BAJ receives ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted

The British Academy of Jewellery (BAJ) has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2025, as it continues to deliver industry-focused education that equips learners with the practical skills and knowledge they need to succeed. 

Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) inspected the Further Education section of the academy, which also received a ‘Good’ rating in 2029 – covering the Level 3 Jewellery Design and Manufacturing Diploma and Level 3 Jewellery, Silversmithing, and Allied Trades Professional Apprenticeship. 

The group assesses various aspects, including the quality of teaching, learning, and care, as well as leadership and management. 

Ofsted reaffirmed BAJ’s commitment to providing excellence in jewellery education, and highlighted the “exceptional progress made by Further Education learners and apprentices”. 

Ofsted said: “Learners and apprentices enjoy their courses and are motivated to do well. They show determination even when they find aspects of theirstudies challenging,such as using computer-aided design software to produce technical drawings. Tutors offer them helpful additional sessions that reinforce learners’ and apprentices’skills and help them to complete their assessments.

“Tutors are knowledgeable, highly skilled and have substantial industry experience… As a result, learners and apprentices gain a thorough grounding in the principles and practices of jewellery design and manufacture.” 

The group added: “Leaders have developed a very clear strategy that provides progression routes from Level 3 to higher education study and employment in the niche areas of jewellery design and manufacture. Leaders and staff share a passion to preserve the specific technical skills that are needed in the jewellery industry.

“Leaders have established suitable governance arrangements. The senior management team provides effective oversight and scrutiny of their provision. They have considered a suitable range of performance information to inform staff training and improvement actions. For example, having identified low apprenticeship retention rates, leaders have acted to improve communication and work more closely with employers before recruiting apprentices. This has resulted in improved retention in the latest cohort.” 

Claire O’Leary, BAJ’s Vice Principal, concluded: “At BAJ, we’re not just teaching a craft – we’re preparing the next generation of jewellery professionals for real-world challenges. We provide programmes to respond to industry needs, ensuring that our learners are not just ready for the future – they’re shaping it.”