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Writtle University College

2014 Full Inspection Report
What does the provider need to do to improve further?
  • Increase the number of outstanding lessons by tutors making full use of learner’s initial assessment results, target grades and personal development targets when planning lessons. Support tutors to develop their skills to plan lessons that challenge and inspire learners.
  • Ensure targets in tutorials and progress reviews are specific and enable learners and apprentices to achieve their full potential by the end of their course and in lessons. Continue to develop the measuring of learners’ progress to help set them challenging targets. Regularly monitor the quality of target setting to ensure it becomes more effective at enabling learners and apprentices to reach their potential.
  • Develop further the use of ILT to help learners become more independent and extend their skills and knowledge outside of the classroom.
  • Develop the skills of lesson observers further to ensure that they consistently report on what skills and knowledge learners develop rather than focusing too much on the standards of teaching. Monitor the quality of lesson observers’ practice through collaborative working and reviewing lesson observation reports.
  • Extend and apply quality assurance procedures to cover all aspects of apprenticeship provision.
  • Improve the collection of data on learners’ progression to reduce the proportion of unknown destinations and ensure the curriculum continues to meet the skills needs of local and regional industries.

2011 Full Inspection Report
What does Writtle College need to do to improve further?
  • Raise retention and success rates on land-based courses, especially at advanced level, by ensuring the consistent application of procedures that have led to the improvements already made to outcomes for learners on other courses.
  • Reduce the achievement gaps between different groups of students, especially in subject areas, by monitoring performance data closely and by providing additional support and guidance to students not achieving as well as their peers.
  • Ensure students make consistently good progress by using initial assessment information to plan lessons to meet individual students’ needs and ability levels. Ensure the degree of challenge and pace of learning is appropriate to the level of course and further promote equality and diversity in teaching where possible.
  • Enhance the rigour of the college’s observation process by ensuring observers give sufficient weighting to the progress and pace of learning when formulating judgements. Ensure that written feedback provided to teachers following observations identifies clearly specific development actions.
  • Ensure targets on students' individual learning plans are specific, time bound and relevant by sharing best practice and developing staff competence. Ensure all staff mark and return assignments within the agreed timescale and that detailed feedback informs students what they need to do to improve.
  • Ensure students are able to gain formal accreditation that recognises the development of their numeracy skills by providing opportunities for students to sit functional skills tests in mathematics as part of their programme of study.
  • Enhance the quality and effectiveness of group tutorials to ensure all students are engaged, developed and supported by sharing good practice between teachers and by using a wider range of strategies and resources that make activities more meaningful, memorable and inspiring.
  • Develop formal procedures to canvas the views of partners and employers to enable them to become more involved in the design and evaluation of the curriculum and to contribute to self-assessment and improvement planning.
  • Enhance the effectiveness of self-assessment at curriculum level so reports are more evaluative and judgements are supported more effectively by a wider range of evidence through developing the evaluation skills of managers and staff. Ensure action plans resulting from self-assessment clearly address weaknesses.

2009 Full Inspection Report
Areas for improvement

The college should address:

  • the minority of learning targets for students that are insufficiently detailed
  • the extent to which teaching challenges students of all abilities
  • breadth of level 1 provision
  • inconsistency of achievement and standards between courses.

2008 Full Inspection Report
Areas for improvement

The college should address:

  • insufficient progress in improving level 3 success rates
  • low levels of progression into higher education
  • insufficient planning of learning
  • ineffective target setting and action planning to improve students’ performance
  • insufficient rigour and consistency in the implementation of quality assurance procedures
  • underdeveloped use of management information at curriculum level
  • shortcomings in resources and accommodation.

2004 Full Inspection Report
What should be improved
  • pass rates in key skills
  • use of ILT in teaching and learning
  • monitoring of attendance
  • promotion of progression to HE
  • the frequency and effectiveness of tutorial support in many areas
  • sharing of good practice between sites and between teams
  • promotion of equality of opportunity
  • collection and use of management information
  • self-assessment.

2000 Full Inspection Report

n/a

Report Recommendations