Loughborough College Residential Accommodation Rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted

Loughborough College has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for providing the students with residential provision that offers excellent individual care and support, a new report has said.

Inspectors visited the College in January 2025 and said the College provided “highly effective services” that consistently “exceed” standards. They added that the College’s approach “contributes to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for young people.”

The Ofsted Social Care Common Inspection was carried out across three days at The Gables, on Epinal Way in Loughborough, which provides excellent accommodation, and they applauded the outstanding staff who support a range of national and international students. The College’s accommodation has retained its Outstanding rating following its 2021 inspection. 

In the newly released report, Ofsted said the College achieved Outstanding across three key areas: Overall experiences and progress of young people; how well young people are helped and protected, and the effectiveness of leaders and managers. 

Corrie Harris, Principal & CEO at Loughborough College, said: “We are immensely proud of our exceptional residential provision, and achieving this outstanding rating is a true endorsement of our student-first approach.

“Our dedicated residential staff go above and beyond to ensure our students receive the highest levels of care, safety, and support, and their commitment to excellence is evident in this inspection report.

“This is an extraordinary achievement for our hardworking team—well done to everyone involved!”

Inspectors said that the support received by residents at The Gables helps them to “make very good progress on their chosen education and sporting pathway.” They also highlighted how well the residential staff understand the challenges in the process of moving away from their families and how they “remain highly vigilant and identify those young people that may need additional help to adjust.” 

When reviewing communication between parents and staff, parents said they felt their children are safe, and enjoy residing at The Gables. One parent was quoted in the report saying: “I can’t praise them enough. I think they are brilliant; my daughter is so happy there. I feel she is safe and very secure; they know where she is, and I know where she is.”

The inspectors praised accommodation staff for ensuring each young person’s needs are of paramount importance to leaders and staff in the residential provision. It cited an example of one young person who has had a life changing experience since moving into The Gables, saying the staff “provided her with nurturing care to give her confidence and increase her self-esteem,” which has “enabled her to make excellent academic progress.” 

The report praised the culture at The Gables where young people support each other’s goals, stating that staff help young people to understand the importance of congratulating one another for their achievements.

The inspectors commended the College’s safeguarding approach, highlighting its strong partnerships with external agencies and how staff ensure students are well-informed about how to seek support if needed.

The effectiveness of leaders and managers was highlighted in the report, including the following key areas:

• College leaders are highly motivated to provide young people with the best opportunity to thrive and succeed
• Leaders drive forward improvements that support the overall development of young people 
• The Accommodation manager supports residential staff in developing their emotional resilience 
• College leaders are visible and provide good, visible leadership 

To view the full report, visit: https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50269153