Yahoo News Staff and students at Franklin College 'absolutely delighted' with Ofsted Outstanding rating
Staff and students at Franklin College are celebrating as the education provider has been awarded an Outstanding rating by Ofsted.
Following an inspection last month, the sixth-form college on Chelmsford Avenue in Grimsby has been given the highest possible grade across all areas of provision, including Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, Education Programmes for Young People, Adult Learning Programmes, and Provision for Learners with High Needs.
Staff said the incredible achievement is testament to the hard work and dedication shown by both staff and students over the last few years, after the setting was rated as requiring improvement in 2016. The facility is now the only sixth-form college in northern Lincolnshire with a current rating of Outstanding.
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In the Ofsted report, inspectors praised the high standard of teaching, support provided to students and the "warm, friendly and inclusive" atmosphere of the college.
The report reads: "Leaders and managers have invested significantly in the facilities at the college in order to provide very effective learning spaces for the student community. Students benefit from access to a wide range of spaces in which to study independently, in addition to bright and comfortable social areas.
"Staff have created a campus that has a very warm, friendly and inclusive atmosphere. As a result, students enjoy their time at college and show great respect for the surroundings in which they learn."
The report also highlights the college's Aspire and Personal and Professional Development programmes, which ensure students are well-informed about their potential next steps after college. Inspectors praised the students at Franklin, noting how confidently they spoke about their intended onward destinations after college.
Inspectors also recognised the close collaboration between the college and a wide range of external stakeholders. The report continues: "Leaders invite employers into the college to meet students at working lunches and breakfast meetings and involve employers in the many sector-specific academies that they have developed. Consequently, students hear first-hand about the skills that employers need to help the local economy to grow."
Wendy Ellis, Interim Principal, said: "I am immensely proud of our college community for achieving an Ofsted outstanding grade. This is testament to our collective hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience for all our students."
Peter Kennedy, Executive Principal and CEO, said: ‘The Ofsted award of Outstanding in all areas is a welcome recognition of our amazing college, of all the work of our students, staff, governors, and stakeholders that has gone into building a college of and for the communities we serve. I really could not be prouder to have been a part of our journey.’
Alex Baxter, Franklin’s Chair of Corporation, added: "I am absolutely delighted. The Ofsted Outstanding Award reaffirms the excellent work being carried out by staff and students. Franklin is at the heart of the community, and the dedication, teamwork, and exceptional standards being set at Franklin have been recognised by this inspection."
