Shrewsbury colleges praised for Covid response
Inspectors have praised Shrewsbury Colleges Group for the way it has dealt with the challenges of the pandemic.
Ofsted carried out an interim inspection at Shrewsbury Colleges Group on two days in November, to judge how the organisation has provided for learners since the March lockdown.
The report praises the way staff have dealt with the challenges, saying: "Leaders and managers identify several benefits that have emerged due to the restrictions. They feel that staff have embraced online technology successfully.
"Teachers have collaborated closely, particularly across the different campuses, working together to find suitable strategies to develop more flexible teaching approaches.
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"Staff have also demonstrated their initiative and commitment to overcome other challenges, such as developing virtual open evenings and representing the college at virtual careers events. They have also continued to deliver a programme of careers and higher education advice and guidance.
"Local stakeholders confirm that staff at the college have been particularly responsive to changing needs. For example, teachers have designed and delivered additional training for trades union representatives nationally, so they can support the high proportion of employees across the country who are facing redundancy as a consequence of Covid-19."
Inspectors also said that staff were confident that most students are "on-track" despite the disruption of the past few months.
Guidance
The report said: "During the period of remote learning, staff believe that they successfully continued to engage most learners. Since students returned to college, staff have provided additional support and guidance for those learners who made slower progress over the period.
"Following a recent comprehensive progress review, teachers are confident that most students remain on track, despite the challenges of the previous few months."
The group's principal, James Staniforth, said: “We are very pleased that Ofsted has recognised the hard work of staff in supporting students so well despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The report references many of the different ways that staff have faced up to recent challenges. These include: rearranging courses for online learning, providing devices for students without laptops, changing curriculum to reflect the restrictions placed on some types of provision, supporting vulnerable students during lockdown, shifting open days and careers events online, delivering catch up sessions, and giving mental health and wellbeing support to students affected by the pandemic.
“We are particularly pleased that this report recognises how well staff have embraced online technology and that local stakeholders told Ofsted that staff have ‘been particularly responsive to changing needs’.
“The report rightly singles out college teachers for designing and delivering additional training for ‘trades union representatives nationally, so they can support the high proportion of employees across the country who are facing redundancy as a consequence of Covid-19’.”
“Colleges have a vital role to play in helping the country recover from the impact of Covid- 19 and this report highlights that responsibility.”
