Telford College

Overview

Telford College is a general further education provider rated as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories. The report highlights a ‘calm environment’ where teachers know learners well, fostering confidence and strong personal development. Leaders maintain ‘suitably rigorous quality assurance measures’ and work closely with employers to meet local skills needs, though some curriculum areas require further refinement.

Strengths

• Teachers create a ‘calm environment’ and encourage ‘appropriate behaviours’, with learners being ‘polite and respectful’.
• Apprenticeships have seen ‘substantial improvement’ in teaching, with clear links to workplace skills and effective professional development for staff.
• Curriculums are ‘sequenced effectively’, allowing learners to build knowledge incrementally and make ‘explicit links between current and prior learning’.
• Learners benefit from an ‘enriched college experience’, including community performances, enterprise projects, and relevant work experience.
• Leaders work closely with a ‘broad range of external stakeholders’ to understand and meet local and regional skills priorities.

Areas to improve

• Increase the proportion of learners achieving ‘grades A* to C’ for A-level qualifications, as current outcomes are ‘too low’.
• Ensure all learners and apprentices receive ‘clear, developmental feedback’ so they understand how to achieve merit and distinction grades.
• Use initial assessment results to improve the teaching of English and mathematics for apprentices, helping them achieve functional skills qualifications.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, noting that learners feel safe and understand health and safety risks relevant to their future work.