No.1 College Receives Outstanding Ofsted Report

PORTSMOUTH, England, June 20, 2011 -

After being ranked No.1 General Further Education College (GFE)
in England for student success and the overall top-performing
college in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on The Data Service
National League Tables, Highbury College in Portsmouth is now being
praised as outstanding by Ofsted. This is an impressive
accomplishment for a college located in an area of poor student
attainment.

According to the recent Ofsted Report, the ‘outcomes for
students (at Highbury College) are outstanding.’ The report reads
that ‘retention, pass and success rates are very high for students
of all ages and at all levels. They are above the national averages
for all subject areas, in many cases significantly higher.’

It stated that: ‘the overall retention rate for students of all
ages was 98.4 per cent, compared to the national average of 88.3
per cent, while the overall achievement rate was 97.2 per cent
compared to 89.8 per cent (nationally).’

Principal and Chief Executive Stella Mbubaegbu says she is
particularly proud that Ofsted have rated the outcomes for students
at Highbury College as outstanding. ‘We focus relentlessly on our
mission to enable all our students to succeed. That’s part of the
Highbury DNA. It’s our culture as a College’.

The Ofsted Report states that ‘Portsmouth is one of the most
densely populated cities in the country’, but highlights that
despite the city being ‘the fourth largest economy in the South
East with a broad employment base and the national home of the
Royal Navy, there are areas of high deprivation.’

Numeracy and Literacy skills in Portsmouth were cited in the
Ofsted Report as being ’significantly below the national average,’
and that ‘adults in the city have fewer Level 2 and Level 3
qualifications…and a higher proportion have no qualifications.’
Amongst Highbury College students, however, this is not the case.
According to the Report, ‘many students (at Highbury College)
develop good work-related skills, including literacy and numeracy,
enabling them to progress to employment or further and higher
education’.

It goes on to say that ‘many (Highbury College) students win
awards at regional and national competitions. They make very good
progress during their courses and achieve high rates of progression
to further and higher education and employment’.

So, how has Highbury College achieved
outstanding ranking?

The College’s lively and interesting teaching sessions,
excellent learning resources, broad subject choice, good standard
of student safeguarding, equality and diversity values,
high-quality accommodation and equipment were all cited in the
Report as being beneficial to overall student achievement.

Student engagement and key skills also feature highly in the
College’s Ofsted Inspection Report. As key skills impact on
employment and higher education opportunities for the learners,
Highbury College ensures that they are instilled at every
opportunity, thus enabling student achievement at all levels.

Ofsted highlighted that ‘care, guidance and support are
outstanding’and thatstudents at risk of underperforming are
identified quickly and provided with strategies to succeed’.

Highbury College provides a vast range of vocational and applied
academic programmes in and around Portsmouth, from entry level
training courses to university-level qualifications, specialised
services for business and href="www.highbury.ac.uk/client/content.asp?Contentid=308">learning
in the community. Highbury College’s Student Success Rates for
09/10 make the College the top general further education college in
England (09/10 National LR Success Rates).

A ‘National Outstanding Showcase Event’ will be held by the
College in the near future.

For further information about the College, visit their website
at href="www.highbury.ac.uk">www.highbury.ac.uk.

This release is submitted by Debbie Laycock at LCM Strategic Marketing Media on behalf of Highbury College. Media enquiries and requests for interviews with Stella Mbubaegbu , should be directed to Debbie via debbie at lcm.co.uk or by telephoning +44(0)1329-825849. Details about Highbury College can be found at www.highbury.ac.uk