Age 16-18
Ofsted Outstanding.
New City College is Outstanding: Ofsted 2025
New City College has been judged Outstanding by Ofsted. This is the highest possible accolade from Ofsted, and New City College is the largest college in the country to have achieved this status.
The inspection took place in March 2025 and the report has now been published. During the week-long inspection, a large team of Ofsted Inspectors visited a significant number of classes and activities on every New City College campus as well as external community venues. They spoke to hundreds of students, apprentices and staff; they approached and visited numerous employers and other college stakeholders to piece together their findings of NCC.
They gave consistently positive feedback across every aspect of New City College’s work, praising the ambitious and successful culture, the innovative learning opportunities, the extensive support given to students for their mental and physical well-being, the inclusive atmosphere and respect students have towards each other and their teachers, and the inspirational leadership that drives improvements across the group.
The part that NCC plays in its local communities was also mentioned with inspectors stating that the college offers, “a wide range of accessible, innovative and challenging learning opportunities for local communities in east London and Essex.”
The following extracts from the report epitomise NCC’s journey of growth and quality improvement:
- “Students find their studies demanding and highly rewarding. Teachers, who are subject experts, teach the curriculum exceptionally well so that learners and apprentices quickly develop a wide range of knowledge, skills and behaviours. This helps them succeed in their courses and progress to their next steps.”
- “Students thrive while learning in diverse communities across all campuses. They have a sound understanding of each other’s differences and celebrate their varied backgrounds, creating a dynamic learning environment… They demonstrate high levels of mutual respect towards each other and their teachers.”
- “Staff support and challenge learners and apprentices to achieve well, whatever their starting points. Most students make significant progress in their studies and achieve highly.”
The report recognises the work that the college has carried out over the last few years, stating: “Since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and staff have worked relentlessly to improve the quality of education. They have successfully implemented rigorous quality assurance processes across campuses, to ensure consistency in the quality of teaching. This has resulted in year-on-year improvements in learners’ experiences and outcomes.”
The provision for adult learners was also mentioned for its flexible study opportunities that allow students to “gain qualifications and make valuable contributions to their local communities.” Inspectors also noted that “a high proportion of [unemployed adult] learners gain jobs on completion of their courses”.
Staff were recognised for setting high expectations of attendance and punctuality, for enriching students’ experiences with a programme of exceptional extracurricular activities, and for providing ‘high-quality careers advice’ that prepares learners for university, apprenticeships or employment.
