A Good Ofsted Rating for HMP Hatfield
Adult Provision

We are delighted to announce that HMP Hatfield have received a 'Good' overall rating from Ofsted, with behaviour and attitudes recognised as 'Outstanding'.
Congratulations to everyone at HMP Hatfield, it's a real collaborative effort from Novus, HMPPS colleagues and other supporting organisations and it is making a real difference to our learners.
Qualified teachers and instructors
Having a qualified and experienced team of teachers and instructors is crucial in providing the best quality of education to learners. So, it was great to see Ofsted recognise our highly-qualified education team and the fantastic work they do to educate learners.
Teachers were knowledgeable and experienced in the topics that they taught. They sequenced learning appropriately to build on learner's knowledge and skills
"Teachers used initial assessment well to place prisoners on the correct level of English and mathematics course to enable them to achieve the best of their ability."
"Teachers created calm learning environments which were conducive for learning. Prisoners concentrated well in lessons, and they listened to the teacher and to each other."
Implementing an effective reading strategy
Being able to read is a crucial functional skill that all learners need to have, without it, learners have a limited number of opportunities available to them. Our reading strategy is integral to our education provision, so it was great to see it being highlighted by Ofsted in such a positive way:
Leaders and managers had implemented an effective reading strategy. Along with staff, they effectively promoted reading as a skill for employment, wellbeing and pleasure
"Prisoners became keen readers across the establishment and discovered an interest in a wide-range of genres, including sci-fi, thrillers and biographies."
"Leaders and managers ensured that the small number of prisoners with low-level reading skills accessed specific reading intervention support through Shannon Trust staff, library staff, and neurodiversity managers."
Employment support to prepare learners for release
HMP Hatfield is one of the prisons where Novus also provide employment support and we design our curriculum to link into job opportunities on release, so it was great to see that in the report, employment support at the prison was recognised with positive comments including:
Leaders and managers had a clear strategy for the education, skills and work (ESW) curriculum to support prisoners into sustainable employment on release
"A high proportion of prisoners accessed paid work outside of the prison as part of release on temporary license (ROTL)."
"Prisoners access a range of workshop activities and prison-based jobs to improve their employability skills."
"Prisoners benefited from thorough careers information, advice and guidance."
"Prisoners valued the appointments with careers staff, articulating that they felt they received the time, support and guidance to help them to progress."
Providing learners with employment support and opportunities to gain useful employability skills through ROTL and workshop activities is extremely important for their successful rehabilitation. Equipping learners with the employability skills and knowledge necessary, helps them find employment opportunities upon release, positively contributing to their successful rehabilitation and reducing reoffending rates.
Working with employer partners to support more learners into employment upon release
For over 30 years, we have been working in partnership with a varied range of local and national employers. Working with employer partners enables us to create employer-led training programmes and develop viable routes into employment.
It was brilliant to see Ofsted acknowledge the effectiveness of working with employer partners to provide more employment opportunities for learners.
Leaders and managers had formed very effective relationships with employers. They worked collaboratively with employers to recruit prisoners into the workforce
"Employers had developed confidence in the quality of candidates put forward for interview. Subsequently, the numbers of prisoners employed had increased and the roles employers offered had become more skilled."
Access to digital resources
The report also touched on the digital education at HMP Hatfield and the resources available to learners:
Prisoners had frequent access to digital resources
"Prisoners made good use of the virtual campus to complete activities such as mock driving theory tests, writing curriculum vitae, researching job opportunities and planning ROTL days. As a result, prisoners developed appropriate digital skills to support their next steps."
With the digital world constantly evolving, it is crucial that learners gain the relevant skills and knowledge necessary in digital, so that they're not at a digital disadvantage once released. Through the regular use of digital resources, learners at HMP Hatfield are gaining the appropriate digital skills needed to ensure that they're not being digitally excluded, as well as help them find employment upon release.
We are delighted that the great work at HMP Hatfield has been recognised, but we are also excited about the future provision within the prison. In the coming months we are looking to introduce a wider digital skills provision in our first ever digital campus. We'll be sharing more information about this as the project progresses.
If you would like to read the Ofsted report in full, you can do so here.