Delight as Sutton-based college earns high praise from education inspectors

The Sutton-based Academy Transformation Trust Further Education College has been rated outstanding for personal development and adult learning programmes, and good for education quality, behaviour and attitudes leadership and management and young people education programmes, by education watchdog Ofsted, for an overall rating of good.

Ofsted’s newly published report said: “Learners enjoy their experience with ATTFE. Most face disadvantages or barriers to learning and are well-supported. Learners rightly praise the way tutors make suitable arrangements to support their needs.”

ATTFE, based at Sutton Community Academy, offers “lifelong learning”, with a range of courses for adult and young learners, “designed to meet the needs of local people”.

Adult employability and vocational courses include hairdressing and childcare, while courses for young people include construction, sport and uniformed public services, with a total of 134 adult and 98 young learners enrolled at the time of Ofsted’s four-day inspection in June.

The report said: “Adults and young learners benefit from a rich and varied personal development course,. As a result, learners flourish, become more confident, articulate and ready for employment.”

The report highlighted how adults – a “majority with additional needs” – benefit from “well-designed courses to support their vocational skills, broader development and general wellbeing”.

It said: “Adult learners’ achievement rates are high. They develop significant new knowledge, skills and behaviours during their time at college. The majority of young learners achieve their qualifications.”

It also said: “Managers develop courses to meet the needs of young learners, who benefit from a more tailored and nurturing approach to their education.”

Simon Martin, ATTFE vice-principal, said: “This report confirms ATTFE is an anchor institution for the communities it serves. This elevates the impact above and beyond the successful outcomes for learners, important though that is.

“The collective impact of ATTFE’s work places it at the forefront of social, civic and economic regeneration in north Nottinghamshire’s most deprived neighbourhoods.”

To further improve, ATTFE staff were encouraged to: assess learners’ knowledge prior to new topics, so they can focus on teaching unfamiliar content; ensure research activities are well-structured to allow learners to gather useful information; and ensure feedback to young learners is clear and helps them improve.

To read the full report, see reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/33/59200