Employer engagement and a focus on ‘Empowerment Through Learning’ has helped Macclesfield College lift its Ofsted rating to ‘Good’ within just 18 months.

The achievement has been confirmed in a newly-published Ofsted report following an inspection at the further and higher education provider late last year. It follows ongoing implementation of the leadership team’s vision, which the report recognised as successfully fostering ‘a culture of high expectation in the college …addressing most of the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.’

A senior education management professional with a specialism in transformational change, Principal and Chief Executive, Rachel Kay, has inspired and pioneered that vision, ensuring that vocational learning, workplace skills and employer engagement are embedded across management, planning and teaching best practice at the College.

Explains Rachel:

“We want to ensure that both FE and HE students from Macclesfield College have the skills, career-minded approach and employability profile that employers want and need, locally, nationally and regionally.

The best way to achieve that is to engage with employers and make them an integral part of the programme planning process, creating opportunity through work placements, knowledge transfer and apprenticeships to join the dots between education and commerce.”

With 93 per cent of students securing full time employment opportunities or engaging in further studies, the vision is clearly working. The Ofsted report agrees, stating that “Leaders and
managers have forged extensive links with local and national employers, developing the curriculum to meet community, local and national skills.”

Rachel adds:

“I would like to congratulate the whole team here at Macclesfield College on the huge jump in attainment that has been achieved and also thank our employer partners for helping us develop and deliver courses that will prepare students for such an exciting array of careers in industries as diverse as motor manufacturing, engineering, pharmaceuticals, hospitality and media.

Transformational change is a continuous process and we look forward to building on these achievements and helping all our students learn without boundaries while answering the needs of employers.”

The full Ofsted Report for Macclesfield College can be read here.