Homestay Inspectors' Comments

The recent Ofsted inspection found that the college provides a consistently good service for residential students with some outstanding features in how they are helped to enjoy and achieve and to make a positive contribution, while learning and living under college’s care.

Here are some of the comments made by the Government Inspectors:

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do – outstanding provision.

Students receive outstanding personal support from staff. Each student has one or more members of skilled and sensitive staff to whom he or she can confidently turn for personal guidance or with a personal problem.

On arrival there is an induction programme (including a tour of the area) and a welcome party. This is followed by a varied programme of activities and trips. Homestay families display a great interest in sharing cultural information with the students.

Helping children make a positive contribution – outstanding provision

Students are enabled to contribute to the operation of residential provision in the college and there is an extensive range of ways that they can have a say and make their views known.

Staff respect students views and positive comments from students supported the reciprocity of this.

The college promotes good communication with families overseas and is sensitive to homesickness.

Students say they feel well supported on arrival and have good information about what to expect beforehand. There is a well-established and thorough induction, and staff continuously check progress and satisfaction through well planned personal tutorials and have a clear welfare focus on the whole child.

Achieving economic wellbeing – good

The college helps homestay families to deliver good quality care to each student.

The arrangements for managing the college’s lodgings, called homestay provision, for students who are under 18 recognises their vulnerability as children and staff establish a close and caring links with the students. Families say they can contact the college at any time of the crises.

There is good communication between the college staff and parents and this ensures that students' well-being is maintained.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe – good

Systems for safeguarding students have been strengthened through additional child protection training and formation of a new safeguarding committee within the college.

Policy, procedure and practice is coordinated under a senior designated manager and this ensures a proper response is made to any suspicion of abuse. Staff and host families demonstrate a good awareness of their responsibilities and the students say they feel safe.

Students are protected from bullying and harassment. The college follows a fair and appropriate student disciplinary policy in relation to unacceptable behaviour and breaches of student discipline.

Helping children to be healthy – good provision

The college promotes healthy lifestyles. Appropriate first aid and minor illness treatment are available to students at college. Systems are in place to identify and manage any significant health and personal problems of individual students which arise.

The students say they feel well cared for by homestay families who make sure they get the health care they need through national health provision. These arrangements ensure students health needs and personal problems are properly managed.

Students receive good quality catering provision within the college. The college is aware of special dietary, medical or religious needs and makes proper provision for this. In lodgings, homestay families provide homely, well cooked food and students report it be of good quality, with enough choice.

Organisation – good

A clear statement of the principles of residential provision and student support at the college is available to those needing this information.

The college's management team ensures regular monitoring of the records of risk assessments, sanctions against students, complaints and accidents, and identifies any issues requiring action. The promotion of equality and diversity is good.

Policy, procedure and good practice helps students to know that their individual needs on the basis of race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender, age and religion are valued and the service is able to meet their diverse needs in everyday life at college.

There are plenty of staff who are available and welcoming to students around the college and students say they feel very well cared for at the college.

We have staff dedicated to ensuring that you are well looked after whilst you are a student with us: another good reason to choose Dudley College.