College praised for action over spotting extremism

Staff and bosses at a college in West Yorkshire have taken action to ensure students can spot the risks of radicalisation, a watchdog has found.

In January, Shipley College was rated by Ofsted as "requires improvement" following an inspection in October 2023.

In its report after that inspection, the watchdog said while staff provided information on the risks of extremism and radicalisation, most learners "cannot not recall that information well".

However, a report monitoring the college's progress which was published by Ofsted on Monday noted that "leaders and managers have taken very effective action" to tackle the issues raised since last year's inspection.

Karen Anderson, a lead inspector at Ofsted, wrote in the report that staff had ensured that students "know how to identify and stay safe from the risks of radicalisation and extremism".

She said that since the October 2023 inspection, "significant progress" had been made in teaching students about the risks radicalisation could pose.

"They can describe fully and accurately what radicalisation is and how grooming often happens slowly over time," she stated.

"They understand what might make people vulnerable to radicalisation and the signs that may indicate someone is being radicalised."

She added that "frequent tutorial reviews" had helped monitor students' and apprentices' understanding of radicalisation and extremism.

The report also noted that college staff had made "reasonable progress" in areas like securing work experience for students and career guidance for apprentices and adult students.

Diana Bird, principal of Shipley College, said: "We are pleased Ofsted have recognised the outstanding work we are doing to develop our students as Bradford's employees of the future.

"Our young students and apprentices achieve the highest success rates among all West Yorkshire colleges, and that is a testament to the dedication and passion of my teaching staff and the invaluable support of our employer partners."

The college had "designed an environment and curriculum that prepares our students to achieve their dreams and succeed in life and work", Ms Bird said.

"Building upon the significant progress made since our last inspection, we remain committed to our mission to empower individuals, create opportunities for all, and build a brighter future for our Bradford city region."

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