Telford College has been awarded an overall rating of ‘Good’ following its latest Ofsted inspection.

Every aspect of the college’s provision was graded as good, with achievement said to be improving ‘in all areas of the curriculum’.

A 13-strong Ofsted team spent four days at the college in December, speaking with staff, students and many of its key stakeholders.

They praised its partnership working with employers and community organisations to plug local skills shortages and meet training and upskilling needs.

The report says learners develop their confidence at Telford College, and benefit from an ‘enriched college experience’ including work placements, enterprise projects and competitions.

“Learners are polite and respectful to visitors, peers and staff,” it says.

Ofsted acknowledged the leadership team were also taking action to increase the proportion of A level students receiving high grade passes.

Principal and chief executive officer Lawrence Wood described the positive outcome of the inspection as recognition of the hard work that takes place every day to ensure college students are successful and well prepared for the next stage of their journey.

He said: “We are delighted that the inspectors have recognised our partnership approach to the delivery of education and training, and the work we are doing to understand and address emergent skills requirements.

“The report’s recommendations match our own self-assessment, with a particular focus on supporting more learners to achieve higher grades. After recent years this is important for every learner and is a key mission for us all.”

He added: “A college cannot succeed in isolation; it needs to be very much rooted in its community. That requires a strong connection to local schools, ensuring that when the next generation are making career choices they have a good understanding of career pathways available.

“Key to that is our work with employers. If we get that right, we are setting people up with the skills they need – not just technical skills, but soft skills around communication and teamwork too.”

Telford & Wrekin’s further education college has campuses in Wellington and Telford Town Centre, and was judged by Ofsted as being good for its 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.

The report said: “Leaders work with employers in key skills shortage areas, such as in healthcare, to understand skills needs, fill critical gaps in staffing, and upskill current employees.

“They use employer research to understand the attributes needed for young learners to be effective in the workplace, such as confidence, resilience and curiosity.”

It added: “Leaders have suitably rigorous quality assurance measures in place to provide them with a clear understanding of the curriculum’s strengths and weaknesses.

“Learners with high needs have clear progression targets to prepare them for their next step.”

The report said learners felt safe at Telford College, and highlighted how teachers and support staff create a calm environment, know their learners well, and encourage appropriate behaviour.

Gail Bleasby, chair of Telford College’s governing corporation, said: “We are delighted that the Ofsted inspection team recognised the hard work being done across all areas of the college to support positive outcomes for our learners, and the collaborative approach being taken to work in partnership with businesses, and the local community.

“The board would like to thank all the staff and students involved in the inspection.”