Cherry Tingle, Principal of Energy Coast UTC described the achievement as exceptional, with the outstanding classification spanning every single area of inspection.
A delighted Ms Tingle, who took over the helm in September 2016, said it was a very significant judgement and that everyone involved with UTC was over the moon with the highest possible classification.
Inspectors said Ms Tingle had ‘systematically and very skilfully developed high-quality leadership skills in all school leaders and managers’. Student results, teaching, employer links and behaviour were all said to be outstanding.
The report praised an ethos where pupils’ aspirations were the best they could be and pointed to a transformation in attitudes once they joined the college thanks to ‘excellent support and guidance’.
Ms Tingle said: “When I started, there was a range of problems, from results to the need for improvement in every area. My mantra was, and still is, everything has to be ‘good enough for my child’.
Of the 300 students 90% went on to apprenticeships in engineering and civil engineering.
Nationally, only four percent of schools where above 25 percent of students are eligible for free school meals (FSM) are judged to be outstanding. “Our percentage of FSMs is 40,” said Ms Tingle.
“Employment levels are high. Six of Sellafield’s nationally offered recent degree apprenticeships went to our students. Iggesund Paperboard’s intake was all ours, while construction and regeneration company, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, mostly recruited our young people.
“At a normal secondary school, pupils are expected to make three grades progress in five years. Here, they make on average almost three grades in just two years. FSM students make better progress than non-FSMs nationally.
“However, there will be no resting on laurels and we will be striving to get even better.
Sellafield’s head of education and skills, Dr Donna Connor, said: “We offer the warmest congratulations to the whole UTC team for this outstanding success and are proud to be part of a leading educational phenomenon.
Lord Baker welcomes a revolution in Technical Education saying:
“The Energy Coast UTC at Sellafield has been awarded “Outstanding” by Ofsted – this is one of the most successful schools in the North of England. It leads a revolution in Technical Education.”
To read the full report please click here.
This follows an excellent year for the UTCs inspected by Ofsted this year. Since the start of 2019 14 UTCs have been inspected. UTC South Durham, UTC Sheffield OLP, WMG Academy for Young Engineers (Solihull), Global Academy, UTC Warrington, UTC Norfolk, Crewe UTC and Lincoln UTC have all been judged as Good. UTC Bolton moved impressively from Inadequate to Good. Scarborough UTC, Greater Peterborough UTC, UTC Leeds and Southbank UTC were all judged as Requires Improvement.