Macclesfield College rated top of the class in Cheshire and Warrington

Macclesfield College has been confirmed as the overall best- performing FE institution within the key Cheshire and Warrington sub-region, according to the latest statistics published in the National Achievement Rate Tables.

The College, officially rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in November 2017, has been on a continuous path to improvement for over three years now, following the appointment of its dynamic and highly experienced Principal and Chief Executive, Rachel Kay.

The latest National Achievement Rate Tables, released on Thursday 28th March, represent a high-water mark for Macclesfield College and will no doubt instil even greater confidence, encouragement and self-belief within its staff and senior management team, as it continues to edge ever closer towards its goal of becoming ‘Outstanding’ in all aspects.

Taken right across the Cheshire and Warrington sub-region, home to the north of England’s largest and most buoyant economy, Macclesfield College has been confirmed as the best-performing FE institution for ‘overall education and training’ across all age groups, as well as being the clear regional leader in the 16-to-18 category. Moreover, compared with all general and further education colleges in the wider Greater Manchester area, Macclesfield lies second overall for all ages and all levels in the education and training sector, which is a truly momentous achievement.

It is a similar story as regards ‘timely education and training’, with Macclesfield College again being rated as the region’s number one provider across all age groups, including the key 16-to-18 and 19+ categories. This is a clear testament to the dedication and hard work of the experienced staff team at the College who work tirelessly to ensure every learner, whatever their age or the qualification they are studying, is supported to achieve their full potential.

According to the previous set of National Achievement Rate Tables, Macclesfield College and its dedicated employer-responsive arm, Maxim Business Training, was the top- performing college in the Cheshire and Warrington sub-region for apprenticeship timely completions. Following the release of this latest set of official government statistics, it would seem that this situation remains unchanged, with Macclesfield College again leading the way for timely apprenticeships across all age groups, including the key 24+ category.

Moreover, the College is committed to additional growth in apprenticeships, via its own ‘Macclesfield Manifesto’, a far-reaching recruitment drive designed to develop and train the region’s next generation of skilled workers.

Officially launched in November 2018 and endorsed by local MP David Rutley, the ‘Macclesfield Manifesto’ builds on the College’s existing good practice in this vital area. It was developed with the specific intent of engaging with the region’s young learners, addressing local company skills gaps and training people with the specific skills businesses need and demand, in order to maintain and enhance their success in an increasingly competitive economic and commercial environment.

As expected, Macclesfield College proved to be an exceptionally consistent and strong performer in education & training and apprenticeships overall, coming out on top across the region in both these areas.

“The newly-published DfE National Achievement Rate Tables make for particularly satisfying reading for everyone connected with Macclesfield College,” explains Principal and Chief Executive, Rachel Kay. “We take our responsibilities as an FE, HE and skills training provider extremely seriously and, through our ongoing work, we give access to high quality learning to each and every student. This is complemented by a proven pathway to success, through our outstanding teaching and pedagogy. Furthermore, we are continuing to change and transform lives throughout the community we serve, by being fully committed to our overarching mission of empowerment through learning.”