NCC Ofsted Outstanding

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New City College achieves Outstanding in latest Ofsted report

Monday, 19 May, 2025

Bath Spa University is proud to be partnered with New City College (NCC), an educational provider offering a range of programmes that has recently been judged Outstanding by Ofsted – the highest accolade an institution can achieve. 

NCC is one of the UK’s largest and most successful colleges, with campuses across East London and Essex that serve their local communities. Formed through a series of mergers to boost strength and quality, the college is now a leading force in further education. 

With some campuses focussing on 16–19-year-olds and others on adult learners with a mix of broad and specialist subject offerings, all courses and apprenticeships are designed to meet local and regional employment needs. 

The inspection, which took place in March 2025, saw a large team of Ofsted inspectors visit classes and observe activities over the course of a week. The inspectors spoke to hundreds of students, apprentices, and staff across several campuses in London and beyond to get an honest overview of NCC. 

Ofsted gave positive feedback across the board on all areas of NCC’s work, highlighting its ambitious and successful culture, innovative learning opportunities, and strong support for students’ mental and physical well-being. 

Mirroring one of BSU’s core values, NCC was also praised for its diverse and inclusive community, marked by mutual respect between students and staff.

The report indicated the highly rewarding courses, noting that students found their studies to be both challenging and enriching, guided by expert teachers across all campuses and a determined leadership team. 

Recognising the work the college has done to get to this moment, the report stated:    

“Since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and staff have worked relentlessly to improve the quality of education. They have successfully implemented rigorous quality assurance processes across campuses, to ensure consistency in the quality of teaching. This has resulted in year-on-year improvements in learners’ experiences and outcomes.”  

Staff were also commended for setting high standards for attendance and punctuality, enhancing students’ experiences through outstanding extracurricular programmes, and delivering high-quality careers advice that prepares learners for university, apprenticeships, and the working world.  

Reflecting on their success, Lucy Arnold-Courtney, University Centre Director, said:  

“New City College’s Outstanding Ofsted outcome is a tremendous achievement, shared by the whole NCC community, and a clear marker of the college’s strength, ambition, and impact. I feel privileged every day to work across both BSU and NCC through the University Centre as I see first-hand the value of this close partnership – a collaboration that creates genuinely local, high-quality tertiary pathways.”  

She continued:   

“Working alongside NCC’s expert practitioners and leaders not only deepens our shared understanding of learner journeys but also enables BSU to extend its reach and impact. We couldn’t ask for better!”  

To find out more about NCC, their Outstanding accreditation, and the work they do every day, visit the New City College website.