An inspection by Ofsted of Plymouth City Council’s Adult Education and Skills provision has highlighted that ‘Significant Progress’ has been made in response to areas identified during a previous inspection. ‘Significant progress’ is the best possible outcome for this type of Ofsted visit.
The progress monitoring visit was undertaken by the Government’s official education inspectorate in February to judge progress made since the last inspection in June 2019.
The inspectorate judged the council had acted swiftly to improve arrangements to govern and manage the provision since summer 2019. The report also highlighted areas of improvement including:
- Leaders and managers have adapted the curriculum well to meet the needs of residents during the pandemic, for example putting in place a course for parents who are digitally excluded to help them support their children when learning at home.
- Investment in new resources and tutors, training for existing tutors and a new online learning platform had improved the quality of education, in particular the English and mathematics curriculum which is helping both young people and adults improve their core skills.
- Tutors who teach ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) were praised for their expert subject knowledge and teaching methods that motivated learners to quickly improve their vocabulary.
- The work and systems in place to ensure tutors were effectively monitoring progress and offering support and advice to ensure learners are successful in their studies. The inspectorate also praised the quality of guidance offered to adults who were exploring options to change careers or job roles.
Cllr Jon Taylor, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Transformation said, “This is a welcome endorsement of all the hard work staff at On Course South West and partner organisations, particularly at Discovery College, Open Doors International and Shekinah, have done to support learners throughout the pandemic.
“In summer 2019, we took the decision to bring the city’s adult and community education provision back in-house, so it is especially pleasing to see Ofsted’s recognition of the rapid progress that has been achieved by the council in such a short space of time.
“We remain committed to offering a range of high-quality courses to meet the changing needs of Plymouth’s adult learners and young people. Our thanks go to all of the staff who work tirelessly to support learners to ensure they can enjoy the best quality teaching and advice.”
In August 2019, the service provided by On Course South West CIC (Community Interest Company) was transferred back to the council, providing stability for learners and employees and ensuring the city continues to provide courses that help learners to develop skills, gain qualifications and entry to employment.
A copy of the Ofsted inspection report can be found at reports.ofsted.gov.uk