Adult learning in the community
Teaching and learning
Most learners make sound progress in their lessons and have positive relationships with their tutors, but partnerships do not evaluate how well learners progress in the longer term well enough, or offer enough provision through the medium of Welsh.
What’s going well
- Most learners make sound progress in their sessions. Over a longer period, such as a term, most learners make suitable progress in developing their skills against their starting points and in achieving their qualification aims.
- Most learners understand what they need to do to improve, through the use of an individual learning plan, or through feedback from their tutors.
- The professional relationships between tutors and their learners are strong, and tutors know their learners well. Frequently, tutors tailor the level and content of their delivery well to suit the needs, interests and preferences of learners.
- Overall, across the partnerships we inspected, there is a suitable balance between non-accredited and accredited programmes, giving learners suitable opportunities to attain relevant qualifications.
What needs to improve
- Even in areas where Welsh is widely spoken in the local population, partnerships offer little or no provision through the medium of Welsh, meaning that Welsh speaking learners or communities do not have the opportunity to benefit from adult community learning programmes in Welsh.
- Partnerships do not evaluate how learners progress through their provision well enough. They do not use management information systems (MIS) information well enough to track and monitor learners’ longer-term progress.
Well-being, care, support and guidance
Learners enjoy their learning and value the opportunity for a second chance at learning and the benefits to their wellbeing and mental health that it brings.
What’s going well
- The atmosphere in adult learning in the community classrooms is nearly always productive and positive.
- Learners value the opportunity to return to learning, enjoy their experience and appreciate the work of their tutors. Learners are supportive of each other, frequently offering their peers support and encouragement.
- Many learners also value the opportunity for friendship and the social interaction that learning offers and frequently describe the positive effect that learning and attending their sessions has on their mental health and wellbeing.
- Providers create safe and caring environments that support the educational and personal development of learners.
What needs to improve
- Where partnership working was weaker, opportunities to give cross-provider support to learners with additional learning needs are less well developed and less effective.
Leading and improving
There are significant concerns about the sector, in relation to partnership working, leadership capacity and continuity. A few providers have reduced or ceased provision, citing budget constraints. While providers have worked well to use Multiply funding to offer new numeracy provision, partnerships have faced challenges in recruiting learners and tutors, and in planning for a return to business as normal when the Multiply funding window closes.
What’s going well
- Across the sector, there is some improvement in the way partnerships use their websites to inform learners and potential learners about their provision.
- Partnerships work well to co-ordinate the provision they offer through the UK Government’s ‘Multiply’ initiative.
What needs to improve
- The quality of partnership working and leadership continues to be an area of focus and considerable concern.
- One local authority has decided to cease its ALC partnership provision entirely and another provider has reduced the extent of its in-person provision across its geographical range. In both cases, providers cite budget constraints as a significant factor in their decisions. These are concerning developments.
- In a few partnerships, reorganisation, changes in roles or failure to replace key personnel are having a negative impact on the partnership’s work and provision for learners.
- Although Multiply has opened a new funding source for providers to offer courses to improve adults’ numeracy, partnerships frequently face challenges in recruiting learners and tutors within the short timescales available, and in planning how best to secure an effective transition back to ‘business as normal’ when the funding window closes.
Overview of recommendations from inspections
In the 2023-2024 academic year, Estyn inspected six ALC providers.
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Four had recommendations about the Welsh-medium or bilingual provision. Three were recommended to increase Welsh-medium or bilingual learning opportunities, and one to develop and promote Welsh-medium provision.
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Three providers were given a recommendation about partnership working. One had a recommendation to widen the range of partners which contribute to provision planning and one was recommended to ensure representation and meaningful participation from key partners at strategic and operational level. The weakest provider was given two recommendations on this aspect:
- Develop a strategic plan for the partnership, underpinned by a shared vision
- Develop a partnership approach to self-evaluation and structured quality monitoring in order to meet targets and capture impact
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Two providers were given a recommendation on ensuring that potential and existing learners can easily access information on the providers’ courses and progression pathways.
In the weakest provision, recommendations focused on supporting and tracking the progress of learners with additional learning needs (ALN), ensuring that learners are given opportunities to work towards accreditation or qualifications where appropriate, and improving strategic leadership procedures and practices.
Effective practice identified during inspection
Teaching and learning
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Case study – Digital Fridays, an initiative that refers learners into provision, supports existing learners, promotes independence, supports tutors, and allows ongoing learning and the development of skills.