Following an inspection by Ofsted in March 2022, WQE has been rated as a Good Sixth Form College overall. This reflects the Good ratings achieved in all categories, including the quality of education provided.
The summary judgements by Ofsted in their report are as follows;
- Overall effectiveness is Good
- The quality of education is Good
- Behaviour and attitudes is Good
- Personal development is Good
- Leadership and management is Good
- Education programmes for young people are Good
The report recognised and praised many of the strengths of the College including;
Our students and their development
“students enjoy attending the college. They are well motivated and keen to learn”
“most students achieve well and gain good grades. The large majority of students progress to higher education courses, for which they are well prepared.”
“most students produce work to a high standard, demonstrating a sound grasp of material. They can use complex terminology, diagrams and formulae, accurately and fluently.”
Our teachers
“students benefit from good, demanding teaching, which they value greatly”
“teachers have good subject and teaching expertise. Most make good use of this expertise to plan well-structured, ambitious, and challenging courses. They provide high-quality explanations, use well-crafted resources, and give students frequent opportunities to practise what they learn. As a result, many students develop a good understanding of challenging topics”
“teachers make very effective use of assessment to check that learners have understood topics”
Our culture and supportive environment
“a welcoming and inclusive place with a good atmosphere in which to study”
“students feel safe at college. They can access a range of tools to support them with managing their own safety”
“students benefit from a good range of welfare and support services”
Our ‘Young Professionals’ philosophy and preparation for the future
“teaching promotes independence and develops students’ study skills. This prepares students well for their next steps, which for most means studying at university”
“staff provide effective help for students who apply to universities that includes extra support for those who wish to go to Oxford or Cambridge”
“students participate in a comprehensive careers programme. They receive helpful independent guidance on their next steps. Careers activities align with students’ aspirations and can be highly personalised”
Our curriculum and wider opportunities
“leaders have developed a varied curriculum that meets the needs of local young people”
“students have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of extra-curricular activities in sport, arts and crafts, technology, history and foreign languages. These activities are valued by students and help them to broaden their outlook”
“leaders and managers have developed a tutorial programme to develop students’ study skills and their understanding and awareness of a wide range of topics related to citizenship, and health and well-being”
Our ambitions and next steps
We naturally have ambitions to keep improving, with the report also noting that “leaders and managers have developed a clear quality improvement plan that includes a range of suitable activities at appropriate points in the year”
Governors are key in supporting the college to keep improving too, with the report highlighting that “governors are well qualified and experienced…They receive detailed and frequent updates on performance from leaders. This means that governors know the college well and that they can ask relevant and challenging questions to hold leaders to account”.
The report has given us a range of helpful and constructive feedback that will be useful to inform the next phase of development planning. As part of this we plan to:
Review and strengthen our level 1 and 2 curriculum; further strengthen the monitoring of support for students; further strengthen our responses for those with the lowest attendance; develop links with employers to enhance our vocational courses and further develop work experience; extend and enhance the wider tutorial programme; review lesson observation processes to complement the range of other quality assurance activities and help share the best practices and impact on learning.
For the full Ofsted report click here
