Winstanley College

Overview

Winstanley College is a sixth-form college where students describe the environment as a “welcoming, inclusive, caring and friendly” community. The report highlights “highly ambitious curriculums” and “very well-qualified” staff who effectively prepare learners for higher education or employment. Overall effectiveness and all key judgement areas are rated Outstanding.

Strengths

• Students are “highly motivated to learn” and benefit from “highly effective support systems” that keep them safe and help them feel “understood, respected and cared for.”
• Teachers “plan and sequence their curriculums very carefully,” using skilful presentation and effective questioning to help students develop knowledge swiftly.
• The college provides “very helpful internal and independent careers advice,” ensuring students are well-prepared for selective universities, apprenticeships, or employment.
• Leaders have established a “highly effective quality assurance and improvement process” that swiftly identifies weaknesses and leads to improved outcomes in under-performing subjects.
• Staff support students with special educational needs and/or disabilities “very effectively,” using detailed information to plan individualised learning that helps them achieve at least as well as their peers.

Areas to improve

• Leaders do not yet involve stakeholders “sufficiently in the design and teaching of all their courses,” despite effective partnerships in specific subjects like engineering and business.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.