14 Jan 2025
Oaklands College has received a Good Ofsted rating for its residential accommodation – which provides term-time provision for 80 students on the St Albans campus.
The accommodation is in the form of single bedrooms in the wings of a recently built residential building and is overseen by a qualified residential manager.
The college was commended for how well it knew the students, all of whom are under 18, how safe they felt and how easy it was to escalate concerns.
The report said: “Students feel safe in the residential provision. They can name staff who they would go to if they had a concern. They are confident that staff will act in response to these concerns.”
The report also noted that “achievement rates, including pass rates, are higher for residential students. Students’ attendance at College is better than that of their peers.”
Of particular note was how well the staff knew their students, how alert they are to their mental wellbeing, and the pride they take in their achievements. The report said:
“The staff know the students well. They can talk about the students’ individual needs clearly and confidently. Staff are alert and sensitive to changes in behaviour. One student, who is in their first year, spoke of when staff have quickly picked up on subtle differences in their behaviour and checked in with them to make sure that they were OK.
“Leaders and managers have high expectations of staff and high aspirations for the students. Staff, including leaders and managers, talk with pride about the achievements of former students.”
Jacqueline Page, deputy principal, curriculum, performance and student experience of Oaklands, said: “We are delighted with our Ofsted rating for the residential student accommodation, and take our responsibility to these young people, most of whom are away from home for the first time, very seriously. It is testimony to our teachers and the residential management that they perform so well at college, whilst also feeling safe and listened to.
“I was personally very proud as well of the fact that the report said that “the support (students) had to move into the residential provision was a strength. They were aware of the significance of the move and felt that the staff and managers had recognised this and taken action to enable them to move in safely. They said that they had been helped to make friends and to settle in.”
Meanwhile, Jacqui Smith, the new Minister of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education, has acknowledged the challenges facing the FE college sector and announced £300 million in additional revenue and capital funding, however it is not yet clear how this funding will be shared in the sector.
She highlighted that nearly one in eight young people are not in education, employment, or training (NEETs), and around nine million adults lack basic literacy, numeracy, or digital skills, and she promised a new focus by the Government to transform the way Further Education engages with both government and local communities, making the sector a central player in building a thriving, skills-rich nation. Oaklands are hopeful that some of the national funding will be allocated to Hertfordshire to support the communities they serve.
Claire Dolan, deputy principal strategy, partnership and business development said: “The new Minister of State for Skills, Further and Higher Education has recognised that FE colleges will play a huge part in filling the country’s vocational skills gap and everyone in the sector knows how important a role that is for the country’s future prosperity. We have always said that there are many routes to success in life and Oaklands’ students demonstrate that. We pride ourselves on offering a wide range of courses, from courses to support the most disadvantaged in our communities, to A-Levels and a variety of vocational qualifications, as well as our high-level skills programmes.”
