A college in Street has lost its 'outstanding' status under newer and more challenging Ofsted criteria.

Strode College is now rated 'Good' by the educational inspectors, after visiting the campus in October this year.

The report ranked the college as 'good' in all categories, except for provision for learners with high needs, which was marked as 'requires improvement'.

The fall in Ofsted grading comes alongside new inspection criterion, introduced in September 2019, which puts focus on the curriculum and overall "quality of education".

Inspections were halted during the Covid19 pandemic, which meant that they only properly got back underway at the start of the last educational year.

Ofsted's director of education, Chris Russell, has said that some newly 'downgraded' establishments may not have worsened, but that the new inspection framework has made the "outstanding" grade more "challenging and exacting".

Inspectors praised staff at Strode for building highly positive and nurturing relationships with the students, and for encouraging learners and apprentices to express themselves. They noted the calm and scholarly atmosphere and the confidence instilled in the learners by their tutors.

The report also highlights the consideration learners at the college show each other, their polite and respectful attitudes. They are praised for being highly articulate, confident and valuing their learning.

But the inspectors did raise concerns that some learners with additional needs needed to receive the necessary support or opportunities to achieve their personal goals, and for some of these students their knowledge of some subjects is superficial and without deeper understanding.

To regain their 'outstanding' status, the inspector said the college should:

• Leaders must rapidly improve the curriculum and support for all learners with high needs and ensure that staff use effective strategies and interventions so that learners achieve their potential.
• Governors must focus their support and challenge to better hold leaders to account so that they ensure improvements to the quality of education for learners and apprentices.
• Leaders must ensure that all learners and apprentices are supported to retain what they have been taught about understanding the signs of and risks associated with radicalisation and extremism.
• Leaders must ensure that they identify and respond effectively to the skills needs of stakeholders, developing the curriculum offer and providing appropriate high-quality education and training where required.

Talking about the new framework, Mr Russell said that there was "no doubt that under the current education inspection framework 'outstanding' is a challenging and exacting judgment to achieve.

"So it does mean I think that you need to be very careful, if, for example, a school or college has been judged 'outstanding' a good many years ago is inspected again and judged to be 'good'," he said.

"That doesn't mean that it has declined in recent years, in fact the opposite can be the case, so very important, I think, in those circumstances, to read the inspection report really carefully, to get a really good view of how good it is now and how well they are doing."

John Revill, Principal and Chief Executive of Strode College said: "The College is proud to have been graded 'Good' with 'Outstanding' behaviour and attitudes.

"Those who work in education know that an 'Outstanding' grade under the new Ofsted inspection criteria is not easily achieved.

"I am proud to work with teachers and support staff who are some of the most talented, experienced and dedicated people I know. I am pleased that following an intense inspection, Ofsted were able to see this and have now reported on the positive difference this makes to our students' lives.

"Among our many strengths highlighted in the Ofsted report, the inspectors also praised the ambitious and well sequenced curriculum, and found that the quality of education was close to 'Outstanding' with personal development extending beyond the curriculum.

"We know we have areas to improve upon, but I am extremely proud that our College and our approach to learning has been validated."