Huntingdonshire Regional College still requires improvement, though standards are increasing, according to its latest Ofsted report.

Inspectors visited the college, in California Road, Huntingdon, from November 17-21, to check its progress since June last year when it was rated as requires improvement.

The college had hoped to achieve an outstanding rating by the recent inspection but now aspires by the next inspection, within two years, the college will be good or outstanding.

Lead inspector Rieks Drijver said HRC is still at the same level as too few students aged 16 to 18 on study programmes achieved their qualifications and too few apprentices qualified in the planned time.

The report also said there was a low proportion of students with a functional maths skills qualification. It adds the pace of learning is often too slow and that teachers don’t take sufficient account of students’ starting points to plan learning to challenge them and progress is also not checked.

However, the inspectors praised the high number of adults completing qualifications, students develop skills to prepare them for the workplace, particularly through well-planned work placements and successfully introduced programme to encourage people not in education, employment or training into learning.

They were also pleased by the college’s managers, who work with employers to provide training for the unemployed and their links with partners and the Local Enterprise Partnership to help shape the curriculum to meet employers’ needs.

All but three sections – sport, public services and outcomes for students aged 19 and over which were rated as “good” – were rated as requires improvement.

The report says: “Since the last inspection, managers and teachers have worked to resolve inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Although these actions have had some success, too many learners experience teaching, learning and assessment that are not good enough.

Susanne Stent, principal, said “Ofsted saw that the college gets learners jobs and progresses them in their careers. I was pleased to see that the report is threaded through with comments on how we ensure that vast majority of our learners continue in education or get jobs.”