the solihull college

REPORT FROM THE INSPECTORATE

1999-00

The SolihullCollege

THEFURTHEREDUCATIONFUNDINGCOUNCIL

THE FURTHER EDUCATION FUNDING COUNCIL

The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) has a legal duty to makesure further education in England is properly assessed. The FEFC’sinspectorate inspects and reports on each college of further educationaccording to a four-year cycle. It also inspects other further educationprovision funded by the FEFC. In fulfilling its work programme, theinspectorate assesses and reports nationally on the curriculum,disseminates good practice and advises the FEFC’s quality assessmentcommittee.

College inspections are carried out in accordance with the framework andguidelines described in Council Circulars 97/12, 97/13 and 97/22.Inspections seek to validate the data and judgements provided by collegesin self-assessment reports. They involve full-time inspectors andregistered part-time inspectors who have knowledge of, and experience in,the work they inspect. A member of the Council’s audit service works withinspectors in assessing aspects of governance and management. Allcolleges are invited to nominate a senior member of their staff toparticipate in the inspection as a team member.

Cheylesmore HouseQuinton RoadCoventry CV1 2WTTelephone 024 7686 3000Fax 024 7686 3100Website www.fefc.ac.uk

© FEFC 2000 You may photocopy this report and use extracts inpromotional or other material provided quotes areaccurate, and the findings are not misrepresented.

Paragraph

Summary

Context

The college and its mission 1

The inspection 5

Curriculum areas

Information technology 9

Engineering 15

Business studies 21

Health and community care 26

Art and design 32

English, communication and general studies 38

Basic skills 44

Cross-college provision

Support for students 50

General resources 56

Quality assurance 63

Governance 71

Management 81

Conclusions 91

College statistics

The Solihull College

Contents

Grade DescriptorsInspectors assess the strengths and weaknessesof each aspect of provision they inspect. Theirassessments are set out in the report. They usea five-point scale to summarise the balancebetween strengths and weaknesses.

The descriptors for the grades are:

• grade 1 – outstanding provision which hasmany strengths and few weaknesses

• grade 2 – good provision in which thestrengths clearly outweigh the weaknesses

• grade 3 – satisfactory provision withstrengths but also some weaknesses

• grade 4 – less than satisfactory provisionin which the weaknesses clearly outweighthe strengths

• grade 5 – poor provision which has fewstrengths and many weaknesses.

Audit conclusions are expressed as good,adequate or weak.

Aggregated grades for aspects of cross-collegeprovision and curriculum areas, for collegesinspected during 1998-99, are shown in thefollowing table.

Grade

1 2 3 4 5% % % % %

Curriculumareas 10 53 30 7 –

Cross-college provision 14 54 23 7 2

Source: Quality and Standards in Further Educationin England 1998-99: Chief inspector’s annual reportSample size: 104 college inspections

Student AchievementsWhere data on student achievements appear intables, levels of achievement are shown in threeways:

• as number of starters, which is the numberof enrolments on qualifications where thestudent was expecting to complete thequalification that college year. Forexample, a student on a two-yearprogramme who began their programme in October 1995, would appear in theresults for 1996-97 because this is theyear in which they expected to completetheir qualification

• as a retention rate, which is thepercentage of qualifications which studentshave completed as expected or where theyare continuing their studies beyond theexpected end date of the qualification. Forprogrammes of study of two years or more,retention is calculated across the wholeprogramme, that is, from the start to theend of the qualification

• as an achievement rate, which is thenumber of qualifications students havefully achieved as a percentage ofcompleted qualifications with a knownoutcome. Partial achievements are notincluded.

The Solihull College

West Midlands Region

Inspected November 1999

The Solihull College is a large general furthereducation college based at three sites in theborough of Solihull. It also runs courses in 30centres in the local community and on thepremises of 125 companies in the WestMidlands region and across the country. Aboutone-third of the college’s provision is basedaway from the main sites. It offers a wide rangeof courses from entry to degree level. Just overa quarter of students are recruited from areas ofeconomic and social disadvantage. The collegeproduced its second self-assessment report forthe inspection. All staff and governors wereinvolved in the self-assessment process.Judgements in the self-assessment report weresupported by a large body of evidence.Inspectors agreed with many judgements in theself-assessment report but considered that someweaknesses were understated.

The college offers a broad range of courses in allof the FEFC’s 10 programme areas. Mostteaching is satisfactory. Despite efforts toimprove student achievement rates these remainbelow the average for the sector. Some aspectsof curriculum management are weak. Theteaching of the key skill of communicationacross the college is particularly effective.Governors and staff are strongly committed to

fulfilling the college’s mission and strategicobjectives. The college works in partnershipwith an extensive range of organisations.Communications in the college are good. Thecorporation has effective procedures forensuring the openness of its proceedings andthe accountability of governors. Recruitmentstrategies have helped to widen participation.Applicants to the college receive good help andguidance. Induction for students is effective.Almost all the students identified as needingadditional learning support receive it. Careerseducation and guidance are good.Improvements to accommodation are made inclose accordance with the college’s strategicaims. Facilities are of particularly good qualityat the Blossomfield site. Computing equipmentand library facilities are of a high standard.Staff are strongly committed to improving thequality of provision. Staff appraisal and staffdevelopment procedures are effective and thecollege’s complaints procedures are rigorous.The college should improve: the quality ofteaching and students’ achievements; initialassessment for part-time students; the rigour ofcourse reviews and action-planning; its use ofperformance indicators and setting of standardsand targets; arrangements for monitoring work-based and franchised provision; ITfacilities in community centres; managementinformation and the monitoring of the college’soverall performance.

The grades awarded as a result of the inspectionare given below.

Summary

Curriculum area Grade

Information technology 3

Engineering 3

Business studies 3

Health and community care 3

Art and design 4

English, communication and general studies 2

Basic skills 3

Cross-college provision Grade

Support for students 2

General resources 2

Quality assurance 3

Governance 3

Management 3

The Solihull College1

The College and its Mission

1 The Solihull College is a large generalfurther education college with three main sites.Some 10 years ago, the college established acampus in the north of the borough where thereare high levels of unemployment and social andeconomic deprivation. In 1998-99, theproportion of those aged 16 who stayed on infull-time education in the north of the boroughwas 56%, compared with 77% in the south. Thecollege has given high priority to improving itsaccommodation. It plans to close its site atSharman’s Cross and relocate that at ChelmsleyWood. Almost half of the college’s full-timestudents are from the city of Birmingham.Courses are offered in over 30 centres in thelocal community and on the premises of 125companies in the West Midlands region andacross the country. About one-third of thecollege’s provision is away from the main sites.In 1998-99, some 3% of the college’s work wasfranchised provision.

2 Solihull has a strong economy.Unemployment levels are below the regional andnational averages. Growth sectors in the localeconomy include business services, construction,retailing and hotel and catering. There are skillshortages in a number of professional andmanagerial areas and a lack of workers in low-skilled jobs in service sectors. A newbusiness park in Solihull is attracting a range ofcomputing and service industries. There is alarge sixth form college about 1 mile from thecollege and two other colleges within 5 miles.Five secondary schools in the borough havesixth forms.

3 The college offers a wide range ofprogrammes at all levels. The college hasorganised its curriculum more flexibly to helpstudents negotiate individual learningprogrammes and work towards qualifications orunits of qualifications that meet their needs. In1998-99, 21% of students enrolled on aprogramme combining units from more thanone qualification. The college offers a largenumber of courses leading to a wide range ofgeneral national vocational qualifications(GNVQs), national vocational qualifications(NVQs) and credits of the National Open CollegeNetwork (NOCN). It also offers courses in 37general certificate of education advanced level(GCE A level) subjects and 36 general certificateof secondary education (GCSE) subjects. Thecollege has 20 well-established access to highereducation courses. Partnerships withuniversities include Coventry University and theUniversity of Warwick. A substantial number ofstudents enrol on higher education programmesat the college. The college offers a range ofcommunity education, family learning andleisure classes and these are also available atweekends and during holiday periods. Thecollege works with local and regional partners tosupport New Deal clients. In 1999-2000, 53clients enrolled on the full-time education andtraining option and 47 on other options.Through their success in gaining qualifications,the college’s students are helping towards theachievement of the national learning targets.

4 In the year to July 1999, the collegeenrolled 35,611 students of whom 4,329 wereon full-time programmes; 82% were aged 19 orover and 7% were from minority ethnic groups.In 1998-99, according to college data, 22% offull-time students were from minority ethnicgroups. Over a quarter of the college’s studentslive in postal districts designated by the FurtherEducation Funding Council (FEFC) as deprived.The college employs 800 full-time equivalentstaff.


Context

The college’s mission is to:

• ‘promote educational opportunities for all

• give best guidance and support to all students

• provide pathways to qualification and success

• invest in the development of people.’

The college’s six key strategic objectives are to:

• ‘strive to be world class

• be recognised as contributing fully to community and economic development

• re-target programmes and support systemstowards changing client groups and changing client needs

• increase capacity to be flexible and responsive

• improve efficiency through maximising the use of available resources

• diversify income streams.’

The Inspection

5 The college was inspected during weekbeginning 22 November 1999. A sample offranchised provision and programmes offeredon the premises of companies and in centres inthe local community was inspected during theweek commencing 8 November 1999.Inspectors had previously evaluated the college’sself-assessment report and information aboutthe college held by other directorates of theFEFC. This included data on students’achievements for 1997 and 1998 derived fromthe individualised student record (ISR). Thecollege supplied data on student retention andachievement rates for 1999. Inspectors checkedthese against class registers and pass lists issuedby awarding bodies. The inspection was carriedout by 13 inspectors and an auditor working fora total of 72 days. Inspectors observed 116lessons, including some tutorials, and examinedstudents’ work and documentation about thecollege and its courses. Inspectors held

meetings with governors, staff from franchisepartners and other agencies, college managers,staff and students. They also consulted the localtraining and enterprise council (TEC) about itsrelationships with the college.

6 Eight inspectors from the TrainingStandards Council (TSC) worked with theinspection team during the college inspection.The TSC concentrated on TEC-funded work-based training programmes the collegeprovided in engineering, forklift truck training,business administration, hospitality,hairdressing and foundation for work.Inspectors observed 18 training sessions andmet with employers, workplace assessors,college managers, staff and trainees. Theyexamined a range of students’ portfolios andcollege documentation. Where it wasappropriate to the FEFC inspection framework,evidence gathered by TSC inspectors was takeninto account when grading college provision.

7 The following table shows the grades givento the lessons inspected and the national profilefor all colleges inspected in 1998-99. Of thelessons inspected, 51% were judged to be goodor outstanding and 7% were less thansatisfactory. This is below the averages of 65%and 6%, respectively, for all lessons observed incolleges during 1998-99.


Context

Context

8 The following table shows the attendancerates in the lessons observed and the nationalaverage for all colleges inspected in 1998-99.


Average number Average attendanceof students (%)

The Solihull College 8.9 73

National average, all inspected colleges 1998-99 11.2 78

Attendance rates in lessons observed

Source for national average: Quality and Standards in Further Education in England 1998-99: Chief inspector’s annual report

Programme Grade Totals1 2 3 4 5

GCE A/AS level 1 1 5 1 0 8

GCSE 1 2 2 0 0 5

GNVQ 2 4 11 2 0 19

NVQ 2 13 5 0 0 20

Basic education 1 5 13 1 0 20

Access to higher education

and further education 0 3 0 0 0 3

Other vocational 6 18 13 3 1 41

Total (No.) 13 46 49 7 1 116

Total (%) 11 40 42 6 1 100

National average,

all inspected colleges

1998-99 (%) 20 45 29 6 0 100

Lessons: inspection grades by programme of study

Source for national average: Quality and Standards in Further Education in England 1998-99: Chief inspector’s annual report

Curriculum Areas


Information Technology

Grade 39 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, includinga sample of franchised and community-basedprovision. Inspectors agreed with many ofthe judgements made in the self-assessmentreport but considered that weaknesses instudents’ achievements and specialistresources were underestimated. Inspectorsfrom the TSC observed work-based training ininformation technology (IT) for 18 trainees.

Key strengths

• the wide range of courses and clearprogression routes

• flexibly arranged courses

• good course materials

• the good quality of students’ assignments

Weaknesses

• students’ low retention and achievementrates on many courses

• some students’ poor attendance and lack of interest in studying

• some inadequate teaching accommodationand IT resources

• ineffective quality assurance of computingcourses

10 Inspectors agreed with the judgement inthe self-assessment report that a diverse rangeof courses is provided for full-time and part-timestudents. It includes opportunities to studybusiness IT and specialist computing from level1 to level 4 in a variety of locations, includingstudents’ own homes, centres in the localcommunity and large IT centres at the college’smain sites. The self-assessment reportidentified as a strength, the distinctive coursesin IT for students with disabilities that combineteaching in their home with teaching andtutorial support from the college by telephoneand electronic mail.

11 Courses in business administration IT aremanaged effectively and the course files are wellmaintained. Arrangements for the managementand quality assurance of computing courses areunsatisfactory. The post of programme arealeader for computing had been vacant for threemonths. Some course documentation forcomputing is poor. Some course files do notinclude details of course reviews, data onstudent retention and achievement rates,analysis of feedback from students, andinformation about targets. They do not helpstaff to monitor students’ performance andmake improvements to the course. Severalweaknesses, for example in specialist resourcesand the organisation of courses, have yet to beaddressed. Links between staff and local ITcompanies are underdeveloped. Steps are beingtaken to address students’ low retention andachievement rates on the GNVQ intermediate ITcourse. For example, the college has recentlyintroduced the City and Guilds of LondonInstitute (C&G) programming course. The modeof attendance for this course is flexible andstudents’ overall attendance is electronicallymonitored. It is too early to assess theeffectiveness of this development.

12 Teachers prepare detailed schemes ofwork. Most teachers plan lessons well andcombine successfully the teaching of theory andpractical skills. The quality of nearly half theteaching observed was satisfactory and most ofthe remainder was good. In a significantminority of lessons, some students arrived lateand lacked a positive attitude to learning.Teachers mark students’ assignments carefullyand make helpful comments indicating howstudents can improve their work.

13 Inspectors agreed with the college’sjudgement in the self-assessment report thatstudent retention and achievement rates are aweakness. Student achievement rates havebeen consistently high on very few courses. One example is the BTEC national certificate incomputing where the student achievement ratehas been 90% or 100% during the last three

Curriculum Areas

years. Fewer than 20 students enrol on thiscourse each year. Student retention andachievement rates often fluctuate considerablyfrom year to year. On some courses, studentachievement rates have been consistently poorover the last three years. For example, theproportion of students gaining grades A to E inGCE A level computing has been around 40%each year, well below the national average forthe sector. Inaccurate statistics prevent thecollege from determining achievement rates onsome courses correctly. Students develop skillsin IT and many use these effectively in researchwork. The quality of students’ portfolio work ishigh. This strength was identified in the self-assessment report. Students’ work is of aparticularly good standard in IT provisionaccredited by the NOCN.

14 Inspectors agreed that paper-basedlearning materials are of high quality. Teachingaccommodation used in the businessadministration area is good. Teaching areasused for computing in the college and elsewhereare less satisfactory. A large open-plan area inthe college where computing is taught providesan inappropriate learning environment duringthe daytime and it is not well managed. Somestudents use the area as a social and ‘drop-in’facility while lessons are taken there and theydisturb the students’ learning. Computingresources are good for general IT courses butinappropriate for some specialist computing.There is insufficient provision of hardware,software and networking facilities for courses incomputing at higher levels. Additionalweaknesses include students not havingpersonal code identifiers, and the lack of acollege-wide electronic mail facility for students.In several lessons, there were not enoughcomputers for the students in the group. Thewide availability of the Internet is a strength. Asrecognised in the self-assessment report, littleuse is made of the intranet in teaching andlearning. There is well-used and up-to-datelibrary stock of IT-related materials.


Type of qualification Level Numbers and Completion year

outcome 1997 1998 1999

RSA computer literacy and 1 Number of starters 1,137 619 1,382information technology Retention (%) 94 65 90

Achievement (%) 27 63 42

C&G 7261 1 Number of starters 28 18 73Retention (%) 90 100 81Achievement (%) 7 * **

Diploma in IT 1 Number of starters 34 32 144Retention (%) 92 72 94Achievement (%) 32 78 9

Work-based learning and 1 Number of starters 439 30 595franchised provision Retention (%) 100 100 100


GNVQ intermediate 2 Number of starters 18 20 26Retention (%) 78 80 76Achievement (%) 39 25 62

GCSE IT 2 Number of starters 19 14 28Retention (%) 68 74 68Achievement (%) 38 54 7

National diploma 3 Number of starters 74 29 +Retention (%) 48 78 +Achievement (%) 51 100 +

GNVQ advanced 3 Number of starters + + 22Retention (%) + + 35Achievement (%) + + 50

A summary of retention and achievementrates in information technology, 1997 to 1999

Curriculum Areas


Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college 1999 *inaccurate data**incomplete data, only some returns received from awarding body +course not offered

Curriculum Areas


Engineering

Grade 315 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, includingsome on the premises of companies in theregion and further afield. Inspectors agreedwith most of the judgements in the self-assessment report on franchised andwork-based provision. The engineering self-assessment report did not place sufficientemphasis on weaknesses in students’achievements and resources. Inspectors fromthe TSC observed work-based training inengineering for 60 trainees.

Key strengths

• effective teaching in most lessons

• retention rates above the national average

• students’ good achievements on techniciancourses

• good-quality course materials

Weaknesses

• students’ low achievement rate on craftprogrammes

• weak course management of craftprogrammes

• disruption of learning in work-basedprovision

• inadequate specialist resources

16 The college offers a wide range of craft andtechnician courses from level 1 to level 3 in allmain engineering subjects. Courses arearranged flexibly and students can join them atany point in the year. Through the widespreadand effective practice of giving students learningmaterials they can work through on their own,small classes are amalgamated successfully andefficient use is made of specialist teaching areas.The amount of education and training providedin the workplace is growing. For example, thecollege has a contract with a majortelecommunications company to provide asubstantial amount of education and training

leading to NVQs. Courses are designed to beaccessible to a wide range of students and tohelp the college to achieve its commitment towiden participation.

17 Inspectors agreed with the judgement inthe self-assessment report that management offranchised and work-based provision is good.Quality assurance systems for franchised andwork-based provision are effective. Thisprovision is reviewed regularly and action plansare drawn up to improve it. Internal verificationprocedures are sound. Regular checks arecarried out on the suitability and effectiveness oflearning materials the students work through ontheir own. Students’ assessments and details oftheir progress are carefully recorded. Themanagement of craft programmes is weak.Course files contain some course informationbut few records of course team meetings andreviews of students’ progress or achievements.Targets are not set for student retention orachievement rates. Technician courses areeffectively managed. Staff developmentactivities have focused on effective teamwork,the setting and marking of assignments, qualityassurance, and ways of increasing studentretention and achievement rates. Full-timestudents have tutorials in which they receivehelp in maintaining their portfolios and indeveloping action plans for improving theirwork. A student helpline is available to studentson courses which are part of franchised andwork-based provision.

18 Most teaching is effective. Teachersquestion the students skilfully to engage them indiscussion, encourage them to draw upon theirown experiences and to gauge the extent of theirlearning. In one lesson, the teacher successfullyused a team game to strengthen students’learning of the theory of force vectors. In otherlessons, students were taught both the theoryand practice of mathematical techniques formanipulating data in practical applications. Inone lesson, the teacher set the students anassignment in which they had to design andmake an elastic-band powered vehicle. Thisassignment covered many of the course

requirements and key skills areas such asworking in teams, creating an original design,building a functional model and working to adeadline. The students tested and evaluated themodels they had made. Students acquired avariety of skills and the assignment motivatedthem. Teachers follow appropriate schemes ofwork. Most teachers prepare lesson plans. Safeworking practices are observed in workshops.

19 Over the last three years, the averageretention rate on engineering courses has beenabout 90%, which is almost 10% higher than thenational average for the sector. The self-assessment report did not identify as asignificant weakness students’ low achievementrates on craft courses. The proportion ofstudents who achieve a craft qualification isabout 31%, compared with national averages ofbetween 55% and 60% for various craft courses.Student achievement rates on most technician

courses are good. In work-based provision,students’ learning is frequently disrupted bychanges in shift work and various problems inthe workplace. Planned course activities areoften cancelled and rescheduled. The self-assessment report acknowledged that manystudents take considerably longer than originallyplanned to gain a qualification.

20 Following recent alterations to teachingareas, the IT and computer-aided design areashave inadequate facilities, are oftenovercrowded, and the main workshop is noisy.Neither area is conducive to effective teachingand learning. Teaching rooms where studentswork on their portfolios are well furnished.Staff have appropriate engineering and teachingqualifications and verifier and assessor awards.All course materials are well designed and ofgood quality. These include course notes,assignments, details of grading criteria,guidance on how to achieve an NVQ andinformation about the theoretical aspects of thecourse.

Curriculum Areas


A summary of retention and achievementrates in engineering, 1997 to 1999


outcome 1997 1998 1999

C&G 1 Number of starters 114 187 237Retention (%) 94 97 92Achievement (%) 28 46 33

C&G 2 Number of starters 218 242 210Retention (%) 97 96 89Achievement (%) 20 31 29

NVQ 2 Number of starters 177 116 122Retention (%) 96 96 80Achievement (%) 24 29 44

NVQ franchised and 2 Number of starters 1,518 1,558 2,493work-based provision Retention (%) 100 98 100

Achievement (%) 35 42 *

GNVQ intermediate 2 Number of starters 23 30 28technician Retention (%) 83 77 79


GNVQ advanced technician 3 Number of starters 114 135 98Retention (%) 84 76 61Achievement (%) 65 66 80

Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college (1999) *incomplete data, only some returns received from awarding bodies

Curriculum Areas


Business Studies

Grade 321 Inspectors observed 21 lessons coveringa range of courses, including some work-based learning on the premises ofcompanies. Inspectors agreed with many ofthe strengths in the self-assessment reportand identified some additional strengths andweaknesses. The college had giveninsufficient weight to weaknesses in students’achievements. Inspectors from the TSCobserved work-based training in businessadministration for 17 trainees.

Key strengths

• the wide range of courses

• productive links with employers

• students’ good achievements on office skills courses

• good-quality library resources

• robust internal verification processes

Weaknesses

• poor teaching in some areas

• students’ poor attendance and lack ofpunctuality on some courses

• poor lesson plans and underdevelopedschemes of work

• students’ low achievement rates in work-based provision

• lack of a business learning environmentin the sixth form centre

22 Business studies constitute a significantpart of the college’s provision. In addition tocourses in the college, there is substantial work-based provision across England. Somecontracts are with major national firms.Courses range from level 1 to postgraduate level.Students can enrol at any time of the year onthe modular programmes in management andoffice skills. This flexibility over recruitment

aims to further the widening of participation.Inspectors agreed that links with employers arebeneficial. Staff make good use of theirextensive links with employers to organiseeducational visits and engage speakers, toenrich the students’ experience. Themanagement of provision is satisfactory.Internal verification procedures are robust.

23 Schemes of work and lesson plans are goodon some courses, for example on office skillsand GNVQ courses, but for other courses, theyare inadequate. Most teaching is effective. Onestrength not mentioned in the self-assessmentreport is the teachers’ skilful use of group workto ensure that students are fully engaged in theirlearning. For example, students on a nationaldiploma course in public services studyingpolitical awareness, worked purposefully ingroups on contentious issues, such as theadvantages and disadvantages of arming thepolice and policies for ‘care in the community’.The teacher’s references to a topical criminalcase and the subsequent public inquiry provideda good stimulus for discussion. Students madeeffective presentations and conducted a secretballot to determine the overall views of thegroup. Inspectors agreed with the judgement inthe self-assessment report that students’ work iscarefully marked. Students benefit from well-organised work experience that includessystematic assessment of their learning duringplacements. Some teaching, however, isineffective. In less successful lessons, teachersfail to clarify the aims and structure of thelesson. They use a narrow range of teachingand learning methods and inadequatetechniques for questioning. A significantnumber of students arrive late for lessons.Attendance rates are poor on some courses.

24 Students’ pass rates on skills-basedprogrammes in office technology are good. Forexample, the pass rates on text processing andwordprocessing courses are above the nationalaverage for the sector. The college’s self-assessment gives insufficient weight to the

Curriculum Areas

students’ poor achievement rates on GNVQcourses. The proportion of students who obtaingrade C or above in GCSE accounting isincreasing but is below the national average forthe sector. The pass rates on GCE A level inbusiness have improved, and in 1999 they wereabove the national average for the sector. In1998-99, students on the Institute of Personneland Development graduate programme achievedmore than one-third of all the distinctionsawarded nationally. The self-assessment reportunderstated the low rate of achievement ofNVQs in customer service and management bystudents on work-based programmes.

25 Many part-time teachers are employed inprofessional occupations and use their up-to-date commercial knowledge, for examplein marketing and managing brands, in theirteaching effectively. Full-time teachers haveopportunities to attend workplace refreshertraining to update their commercial skills andunderstanding. The library has a good selectionof relevant resources and books. The quality ofteaching accommodation is good at two of thecollege’s sites. The sixth form centre atSharman’s Cross, where most of the GNVQ andfull-time GCE A level and GCSE courses arebased, does not provide a suitable businesslearning environment. The teachingaccommodation and equipment in some work-based provision are of particularly goodquality.


A summary of retention and achievementrates in business studies, 1997 to 1999


outcome 1997 1998 1999

GCSE accounting 2 Number of starters 38 37 30Retention (%) 92 73 70Achievement (%) 9 31 33

GCSE business 2 Number of starters 33 48 32Retention (%) 94 90 56Achievement (%) 26 16 67

GCE A level business 3 Number of starters 59 50 80Retention (%) 81 70 31Achievement (%) 36 73 80

Certificate in personnel 3 Number of starters 24 30 37practice Retention (%) 92 97 86

Achievement (%) 91 93 *

Text processing 3 Number of starters 31 50 36Retention (%) 97 86 94Achievement (%) 27 81 *

NVQ customer services 3 Number of starters 1,527 9 176Retention (%) 100 100 100Achievement (%) 4 56 9

GNVQ advanced business 3 Number of starters 115 104 72Retention (%) 66 52 56Achievement (%) 35 63 *

Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college (1999)*incomplete data, only some returns received from the awarding body

Curriculum Areas


Health and Community Care

Grade 326 Inspectors observed 12 lessons in healthand social care and in early years. Theyagreed with some of the judgements in theself-assessment report. They found someadditional strengths and weaknesses that thecollege had not identified.

Key strengths

• the wide range of provision

• effective coverage of discrimination andprejudice in courses

• productive partnership with local socialservices department

• good retention rates on most courses

• extensive and up-to-date library resources

Weaknesses

• underdeveloped schemes of work

• below average pass rates on some courses

• ineffective use of questioning in some lessons

• little use of teaching aids

• inadequate specialist equipment

• unsatisfactory teaching accommodation in some areas

27 The college runs a wide range of courses inhealth care and early years. This strength wasidentified in the self-assessment report.Programmes are offered at the three maincollege sites from entry level to higher educationlevel. The college offers a BTEC nationalcertificate and a diploma programme inchildhood studies as well as courses in nurserynursing. Following a review, courses leading tothe BTEC first award in care and the nationaldiploma in care have been introduced to replaceGNVQ courses in health and social care. Theprovision also includes courses leading to NVQsin care, a diploma in welfare studies, aprogramme accredited by NOCN in social carepractice and a large number of first-aid courses.

28 Teachers carefully evaluate and develop theprogrammes of study offered. The college worksclosely in partnership with the local socialservices department and also contributes to theSolihull ‘Early Years Development Partnership’.The partnerships have led to some usefulcurriculum initiatives at the college, for example,a modular programme at level 3 in earlychildhood studies. The college is carefullyreviewing the first year of this course. Regularmeetings of team leaders and course teams areappropriately minuted and include decisions onfuture action. The development plan for thecurriculum area contains a number of targetsrelating to widening participation and improvingteaching.

29 Teaching is carefully pitched at the rightlevel to help students achieve the standards setby awarding bodies. The subject of anti-discriminatory professional practice iscovered well in lessons. Students areencouraged to consider suitable ways of dealingwith prejudice. Half the lessons observed wereof good quality and most others weresatisfactory. In the best lessons, studentscontribute effectively to discussions. They drawwell on their knowledge to ask searchingquestions and express opinions. In advancedlevel courses, teachers frequently challengestudents to explain and further develop theirresponses. They encourage students to explorerelevant concepts and to apply them in theirwork. In contrast, in several lessons teacherscontinuously ask questions but generate verylittle response from students. Few teachers useteaching aids, such as overhead projectors, topresent material. They laboriously writeinformation on whiteboards for a significantpart of lessons. Schemes of work areinsufficiently detailed. Many indicate only broadtopics to be covered, and few givecomprehensive accounts of the activities plannedon a programme.

30 Inspectors considered that the collegeoverestimated the strength of students’achievements. There are wide fluctuations inpass rates from year to year. Several pass rates

Curriculum Areas

improved markedly in 1998 after poor results in1997. For example, pass rates on the nationaldiploma in childhood studies course increasedfrom 63% in 1998 to 100% in 1999. In contrastto these improvements, the pass rate on theGNVQ advanced course declined from 80% in1998 to 56% in 1999. In 1999, many studentsdid not complete their NVQ courses in thedesignated time. As the college recognised inthe self-assessment report, retention rates aregood on most courses. In 1999, retention rateswere high on GNVQ courses in health and socialcare.

31 Specialist facilities are inadequate.Students on courses in childcare and early yearsdo not learn in a stimulating environment.Teaching areas used for this subject at each sitefail to create an exemplary learning and caringenvironment for young children. There is littleequipment in classrooms and key resourcesregularly have to be carried from one site toanother. There is poor storage space, littledisplay of students’ work and there are notenough sinks in classrooms. The college hasplans to improve equipment. Some teachingaccommodation used for other subjects is alsounsatisfactory. Some areas are poorlymaintained. The library has a wide range ofresources and books.


A summary of retention and achievementrates in health and community care, 1997 to 1999


outcome 1997 1998 1999

Council for Awards in 2 Number of starters 26 21 37Children’s Care and Retention (%) 81 52 73Education Achievement (%) 81 82 74

GNVQ intermediate health 2 Number of starters 29 16 18and care Retention (%) 90 88 89


Council for Awards in 3 Number of starters 117 31 63Children’s Care and Retention (%) 66 87 48Education diploma nursery Achievement (%) 53 85 87nursing

National diploma childhood 3 Number of starters 47 55 22studies Retention (%) 83 76 95


Access to health studies 3 Number of starters 32 22 11Retention (%) 88 100 82Achievement (%) 18 62 79

GNVQ advanced health 3 Number of starters 54 18 17and care Retention (%) 65 83 94


NVQ 3 Number of starters 98 * **Retention (%) 97 * **Achievement (%) 51 * **

Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college (1999)*data not reliable**incomplete data, only some returns received from awarding body

Curriculum Areas


Art and Design

Grade 432 Inspectors observed 15 lessons. Theyconsidered that the self-assessment reportover-emphasised strengths andunderestimated shortcomings. Inspectorsidentified some weaknesses which the collegehad not identified. These included significantweaknesses in students’ achievements.

Key strengths


• good pass rates at GCE A level

• students’ good levels of craft skills

• the range and quality of specialistequipment

Weaknesses

• some poor teaching

• students’ poor research and drawing skills on vocational courses

• low pass rates on most vocational courses

• poor retention rates on some courses

• ineffective quality assurance

• shortcomings in accommodation

33 The college offers a wide range of coursesin art and design. Specialist options invocational courses include general art anddesign, photography, textiles and fashion, andgraphic design. Programmes are offered on afull-time or part-time basis. The extensiverange of art and craft courses offered in centresattracts a diversity of students and helps towiden participation. Students can progressfrom introductory part-time courses through tohigher education. Part-time courses are wellmanaged. The management of full-timevocational courses is less satisfactory.Weaknesses include the absence of thoroughreviews of trends in recruitment and in studentachievement and retention rates. Some

problems, such as those arising from lateenrolments on the GNVQ intermediate course,are sometimes identified at regular course teammeetings but insufficient action is taken toresolve them.

34 Although most teaching is well planned,some is poorly executed. Many teachers do nothave sufficiently high expectations of students.Although teachers set the students clearlydefined assignments, many do not specify theassessment criteria for these. In some of theless satisfactory lessons, teachers fail to exploitthe potential of assignments as a means ofchallenging the students to use their initiativeand skills to the full. In one lesson, studentswere asked to explore the three-dimensionalqualities in clay relief from drawings but theteacher accepted flat drawings on the surface ofthe clay as sufficient. On part-time craftcourses, teachers encourage students to achievegood standards. They assess students’ workcarefully and give useful written and verbalfeedback indicating where improvements couldbe made. There is good internal verification ofassessment on some courses, for example thetextiles and fashion diploma courses.

35 Students’ achievements on most vocationalcourses are below the national average for thesector. In 1997 and 1998, pass rates on theGNVQ intermediate course were significantlybelow the national average. This weakness wasrecognised by the college in its self-assessmentreport. Pass rates on the national diplomacourse in design and the pre-degree foundationcourse are below the national average. Thepass rates on the GCE A level courses areimproving and in 1999 were above the averagefor the sector. In 1999, retention rates on theGNVQ intermediate and advanced courses andthe national diploma in design courses were low.

36 Students on courses in photography,fashion and textiles and part-time craft coursesdevelop good craft skills. Photography studentsproduce images of a good technical quality,

Curriculum Areas

using a range of camera formats. In fashion,students’ knitwear and construction skills aregood. Students on vocational courses, however,have insufficiently developed drawing skills andideas on design for the level of their course.They carry out little initial research and do notwork enough from primary sources. Manystudents’ drawings are underdeveloped.Students do not explore form or use differentmedia. They do not draw in sketchbooks on aregular basis.

37 There are good specialist resources at theBlossomfield site. These include photography,fashion and textile workshops and a well-equipped ceramics studio. The specialistsuite of computers with advanced imagemanipulation software provides an excellentresource for graphic design. The library offers a

good range of art and design books and journalsand there are useful guides to Internet sites.The art and design block at Blossomfield hasbeen refurbished to provide open-plan studios.Although classes using these studios can usespace flexibly and to best advantage, they aredisadvantaged by the noise from other groupsusing the open-plan facility and from equipmentand extractors. Such distraction has an adverseeffect upon students’ learning, particularly whenteachers need to address the whole group.There is no area where staff can hold tutorialsand talk to individual students in confidence.Students report that work which they leave inthese studios is not safe. There is insufficientstorage space for students’ work and some hasbeen damaged or has gone missing. Theseweaknesses in the studio accommodation werenot referred to in the self-assessment report,although staff in the divisions are aware ofthem.


A summary of retention and achievementrates in art and design, 1997 to 1999


outcome 1997 1998 1999

NOCN part-time craft courses 1 Number of starters 782 1,045 1,135Retention (%) 96 93 85Achievement (%) 40 54 55

GNVQ intermediate art 2 Number of starters 26 22 31and design Retention (%) 54 59 65


GCE A level art and design 3 Number of starters 14 26 32(fine arts) Retention (%) 79 77 72

Achievement (%) * 80 96

BTEC national diploma 3 Number of starters 51 35 43design, graphic design, Retention (%) 98 88 63photography, fashion and Achievement (%) * 84 74textiles

GNVQ advanced art and 3 Number of starters 32 24 27design Retention (%) 84 58 56

Achievement (%) * 93 67

BTEC diploma foundation 3 Number of starters 43 33 65studies (pre-degree) art Retention (%) 77 78 78and design Achievement (%) 79 * 84

Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college (1999) *data not reliable

Curriculum Areas


English, Communication andGeneral Studies

Grade 238 Inspectors observed 12 lessons inEnglish, communication and general studies.They agreed with many of the judgements inthe college’s self-assessment report butconsidered that some strengths wereoverstated. They also found some weaknesseswhich the college had not identified.

Key strengths


• the high quality of communication skillsprovision

• good-quality teaching in most lessons

• teachers’ informative feedback on students’work

• good range of extra-curricular activities

Weaknesses

• underdeveloped schemes of work

• students’ low achievement rates on GCE A level courses

39 The college offers a wide range of GCSE,GCE A level and other English courses on itsthree main sites, in centres in the localcommunity, and through distance learning. Asnoted in the self-assessment report, thesediverse courses provide good opportunities forstudents to progress to higher level study. Keyskills in communication are an essentialcomponent of GNVQ programmes. The collegealso offers communication skills for manystudents on NVQ programmes. In most cases,the teaching of communication skills is aneffective and integral part of vocational courses.General studies is offered as a one-year GCE Alevel option within the full-time GCE A levelprogramme and attracts sufficient students toform one group each year. A good range of

extra-curricular activities is arranged forstudents on courses in English. These activitiesinclude visits to the theatre, cinema, exhibitionsand guest lectures.

40 The college has a detailed policy on helpingstudents to develop key skills, and this focuseson the importance of communication skillswithin GNVQ programmes. Inspectors agreedthat the college’s development of teaching andlearning in communication skills is particularlysuccessful and they agreed with the strengthsidentified in the self-assessment report for thisarea of work. Management arrangements forcommunication skills are clearly defined. Theco-ordination of communication skills provisionacross the college is effective. Highly skilledteachers, appointed as communicationconsultants, work well with vocational tutors inhelping students on vocational programmes tobecome proficient in communication skills.They also act as internal verifiers. Studentsreceive an initial test in communication skills.Teachers take the students’ results in this testinto account when they plan their lessons andthey provide the students with appropriateactivities through which they may improve theircommunication skills.

41 Most teaching is of good quality and someis outstanding. Teachers use a variety ofappropriate teaching methods. In the bestlessons, students are challenged to think and touse their skills to the full and they respond wellto a range of imaginative learning activities. Forexample, in a GCSE English literature lesson,the teacher played the role of the centralcharacter in the text being studied, andanswered students’ questions about hercharacter and role. Students were totallyabsorbed in the exercise and it was particularlyeffective in helping them to explore andunderstand different aspects of characterisation.Teachers are particularly supportive towardsstudents and are responsive to their needs, bothduring and outside lesson times. Most schemesof work for English and general studies are no

Curriculum Areas

more than lists of topics to be covered eachterm. The self-assessment report did notacknowledge as a weakness, that schemes ofwork and lesson plans do not state clearly theaims and objectives of courses. Teachers markstudents’ work carefully and their assessmentincludes constructive comments to help thestudents to improve their performance. In a fewlessons, students’ attendance rates were poor.

42 The quality of most students’ work is good.In many instances, students are givenassignments which have a standardised frontcoversheet. This contains space for students tooffer comments on the usefulness andeffectiveness of the assignment and the teacher’sassessment of their work. Students are attentivein lessons and usually contribute well todiscussions. They make good progress incommunication skills. College data show thatstudents’ achievements in the key skill ofcommunication are good. Retention rates in

GCSE English literature have been consistentlyhigh for the past three years. In 1999, thepreviously good retention rate on the GCSEEnglish language course declined. In 1999, theproportions of students who gained grade C orabove in GCSE English language and GCSEEnglish literature were close to the nationalaverage for the sector. However, the proportionwho gained grades A* to E improvedconsiderably to 92% in English language and94% in English literature, significantly above thenational average. Pass rates for GCE A levelEnglish have improved steadily over the lastthree years but, as the self-assessment reportacknowledges, they remain below the nationalaverage. Students’ pass rates for GCE A level ingeneral studies were high in 1998, but werebelow the national average in 1999.

43 The college has good learning resources.These include videos, CD-ROMs and readyaccess to the Internet. Libraries at the mainsites have adequate collections of up-to-date andappropriate texts for English language andliterature.


A summary of retention and achievementrates in English, communication and generalstudies, 1997 to 1999


outcome 1997 1998 1999

GCSE English language 2 Number of starters 293 413 366Retention (%) 92 89 58Achievement (%) 40 26 48

GCSE English literature 2 Number of starters 36 15 18Retention (%) 97 87 94Achievement (%) 69 38 41

GCE A level English 3 Number of starters 106 84 126language/language and Retention (%) 73 83 37literature Achievement (%) 43 71 70

GCE A level English 3 Number of starters 118 83 54literature Retention (%) 71 75 74


GCE A level general studies 3 Number of starters 17 19 29Retention (%) 88 74 72Achievement (%) 21 86 57

Source: ISR (1997 and 1998), college (1999)


Curriculum Areas

Basic Skills

Grade 344 Inspectors observed 20 lessons in literacyand numeracy, including 12 which took placein centres in the local community. Theyagreed with many of the strengths in the self-assessment report, but found someweaknesses the college had not identified.Inspectors from the TSC observed work-basedtraining for 40 trainees on a foundation forwork programme.

Key strengths

• extensive provision in community-basedcentres

• high retention rates on most programmes

• strong links with a range of partners

• successful family literacy provision

Weaknesses

• narrow range of teaching methods

• lack of precision in setting and reviewinglearning goals

• incomplete monitoring of students’achievements and progression

• inadequate specialist resources

45 The quality of most teaching is satisfactory.In the best lessons, teachers help students tobecome proficient in basic skills through a widerange of appropriate learning activities. In mostlessons, however, teachers seldom extend thestudents’ learning beyond what the studentsneed to cover in order to obtain a qualification.Teachers make all students complete a series ofworksheets and they do not differentiatelearning activities to suit the aptitudes ofindividual students. Teachers seldom givestudents the opportunity to work together todevelop their literacy and numeracy skills. Anotable exception is the family learningprovision offered in some primary schools. This

provision offers students the opportunity todevelop language skills through reading andwriting. Teachers emphasise the importance ofreading and writing for shaping and recording awealth of ideas, facts and opinions.

46 There is clear and accessibledocumentation on initial assessment, regulartarget-setting and procedures for reviewingstudents’ progress. Some teachers use thisdocumentation carefully and thoroughly,involving students fully in the process ofplanning, reviewing and recording learning.Many teachers, however, set students impreciselearning goals and unrealistic timescales withinwhich to achieve them. This weakness was notidentified in the self-assessment report. Therehas been little systematic training for teacherson assessing the learning requirements of basicskills students. There is no policy or guidanceon initial assessment in basic skills. There is nostandardised method of initial assessment.Individual teachers carry out initial assessmentin different ways. In some instances, theassessment lacks rigour and is of poor quality.

47 Students’ retention rates are good on mostcourses. The college does not have reliablestatistical information on students’ achievementsor their progression to more advanced study.Students’ work in lessons is at an appropriatelevel for their ability and goals. Students’achievements are celebrated. For example, atKeepers’ Lodge there are mounted photographsof students receiving awards, and displays ofstudents’ work. In a lesson on numeracy whichtook place at a family centre, some studentslacking in confidence had achieved high testscores. In order to help these studentsrecognise their achievements and increase theirself-esteem, the teacher recorded these resultson their learning records with them, and offeredencouragement and praise. Some students onliteracy and numeracy courses progress to moreadvanced study. In 1999, a successful summerschool on basic skills recruited 60 new students,of whom 40 continued with other further

education courses. Few students at the centresin the local community progress to furthereducation courses at the college’s main sites.

48 As the self-assessment identified, basicskills provision is offered across an extensivenetwork of centres in the local community and ithas helped to widen participation in the college’scourses. The college has productiverelationships with a variety of agencies,including schools, family centres and largemanufacturing companies and these have led toincreased participation in basic skills provision.Provision in community centres is wellorganised and communications between thecentres and the college are effective.Management of the curriculum is satisfactory.The college expects students to work towardsnational awards. Some students, however, arenot yet ready or confident enough to worktowards a qualification but staff have notidentified alternative ways of meeting theirlearning needs. Systems for monitoringstudents’ progress and their achievements areunderdeveloped. A system of lesson observationis well established and findings from this aretaken into account in the quality assuranceprocess. Staff who observe lessons identifyways in which classroom practice may beimproved. Many of the lesson observationfindings are, however, insufficiently evaluative.Overall, staff awarded higher grades for lessonsthan those given by the inspectors. Volunteertutors are encouraged to gain appropriatequalifications, but there is no formal staffdevelopment programme to help them do so.

49 Some learning materials, such as handouts,are of poor quality and out of date. Teachersmake little use of everyday materials such asmagazines, advertisements or price lists throughwhich literacy and numeracy may be taught.Inspectors agreed with the judgement in theself-assessment report that IT resources areinadequate in community-based centres. Theyfound, however, that little use was made of theIT suites at the college’s main sites. The stock of

basic skills software is small. Teachers areexperienced and well qualified, although mostrecognise that they need to update their ITskills. Most teaching accommodation is suitablefor courses offered. The learning centres at themain sites are well equipped and may be usedfor a variety of learning activities. Some of thecentres in the local community lack keyresources such as audiovisual aids. The centresprovide comfortable and accessible learningenvironments, however, for students. Someteachers have shown considerable initiative increating a stimulating learning environment inthe centres in the community, which were notdesigned for teaching purposes.


Curriculum Areas


Cross-college Provision

Support for Students

Grade 250 Inspectors agreed with many of thejudgements in the self-assessment report butfound some weaknesses the college had notidentified.

Key strengths

• effective arrangements for initial guidanceand admission of students

• effective recruitment strategies forwidening participation

• effective enrolment and inductionprocedures

• extensive range of careers facilities and services

• effective help for almost all studentsneeding learning support

Weaknesses

• inadequate assessment of additionallearning support requirements of mostpart-time students

• lack of rigour in monitoring students’progress

• insufficiently precise action plans toimprove students’ performance

51 Inspectors agreed with the self-assessmentreport that most students receive effectiveguidance before enrolment. Staff interviewprospective full-time students and part-timestudents on substantial timetables. Studentswho are undecided about which course to studyare referred for a general guidance interview.Others receive more detailed information aboutthe course and further guidance fromcurriculum specialists. Where appropriate, staffsuggest suitable provision offered by otherorganisations. Informative prospectuses andother documents for students are well designed.Course leaflets are not available in minority

community languages. The college uses a rangeof effective recruitment methods including visitsto local schools, newspapers, the radio, awebsite and posters in local libraries andsupermarkets. There are well-organisedprocedures for admissions. Arrangements forenrolment and induction are carefully planned.Most students find the admissions interviewprocess and induction informative and efficient.Some feel that the cost of materials for coursesis not clearly explained by staff. The college hassuccessfully increased recruitment of studentsfrom groups often under-represented in furthereducation, particularly in the north of theborough. Between 1997 and 1999, the collegemore than doubled enrolments at the ChelmsleyWood site, from 1,250 to 2,640, where over halfthe students are from postcode areas that havehigh levels of social and economic deprivation.

52 The quality of academic tutorials issatisfactory or better. Students find tutorshelpful and supportive. Each student has apersonal tutor. For most part-time students,their class teacher is their tutor. Studentsreceive both group and individual tutorialsessions. Teachers receive regular training ontutorial practice and there is a useful succinctguide on tutoring. The college has anestablished system for monitoring students’progress and for planning the improvement ofstudents’ performance. However, in manycases, the recording of students’ progress is notsufficiently thorough and plans to improvestudents’ performance often lack clarity. Forexample, staff use different definitions of whatconstitutes a target and most plans do notinclude timescales within which targets must bemet. These weaknesses in tutorial support werenot identified in the self-assessment report.

53 The college provides a useful range ofservices for providing students with additionallearning support, including help with literacyand numeracy. Learning materials andequipment are adapted to meet therequirements of each student. Students can

obtain support through timetabled groupsessions, as part of their programme of study,through individual appointments or by using thelearning centres at convenient times. Studentsreceiving help from additional learning supporttutors are given regular reviews of theirprogress. The quality of these reviews variesand some are inadequate. For example, theuseful individual learning plans are not alwayscompleted. Full-time students receive adiagnostic assessment of their literacy andnumeracy skills but many part-time students onsubstantial timetables do not, a weakness theself-assessment report did not record. Of thosestudents that are identified as needing support,95% obtain help. Until the inspection, thecollege had not monitored the extent to whichthis additional support is taken up. There is noformal system for informing course tutors how astudent is progressing in additional supportsessions.

54 The college provides an extensive range ofcareers services and facilities, a strength statedin the self-assessment report. The main careersarea has a good range of resources and is wellused by students. It is organised effectively andhas up-to-date information, including softwarepackages, books and university prospectuses.Other helpful careers services include regularlyupdated job boards prominently displayedthroughout the college, talks from employersand a guide to Internet sites giving informationon jobs. Full-time students receive careerseducation regularly as part of their tutorialprogramme, including guidance on progressionto higher education. The college has a contractwith the local careers service. Careers advisersgive individual guidance interviews and talks togroups of students about careers. After thepublication of GCSE examination results inAugust each year, the college, in partnershipwith the local careers service, offers guidanceabout courses and career options to studentsand, where appropriate, their parents.

55 Inspectors agreed that the college offers auseful range of personal and practical supportservices to students. These include advice onwelfare rights, accommodation and travel. Thestudent service area at the Blossomfield site is ofparticularly good quality and is locatedconveniently by the main entrance. A personalcounselling service staffed by qualifiedcounsellors is available at all sites. Whereappropriate, staff refer students to otherspecialist counselling and advice agencies. Thecollege offers a range of childcare arrangements.These include facilities at two of the college’ssites for children aged between 18 months andfive years old. The college also uses its accessfund to provide financial support for somestudents to use childminders. Students whohave used these services are pleased with theirquality. The college’s student liaison team offersa programme of sporting and social activities.





General Resources

Grade 256 Inspectors agreed with the judgements inthe college’s self-assessment report butconsidered that some weaknesses had beenunderstated.

Key strengths

• improvements to accommodation carefullydriven by the college’s strategic aims

• good-quality refurbished and new buildings at the Blossomfield site

• good computing facilities

• ready access to the Internet and collegeintranet on all sites

• good support from staff in the library,learning centres and IT workshops

• well-stocked library with extensive opening times

Weaknesses

• poor-quality buildings at Chelmsley Wood

• shortcomings in the learning environmentat Sharman’s Cross

• underdeveloped formal links between thelibrary and curriculum areas

• inadequate IT facilities in centres in thelocal community

57 The provision of good-qualityaccommodation is a key objective in the college’sstrategic and operational plans. The college hasmade major investments to improve theaccommodation in order to meet the changingneeds of students and to provide good facilities.The quality of some accommodation hasimproved significantly since the last inspection,particularly at the Blossomfield site. Each of thethree sites has communication and key skilllearning centres, a library and IT workshops.Accommodation for students and work areas forstaff at the Blossomfield site are of good quality.

58 The site at Sharman’s Cross, about a mileaway, is the college’s sixth form centre. In orderto reduce unnecessary duplication of resourcesand to improve the quality of facilities forstudents, the college decided to move thisprovision from Sharman’s Cross to a newpurpose-built centre at the Blossomfield site.The move is scheduled to take place during thisyear. The accommodation at Sharman’s Cross ispoor. Teaching rooms and public areas are notwell cared for and there is a lack of walldisplays.

59 Some teaching and communal areas insidethe buildings at the third site in the north of theborough at Chelmsley Wood provide a friendlyand stimulating learning environment. The self-assessment report acknowledges, however,that there are weaknesses in accommodation atthis site. Despite work undertaken to improvethe buildings, they still look in poor condition.The college is seeking to move provision fromthese buildings to better-quality premises in thecentre of Chelmsley Wood.

60 The new millennium building at theBlossomfield site houses a modern library andpurpose-built learning centres. The college hasincreased the library stock to keep pace withgrowth in student numbers. The size of thebookstock and the level of its usage are good.Books have been effectively reorganised intosubject-related study zones. Library staff arevery responsive to the needs of students andstaff. Many teachers use the library and benefitfrom the support the library staff give them indeveloping learning materials and using ITfacilities. However, formal links between thelibrary and curriculum areas are not welldeveloped, a weakness recognised in the self-assessment report. The library staff use arange of performance indicators to measure thelibrary’s performance against various nationalbenchmarks. Although the size and layout ofthe library are satisfactory, there is too littlespace for silent study. Library facilities are goodat the other two sites.



61 In line with its mission to use its resourcesand implement its courses flexibly, the collegehas created large open-plan areas in many ofthe new and refurbished buildings. Some ofthese areas have high noise levels and some aretoo small for the number of groups working inthem. Staff are reviewing the most effectiveways to use the open-plan areas and how bestto manage them. The refurbishedaccommodation for college management andadministration at the Blossomfield site is of goodquality. Reception, advice and guidance areason the Blossomfield site are spacious andmodern. The reception area at Chelmsley Woodis small but welcoming. At Sharman’s Cross thereception area is inadequate. The collegeprovides a range of recreational and sportingfacilities for students, staff and the community.A new sports hall has recently been completedat the Blossomfield site. There are good-qualitysocial areas for students. Access for studentswith restricted mobility is good at two sites butpoor at Sharman’s Cross.

62 Over the last two years, the college hasinvested substantially in replacing out-of-datecomputer equipment with high specificationmachines. The college network has also beendeveloped to improve further the ways IT isused for management and teaching purposes.The ratio of computers to students across thethree main sites is good. There is anappropriate number of printers and scanners.Computers available for student use all havehigh-speed access to the Internet, a strengthrecognised in the self-assessment report. Thereis a suitable code of practice for using theInternet and security software prevents access toinappropriate Internet sites. The collegeintranet is being developed to support wider useof learning technology in the curriculum. ITtechnician staff are well qualified and offer auseful helpdesk facility. There is a lack of IT inthe centres in the local community.

Quality Assurance

Grade 363 Inspectors agreed with many of thestrengths and weaknesses in the college’squality assurance arrangements given in thecollege’s self-assessment report. They foundsome weaknesses which the college had notidentified.

Key strengths

• firm commitment of staff to qualityassurance

• effective staff appraisal and staffdevelopment procedures

• good internal verification arrangements

• effective complaints procedures

Weaknesses

• lack of rigour in course reviews and action-planning

• insufficient setting and use of standards,performance indicators and targets

• ineffective arrangements to assure thequality of franchised provision

• lack of annual reports for some aspects of cross-college provision

64 The college has a good range of proceduresfor quality assurance but they are not fullyimplemented. The college’s commitment toimproving the quality of provision is set out inthe college’s strategic plan and the ‘qualitypolicy’. A senior manager has overallresponsibility for quality assurance and overseesarrangements for it with the help of a qualityassurance steering group. Staff take individualresponsibility for quality in their area. Thequality assurance steering group receives annualquality reports and action plans forimprovement. The ‘curriculum and qualitysubcommittee’ of the corporation receivesreports from the quality assurance steering

group. A recently revised quality assurancehandbook provides a useful guide to the policy,procedures and forms to be used in relation toquality assurance. Electronic versions of thehandbook are available on the college intranet.Team briefings by curriculum and servicemanagers keep staff informed of amendments toprocedures. However, many staff do notunderstand their role in the quality assuranceprocedures.

65 Annual course reviews are the foundationof the quality assurance process for thecurriculum, but the quality of course reviews isuneven. Some course review reports areincomplete and lack rigour. They takeinsufficient account of data relating to studentretention rates and achievement. In the weakerreview reports, the action plans for improvingprovision do not identify staff responsible fortaking action or specify how progress inimplementing action will be monitored. Asignificant number of the course review reportsdo not include any analysis of students’ opinionson the quality of provision. There is nosystematic process for informing students of themain messages received through their responsesto questionnaires. Employers’ views are notcollected and taken into account in course andservice area reviews. Some course reviewsmake no reference to reports from externalverifiers. These significant weaknesses were notmentioned in the self-assessment report.

66 The judgements in the annual reviews donot reflect whether the college has met specificstandards or targets and they are not madeagainst specific performance indicators. Thesetting of standards and targets and the use ofperformance indicators are not well developed.Some staff are unaware of targets set for theirareas of work. Performance is not routinelyjudged against benchmarking data for thesector. Managers observe many lessons eachyear and have received training in lessonobservation. Their detailed reports on thequality of teaching in each division do not

clearly identify strengths and weaknesses inindividual curriculum areas. Procedures formoderating judgements on the quality of lessonsobserved are underdeveloped. Reports on thequality of provision across the college are notproduced to a standard format. The lack of acommon structure for the reports makes itdifficult for the college to make comparisonsbetween the quality of work in different areas.Some cross-college services, for example studentservices and learning development, have notproduced an annual quality report.

67 In theory, the college’s quality assurancearrangements cover franchised provision.However, there are no established proceduresfor gathering details of student retention andpass rates from franchise providers, and fewperformance indicators have been set for them.Franchise providers are not involved in thecollege’s self-assessment process. Observationsof lessons on franchised provision have not beenundertaken.

68 Inspectors agreed with the judgement inthe self-assessment report that the quality ofstaff development and appraisal for teachingand support staff is a strength. Overall prioritiesfor staff development are reflected in thecollege’s strategic objectives. All staff areappraised annually. Appraisal arrangementsare well documented and effectively monitored.Appraisal helps to identify the training needs ofindividual staff and these are met through thestaff development programme. Staff report highlevels of satisfaction with training opportunities.The college has been revalidated as an Investorin People. Inspectors agreed with the college’sself-assessment report that internal verificationprocedures are effective. The procedures areclearly explained in the assessor and internalverifiers’ handbooks. An internal verifiers’group provides a forum for the dissemination ofgood practice and discussion of issues arisingfrom external verifiers’ reports.





69 The college charter is given to all studentsand is available in college reception areas.Inspectors agreed with the judgements in theself-assessment report that students have a goodunderstanding of their responsibilities, rightsand entitlements. The college’s complaintsprocedure is clear and investigative proceduresare thorough. Response times for dealing withcomplaints are carefully monitored. Complaintsare analysed and recommendations are made toavoid their recurrence.

70 The college’s self-assessment report is thesecond the college has produced. The processused for its preparation was thorough. A largebody of evidence was gathered to substantiatejudgements. Findings from lesson observationscontributed to the self-assessment of curriculumareas. All staff and governors were involved inthe production of the report. Findings weresubjected to moderation, which in someinstances was carried out by external advisers.The self-assessment review group includedgovernors and representatives from otherorganisations.

Governance

Grade 371 Inspectors and auditors agreed withsome of the strengths and weaknessesidentified in the self-assessment report. Theyconsidered, however, that some strengthswere overstated and they found someadditional weaknesses.

Key strengths

• governors’ strong commitment to thecollege

• effective clerking arrangements

• comprehensive procedures to ensureopenness and accountability

Weaknesses

• lack of systematic monitoring of thecollege’s performance

• inadequate procedures for appraisingsenior postholders and determining theirremuneration

• ineffective action to address deficiencies in monitoring of work-based learning

72 The FEFC’s audit service concludes that,within the scope of its assessment, thegovernance of the college is adequate. Thecorporation substantially conducts its businessin accordance with the instrument and articlesof government. It also substantially fulfils itsresponsibilities under the financialmemorandum with the FEFC.

73 Inspectors agreed that governors are highlycommitted to the college. Governors’ attendanceat both corporation and committee meetings isgood. Attendance is monitored and reported tothe corporation each year and appropriateaction is taken to remedy low attendance. Thecorporation makes good use of the wide-rangingskills and experience of its members. There are,however, no governors with expertise in

property and the law. The corporationacknowledges that it does not have enoughgovernors who are female or members ofminority ethnic groups. The college has notadvertised for governors. The search committeegives careful consideration to nominations. Aspecification of the expertise and experienceexpected of governors is publicly available.Governors clearly understand the distinctionbetween management and governance.

74 The corporation has taken appropriatesteps to implement the recent amendments tothe instrument and articles of government.Membership of the corporation has beenreduced to 15. The corporation has establishedappropriate committees to conduct its businessand it has approved terms of reference forthese, and suitable arrangements for elections ofchairs and for determining the frequency ofmeetings.

75 As identified in the self-assessment report,arrangements for clerking of corporationbusiness are good. The clerk’s knowledge andindependence are highly valued by governors.The clerk has an appropriate and detailed jobdescription. The clerk is given enough time tocarry out clerking duties, and receivesappropriate training. The clerk organises themeetings of the corporation effectively andminutes them well. The corporation has acalendar for its meetings and those of itscommittees and this specifies the main areas ofbusiness to be dealt with each term.

76 The corporation has introduced goodprocedures to ensure its openness andaccountability. This strength was not clearlyidentified in the self-assessment report. Codesof conduct and ethics for governors and a codeof conduct for staff, including a ‘whistleblowing’procedure, have been established. Thegovernors’ register of interests is properlymaintained. Staff are required to disclose theirfinancial interests as well, should these conflictwith those of the college. Registers of interest

are available for public inspection upon request.The corporation has a policy on confidentialitybut this does not specify the time limits on itemsof corporation business classed as confidential.Corporation minutes are available on the collegeintranet and in the college’s libraries.

77 Governors recognised in the self-assessment report that they do notsystematically monitor the college’sperformance. Although governors play asignificant part in the development of strategicand operational plans, they do not receiveadequate or timely information to allow them tomonitor achievement of the requisite milestonesin implementing the plans. In addition, thecorporation has not systematically reviewedstudents’ achievements and retention ratesagainst national benchmarks.

78 Governors monitor the financial position ofthe college through scrutiny of monthlymonitoring statements at meetings of thefinance and policy committee and in corporationmeetings. In the self-assessment report, thestrength of the corporation’s financialmonitoring was overstated. Monitoring reportson franchised provision and the activities of thecollege’s companies are not standard agendaitems at meetings. In September 1998,governors identified a lack of detail in reportingof work-based learning activity and expressedconcerns about whether planned units werebeing achieved or not. They made repeatedrequests for better information but it was almosta year before effective action was taken toidentify the shortfall in this activity and quantifyits financial impact.

79 The self-assessment report does notacknowledge that the appraisal process forsenior postholders, through which theirremuneration is determined, has not beenformalised. An external consultant conductedthe last appraisal process, based on objectivesbroadly derived from the strategic plan.Findings from the appraisals were considered





by the remuneration committee but not reportedto the full corporation. The self-assessmentreport does not mention that the remunerationcommittee is inappropriately clerked by agovernor.

80 There are induction arrangements to helpnew governors but there is no systematicapproach to the identification of the trainingneeds of individual governors, and to ways ofmeeting them. Governors have attended usefuldevelopment days to consider areas of corporatestrategy, governance and self-assessment.Governors have not developed formal links withcurriculum areas although some have hadinvolvement in particular areas, for example,engineering.

Management

Grade 381 Inspectors agreed with some of thestrengths identified in the self-assessmentreport but considered that some wereoverstated. They found additionalweaknesses.

Key strengths

• strong commitment by staff to fulfilling thecollege’s mission and strategic objectives

• effective internal communications

• comprehensive and effective liaison withexternal organisations

• good support for budget holders

Weaknesses

• insufficient monitoring of progress towards reaching targets

• inadequate management information

• ineffective measures to address students’poor achievements

• inadequate systems to quantify the shortfall in provision

82 The management structure of the collegewas revised in August 1999. The curriculum ismanaged by four divisions: arts; business;services and technology. Divisions arecomplemented by a comprehensive range ofservice teams and support units. At the time ofthe inspection, it was too early to assess theeffectiveness of the new structure. The seniormanagement team comprises 14 managers andmeets fortnightly. There is a large number ofappropriate steering groups and cross-collegecommittees, most of which have terms ofreference. Some lines of accountability are notclearly understood by staff.

83 Inspectors agreed with the judgement inthe self-assessment report that staff have a goodunderstanding of the college’s mission and astrong commitment to openness, making thecollege accessible to all, and the achievement ofits excellence. The six strategic objectives aresupported by staff and relate to all the college’swork. The strategic plan, updated in 1999, is abrief and clear document. It contains keytargets, although some are insufficiently definedor quantified. All staff have the opportunity tocontribute to the strategic planning process.

84 The college’s monitoring of achievementsagainst targets is inadequate. The collegerecognises that it did not identify, until after theend of the 1998-99 financial year, that it hadunderachieved its funding target byapproximately 90,000 FEFC funding units.Internal and external reports during the yearhad indicated that funding targets would be met.Many development plans for curriculum andsupport areas lack measurable objectives,contain insufficient assessment of previousperformance and include inadequate processesfor assessing progress. The senior managementteam does not systematically monitor thecollege’s performance.

85 The college has taken some measures toimprove the level of students’ achievements butthese have not been sufficiently effective. In1996-97 and 1997-98, the percentage ofstudents who achieved their qualification aimswas well below the national average. Despiteefforts to improve students’ achievements insome areas, achievement rates overall remainpoor.

86 Inspectors agreed with the self-assessmentreport that communications are effective. Themanagement style of the college is open andconsultative. A weekly newsletter in printed andelectronic format is distributed to all staff with amodified version available to students. Otherregular bulletins include one from the libraryand one for staff engaged in work-basedprovision. Nearly all staff have access to thecollege intranet. Electronic mail is effectivelyused throughout the college. Monthly teambriefing sessions ensure that staff are informedof current developments. The principaladdresses all staff at least twice a year. Acomprehensive programme of meetings isprepared at the beginning of each academicyear. Timetables are structured to enable staffto attend relevant meetings.

87 The self-assessment report identified thatdata on students were not always ready whenneeded. Many statistical returns to the FEFChave been late. The college recognises thatsome of the problems with their managementinformation system have been due to under-investment and inadequate levels ofstaffing. Staff lack confidence in the accuracy ofcentrally produced college data, particularly inrelation to students following non-traditionalmodes of study or franchised provision. Somestaff make little use of management informationfor planning and monitoring purposes. Thecollege has taken steps to improve theeffectiveness of its management informationsystem.

88 The college has productive links with awide range of partner organisations. Effectiveliaison with local schools helps to facilitatepupils’ smooth progression to college andencourage wider participation. The collegeworks closely with community educationproviders, with six institutions of highereducation and with an extensive range of localand national companies. Good workingrelations exist with the TEC and the college is anactive and valued member of the SolihullLifelong Learning Partnership.

89 The college’s equal opportunities policy iscomplemented by a code of practice, a disabilitystatement and related policies. An equalopportunities steering group, supported by twosubgroups, has responsibility for theimplementation of the policies and proceduresfor upholding equality of opportunity. Thecollege does not produce an annual report onequal opportunities and there is no systematicreporting on equal opportunities to thecorporation.

90 The FEFC’s audit service concludes that,within the scope of its review, the college’sfinancial management is adequate. The head offinance is a qualified accountant and issupported by a well-qualified and appropriatelyresourced finance team. Budget holders receivegood support from the finance team, in terms ofregular reports showing committed expenditureand positive responses to queries. The seniormanagement team reviews monitoringstatements monthly. Financial performanceindicators are included in financial forecasts atthe start of the financial year. However, thereare no routine reports on performance againstthese indicators in the monthly financialmonitoring statements or revised forecasts. Themonitoring statements do not routinely includeanalysis of franchised provision and the activityof the college’s companies. Management did notrespond appropriately to governors’ concernsabout the reporting on work-based learningactivity. A substantial shortfall in income from



this activity, which will have an impact on thecollege’s financial health, was identified after asignificant delay. When the shortfall wasidentified, the college promptly started to planimprovements to its monitoring and reportingsystems.

Conclusions

91 The self-assessment report prepared forthe inspection was the second comprehensiveself-assessment report the college has produced.It proved useful in planning the inspection.Governors and all staff were involved in the self-assessment process. The report was clearlypresented and it contained an extensive amountof information. Inspectors agreed with many ofthe judgements in the report and found severalstrengths the college had not identified. Theyalso found weaknesses that were eitherunderstated or not mentioned in the self-assessment report. Inspectors agreed withonly one of the grades for curriculum areas andwith none of the grades for cross-college areasof provision. Most grades awarded byinspectors were one grade below those given bythe college and two were more than one gradebelow.

92 Strengths and weaknesses identified duringthe inspection are listed under each section ofthis report. The main strengths and weaknessesare identified in the summary.



Student numbers by age (July 1999)

Age %

Under 16 1

16-18 years 16

19-24 years 18

25+ years 64

Not known 1

Total 100

Source: college data

Student numbers by level of study (July 1999)

Level of study %

Level 1 (foundation) 28

Level 2 (intermediate) 27

Level 3 (advanced) 25

Level 4/5 (higher) 3

Non-schedule 2 17

Total 100


Student numbers by mode of attendance andcurriculum area (July 1999)

Programme Full Part Total area time time provision

(%)

Science 766 3,773 13

Agriculture 105 178 1

Construction 27 88 0

Engineering 327 4,619 14

Business 441 7,896 23

Hotel and catering 312 2,340 8

Health and community care 605 3,189 11

Art and design 578 2,321 8

Humanities 1,137 6,140 20

Basic education 31 738 2

Total 4,329 31,282 100


Widening participation

Based on a postcode analysis of 1995-96 ISRdata, the college recruited 27% of students fromdisadvantaged areas defined in relation to theDepartment of the Environment Index of LocalConditions.

Staff expressed as full-time equivalents(October 1999)

Perm- Fixed Casual Totalanent term

Direct learning contact 203 201 0 404

Supporting direct learning contact 64 0 0 64

Other support 291 6 35 332

Total 558 207 35 800

Source: college data, rounded to nearest full-time equivalent

College Statistics



College Statistics

Three-year Trends

Financial data

1997 1998 1999

Income £19,228,000 £19,218,000 £21,090,000

Average level of funding (ALF) £16.60 £15.26 £16.20

Payroll as a proportion of income 68% 70% 69%

Achievement of funding target 116% 101% 90%

Diversity of income 29% 27% 32%

Operating surplus £361,000 £479,000 -£886,000

Sources: Income - Council Circular 98/43 (1997), college audited accounts (1998), college (1999)ALF - Funding Allocations 1997-98 (1997 and 1998), Funding Allocations 1998-99 (1999)Payroll - Council Circular 98/43 (1997), college audited accounts (1998), college (1999)Achievement of funding target - Performance Indicators 1997-98 (1997 and 1998), college (1999)Diversity of income - Council Circular 98/43 (1997), college audited accounts (1998), college (1999)Operating surplus - Council Circular 98/43 (1997), college audited accounts (1998), college (1999)

Students’ achievements data

Level Retention Students aged 16 to 18 Students aged 19 or overand pass 1996 1997 1998 1996 1997 1998

1 Number of starters 283 485 367 1,105 2,541 1,937Retention (%) 93 88 86 95 90 81Achievement (%) 18 45 74 27 34 87

2 Number of starters 1,625 1,662 1,602 1,750 3,094 2,184Retention (%) 84 86 87 91 92 91Achievement (%) 29 35 60 23 28 61

3 Number of starters 1,854 1,599 1,339 2,427 4,426 2,724Retention (%) 91 80 74 93 94 86Achievement (%) 44 45 66 21 25 55

4 or 5 Number of starters 22 19 13 508 549 676Retention (%) 86 95 69 97 92 59Achievement (%) 11 50 38 21 25 43

Short Number of starters 756 2,682 2,807 19,063 10,563 11,977courses Retention (%) 99 98 97 99 98 94

Achievement (%) 73 83 84 89 51 73

Unknown/ Number of starters 640 1,503 1,349 7,072 8,026 8,958unclassified Retention (%) 92 87 87 98 93 92

Achievement (%) 84 41 36 88 32 44

Source: ISR

Published by theFurther Education Funding Council

Website www.fefc.ac.uk© FEFC February 2000

FEFC Inspection Report 35/00

the solihull college

Documents