Greenhead College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Information about this provider

Greenhead College is a large sixth-form college in Huddersfield. It provides 29 A-level courses, as well as AS-level further mathematics and core mathematics, and three applied general courses for young people aged 16 to 18.

Students are recruited from Kirklees and surrounding cities and towns in West Yorkshire, as well as from Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.

At the time of the inspection, there were 2,738 students, including seven students in receipt of high needs funding. All students were studying A levels or a combination of A level and applied general courses.

Around one in five students had special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

...>Most students study A levels, with high proportions studying biology, chemistry and mathematics. A few students combine A levels with extended certificates, which are offered in health and social care, medical science and music performance.

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

Students understand deeply the importance of their education to their future success. They commit fully to leaders' expectation to be 'the best version of themselves each day'. They take great pride in their learning and in the roles that they play within their college community.

Students' attendance, behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. Students value highly the very disciplined learning environments that their expert teachers create. They arrive to lessons punctually and eager to learn.

They routinely extend their learning beyond the classroom in the college's library and many study spaces. Consequently, students develop rapidly the habits and routines that they need to be successful now and in their next steps.

Students benefit from expert teachers who use their extensive skills and passion for their subjects to spark students' interest and curiosity.

They use their currency to give students contemporary insights into their subjects. For example, teachers in A-level film studies select films that challenge ideologies and raise issues that are pertinent to the film industry, such as feminism, sexism and consent.

Students benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.

Teachers use highly effective teaching techniques that rapidly develop students' knowledge and understanding. They routinely check students' fluency in recalling prior knowledge.They use techniques such as 'choral response', where students recite vocabulary in unison.

This embeds students' knowledge further, so that more of what has been learned is retained.

Students contribute to a community that places a high value on inclusion, kindness and tolerance for all. They join groups and co-lead events with staff to celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity.

They volunteer to support causes that matter to their local communities, including working with local care homes, schools and environmental charities.

Students participate fully in an expertly designed tutorial programme that empowers them to make informed decisions about their personal lives. They appreciate the mature environment within which they learn about matters such as healthy relationships, consent and coercive control.

They are alert to online harms such as 'sextortion' and use immersive technology to understand well the risks associated with carrying knives.

Students feel safe due to the care and expertise of staff. They know that bullying and harassment are not tolerated.

They understand well the local risks that they may face now or in the future, including those posed by radicalisation and extremism.

Contribution to meeting skills needs

The college makes a strong contribution to meeting skills needs.

Leaders work highly effectively with a range of strategic groups to understand local, regional and national skills priorities.

They work with the local council and post-16 education providers to ensure that a broad offer is in place for young people in the local area. They provide sessions in local schools to teach the behaviours and study skills that pupils need to transition successfully to post-16 study. This includes promoting high attendance and skills such as 'habits of mind' to support students to make positive choices.

Leaders work extensively with universities and employers to ensure that their curriculums support the progression of students to university, apprenticeships and into future employment.

Senior leaders and governors understand very well the college's contribution to meeting skills needs. They ensure that teachers focus explicitly on the skills that employers value highly, such as communication, resilience and critical thinking, as well as the technical and thematic skills identified in West Yorkshire Combined Authority's priorities for growth.

For example, in economics, students use common data analysis software to develop their technical and digital skills and practise critical analysis and coding.

Leaders use their well-established links with employers and university academics to shape the design of their curriculums and how they are taught. Teachers in A-level religious studies use the expertise of an NHS clinical ethicist to teach contemporary issues in medical ethics.

Teachers in law use the expertise of local law firms and prominent barristers to ensure public speaking and the art of persuasive writing are taught through the curriculum.

Leaders are committed to ensuring that their students achieve their qualifications and develop the skills, mindset and behaviours to use them successfully in further learning and work. They invest in the resources that students need to develop and refine their skills in readiness for employment in priority sectors.

For example, students studying science subjects develop their clinical practice in specialist laboratories and learning centres to prepare them for work in the growing pharmaceutical, life science and health and well-being sectors.

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

Leaders are exceptionally ambitious for what each one of their students can achieve. They have established a highly ambitious curriculum that enables students, including those with SEND and high needs, to realise their aspirations.

Students make excellent progress from their starting points and achieve highly. They progress to their destinations of choice, including to competitive university courses and higher-level apprenticeships.

Teachers plan curriculum content skilfully so that students gain secure knowledge of their subjects.

Teachers in A-level geography first revisit content taught at GCSE, such as regeneration, inequality and globalisation, before moving on to topics such as 'hazardous earth', where these themes are applied in context. They incorporate visits and fieldwork to areas such as the Lake District and local areas of urban regeneration to bring to life the geographical concepts and processes that they teach.

Teachers are expert in their use of assessment.

They routinely check learning through low-stakes tasks in lessons and more formal assessments at key points throughout the year. They use the outcomes of assessment to provide precise feedback to students, including how to achieve distinctions and A and A* grades, which many students go on to achieve. Students make very effective use of this feedback to improve their work and are very well prepared for their examinations.

Leaders use high needs funding very effectively to plan individualised support for students. Specialist staff, including learning support mentors and cognitive learning teachers, support students with their cognition and processing. They teach reflective practice, which students use to revisit their lesson materials and notes and successfully consolidate their learning.

Staff monitor very effectively the progress that students with high needs make. As a result, students with high needs make substantial progress. They develop rapidly their independence, are more able to self-advocate and make excellent progress from their starting points.

Teachers are highly skilled at integrating English and mathematics into the teaching of their curriculums. In A-level chemistry, students are taught an additional problem-solving module alongside their A level to develop the skills they need to solve complex scientific equations. In A-level history, students receive specialist input on academic writing and referencing.

Students in A-level geography use digital data analysis and mapping software to enhance their independent investigation reports.

Staff balance expertly their very high expectations for academic achievement with care for students' well-being. They meet students before and after key assessment points to ensure that students' personal study habits are effective and sustainable.

They help students to learn from mistakes and support them to be resilient and to persevere in the face of challenge. Students can access a range of counselling services, including cognitive behavioural therapy and life coaching for more specialist support.

Students benefit from a rich and comprehensive enrichment programme which they take part in alongside their studies.

They learn new languages and explore new interests such as stock market trading, robotic engineering and beekeeping. Students participate in entrepreneurship projects and environmental action groups through which they develop valuable leadership skills and a deep understanding of important matters such as sustainability.

Staff provide students with very high-quality careers information, advice and guidance.

Students receive personalised support in readiness for university and apprenticeship interviews, including coaching and sessions on critical thinking. They attend high-quality work placements and complete employer-set projects to understand more about the world of work.

Leaders have in place a well-established and highly skilled board of governors, with members who share their exacting standards.

Governors understand and support very well the strategic direction of the college. They supplement their understanding with frequent visits to the college, where they talk to students, visit lessons and talk to staff. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders to ensure that the college maintains its very high standards.

Leaders pledge their commitment to being exceptional to their staff as well as their students. They trust the professional judgement and expertise of their staff. They afford them the autonomy to plan and teach in line with their specialisms.

They offer highly individualised training and support so that staff maintain the very high quality of education for their students. This motivates staff and fosters a sense of professional pride in their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.