Reigate College

Reigate College

Address: Castlefield Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0SD Unique reference number (URN): 145005

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, learners are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect providers for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The provider has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The provider has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have developed a whole-college approach to inclusion through well-planned and themed training events on topics, such as inclusive and adaptive teaching. This supports staff to refine and develop their teaching and support strategies so that all students benefit from consistently high-quality teaching.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have established a culture of support for all students, including those who are disadvantaged. They put in place reasonable adjustments for students with anxiety, such as timetable changes and carefully considered seating plans. Teachers use thoughtful and sensitive individualised strategies in the classroom so that all students participate in activities and make rapid progress.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff are well qualified and skilled in identifying students' needs and barriers to learning. They work very well with parents and external agencies to ensure the right support is in place quickly. Teachers use their expertise to note any changes in student behaviours or progress and refer students for support swiftly so that they continue in their studies and achieve well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders reduce support appropriately through focused weekly meetings, where they review students’ progress. They use curriculum information and discussions with students and parents before they sensitively reduce support so that students become more independent in their study while continuing to make significant progress.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders set and uphold high expectations for staff and students through their principles of rights, respect and responsibilities. Staff model professional behaviours, so that students know what is expected of them. Students exhibit these behaviours consistently through their commitment to their studies.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders know their strengths and weaknesses very well. They use highly effective processes to bring about improvements. Departments that fall below the college targets benefit from detailed support programmes. Leaders and governors meet to review progress and set clear targets and actions that support staff to improve.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Well-qualified and experienced governors challenge and support leaders to make improvements. For example, governors challenged leaders to increase participation in work experience. They supported leaders using their extensive connections with local businesses and charities to enable students to have meaningful experiences in the world of work.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders support staff to manage workloads effectively. When extra resource is required, leaders put this in place quickly. Staff appreciate the fact that they can use their non- teaching time flexibly for both professional and personal needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff appreciate the support they receive to maintain and improve wellbeing. They value the many opportunities to participate in social activities, including quiz nights and sports clubs. Staff feel well cared for and motivated to do their best.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders promote a culture of continuous improvement across the college that results in a consistently high standard of curriculum, teaching and training. Staff benefit from well- planned cross-college and individual professional development programmes that help them improve and refine their teaching strategies.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students make extensive progress from their starting points and achieve well in their examinations. Achievement rates are consistently high and improving year on year. Most students achieve high grades. Disadvantaged students achieve well and in line with their peers.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students develop a secure understanding of the subject they are studying and apply this fluently in the work they produce. They produce work of a high standard.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students develop the digital, mathematical and English skills that they need for the subjects they study. For example, computer science students learn to code successfully. Those who require mathematics and English GCSEs achieve these qualifications, usually at the first attempt, with many achieving more than one grade higher than their grade on entry.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students are very well prepared for their next steps. Students, including those that are disadvantaged, progress on to positive destinations. Those that progress to university achieve well in their further studies.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have a very clear understanding on where they need to improve the provision. They take highly effective action that brings about positive change. For example, where achievement was lower than expected, leaders rightly focused on improving teaching and close monitoring of learners' progress to intervene quickly. Consequently, achievement has improved over the last 2 academic years.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Students benefit from consistently high-quality teaching. Teachers sequence the curriculum logically so learning builds over time. Students learn how to work independently, before using these skills to research topics successfully and present information clearly. They receive tailored support that helps them to make substantial progress in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Students benefit from activities that bring teaching to life. For example, classics students visit Athens to experience the historic environment and culture. English students benefit from meeting authors, who share their interpretation of their writing and help students gain a deeper understanding. Students value their learning and appreciate the range of experiences they have at college.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers are experts in the subjects they teach and use their expertise consistently to explain key topics clearly. They model technical language very well, which helps students use the appropriate language in discussions and the high-quality written work that they produce. Teachers use industry links to help students understand the skills that they may need for work. For example, students work with the Royal Marsden Hospital to understand how artificial intelligence skills are used in science and health.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers use highly effective strategies to build students' knowledge and prepare them for assessment. They consistently revisit students' understanding of content to help them link new concepts to existing learning. As a result, students learn and remember new information well and apply this successfully in their work and assessments.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders set very high expectations for student attendance and behaviour. Students learn and exemplify positive values. They learn about fundamental British values and equality as part of the curriculum. Students apply this learning in the work they produce, such as considering equality and accessibility for the websites they study in computing.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders provide a wide range of activities for students. Many students participate in these and value the relationships they develop with their peers. Students contribute well to the local community through, for example, organising gift bags for care homes at Christmas.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Students benefit from learning about healthy lifestyles. They learn about healthy relationships, know how to stay safe online and are aware of the risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders provide a well-planned and carefully designed careers programme. Students are supported highly effectively with their higher education applications. Most students are accepted at their chosen universities.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Students benefit from excellent opportunities to experience the world of work that enables them to develop essential employability skills and develop a greater understanding of their career ambitions. For example, students studying business visited the Wimbledon tennis tournament to learn about marketing strategies.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders do not tolerate bullying, harassment or discrimination. Students are confident that staff would take swift action should this occur.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students with high needs consistently achieve in line with or better than their peers. They make extensive progress from their starting points. Those who do not have English and mathematics qualifications make rapid progress towards achieving them.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students develop a secure understanding of the subjects they are studying and apply this very well in the work they produce. They produce work of a high standard.

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Achievement Strong standard

Students are very well prepared for their next steps. They receive highly effective support to develop their independence. Students have high expectations and explore new opportunities for their futures. A significant number progress into higher education.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have developed a highly effective curriculum that encourages students with high needs to take responsibility for their learning. Students are well supported. Leaders have developed highly effective internal tracking processes to ensure their needs are quickly identified and appropriate support and interventions are put in place swiftly to reduce individual barriers to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers have sequenced the curriculum logically so learning builds over time. For example, students complete a level 2 pathway within the level 3 provision as a stepping stone to their current level of study to assist in developing their knowledge and skills. Students consistently benefit from high-quality teaching. Teachers use highly effective strategies to build students’ knowledge and prepare them very well for assessment. They provide regular opportunities for students to develop recall. In level 3 law and history, students develop their skills in identifying key phrases and making structured notes.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff review education, health and care plans consistently to ensure that students achieve their goals and targets. They expertly support students to build confidence, quickly develop skills within their chosen subjects and achieve their qualifications.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have developed a curriculum offer that is accessible for those that want to learn at the college. They consider the needs of students with barriers to learning and take appropriate actions to enable them to access learning. For example, students with physical support needs have external support to cater for personal care needs.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders provide quiet spaces for students with high needs so those who need it benefit from a calm environment. Staff work actively with parents and external agencies to promote attendance, which is consistently very high.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Students benefit from a wide range of highly effective programmes that support the development of life skills, such as oracy and neurodiversity clubs. They value these activities, attend well and develop social and communication skills. They feel wholly included in the college community.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Students benefit from a well-planned, carefully designed careers curriculum. They receive expert guidance and support to apply for university or to explore career options.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Students receive high-quality additional support to develop their personal understanding of tutorial topics. They benefit from additional sessions with key workers to clarify and reinforce aspects of these sessions, such as content relating to healthy relationships and consent, allowing them to explore these topics further and apply this knowledge in their personal lives.

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Participation and development Strong standard

Leaders provide bespoke support to facilitate access to all learning opportunities, such as transport assistance and personal care for students studying politics to attend a visit to Westminster. Staff sensitively support students to complete work experience so they develop the employability skills required for their future.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Students enjoy their learning and thrive in the nurturing environment, where all feel welcomed, valued and supported. They are encouraged to be aspirational, achieve their goals and be who they want to be. Students with high needs are fully involved in all aspects of college life, which supports their development as individuals and their personal lives.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Students with high needs benefit from structured transition events with support from relevant external agencies and staff. They are supported well from the start of term to make extensive progress and develop skills that support success within their learning.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Students attend very well and participate actively in sessions. They recognise the positive impact their learning has in supporting them to achieve their career ambitions. Students demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They work very well with their peers and demonstrate the positive professional behaviours that they require for progressing into work and further study.

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What it's like to be a learner and/or an apprentice at this provider

Students develop a secure understanding of the subjects they are studying and apply this very well. For example, chemistry students apply their learning accurately to practical tasks, carrying out test tube reactions to match unknowns to possible identities successfully. Students produce work to a high standard and are proud of their achievements.

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Lead inspector:

Jo-Ann Henderson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Richard Kirkham, His Majesty's Inspector Sam Hanmer, Ofsted Inspector Pam Richardson, Ofsted Inspector Students participate eagerly in tutorials and know how their behaviour and conduct in college demonstrate fundamental British values. They know how these values apply to future work, studies and life in modern Britain. Students learn how to manage their wellbeing and how to keep themselves safe.

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Team inspectors:

Leaders take swift action to support students, who face barriers to learning. Students benefit from highly effective peer support, where upper sixth students are trained to support lower sixth students for subject support or for socialisation. Students benefit greatly from wellbeing mentoring, where they attend sessions that help them with developing organisation skills, building resilience and managing anxiety and examination stress.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure continued improvement to curriculum implementation in all areas to achieve and sustain exceptional standards of teaching and training.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with leaders and managers, staff, students and members of the local governing body during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the provider:

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About this inspection

Reigate College has been part of the Reigate Learning Alliance Multi-Academy Trust since 2017. It currently has 2,945 students on education programmes for young people. There are 21 students in receipt of high needs funding. Students study a wide range of level 3 courses, which include A-level and vocational qualifications.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other providers can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The provider reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The provider is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The provider needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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