Newcastle City Learning
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Quality management policy

Policy statement

Newcastle City Learning seeks to deliver a high-quality service to all our learners. We strive not only to meet need, but through the processes of self-evaluation and critical review to continually improve the service that we provide. 

Self-evaluation is ongoing. Through our regular Curriculum Progress Review meetings, we continually look at both our financial performance and the quality of our delivery with our senior lead team and our curriculum managers at least three times per year. This allows us to implement timely strategies when issues are identified through that process. 

Our yearly self-assessment process forms an integral part of the service’s quality improvement process. It is an inclusive process and provides an opportunity for all staff, learners, and key stakeholders to provide feedback about our provision and services' quality. Information and evidence are collated and evaluated throughout the year, and strengths and areas for improvement are identified. 

Our provision is evaluated more formally annually, using the criteria set out in the Ofsted Toolkit. A formal Self-Assessment Report is produced by leaders and managers within the service and presented to the Advisory Board and to the Deputy Chief Executive of the Council for review and consideration. Quality Improvement Plans are produced to consolidate and/or build on the key strengths identified and to address areas for improvement. 

The Self-Assessment is also uploaded to the Ofsted Portal annually. 

Scope and purpose

This policy applies to all learners, staff, and key stakeholders within the service.

This policy establishes the quality standards defining the process of self-assessment.

Quality standards

  • Self-assessment is conducted as a service-wide process. 
  • Leaders, Curriculum Managers, and Curriculum Quality Leads are required to actively participate and contribute to the service-wide process by the completion of Course Evaluation reports.  They will also be responsible for systematically collecting evidence to support the writing of any Self-Assessment Report at the end of the academic year. 
  • All learners will be given an opportunity to provide evaluative feedback about our provision's quality both during Lesson Visits and end of course surveys. 
  • All staff will be given an opportunity to provide feedback and contribute evidence used to inform decisions about the quality of provision. 
  • Non-teaching staff and managers will be given an opportunity to provide evaluative feedback about the provision's quality. 
  • All judgements will be made against the Ofsted Toolkit. 
  • Judgements should be supported by appropriate evidence collected throughout the year such as student achievements information, lesson visits, learning walk reports, student feedback and focus groups, employer feedback, destination information etc. 
  • Judgements will be scrutinised and challenged where appropriate to ensure objectivity. 
  • A service quality improvement plan addressing all strengths and weaknesses will be produced as an outcome of the self-assessment process. 
  • Actions and milestones will be monitored, and progress against these will be reported upon three times within the academic year. 
  • All staff will be given access to the final Self-Assessment Report and Quality Improvement Plan, which will also be uploaded to the Ofsted Portal. 

Newcastle City Learning continuously seeks to listen to constructive feedback and to look to improve the quality of what we do and the service we provide to Newcastle City residents. 
 

Updated February 2026.