EDUCATIONAL OVERSIGHT INSPECTION OF PRIVATE FURTHER EDUCATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE COLLEGES MONITORING VISIT CAE OXFORD AVIATION ACADEMY

Transcription

1 EDUCATIONAL OVERSIGHT INSPECTION OF PRIVATE FURTHER EDUCATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE COLLEGES MONITORING VISIT CAE OXFORD AVIATION ACADEMY

2 Full Name of College CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Address Telephone Number Address Principal Proprietor Age Range 18+ Total number of students Numbers by age and type of study Oxford Airport, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1QX Mr Andrew McFarlane COAA Ltd : 427 FE only: 427 Inspection date 1 October 2013

3 PREFACE This inspection report follows the Framework for Educational Oversight Monitoring Visits of private further education colleges and English language schools. The focus of the visit is to confirm that the quality standards reported at the last full inspection are being maintained. The ISI is an approved Educational Oversight body authorised by the Home Office to inspect privately funded further education colleges, including English language schools in England and Wales offering courses on the Qualifications and Credit Framework. It is designed to improve the quality of education on offer to international students through Tier 4 of the points based system for student visas. ISI inspections are required to: Report on the extent to which colleges comply with the published Educational Oversight Standards for private colleges; Assess and report on the quality of educational outcomes and provision; Where applicable, make recommendations to colleges outside the scope of the Standards to support continued improvement of quality. Inspection provides objective and reliable reports on the quality of colleges, and by placing reports in the public domain, makes this information available to students, Government and the wider community. Inspection takes account of the context of each individual college, and of how it evaluates its own performance and demonstrates its success. The inspection of the college is from an educational perspective and provides limited inspection of other aspects, though inspectors will comment on any significant hazards or problems they encounter which have an adverse impact on students. The inspection does not include: (i) an exhaustive health and safety audit (ii) an in-depth examination of the structural condition of the college, its services or other physical features (iii) an investigation of the financial viability of the college or its accounting procedures (iv) an in-depth investigation of the college s compliance with employment law. A monitoring visit is for those colleges found at the last inspection to have met or exceeded the quality Standards for Educational Oversight. Inspectors will make judgements on progress against any Action Points and Recommendations made at that time. The inspection will not examine all other Standards in detail but will sample to confirm that previous Standards have been maintained and that there are no contrary indicators to those quality judgements.

4 CONTENTS Page 1 CONTEXT 2 2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 3 3 THE QUALITY OF THE CURRICULUM, TEACHING AND LEARNERS ACHIEVEMENTS 4 4 STUDENTS WELFARE, INCLUDING HEALTH AND SAFETY 6 5 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 8 6 ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9 INSPECTION EVIDENCE 10

5 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 2 1. CONTEXT 1.1 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy (COAA), located in Oxford, is part of a world-wide group of flight training operators. The academy was acquired by CAE (Canadian Aviation Enterprises) in Each centre has its own local management system. At COAA, the Centre Manager oversees the day-to-day running of the academy and reports to the Head of Global Operations who is co-located in Phoenix, Arizona and Oxford. The Head of Global Operations reports to the board of the CAE group. The academy aims to combine premier ground school courses with excellent flying instruction to train high quality cadet pilots. 1.2 The academy Airline Pilot Career programmes, Airline Preparation Programme (APP) First Officer and Multi-Pilot Licence (MPL) First Officer have been designed internally in accordance with European Aviation legislation to prepare well-motivated individuals for the role of first officer upon graduation. These courses are full-time. The academy also offers modular and distance learning courses. 1.3 At the time of inspection there were 427 students enrolled. The academy has a monthly rolling intake. All students are over the age of 18 and come from a range of countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Far East. A minority of students speak a first language other than English. No student has been identified as requiring support for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 1.4 The academy was first inspected from 9 to 11 October 2012 when it met all key Standards and the quality of education was judged to exceed expectations. The recommendations from the previous report are: Increase the amount of group practical work in ground training classes. Improve central attendance monitoring for students who are in flight training. Improve food preparation facilities in residences.

6 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 3 2. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 2.1 The academy exceeds expectations. The previous inspection of 9 to 11 October 2013 was judged to exceed expectations and the quality of education as judged at that time has been maintained. 2.2 The quality of the curriculum, teaching and learners achievements is excellent. Initial assessment of students prior to and on arrival is very rigorous. The curriculum is well organised and meets students needs. All courses lead to a qualification approved by the Home Office for students studying on Tier 4 visas. Teaching and learning are outstanding. The academy has made good progress in increasing the amount of group practical work in ground training classes. Students are making excellent progress and they achieve well. Assessment of students is thorough and achievement rates are high. In a minority of cases, students feel the support they receive is not tailored to their requirements and does not meet their needs. 2.3 Students welfare, including health and safety, is excellent. The academy is a safe and secure area for all students and staff. The building is fit-for-purpose and well maintained. Attendance monitoring is exemplary and appropriate procedures are in place for making the necessary reports to the Home Office should this be required. The academy also maintains an accurate admission register. Good progress has been made to ensure that central attendance monitoring for flight training is of a high standard. Pastoral care is outstanding. The academy has made good progress in improving the food preparation facilities in the residences. However, at peak times students report that the food preparation areas in the halls of residence linked to the canteen facilities are not sufficient to cope with the demand for self-catering. 2.4 Governance, leadership and management are excellent. Senior managers have a clear strategic plan in place and there have been a number of improvements made to the academy. There is sound financial planning and excellent resources for the students. Quality assurance is very good. Students have ample opportunities to provide feedback on the quality of education at the academy.

7 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 4 3. THE QUALITY OF THE CURRICULUM, TEACHING AND LEARNERS ACHIEVEMENTS 3.1 The quality of the curriculum, teaching and learners achievements is excellent. All key Standards continue to be met. 3.2 The recommendation in this area from the last inspection report is: Increase the amount of group practical work in ground training classes. 3.3 The academy has made good progress in addressing this recommendation. The introduction of the First Officer Fundamentals and Flight Safety Fundamentals elements of the APP course enables students to engage in a variety of group practical activities. The ground training classes are still taught primarily through lectures, though instructors use their subject expertise and personal experiences extremely well to inspire students. Furthermore, the use of resources such as model planes, real parts of an engine and interactive whiteboard presentations enhance the learning experience and illustrate the theoretical aspects of flying an aircraft. 3.4 The academy continues to use rigorous initial assessments to effectively place students on the right courses. High quality information, advice and guidance are provided for all students, both prior to and upon arrival, to ensure that they are suitable for their chosen course. The curriculum is excellent; all courses enable students to progress on to their chosen career as a pilot for a commercial airline. Furthermore, all courses on offer meet Home Office requirements for students on Tier 4 visas. 3.5 Teaching and learning are outstanding. Lessons are very well planned, with excellent activities to engage and challenge students. Instructors use a range of resources creatively to provide students with up-to-date knowledge and understanding of flying an aircraft. Furthermore, instructors use highly effective questioning techniques to assess students' learning in class and develop their reasoning skills. As a result, student learning and progress are exemplary. Students demonstrate skills as highly reflective, confident learners; they really enjoy their lessons and value the high quality training that they receive. 3.6 Assessment of students is thorough. For example, after a flight training session in the simulator, instructors fully brief students on what they did well, what they need to do to improve and the next steps for their development. Students greatly appreciate the high quality of feedback they receive from their instructors. Senior managers and instructors work together to effectively track and monitor each student's progress through fully recorded regular review meetings. As a result, the vast majority of students are retained and remain focused throughout the course. However, in a minority of cases, the support students receive is not specific to their needs and thus is not as helpful as intended. 3.7 Attainment and progress are exceptional. Achievement rates are very high and outcomes for students are excellent. Students make very good progress in their

8 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 5 courses and achieve well in relation to their starting points. Students display high levels of knowledge and skill in lessons.

9 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 6 4. STUDENTS WELFARE, INCLUDING HEALTH AND SAFETY 4.1 Students welfare, including health and safety, is excellent. All key Standards continue to be met. 4.2 The recommendations in this area from the last inspection report are: Improve central attendance monitoring for students who are in flight training. Improve food preparation facilities in residences. 4.3 The academy has made good progress in improving the central attendance monitoring for students in flight training. Instructors maintain excellent manual records which are used effectively to monitor student attendance. The new webbased system for recording all student information, including attendance, is robust. The implementation of this system is underway and staff are undergoing training on how to use it. 4.4 Good progress has been made in improving food preparation facilities in residences. There is suitable accommodation, with either self-catering or food preparation facilities. Extensive refurbishment has taken place to improve the food preparation areas in one of the residences. As a result, students are now able to prepare light meals and store food adequately. However, students comment that at certain peak times, such as in the morning before lessons begin, the food preparation areas are not sufficient to cope with the demand. Senior managers have clear strategic plans in place to make further improvements to the residences. 4.5 The academy has highly effective arrangements in place for ensuring the health and safety of all students and staff, with proper regard for fire safety and first aid. Students report that they feel safe. The premises, including residential accommodation, are fit-for-purpose and very secure. Classrooms are well maintained, clean and equipped with good teaching resources. 4.6 Attendance monitoring is exemplary. All students need to complete a total number of hours of study in order to qualify as a first officer, hence all staff monitor student attendance closely. Appropriate procedures are in place for making any necessary reports to the Home Office. 4.7 The pastoral care and welfare of students are excellent. The academy has an opendoor policy and all staff are approachable. Students can go to any member of staff to report any problems or issues. Students comment that, in the vast majority of cases, their issues are dealt with promptly, often with satisfactory outcomes. Student feedback is regularly sought to ensure a consistently high quality of care. Very positive relationships exist throughout the academy, both between staff and students and amongst students themselves. Staff actively encourage students to attend social events, such as end of examination parties, to reinforce a sense of harmony across the academy. Students receive outstanding career guidance to help them secure a job with a commercial airline.

10 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy Residential accommodation is good. Students have the option of living in selfcatering apartments, located a 20 minute drive away, or living on-site, a short walk from the main teaching block.

11 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 8 5. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 5.1 The effectiveness of governance, leadership and management is excellent. All key Standards continue to be met. 5.2 The management of the college is outstanding. Regular meetings with senior managers enable the Head of Global Operations and the CAE board to retain an appropriate oversight of all educational standards. Financial planning, investment in staff and accommodation are very good and have led to high quality improvements in resources for staff and students. The centre manager works effectively with highly experienced managers to maintain excellent levels of academic rigour, student welfare and health and safety. As a result, the quality of education is excellent. 5.3 Senior managers meet regularly to set challenging targets and appropriate priorities for development. Self-evaluation is highly effective and areas for development are monitored well. As a result, the management team constantly raise standards and maintain the high quality of education, leading to very positive learner experiences and outcomes. Staff share a clear, ambitious vision for the academy, and they work closely together to fulfil the company's aims. Senior managers employ high quality instructors to deliver an outstanding education to all students. Staff really enjoy working at the academy and are clear about their roles and responsibilities. 5.4 The academy has very good quality assurance arrangements in place to maintain the existing high standards. Senior managers collate and use accurate data effectively to manage the provision, hence the academy continues to exceed expectations. Student feedback is obtained formally via a questionnaire at the end of the course. However, students have ample opportunities to provide staff with feedback throughout their course. Staff use this student feedback effectively to evaluate their services and secure improvements in the quality of education. In pre-inspection questionnaires and interviews with students, the majority of students report that they are happy with all aspects of their educational experiences, particularly the teaching.

12 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 9 6. ACTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The academy has maintained the excellent standards found at the last inspection. Suggestions for further improvement In order to improve the excellent quality provided, the academy is advised to: Personalise and tailor the individual support that students receive to meet their needs.

13 CAE Oxford Aviation Academy 10 INSPECTION EVIDENCE The inspectors observed lessons, conducted formal interviews with students and examined samples of students work. They held discussions with senior members of staff and with the Centre Manager. Inspectors visited residential accommodation. The responses of staff and students to pre-inspection questionnaires were analysed, and the inspectors examined regulatory documentation made available by the Academy. Inspectors Ms Abigail Nwaokolo-Akinfenwa Lead Inspector Ms Eileen O'Gara Team Inspector Mr Peter Casey Team Inspector