Successful Ofsted for college-level provision at Brackenhurst

Further education provision at Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Campus has maintained its ‘Good’ rating following a successful Ofsted inspection.

Ofsted inspectors praised the Brackenhurst Campus’s ‘excellent’ resources

In addition to its extensive HE portfolio, the campus is a key provider for college-level courses in areas including agriculture, animal and equine sciences, horticulture and countryside management.

Inspectors visited the campus – home to the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences – in January.

Their report states that senior leaders have remained fully-committed to FE programmes at the university, with maintained focus on their quality. Because of this, it continues, students benefit from good learning experiences, achieve qualifications and progress to relevant further learning and employment.

The report also praises the introduction of three new FE-level programmes since the last inspection: diplomas in animal management and land and wildlife management, and a food technologist apprenticeship.

Current students make good progress in developing their vocational knowledge and competencies, the report states, and develop a range of broader skills needed for employment. A large majority of students are on course to meet or exceed their target grades.

Inspectors praised the campus’s ‘excellent’ resources, which were used well to provide lively and interesting learning activities.

The report was also positive about the work undertaken to ensure students have access to highly-effective careers information advice and guidance, even before they enrol.

"We are delighted to have maintained this rating,” said Pamela Ellis, Head of Further Education at the University's School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.

She added: “We have a dedicated team to support our learners in providing engaging learning activities that prepares them well for either industry or progression to university.”

Professor Robert Mortimer, the Dean of the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, said: “Our students have the opportunity to learn in a university environment and our staff make full use of the excellent resources.”

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About Nottingham Trent University
- Nottingham Trent University was named University of the Year 2017 at the Times Higher Education Awards and Modern University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018. The award recognises NTU for its strong student satisfaction, quality of teaching, overall student experience and engagement with employers.
- Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has been awarded the highest, gold, rating in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework for its outstanding teaching and learning.
- NTU is one of the largest UK universities with nearly 28,000 students and more than 3,500 staff across four campuses, contributing £496m to the UK economy every year. It is one of the most environmentally-friendly universities, containing some of the country’s most inspiring and efficient award-winning buildings.
- The University is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable Nottingham Trent to be a vehicle for social mobility. NTU is the sixth biggest recruiter of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in the country and 95.6% of its graduates go on to employment or further education within six months of leaving.
- NTU is home to world-class research, winning The Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2015 - the highest national honour for a UK university. It recognised the University’s pioneering projects to improve weapons and explosives detection in luggage, enable safer production of powdered infant formula and combat food fraud.
- With an international student population of approximately 2,600 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook.