Education at ‘neglected’ prison fails to improve

Despite improving English and maths provision, many prisoners still lack access to a ‘suitable curriculum’

Despite improving English and maths provision, many prisoners still lack access to a ‘suitable curriculum’

22 Oct 2024, 16:05

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Ofsted has found ‘insufficient progress’ in education at a “neglected” prison which it graded as ‘inadequate’ in four out of five areas last year.

HMP Bedford was subject to an ‘urgent notification’ last year when HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) chief inspector Charlie Taylor found low training and education attendance, high violence and some of the “worst” cells he had ever seen.

In a review of the prison’s progress in September, the chief inspector found that new governor Sarah Bott has made “fragile” progress after taking over seven months ago.

Ofsted said the prison has made ‘insufficient progress’ in improving its attendance rates, offering a curriculum that adequately prepares prisoners for release, or providing effective careers education and advice.

However, it had made ‘reasonable progress’ in improving its English and maths offer after doubling the number of places available and increasing achievements.

HMP Bedford’s progress review report is the latest in a bleak series of findings on education in custody with all five full inspections published last month rating prisons ‘inadequate’.

On October 9, Taylor issued an ‘urgent notification’ about HMP Manchester, a training prison that offers “very poor” education, training and work.

Unenthusiastic and uninterested

Last year, inspectors found that spaces in education were not maximised, with vacancies in classes left unfilled. 

Vocational learning was a “set of short courses in rotation”, such as barbering, roofing and warehousing, that failed to provide prisoners with substantial knowledge or skills.

There was no opportunity to gain qualifications in those areas, or to higher level courses, or other courses that supported prisoners’ career choices.

Prisoners were “unenthusiastic and uninterested” in a recently introduced vocational warehousing programme.

Although pay rates for education were higher than all other prison activities, only half of prisoners turned up at sessions and leaders cancelled classes – although attendance was better at work and industries training.

Those working at the prison such as wing cleaners did not have access to machinery that would help them gain “high-level industry skills” – resulting in poor standards and “compromised hygiene”.

Curriculum reviewed

In the review, inspectors said more than half of the ‘purposeful activity’ spaces available to prisoners were still not a “suitable curriculum” as they were wing jobs rather than education or training.

However, the skills curriculum had been reviewed to match prisoners’ interests and local skills needs, including new courses in basic construction, warehousing and manufacturing.

Attendance rates were also “still not high enough”, with over a fifth of prisoners enrolled on education failing to attend regularly.

Better citizens – not better criminals

PeoplePlus Group, which provides Bedford Prison’s education services, did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for the Prison Service, an agency of the Ministry of Justice, said: “The report rightly notes improvements at Bedford, including a reduction in levels of self-harm and the renovation of accommodation. 

 “The high rate of violence and poor living conditions is why this government took immediate action to end the overcrowding crisis engulfing our jails – to ensure prisons create better citizens and not better criminals.”

HMIP’s chief inspector Charlie Taylor said: “It was clear that the new governor and deputy governor were taking the concerns raised at the last inspection seriously, but they acknowledged there was still much to do.

“Progress was fragile and they will require extensive ongoing support from HMPPS to make the sustainable improvements the prison needs.”

‘Little to occupy’

Lack of purposeful activity is a widespread issue in prisons, with more than two-thirds spending most of their days in cells with “little to occupy them”, according to HMI Prisons.

A survey of 5,000 prisoners between 2023 and 2024 reported that a quarter had less than two hours outside their cell on a typical weekday and 44 per cent had less than six hours unlocked, leaving limited time for education and training.

This appears to be due to overcrowding, staff shortages and underfunded education services.

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