Education watchdogs say teaching and learning require improvement, while too many students fail to complete their courses.

Ofsted inspectors visited the Tennyson Avenue campus in January.

Their report identifies many strengths, including outstanding teaching of apprentices and funding secured for new accommodation and courses.

But it goes on: 'Teaching, learning and assessment are not good across the majority of study programmes and adult learning provision.'

The report says the number of students completing their courses in 2015/16 was below the national average.

It adds: 'Leaders, managers and governors are ambitious for all learners and apprentices but they have not secured sufficient improvement to ensure that outcomes for all groups of learners are good or better.

'Apprenticeships provision is outstanding, but too many learners enrolled on study programmes or adult learning courses do not make the progress of which they are capable.'

In a statement today, college principal David Pomfret said: 'It is disappointing to have received an overall grade of 'requires improvement'.

'However, although there are some clear indicators about where we need to do better, there are some very positive messages in the report and I am absolutely delighted that Ofsted have recognised the quality of our outstanding apprenticeship provision.'

The report says that information provided to governors is 'not consistently accurate' and sometimes 'over-optimistic'.

It says: 'For example, at a governing body meeting in May 2016, leaders informed governors that a higher proportion of learners studying A-level programmes would make much improved progress against their starting points than in previous years.

'This was radically different from the actual progress of A-level learners in 2015/16, which continued to be poor for the large majority.'

The report says teaching in performing arts and engineering is good. But in some other areas, it says students to not make the progress they are capable of because teachers' expectations are too low.

'Most teachers do not plan activities that motivate learners to understand the relevance of theory by bringing theoretical concepts to life,' the report adds.

It says while attendance has improved, it remains 'too low' in some subjects, including maths and english.

The report says that the college has built good relations with employers, who 'speak highly' of the added value apprentices bring to their businesses.