Ofsted rates City College Peterborough ‘Good’ but says some programmes ‘require improvement’

City College Peterborough has been rated ‘Good’ overall in a new Ofsted inspection report, although its education programmes for young people were deemed ‘Requires Improvement’.

Regulators visited the college, which provides courses and qualifications for 16-19 year olds and adults aged 19+, between 6th and 9th June this year before issuing their grading.

Since the inspection, an acting principal has replaced the college’s usual executive principal while an investigation into unknown “serious allegations” takes place; two senior managers are also “away from the workplace”, located on Brook Street.

City College Peterborough has said that this has absolutely no connection to the Ofsted inspection, which happened around a month and a half earlier, or its outcomes and that its findings still stand.

The college’s acting principal, Tanya Meadows, said in a statement that the college is “delighted” by its ‘Good’ rating and that, while its ‘Requires Improvement’ rating for education programmes for young people is “disappointing”, it’s “100% focussed” on developing these further.

Ofsted’s report, published this week, says that learners at City College Peterborough “benefit from a curriculum that for many is life changing” and that they “value studying in a harmonious environment”.

It adds that those in creative industries “produce work that is of a higher standard than that expected by the qualification”, while those who undertake subcontracted courses in English, Maths and ICT produce work that is “of a good standard and shows improvement over time”.

Tutors don’t ensure that learners on ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programmes complete their course work “in a timely manner”, however, the report says, meaning “they remain in learning substantially beyond the time planned”.

Ofsted also says that delays to courses being completed are also brought about because “leaders and managers do not have sufficiently high aspirations for learners’ attendance”, especially on ESOL courses.

The report generally praises tutors, leaders and governors at the college, particularly for their good communication, understanding of learners’ needs and for creating “an inclusive, safe and caring community”.

But governors “do not have effective mechanisms to challenge leaders’ oversight of the quality of education and training and/or its subsequent impact on learners,” the report says, while actions taken by leaders and managers to improve learners’ quality of education and future outcomes “are not sufficiently established and have had limited measurable impact”.

City College Peterborough says that it welcomes this feedback and that it will be “developing the current governor model to become more focussed on the quality and provision of learning, and how it is meeting the needs of learners and employers”.

It also welcomes the rest of Ofsted’s feedback, it says, and “will be using those comments to further strengthen the quality and reputation of the College”.

Ms Meadows, acting principal, said in response to the inspection report: “We as a college are delighted to have been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. This report is a true testament to the hard work from the whole City College team.

“We are delighted that our efforts to understand our learners to ensure effective delivery to meet their needs, has been recognised.

“We are 100% focussed on further developing our education programmes for young people and are disappointed on the rating of this provision, but we are still mindful that our outcomes are still above the benchmarked national average.”

City College Peterborough was also graded ‘Good’ at its last full inspection in 2011, its second-highest rating below 'Outstanding', and again after a short inspection in 2016.

Its wide range of courses includes everything from diplomas in business and childcare to sessions on acrylic painting and cooking Indian cuisine.