London university receives top Ofsted marks for degree apprenticeships

Inspectors rated Queen Mary University ‘outstanding’ across the board

Inspectors rated Queen Mary University ‘outstanding’ across the board

A London university has been awarded an ‘outstanding’ rating by Ofsted in its first full inspection.

In the watchdog’s report published today, Queen Mary University of London received top marks across all areas after inspectors found the leaders worked “effectively” with big-name employers to tailor its apprenticeships to meet skills needs and recruited students from under-represented groups.

At the time of inspection, Queen Mary University of London had 436 apprentices studying standards from level 4 to level 7 in sectors such as digital, healthcare and financial services.

Queen Mary University of London has been delivering degree apprenticeships since 2015, when it was one of the first higher education institutions to do so.

Ofsted inspectors praised the Russell Group university for working “very effectively” with prestigious organisations to tailor the content of its curriculum to meet skills gaps.

Dr Philippa Lloyd, Queen Mary’s VP policy and strategic partnerships, said: “We are very proud of the employers we partner with on our degree apprenticeship programmes, including Goldman Sachs, Amazon, KPMG and PwC and the NHS.” 

The watchdog also found the university designed its recruitment processes to ensure apprentices from under-represented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds have access to higher education.

“As a result, some apprentices embark on careers that they did not think were open to them such as being senior economic advisers,” the report said.

Professor Colin Bailey, president and principal of Queen Mary University said he was pleased that Ofsted recognised the university’s efforts to promote social mobility, diversity and inclusion.

“Our vision at Queen Mary is to open the doors of opportunity to any student with the potential to succeed,” he said.

Bailey added:  “This independent in-depth evaluation by the regulator demonstrates the excellent education that is delivered by our staff.”

Degree apprenticeship students were found to have “exceptionally positive” attitudes towards their studies, develop substantial new knowledge and skills and are fully included in the university community.

Ofsted also noted that leaders have made “significant investments” into their apprenticeship provision and accountability and scrutiny at the highest level results in leaders responding “swiftly” to make improvements.

Inspectors also praised the provider for delivering “demanding and ambitious teaching” that challenges apprentices and for employing “highly qualified” tutors with extensive industry experience.

The report said: “Tutors use their knowledge and experience to inspire apprentices. For example, they give expert guidance to digital and technology solutions professionals to help them evaluate software projects and develop holistic perspectives on software engineering.”

Professor Stephanie Marshall, Queen Mary’s VP education said: “It demonstrates the quality of our educators who teach our degree apprentices alongside our undergraduate and postgraduate degree students. I could not be more proud.”

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