A coding skills bootcamp provider has been rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for “skilfully” teaching recruits.
In its first full inspection, Manchester-based Northcoders received the highest grade in all inspection areas.
The company runs 13-week skills bootcamps focusing on data in the cloud and software engineering, training about 200 students via online courses.
A team of four inspectors found an “extremely engaging and stimulating curriculum” delivered by staff who had their students’ “best interests at heart”.
Almost all students “swiftly” gain work in the digital industry after learning to tackle complex coding challenges with “persistence, patience and determination”.
Northcoders’ CEO Chris Hill said the company is “incredibly proud” of the Ofsted grade – a “clear validation” of the quality staff strive for and the “life-changing impact” the skills bootcamps have on learners’ lives.
He added: “This result significantly strengthens our position in the competitive tendering landscape, particularly with government and regional funding bodies which we are currently navigating.
“It enhances our credibility, bolsters our bid-winning capability, and positions us as a leading provider of high-quality digital skills training at a time when confidence and rigour in provider selection has never been more critical”.
The company, which specialises in coding training, began delivering bootcamps in 2016. It advertises working with employers including the BBC, the Office for National Statistics, Debenhams and Wren Kitchens.
According to its 2023-24 accounts, it won an 18-month, £10 million Department for Education contract to deliver skills bootcamps in January 2024.
The company had a revenue of £8.8 million that financial year, enrolling 1,144 students and netting a profit after tax of £388,855.
Inspectors found Northcoders has cultivated “very strong links” with an “extensive range” of employer partners to produce an “extremely ambitious, current, and industry-informed curriculum”.
Inspectors were particularly impressed with the company’s teaching using Structured Query Language instead of MongoDB and teaching about complex coding using React instead of jQuery.
Teachers make “extremely good use” of information about students’ starting points to ensure teaching meets their needs and “skilfully” deliver training with precise explanations that learners “consistently” recall.
They follow lectures with well-planned activities and projects and provide “very effective feedback” on students’ performance.
Inspectors also praised Northcoders’ careers support, which includes a variety of useful tutorials and a high proportion of employers offering guaranteed interviews, a key feature of skills bootcamps.
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