Chichester College Group

Overview

The report judges the overall effectiveness of Chichester College Group as ‘Good’, with ‘Outstanding’ provision for adult learning and apprenticeships. Leaders have successfully merged several colleges, creating a ‘welcoming culture’ where learners are ‘highly motivated’ and benefit from ‘knowledgeable and experienced’ staff.

Strengths

• Adult learners receive ‘excellent training’ that ‘transforms their lives’, making ‘outstanding progress’ in employability and community integration.
• Apprentices enjoy ‘high-quality training’, developing ‘up-to-date knowledge and skills’ that lead to ‘exceptional’ performance at work and high assessment success.
• The college makes a ‘strong contribution to meeting skills needs’ through effective collaboration with employers and civic stakeholders to align the curriculum with regional priorities.
• Staff provide ‘tailored support’ and ‘useful feedback’, helping learners with diverse needs, including those with high needs, to become ‘increasingly independent and confident’.
• The group boasts ‘exceptional resources’, including industry-standard environments like a working farm and immersive technology spaces, which enhance learner preparation.

Areas to improve

• Improve students’ attendance, particularly in GCSE English and mathematics, which remains low at several colleges.
• Improve the proportion of students making positive progress in GCSE English and mathematics and achieving A-level qualifications, noting a declining trend in A-level achievement.
• Ensure young learners have a comprehensive understanding of the risks of radicalisation and extremism and know how to respond to them.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that learners have a ‘very secure understanding of safe working practices’.