Issue 479 – Fairfield Farm College delighted with Ofsted report

Trustees, staff and students from Fairfield Farm College are delighted with the outcome of the recent Ofsted inspection.

The inspectors judged the overall effectiveness of the college to be grade two (Good) – the second highest rating awarded.
Inspectors further judged the college to be grade one (Outstanding) – the highest rating awarded in the work it does to ensure the students are able to make informed choices about their own health and wellbeing, and in the positive contribution Fairfield students make to the community.
Ofsted inspectors commented that teaching and learning are ‘Good’, that students receive encouragement and appropriate feedback from staff, students develop their confidence, social wellbeing and responsibility for their own safety. The college has effective partnerships with a wide range of organisations. The college offers excellent support for its students to undertake work experience, the providers of which, (who were approached by inspectors) were very positive about the work they undertake with the college to offer regular real life work placements to the college’s students.
The college was recognised as offering a 3* excellent service in its residential provision by the Care Quality Commission in 2009. The individualised, person centred very practical approach the college provides in all aspects of its teaching allows students to learn a range of skills to prepare them to live and work in the community when they finish their course.
The college is currently undergoing an exciting expansion; building a new shop , café and conference facility on the main site in order to make its work-based learning opportunities even better. This will support the partnership working with students from the foundation studies department at Wiltshire College, some of whom undertake modules of practical workbased learning at Fairfield.
The programme of independence training offered by the college which includes opportunities for students to learn skills and undertake areas of responsibility within the college houses was praised and the college hope that the system they have developed for teaching young people with learning disabilities to improve their skills in this area will be recognised nationally as an example of best practice.