New College Doncaster have secured a very positive Ofsted report, meeting the “strong standard” threshold in every category.
The first school or college in NCLT to be inspected under the new Ofsted framework, NCD’s Ofsted report covered safeguarding, inclusion, leadership and governance, education programmes for young people and provision for learners with high needs. In all of these, the Ofsted report was full of praise for the high-quality leadership, teaching and student experience.
There are many highlights in the Ofsted report, published today. The report notes that “Students thrive at New College Doncaster… Students feel a keen sense of belonging to the highly inclusive college community.”
It contains commendations for the leaders, staff and students on “an inclusive, welcoming culture”, praise for the college’s zero tolerance of bullying or discrimination, and the highest praise for the students themselves: “students demonstrate kindness and consideration towards one another, staff and visitors. Their behaviour is impeccable.”
The report singles out the college’s curriculum management: ““Leaders have a clear vision for their ambitious curriculums… Curriculum managers and teachers know students extremely well. They have the same high expectations for all students.” Student attendance and achievement were also praised: “Students consistently produce high-quality written and practical work that goes beyond the expectations of their courses.”
On inclusion, the report noted that “leaders are uncompromising in their vision to enhance the college experience of all students, regardless of their circumstances,” going on to praise the very effective use of financial resources “to enable disadvantaged students to attend university trips and obtain free travel to college.”
The report continued its praise when commenting on provision for learners with high needs. “Leaders meet a local need for high-quality and ambitious provision for students with high needs.”
Helen Jackson, New College Doncaster Principal, said: “We are delighted with the positive outcomes from our inspection. The inspectors saw what a special place New College Doncaster is and the exceptional experiences our students have here. Our report comments that ‘students thrive at New College Doncaster’ and I am proud to say that I see this every day. They recognised the high-quality teaching and learning that takes places every day. And they were full of praise for our welcoming college community, and its impact on social mobility.
“This positive report reflects our committed students, the incredibly talented and hard-working teachers, support staff and all those within the community that contribute to our success.”
Applications to join New College Doncaster for September 2027 are open in September. Details can be found at ncdoncaster.ac.uk/how-to-apply.
