improvement. They receive comprehensive and helpful reports in advance of meetings.

These help governors to identify key discussion points for the meetings. Governors provide appropriate challenge to leaders in areas performing less well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the provider need to do to improve?

• Increase the proportion of students and adult learners who remain on their courses and achieve their qualifications, particularly at the highest grades. ? Improve the quality of education in the few areas that are underperforming. ? Improve the monitoring of students' and adult learners' progress and achievement, taking swift action to prevent underperformance.