Heart of Yorkshire Education Group Review 2026: A multi-campus route into A-levels, technical study, apprenticeships and adult learning

For families in Wakefield, Castleford and Selby, this is a large, general further education group that offers multiple paths after Year 11, from A-levels and T Levels to apprenticeships, adult learning, higher technical qualifications and supported internship routes. The scale matters: at the time of inspection there were 4,759 young people on study programmes, 1,289 adult learners, 1,111 apprentices and 321 learners with high needs.

Leadership has been stable through a significant structural change. Sam Wright is Principal and Chief Executive, appointed at the point the merged group formed on 01 March 2022.

Quality assurance is clear. The latest Ofsted inspection (03 October 2023) judged overall effectiveness as Good, with all key judgements also Good, and all provision types listed as Good (young people, adult learning, apprenticeships, and high needs).

The defining characteristic is breadth without chaos. The group operates across three college sites, which tends to create a choice architecture rather than a single, monolithic sixth form experience. The most helpful way to think about culture here is “adult learning, with guardrails”. Expectations are explicit, and the academic and vocational areas sit under the same behavioural and safeguarding framework.

Formal reviews describe calm, inclusive classrooms and workshops, with positive staff-student relationships and clear expectations for conduct. That matters for students who want a post-16 environment that feels more like a workplace than a continuation of school routines, while still retaining pastoral oversight.

Student life is not just “clubs on paper”. The Students’ Union actively organises events, trips, volunteering opportunities and societies, with examples of past trips including Alton Towers and ice skating. The societies list is also unusually specific for a college setting, including LGBTQIA+, Indoor Climbing, Video Games Club, and Driving Theory.

Because this is a post-16 provider with multiple programme types, headline outcomes vary by route. For academic pathways, the available A-level grade profile indicates that 2.04% of grades were A*, 7.96% were A, and 27.22% were A* to B combined. England averages (as represented) are 23.6% for A* to A and 47.2% for A* to B.

On the FindMySchool measure for A-level outcomes, the group is ranked 2,222nd in England (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This sits below England average in the distribution of schools captured by this ranking framework, which is consistent with a provider whose mission spans high-achieving academic routes as well as broad technical, adult and supported pathways. Parents comparing local sixth-form options may find it useful to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view these figures side-by-side.

A key implication: families choosing an A-level route should look closely at subject fit and support structures, rather than assuming the experience is identical to a school sixth form. The advantage is flexibility and progression routes; the trade-off can be that academic retention and attendance need active management, particularly for students still completing GCSE English and maths alongside their main programme.

Teaching here is best understood through how programmes are designed for progression into work and higher study.

One strength is sequencing and applied learning. External evaluation describes teachers structuring learning so students build knowledge and skills over time, with examples spanning professional practice and simulated high-stakes scenarios. This is important for vocational and technical courses where competence is cumulative.

Employer engagement is treated as a core curriculum mechanism rather than an optional extra. Formal review evidence references sector-based employer forums and structured employer involvement, plus a named construction initiative, Watch Me Grow, which exposes students to a live construction site across stages of a project. The practical implication for students is clearer sightlines from classroom learning to workplace standards, especially in construction, engineering and public services.

Support for learners with high needs is also integrated into a genuine progression model. The supported internship pathway, including Project SEARCH, is explicitly framed as employment-facing, using a tutor and job coach model with workplace learning.

Where Students Go Next

This is an outcomes-driven organisation, but it is not a single “university pipeline” provider, and it is more useful to read destinations as a set of parallel routes.

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort (cohort size 1,926), 19% progressed to university, 7% to further education, 9% to apprenticeships, and 34% to employment. These figures help set expectations for a provider serving a broad regional intake with many technical and employment-first programmes.

For adult learners who want a university transition route later in life, the Access to Higher Education offer is positioned as a one-year Level 3 qualification pathway. The provider states that Access courses are either free or can be financed through an Advanced Learner Loan, with no up-front fees either way. The practical implication is that adults changing career can often reduce immediate financial barriers, but should still check eligibility and the specific funding rules for their circumstances.

Admissions are direct and course-led rather than catchment-led. Applications can be made via the organisation’s application process, and enrolment logistics are managed at the end of the cycle. For returning 16 to 18 students progressing internally, the provider states that students with progression offers are contacted in August with an enrolment invite.

For new entrants, open events are a meaningful part of decision-making because they allow subject-area conversations and support checks. As of the current cycle, the group’s February open events include:

• Selby College: Monday 09 February 2026, 5pm to 7pm

• Wakefield College: Wednesday 11 February 2026, 5pm to 7pm, with an explicit National Apprenticeship Week focus

• Castleford College: Wednesday 11 February 2026, 5pm to 7pm

A practical planning detail is published for school-leaver applications: applications received by 01 May are prioritised for an interview date, which effectively operates as an “apply-by” marker even in a rolling system. Families should treat this as a planning deadline rather than a guarantee, and apply earlier for popular areas.

Pastoral support is organised around specialist student services rather than form-tutor structures typical of schools. Student Central is presented as the hub for attendance support, careers guidance, financial support, safeguarding support, wellbeing support, and young adult carers support, which is particularly relevant for students balancing independence with high support needs.

Financial support is also concretely defined. For 16 to 18 students, the organisation sets out discretionary bursary support criteria and examples (such as travel support, kit contribution, and support for trips), with household income under £40,000 referenced as a qualifying threshold on its published guidance. The practical implication is that students from lower-income households should ask early about eligibility, especially where course kit costs are significant.

College enrichment works best when it is tied to employability and student confidence, and this group builds in structured routes.

First, there is a formal enrichment frame. Student Central guidance points to “timetable-free Wednesday afternoons” used for enrichment, wellbeing activities and volunteering, which signals that enrichment is planned into the week rather than left to chance. The implication is that students can build a portfolio for progression without sacrificing core study time.

Second, the societies and Union programme provide low-barrier ways to find peers in a large college setting. The published societies list includes LGBTQIA+, Indoor Climbing, Video Games Club, and Driving Theory, which suggests the offer is designed for practical confidence, social connection, and adult-life readiness, not just traditional school clubs.

Finally, there are programme-specific “real world” experiences. For example, the provider references industry insight days, employer critique of student work, and structured exposure to workplace norms in technical areas. For many learners, this is where post-16 education starts to feel purposeful.

Term dates for 2025 to 2026 are published, with Autumn term classes starting Wednesday 03 September 2025 and Spring term classes starting Tuesday 06 January 2026. Daily timetables vary by course and site, so families should confirm session patterns at interview and enrolment.

Travel tends to be manageable because sites are in Wakefield, Castleford and Selby, and official evaluation notes good access to public transport, with free transport provided for learners who need it.

• A-level retention and GCSE attendance are highlighted as pressure points. Ofsted identifies higher-than-desired withdrawal from A-level programmes at Wakefield across too many subjects, and lower attendance on GCSE English and maths compared with other programmes. This matters for students who need strong structure to persist through two-year academic courses.

• Apprenticeship completion has not been evenly strong across sites. External evaluation notes that too few apprentices, particularly at Selby, completed programmes successfully, although it also states that improvement actions were put in place and achievement rates were improving. Apprentices should ask about off-the-job training expectations and progress tracking from the start.

• Scale is an advantage, but it can feel impersonal without engagement. A large provider offers choice and specialist facilities, but students who do best here usually opt into Student Central support, societies, and structured enrichment rather than relying on being “noticed” automatically.

This is a serious regional education and skills organisation with three sites, broad curriculum coverage, and a clear focus on progression into work, apprenticeships, and higher study. It suits students who want options, including vocational and technical routes, and who are ready to manage a more adult learning environment with support available when it is used. The main decision for families is not whether the group is “good”, the evidence supports that, but which campus, programme and support package best matches the student’s maturity, motivation and preferred pathway. Families shortlisting multiple post-16 options may find the FindMySchool Saved Schools feature useful for tracking open events, course comparisons and next steps.