Ofsted praise for education social enterprise

An east London social enterprise has been labelled a national example of good practice for its work with young people.

City Gateway, which provides training and support for young people out of education and employment in Tower Hamlets, one of the most deprived boroughs in the country, will be included in a report by Ofsted, the education inspectorate.

Ofsted inspector Will Hudson was impressed with what he saw at City Gateway during his recent visit and described it as 'somewhere they [young people] feel safe, secure and comfortable; they felt they were making real progress'.

He said he would highlight the positive feedback received by the young people in his report, as well as his experience of training sessions offering 'realistic' advice, a commitment to work by staff, a good range of contact strategies to help young people connect and a well-planned curriculum which raises aspirations.

'They [young people] were realistic about their starting points and clear about the targets they had set for themselves,' Hudson added.

Darren Wolf, deputy CEO of City Gateway, said he hoped the organisation showed Ofsted that there was more to supporting young people than putting them in a classroom.

'We recognise there's a process to expanding young people's horizons,' he said.

'Our whole model is about integration. The young people themselves are partners and involved in service design and service delivery.

'We think it's about the amount of resources we invest in and the motivational aspect rather than just delivering courses.'

City Gateway also runs a catering social enterprise, Flavour Gateway, a youth centre, social enterprise hub and a women's project.

Wolf added: 'We're really pleased the work we're doing is being recognised and we hope it will encourage other providers to strengthen their links with business and the young people they service.'