Annex 1
City of York Council
York Learning
Self-Assessment Report
2018-2019
11th
February 2020
York Learning - High Level Summary
York Learning is the Adult Learning arm of City of York Council. We offer a broad curriculum plan across the City to enable resident’s different opportunities in which to engage with learning. York Learning was visited by Ofsted at the end of November and were found to still be a ‘Good’ provider.
York is viewed as an affluent city however it does have some small pockets of deprivation and has the largest proportion of residents on zero hour contracts in the Yorkshire and Humber region. We ensure residents who are most in need have ample opportunities to gain the skills they require to find work and improve their life chances and wellbeing. Our Foundation Learning programme is also aimed at some of the most vulnerable young people in the City making a transition into education and employment. Tutors know their learners well and use this to provide provision that is flexible to meet learner’s needs and help learners to develop their knowledge and skills well. Tutors identify quickly any additional learning and specialist support needs that a learner may have. This ensures we can then manage their behaviours, reducing anxieties and leading to good progress in their chosen study programme.
York Learning have been found by Ofsted to manage a high-quality curriculum for adult learning that focuses on improving learners’ knowledge and skills in English, mathematics and ICT. We recognise the importance of these subjects in tackling social disadvantage. Learning is delivered in safe and accessible community locations such as local libraries and children’s centres.
Very positive relationships are fostered in class by tutors, which help to motivate, inspire & contribute to the social wellbeing of our learners. Individuals achieve and often extend their learning goals because of this. The peer learning which occurs within our classes is often cited as one of the main reasons for re-enrolment. Many learners develop strong friendship groups within class. Ofsted have commented that tutors have high expectations for what their learners can achieve and that they learn important and empowering knowledge that they need to fulfil their ambitions. York Learning is currently running a number of community art projects to enable us to engage with a wide range of learners, craft, art and other vulnerable groups whilst also pulling in other parts of the service together in a combined theme.
York Learning has developed long lasting effective partnerships with local libraries, employers including nurseries, Job Centre Plus, local schools, charities and community centres. These partnerships have enabled us to recruit effectively to our targeted provision. Good governance is currently provided by our elected members and senior leaders, with information provided through clearly defined reporting processes. However, we believe this can be improved with a formal governing body which we are currently in the process of implementing.
The broad curriculum offer includes; English, maths, ICT, 16-18 Foundation Learning, 16-25 High Needs Supported Delivery, Apprenticeships & Work Based Learning, Family Learning, Visual Performing Arts, Modern Foreign Languages, courses for Health, Wellbeing and Leisure and Counselling all of which is supported by a robust IAG offer.
York learning continues to lead the way with their personalised learning delivery as part of our post 16 education offer for students with Education Health and Care plans who have significant learning support needs. We currently have around 87 learners and work with a range of subcontractors to ensure there is adequate choice in courses and delivery models. Students undertake a range of accredited qualifications but most provision is non- accredited and covers vocational and independent living skills to support successful transition to adulthood. Ofsted reported that these learners experience a welcoming atmosphere that tutors work hard to create. Learners have also commented that they have a feeling of belonging they have not experienced in previous learning environments.
Challenges for the service is in developing our current Management information system (MiS) software to better support the service and respective workflows to reduce pressure of administrative task on our teams. The new MiS software we have purchased will lead to an improved experience for learners, improved timely data on attendance/retention for tutors and managers and a greater production of relevant reports all of which at present is administratively heavy.
Our Foundation Learning program is moving premises this year to a much improved venue. We are working hard to ensure this has minimal disruption to the learners on their programmes.
Building and developing our digital inclusion strategies with other partners will continue to be a challenge as more and more services go online. In line with this the IT curriculum will be changing and more free provision will become available to all, whilst this is a positive move it will create a challenge to ensure learners who receive a free course are motivated to stay.
Minimum standards on our Apprenticeship programme continues to be challenging and whilst we are moving in a positive direction many of our learners work in roles that offer a traditionally low wage particularly adult care & childcare. These low wages influence our learners to migrate to and from different job roles, often leaving for a new vocational area and/or take on extra hours to gain additional income, sometimes up to 60 hours per week for Adult Care workers. This, inevitably, results in a higher withdrawal rate in these areas. However, Ofsted have reported particularly that learners on Childcare apprenticeships quickly gain new knowledge and skills which they apply in their job roles. Ofsted have also noted apprentices lack confidence in their ability to apply their mathematics knowledge to unfamiliar scenarios and further sequencing work is required here.
Arrangements for safeguarding and prevent are good and effective but will continue to be improved on and training of staff is ongoing.
Whilst actions from observations are followed up the recording of those actions and any impact following on from those actions is weak and should be developed further.
Types of Provision
Provision for Learners with High Needs
Provision for learners with High Needs is very good and the partnership working and co-ordinated offer through sub-contractors provides an outstanding offer to these learners. This provision continue to grow and whilst this starts to stretch council budgets to meet this increasing need, the offer has continued to be highly responsive and significantly benefit young people and provide a very good educational experience. Programmes are targeted at learners with an EHCP and placements are followed through with York Learning. The programme is subcontracted but we are fully involved in the management of the provision and fully support our sub-contractors in the process and quality management of it. Programmes are well organised to meet learner needs and support is appropriate to ensure that learners make progress and achieve their stated outcomes. Learners enjoy their programmes and attendance is good. Learners feel safe in their programmes and safeguarding arrangements are good.
Adult Learning Programmes
The curriculum offer to adults across the city is good. There is a good and welcoming environment in which they feel safe and able to learn. Success rates in Education and Training continue to be good at 84.4% and a pass rate of 92% overall. Achievement rates are good and above benchmarks (in brackets) as follows:-
Preparation for Life and Work 88.4 (84.9%)
Bookkeepng and Accounting 90.7% (86.1%)
ICT 91.1% (89.4%),
Maths 90.4% (81.9%)
There is consistently good standards of work within English, maths and ICT. Sustained progress continues across all programme types and programme aims with good improvement in all areas. There continue to be fewer learners who now fall within minimum standards across the provision. Outcomes for learners is good and the community learning programme is wide ranging prompting community engagement and different pathways to return to learning. GCSE’s achievement continues to be high in both English and maths leading to improved employment prospects for learners.
Where appropriate learners have access to good information, advice and guidance across a range of programmes. Recognising and recording progress of learners is good but can be inconsistent across programmes and tutors and continues to be an area for development. ICT programmes help with the development of good digital skills and have a personalised and flexible delivery model which develops independent learning skills and aid learners to gain employer recognised qualifications.
Whilst there continues to be reducing numbers within Family Learning we have developed new models for engagement and been successful in receiving funding to continue to develop this and raise learner numbers. Improved recruitment to Family Learning leads to increased participation in English and maths so this remains a priority for us.
16-18 Study Programmes
The 16-18 study program is very good and meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable young people in the city. This is a full time programme which attracts those young people who cannot attend college or other mainstream provision. An excellent supportive environment is created which is nurturing and lead by experienced, dedicated teams to respond to these learners’ individual needs.
The majority of learners suffer with anxiety and mental health issues, and have involvement with many outside agencies this can range from Youth Offending and Child in Need teams to Social Services and CAMHS
Safeguarding and prevent arrangements are extremely well managed with good support to learners on programmes. Learners feel safe and whilst attendance is challenging it is being well managed. Learners undertake a range of accredited qualifications tailored to meet their individual needs.
Work placements opportunities are integral to the programme to help those learners who are able to, progress into employment and further learning opportunities.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship provision continues to require improvement. Our offer is currently in minimum standards on qualifications mainly related to Health & Social Care, Teaching & Learning in Schools and Childcare. An action plan is currently in place which is regularly communicated to the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to lead to improved outcomes for learners. Improvements to the inductions and assessment process is ongoing and success rates for 19/20 are going in the right direction but legacy issues are continuing to affect our achievement rates. Due to minimum standards on the following courses the ESFA has introduced sanctions to stop recruitment until figures improve.
All levels of Health & Social Care
L2 Teaching & Learning in School
L2 Children’s and Young People’s workforce
L5 Management
Due to projected figures we have also withheld further recruitment on L3 Children’s and Young People’s workforce until figures improve. The apprentices that are not achieving the relevant framework or standard are mainly due to a variety of reasons relating to the industry, and, in some cases, not achieving the relevant English, maths or ICT qualification.
