New College Swindon

Overview

The inspection found that New College Swindon ‘requires improvement’ in overall effectiveness, driven by shortcomings in the quality of education, personal development, and leadership for young learners and those with high needs. Conversely, the college delivers ‘good’ provision for adult learners and apprentices, with staff creating ‘welcoming, calm and purposeful learning environments’ where learners are enthusiastic and well-supported.

Strengths

• Staff act as ‘positive role models’ and use industry expertise skilfully to bring subjects to life, particularly in T-level health and art courses.
• Adult learners benefit from employability pathways co-designed with stakeholders like the NHS and Job Centre Plus to meet regional skills needs.
• Apprentices develop valuable practical skills quickly, with high retention rates and many gaining promotions or extra responsibilities upon completion.
• The college makes a ‘reasonable contribution to meeting skills needs’ through strong employer relationships and leadership in local initiatives like the Institute of Technology.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must increase the proportion of young learners achieving target grades, particularly in A-level courses where progress is insufficient.
• The college needs to provide high-quality work experience placements for young learners and those with high needs, rather than relying on limited virtual activities.
• Leaders should monitor young learners’ progress closely to intervene swiftly when progress slows and provide governors with accurate data to challenge senior leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, with learners feeling safe due to measures such as lanyards and electronic key cards.