MID Cheshire College’s acting head says she is ‘absolutely determined to win back the confidence of the community’.

Nichola Newton was speaking following a call by Ofsted for college governors to take action to produce rapid improvements in teaching, learning and assessment.

The call comes in a report on an inspection by the education watchdog at the college last month, which rated its overall effectiveness as inadequate.

The rating has not improved since the last inspection in January 2016, and the college was judged inadequate in five of seven areas looked at in May, the others regarded as needing improvement.

“Governors and senior leaders have failed to improve areas identified as weak at the previous inspection,” said the report.

“Since the previous inspection the senior leadership team has frequently changed, and very recently another new senior team has been appointed.

“High staff turnover and sickness have negatively affected students’ outcomes, which remain low and are below that of similar providers.

“The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate, and the quality of the apprenticeship provision has declined.”

The report said the financial status of the college remained very weak.

“The college is in financial administration, and is dependent on the continued support of the funding agency and the proposed merger to ensure it can continue to operate in the future,” it added.

“Self-assessment is insufficiently self-critical and results in weak action planning to secure improvement. In too many instances managers do not identify or evaluate the impact of the actions they have taken on the areas for improvement.

“Consequently, the associated action plan has failed to result in consistently rapid improvements in teaching, learning and assessment and students’ outcomes.”

Leaders and teachers did not set high enough expectations for students’ attendance, added the report.

“Attendance is too low, particularly in English and mathematics lessons,” it said.

“Furthermore, a significant number of 16 to 19-year-olds, and adult students, have persistently low or sporadic attendance.”

The report calls for the college to establish high quality and stable leadership and management, swiftly resolve the staffing issues, improve students’ attendance and reduce the numbers leaving without achieving their qualifications.

Nichola Newton, the college’s acting principal and CEO said: “We are absolutely determined to win back the confidence of the local community.

“We acknowledge the findings of the Ofsted inspection and, whilst there are a number of aspects that need to improve, we are pleased they have indicated that, ‘students and apprentices develop their self-confidence well’ and that ‘students and apprentices develop industry standard skills and knowledge that prepare them well for work’.

“Mid Cheshire College is set to merge with Warrington Collegiate in August 2017.

“In this endeavour, we have appointed a new leadership team, many of who have been working at Warrington Collegiate and have an outstanding track record of improving teaching and learning and learner outcomes.

“Their experience and skills are already being used to good effect as they work with colleagues at Mid Cheshire College to maximise learner outcomes this year. “Work will continue following the merger of the two colleges so that we can replicate the success we have enjoyed at Warrington across the new college in its entirety.”