A college in Lambeth, which supports 19-24-year-olds with a wide range of special needs and disabilities has been commended by Ofsted for making 'significant progress' in its improvement journey.
Nido Volans Lambeth, previously the Michael Tippett College, became part of London South East Colleges on 1 February 2023 following an inadequate Ofsted report and insufficient progress at a subsequent monitoring visit.
Following a request by the DFE and Lambeth Local Authority for a transfer, London South East Colleges took over the existing site and implemented rapid and widespread changes to improve the provision in all areas.
Exactly a year on, inspectors have assessed the College as having made 'significant progress' in all areas. This includes governance; ensuring learners are safe; having suitably qualified staff who are trained to support learners with high needs; and creating an ambitious curriculum, which meets learners' needs and integrates therapeutic services.
The 40 young people/adults currently attending the provision are benefiting from significant improvements to the curriculum, with a wide range of subjects on offer including creative media, horticulture, manufacturing and travel training. The inspector noted that this "…has had a highly beneficial impact on the progress of all the learners."
Training and development have also been made a priority, contributing to "staff having a renewed enthusiasm" for all they do. The learning environment was also praised in the HM Inspector's report for being "well-managed and calm".
The expertise of staff was noted: "They have the skills to teach effectively, and the expertise to support learners in a highly individualised way."
And significant improvements in leadership and governance was also highlighted in the glowing report: "Governors and leaders have expertly managed the transfer of learners and staff to Nido Volans Lambeth….They have transformed the experiences of learners to be extremely positive."
"[Governors and Leaders] focus strongly on developing the expertise of staff. They have high expectations for their learners to be able to live sustainable lives in the community."
Assistant Principal High Needs and Foundation Learning at London South East Colleges, Rhona Sapsford, said:
"We are absolutely delighted with this report, which acknowledges the hard work, commitment and dedication of our staff.
"The improvements we have made over here the past year are ensuring that learners are getting the highest quality of care and education - which themselves and their families very much deserve.
"Our success to date has been made possible by our strong working partnership with the London Borough of Lambeth, as well as with parents and other stakeholders, who we are extremely grateful to.
"Our focus is on continued improvement and to ensure that both current and future learners have access to the pathways and opportunities they need to fulfil their potential."
Perry Vlachos, SEND Director at Nido Volans, added:
"The impact on learners of the improvements made at our provision over the past 12 months has been phenomenal - and it is extremely encouraging for us all that this has been recognised by Ofsted.
"We are extremely grateful to everyone, who has supported the transformation here, especially the Nido Volans Lambeth staff and colleagues at London South East Colleges. We look forward to further strengthening and expanding our provision, supporting more young people with SEND and helping them to live fulfilling lives."
Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO of London & South East Education Group, says:
"I am absolutely delighted that Ofsted has recognised the rapid improvements made at Nido Volans Lambeth.
"Our education group took on both this provision and its feeder school (formerly Michael Tippett, now Heron Academy) at the same time, exactly a year ago today - which was a bold decision as both were inadequate and failing.
"A year on and both the school and the college are flourishing. We are extremely proud of this success, which is testament to the expertise and commitment of staff across our organisation.
"It also highlights the effective partnership between our College and our Multi-Academy Trust. Together they are delivering an ambitious all through curriculum and destination plan for students with complex needs - ensuring that every young person can progress and reach their full potential."
The full report can be found here: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50238823.
London South East Colleges is a further and higher education college with campuses across the region. It offers a wide range of qualifications and skills training from vocational and apprenticeships through to BA Honours degrees and professional accreditations.
The College has outstanding Nido Volans centres in Bromley, Bexley as well as Lambeth, providing high quality training and education for 19-24-year-olds with SEND, which includes employability programmes, supported internships and independent living programmes. For more information: http://www.lsec.ac.uk/.