A culture of 'high expectations’ and a good relationship with employers has helped Macclesfield College earn praise from a school watchdog.
The Park Lane college has been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted, just 18 months after school leaders were told it ‘requires improvement’.
In their report Ofsted inspectors praised the leadership team for addressing areas which were identified as needing improvement in the previous inspection, and hailed principal Rachel Kay for her leadership.
Rachel, who was appointed to the role in August 2015, said her goal was to go beyond the basic improvements required.
She said: “ I knew when I was appointed as principal and chief executive that wide-ranging improvements needed to be made to the college to improve outcomes for our students and ensure that we provide excellent standards of learning that will be relevant to a wide range of local and national employers.
“My goal has been to take those aims a step further and actively engage employers in course design and development so that our courses are closely aligned to workplace requirements – whether traditional, technical or vocational – and genuinely prepare our students for successful and rewarding careers.”
She added: “I would like to congratulate the whole team here at Macclesfield College on the huge jump in attainment that has been achieved and also thank our employer partners for helping us develop and deliver courses that will prepare students for such an exciting array of careers in industries as diverse as motor manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and media.”
The college was rated ‘Good’ in all but one area, with ‘improvement required’ in the adult learning programmes, which are ‘not of a consistently high standard’.
In their report, inspectors praised the college’s relationship with employers.
It reads: “College leaders have fostered a culture of high expectation in the college and have been proactive in addressing most of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.
“The principal has been instrumental in securing improvements in the culture and ethos of the college and in the college’s finances.
“Learners and apprentices are well prepared for life and work in modern Britain. Almost all learners benefit from high-quality external work experience that successfully supports them in making decisions about their future work and career aspirations.”
