Background
The report follows the Common Inspection Framework used by Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate. The team of 35 inspectors consulted the delivery plans of the 47 local Learning and Skills Councils and examined the findings of over 650 full inspections carried out between April 2002 and May 2003. These included area-wide inspections and inspections of some of the largest providers in the country of work-based learning and Jobcentre Plus, adult and community learning providers and learndirect centres, and over 100 colleges. Documentation relating to literacy, numeracy and ESOL was examined in the 16 prison inspection reports. Inspectors also carried out a survey in a representative sample of 40 colleges across the country which included visits to each of the colleges.

Main findings
The Skills for Life strategy has been very successful in increasing the numbers of literacy, numeracy and language learners and in raising the profile of this area of learning. However, there needs to be a sharper focus on the quality of the education and training that is available. Few providers are monitoring retention and achievement rates or measuring the effectiveness of their learning support. Whereas there are examples of very good provision in all sectors, most expertise is concentrated in the colleges, even though the proportion of good provision is much lower in literacy, numeracy and ESOL than it is in any other area of learning, and there is significantly more unsatisfactory provision.

The rapid increase in learners has resulted in a serious shortage of qualified and experienced teachers not helped by the delay in introducing the new teaching qualifications. This is particularly acute in Jobcentre Plus provision (including Entry 2 Employment programmes), work-based learning for young people, prison education and learndirect provision. While many tutors in Jobcentre Plus, work-based provision and in some prisons, are expert in inspiring disengaged young people and long-term unemployed adults to return to learning or to work, in general they lack the expertise to teach literacy and numeracy well. Staff training needs to focus on tutors' teaching skills and, critically, their own levels of literacy and numeracy. Many of the learners in the greatest need are therefore with providers with the least qualified staff, which is a major concern.

Teaching and learning in prisons and young offender institutions is seriously held back by the lack of effective behaviour management schemes, and the shifting prison population which leads to a lack of continuity. There is not enough literacy, numeracy and language provision in young offenders' institutions.

The literacy, numeracy and language needs of the long-term unemployed are not being adequately addressed.

Where the teaching of literacy, numeracy and language is integral to everything else that is being learned, learners enjoy the process and are more receptive to improving their basic skills. Discrete literacy, numeracy and language provision in colleges and adult and community learning is often good.

Family learning courses in adult and community provision are often very successful in encouraging parents with low levels of literacy or numeracy to take a greater interest in their children's education, but too often family learning tutors pay insufficient attention to the specific learning needs of the parents.

The report acknowledges that achievement for learners can either mean gaining externally recognised qualifications or achieving individual learning goals. The poor quality of most individual learning plans and weaknesses in initial assessment means that it is very difficult to quantify and assess the quality of the learning that has taken place.

In contrast, the learning of the most successful students is having a positive effect on their lives, becoming less dependent on other people to help them with reading and writing tasks. Some learners had learned IT skills so they could write professionally developed letters and email relatives around the world. Building up the confidence of the learners is recognised as being an important factor in the teaching of literacy, numeracy and language and good practice described by the inspection team includes holding award and celebration ceremonies and putting up displays of what students have achieved.

Frequent absence from class holds back progress and in some colleges retention workers have been appointed to support students who attend irregularly. The report acknowledges that ESOL learners who are asylum seekers have to attend court hearings and meet with lawyers, which will affect their attendance.

Download the full report from: www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications

Ofsted (2003). Literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages: a survey of current practice in post-16 and adult provision. London: Ofsted/Adult Learning Inspectorate.