insufficient progress: progress has been either slow or insubstantial or both, and the demonstrable impact on learners has been negligible reasonable progress: action taken by the provider is already having a beneficial impact on learners and improvements are sustainable and are based on the provider’s thorough quality assurance procedures significant progress: progress has been rapid and is already having considerable beneficial impact on learners. Inspectors will also judge the following: ‘Has the college implemented appropriate measures to ensure that all learners are reasonably safeguarded and that it meets its statutory duty for safeguarding in relation to learners of this age group?’ Monitoring visits of 14 to 16 full-time provision will result in a published report. Re-inspection monitoring visits to inadequate providers Re-inspection monitoring visits to providers found to be inadequate overall are normally carried out within three weeks of the publication of the inspection report. Other follow-up monitoring visits will take place until the full re-inspection is completed, usually within 15 months of the publication date of the most recent full inspection report. The purpose of re-inspection monitoring visits is to: promote rapid improvement for all learners make clear to the provider, learners and other users what steps the provider has taken to improve the provision and how effective these have been inform the funding agencies, government departments and, where relevant, the Further Education Commissioner or equivalent of the progress made in improving provision for learners. The first visit will assess what steps the provider has taken to improve the weak areas identified in the inspection report and recommend priorities for further improvement. Follow-up visits will continue to assess the impact of measures to improve provision for learners and challenge the provider to improve. Ofsted will publish the findings and share them with funding agencies and the Further Education Commissioner or equivalent (as relevant). Monitoring visits are normally carried out by two inspectors and last up to two days. Inspectors will report against the areas for improvement by themes and will set out priorities for improvement against each theme.
Joint observations The lead inspector may invite a member of the provider’s staff to observe one or more learning sessions or assessments jointly. The provider’s observer will share her or his recorded observations with the inspector, who will then provide feedback on those observations before sharing her or his own evaluation of the learning session or assessment. The use of data Inspection uses a range of publicly available data. Both before and during the inspection, inspectors will analyse the performance of the provider using the most recent validated data. Analysis may be at overall provider level and/or for individual subjects or types of provision. Inspectors will also use the provider’s own data. While data alone will not lead directly to judgements, the primary data source that is the relevant measure of success for each type of provision will provide key evidence for judging outcomes for learners. Data inspectors use include: success rates retention and achievement rates achievement of the core aim for those on 16 to 19 study programmes value-added measures achievement in English and mathematics minimum standards learners’ destinations at the end of a programme. Inspectors will discuss the achievement of different groups of learners, such as those previously eligible for free school meals, young people in care, those eligible for high-needs funding and disabled learners or those with special educational needs. Inspectors will evaluate learners’ progress compared with their starting points, based on their rate of learning, acquisition of knowledge and skills and whether they have achieved their individualised, challenging targets. The self-assessment report Inspectors will use self-assessment reports or equivalent documents to assess risk, monitor standards and plan for inspection. If they are not available in advance, the provider should share the latest report/plan(s) with the lead inspector following notification of the inspection. Where a report is not available at the risk assessment and planning stage, inspectors will use readily available data sources.
The lead inspector will also hold a feedback meeting for the provider and invitees to hear the key messages at the end of the inspection. Reaching final judgements Inspectors will discuss emerging findings regularly with the nominee and, where appropriate, senior staff. The lead inspector will ensure that the inspection team agrees the judgements using the evaluation statements in Part 2 of this handbook. The overall judgements will reflect all the evidence considered by the inspection team and the evidence base must support the judgements convincingly. Providing feedback Before leaving, the lead inspector should ensure that the provider is clear: about the grades awarded for each judgement required that the grades awarded are provisional and, although this is unlikely, may be subject to change through moderation and quality assurance that the main points provided in the feedback will be referred to in the text of the report (and may be shared with the Further Education Commissioner or equivalent and funding bodies) about the key findings, improvements needed and recommendations for improvement about the procedures leading to the publication of the report about the complaints procedure where relevant, about the implications of the provider being deemed to require improvement or to be inadequate overall that, if the overall effectiveness or the leadership and management of a sixth form college, further education college or specialist designated institution are inadequate, this has implications for the college in relation to appointing newly qualified staff in future years. After the inspection Arrangements for publishing the report The lead inspector is responsible for writing the inspection report and submitting the evidence to Ofsted shortly after the inspection ends. The text of the report should explain the judgements and reflect the evidence. The findings in the report should be consistent with the feedback given to the provider at the end of the inspection. Inspection reports will be quality-assured before Ofsted sends a draft copy to the provider. The draft report is restricted and confidential and should not be
The proportion of learners progressing to further/higher education courses, employment or self-employment is low. Evaluating types of provision The following section provides grade descriptors for each type of provision that inspectors may grade and report on, as appropriate. Inspectors will judge the effectiveness of each provision type under consideration, taking into account the effectiveness of leadership and management the quality of teaching, learning and assessment the personal development, behaviour and welfare of learners outcomes for learners. 16 to19 study programmes In order to achieve comparability with the way in which 16 to 19 provision within schools and academies is inspected and judged under the common inspection framework, the grade descriptors below reflect those in the schools inspection handbook. Inspectors will consider how well: leaders promote high expectations and use rigorous systems to drive improvement, including through monitoring and developing the quality of 16 to 19 provision and improving the progress and achievement of learners and groups of learners study programmes for each learner are planned and managed so that they fully meet the principles of the DfE’s 16 to 19 study programmes by providing progression, stretch, mathematics and English for all learners without GCSE grades A* to C, as well as work experience and activities teaching and assessment support and challenge learners study programmes build on each learner’s prior attainment and enable them to make progress and move on to a higher level of qualification when they are ready to do so learners receive high quality impartial careers guidance to prepare them for their chosen next steps and to enable them to make well-informed decisions about their future plans learners develop personal, social, employability and independent learning skills, and achieve high levels of punctuality, attendance and conduct, including through the contribution of non-qualification or enrichment activities and/or work experience