Our Outstanding Ofsted results explained

The results are in, and Cornwall College Group has been given an Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding’. But what does that actually mean, and how does Ofsted make its decisions?

Ofsted ratings are due to change in the next academic year, but under the current system, colleges are given one of four overall ratings:

1 – Outstanding

2 – Good

3 – Requires improvement

4 – Inadequate

What are colleges judged on?

All education providers are given a rating – from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Inadequate’ – for the following key areas:

• Quality of education
• Behaviour and attitudes
• Personal development
• Leadership and management

All education providers are also rated as either ‘Adequate’ or ‘Inadequate’ for Safeguarding.

In addition, colleges are also rated on the provision of the following:

• Education programmes for young people
• Adult learning programmes
• Apprenticeships
• Provision for learners with high needs

How are inspections carried out?

Inspections spend between two and five days on each campus, gathering evidence by:

• Observing teaching, training and assessments
• Speaking to teachers, trainers and learners about the education and training provided
• Meeting with skills stakeholders and their staff
• Scrutinising learners’ work
• Discussions with learners
• Analysing college and learner records to show planning and monitoring of individual learner progress and destinations
• Meeting with learners, employers, staff, governors, councillors, trustees and partners
• Learner and employee surveys

How is the overall rating decided?

To reach the ‘Outstanding’ standard, safeguarding must be rated as ‘Effective’, and colleges much typically receive a rating of ‘Outstanding’ for all four of the following key judgements:

• Quality of education
• Behaviour and attitudes
• Personal development
• Leadership and management

With Cornwall College Group scoring ‘Outstanding’ in all four of the key judgements, as well as ‘Outstanding’ in Education programmes for young people, Adult learning programmes, and Apprenticeships, we are proud to be given the overall rating of ‘Outstanding’! Read the full report here. 

How did we do? 

Quality of Education: OUTSTANDING 

“Learners and apprentices, including those studying at subcontractors, highly value the exceptional learning opportunities that staff provide. Teachers motivate them to take advantage of the excellent learning resources they use, which replicate those found in industry.” 

Behaviour and attitudes: OUTSTANDING 

“Learners and apprentices practise learning new skills and behaviours using high-quality resources in industry-standard facilities…The excellent learning spaces that staff have created contribute to learners and apprentices being highly motivated and encourage high attendance to their lessons.” 

Personal development: OUTSTANDING 

“Learners and apprentices know how to contribute positively to society because they learn from projects that are closely linked to their vocational courses.” 

Leadership and management: OUTSTANDING 

“Governors are highly ambitious for learners and apprentices at the college. They are committed to and passionate about the contribution the college makes to the economy and the communities it serves. They use their skills and experience in education, strategy and finance to make well-considered decisions with leaders about the shape and content of the college’s curriculum.” 

Education programmes for young people: OUTSTANDING 

“Leaders and managers are very ambitious for their learners and apprentices. They provide a very broad range of vocational courses to meet the needs of learners and apprentices in the many different areas that the college serves in Cornwall and Devon.” 

Adult learning programmes: OUTSTANDING 

“Leaders very effectively improve employment prospects for adult learners. For example, they work closely with Jobcentre Plus to meet training needs, by providing Skills Bootcamps in welding, and with Cornwall Council Resettlement Service to provide bespoke courses in developing basic English language skills.” 

Apprenticeships: OUTSTANDING 

“Leaders ensure that the apprenticeships they provide are closely aligned with the local skills improvement plan. These courses include highly specialised subjects such as marine engineering and veterinary nursing. Leaders are tackling social disadvantage in the areas they serve because the niche subjects they provide would not otherwise be available to apprentices.” 

Provision for learners with high needs: GOOD 

“Learners with high needs develop communication and teamwork skills by frequently participating in community projects, such as supporting local food banks. They build their confidence and independence by completing inspirational work experience placements, which for a few includes working in a restaurant in Spain or Portugal.” 

Safeguarding: EFFECTIVE 

“Learners and apprentices feel safe. They are confident that staff would respond to their welfare concerns swiftly and appropriately. This is because staff provide an inclusive, welcoming and caring environment.” 

Mark Wardle, Cornwall College Group Deputy CEO, said:

“Our rating of ‘Outstanding’ is the culmination of years of hard work from all of our staff, across all of our campuses and departments. We are very proud to have been recognised for the work we do in our communities to tackle disadvantage and for the exceptional learning opportunities that we provide. 

“The Ofsted inspection process is very rigorous, but what stood out to the inspectors was our ability to meet the needs of a wide range of learners and apprentices, our supportive learning environments, our work with stakeholders and employers, our ambitious curriculum delivered in industry-standard facilities, the expertise of our staff, and how we are consistently improving learner achievement through high-quality teaching and quality assurance.”

Take a look at our amazing range of courses to see what makes learning at Cornwall College Group outstanding: Subject Areas – Cornwall College