Central Bedfordshire College Principal, Ali Hadawi CBE, commented on the results of the recent Ofsted inspection and said: “We were naturally disappointed with the rating given by Ofsted in their recent inspection considering the glowing report we had in 2016. While we accept there are areas for improvement, we feel strongly the report doesn’t fully reflect the student experience at Central Bedfordshire College. Our student numbers are the highest they have been for three years and our financial stability allows us to maximise our learners’ experience.”
He continued: “We are pleased the inspectors commended the College for its focus on the wellbeing of students, stating, ‘learners enjoy their time at college and they feel safe in an environment that is both inclusive and welcoming’, and also highlights the positive behaviours around College where learners demonstrated ‘high levels of respect for staff, each other and visitors’. We understand the importance of feeling safe and welcome in College to both students and parents and this was further reinforced when our Student Services team was awarded the Professional Services Team of the Year Award by the Times Educational Supplement (TES).
“The report also highlights how well our learners gain ‘industry–specific practical skills’ for employment and how well the College has forged strong strategic partnerships with ‘prestigious employers’ which in turn provides great opportunities for our students.”
Mr Hadawi concluded: “We have already instigated our quality improvement plan and are confident that on their next visit Ofsted will see evidence of those developments. Parents and students can also be assured that our investment in the quality of teaching and learning has been strengthened which, when combined with our superb learning environment and employability focus, makes Central Bedfordshire College a solid choice for those young people collecting their GCSE results this week.”
