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Lancaster and Morecambe College is a general further education college in Lancaster, Lancashire.
Leaders provide education and training in a wide range of vocational and technical areas for post-16 learners and apprentices in north Lancashire, south Cumbria, the city of Lancaster and the seaside town of Morecambe. They also provide part-time education for a small number of 14- to-16-year-olds in partnership with local schools, which was out of scope for this inspection.
At the time of the inspection, just over 1,200 learners were studying education programmes for young people, with around 350 studying at entry or level 1, 475 at level 2 and around 375 at level 3, including o...n six T levels.
The largest numbers of enrolments are in high-priority skills areas in construction, engineering, health and social care, service enterprises, animal care, hospitality, creative arts, digital skills and media.
There were around 1,080 learners on adult learning programmes, studying from entry level to level 4. The largest areas are English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), English, mathematics, service enterprises, access to higher education, child development, and building and construction.
There were 353 apprentices enrolled from levels 2 to 5, with most studying at levels 2 and 3. The largest numbers are in plumbing and domestic heating technician, carpentry and joinery, bricklayer, early years practitioner, business administrator, hairdressing professional and plate welder. There were 122 learners for whom the college receives high needs funding.
Leaders subcontract a small proportion of their provision to two providers. One provides training in automotive courses for young learners, the other provides online distance learning courses for adults.
What is it like to be a learner with this provider?
Learners and apprentices enjoy studying at the college.
They feel well supported by staff who care about them, are approachable, and treat them with respect. Teachers set consistent expectations and standards on the behaviour and attitudes needed for life and work. They constantly link these to the specific sector skills that learners and apprentices need for success.
Learners and apprentices have a positive approach to college. They are conscientious and committed to their studies. Learners and apprentices are ambitious for themselves and are keen to progress on to their intended destinations.
They work purposefully and cooperate well with each other in college. Learners and apprentices are proud of the new knowledge, skills and behaviours that they develop on their courses.
Leaders have a constant focus on improving attendance and punctuality.
Teachers routinely monitor, track and intervene to improve attendance rates should learners fail to meet expectations. Most learners and apprentices attend well. However, attendance remains too low on a few courses, notably adult ESOL courses and GCSEs.
Young learners benefit from a broad range of enrichment activities linked to their curriculum, including meaningful and relevant work experience, trips and visits. Learners on sports courses take part in overseas coaching experiences, culinary learners visit Europe to experience different cuisines, art and design students visit South Africa and learners on travel and tourism courses visit Disneyland Paris to learn about the visitor economy. Learners take part in youth social action projects and skills competitions.
Course-related enrichment enhances learners' experience and has high participation rates.
Adult learners develop the new knowledge and skills that they need to be successful at work and in their communities. Learners on ESOL courses develop the English language skills that they need to live a purposeful life in the UK and to develop the communication skills that they need for work.
Adults on the Access to Higher Education course in health develop their academic writing, referencing, critical thinking, and digital skills to prepare for university study.
Most apprentices benefit from an ambitious curriculum that helps them to develop significant new knowledge and skills for work. Many learn skills which extend beyond the requirements of the standard.
For example, carpentry and joinery apprentices learn how to hang fire doors. Apprentices are proud of their newly found confidence. They communicate effectively with colleagues and other trades on site and develop their project and time management skills to complete projects within tight timeframes.
Apprentices are prepared well for their chosen careers and pathways.
Learners with high needs develop highly valuable and transferable skills that prepare them for adulthood and their next steps. They lead sports sessions for school pupils with complex learning difficulties, taking on responsibility, often for the very first time.
Learners with high needs are proud to demonstrate their ability to rise to this challenge.
Leaders and teachers foster a supportive and friendly culture within the college. They build supportive and trusting relationships with learners and apprentices.
Learners and apprentices feel safe, know how to keep themselves safe and know how to report any concerns that they have. They explain that teachers are mindful of their individual concerns and anxieties. Learners and apprentices told us that while they have not seen or experienced any bullying, harassment, or discrimination, they are confident it would be swiftly dealt with should any occur.
Contribution to meeting skills needs
The college makes a strong contribution to meeting skills needs.
Leaders and managers engage very effectively with stakeholders and employers to understand local and regional skills needs well. They use this information to shape their curriculum offer.
Leaders work proactively with partners, including the local authority, chamber of commerce and key employers, using local skills improvement plans to support the borough's wider recruitment needs. For example, leaders work closely with the Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust to ensure that T-level health provision and placements meet the emerging needs and requirements of the trust. Leaders collaborate exceptionally well with employers and stakeholders.
They work with the Eden Project to make sure that local communities access associated opportunities in sectors such as civil and groundworks, construction trades, the visitor economy, customer service and tourism. Leaders work across the wider Lancashire college group to meet the emerging needs in health and social care, hospitality and catering, engineering and manufacturing. They have introduced T levels in health, childcare, business and engineering to respond to these needs.
Leaders have removed the residential childcare apprenticeship and now offer the diploma as a standalone qualification to better meet employer needs. They subcontract provision in automotive to make best use of existing resources at a local provider.
Staff work highly effectively with an extensive network of employers to develop tailored training and education programmes.
They use the expertise of employers and stakeholders to inform their curriculums to meet future skills needs. Leaders make sure that learners and apprentices develop the transferrable skills that will support them into further and higher education or employment.Leaders and managers play a key role leading on the sustainability and green skills agenda in the region.
They have developed net zero and decarbonisation qualifications to support businesses to develop sustainability plans. Leaders work with further and higher education partners to introduce the Morecambe Bay Curriculum Green curriculum and passport, prioritising green skills.
What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum offer that aligns to the needs of the local and regional economy and helps learners and apprentices to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that they need for their next steps.
Leaders and teachers make sure that learners and apprentices gain up-to-date knowledge, skills and techniques that employers want. Teachers support learners on the culinary skills programme to gain additional qualifications such as food hygiene and allergen awareness. Hairdressing apprentices develop skills in the use of balayage and baby foils.
Adult learners on access to higher education courses study additional topics such as disease control to develop the knowledge they need to progress to higher education and health-related careers.
Leaders and teachers carefully plan the sequence of the programmes they teach so that learners and apprentices remember what they learn. Carpentry and joinery apprentices start with the safe use of hand tools before learning how to use power tools to cut a range of carpentry joints.
They extend their skills to include activities such as the safe hanging of fire doors. On ESOL courses, teachers make use of pictures which they get learners to sequence and tell a story. Teachers identify any gaps in knowledge and go back over key concepts.
This helps learners to identify key words. They swiftly decipher regular and irregular verbs, and countable and uncountable nouns.
Teachers are well-qualified subject specialists, with relevant, and in most cases extensive, industry experience.
They benefit from training to maintain and update their industry expertise. Teachers use their skills and experience effectively to plan and teach sessions. Most use a variety of learning activities that engage learners and apprentices and help them to develop their skills and knowledge.
However, in GCSE mathematics, teachers do not always effectively plan high-quality teaching and learning. As a result, a few learners disengage in the classroom and make slow progress.
Most teachers use information about what learners and apprentices already know and can do to plan teaching and learning effectively.
However, in a few areas this is inconsistent. In these cases, teachers do not use the information they collect about the prior knowledge of young learners, adult learners, apprentices and learners with high needs to plan learning and set appropriate targets for development. This means that a few learners and apprentices do not make the progress of which they are capable.
Teachers explain things well and use effective demonstrations to help learners gain the knowledge and skills they need to become professional practitioners. In electrical workshops, teachers demonstrate how to install steel conduit. They then check learners' work for accuracy and help them to improve their skills.
Teachers of the T-level education and early years link child theory to professional practice. They encourage learners to consider different methods of observing children's ongoing development such as narrative, snapshot, time sampling and checklist observations.This helps learners gain a deeper understanding of child development.
Hairdressing apprentices link hair growth and thickness to adaptations in cutting techniques and become confident in recommending styles and cuts for clients.
Most teachers systematically check learners' and apprentices' understanding by asking probing questions to make sure they remember what they learn. Teachers identify gaps in knowledge and understanding.
Adult access to higher education learners recall the theories of Maslow, Rogers and Rutter and make meaningful connections with humanism and the theories of adolescence. Learners with high needs remember the importance of health and safety in planning effective coaching sessions. However, a few teachers' questioning is cursory and does not identify gaps in learners' knowledge.
Most teachers provide learners and apprentices with useful feedback to help them improve their work. Learners on the T level in education and early years receive constructive, helpful and precise feedback to help them improve their work and practice. Apprentices benefit from developmental oral feedback on their practical work that they swiftly act on.
Adult learners use clear, constructive feedback on independent research, grammar, structure, and referencing to develop their academic writing skills. However, a few learners and apprentices do not receive sufficient feedback to improve the quality of their written work.
Learners and apprentices receive thorough advice and guidance to make sure they are on the right course and have the information they need about their next steps and potential career pathways.
They complete a 'vocational profile' additional qualification to help planning for future careers. This helps learners and apprentices to actively think about their careers and the transferable skills that they develop on their courses. Most learners and apprentices know what they want to do next.
They are well informed about their options.Leaders and managers have put in place effective strategies to reduce the number of apprentices who leave their programme early. They use 'right start' interviews and early intervention with employers for apprentices who are at risk of leaving the apprenticeship early.
As a result, more apprentices stay on their apprenticeship until the end.
Governors have experience and expertise from industry and education that they use to provide scrutiny, challenge and support to bring about improvements. They have been instrumental in forming the Morecambe Bay Curriculum and use their insight to inform strategic priorities to ensure the college meets the needs of learners and employers in the region.
Leaders and governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the college. Governors support and challenge senior leaders effectively. They have a clear oversight of the quality of education that learners and apprentices receive, including at subcontractors.
Most learners and apprentices make at least the expected progress on their course and achieve their qualifications.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the provider need to do to improve?
• Improve attendance for those learners who do not meet college expectations.
• Improve the planning and teaching of GCSE mathematics. ? Use the information about what learners already know and can do to plan learning and set appropriate targets for development. ? Use effective checks on learning to identify gaps in knowledge and skills accurately and provide useful feedback for learners and apprentices.
