Carlisle College has retained a rating of ‘Good’ from Ofsted following a full inspection of NCG colleges in November 2024.
We are pleased that our Overall Effectiveness continues to reflect the consistent good standard of education delivered by colleagues and our valued partners that will help us achieve our goal of enabling social mobility and economic prosperity through exceptional education. We have also made significant progress in many areas, most notably our apprenticeships provision. The inspection team stated that “leaders and managers have taken substantial steps to improve apprenticeship provision across the group. Apprenticeships are now of good quality and are aligned closely to local and regional priorities.”
Under Ofsted’s new inspection framework we were also assessed for the first time on how well we meet local, regional and national skills needs, including how we work in partnership with stakeholders. The report highlights how we engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across Cumbria, how we consider regional priorities when planning curriculum within colleges, and how in most curriculum areas, stakeholders are involved in the design, implementation and delivery of the curriculum.
The report highlights many positives about our college, including:
• Learners and apprentices make good progress in the development of new knowledge, skills and behaviours.
• Learners and apprentices enjoy being part of the diverse and inclusive college communities at each of the college sites. They value studying in college environments where there are high levels of mutual respect and where learners and staff are approachable and openly support and care for each other.
• Learners and apprentices feel safe and know how to keep themselves and others safe at their colleges, at work and during online training.
• Most learners benefit from valuable experience of the workplace and the world of work.
• Most learners progress to positive and sustained destinations on completion of their programmes such as further study or employment.
Sarah McGrath, Principal of Carlisle College, said:
“We are thrilled to retain our rating of ‘Good’ from Ofsted, which demonstrates our commitment to both our learners and the local community. As a college, we are committed to delivering education that will provide learners with the skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers, whilst continuing to develop curriculum which meets local industry needs. The report highlighted many positives about our college, and we are proud that learners feel safe on our campus, enjoy our diverse community, and that our collaboration with regional partners to meet skills needs has been recognised by the inspection team.”
Liz Bromley, CEO of NCG commented: “This is a positive result that reflects the hard work and dedication of colleagues and partners across the country to deliver high-quality education and opportunities that can transform lives.
“I am pleased that the report highlights the continuous improvements we have made as a Group since our last Ofsted inspection, particularly in our apprenticeships provision and in the work we have done to ensure we meet local and regional skills needs by putting employers and stakeholders at the centre of our curriculum development.
“As an ambitious organisation we will continue to strive for outstanding education for the benefit of our learners and the communities we serve, which are at the heart of our organisation.”