College Websites

2024 Full Inspection Report

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers have developed a broad and coherent curriculum. This includes courses leading to academic, applied general and technical qualifications, as well as the very successful introduction of T levels. Students combine different types of qualifications to meet their specific needs and interests, and this provides them with the best possible chance of achieving their career ambitions. For those students not ready for level 3 study, the college has developed a carefully thought-out level 2 pathway, which enables students to progress successfully to the next level.

Leaders and managers are ambitious for what their students can achieve, supporting them to progress academically and to develop as individuals with good character. They are passionate about their commitment to ensuring that all students experience a high-quality and well-rounded education. Staff understand the challenging personal circumstances of many of their students and strive to ensure that all students meet their full potential. They take effective action to reduce the barriers to learning that many students face, such as providing electronic devices to those experiencing digital poverty.

Staff have designed an inclusive curriculum that very effectively meets the needs of students with high needs and students with SEND. They provide a culture in which students feel secure and comfortable, while being appropriately challenged to achieve their full potential and gain key attributes. Students value the individualised support that they receive and appreciate the contribution that they are able to make in determining the most appropriate support. Learning support mentors use their knowledge and experience well to provide students with the required levels of support, which enables them to fully participate in all aspects of their learning. Students progressively develop their knowledge and skills while increasing their independence and autonomy. As a result, they make excellent progress, achieve their qualifications and, where applicable, the targets in their education, health and care plans.

Teachers sequence the curriculum thoughtfully. They build knowledge skilfully so that students are secure in foundation concepts before learning more complicated topics and theories. In criminology, teachers cover external influences on perceptions of crime, such as the media, before moving on to criminological theories and exploring the different laws in other parts of the world.

Experienced and well-qualified teachers use a range of highly effective teaching methods. Teachers revisit past content frequently throughout courses and use effective recall strategies to enable students to remember the information that they need to complete more complex tasks. In biology, teachers explain cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation in detail by taking students through each stage of the process, using clear diagrams, texts, short quizzes and tasks. As a result, students are very well prepared for assessments and examinations.

Teachers skilfully use a range of effective assessment methods, including quizzes, presentations, case studies, professional discussions and research-based projects. They use questioning to help students recall and remember information from previous learning. Teachers use the outcomes of assessment well to identify gaps in knowledge and misconceptions, which they carefully fill and correct.

Students take pride in their work. They produce high-quality work that demonstrates the rapid development of their knowledge and skills. In A-level English, students’ essays are increasingly rich in content and linguistic terminology, with in-depth critical analysis and evaluation. Teachers provide helpful feedback on students’ work that supports students to improve. They annotate work and provide guidance on what students need to explore further. Students receive verbal clarification from their teachers, which they find useful. As a result, they are able to make amendments and corrections independently and use this to inform future pieces of work.

Teachers develop students’ English, mathematics and digital skills well. Students develop a rapid understanding of new specialist terminology, which they apply fluently. On the T level health course, students use key terms such as inclusion, prejudice, beneficence and nonmaleficence correctly and apply the terms to real situations. In criminology, students analyse crime statistics and other statistical data, such as the frequency of ‘stop and search’ procedures, to increase their understanding of how the perception of crime can change over time.

Students make significant progress in developing their understanding and skills and achieve very well. Students who need to resit GCSE English and mathematics are very successful, with more than half achieving a grade 4 or above. Almost all students progress to positive destinations, with a high proportion progressing to higher education, including prestigious universities, and most others progressing into employment or an apprenticeship.

Students benefit from high-quality resources and facilities. Staff provide an enriching environment where wall displays immerse students into the subject area. Leaders have invested significantly in new facilities, such as a mock courtroom, a hospital ward and science laboratories, as well as improving access to study space and information technology facilities. Alongside governors, leaders carefully consider how they can further increase the capacity of the college to accommodate the growing demand in the city for post-16 places, while ensuring that the college maintains its ethos.

Leaders and managers have designed and implemented a high-quality evidence based professional development programme to develop teachers’ skills. The ‘Notre Dame Essentials’ provides a template for effective teaching and learning, developing teachers’ expertise in practices such as chunking new materials, impactful starter activities and spaced retrieval. As a result, teachers’ practice is of a consistently high standard.

Leaders place a very strong focus on the quality of education. Committed and experienced governors work very closely with senior leaders and managers, ensuring appropriate oversight and challenge. Managers implement a comprehensive quality assurance process, using key performance indicators that include attendance, punctuality and progress. They use the information that they gather from this process to make demonstrable improvements.

2022 Full Inspection Report

What does the provider do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and managers have exceptionally high expectations in order to ensure that students can ‘be the best that they can be’, which is reflected in students’ highly positive behaviour and conduct. Students behave consistently well in class and around the campus. They are considerate, polite and well-mannered to each other and to staff, which creates a calm and purposeful environment that is conducive to successful learning and in which they thrive.

Leaders and managers have devised a highly ambitious curriculum that develops the theoretical knowledge and technical skills that students need for their next steps into higher education and, increasingly, into apprenticeships. The programmes on offer meet a diverse range of need and interests, from academic A levels to more work-focused vocational programmes that meet changing students’ and employers’ needs. For example, leaders introduced the level 3 diploma in criminology in response to demand from students, who can now access a rich curriculum by combining criminology with allied subjects such as law and sociology.

Leaders maintain a sharp focus on improving teachers’ practice to enhance the teaching of the curriculum and the appropriate use of assessment. Leaders and managers have designed and implemented a focused and comprehensive programme of professional development, internal buddying and sharing of expertise that staff value highly. Leaders ensure the well-being of staff through an equitable distribution of workload, allowing teachers time to reflect on and develop their teaching skills further.

Teachers are accomplished in using a range of methods and approaches to promote learning. Their subject expertise is highly evident during lessons on complex theories, such as the dopamine hypothesis in psychology. Teachers use recall techniques very effectively, to ensure that students embed difficult concepts into long-term memory. For example, they use regular quick-fire quizzes, supplemented by direct questioning of students throughout lessons. As a result, students can remember, recall and apply what they have learned extremely well.

Managers and teachers plan and sequence teaching exceptionally well to ensure that students develop a deep understanding of each subject’s foundational principles before moving on to the development of more complex and demanding knowledge and skills. For example, in health and social care, students learn about physiology and anatomy during the first year of their studies, which ensures that they have the secure foundations that they need before progressing to more practical applications of their subject.

Teachers have very high expectations of what their students can achieve. They set students target grades at the start of their programmes that are based on the highest performing students in the country. Students are motivated to reach, and in many cases, surpass these aspirational grades. As a result, their written and practical work is of a very high standard. For example, students’ art and design coursework, including large-scale mixed media projects, demonstrates very high levels of skill and ambition for the age and level of the students. A very high proportion of students progress to prestigious universities, into apprenticeships and, in a few cases, into employment. Students with SEND or high needs achieve their qualifications and progress on to positive destinations at the same very high rates as their peers.

Leaders ensure that students explore a stimulating range of social, political and cultural issues through the well-planned philosophy, theology and ethics curriculum. All students benefit from being able to discuss often challenging topics in a safe and respectful environment. Students are very involved in organising and performing at the college’s regular multi-faith assemblies, which are attended by all students. Students give presentations on topics such as International Women’s Day and perform songs celebrating events such as Lent and Eid.

Leaders and managers organise informative and helpful higher-education fairs where students can meet representatives from different universities to discuss the different degree courses available and how these courses can help them achieve their career aspirations. Achievement tutors and specialist careers staff guide students exceptionally well in making decisions about their next steps. Leaders work effectively with local universities to enable students to enhance their practice and to prepare them for study at foundation and degree level.

Those responsible for governance know the provider extremely well and understand its strengths and areas to develop. They ably support the provider’s leadership and make a valuable contribution to shaping the college’s strategic direction. The college has a named governor with significant relevant experience of safeguarding and SEND, which enhances the college’s safeguarding arrangements.

2008 Full Inspection Report

Areas for improvement

The college should address:

• success rates on a minority of AS courses
• further development of the accommodation strategy
• the embedding of the newly developed electronic monitoring of student progress across all areas.

2003 Full Inspection Report

What should be improved

• sharing of good practice within and across curriculum areas
• some inadequate accommodation
• the use of ICT in some curriculum areas
• some aspects of the curriculum portfolio.