Operating across seven sites the council run service last year offered courses to more than 10,500 people – many of them from the most disadvantaged communities in the city. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool’s Adult Learning Service has secured a ‘good’ rating from education watchdog Ofsted after offering courses to more than 10,500 people last year.

The council-run service is operated from seven sites with three quarters of its learners coming from the most disadvantaged communities in the city.

Inspectors praised “exemplary” changes which have been made to focus the service on employment and skills to help residents gain qualifications that will help them into work, such as English, maths and computer skills.

They found that “leaders and senior managers have focused very effectively on improving the quality of the provision” and that learners “receive a good quality of education”.

They also assessed that managers “have ensured that service’s response to the changing needs and priorities of disadvantaged communities in Liverpool is outstanding”; that they are “very ambitious for the provision” and the service is “striving hard to be an outstanding provider”.

Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for education, employment and skills, Councillor Nick Small, said: “In recent years we have completely refocused the Adult Learning Service so that everything it does is around helping people in to work.

“This is really important in Liverpool because we have a considerable skills shortage which is a huge barrier to people getting in to work.

“I am delighted that Ofsted have recognised the success of our approach, and I would like to pay tribute to all of our staff for embracing the changes we have made and delivering amazing teaching and learning day in, day out.”