Top marks for Burton Latimer training firm

Civil Ceremonies Ltd offers a nationwide service to train and develop celebrants to carry out a range of ceremonies across the UK from marriages and funerals to baby naming.

It has now been rated by Ofsted as Outstanding in all five performance categories observed.

The inspection in November was the company’s first-ever by the national body, which reports to Parliament and is responsible for ensuring the highest of standards in the provision of education and skills.

Set up in 2002, Civil Ceremonies has been responsible for the training and qualification of more than 1,000 celebrants.

It is the only provider of such training in the UK which offers funding for the skills through Advanced Learner Loans, a non-means-tested Government scheme similar to a student loan, and operated via the Student Loans Company.

Based in Burton Latimer, small business Civil Ceremonies was found by the three inspectors visiting to be Outstanding in five categories:

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Outcomes for learners

Adult learning programmes

Founder and managing director Anne Barber said: “We are thrilled to receive this official recognition from Ofsted.

“We may only be a small team but this ‘Outstanding’ mark demonstrates how we can compete at the highest level on the quality of our training.

“Over the past 18 years, we have seen a huge increase in demand for places on our training schemes, fuelled by the popularity of celebrant-led ceremonies such as funerals and wedding celebrations ceremonies.

“We are proud those we have trained are now contributing week-in, week-out to helping individuals and families mark some of the most important milestones in their lives.

“I hope our Ofsted results enable us to go from strength-to-strength and have an impact on many more lives in the years to come.”