The report, which was published on 2 May, identified that there were no main points of action for the college and that areas for development were reflective of the College’s analysis of its position.   The two-page summarised report highlighted that South Lanarkshire College students articulated that they felt “valued and supported” on their programmes, and stated, that following His Majesty’s Inspectors of Education discussions with stakeholders and middle management at the College, it was clear the curriculum design of courses was robust, and there was autonomy in identifying and driving improvements in curriculum areas. 

The report highlighted that ‘partnership working with external stakeholders and staff involved in the delivery of ESOL provision, had significantly increased the recruitment of learners whose first language is not English’.  It positively reported that all teaching departments across the College work ‘responsively and flexibly to meet the needs of employers and local communities, which can be seen in the increased levels of recruitment to part-time further education programmes and modern apprenticeships.  The report also emphasised that curriculum teams made effective use of labour market intelligence, employer feedback and information from partner schools ‘to plan and adjust programmes to meet the needs of learners’.

The report concluded that there had been significant progress since the last Education Scotland visit to the College in February 2022, and detailed that South Lanarkshire College had in fact moved beyond the actions identified in the February 2022 report.  Inspectors are confident that the College has the capacity to continue to improve. as

Stella McManus, South Lanarkshire College Principal and CEO, said: "

"I am delighted that the hard work and dedication of the South Lanarkshire College staff and students has been highlighted in this report.  Everyone in our College community is committed to ensuring the success of our students by providing the highest quality education and support”. 

Stella continued “The Education Scotland report highlights the adaptiveness of staff across the College to meet the needs of learners by changing and progressing curriculum offering and timetabling to ensure that every student has the best chance to successfully complete their course and progress onto their chosen destination”.

Paul Hutchinson, South Lanarkshire College Chair of the Board, added: “I am delighted that the College received such a positive Education Scotland Annual Engagement Visit.

The staff have gone above and beyond to support students and to ensure a high-quality learning experience for learners.

The Board has every confidence that the College will continue to grow over the next few years, as we explore innovative ways of supporting our students, community, local businesses and the economy”.

To read the full report head to Education Scotland Report 2023