A Hereford college has been rated "good" in its most recent Ofsted report.

The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) maintained its ‘good’ rating after its inspection in March.

In the report, it was said that for many students it was their first time feeling properly included and positive in a learning environment. Staff were described as "experts in teaching those with visual impairments" and were commended for their encouragement of students’ participation in personal responsibilities and sports alike.

Students learn using adaptive techniques such as Braille and digital technologies helping them advance their education and progress in their studies. Students also have access to sports such as goalball and acoustic shooting archery, giving them the opportunity to enter regional and national tournaments.

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The RNC was consistently praised for the curriculum being "highly individualised" and for assisting students in improving their ‘confidence to be independent in their daily lives’. As a result, students have high attendance and an enthusiastic attitude towards learning.

Life skills are a key element of the curriculum at the RNC, where staff teach a range of skills such as cooking, budgeting and travelling to help students become competent, confident young people, the report said. Staff encourage students to participate in work experience and volunteer for charities to further enhance their confidence and give them other valuable skills for the workforce.

Relationships between students and staff were found to be positive and respectful with a safe, calm environment has been created, and students are aware of who to turn to if worried. They also have access to counselling and residential support officers further aiding the college’s quest for good mental health among their students, inspectors noted.

To improve, the college was told to ensure that teachers use students’ starting points to plan teaching and support to meet the needs of individual students, particularly on level three courses, to ensure students’ “small steps” of learning are shared among staff, and to ensure that students have access to effective careers education, information, advice and guidance.