Nacro education

Written by Andrew Ruscoe, ex-Nacro learner I was born and raised in Wrexham. As a youngster between the ages of 18 and 24, I was I extremely hard to handle and easily lead by the wrong crowds. I got into drinking excessively, experimenting with drugs, and I was fighting a lot which lead me to…

The current education qualification system can be quite confusing. There are a number of different qualifications as well as awarding bodies and can be hard to keep track of what each one means.  The U.K has an educational framework that can help those understand the U.K’s educational levels better. On this page, we will be…

We recently held a Nacro Education-wide writing competition for our learners where they were asked to submit a letter written to their future self. Our judges – Campbell Robb (Chief Executive), Anne Frost (Trustee) and Lisa Capper (Director of Education & Skills) – were genuinely blown away by the entries submitted. They had a really…

Nacro Education and Totton College are open as usual from 4th January. We urge you attend as normal so you can continue with your studies. As per DfE guidance, learners will be required to wear a face covering in class and in all communal areas, unless exempt. Please take a lateral flow test before arrival…

Our Education & Skills Centre in Carlisle has won Post-16 Provider of the Year for Cumbria in the 2021 Golden Apple Awards, in association with Cumbria University. We are thrilled with the result for the team and for the young people they have worked with over the last year! Lisa Capper MBE, Principal, said: “This…

On Friday 23rd July 2021, a selection of learners from the Nacro Sheffield Education Centre were specially invited by their tutors to attend Lightwater Valley Theme Park in Ripon, North Yorkshire. Jed Khaliq, Teaching & Learning Tutor said, “The idea stemmed from having numerous discussions with staff who felt that despite the various challenges faced…

Nacro Education is pleased to report some outstanding achievements by its students this GCSE results day. This year, following the cancellation of exams, grades were awarded through a process of teacher assessed grades (TAGs), against a national standard and approved and awarded by the exam boards. Young people had to work very hard this year…

GCSE results can get you thinking about your next steps, whether resitting or taking the results you wanted forward. Nacro are here to offer you options. We offer a range of vocational course across England with the ability to take functional maths and English alongside your course. We can also help you resit your GCSEs…

The Government risks failing a generation of young people as almost one in five don’t achieve the equivalent of five good GCSEs by 19, an eight-year low, a new campaign highlights. Nacro, one of the country’s largest independent further education providers, launches the ‘Learn Without Limits’ campaign today, calling on the Government to remove barriers…

Two-and-a-half years ago, Bob and his daughter Amy started feeding the ducks on the River Alre, near where they live. Amy was born with brain damage and has complex epilepsy; Bob wanted something to give her purpose, and her love of ducks provided the perfect opportunity. Every day, they would package up bags of feed…

Nacro is delighted to have been selected to lead the delivery of the education and skills provision for children and young people at Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre (STC), a 76-bed STC in Northamptonshire. Rated Good by Ofsted, Nacro will build on many years’ experience in the further education and skills sector across the country, working…

“Nacro puts its safeguarding at the forefront of everything it does.” A look into delivering safeguarding from DSO Zoe Whitmore The role of the Designated Safeguarding Officer is vital in ensuring we are continuing to create a safe and empowering culture for our staff and service users within Nacro, and the wider communities. It is…

We are pleased to announce we are a funded partner in A-dapt, a new project led by Innovate UK. A-dapt is a start up with an intelligent new video content format called Adaptive-media® that utilises the latest Edge AI and provides a proven technology basis for the project. Disadvantaged young adults often have low esteem…

Nacro work with learners aged 14-16 yrs, 16-19 yrs, and adult learners across 14 Centres.   What will we be offering ? Nacro remote education will be offering a blended approach of live remote lessons, personalised reviews via video or phone call, and hard-copy workbooks and packs. We will be teaching the same curriculum as…

Last month – and before the national lockdown – learners and staff at our Longton Education & Skills Centre held a stall at a local market, providing learners with vital work experience and raising money to put towards an activity or event for them in 2021. In the lead up to the stall, learners pitched…

The Prime Minister has announced a national lockdown as of midnight on 5th January. As a DfE registered local provider of post-16 education and skills, we are committed to ensuring that there is a good offer of face-to-face learning where required and a remote offer including hard copy packs, online learning and regular communication with…

In the Government’s spending review this week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak committed to further funding for skills training, with the national skills fund allocated £2.5 billion1 over five years. Yet the latest Government statistics on education and training, released yesterday, show that 34% of pupils – more than 200,000 people – in England left school at 16…

Our students who attend our Education and Skills Centres have achieved incredible results despite personal barriers and the challenges of learning during a pandemic.. we are so proud of their hard work and determination. Those who have to re-sit their GCSE exams in English and maths receive excellent tailored support from our experienced and skilled…

As students across the country receive their GCSE results this week, Lisa Capper, Nacro Principal (pictured above) advises local young people how they can prepare to make the best of results day, whatever their grades. GCSE results day can be nerve wracking at the best of times but this year due to the nature of…

Since we spoke to our education team near the beginning of lockdown, things have changed for our Education and Skills Centres who are all preparing to open 24th August and teach from September. Awarding Qualifications Our staff team have been working with the qualification awarding bodies to identify which qualifications will make use of centre-assessed grades,…

Tes highlights Nacro Education Centres in an article by Kate Parker, reporting on the disadvantage gap for vulnerable learners who are being hit hard by the Coronavirus crisis. The article outlines the challenges they face, how our staff are stepping up to the challenge of supporting them – and the unexpected ways in which in…

Following the recent Government directive on closure of schools and colleges, we have taken the decision to close Nacro’s Education and Skills centres from Friday 20th March until further notice. We have been planning for this situation and we have therefore been able to put in place information and resources to remotely support student progress….

In response to the publication of the Ofsted inspection report for Medway Secure Training Centre (STC), Nacro Chief Executive, Campbell Robb, said: “We are incredibly proud of the role Nacro education staff have played in helping children at Medway STC progress in education and get on a pathway to success. As recognised in the inspection…

Nacro Education staff were featured in an article by Sarah Simons about the safe havens that secure mental health units can provide for traumatised young people and what colleges can learn from their approach to educating learners in the Times Educational Supplement on 13 September. Mark Welsh, Nacro’s Assistant Principal for Education and Training in…

Students from education and skills centres run by Nacro continue to make strides in their progress, with GCSE pass rates increasing for the third year in a row and eight of ten students securing a job, an apprenticeship or a place on a further education course. Nacro students who have to re-sit their GCSE exams…

As students across the country prepare to receive their GCSE results this week, Lisa Capper, Nacro Principal (pictured above) advises students how they can prepare to make the best of results day. GCSE results day can be a scary time but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you receive the grades you hope for or…

Our alternative education, for some of the most hard to reach young people and adults across the country, has been rated ‘good’ across the board by Ofsted, following an inspection during March 2019. Inspectors found that Nacro leaders, managers and staff hold high ambitions for learners that help them make good progress, achieve well and…

Nacro Ambassador Programme is one of five projects across Europe identified by Learning and Work Institute (LWI) as an example of good practice. LWI examines best practice in designing and delivering pre-apprenticeship programmes that are inclusive for all young people and achieve effective outcomes with regards to improving access to apprenticeships. Find out more about…

In response to the recent government announcement that new schools are to be opened across the country to cater for pupils facing challenges in mainstream education: “We welcome government plans for more new schools to support troubled young people that are not progressing in mainstream education – this is a vital step to preventing offending…

Nacro welcomes the Education Select Committee’s report on alternative provision published today. We are pleased to see some of Nacro’s recommendations reflected in the report, particularly the importance of quality alternative provision and that funding for AP should continue post-16. Helen Berresford, Director of External Engagement, said: “We believe that all young people deserve high-quality…

In response to the launch of the Employment and Education Strategy, Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We welcome the launch of the Employment and Education Strategy and are very encouraged to see greater focus on employers and prisons working together to provide more work opportunities for people upon release from prison.  A new apprenticeship…

“It is welcome to see the Chancellor’s focus on the importance of housing and education in today’s Spring Statement. We know through our work with some of the most disadvantaged people across the country that having a safe and secure home is absolutely central to someone’s chances and opportunities in life. But too often high…

Nacro Chief Executive, Jacob Tas, said: “We are delighted to announce the Novus Nacro Partnership which seeks to deliver adult education in prisons. This unique partnership presents an exciting opportunity to deliver high quality education and skills training, which will drive ‘through the gate’ resettlement and help people with convictions to secure wraparound support such…