Ofsted Inspection 2012

Inspectors stated: "This is an outstanding college. Its drive for continuous improvement has established high and rising levels of attainment and excellent achievement for all students. Outstanding teaching ensures all groups of students make rapid, sustained progress... Excellent learning is supported by students' extremely positive attitudes. Behaviour in and out of lessons is often exemplary. Students collaborate closely with staff and their peers, showing fierce concentration..."

Key findings

This is an outstanding college. Its drive for continuous improvement has established high and rising levels of attainment and excellent achievement for all students.

Outstanding teaching ensures all groups of students make rapid, sustained progress. Teaching thoroughly addresses students' skills development and fully promotes their independence. Lessons are invariably challenging and highly motivating.

Excellent learning is supported by students' extremely positive attitudes.  Behaviour in and out of lessons is often exemplary. Students collaborate closely with staff and their peers, showing fierce concentration; there is very little disruption to the smooth flow of lessons.

The sixth form is outstanding. It is highly successful, annually increasing in size and popularity. High quality teaching and a curriculum closely tailored to students' needs promote excellent progress.

The curriculum provides very positive experiences. It is fully adapted to meet students' needs. An entirely appropriate emphasis on skills development in Key Stage 3 provides a powerful ‘launch pad' for students' subsequent progress.

Lessons fully promote students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensuring they develop a profound understanding of other beliefs, values and cultures. Their excellent social and moral development is exemplified in their outstanding behaviour. Well-trained staff and rigorous procedures ensure students feel very safe at the college.

Leaders and managers and the governing body base improvement plans on thorough self-evaluation and a close analysis of assessments. Key leaders successfully focus on improving teaching and learning.

The college works well with parents and carers but some are proving difficult to engage with.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Develop more innovative approaches to support the closer engagement of
parents and carers who have hitherto proved hard to reach.