Officially 'good' and on our way to outstanding! - Ofsted praise for WAES

Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES) staff, governors and students are delighted at the outcome of the recent inspection by Ofsted which determined all aspects of the service as 'good'. This is a testament to the high quality work that is done to meet the education, training and learning needs of people in Westminster and across London.

WAES Head of Service, Barbara Holm, said:
“It is most encouraging to receive such recognition and praise. We are particularly pleased that positive learner outcomes have been recognised and the high quality teaching and learning acknowledged. The significant contribution that WAES makes to Westminster residents and the wider London learning community has also been highly acclaimed in this Ofsted report"

A number of areas were singled out for high praise, including the really significant improvements made by learners for whom English is not their first language and the effectiveness of the support to learners with learning disabilities. In addition, inspectors highlighted the very good progress made by the vast majority of the colleges’ 10,000 annual learners who are extremely successful in their studies and develop a wide range of vocational and life skills.

The report, completed and published in April, also recognises the high proportion of learners achieving their qualifications, an example of which is reflected in the college's 100% success rate among last year's cohort of apprentices.

Cllr Louise Hyams, Westminster City Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration, Business and Economic Development said: “As London's largest local authority adult provider, and one of the largest in the UK, it is great to see that our adult college has once again been rated so highly. WAES will continue to develop its provision for Westminster residents over the coming years in line with local priorities.”

Since the last inspection in October 2011 - when the service rating was also 'good' - WAES, the adult education service of Westminster City Council, has relocated to purpose-built centres with state-of-the-art teaching facilities and also delivers programmes in up to 80 local community venues.

Carolyn Keen, Chair of the Board of Governors, added “Governors are delighted that the dedication and hard work of WAES staff has been recognised by the Ofsted inspectors. The report provides an informative advert for what adult education is about in the 21st century”.

The report in full is available to download from the Ofsted website.