A Good Ofsted rating for HMP Northumberland

We are pleased to share that HMP Northumberland have received a ‘Good’ overall rating in their recent HMIP report, highlighting that learners:

enjoyed taking part in teaching and assessment activities, which were of high quality and helped them to make rapid progress.

Congratulations to everyone at HMP Northumberland. This achievement reflects the strong partnership between Novus, Sodexo colleagues and all supporting organisations, helping to make a meaningful difference to learner outcomes.

HMIP Report Highlights Strong Delivery of  Novus Prison Education

The report was incredibly complimentary of the role that the Novus education team played in the rehabilitation of prisoners at HMP Northumberland, some of the key points raised included:

Experienced teachers and tutors planned the curriculum carefully to enable prisoners to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence over time.

Along with: “Teachers and tutors assessed each prisoner’s starting points accurately and used this information effectively to create highly personalised learning. Prisoners knew where they needed to focus to make progress. Prisoners took pride in their learning and were supported to develop their handwriting and the presentation of their work. Achievement in qualifications was high. Typically, prisoners achieved their English and mathematics qualifications on their first attempt, with many then progressing on to higher levels of study.”

Great support for Neurodiverse learners

Levels of neurodiversity in prison are high, and Ofsted highlighted the support offered by Novus as and area of success:

“Leaders and managers ensured that prisoners’ additional needs were identified quickly and appropriate support put in place. A dedicated neurodiversity manager had created support plans for a vast number of prisoners outlining the support they needed. Teachers, tutors and instructors used these, in combination with effective training, to help them structure activities and provide resources to help prisoners with additional needs to access education and be productive in work.

Enrichment activities to support learner outcomes

Creative enrichment brings wide ranging benefits for learners in custody. It can support improved mental wellbeing, reduce stress and provide a sense of purpose and belonging. For many, these activities offer a positive route back into learning, especially for those who may have struggled with traditional education, helping them build motivation, confidence and new interests.

At HMP Northumberland, prisoners had access to a wide range of opportunities that broadened their learning experience. These included various creative projects and leaders worked with external organisations to expand these opportunities. One example was the Novus partnership with the Kielder Observatory, which enabled prisoners to contribute to a poetry book themed around astronomy and the night sky.

Reading, digital skills, peer-mentoring and vocational training were also highlighted as extremely positive in the report. Thank you to everyone at HMP Northumberland, and the head office Novus colleagues who support the teams on site, the work that you are doing is making a real difference to the rehabilitation of the men in the establishment. If you would like to read the report in full, please click here.