Training provider NC Group Ltd is celebrating a “Outstanding” rating across the board, after a recent Ofsted inspection
- kelseygarbutt
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
After a full inspection in January 2025, Ofsted inspectors have rated NC Group based in South Durham “Outstanding” in all five key areas:
• Overall effectiveness - Outstanding
• The quality of education - Outstanding
• Behaviour and attitudes - Outstanding
• Personal development - Outstanding
• Leadership and management - Outstanding
• Apprenticeships – Outstanding
The glowing Ofsted report reflects positively on every aspect of how NC Group provides apprenticeships – from the excellence and expertise of tutors and leaders to the skills and behaviour of the apprentices themselves.
Part of the report states: “Leaders and managers provide a curriculum which very successfully meets the needs of their apprentices and employers in the engineering and manufacturing industry.”
Another section notes: “Employers highly value the training and practical skills that their apprentices receive and are very complimentary about the leadership of the organisation and the high level of skills and experience of the teaching staff.”
And while NC Group joint CEOs Ian Nelson and Lee Childs alongside MD Liam Noble were confident of a decent report, they admit that to be rated “outstanding” in every area is a welcome acknowledgement of the hard work and commitment everyone shows.
Liam: “You dare to dream that you could reach the highest level of validation but when it happens, you get an overwhelming sense of pride.
“Immensely proud” Ian, who founded NC Group with Lee in 2017, said: “It’s testament to all the hard work of our staff and reassurance for any clients that our apprentice provision can be fully trusted. It’s now cemented us an elite training provider for the park and beyond”
Lee also commented “We are absolutely thrilled to be rated Outstanding by OFSTED in every area. This recognition reflects the hard work of our staff, the dedication of our learners, and the trust of our employer partners. At NC Group, we are passionate about empowering the next generation of engineers, and this milestone only strengthens our commitment to excellence and we living up to our “training excellence for industry” tagline.
Its 30 staff include around 12 directly involved in the apprenticeship delivery, including apprenticeship manager Darren Tate and a hand-picked, vastly experienced team of tutors and Liam feels NC Group’s flexibility in providing the sort of training employers want, plays a big part in their success. What Ofsted liked about us is we’re quite niche and bespoke in what we do.
“The guys set the business up to mainly service the needs of engineering and manufacturing organisations within the local area and that’s what we’ve stuck to.
“employer representatives from 3M, INEOS and Gestamp met with Ofsted, and all stated that it’s a well-deserved report and they glad working with such an industry focused provider. Being part of the process, employers spoke with the inspectors about the quality of our provision.”
We were confident Ofsted would like what they saw, admits Liam, but it’s always a bit nerve-wracking when you hear inspectors are on their way.
He said: “When we got the call, there was a bit of a split second of panic but when the dust settled, we knew we were in a good place and had a great chance of achieving the highest possible validation, and that’s exactly what happened.
“And you can’t fake it – every single aspect of the provision, from speaking to employers and learners to staff members and stakeholders, shows they’re looking at the ins and outs of everything. Essentially, it was a three-day visit that was three or four years in the making.”
Lee said he and Ian set the business up to do two main things: equip people out of work with the knowledge and skills to get them into employment, and to help people already in work further develop their knowledge and skills.
He said: “We have apprentices who come in from school, 16-18 years-old, starting their career journeys with us. We also have people at work in existing roles who are looking to develop themselves by progressing their careers. This is a microcosm of what the businesses intend to do – it fulfils both of those things.”
Looking ahead, it’s about continuing to prove Ofsted right.
Ian said: “It’s an unbelievable achievement and we should be really proud, but it doesn’t end here – in fact, the real hard work starts now because we need to maintain those standards.
“Moving forward, we’ve got a strategic vision to impact skills gaps. We’ve got a strong board of governors, a phenomenal team who really care about the apprentices and we’ll keep trying to shape the engineers and leaders of tomorrow.”
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