Plymouth’s Adult Education and Skill Service receives Good from Ofsted!

Staff at Plymouth City Council and their sub contracted providers, including On Course South West are celebrating their latest Ofsted inspection result after inspectors judged them to be ‘good’ across the board. The improvements that had been made since the last inspection in 2019 which judged them as ‘requires improvement’, particularly impressed Inspectors, who said ‘Learners receive high-quality and effective support that helps them overcome their barriers to being in education.’

Inspectors praised the provision stating that ‘learners improve their prospects for employment, further education or personal fulfilment as a result of the courses they complete because staff understand how to help the communities they serve and focus on the people most in need of the courses they teach.’

The report which judged the adult learning provision as ‘good’ across all areas said that learners were highly complimentary about how their training and education had a positive impact on them, it also highlighted a number of key strengths in all areas including:

·         Learners receive high-quality and effective support that helps them overcome their barriers to being in education.

·         Leaders work closely with agencies such as Job Centre Plus, housing associations, the probation service and community groups to offer learners the specialist support that many need.

·         Staff in the training and community centres used for hosting courses are welcoming and well-practised in how to gain the confidence of people who are anxious about starting a course.

·         Teachers plan and teach a curriculum that develops learners’ skills and knowledge over time and identify what learners already know when they start their course, and any gaps they have in their prior knowledge.

Councillor Dave Downie, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Transformation said “We are absolutely delighted that inspectors have recognised all the hard work of staff at On Course South West and our partner organisations.

“However we don’t intend to rest on our laurels and remain committed to offering a range of high-quality courses to meet the changing needs of Plymouth’s adult learners and young people. I would also like to thank staff who work tirelessly to support learners to ensure they can enjoy the best quality teaching and advice.”

On Course South West CIC (Community Interest Company) was transferred back to the council two years ago, ensuring the city was able to continue to provide courses that help learners to develop skills, gain qualifications and entry to employment.

The report reflected that ‘Leaders had dealt with the concerns raised in previous inspections and had raised the standards of the courses, established effective governance and managed the return of OCSW to the council well”.

Ofsted inspectors visited the provision in January and collected a wide range of evidence to inform judgements including visiting learning sessions, scrutinising learners' work, seeking the views of learners, staff and other stakeholders and examining the provider's documentation and records.

The full Ofsted inspection report is available here