Lancaster and Morecambe College

Overview

Lancaster and Morecambe College is judged as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The report highlights that leaders provide an ‘ambitious curriculum offer’ that aligns closely with local skills needs, while learners feel ‘well supported’ and ‘safe’. The college makes a ‘strong contribution to meeting skills needs’ through effective employer engagement and a focus on high-priority sectors.

Strengths

• Learners and apprentices ‘enjoy studying’ and feel ‘well supported by staff who care about them’.
• The curriculum is ‘ambitious’ and carefully sequenced to help learners retain knowledge and develop industry-relevant skills.
• Leaders ‘collaborate exceptionally well with employers’ to shape provision, including introducing T levels and green skills qualifications.
• Enrichment activities, such as overseas trips and work experience, ‘enhance learners’ experience’ and have high participation rates.
• Apprentices benefit from an ‘ambitious curriculum’ that helps them develop confidence and skills beyond standard requirements.

Areas to improve

• Improve attendance for learners who do not meet college expectations, particularly on adult ESOL and GCSE courses.
• Improve the planning and teaching of GCSE mathematics, where some learners currently ‘disengage’ and make slow progress.
• Ensure teachers consistently use information about learners’ prior knowledge to plan learning and set appropriate targets.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that learners feel safe and know how to report concerns.