Date 11 October

2017

Ms Saboohi Famili
Epping Forest College
Borders Lane
Loughton
Essex
IG10 3SA

Dear Ms Famili

Support and challenge arrangements

Our jointly agreed priorities to support improvement are as follows:

Improve teaching, learning and assessment by:

- undertaking a review of the revised observation of teaching, learning and
assessment policy
- scrutinising the post-observation action plans set out for members of staff
- observing teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that teachers improve
their practice
- checking that teaching and learning coaches set teachers actions that enable
them to develop and enhance their performance
- ensuring that the actions undertaken by leaders and managers lead to
improvements in quality in teaching, learning and assessment

Following my recent visit on 10 October 2017 I set out below my observations.

Actions taken to date and their impact:

Following the inspection of 15 November 2015, there have been some changes in the
senior management team. Improving the quality of teaching, learning and
assessment has been a focus for you and your managers. You have appointed four
new directors of curriculum, including a director of quality and professional
development and a larger team of teaching and learning coaches. This has
sharpened the emphasis placed on teachers performance, the quality of assessments
and learners progress.

During my visit, I conducted seven observations of teaching and learning in a range

of vocational qualifications at levels 1, 2 and 3 and GCSE mathematics lessons; I also
conducted observations in apprentices off-the-job training. Of the seven
observations I conducted your managers had already identified the majority, as
being supported to improve through your post observation action plans. I
interviewed managers responsible for improving the quality of teaching, learning and
assessment and conducted joint lesson observations and learning walks with staff. I
also completed analysis work on the post observation action plans and the new
observation of teaching, learning and assessment policy.
Page 1 of 4


The teaching and learning policy provides staff with important information regarding
the procedures that you have set out to enable observations of teaching and learning
to take place. The policy outlines the next steps for staff members following an
observation. During my visit I conducted joint observations with the majority of staff
responsible for observing teaching. The observation team accurately identifies
strengths and weaknesses in teaching, learning and assessment. As a result,
managers now hold staff to account more effectively and provide teachers with clear
guidance on how to improve. Managers now challenge weak provision more
effectively. Your managers indicate that the proportion of good and better teaching
has increased. However, during my observations with your management team, they
recognise that there are still variations in the quality of teaching, learning and
assessment.

The senior management team indicates that the proportion of learners achieving
their qualifications has increased, particularly in subjects such as, construction,
health and social care and travel and tourism. Your senior managers indicate that the
proportion of learners who achieve full level 2 and level 3 qualifications has also
increased. The proportion of learners achieving a 4-9 grade pass in GCSE English is
now above national rates. However, the proportion of learners achieving a 4-9 grade
pass in mathematics is still too low. Senior managers articulate that more learners,
than in previous years, following level 3 qualifications make the progress expected
and achieve their qualifications. However, your senior managers recognise that too
many learners following level 1 programmes make slow progress and achievement
rates are too low.

You and your management team have taken action to cease motor vehicle courses
as a result of poor performance, declining market demand and the lack of continuity
of staff. You ensured that all learners were able to access alternative provision
successfully.

Leaders and managers have put in place a comprehensive strategy to improve the
quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Managers and learning coaches
accurately identify strengths and weaknesses in the observations of their staff. They
set teachers appropriate and precise actions for improvement. However, a minority
of actions set are too broad and do not inform teachers of the steps they need to
take to improve. Learning coaches regularly review teachers progress in relation to
the actions that teachers have set through subsequent observations.

Managers and learning coaches regularly conduct focused learning walks and provide
feedback and actions to teachers and managers. Managers review progress of
actions in monthly management meetings. However, managers do not monitor and
track teachers progress against the actions they set regularly enough to ensure they
quickly address identified weaknesses in their practice. As a result, focused learning
walks have little impact on improving teaching and learning.

Page 2 of 4


Teachers do not set high expectations of what their learners can achieve and as
result too few make good progress in lessons. In GCSE mathematics lessons,
attendance is too low and teachers do not plan learning effectively to ensure that all
learners make good progress.

Too many teachers do not make effective use of learners starting points to plan well
considered learning activities. As a result, learners who require support and those
who are most able do not make good progress. Too often teachers do not check that
learners understand theoretical concepts, and these essential foundations of learning
are insecure. Where this is effective, teachers use a range of questioning methods to
challenge and deepen learners thinking skills, they ensure that learners evaluate and
consider problems to enable them to find solutions. A few teachers make use of
carefully planned assessments such as, self- evaluation and enlisting support from
their peers to evaluate their work or performance.

Too often, targets lack precision. As a result, too many learners do not know the
steps they must undertake to achieve the work they are set.

Most learners work in collaboration with their peers effectively. In vocational

subjects, most learners develop good practical skills which relate to their long-term
aspirations. Most teachers in vocational subjects insist on learners developing good
professional standards. However, in a few academic subjects, learners do not deepen
their understanding of theoretical concepts and as a result they complete work which
is too easy.

Agreed next steps:

Leaders and senior managers make certain that managers swiftly review and
monitor the actions set for their staff from learning walks; they ensure the
weaknesses identified are addressed.
Ensure that teachers set consistently high expectations of their learners; they
deploy a range of effective methods to plan and execute learning so that all
learners make the progress of which they are capable.
Ensure that teachers make use of the information they have of learners
starting points to set precise targets to enable them to reach their full
potential.
Swiftly increase attendance to GCSE English and mathematics lessons.

This letter will not appear on the Ofsted website but will be shared with the
Education and Skills Funding Agency and, where relevant, the FE Commissioner.

Thank you for your hospitality during my visit.

Page 3 of 4


Yours sincerely

Harpreet Nagra
Her Majestys Inspector

cc. Matt Vaughan, Senior HMI

Page 4 of 4