Cambridge Regional College

Overview

The report states that Cambridge Regional College is ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, marking an improvement from its previous ‘Requires improvement’ rating. Leaders have established a clear intent to prepare learners for future careers, collaborating effectively with employers to ensure the curriculum meets local and regional skills needs. Students and apprentices value the high-quality support they receive and feel safe within a welcoming environment.

Strengths

• The college makes a ‘strong contribution to meeting skills needs’, with leaders ‘swiftly adapting the curriculum’ in response to employer feedback.
• Teachers and assessor trainers are ‘highly qualified and experienced’, using real-life scenarios to help learners understand their future working environments.
• Learners benefit from ‘high-quality resources that reflect those used in industry’, such as in hairdressing and engineering workshops.
• Staff provide ‘frequent and detailed feedback’, ensuring most students make good progress and produce work of a ‘good standard’.
• The college has a ‘strong culture of safeguarding’, with robust measures in place to support vulnerable groups and monitor attendance.

Areas to improve

• Learning support mentors in supported learning must ‘gauge accurately when they should intervene’ to provide timely support without hindering student independence.
• Leaders must ensure students attend English and mathematics lessons frequently and arrive on time, as too many currently do not.
• Teachers should consistently correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar to help learners develop high-level English skills for employment.
• Action is needed to ensure apprentices remain on their programmes and gain their qualifications, as too many leave early.

Safeguarding

The report confirms that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that leaders have created a strong culture with rigorous recruitment processes and comprehensive support for mental health.