Plumpton College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings

This is a good provider Leaders, managers and governors have worked energetically to improve teaching, learning and assessment, and outcomes for learners, successfully. The college is a welcoming, inclusive and respectful community where most learners thrive.

As a result of very good-quality practical teaching, learners develop good skills and produce work of a high standard. Most learners achieve their qualifications. Learners are excited about their subjects and the wider opportunities that staff provide.

They are keen to learn and supportive of others. Excellent arrangements for relevant work experience placements and enrichment activities develop learners' skills, knowledge and ...confidence well. Large numbers of learners gain work related to the course they studied, and many with their work experience provider.

Apprentices develop good skills and relevant behaviours to make positive contributions to their employers' businesses. Resources are well-managed, very high-quality and reflect those found in the land-based sector so that learners develop their vocational skills well. Senior leaders have exceptional partnerships with local and regional employers, schools and community leaders which benefit learners and the local community.

Learners do not have access to broad and impartial careers advice beyond the area of their study. In a small minority of theory lessons, teachers do not ensure that learners make the progress they should. Not all learners with high needs make the progress of which they are capable and managers do not monitor this well enough.

Information about the provider

Plumpton College is a small specialist further education college in East Sussex. It provides courses in land-based subjects and adventure education. The main campus is on a large rural estate near Lewes, 10 miles from Brighton and Hove.

There are also courses provided at small centres across East Sussex and at Stanmer Park in Brighton. The college provides full-time study programmes for around 1,000 learners aged 16 to 19 and full- and part-time courses for 350 adults. Around 140 learners with high-needs funding are on study programmes or courses designed specifically for them.

There are approximately 270 apprentices. The college also provides courses for school pupils aged 14 to 16 for around 50 local schools, and offers foundation degree and degree courses in partnership with the University of Brighton. Learners attend the college from across East and West Sussex, and from Kent and Surrey.