AN ADULT and community learning service run by Wiltshire Council is no longer inadequate, but still requires improvement.

Ofsted said Learning in Wiltshire needed to improve its leadership, quality of teaching, outcomes for learners and adult learning programmes in a report published last Wednesday.

The service, which aims to encourage adults back into work and help them develop skills to gain employment, was previously deemed ‘inadequate’ in October 2016.

An inspector for the education watchdog said service managers had made good progress in following recommendations set out after the previous inspection, but that the service “has the capacity to improve further”.

The inspection of the service in early December found that learners were not provided with information they needed prior to starting their courses, and that those who had been out of education for a long time, or who had low literacy skills, found the information they were given confusing.

Managers were criticised for not routinely taking account of the impact teaching was having on the learners and their next steps, and the inspector said tutors “do not consistently pay enough attention to learners’ individual starting points when teaching and assessing learners’ progress”.

The inspector said new governors “with suitable skills and expertise” had been appointed to the service, and said they receive and scrutinise information on how the team performs. But the report said governors are “still developing their understanding of how to provide effective support and challenge members of the team”.

The service was found to be good in terms of learners’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, and the inspector said service users “quickly gain confidence and new skills”, feel safe and develop “a good rapport” with tutors.

And the inspection found most learners on short courses, including maths and English, complete the course successfully, but that not enough learners were progressing to higher levels of learning.

Laura Mayes, cabinet member for children said: “I’m pleased Ofsted has recognised we are on the right track and we are already working on the points they mention so we continue to provide an effective and valuable service for our families.”