Folkestone Beacon Plus

Overview

Folkestone Beacon Plus is a small specialist college for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities, judged as ‘Good’ overall. The report highlights an ‘ambitious curriculum’ tailored to learner aspirations, resulting in ‘Outstanding’ behaviour and personal development.

Strengths

• Staff create a ‘respectful and safe environment’ where learners study ‘extremely effectively’ and model ‘professional attitudes’.
• Learners develop ‘meaningful and realistic employability skills’ and receive ‘high-quality careers information’, leading to sustained next steps in work or learning.
• Teaching is delivered ‘exceptionally well’ with clear presentation, repetition, and ‘short, scaffolded learning activities’ that help learners grow in confidence.
• Leaders work closely with employers to align the curriculum with local opportunities, ensuring learners are ‘well prepared for realistic opportunities’.
• Learners embrace ‘exceptional support’ regarding well-being and take safeguarding seriously, knowing the actions to take if concerns arise.

Areas to improve

• Ensure appropriate programmes and qualifications in English and mathematics are selected so individuals ‘achieve to the best of their ability’.
• Improve the quality of feedback so learners ‘understand how they can improve their work’, as insufficient written feedback currently slows progress.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.