'Brilliant' team praised as Derbyshire Adult Education improves Ofsted rating from 'requires improvement' to 'good'

Inspectors spent four days reviewing the quality of education provision and speaking to staff and following the visit have upgraded the service from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’.

They praised Derbyshire County Council’s Adult Community Education Service (DACES) for its ‘dedicated support’ of learners and their commitment to ensuring apprentices develop the skills they need to be successful at work.

The service currently supports over 1800 learners, including more than 100 young learners and 91 apprentices, who are engaged with community learning courses, studying qualification-based courses such as digital skills, English and maths, or undertaking an apprenticeship.

In the Ofsted report published on March 22, inspectors said: “Most learners and apprentices make good progress on their courses or apprenticeships. They feel safe and protected. Learners choose to study at DACES because it feels like a community and staff treat them with respect.

"A significant number of learners face substantial barriers to their learning. They have poor mental health, or physical disabilities or are foreign nationals who speak English as an additional language. Through staff’s dedicated support, learners and apprentices gain qualifications and improve their well-being. This helps them to move closer to achieving their personal and career goals.”

Following the publication of the report, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education and Chair of DACES’ Governance Board, Councillor Alex Dale, said: “It’s wonderful for our Adult Community Education Service to be recognised for their hard work in creating a safe and supportive environment for learners across the county.

“Ofsted particularly highlighted that learners on our community courses improve their mental and physical health and well-being, and that most apprentices develop the skills they need to be successful at work.

“We’re committed to ensuring young people and adults across Derbyshire have access to the courses, support and advice they need to be successful at work or learn new skills.

"I’d like to specifically highlight our brilliant DACES team and the hard work they’ve put in to create the type of learning environment and programmes that give local people the best chance of being successful.”