Waltham Forest College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings

This provider is good Leaders, managers and governors ensure that the college contributes well to meeting the education and training needs of Waltham Forest, and achieves good outcomes for learners. All staff and governors have an unwavering commitment to improving the college, which has raised standards since the previous inspection, and secured good-quality provision across the college.

Learners' behaviour is exemplary; learners are self-assured, ambitious and motivated, which enables them to grow in confidence and make good progress. The large majority of teachers set interesting, relevant work, and use a wide range of teaching strategies which engage learners, and help them to develop th...e skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Learners develop particularly good practical skills, which meet industry standards and improve their opportunities for progression to further study or employment.

Managers have developed the range of apprenticeships well to meet local skills shortages in areas including creative industries, construction and railway engineering. Most learners improve their literacy and numeracy skills well in vocational subjects, and know how to use these skills for work in subjects such as engineering, hairdressing and health and social care. Learners with high needs develop excellent independent living and work skills; a high proportion completing internships at a local hospital trust successfully gain employment after their programmes.

The good range and high quality of adult provision enable learners to improve their life chances and develop valuable personal, social and work-related skills. Learners' attendance on many courses is too low. Teachers do not consistently set learners sufficiently detailed targets or learning goals to ensure that they all make good progress in relation to their prior achievement.

A small minority of learners on study programmes do not attend external work placements; of those who complete placements, too few evaluate the benefits they gain from their experience.

Information about the provider

Waltham Forest College is a medium-sized general further education college in East London. At the time of the inspection, about 1,260 learners aged 16 to 18 were following full-time study programmes.

Of these, around two thirds were studying courses up to level 2, and the remainder at level 3. Some 2,450 adult learners were attending the college, most of whom were on part-time courses. In addition, there were 920 learners on apprenticeships.

The borough of Waltham Forest is diverse, both ethnically and socially, with 97 languages spoken by learners at the college. About half the local residents are from a minority ethnic background. The significant majority of businesses in the area are micro-businesses, employing fewer than 10 people.

The average salary in the borough is lower than the London average. The proportion of pupils at local schools who achieve five GCSEs with high grades is below the national rate, and below the average for schools in London. The significant majority of learners who choose to attend Waltham Forest College have not yet achieved high grades in GCSE English and mathematics.