Fir Tree College

Overview

Fir Tree College is an independent specialist college for young people with learning difficulties and special educational needs. The inspection found that leaders have created a “challenging and aspirational curriculum” where students are “polite and well mannered” and make good progress towards their future goals.

Strengths

• Students “have high expectations of themselves” and benefit from an “inclusive culture” where staff “treat them well”.
• Most students “make good progress from their starting points” and are “proactive and hard-working on their work placements”.
• The curriculum is sequenced effectively, helping students develop valuable skills such as “resilience and teamwork”.
• Students “understand how to keep themselves safe” and follow health and safety procedures correctly.
• Governors “know the provider well” and provide “appropriate challenge and scrutiny to leaders and managers”.

Areas to improve

• Ensure tutors and work coaches plan learning so that students “recap and reinforce their learning across the curriculum”.
• Ensure staff are suitably trained to develop the literacy skills of students while on work placement.
• Provide “high-quality independent careers guidance” so that students understand the range of career opportunities available to them.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with the designated safeguarding lead responding promptly to concerns and making necessary referrals.