An Outstanding College
Bridgwater College has recently been the subject of an annual assessment visit by Ofsted Inspectors. Following the visit, staff and students of the College were thrilled to learn that they would be one of the first three colleges in the country (Bridgwater College, Truro College Cornwall and Hills Road Sixth Form College Cambridge) to receive the new Ofsted designation of ‘Outstanding College’. Inspectors awarded the College an incredible five ‘outstanding’ Grade 1s for: Effectiveness of Provision, Achievements and Standards, Quality of Provision, Leadership and Management and Capacity to Improve. By achieving Grade 1 in every aspect of the inspection, the College has now become an Ofsted designated ‘Outstanding College’ and, as a consequence, will not be inspected again for a further three years.
In his summary report, the lead inspector said: “The College provides outstanding education and training and fulfils its mission to inspire learners to achieve success. Leadership and management are outstanding and are focused on ensuring that all learners fulfil their potential. The College is committed to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning and there are very effective mechanisms in place to ensure this happens. Teaching and learning is outstanding. Learners are set challenging targets and receive exceptional support to help them achieve these targets. The curriculum provides an excellent mix of vocational and academic qualifications. Guidance and support for learners is outstanding. The College takes very great care to ensure that learners are on the right course and settle in well. Overall success rates for all learners are outstanding compared to similar colleges. Their achievement of high grades is exceptional and well above national averages for similar colleges. The College’s responsiveness to the needs of employers is outstanding. It is very effective at engaging employers across a range of occupational areas, successfully identifying and meeting their training needs.”
College Principal, Fiona McMillan OBE, responded: “This is an incredible achievement for the College. Ofsted do not award ‘outstanding’ grades lightly and to achieve such grades for all five areas is really exceptional. The inspection report represents a clear endorsement of our ability to offer the very best learning experiences for the people of our community and is a fantastic reward for our brilliant staff who work so hard to ensure that students achieve success and fulfil their potential. We are all very proud to receive the designation of ‘Outstanding College’ and with the confidence gained from this inspection we look forward to inspiring our future students to achieve success.”
Click here for the full report
