Inspection
Briefing Paper 1
The Initial Notification of Inspection
We will get the phone call from Ofsted on Thursday morning informing us that the inspection will start on the following Monday. The phone call will be to Sally Dicketts as the CEO of Activate Learning Group.
Lesley will send an e-mail to inform everybody at Reading. Managers will call a meeting to clarify what next.
The inspection includes all 3 Activate Learning Group colleges (City of Oxford, Banbury and Reading). It is likely the Lead Inspector will be based in Oxford as a central location. 2 day short notice inspections now last just 5 days, with most of the inspection activity taking place from Tuesday to Thursday. Here in Reading the baseroom for inspectors will be room B2.
Prior to arriving on Monday morning, inspectors will request the following documents be uploaded to the inspection portal to assist them in their inspection planning:
1. Overall student numbers and by age group and full and part time.
2. Latest college retention rates, achievement rates, success rates and high grades.
3. Timetables for all courses in scope for all 3 colleges.
4. The Activate Group self assessment report and improvement plan.
The Lead inspector will also want logistical details of the inspection for example which courses are offered at which colleges, where the inspection base rooms are located and parking arrangements.
It is likely that 1 subject inspector will be inspecting across the group, for example in the subject sector area of Business. That inspector would visit Banbury, Oxford and Reading.
Ofsted now award grades for the following aspects in a college inspection:
Overall effectiveness
Outcomes for learners
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
Leadership and Management
There are 4 grades in the current inspection framework:
Grade 1 - Outstanding
Grade 2 - Good
Grade 3 - Requires Improvement
Grade 4 - Inadequate
MONDAY
TUESDAY TO THURSDAY
1. Graded lesson observations of subject lessons and tutorials
2. Learning walks focusing on different themes.
3. Meetings with students, teachers, managers, governors, employers
4. Reviews of students work, student targets
5. Support for students
6. Progression rates and in year student performance
At the end of each day there will be a full inspection team meeting with the college nominee. This is to share inspectors judgements about student performance data and what they are observing in teaching, learning and assessment across the 3 colleges.
By Wednesday and Thursday, the inspectors will be providing emerging themes, both strengths and areas for improvement.
FRIDAY
1. Each inspector to present their draft report for their area and their proposed grade.
2. An overall grade to be awarded for 'Overall Effectiveness' for Activate Learning Group.
3. The inspection team to agree on aspects of good practice they have observed during the week and areas for improvement for the group.
The Additional Inspectors depart at lunchtime on Friday. The Lead Inspector and Assistant Lead Inspector remain to deliver a presentation to the Executive Leadership Team and governors of the college, providing the overall grades and findings from the inspection.
A draft inspection report is sent to the college within a few weeks and the final report is published on the Ofsted website within 5 weeks of the inspection.