Praise for Northumberland County Council’s in-house skills provider after positive Ofsted rating
Northumberland County Council’s in-house post-16 education provider has been singled out for praise after a successful Ofsted report.
Northumberland Skills was rating ‘good’ by the watchdog after a rigorous inspection earlier this year.
The service provides education and skills training for both youngsters and adults.
It operates out of a number of sites including the Energy Central Learning Hub and the Welding and Fabrication Training Centre in Blyth
A report on the inspection was presented to members of the family and children’s services scrutiny committee.
Neil Dorward, senior manager of education development, said: “Ofsted said teaching was calm and professional. Adults who study with us are prepared well for employment.
“There was a lot of good news. Only two areas were identified as room for improvement.
“Across all eight areas, we got good with pockets of outstanding behaviour within that. Our aim is to raise that consistently for better outcomes in future Ofsted inspections.”
The Ofsted inspection highlighted key strengths including industry standard facilities and strong employer relationships. The Northumberland Skills facilities in Blyth are particularly geared towards equipping residents to work in high-tech sectors such as the area’s blossoming clean energy sector, with close links to the Port of Blyth.
Cabinet member for education Coun Guy Renner Thompson said: “You have heard it is our ambition to bring fantastic, well-paid new industries and jobs to Northumberland. If those jobs are not filled by local, Northumberland young people, then that is a waste of time.
“We need to upskill our population to get those well-paid jobs.
“There is always more to do. It would be nice to get that outstanding rating, and I’m sure that we will next time.”
Another area receiving high praise from inspectors was the support for learners with additional needs, delivered at the Lindisfarne Centre, Northumberland Skills’ Alnwick Campus. Specialist support for learners with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) includes tailored equipment, targeted interventions and structured progress reviews every six weeks.
As a result, learners with high needs make significant progress and develop essential life and employability skills, including through volunteering opportunities across the region.