Leaders and governors ensure that students benefit from a well-informed and up-to-date curriculum. They work extensively with key stakeholders to plan a curriculum offer that meets local and regional employment needs exceptionally well. Recent additions include A-level politics, which aligns closely with the knowledge required for university, and engineering, to support progression on to degree apprenticeships.
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We have made three recommendations to help the college continue to improve:
Governors and senior leaders are highly committed to widening participation and tackling social inequality through excellent education and training. They provide exceptional leadership to drive improvements across the group and create a culture of high ambition and success. Leaders offer a wide range of accessible, innovative and challenging learning opportunities for local communities in east London and Essex. Across all campuses, including the newly merged BSix campus, staff support and challenge learners and apprentices to achieve well, whatever their starting points. Most learners and apprentices make significant progress in their studies and achieve highly.
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Leaders and managers have a very strong focus on raising the aspirations of young people in the Bradford area. Their approach to developing teaching and learning draws on the latest academic research and results in high standards of teaching. Leaders and managers provide a thorough induction for teachers who are new to the college to make them fully familiar with their high expectations and the approaches and strategies that ensure students experience consistently excellent tuition.
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Leaders have a very clear intent to provide a curriculum that includes a wide range of high-quality A-level and level 3 general applied programmes for young people living in Doncaster and the surrounding area. They aim to raise the aspirations of young people, provide high-quality provision and increase the number of students progressing to higher education, apprenticeships and employment. Leaders successfully achieve this aim. Most students progress to higher education, including to prestigious universities. The number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who progress to higher education is particularly high.
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Leaders and subject specialist staff have designed a highly ambitious curriculum across a broad range of subjects. The range of academic and vocational subjects that students can study prepares students well for higher education and meets the needs of a wide range of employment sectors. Students are well prepared to take their next steps in a range of career paths.
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Leaders and managers have very effectively brought about the merger of Newcastle College and Stafford College. They have integrated rapidly the two campuses, setting high expectations for both staff and learners. Direction from senior leaders is clear, supportive and challenging. As a result, staff are highly motivated and feel able to provide learners with an outstanding learning experience.
