We are kicking off National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week in great spirits after being judged ‘good’ across all categories by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2019. All our training programmes were inspected, including ‘16 to 19 Study programmes’ for school leavers and those not in employment, education or training, apprenticeship training across five trade occupations and a small number of school students aged under 16 who attend as part of a flexible curriculum partnership between us and their school.

Inspectors were particularly impressed with how “almost all study programme learners move on to apprenticeships, further education or employment after their training” and how the “beneficial training that apprentices receive allows them to develop highly relevant work- related skills.”

Our Managing Director Adam Marsh said: “We welcome the findings of the inspection and are delighted that it recognises and endorses the work we do both inside the college, but also outside in building productive relationships with schools, employers and local organisations. It is a credit to the teaching and leadership team, and the students themselves, that the report recognises ACE learners as being ‘respectful, polite and keen to learn’ and that they develop valuable social and communication skills as well as practical skills which make them employable and effective in the workplace”.

We’re looking forward to our next Saturday Open Morning on the 16th March and our Year 11 Taster Day Taster Day for prospective students on 17th April. We are also holding an Open Evening for Year 11 students on 20th March 2019. Information on this and other events can be found here.

A full copy of the Ofsted report can be found here.