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Ofsted - a common sense approach from a Student Services perspective

Ofsted - a common sense approach from a Student Services perspective. Valerie Osborne Student and Learning Services Manager Lancaster and Morecambe College. Lancaster and Morecambe College. Inspected December 2012 graded Good Smallish College serving two towns and surrounding areas

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Ofsted - a common sense approach from a Student Services perspective

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  1. Ofsted - a common sense approach from a Student Services perspective Valerie Osborne Student and Learning Services Manager Lancaster and Morecambe College

  2. Lancaster and Morecambe College • Inspected December 2012 graded Good • Smallish College serving two towns and surrounding areas • Five sixth forms in the immediate area, no tertiary system • Two universities in Lancaster • LCC Adult College in Lancaster

  3. Ofsted preparation • The Pareto Principle • States that 20% of the work accounts for 80% of the output, and 80% of the work we do accounts for 20% of the results • How can we identify the important 20% in relation to Ofsted? • They don’t have much time…and neither do you..

  4. Imagine you had a month’s notice…What might you do? • Choose the students you’d like them to talk to • Choose your most effective community partners • Prepare a couple of typical complicated Safeguarding case studies

  5. Preparation 2 • Prepare a few case studies of how Student Services (or other areas you may be responsible for) has impacted on retention/achievement/progression etc. • Have progression and destinations data handy –UCAS/jobs/other courses/apprentices –progression from L1 to L2 etc. Not sideways!

  6. Preparation 3 • Conduct a data trawl through committee reports, such as E&D, LAC, any surveys and see how you can use the stats • Look at audits and surveys, for example Learner Journey audit, Mystery Shoppers for IAG & customer service • ‘You said, we did’ from Student Council/SU

  7. Preparation 4 • Revisit your SAR, keep it sharp, relevant and up to date • Get Position Statements ready very early in the year. LMC’s were done in the summer and signed off by the Principal • Think E&D. Bigger, broader, in your face E&D. Think driving test. Put the data in the Principal's introduction.

  8. Preparing the team • It was really different –make sure they know they are not likely to be visited (apart from directions/ help with photocopying) • Make sure EVERYONE knows they have to support those on the front line • In practical terms this means-photocopy anything for anyone, don’t about argue whose budget it is coming out of, just do it.

  9. Preparing the team 2 • Act as runners, makers of cups of tea, fetchers of anything that is needed • Act as sounding boards, morale boosters • Smile- a LOT • Keep them briefed with emerging news, and get them to feed back to you so you can pass it to the nominee

  10. Preparing the team 3 • Depending on your responsibilities – they spent a full half day on Moodle, and one of my team was in quite an intense meeting with inspectors. Be prepared! • If they sit in LRC how can you prove impact on learning? • Make sure the Reception Team is very well briefed. They see the inspectors on a regular basis, and are the first and last people they meet. First impressions count.

  11. Preparing your secret weapon • Prepare your students and they will do you proud! They were fantastic. • Make sure the students you choose are in College on a Monday and Tuesday • Check they have all used the services, or are involved in Learner Voice and are a representative selection • Include apprentices –really important!

  12. Preparing students 2 • As soon as you know, or on the morning brief your students & provide lunch • Limit to less than a side of A4 –talk through but don’t script them • Debrief them immediately after they meet the inspectors (very important) • Feed back to nominee, for SSA Managers/all • They are very keen to do their bit –it is their College

  13. Something I never thought about… • LMC is a smallish college • We have a perfectly good franking machine…but… • It could not cope with the volume of letters we sent out to parents, students, employers and partners • It had to keep having a lie down in a darkened room

  14. Learn from my experience • Suggest that the letters you need to send to parents, students and others are printed in advance, date as postmark, no names • Print the labels as soon as you find out they are coming, so the names are right • Get the franking machine going on blank envelopes or labels that can be stuck on • We were still franking Saturday morning!

  15. The Ofsted Questionnaire • Posters on the student/parent Ofsted questionnaire all over College • Facebook, text reminders, direct mail, email to students/parents to complete • Focus on some year 2 learners –they know you. If early in academic year, difficult to get a fair response otherwise • Phone a sample of employers to complete

  16. Questionnaire 2 • Afterwards, Ofsted showed they were much keener on the promotion of the feedback than on the numbers completing it –honesty and openness • Few parents responded, however Ofsted thought it was very good, they have a low expectation of response rates

  17. Time pressures of preparation • Can get much more done as staff very compliant/willing/pro-active pre-inspection • This cannot be sustained all the time • Be ready with the analysis and planning the next challenge, because there will be a post inspection flat period • Foot off the gas circa 6 months afterwards

  18. What has moved on? • There are new programmes of study • Individualised programmes supported by individualised IAG • How can you evidence this? • IAG is pretty obvious at the front of the programmes, how can you evidence that IAG runs through the programme and at the end –especially through the curriculum and pastoral support

  19. Some emerging themes • National Careers Guidance (not Matrix) • Apprenticeships is huge now-how does a mainstream cross college service respond robustly to the accessibility of services • Progression –not sideways at same level • Capital Build – a VFM discussion, how is it impacting on learning, achievement and progression

  20. Be aware • You won’t be in as many meetings • Safeguarding –it is a yes or no. They may well ask for case studies though • E&D is huge and needs to be highlighted in lessons, not just embedded • IAG – loads of discussion currently • Community – they may not ask –you may need to push this

  21. 48 hour countdown plan • It is Thursday morning –the call has come! • In small groups, come up with a plan for each of your own departments • Time is limited, what does your team need to do to be ready? • Record your actions on the plan provided

  22. Useful stuff • Ofsted don’t want files –but you might like to prepare one as a safety net – info at your fingertips when needed • Buddy up coal face managers with support managers • Brief coalface managers daily via nominee then managers brief staff with emerging themes

  23. Unexpected benefits • Clear the decks –ALL meetings cancelled except essential –eg Student Council • Visibility of SMT and managers really valued by all staff • Whole team college approach brilliant • Communication is fantastic – doesn’t work like that the rest of the time!

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