Telford College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Information about this provider

Telford College is a general further education college based on two campuses in Telford.

The college offers academic, technical and vocational courses from entry level to level 3. The largest subject areas are health and social care and engineering. At the time of inspection, 2,080 learners aged 16 to 18, 778 adults, 473 apprentices and 182 learners with high needs were studying at the college.

Learners aged 16 to 18 study at level 1 to level 3, with around 300 studying A levels and 142 learners studying T levels. Adults study on courses from entry level to level 3. Apprentices study a range of apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3.

Most learners with high needs we...re on courses specifically designed for them at entry level and level 1. Eight were on supported internships, and 31 were on academic and vocational courses. The college currently works with five subcontractors that provide specialist adult courses and courses for learners with high needs.

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

Teachers and support staff create a calm environment in most teaching sessions. They know their learners well and encourage appropriate behaviours. Adult learners in warehousing have class rules that reinforce expected behaviours, which link to positive behaviours in the workplace.

Learners are polite and respectful to visitors, peers and staff.

Learners develop their confidence. In A-level history, learners debate ideas confidently, formulating well-developed arguments to support their case.

They become confident about completing their qualifications and moving towards the next level of study.

Apprentices develop their skills beyond the apprenticeship requirements. Level 2 road operative apprentices visit quarries to see how construction materials are mined and processed and study cable detection methods.

They develop a well-rounded knowledge of their industry.

Learners benefit from an enriched college experience. Learners on music courses perform in the community, learners on art courses complete projects such as portraits of NHS volunteers, learners on hair and beauty courses participate in competitions and learners with high needs develop enterprise skills by running the college sweet shop in the canteen.

Most learners attend their vocational classes well. In classes where attendance is lower, such as GCSE English, teachers and managers are implementing a range of strategies to improve learners' attendance. These include a 'Murder Mystery' where learners continue to develop skills such as analysis, comprehension, creative writing and communication through engaging activities.

They read police interview transcripts and 19th-century newspaper articles to understand the characters and suspects and their motives for murder. This creates 'curiosity', so the learners attend as they want to find out 'whodunit.'

Young learners have a good understanding of healthy relationships.

They are aware of what is an unhealthy relationship and the signs to look for in coercive or toxic relationships. Learners understand the importance of safeguarding themselves in these circumstances.

Most learners have a clear understanding of life in modern Britain.

Tutors teach useful tutorial sessions on knife crime, online safety, drug abuse and antisocial behaviour, collaborating closely with the police youth engagement team to ensure content reflects current local risks. Level 3 early years educator apprentices learn about prevention in childcare settings, looking for unusual behaviours from parents, carers or visitors. This helps them to protect the children in their care.

Learners feel safe. They understand the importance of health and safety, particularly where it is crucial to their future work, such as in care and construction. Health and social care learners develop a detailed awareness of how to keep their patients safe, including infection control.

Consequently, they can mitigate these risks to protect themselves and their patients.

Contribution to meeting skills needs

The college makes a reasonable contribution to meeting skills needs.

Leaders, managers and staff work closely with a broad range of external stakeholders, such as Telford and Wrekin Council, the local skills improvement plan for Marches, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Telford Business Board, Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, local employers and higher education providers to understand the local and regional skills needs and priorities.

They work effectively with the Warwick Manufacturing Group and large employers to understand emergent skills required in engineering and manufacturing in the region to plan the training needs and staffing requirements for the future.

Leaders work with employers in key skills shortage areas, such as in healthcare, to understand skills needs, fill critical gaps in staffing and upskill current employees. They work with the NHS Trust and Integrated Care Service, creating employment programmes to draw the local workforce into various jobs in the sector.

In key areas, such as engineering, health and digital, leaders have created employer groups that support the design of each curriculum. In response to employer feedback, level 2 engineering managers have replaced an electronic principles unit with a computer-aided design unit to develop the skills machinists need daily. However, leaders have not yet established employer groups across all subjects.

As a result, not all learners benefit from more focused skills development.

Leaders use links with employers to understand the employment skills that learners need. They use employer research to understand the attributes needed for young learners to be effective in the workplace, such as confidence, resilience and curiosity.

Teachers focus on developing these attributes alongside academic and vocational studies so learners can be successful employees.

Leaders work closely with community providers to meet the training needs of the local community. Working with the local authority, leaders have reintroduced English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses in the community, supporting non-English speakers to engage with work and society.

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

Since the previous inspection, teachers have substantially improved the teaching of apprenticeships. Managers have ensured teachers and assessors take part in a range of professional development opportunities to improve their teaching and assessing skills. Consequently, apprentices develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours throughout their apprenticeship that have clear links to the workplace.

Leaders have suitably rigorous quality assurance measures in place to provide them with a clear understanding of the curriculum's strengths and weaknesses. Activities include learning walks and curriculum and area reviews that focus on the skill of teaching and learners' progress. Leaders use information from these activities to improve the curriculum quickly, such as level 3 installation and maintenance apprenticeship and functional skills mathematics courses.

Leaders have a clear rationale for their subcontracting arrangements. They have regular meetings with subcontracting partners to monitor progress and, in several cases, provide significant additional help to improve learners' achievement in these settings.

Leaders are held accountable by a suitably experienced governance board that understands the educational needs of the local area.

Governors clearly understand the strengths and areas for improvement in the quality of education learners and apprentices receive. They understand the need to improve A levels and support leaders' steps to improve.

Managers and teachers sequence curriculums effectively.

Learners on the access to higher education social science course build from introductory-level concepts in psychology and sociology to more complex topics. In sociology, learners learn about crime and deviance, and in psychology, they learn about the psychology of criminal investigations so they can take a holistic view of the sociological and psychological approaches to criminal investigation. Consequently, learners build their knowledge incrementally and make explicit links between current and prior learning.

Learners with high needs have clear progression targets to prepare them for their next step. They study specifically designed programmes that prepare them for independent or supported living, employment in the voluntary sector or preparation for work. Learners on supported internships work in a hospital environment or logistics company, where they are effectively supported to develop the skills they need to be successful in a work environment.

These include timekeeping, customer service and following a work schedule.

Teachers use a range of teaching strategies effectively to help learners develop their understanding of key concepts. In ESOL, teachers pair learners up.

They ask each other questions and note down the responses. Learners check each other's work for correct use of tense and practise speaking by feeding back to the group. By the end of the activity, learners can confidently apply past and present tense across a range of different texts.

Teachers use a variety of assessment methods to check learning. Teachers of access to higher education social science mirror approaches used on higher education courses in university. Learners participate in group work activities, producing and presenting posters.

Teachers ask probing questions and check learners' understanding in a safe group environment. This enables learners to develop their subject knowledge and the skills they need to be successful at university.

Teachers support most learners in developing their English and mathematics skills.

In A-level biology, teachers support and develop learners' mathematical skills relating to magnification when using microscopes. However, apprenticeship assessors do not help apprentices improve their English and mathematics skills. Consequently, a few apprentices find the English and mathematics in the apprenticeship difficult and make slower progress than their peers.

Most teachers help learners and apprentices achieve merit and distinction grades. In level 2 construction, teachers set aspirational targets, and learners know whether they aim for merit or distinction. However, in level 2 engineering, learners are unaware of how to achieve a distinction.

Assessors and teachers use feedback well to help apprentices and learners improve their work. In level 3 installation and maintenance, assessors frequently review apprentices' progress with their employer. They discuss the progress apprentices make from their starting points and use a scorecard to identify areas for further development.

Apprentices are clear about their progress and what they need to do to improve.

Learners access high-quality, independent careers advice and guidance when needed. Most learners on vocational and T-level courses participate in relevant work experience or work-related projects.

Learners on public uniformed services courses attend work experience with the British Army. They learn about Army life, fitness and using ration packs. Teachers use this experience in their lessons and reaffirm the required skills and behaviours.

Most learners achieve their qualifications, with achievement improving in all areas of the curriculum. However, leaders have rightly identified that learners' outcomes and the achievement of A* to C grades are too low on A-level courses. They have recruited new teachers and leaders who have replanned the curriculum, with a strong focus on key milestone points to measure learners' progress accurately.

They quickly identify where learners need extra support to achieve. However, as these changes are new, their impact on learners cannot yet be seen.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the provider need to do to improve?

• Identify and implement actions to increase the proportion of learners who achieve grades A* to C for their A-level qualifications. ? Ensure that all learners and apprentices receive clear, developmental feedback so they understand how to improve their work and achieve merit and distinction grades. ? Use the results of apprentices' initial assessments to improve teaching English and mathematics so they can achieve their functional skills qualifications.

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