Bishop Burton College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Information about this provider

Bishop Burton College is a specialist land-based college operating from three main campuses. The college offers provision in a range of land-based specialisms, as well as in health and social care, business, construction, childcare, applied science, travel and tourism and sport.

At the time of inspection, there were 1,614 students on education programmes for young people, the majority of whom are studying at level 3. There were 157 students with high needs, 211 adult learners and 295 apprentices.

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

Teaching and support staff develop students' and apprentices' confidence well and strengthen their resilience....r/>
They support students and apprentices to overcome personal barriers and achieve their goals and aspirations. Staff set appropriate targets for individuals and carry out frequent and useful meetings to discuss their progress and to help them to improve.

Students and apprentices become responsible and respectful citizens with the skills they need to succeed in life after college.

Staff provide students and apprentices with opportunities to engage effectively with their communities so they can play their part and become involved in public life. Staff secure funding to provide students and apprentices with the opportunity to travel overseas. A high proportion of students and apprentices from across the college have had the opportunity to visit countries as part of their personal development, including Australia, Mexico and South Africa.

As a result, many benefit from an experience abroad for the first time.

Students and apprentices have opportunities to engage in a range of skills, competitions and social action projects. Students compete in a range of local and regional sports events.

For example, students on equine programmes take part in horse trials. For bricklaying apprentices, engagement in competitions is a very strong feature of the personal development curriculum. Most apprentices participate in competitions, including those organised by the Guild of Bricklayers.

A number have won these competitions at regional level, and a few go on to compete nationally. Students are highly enthusiastic about the projects that they complete and show pride at being involved in social action.

Leaders and managers have in place effective systems and procedures to ensure that bullying and sexual harassment are not tolerated anywhere in the college.

Students and apprentices have access to a dedicated college email, which they can use to raise any issues, and managers take swift action if concerns are raised.

Leaders and managers across all curriculum areas set high expectations for behaviour and conduct for students and apprentices. There is a clear focus on developing a positive learning culture, which raises students' aspirations and prepares them well for their next steps.

Students and apprentices understand the importance of these expectations, and this is reflected in their positive behaviour and attitudes to learning. For apprentices, good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning are continued in the workplace.

Staff ensure that, through the tutorial programme, students and apprentices develop and deepen their understanding of healthy eating and physical and mental well-being.

Students discuss issues such as sexual harassment, banter, racism, and equality and diversity in a safe and mature environment where they can learn from others.

Contribution to meeting skills needs

The college makes a strong contribution to meeting skills needs.

Leaders and managers contribute significantly to meeting local and national skills needs and are well respected by stakeholders.

Leaders focus mainly on a land-based curriculum and have a well-developed understanding of the agritech and agrifood industries. They have kept up to date with developments in land-based industries, such as technical and environmental changes to support the 'green' agenda. They seek frequent and useful advice from employers and stakeholders to inform their curriculum, use of resources and purchasing of equipment.

Key stakeholders such as the East Riding Rural Partnership, the local council and higher education establishments have confidence that the college is able to deliver the specialist courses that are required for the area. Staff work effectively to form and build useful relationships with experts within their industries, and they work collaboratively to ensure that students and apprentices are equipped with the relevant knowledge and skills to aid their success in their future careers.

Leaders and managers work very effectively with other colleges, employers and agencies to design the curriculum based on current and future skills needs and industry standards.

This includes working very closely with childcare and early years leads from local councils to identify employers' needs and to prepare students for work experience placements and employment. The curriculum has been adapted to take into account the learning barriers of young children in childcare and early years settings following the COVID-19 pandemic, including delayed language development and lack of socialisation. In butchery, staff have successfully worked with an employer in agrifood to develop students' and apprentices' skills in using a vertical butchery system.

As a result, employers have been very complimentary about the skills and knowledge displayed by college students on placement and prioritise them for interviews when there are employment opportunities.

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

Leaders and managers provide a curriculum that develops the skills and knowledge that students and apprentices need to be successful in their chosen vocation and to meet both local and national needs. They use their experience and expertise well to focus the curriculum predominantly on specialist land-based subjects and other curriculum areas, including construction, policing, and providing education for students with high needs.

Teachers plan the curriculum based on what students need to learn in the different seasons, such as lambing in the spring. As such, they can complete horticulture and landscaping activities at the most appropriate time of the year. Teachers prioritise health and safety early in courses and ensure that students achieve a 'yellow wellies' farm safety foundation certificate relating to agricultural health and safety.

Teachers sequence apprenticeships based on the individual needs of apprentices and what skills employers need in the workplace so that apprentices are able make good progress in their job roles.

Teachers are well qualified and experienced in their vocational areas. Most teachers in agriculture have been or are involved in agricultural enterprises, enabling them to use relevant examples in their teaching.

Teachers in professional dog grooming are current practitioners and regularly update their skills. They attend seminars on new and emerging dog breeds, difficult dogs, and the use of new equipment. They also compete in British dog grooming and Crufts dog championships.

On adult learning programmes, teachers very successfully tailor and re-sequence the curriculum to support students' career goals. For example, to ensure students on dog grooming courses are prepared for future self-employment, they begin to cover requirements such as how to find appropriate premises and the importance of insurance at an early stage in the programme. Teachers ensure that students are aware of the prevalence locally of certain types of breeds, such as gun dogs and labradoodles, so that they are well prepared to groom these types of dogs.

Most teachers present information well and demonstrate skills clearly to develop students' knowledge and understanding. They use a range of techniques to help students learn new knowledge. However, a few teachers do not reinforce or develop learning to engage and challenge students fully.

In these lessons, the pace is too slow. A few staff teaching vocational programmes do not make suitable adjustments to their teaching to meet fully the needs of a few students with high needs. As a result, these students struggle to understand key information.

Leaders are providing training to improve teachers' skills where required.

Staff provide good support for students with high needs to develop their independence. They identified a need for travel training to ensure that students are well prepared for their next steps, and they have implemented this successfully.

Students with high needs access a weekly tutorial programme that follows a college-wide curriculum. However, a small number of teachers do not plan the delivery of this to meet the needs of students with high needs. Within vocational teaching, a few students with high needs are not challenged to develop their ideas when they are unsure of the answer, and teachers provide answers too readily.

Students and apprentices produce work of an appropriate standard for the point at which they are at in their programmes. Most teachers provide helpful feedback to students and apprentices on how to improve their work and skills. However, a few teachers do not keep a record of this feedback so that students can refer back to what they have been told.

Sometimes, the feedback they provide is not precise enough so that students know how they can do better next time.

Students and apprentices gain substantial new knowledge, skills, and behaviours from the start of the programme. Students on animal management programmes develop their skills with a wide range of animals through practical sessions in the animal unit.

They can clean out, feed, carry out health checks and care for a range of species. Students are proud of what they achieve and describe accurately how they apply the techniques they have learned.

Staff provide students and apprentices with effective careers advice and guidance.

They provide a series of open days and taster sessions for students and apprentices, which are well attended. Bricklaying apprentices benefit from appropriate careers guidance, which not only takes account of the fact that they are currently working with specific employers but also focuses on apprentices' potential future careers. Careers advisors and other employers attend the college to talk to apprentices about career routes.

The vast majority of students gain employment in the industry of their choice or become self-employed.

Leaders recognise that attendance in some curriculum areas is still below the college target. Leaders and staff place a high priority on improving attendance.

They have implemented a range of supportive interventions for those students whose attendance is low. These include catch-up sessions delivered by the achievement mentors.

Teachers develop students' English and mathematical skills effectively.

Teachers enable students on access to higher education courses to develop research, analysis and evaluation skills, which prepares them will for higher-level study. Mathematics coordinators work closely with vocational areas on projects that embed mathematics in a meaningful way. For example, dog grooming students learn to calculate expenses such as insurance, water, electricity, products, tax and national insurance contributions.

They learn how to apply these to estimate the costs of grooming per dog and to calculate charges for dog grooming services. By the end of the programme, students can calculate what they should charge accurately and use this information to estimate potential income and profit for their business plan. This prepares them well for the world of work and for future self-employment.

Leaders and managers have invested highly in resources for the college. Leaders run various commercial entities on the college sites, which enable students to benefit from real work placements, including on the working farm and in the kennels. Dog grooming students train in commercial salons equipped with grooming benches, washing facilities, hydro baths, fluff and cabinet drying equipment, as required for different dog breeds.

Leaders promote the use of the latest technology in agriculture to ensure students can go into the workplace with up-to-date skills and knowledge.

Leaders support staff morale well. They have put in place resources to improve staff welfare.

This includes offering well-being walks, weekly yoga and badminton sessions for staff. The principal meets with staff regularly to receive and give feedback on the college performance. Leaders have recently improved the annual performance review process following feedback received from staff.

Leaders host an annual event where staff can learn new skills, including plastering, flower arranging and kayaking, and staff value these initiatives and feel highly supported.

Leaders have in place effective governance. Governors are carefully selected and recruited from various industries, including education, finance, construction and agriculture.

Governors are familiar with the strengths and challenges of the college. As a result, they hold the executive team to account effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Students and apprentices feel safe They know who to contact if they feel unsafe and are confident enough to raise issues and concerns should they have any. Leaders and managers ensure that staff are trained on safeguarding topics such as the risks of radicalisation, sexual abuse and harassment.

Leaders and managers have in place suitable safeguarding policies which outline clearly to staff how to raise and refer safeguarding concerns.

They have in place qualified and experienced designated safeguarding leads and deputies to ensure students, apprentices and staff are safe. Leaders keep appropriate records of safeguarding concerns, which are used effectively to monitor support provided and referrals to external agencies.

Leaders recruit staff who are safe to work with young people and vulnerable adults.

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know who the safeguarding leads are and how to report any concerns. They keep their required training up to date and embed safeguarding within their courses.

What does the provider need to do to improve?

• Ensure that managers continue to improve the teaching skills of those teachers whose practice is not at the standard expected by leaders. ? Ensure that all teachers provide precise and useful feedback on students' and apprentices' work to enable them to improve the quality of their work. ? Improve attendance in all provision for young people.