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A quick glance over 5E’s inspection reports since it began reveals a distinct improvement in our performance over the last ten years.
In 1999, 58 per cent of TSC’s key comments were positive, the 2003 inspection was 74 per cent positive, and the 2007 and 2008 reports were both 90 per cent positive (with only four and three points for improvement identified, respectively).
In July 2009, we were awarded Learning and Skills Beacon Status, which provides public recognition of excellence and innovation within the further education system. It celebrates learning providers that are outstandingly led and managed and deliver outstanding teaching and learning.
The ‘points for improvement’ still remaining in 2007 and 2008 were: Job-outcomes (which depends on the economic climate as much as it does on 5E’s quality of service), Train to Gain data analysis, self-assessment, referral to individual learning plans and follow-up of clients.
Reports have been particularly impressive in the areas of Management and Leadership, with a recurring emphasis on the treatment of staff, who are flexibly deployed, given hours to suit their personal needs, pertain from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities, and are often ex-learners.
In 1999, 5E was criticised for having an underdeveloped staffing structure, with some procedures not being understood by all staff and inadequate planning for on- and off-the-job training, all these points have been addressed over the years, so that by 2003, Ofsted were able to observe that ‘Staff are recruited and developed effectively’. Staff development and training were considered ‘excellent’ in 2007, and ‘particularly good’ in 2008.
Achievement levels have improved steadily, from ‘low’ in 1999, to ‘adequate’ in 2003, ‘satisfactory’ in 2007 to ‘outstanding’ in 2008. Whilst, according to the TSC report, there was ‘no basic skills training’ in 1999, by 2007, inspectors observed that both development of personal and social skills achievement of job related qualifications were ‘very good’ and by 2008, 5E had come on even further: ‘Train to Gain learners develop excellent workplace skills and greatly improve their working practices.
This is reflected in the statistics: in 1998-99 the rate of learners getting employment was o per cent, in 2001-2 it was 13 per cent, 30 per cent in 2002-3, 41 per cent in 2006-07 and 60 per cent in 2008-09.
Communications have also improved over the years. Whilst in 1999, ‘Trainees were unclear about components of the programme’ and ‘Some procedures were not understood by all staff’, in 2007 and 2008, Ofsted reported that ‘communications throughout 5E are highly effective’.
Inspectors have been consistently impressed by the equality and diversity of both staff and learners at 5E. In 1999, inspectors reported that ‘staff are rigorous in ensuring that the company promotes equality of opportunity,’ and the ‘ethnic mix of staff and trainees reflects that of the local community’. The promotion of equality of opportunity was judged ‘particularly strong’ in 2003 and ‘outstanding’ in both the 2007 and 2008 reports.
Inspectors’ comments on 5E’s teaching standards have been positive, but not remarkable. Staff expertise in training disadvantaged trainees was considered ‘good’ in 1999, and teaching in general ‘satisfactory or better’ in 2003. ‘Support for participants’ was considered ‘outstanding’ in 2007 and ‘good’ in 2008, with the particular observation that ‘Initial advice and guidance is effective and the wide range of languages spoken by staff is used well to meet the needs of learners who do not speak English’.
Equipment, use of funds and resources have consistently been praised, particularly in the 2007 report: ‘Resources are managed very effectively and their use demonstrates value for money.’ Learner attendance has improved considerably: from ‘satisfactory’ in 07, to ‘excellent at 98 per cent’ in 2008.
Achieving an overall ‘Outstanding’, or Grade 1 in the 2008/09 report, we were recently also awarded ‘Beacon Status’, a government recognition of institutions that provide outstanding teaching and learning and are a good example for others.
