College flagged up as vulnerable to campus radicalisation now getting its house in order, report says

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

Croydon College has raised its Ofsted rating from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Good’ less than two years after inspectors raised concerns about teaching, behaviour and safeguarding.

The college, which joined with Coulsdon Sixth Form in March 2019, represents a huge student base, numbering more than 6,000 and dominates the centre of East Croydon’s ‘cultural quarter’ with its main campus.

In an inspection carried out over both the Croydon and Coulsdon sites last month, it was noted that grades had improved, attendance had increased and the quality of teaching was better than it had been when the college was graded as Inadequate in February 2023.

At the previous inspection student behaviour was flagged as an issue, and there was deemed to be a risk of radicalisation.

However, the latest inspection report published yesterday confirmed that staff have taken ‘effective actions to improve the quality of education, behaviour and attendance at both campuses’.

While attendance has improved, punctuality was recognised as a work in progress. Changes to the curriculum and apprenticeship programs were also well received by the inspectors.

Teachers were praised for their ability and experience in their subjects, although some teachers, including those teaching English to non-native speakers, were criticised for not effectively monitoring the ability of their students.

Inspectors said: “They have rightly focused their attention on improving the curriculum and quality of teaching and assessment for young learners and those who have high needs. They have made notable improvements across these areas.”

During the 2023 inspection, Ofsted officials noted that the school put some students at risk of radicalisation. They said at the time: “Learners and apprentices have limited knowledge and skills needed to make safe and informed decisions on relationships, to understand the dangers of extremism and radicalisation, and to lead a safe and healthy life.”

Since then, Croydon College has made marked improvements in this area, in particular by redesigning the students’ tutorial projects around these issues. According to inspectors, they now include healthy and appropriate relationships, consent, equality and diversity and a range of topics to help learners understand how to keep themselves safe from radicalisation.

Caireen Mitchell, who has led Croydon College and Coulsdon Sixth Form since 2018, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the overall rating of ‘Good’ for the college.

“As a team, we are committed to creating a safe and effective learning environment for our students and we will continue to improve and develop as an education provider that the communities of Croydon and Coulsdon can be proud of.”

Since the 2023 inspection, Ofsted returned to the college in November and then again in March of the following year. These allowed them to track the progress the college makes between its full inspections.

As of September, Ofsted no longer issues state schools with an overall grade such as Outstanding or Good, however colleges and other further education establishments do still get a one word overall grade.

Schools, meanwhile, will get a rating in four sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Pictured top: Croydon College (Picture: Google Street View)