The British Accreditation Council, the
British accrediting body for independent colleges for A levels,
has accredited Ashbourne
since March 1993.
Ashbourne was re-accredited in January 2005. The inspectors
commented on a "remarkable improvement in the College since the last
inspection six years ago" and in particular were complimentary
about the refurbished premises, "quality management", "efficient
administration" and "excellent teaching".
The inspectors felt that the "proactive management
style" exercised by the Principal and Vice Principal
worked "very well" and their confidence in their
academic staff was "borne out by the inspectors' observations."
Either the Principal or the Vice Principal who are selective,
interview all students and base their offers on realistic
expectations. The inspectors observed a wide range of lessons
and concluded that "science lessons were well-structured;
note-taking was good; students found the material interesting
and there was lively interaction and obvious enjoyment." The
College was praised for its "outstanding" and "imaginative" teaching
in the arts and humanities.
The majority of Ashbourne's students at A level aim for top UK universities.
Their application is managed by one of several Personal
Tutors, including the Director of Studies, and is ultimately
the responsibility of the Vice Principal. Her supervision
of the UCAS on-line system was deemed "excellent" and
the additional support afforded to A levelstudents for specific
applications to Oxbridge and other programmes was also
postively acknowledged.
Essentially this private College clearly engenders a friendly,
informal and happy atmosphere that is also conducive to
conscientious students with high ambitions.
