New College Leicester Rated 'Good' By Ofsted

We are delighted to announce that New College Leicester has been rated “Good” by Ofsted following our latest inspection. The report highlights the good behaviour of students, our ambitious curriculum, leadership, and support for students’ with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.     

An asset to the New Parks community 
Our school has been on a transformational improvement process over the past decade and is positively impacting the children in New Parks, is an asset to the local community and helping to break the cycle of disadvantage in the area. The latest Ofsted inspection is significant as it shows that we have maintained our effectiveness following the upheaval caused by the pandemic. We were previously inspected in 2017.

An ambitious school that expands student’s horizons
The Ofsted report recognised the high ambitions of the school leaders and staff’s commitment to improving learning outcomes for their students. The report states that: “Leaders and staff want the very best for every pupil and student. Leaders are meticulous in making sure that everyone has a range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy school. They know that their teachers have their best interest at heart.” 

Expanding students’ horizons and ambitions is central to our curriculum. We provide a wide range of extracurricular activities, such as history trips to London and France and cultural activities with The Curve Theatre in Leicester. Staff were pleased to see this acknowledged in the report. Ofsted noted that “leaders have put a curriculum in place that is well planned and ambitious. It sets out the skills and knowledge that pupils need in every subject. Leaders have planned the curriculum to expand pupils’ horizons and give them access to new opportunities.” 

High expectations across the school 
Behaviour at the school is praised with staff acknowledged for having high expectations of pupil’s conduct around the school. It notes that “pupils work with concentration and focus. They enjoy their studies and understand the purpose of each subject and know where it might lead to. Disruption to learning and off task behaviour are rare.” It also notes that “Pupils say that bullying is rare and dealt with well. The school community is harmonious.” 

For over a decade, New College has been committed to delivering a ‘Rounded Education’ in recognition of the needs and interests of its pupils and the New Parks community. We provide a broad range of subjects and “leaders value all areas of the curriculum, including the arts and practical subjects.” Academic subjects have been promoted by staff and this is now having an impact, with more students studying a modern foreign language. 

High standards in reading is central to a ‘Rounded Education’ and the school is recognised for having a “well thought out and systematic approach to the teaching of reading. As a result, pupils read fluently and enjoy reading books.”

An inclusive school 
We place health and wellbeing at the heart of our curriculum. Following significant investment and the building of community partnerships, we are proud to have outstanding sports facilities.  This includes one of the best gymnastics facilities in the UK, a purpose-built outdoor cycle track, gym, sports halls and a café that is open to the public. 

The high expectations of its leadership team means that students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in class. Staff want students with SEND to achieve their potential and therefore teachers adapt lessons, where necessary, so that pupils with SEND can make good progress through the curriculum. 

Similarly, disadvantaged children are well supported at New College. This is significant given the socio-economic challenges of the New Parks community. The report highlights that “leaders have a well-considered strategy to support disadvantaged pupils. They identify barriers to pupil’s progress and put measures in place to remove them.”

Jane Brown, Principal at New College Leicester comments: “We are pleased with the outcome of our latest Ofsted inspection as it validates our vision, focus and ambitions for our school. We are proud that our school is an asset to the local community and a positive force in the lives of our students. We want children to leave New College with options and prospects, and to also enjoy their time with us, and I am pleased that this is recognised by Ofsted. 

“Most of all, I am pleased that the report correctly highlights that our children feel safe and happy whilst in school, the hard work of our staff, and the efforts we go to as a school to provide an inclusive education. We don’t believe that background should be a barrier to education or success in life, and to have this recognised by Ofsted is a huge achievement for us. I want to thank all staff, students and the New Parks community for their support and tireless hard work in making New College Leicester the school it is today.”   

The Ofsted inspection is the latest good news from the school. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that New College had retained the Inclusion Quality Mark Flagship School Status in recognition of the outstanding quality of its inclusive education. We are one of only 100 schools in the UK, and the only coeducational school in Leicester to have achieved this status. The school also achieved award success, with teachers named as finalists in the Times Educational Supplement Awards and Wayne Allsop, the school’s Business Development Manager was named “Business Manager of the Year” at the Education Business Awards.