The Henley College

Overview

The Henley College is judged as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, with provision for learners with high needs rated ‘Outstanding’. The report describes a college where learners are ‘ambitious, motivated and keen to achieve’ within an ‘inclusive, respectful and positive environment’. Leaders demonstrate a clear understanding of local skills needs and have implemented effective strategies to support learner progress and career readiness.

Strengths

• Learners receive ‘excellent support’ from staff and make ‘effective progress’, with those having high needs making ‘excellent progress’ in a ‘nurturing environment’.
• Staff set ‘high expectations of behaviour’, which learners meet successfully, contributing to a campus where bullying is ‘very rare’.
• Teachers possess ‘strong subject knowledge’ and plan ‘interesting and stimulating lessons’, using assessment techniques to provide ‘valuable feedback’ that helps learners improve.
• Leaders have created an ‘advanced digital and science centre’ and work in partnership with regional stakeholders to ensure the curriculum meets local skills needs.
• Staff feel ‘valued by leaders and managers’, benefiting from a ‘positive and supportive culture’ and effective oversight from governors.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve the attendance of the ‘small number of learners with poor attendance’ so they can make rapid progress.
• The ‘small minority of teachers’ who do not provide a consistently high quality of education must improve rapidly.
• Leaders should ensure all learners benefit from a personal development programme to develop their ‘wider skills and interests’.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with a suitably qualified team that monitors concerns closely and intervenes ‘swiftly and effectively’.