Richard Taunton College is a sixth form college in the north east of Southampton and is one of two sixth form colleges in the city. The college offers a wide range of academic and general vocational courses from level 1 to level 3 on one site with a new, small off-site subcontracted course for those studying sport. Most students are aged 16 to 18, with the large majority of the much smaller cohort of adults studying on the access to higher education course. The college has a small cohort of students with high needs and a very small number of 14- to 16-year-old students. The college also offers a number of part-time adult education courses and embraces and supports the local community of Southampton by opening its doors for evening and weekend lettings.

The proportion of pupils in Southampton who gain five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is lower than the national average. Unemployment rates for those in the 18 to 24 age group are lower in Southampton than in the south east and nationally.

Teaching, learning and attainment were graded in 75 lessons. Teaching was good or better in 75% of these, satisfactory in 24% and less than satisfactory in only 1%. The proportion of good or better teaching is at the national average for sixth form colleges. Teaching was consistently good in all the curriculum areas inspected. Only one unsatisfactory lesson was observed. Learning was also good and the profile again reflected the national average. Of the lessons observed, 76% were good or better, 21% satisfactory and 3% less than satisfactory.

Most lessons are well planned and teachers are careful to accommodate students’ different needs and learning styles. Across the areas inspected, most teaching is purposeful and teachers motivate their students well. They use a variety of methods to stimulate students’ interest in their work and are careful to check that all their students are learning. In business and administration, many lessons are lively, with a busy and productive atmosphere. Teaching is mostly purposeful and enjoyable in the humanities and resources are often used well to enliven lessons. Some of the teaching in the visual and performing arts is insufficiently challenging and teachers’ expectations are too low. In mathematics, some of the teaching is unimaginative with lessons depending too much on teacher exposition. Students across the areas inspected contribute confidently to discussions and work well together in groups. Foreign languages students use their developing language skills well. There is a good balance of theory teaching and practical work in science and theory is related well to commercial practice in business and administration. Teaching is carefully related to examination requirements and teachers develop students’ examination techniques well. Some teachers make good use of ILT in their teaching, but not consistently so across all areas. Students have good access to computers and the Internet and use them confidently.

Key skills development is integrated into all courses with some additional key skills lessons to help students to prepare for tests and complete portfolios. Criteria for key skills and assessment opportunities are not consistently included in schemes of work and lesson plans.

In some of the lessons judged to be satisfactory, teachers often fail to provide tasks and activities that are suitable for all the students, particularly the weaker ones. There are examples of too little use of ILT to stimulate and motivate students and unclear use of whiteboards or overhead projectors. Weaknesses also included some failure to include students in discussions and insufficient checks on students’ learning.

Teachers are well qualified and knowledgeable about their specialist subject areas. Some 96% of full-time and 79% of part-time teachers have teaching qualifications and most of the remainder are undergoing training. Part-time teachers are well integrated into curriculum teams. Support staff and teachers work together well. A range of strategies have been developed for attracting staff to curriculum areas where there are teacher shortages. In basic skills, for example, the college provides extensive internal training and development opportunities because of difficulties encountered in attracting and appointing staff. Opportunities for personal and professional development are good, but improving standards of teaching and learning further is not being given a sufficiently high priority.

The library is well stocked with books, periodicals and electronic sources of information. There is also an open-access computer facility where students can work independently. Library and computing staff are well qualified, work well with curriculum teams and provide effective services for students. The college is well stocked with computers. The ratio of students to computers is 2.5:1 and there is one computer to each full-time equivalent teacher. Both teachers and students have good access to the Internet and the college intranet. The information and communications technology (ICT) strategy is not placing sufficient emphasis on the use of the technology by teachers during lessons.

Teaching accommodation is generally good and the college provides an attractive and accessible environment for learning. Common areas are enhanced by displays of students’ work. All classrooms and facilities are accessible to students with restricted mobility. Sports facilities have been improved since the last inspection. Improvements include a new soccer pitch and hard court, resurfaced tennis courts and additional classrooms. Rooms are used efficiently, but overall occupancy rates are low mostly due to low rates of occupancy of some large spaces such as the sports hall and central hall. The college has developed a clear accommodation strategy and has identified the need to extend the refectory and library and to improve students’ social and recreational facilities. Similarly, the accommodation strategy addresses the need to relocate student services as a central, integrated facility. The college has not been able to complete the implementation of its accommodation strategy due to the local LSC’s review of college provision across Southampton.

Assessment and monitoring of students’ progress are good. All full-time students are assessed to identify their learning styles and additional support needs. Additional support is provided quickly and effectively. Teachers use an appropriate range of strategies to meet different learning needs.

Assessment is well planned and coursework deadlines are co-ordinated centrally. Teachers set and mark work regularly and students receive constructive feedback on their progress. However, feedback is not always sufficiently detailed or specific to guide improvement. Marking of set work is generally accurate and meets awarding body requirements.

Students have a clear understanding of their progress and the process for setting target grades. Subject tutors agree target grades with students and these are reviewed regularly against actual performance. Students’ progress is monitored through regular tutorials. In some areas, the actions students need to take to improve their performance following reviews are not sufficiently explicit and lack clear timescales. The college has identified this as an area for further development. Parents and carers receive regular progress reports and parent consultation evenings are held each year.

Internal verification of students’ coursework is rigorous for both vocational and academic programmes. Samples of students’ work are marked by two or more teachers and grades moderated within teams to ensure consistency of assessment. Faculty leaders and course teams work together to resolve any issues raised by external moderators. Internal verifiers provide feedback to assessors, although this is sometimes more focused on students’ work than the validity of assessment decisions.

The college offers a wide range of subjects at advanced level and an increasing range of vocational courses at levels 1 and 2. Progression routes are good. In 2004, 46% of students on courses at levels 1 and 2 progressed to a higher level. Detailed records of students’ destinations are kept and the curriculum is reviewed regularly to meet the needs of the local community. The recently introduced sixth form academy supports more able students in raising aspirations and achievement. The college has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to developing effective partnerships with local schools, colleges and the local authority. The college management team works hard to increase post-16 participation levels in the city, which are currently below the national average. Over 100 students aged 14 to 16 take courses at the college through the 14 to 19 Pathfinder initiative and more than 400 take part in taster activities. College staff also teach additional courses in local schools, and the college is actively working with the Aim Higher initiative. Links with employers are very good in supporting the sports academy, but less well developed in other areas such as business.

Students benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities with particularly strong provision in sport and music. One third of students participate regularly in activities. Themed weeks include activities related to human rights issues and health promotion.

The college provides good support and guidance for students. Pre-entry guidance is comprehensive and impartial. College staff organise a good range of events and activities, both at schools and in college, to guide students on to appropriate courses. The college has achieved the Matrix quality award for information and advice for adults. Professionally produced publicity materials contain clear information about courses and the range of support services available. Information is accessible to students and provided in different formats and languages.

All full-time students are assessed on entry to the college to determine their learning styles, levels of literacy and numeracy skills and additional support needs. Results are usually circulated quickly to teachers and the learning support team, and support is arranged promptly. Cross-college and subject inductions enable students to settle into college life quickly and confirm their choice of course. A student diary and handbook provides clear information about college life and the support available to them. Subject-specific handbooks give detailed information about the structure and content of courses.

Academic and personal support for students are effective. A good range of support services is available. These include counselling, finance, careers and progression and learning support. The college provides excellent support for students with physical disabilities and sensory impairment, and a good range of specialist equipment is available. At the time of inspection, 415 students were receiving financial support through the educational maintenance allowance and 31 students receive other learner support funds to support their studies. The college recently revised its child protection policy. The assistant principal with responsibility for student services co-ordinates actions and liaises with external agencies and there are named staff to deputise, where necessary. All teaching and support staff and governors have been briefed about the requirements and guidelines have been provided.

Two thirds of full-time students who are identified as having specific learning support needs attend support sessions. Classroom assistants provide effective support to students on entry level courses and courses at levels 1 and 2. The college has identified the need to monitor the progress of students identified as having support needs, but who do not take up the support offered. The impact of learning and financial support on students’ performance is not monitored sufficiently. There is insufficient tracking of the combined effectiveness of different programmes such as key skills and GCSE courses in raising the literacy and numeracy levels of individual students during their time at college.

Teachers monitor academic progress closely. Students at risk of failure are well supported through tutorials and drop-in and learning support workshops. Teachers and tutors provide students with considerable support and encouragement both during and outside formal lesson times. Attendance data are accessible through the central management information system and well used by teachers, personal tutors and senior managers in monitoring students. There is a clear disciplinary procedure for students aged 16 to 18.

Tutorials are well structured and effective. Tutors monitor students’ progress against targets during review weeks each term. Some reviews do not specify sufficiently clear actions and timescales to help students to improve. Students receive good support from personal tutors, the careers guidance team and Connexions personal advisors to help them progress to HE or employment. Careers education is an integral part of the tutorial programme, and is facilitated by good resources.

Standards of music performance are particularly high and music students demonstrate consistently high-level skills. Performance is also strong in drama and dance. The practical work produced in the visual arts is often good, but students do not always fully explore the potential of their ideas. Much of the written work produced by humanities students demonstrates their interest in their chosen subjects. Many students develop ideas and arguments well. Some students, however, particularly at AS level, have difficulty structuring answers and expressing their ideas. Students on English courses make perceptive comments about literature and respond appropriately to each other’s ideas. Foreign language students speak with reasonable fluency relative to their level of study. The written work produced by English and languages students is of a suitable standard.

Many students pass key skills tests, but a very small proportion complete their portfolios and overall pass rates are low. Students do not value key skills as highly as the rest of their subjects and often fail to see their relevance. However, the college is successful in developing the literacy and numeracy skills of students who do not have level 2 qualifications in English or mathematics at the start of their course. The proportion of students without these qualifications is significantly reduced by the time they complete their main programme of study.

At 83%, attendance in lessons during the inspection was below the national average of 86% and the 89% attendance rate observed during the last inspection. College data indicate that average weekly attendance for the previous term was 89%. Attendance was lowest in science and mathematics at 76% and highest in the visual and performing arts at 91%. Students’ punctuality was good. Over 90% of students completing courses in 2004 progressed to HE, training or employment, with 86% of HE applicants gaining university places.

Leadership and management are good. The mission of the college clearly reflects governors’ and senior managers’ intentions for the institution to play a key role in raising achievement levels and widening participation in education and training in Southampton. The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups attending the college is significantly higher than for the city as a whole. Managers place particular emphasis on developing effective working relationships with schools and on providing progression opportunities for pupils whose achievements at Key Stage 4 are below the average for sixth form colleges nationally. Partnership arrangements include some sharing of teaching staff to enhance schools’ Year 11 curriculum and help prospective students to make appropriate choices at age 16. Students are well supported and the college makes good use of analyses of students’ achievements relative to their qualifications on entry to improve the performance of individual students and the college overall.

Retention rates, at all levels, have improved steadily since 2002 and are well above the national average for sixth form colleges at levels 1 and 2 and are at the national average at level 3. Pass rates are also above the national average at level 1 and for GCSE and GNVQ programmes. Overall pass rates for young people following level 3 programmes have been just below the national average for sixth form colleges for the three years prior to the inspection. Below average pass rates on AS-level programmes reflect the attainment levels of students recruited to the college. On the basis of students’ performance relative to their qualifications on entry, the college has been successful in achieving year-on-year improvement for the three years prior to the inspection with outstanding overall performance by AS-level students in 2004 and good performance by those following GCE A-level courses.

Communication within the college is good. Senior managers are approachable and consult staff regularly on matters of policy and practice. There is a comprehensive calendar of meetings at

different management levels and meetings and action points are mostly well recorded. Course teams are well led and managed and teachers, tutors and support staff work together effectively. They share a commitment to helping students maximise their potential. Management is good overall in four of the curriculum areas inspected and satisfactory in the fifth. In the humanities, there is insufficient co-ordination of measures to bring about improvements in students’ achievements at faculty level. Some curriculum managers have been slow to address weaknesses identified through self-assessment. Teaching time on AS-level courses was increased at the start of the year of the inspection and students provided with additional academic support as part of the strategy for improving students’ performance on these courses.

Governors bring a wide range of expertise to the college which they use well to shape its educational character. Meetings of the corporation are well attended and members play an active part in the life of the college. Governors are well supported by the corporation clerk. There is a well planned cycle of meetings and governors receive well set out and informative reports. Governors and senior managers work together well in setting the strategic direction of the institution and make good use of twice yearly planning days for establishing clear strategic objectives and challenging targets for improving the performance of the college. The corporation and its committees carefully scrutinise academic and financial performance as well as progress in achieving strategic objectives.

Quality assurance procedures, based on annual self-assessment, are effective. Course reviews are mostly rigorous and action plans are leading to improvements. Targets are set for key indicators including enrolments, retention and pass rates and progress against students’ prior achievements. Performance against action plans and targets is closely monitored by senior managers and governors. Teaching was judged to be good or better in 75% of lessons, which is similar to the national average for sixth form colleges. The level of unsatisfactory teaching is low at 1%. All teachers are observed annually and, although weaknesses in teaching and learning are identified, college observers do not place sufficient emphasis on the impact of teaching on students’ learning when grading lessons and judged 90% of lessons to be good or better. The college has recognised this weakness through self-assessment and, at the time of the inspection, was planning to provide further training and development to ensure that teachers take full account of the wide ranges of ability and previous attainment in most teaching groups.

The college has clear policies for promoting equality and diversity and complies with the Race Relations (amendment) Act 2000 and SENDA. All areas of the college are accessible to students with restricted mobility. The equal opportunities policy incorporates a race equality action plan. Appropriate training has been provided for governors and staff to support its implementation. Pass and retention rates are analysed by gender, ethnicity, post code and feeder school. Governors, managers and teachers receive useful monitoring reports to help identify areas for improvement. Most curriculum areas are improving the range of programmes offered at foundation and intermediate levels. Alternative progression opportunities to AS-level and GCE A-level courses are being developed. Measures to improve the performance of boys who had underachieved prior to enrolment at the college are having significant impact.

The college’s finances are monitored closely by managers and governors who receive clear information about expenditure to date. Systems are in place for estimating the cost of individual courses, but not for identifying actual costs. From an improving financial position, the college was forecasting a deficit for the year of the inspection due to a decline in enrolments in 2003. Managers and governors have taken action to reduce expenditure and there has been some restructuring to reduce staff costs. Expenditure on pay as a percentage of income has been reduced, but is still high at 80%. Strategies for increasing enrolments are clear and the three-year financial forecast shows the college remaining solvent. Reserves from the sale of property are available to complete a capital programme to support growth strategies. On the basis of the overall financial position of the college, improvements in students’ achievements and the progress they make relative to their prior achievements, the college provides good value for money.