Around 16 months of planning and preparation, we were assessed for the accreditation of the Investors in Pupils award. The assessment followed an Ofsted style inspection where a variety of students, staff, governors and parents gave input. The assessors were in College for most of the day, even seeing a group of around 30 students during lunchtime.

The whole day went tremendously well, with the feedback from the assessors being extremely complementary about all the individuals they met on the day. Key highlights in the feedback included; students openness and honesty when answering questions; the variety of activities our students are involved in both inside and outside school; the knowledge the students had acquired regarding their role; the role of staff and the role of other supporting influences in their success; and the improvements made to target setting, pupil voice and pupil participation since implementing the award in July 2016.

The feedback has been excellent and we have had confirmation that we have been accredited as an “Investors in Pupils” school. We are extremely proud of all our students who as a collective group have worked tremendously hard over recent months to develop the scheme. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, governors and parents who took the time to offer feedback and information based on the accreditation and its positive effects on college life; it is greatly appreciated.