Preston College

Overview

Preston College is rated ‘Good’ for overall effectiveness, with all key judgement areas also rated ‘Good’. The report describes a ‘positive and welcoming culture’ where learners enjoy their experiences and most achieve their qualifications, progressing into higher education, further training, or employment. Leaders demonstrate a ‘comprehensive understanding of local and regional skills priorities’, aligning the curriculum effectively with employer needs.

Strengths

• Learners benefit from ‘carefully sequenced curriculums’ that allow them to progress through stages of increasing difficulty, with teachers who are ‘aspirational for what their learners can achieve’.
• The college makes a ‘strong contribution to meeting skills needs’, developing effective relationships with employers and responding to sector requirements, such as in health and construction.
• Apprentices ‘swiftly develop their professional behaviours’ and work in facilities that ‘effectively replicate industry settings’, gaining up-to-date practical skills.
• Learners with high needs receive ‘bespoke support’ that has a ‘positive impact on their learning’, including tailored programmes like supported internships.
• Leaders provide robust quality assurance and staff development, ensuring staff are ‘well qualified and experienced’ with good subject knowledge.

Areas to improve

• Ensure learners ‘rapidly improve their skills in English and mathematics’ and significantly increase the number achieving high grades in these subjects.
• Ensure teachers and support staff ‘plan and track the incremental steps’ learners with high needs take towards their education, health and care plan outcomes.
• Improve learners’ attendance, particularly on level 1 courses and in GCSE English and mathematics, where it is currently ‘too low’.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with a ‘culture of safeguarding’ developed by leaders and staff at all levels, supported by appropriate policies and trained personnel.