Q+ Queensmill College

Overview

Q+ Queensmill College is an independent specialist college providing post-19 education for young people with autism. The inspection found that leaders deliver a "purposeful" curriculum tailored to individual needs, resulting in learners who feel "safe" and are well-prepared for adulthood and employment.

Strengths

• Staff provide "highly effective support" that helps learners regulate their emotions and behaviour, leading to significantly improved concentration.
• The "supported internship programme" is praised for its "purposeful" design, with most learners securing employment after completing placements in local hospitals.
• Learners benefit from a "highly positive, nurturing and inclusive learning environment" and gain confidence through community activities like gym visits and leisure pursuits.
• Teachers use adaptive technologies and personalised assessments effectively to help non-verbal learners communicate and achieve their goals.
• Leaders maintain "very effective" communication with parents, who report being "unfailingly positive" about the progress and support their children receive.

Areas to improve

• Teachers must improve their skills to "check learners’ understanding of topics thoroughly" and ensure tasks "consistently challenge learners," as some tasks currently lack sufficient difficulty.
• The curriculum needs development to include more opportunities for learners to increase their "information and communication technology (ICT) skills."

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."