ATL’s Vision for Excellence in Customer Care and Community Engagement
Our number one objective remains our unwavering commitment to delivering improved standards of customer care for our local community. As we look ahead to 2030 and beyond, our plan focuses on ensuring that our facilities and curriculum align with emerging local labour market needs. Our goal is to deliver a curriculum that meets current and future training requirements for employers, employees and job seekers.
Empowering Learners with Essential Skills and Knowledge
We aim to equip all learners with the skills, knowledge, and resilience needed to contribute positively in key local economic areas, including Digital and Health. To achieve this, we will:
- Expand progression routes across all sectors to enable wider access to Higher Education.
- Continuously expand employer engagement and encourage dialogue to understand market needs.
- Invest in marketing activities to promote ATL’s achievements and foster a positive local image.
- Work towards attaining ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted recognition, supported by strong QAR and client feedback.
- Remain flexible and agile in responding to both the local economic climate and wider emerging trends, such as embedding environmental awareness.
Creating Supportive and Inclusive Learning Environments
At ATL, we are highly experienced in providing access to education for those with barriers to learning – whether long-standing or newly emerging, simple or complex. Many learners choose our services because of the supportive environment they discover here, one they’ve been unable to find elsewhere.
Adult learners and apprentices enjoy their learning with ATL.
A large proportion of our learners have faced negative prior experiences in education, yet here they attend and succeed. All learners value the strong personal and professional support they receive from staff. Tutors know their students well, creating calm and inclusive environments where learners feel respected, safe, and ready to thrive.
Investing in Cutting-Edge Education and Technology
In response to economic trends and local skills needs, ATL is committed to investing in hardware, software, and staff development to deliver cutting-edge qualifications.
Our tutors bring real-world experience and industry knowledge into the classroom. Whether it’s beauty students learning to identify skin conditions, animal care learners visiting farms and zoos, or early years apprentices gaining hands-on First Aid and Makaton training – Learning at ATL is rooted in professional relevance.
Tutors receive regular opportunities to develop their teaching and subject expertise, ensuring our learners benefit from current, high-quality education.
We also understand the impact external factors can have on learning. That’s why around 25% of our Learner Support time is devoted to one-to-one pastoral guidance, helping learners manage challenges such as mental health, childcare and wellbeing.
Expanding Accessibility through Distance Learning
To increase educational access, ATL continues to expand its distance learning provision, supporting those with health challenges, caring responsibilities or travel barriers. These flexible models help learners improve their prospects and digital literacy while making education more inclusive and financially accessible.
Continuous Improvement and Community Empowerment
Having served the Plymouth community for nearly 30 years, ATL understands how barriers to education evolve. Our development is fuelled by ongoing research into regional and national trends and a rolling programme of staff training. ATL staff are supported in strengthening their holistic care skills, with the goal of cultivating a confident, informed and empowered learner community.
Recognition from Ofsted
In our latest Ofsted inspection (3–5 June 2025), ATL was proud to receive a ‘Good’ rating. Inspectors praised:
- The supportive, inclusive culture that enables learners with past challenges to succeed.
- The calm, respectful learning environments fostered by tutors.
- High-quality, up-to-date teaching delivered by industry-experienced staff.
- Strong curriculum planning in collaboration with employers, ensuring learners gain relevant knowledge and skills.
- Enrichment activities from guest speakers to industry visits that broaden learners’ experience.
- Robust support for learners with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve alongside their peers.
- Clear progression into employment, higher qualifications, and self-employment.
ATL continues to build on this strong foundation as we work towards achieving ‘Outstanding’ in future inspections.