Learners and staff of South Gloucestershire & Stroud (SGS) College are celebrating the result of their recent Ofsted inspection.

The inspection saw the college receive an overall rating of good, with outstanding judgements for personal development and adult provision.

SGS College was judged as having a clear and ambitious vision for providing education and training which contributes strongly to meeting the needs of local and national employers.

Ofsted said the college carefully considers its local communities and demographics, designing and building provision which aims to empower learners and apprentices, enabling social mobility and improved life chances.

This was especially true of the new SGS Create, based at the Stroud Campus. Ofsted stated that the college had been courageous in the development of new full-time provision for learners aged 14 to 16 in Gloucestershire, committing substantial resources, time and research into developing the curriculum, to ensure it meets the needs of these young learners extremely well.

The first cohort of Create learners joined the college in September 2023 and it was demonstrated staff care deeply about providing opportunities for this group, many of whom have experienced disadvantage, have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or negative prior experiences at school. By supporting these learners to stay on their programme, achieve qualifications and advising them on their next steps, SGS was considered to be contributing to the reduction of young people who are not in education or training (NEET).

The inspection confirmed learners and apprentices are taught courses that have been thoughtfully designed, with teachers providing opportunities for learners to develop their personal attributes and employability skills, and to gain a wider understanding of how to contribute positively to society. It was emphasised that learners and apprentices enjoy their learning and that teachers have expert knowledge of the subjects they teach.

The inspection found that learners and apprentices are prepared very well for their next steps, including employment, apprenticeships, further or higher education or successful integration into society.

A collaborative approach to working with external partners contributed heavily to SGS being judged as making a strong contribution to meeting regional skills needs, the highest judgement a college can receive.

It was evident SGS works highly collaboratively with local authorities, the West of England Combined Authority, Job Centre Plus, Business West and more than 1,500 employers, including many small medium and large organisations, such as the NHS and Amazon.

The college demonstrated an in-depth understanding of, and responds positively to, the skill priorities and needs of the locality, whilst working highly effectively in partnerships to support the implementation of the Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Ofsted found that people studying at SGS quickly develop a positive attitude to learning and high standards of professional behaviour, valuing the high-quality facilities available to them and treating their teachers and peers with mutual respect.

Sara-Jane Watkins, principal of SGS College, said: "We are really proud of the judgements that Ofsted have made of SGS. They recognise the excellent work that staff across the college have made in their commitment and enthusiasm in delivering great education and learning for all of our learners.

"We are especially proud of the recognition that Ofsted has made of our many initiatives that we have developed in order to help so many of those disadvantaged in society. We want to make a positive difference to the lives of all of those we support."

Matt Atkinson, chair of governors at SGS College, said: "The board of governors are absolutely delighted with our recent inspection outcome. This is a real testament to the hard work of our dedicated staff and fantastic students.

"Colleges are at the heart of the UK's economy and I am delighted that the strong contribution we make to driving skills has been recognised in this report."

Punchline-Gloucester.com said: "Congratulations to the team at SGS College. We know how much work goes into making the college a success, not just for the students, but for the positive economic impact for the county."

SGS College was formed from the merger of Filton and Stroud colleges in 2012. It has six main campuses, with the Stroud campus providing a range of vocational education programmes and the new SGS Create facility for learners aged 14 to 16, many of whom have social, emotional or mental health difficulties.