As one of the largest providers of post-16 education in the Greater Manchester region, Xaverian College is celebrating after being rated ‘Outstanding’ in all areas in its latest Ofsted inspection.
Ofsted praised the College, stating that, “Students benefit from a warm, welcoming and aspirational culture.” and “Staff at all levels are proud to work at Xaverian. They support students to grow, flourish and achieve.”
Inspectors found that, “Students are proud to be Xaverians.”, “Students have an overwhelmingly positive attitude to their learning.” and “Students display exemplary behaviour both in learning sessions and around the campus.”
The College has a long tradition of achieving excellent results and students leave with great prospects, with many students progressing to their first-choice destination, whether that’s studying a university Degree, a higher-level Apprenticeship or gaining employment. Ofsted highlighted how, “Leaders, managers and teachers provide a consistently high-quality education.” and “Teachers ensure that the curriculum provides students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need for their next steps into university or employment.”
Inspectors also found that, “Students with high needs and SEND make excellent progress and excel in line with their peers.”
The primary focus of the inspection was on the students’ experience of teaching and learning in the classroom, and Inspectors highlighted the College’s agile curriculum and use of the ‘Student Toolkit’ to encourage an approach of ‘trial, reflect and adapt’ to ensure students understand complex concepts and further develop their learning, with Inspectors commenting that, “Lessons are appropriately paced and full of challenge.”, “Students routinely produce work of a very high standard.” and “Teachers use innovative approaches to help students remember key concepts.”
The College prides itself on providing opportunities outside of the classroom that are fun, interesting and educational, giving students a really fulfilling College experience. Inspectors spoke to students at length and discovered that they participate widely in enrichment activities, course trips and residential visits, commenting that, “Students benefit from an extensive offer of extra-curricular activities” and “they commit themselves fully to their studies and many activities in and outside college.”
The College teaches more than 2800 students, who join from over 120 different high schools, to study a mixture of A Level and Applied BTEC and CTEC courses at its university-style Campus in Rusholme, and Inspectors commented students “describe the learning environment and campus as safe, friendly and inclusive.” Inspectors acknowledged the influence the College’s ‘Values’ have on students who are encouraged to become respectful members of society, by saying, “They develop a sense of citizenship and community, strong values, tolerance and respect, which permeate the college.”
This was Xaverian’s first inspection since 2008, at which point the College was also judged ‘Outstanding’.
Since the last visit, Ofsted has introduced an enhanced inspection framework, meaning inspections place emphasis not only on exam results but also on the quality of teaching and curriculum, as well as the skills inspection element which assesses how well Xaverian is meeting local skills needs.
College Principal, Anthony Knowles, said: “I am delighted with the news that Xaverian College has been judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, and welcome the report which is testament to the hard work of our staff and students over many years. At Xaverian, we put our students first and ensure that they leave College with the highest grades possible and fond memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.
“As Principal of the College, I have to say how proud I am of everyone within the College community who has contributed to this outcome, and of our amazing students who consistently demonstrate their commitment to their studies and the enthusiasm they have for being a part of the Xaverian family.”
View the official Ofsted report here.
To find out more about Xaverian College, visit xaverian.ac.uk.
