21st February 2017
There’s cause for celebration at St Brendan’s Sixth Form College this week, as the educational home to over 1750 students was officially rated ‘good’ following a recent OFSTED inspection. The College was judged on a range of different aspects including the quality of teaching, student safety and welfare, leadership and management and learner outcomes ,and this week officially discovered it was rated ‘good’ on all accounts.
St Brendan's campus
St Brendan’s welcomed a team of inspectors to the College at the end of January for two days during a short inspection; five years on from their previous inspection, in which the College obtained a ‘good’ rating.
The Brislington-based Sixth Form College maintained its good rating, and was thrilled with the feedback from OFSTED inspectors, which recognised the College’s impressive improvements five years on. Inspectors praised the College’s quality of teaching and learning, stating that “Teachers assess students’ work thoughtfully and provide constructive and helpful comments with clear actions which assist students to improve” and “Students enjoy lively teaching and make good use of the opportunities to learn on their own outside the classroom.” Comments were also very positive with regards to the quality of the curriculum at St Brendan’s, “the College has embraced the principles of study programmes through demonstrable commitment to ensuring that each student has a broad and balanced programme that prepares them well for life in modern Britain.” The on-going student support which is consistently provided at the College was also highlighted, “Students benefit from excellent care and support which help their emotional and mental well-being” as well as the help available for learners’ future, “Students have individual programmes of study which provide clear pathways for their studies, and they understand the next steps they can take on completing their course.”
The College prides itself on being able to provide its young learners with an extensive and enriching programme of A-levels and BTECs and aims to ensure each one of its 1750 students have an enjoyable College experience. Alongside over 70 different A-levels and BTECs, St Brendan’s also provides a programme of Level 2 studies, for students who need an extra year of support and preparation before moving on to their A-level study; the OFSTED report also highlighted the College’s impressive success with Level 2 learners and GCSE provision, “The proportion of students on level 2 courses who gain English and Mathematics GCSE qualifications at A* - C is significantly above the national rate.”
St Brendan’s Principal Michael Jaffrain commented on the report, “We are delighted by what the inspectors had to say about the College. They were very impressed by the amount of change that has taken place over the last few years and its positive impact on the student population and the culture of the College. All recommendations made at the previous inspection have been successfully implemented and this inspection is the final and most important mile stone on our strategic aim of becoming Outstanding.”
