Cambridge Regional College Recognised as ‘Good’ by Ofsted and ‘Strong’ for Skills

Cambridge Regional College is celebrating their Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ following their recent Ofsted Inspection in January 2023. ‘Good’ ratings were achieved across the board in eight areas and the College was also awarded the highest outcome of ‘Strong’ in meeting skills needs in the region under the new enhanced Ofsted Inspection.

Thirteen inspectors closely examined the College’s provision at its two campuses in Cambridge and Huntingdon. The eight inspection areas were the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, education programmes for young people, adult learning programmes, apprenticeships and provision for learners with high needs.

Mark Robertson, CEO and Principal of Cambridge Regional College said: “To receive the external recognition of the efforts and care we put in to providing high quality education and meeting the needs of our community is great to see. To hear feedback that we are seen as the ‘provider of choice’ by our region’s employers is a fantastic accolade and one that we are highly committed to.  

“The fact that our students and apprentices feel safe, love learning and importantly feel well-equipped with the right skills and qualifications to enter the world of work with confidence is music to our ears.

“Further education changes lives and the successes of our students and the dedication of our staff and governors inspires me and I would like to wholeheartedly thank everyone who is involved in delivering this high-quality education including our learners, staff, governors and the employers, partners and stakeholders we work with.”

Highlights of the report included feedback from learners saying that they value their time at College and the friendships they are forging.  Learners felt they receive high quality support and they’re set demanding work – but they appreciate the challenge, describing their lessons as ‘interesting’ and ‘thought-provoking’.

Confidence was a major theme running throughout the report, with students and apprentices saying they felt they gained confidence and resilience during their time at College, whilst employers and stakeholders expressed high levels of confidence in the subject content being taught and said they used the College as ‘a provider of choice’.  Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said they valued their strong relationship with the College to develop a curriculum which meets future workforce needs in sectors such as health and social care, construction, hospitality and green skills. 

Corrin Hoyes, Vice Principal for Quality and Improvement at Cambridge Regional College and Ofsted nominee said, “I am pleased to see that the inspectors saw what I see every day from our teaching and support staff. The findings in this report reflect the commitment and investment CRC continues to make, improving the quality and standards of the education and training we deliver.

”Staff were recognised, with the findings emphasizing they are highly qualified and experienced in the sectors they teach.  The report supports that industry standards are paramount to teaching staff and along with promoting professional behaviours, staff use real life scenarios to prompt discussions and create case studies, which was further supported by students’ and apprentices’ feedback that they understand how their courses are helping them prepare to be successful in the workplace.”

Michelle Dowse, Deputy Principal and Ofsted Skills nominee said, “Ensuring that we prepare and train the future and current workforce to meet the skills needs of the region is central to what we do to set people up for success and our regional economy. This being recognised by Ofsted with the ‘Strong’ judgement in how we meet the skills needs of the region is testament to this.

“The time and support of our partners in representative and regional organisations alongside the region’s employers enable us to respond and adapt our curriculum to deliver the right skills valued by employers from the technical skills in respective professions through to employability skills developed through our education and personal development programmes.”   

In summary, CEO and Principal Mark Robertson said “We have worked hard to create, deliver and promote strong skills and are absolutely delighted this has been reflected in our recent inspection result.  Our aim now is to continue to listen to the needs of our employers and stakeholders and to continue to deliver outstanding education and training.”