Accrington and Rossendale College 'has some of country's best courses' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Accrington and Rossendale College 'has some of country's best courses'

9:30am Friday 27th March 2009 in News By Alex Willmott, Reporter

AN EAST Lancashire college has been named as one of best providers of hairdressing, beauty therapy, hospitality and catering courses in the UK.

Ofsted has commended Accrington and Rossendale College for its “outstanding” training schemes in a recent inspection report.

Inspectors praised the practical methods that are currently used by staff, saying that students are well-prepared for the working world.

Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert said: ”For students there is nothing like hands-on experience to develop skills.

“Effective teaching, good curriculum management and recognising student success are at the centre of the best examples identified in the report.

“Those interested in achieving success in hospitality, catering, hairdressing and beauty should learn from the examples of good practice highlighted here.”

The team of inspectors praised the college’s efforts to link up with local employers and product companies to hold prize presentations to recognise student success.

Stephen Carlisle, college principal said: “We're thrilled that the hard work of staff and students has been recognised and we're justifiably proud of everything these departments have achieved. We think it's essential that students are stretched to achieve all they can and get the widest range of experiences possible.

“We recently invested over £16 million in our campus to ensure that our students have an outstanding environment to learn and grow in.

“It's proven to have been a sound investment and we couldn't be happier with the progress of our students.”

Ofsted has made a number of recommendations to improve the learning experience for students, including working with local authorities, schools and employers to recruit more men onto hairdressing and beauty therapy courses.