College is rated outstanding
College staff and students are celebrating being given top marks by eduation bosses.
Ofsted visited Durham Sixth Form Centre and rated it as outstanding in every area.
Ellen Beveridge, headteacher at the Durham City college, said she was thrilled with the report from the watchdogs.
She said: “I am both delighted and proud that Durham Sixth Form Centre, our students, staff and partners, have been recognised as outstanding by Ofsted.
“We are a thriving, aspirational 16-19 school in the heart of Durham City, which is also in the top 12% of schools and colleges nationally for academic results according to the DfE Performance Tables (2017).
“Our outstanding grading is a great achievement and recognises the hard work and dedication of our school community both in the classroom and beyond.
“At a time when schools are under intense scrutiny, I am so pleased that Ofsted recognised how well we are performing and I am excited about the next stage of our journey.”
In their report into the Providence Row centre, which attracts students from across the area, including Hetton, Houghton and East Durham, the inspectors rated leadership, quality of teaching, personal development, behaviour and welfare and outcomes for pupils, all as outstanding.
They said: “The headteacher and the highly skilled leadership team have established a culture in which students flourish and grow. Consequently, there is a healthy appetite for learning and achievement in an environment that demands high expectations for academic, vocational and personal excellence.
“Leaders have developed rigorous systems to monitor the progress students make towards aspirational targets. As a result, every student makes substantial and sustained progress.”
The report went on to say that outcomes in academic and vocational subjects were significantly above the national average in 2016 and the students are on track to perform even better this year.
They praised the governors who are ‘unstinting’ in their challenge of school leaders.
Inspectors said: “As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the outcomes for students have improved rapidly.
“The quality of personal development and welfare is exceptional.
“Students consistently behave well.”
“Recognises the hard work and dedication of our school” ELLEN BEVERIDGE