Bishop Auckland College

Overview

Bishop Auckland College is a small further education provider judged to be ‘Good’ overall, with ‘Outstanding’ personal development and provision for students with high needs. The report highlights a positive culture where students feel safe and benefit from high-quality vocational training and meaningful work experience.

Strengths

• Staff promote a ‘positive culture’ creating a ‘calm and respectful environment for learning’.
• ‘Personal development’ is outstanding, supported by ‘highly effective careers advice’ and extensive enrichment activities.
• Provision for students with high needs is ‘ambitious’ and helps them make ‘very good progress’ towards independence.
• Apprentices benefit from ‘high-quality off-the-job training’ and teachers with current industry expertise.
• Leaders engage well with stakeholders to ensure curricula meet local skills needs, such as in construction and the visitor economy.

Areas to improve

• Provide an effective curriculum for students aged 14 to 16 that ‘motivates them to attend and enables them to achieve well’, as current attendance is too low.
• Ensure teachers ‘consistently check on learning for all students and apprentices’, particularly in vocational subjects where understanding is not always checked before moving on.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff maintaining a ‘zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment’ and students knowing clearly how to report concerns.