Richard Taunton Sixth Form College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2026

Because of the highly inclusive nature of the college community, all learners feel welcome and safe as soon as they arrive, whatever their background. Leaders reduce financial and educational barriers to attendance as far as they can while maintaining a keen focus on building learners’ resilience. Most learners are motivated; they work hard in class and attend lessons well. However, too many learners across education programmes for young people, adult learning programmes and high needs provision have low attendance, and this affects the extent to which they can fulfil their potential. Too many young learners and learners with high needs do not achieve their target grades. Typically, learners are very satisfied with their experience. Those that attend take full advantage of opportunities that help them to enrich their knowledge beyond the basics of their course. For example, T level adult nursing learners enjoy additional reading and discussion that enhance their understanding of wider issues in healthcare. Healthcare students have external training in CPR from professional clinicians. They are confident that they would be able to assist in an emergency. Opportunities like this help students gain confidence. They feel a keen sense of belonging to their departments, the college and their wider community. Staff provide a good balance of additional activities that keep learners fit, broaden their skills and help them to make friends and have fun. All young learners, including those with high needs, take part in extra-curricular activities and there is a buzz around the building each Wednesday afternoon as they join in with activities like band practice, maths academy and volleyball. Learners benefit hugely from the dedicated staff. Teachers and learning support specialists make sure that they support adult and young learners with additional needs well. For example, in lessons they use graduated task sheets, large font and colour to highlight key words for learners with reading difficulties so that they can access work independently. Learning support staff work thoughtfully to give targeted support to individual learners, but are also available to all learners that need extra help. Over time, learners become more independent and need less support, but they feel happy that help is there should they need it. Adult learners enjoy coming into college each week for their English or mathematics evening classes. They say that the new skills and knowledge that they develop give them greater confidence. For those looking for employment or entry to higher education, their new English language and mathematical skills give them a greater range of choices. A large minority of adult learners do not attend classes frequently enough. Staff help adult learners to re-engage, but leaders recognise that there is more to do to improve turnout to adult classes.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should further strengthen teaching on vocational and academic level 3 courses so that students gain grades that reflect expected progress against their starting points. • Leaders should continue to implement measures that improve the proportion of learners that remain on their courses. • Leaders should make sure that staff apply policies and procedures consistently well so that attendance improves across all provision types. • Leaders should continue their work to reduce the achievement gap between learners with high needs and their peers.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)