Annual Review 2015

B E D FO RD CO L LEG E A N N UA L RE V I EW 2015

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PR IN C I PA L M E SSAG E

MESSAGE FROM

THE PRINCIPAL We’re proud of the fact that Bedford College has been providing excellent education to local people for over 130 years.

It all started in 1882 with our founder Margaret Stansfeld who was passionate about equality and social mobility. We honoured her legacy this year when we opened our brand new, £2 million Margaret Stansfeld building at our Cauldwell Street Campus.

We still adhere to the same values that Margaret did all those years ago. We are one of only three secondary institutions in this area that have maintained Ofsted Outstanding or Good ratings for 15 years and we pride ourselves

130 Years of Excellent Education on providing a wide range of educational opportunities for the whole community. We offer traditional routes such as A-Levels at The Bedford Sixth Form, where this year 97% of students went on to a degree course or employment, and vocational programmes which provide equally exceptional opportunities.

Our continued success with Apprenticeships, reflects the strength of our partnerships with local and national employers and how important this is to us. Our Apprenticeships have grown by a massive 471% in the last seven years. What’s more,

CONTENTS Our vision Our students Our staff Working with employers Our community links Building for the future Student success Our businesses Financial report Our community scorecard

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

03 04 12 14 16 17 18 22 24 25

our apprentices are achieving excellent success rates, which have been well above the national average for the past two years.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read on and find out how we’re continuing the excellent educational work that Margaret Stansfeld started over a century ago.

Ian Pryce, CBE

M E SSAG E F R O M CH AI R O F TH E CO RP O RATI O N

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more university level education than any local college.

Out of the 336 further education colleges in England we rank 52 for our financial strength.

Over the last 20 years Bedford College has grown much faster than other local colleges. From being one of the smallest, it is now one of the largest providers of further education in our region.

We are also the largest provider of Apprenticeships and provide

OUR VISION Delivering world-class skills and education to the communities we serve.

OUR VALUES

Our values reflect the manner in which we set out to achieve our aims. We put the student at the heart of all we do.

Our three core values are:

• STUDENT FOCUS

We will seek to achieve a high quality learning experience for every student.

• HIGH PERFORMANCE We will strive for consistently high levels of performance in all aspects of our work.

• RESPECT, OPENNESS AND HONESTY We will treat everyone with respect, encourage openness and honesty, and recognise each other’s contribution and achievements.

The Bedford College Corporation is pleased that our ambitious Strategic Plan for the years 20102016 has already been achieved and we are now developing an equally ambitious plan for 2016-21.

Kevin Bromboszcz, Chair of The Corporation

OUR STRATEGIC AIMS

Bedford College aims to be one of the best general further education colleges in the country, offering courses at all levels from entry to higher education.

In particular we wish to be recognised as: • the leading advocate for learning with strong and productive links with other partners • a nationally recognised centre of excellence in arts and technology education • the leading provider of business, care, land-based, language, leisure and professional training in the county • the best local sixth form measured by results and value added • a leading and innovative provider of work-based and communitybased learning • a provider of expert and individual guidance, advice and other student support services • providing first class learning environments • a first choice employer, offering exceptional development opportunities to all staff • well managed, well governed and financially robust.

2014-2015

BOARD OF GOVERNORS EXTERNAL GOVERNORS Mr K Bromboszcz (Chair of Governors)

Mrs L Hockey (Vice-Chair of Governors)

Mr S Briggs Mrs S Clough Mr J Frost Mrs J Haye Ms J Hunt Ms E Johnson Mr M Kiteley Mr J Marriott Mr S Miah Mr A Simmons Mr A Schofield Dr H Wassif Mr M Whitlock

STAFF GOVERNORS Ms J Dudeney Ms N Nyoni

STUDENT GOVERNORS Ms A Morris

PRINCIPAL Mr I Pryce

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OU R ST UD E N TS

OUR STUDENTS

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Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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BY DISABILITY 13.3%

86.7%

3

16%

84% 2

THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM

Within 10 Miles

VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

Within 11 Miles

Bedford College Campus

Within 12 Miles

GAS & PLUMBING TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

Within 14 Miles

Shuttleworth College Campus

Within 17 Miles

Sources: 1. Office for National Statistics Population Estimates Mid 2014 2. Bedford Borough website: www.bedford.gov.uk 3. Bedford Borough Profile Demography – September 2015 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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F U L L-T I M E

FULL-TIME STUDENTS 2

1

After my GCSEs I considered A-Levels but I knew I wanted to specialise in music, so this course at Bedford College was perfect for me and I’ve found the music facilities and equipment at Bedford College absolutely amazing.

Joel Waters Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Sources: 1. Full-time student data includes students at The Bedford Sixth Form 2. Destinations data is from 2013/14

H I GH E R E D UCATI O N

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HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

1

Originally I hadn’t intended to go on to higher education, but I enjoyed the Level 3 course so much that I wanted to learn more. The higher education course was quite intense but I was also given some fantastic opportunities.

Holly Joyner Source: 1. Destinations data is from 2013/14

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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PA RT-T I M E ST UD E N TS

PART-TIME STUDENTS College success rates National success rates 100

89.1%

89.9%

83.4%

83.6%

83.6%

2014/2015

83.7%

2013/2014

80 60 40 20

2012/2013

0

I chose a part-time course because I wanted to train to be a Teaching Assistant and as a single parent I needed flexible study options to fit around my family commitments.

Lisa Gavin Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

AP P RENTI CES H I P STUD ENTS

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APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS

apprenticeship students College success rates National success rates 100 80 60

70.6%

77.7%

69.9%

72.3%

70.3%

70.3%

40 20 0

“I didn’t want to go to university and I knew I wanted to get into construction because you can go anywhere with it and there are a wide range of jobs available. I really enjoy being able to learn in the workplace and the fact that I’m getting paid.”

2014/2015

2013/2014

2012/2013

George Kiely

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

10 / THE B E D FO R D SI X T H FO RM STUD ENTS

THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM % Sixth Form success rates National success rates 2 100

95.1%

98.1%

96.3%

98%

98.1%

98.1%

80 60 40 20

2014/2015

1

2013/2014

2012/2013

0

“I wanted to study Geology at A-Level and The Bedford Sixth Form is one of the only schools in this area to offer this subject. My Geology teacher has an astounding amount of specialist knowledge and he manages to teach it in a way that’s easily understood.”

Adam Harper Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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3

3

4

Sources: 1. DfHE performance tables 2015 2. 2015 National A-Level pass rate: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) 3. Destinations data is from 2013/14, 4. Student Survey (Bedford College, 2014/15)

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OUR STAFF

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In 2014 the British Chamber of Commerce awarded us with the title of regional champion for Commitment to People.

1

Our committed, hard-working staff averaged 4.52 sickness days per staff member in 2014/2015.

2

NATIONAL AVERAGE 6.9 (UK 2015)

Sources: 1. Bedford College 2015 Self-Assessment Review 2. Human Resources Data (Bedford College, 2014/5) 3. CIPD Absence Management Annual Survey Report 2015

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Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS

We’ll definitely use Bedford College again as they have provided us with an excellent service, including filling out all the necessary paperwork and regularly visiting us on site.

Steven Carpenter, Operations Manager, Dalroad Norslo Ltd

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE In a recent Institute of Customer Service survey employers rated us above the national average for our professionalism.1

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Source: 1 UKCSI Business Benchmark July 2015

AP P RE NTI CES H I P S

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APPRENTICESHIPS

We’re delighted that, along with this rapid growth, our apprentices’ success has been consistently good – achieving above the national average for two years running.

“From Millbrook’s perspective, the Apprenticeship scheme with Bedford College has been very successful. The fact that we’ve taken on new apprentices year on year since 2011, not only in the core engineering areas, but also in support roles such as business administration, is testament to this.”

Millbrook Proving Ground

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OUR COMMUNITY LINKS SUPPORTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

CHARITY AND VOLUNTEERING When they’re not studying or teaching many of our students and staff love giving up their time to raise money for good causes.

Over the last year they have raised hundreds of pounds and just a few of the charities we have supported include:

• Guide Dogs • Human Appeal International • Huntingtons Disease Association • Keech Cottage • Macmillan Cancer Support • Savannah’s Journey • Schools in Ghana, Africa In addition to this some of our students, as part of the Student Services Enrichment Programme, volunteer as Student Ambassadors, representing Bedford College and participating in external and internal events and workshops, developing and enhancing their personal and employability skills. Last year these enthusiastic and committed young people volunteered for 128 hours.

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

BUI LD I NG FO R TH E FUTURE

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BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Our commitment to providing the best educational opportunities for the local community also involves investing in our facilities and providing excellent environments for our students.

Some recent developments include:

£2 Million Margaret Stansfeld Building This beautiful new building, in keeping with the historic streetscape, opened in 2015 and provides a specialist environment for students aged 16+ with learning difficulties.

Technology Building Funding was announced in February 2015 for a £4.5 million Advanced Engineering Centre to be built at our Cauldwell Street Campus. This state-of-the-art facility is due to open in September 2018 and will provide cutting-edge new technology for advanced electronics, robotics and pneumatics.

£5 Million Shuttleworth College Campus Development The College has commited to invest £5 million into the Shuttleworth Campus over the next three years including a new Kingshill livestock building and a £2 million animal care centre.

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Blake Allsop secured a £3,000 grant from St Neots Town Council to help with training and his dream to be part of the GB Squad.

Students from Bedford College and The Bedford Sixth Form secured places at the UK’s top universities including: • • • • • • • • • • •

King’s College London The University of Birmingham The University of Liverpool The University of Manchester The University of Nottingham The University of Warwick University of Bristol University of Exeter University of Glasgow University of Leeds University of York

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Travel and Tourism students who finished their courses in the summer of 2014 were quick to start their careers with a range of international companies including Thomas Cook, EasyJet, Signature and TUI (Thomson).

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IT & Networking Security Foundation Degree student Oliver Davis won a bronze medal in the ‘World Skills’ event at the NEC in Birmingham.

SDC Builders gave Bedford College Level 3 Technical and Professional Construction students a unique opportunity to view foundation works at the new Flitwick Leisure Centre.

Access to Higher Education students put questions to a range of local political candidates who were standing as Parliamentary candidates in the May 2015 election.

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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Bedford College continued its close relationship with Vauxhall by offering some sought after 2015 Apprenticeships with the international organisation.

Ellie Terrell, HND Graphic Design student won a summer internship with Creative Graphics International (CGI), after creating some exceptional external designs for a caravan.

Horticulture students from Shuttleworth College achieved a silver medal in the Ideal Home Young Gardeners Show Garden.

Business Studies students organised a successful project to help primary pupils see business as fun. Pupils used marshmallows as soft building blocks to re-create world famous buildings such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Shard in London.

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Part-time Bedford College student Veronika Holomanova was runner-up in the finals of the national Jane Iredale Make-up competition at The Savoy Hotel, London.

Niall Barnaville won the Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains (HPP) sponsored Engineering Student of the Year Award, which guaranteed him work experience and an interview for an Apprenticeship with the company.

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OUR BUSINESSES

munch & M O C H A

Bedford College’s prestigious training restaurant, is situated on the fifth floor of the College’s main site tower. Our awardwinning catering and hospitality students provide a relaxing and friendly atmosphere, as you enjoy excellent food, great wine and fantastic service. www.25restaurant.co.uk

BROOKS Hair & Beauty is conveniently located on Bedford High Street and offers a wide range of hair and beauty treatments including hair styling, barbering and various body and facial treatments at competitive prices. The salon has the latest equipment in a relaxing environment.

Enjoy being pampered in luxurious surroundings. www.brooksspa.com

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Bedford College Services (BCS) runs the Munch & Mocha catering outlets at three of the College’s sites in Bedford, Shuttleworth and The Bedford Sixth Form, providing refreshments and freshly cooked food to staff and students. In addition it runs Trinity Arts & Leisure. www.bedfordcollegeservices.com

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Part of BCS and based on the same site as The Bedford Sixth Form on Bromham Road, Trinity Arts & Leisure has a 25 metre, six-lane swimming pool, gym facilities and a multi-function room which is well equipped for high-impact fitness classes. www.trinityleisure.co.uk

The South Bank Arts Centre is home to Bedford College’s gallery and studio theatre.

Located in the town centre, it provides a modern arts hub offering industry standard art, media and music facilities in addition to TV, recording and dance studios which are available for hire. www.southbankarts.com

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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FINANCIAL REPORT Our finances have been classified as grade A/grade 1 for over a decade, which means we’re one of the most financially strong colleges in the country and have been classed as ‘outstanding’ by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

2015 (£’000s)

2014 (£’000s)

25,813

26,974

Tuition fees and education contracts

7,143

6,348

Other Income

2,850

2,487

12

20

35,818

35,829

2015 (£’000s)

2014 (£’000s)

Staff costs

21,106

20,397

Other operating expenses

11,666

12,504

Depreciation and amortisation

2,205

2,310

76

118

35,053

35,329

INCOME Funding body grants

Endowment and investment income Total Income

EXPENDITURE

Interest and other finance costs Total Expenditure

2015 (£’000s)

2014 (£’000s)

765

500

0

335

Surplus on continuing operations after depreciation of tangible fixed assets at valuation and before exceptional items and tax

765

835

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

(41)

(200)

Surplus/(loss) for the year retained within general reserves

724

635

SURPLUS Surplus/(loss) on continuing operations prior to exceptional items Investment written back

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Source: Financial Statements for year ended 31 July 2015 (Bedford College, 2015)

OUR CO M M UNI TY S CO RECARD

BALANCE SHEET

Group College 2015 2015 (£’000s) (£’000s)

Group 2014 (£’000s)

College 2014 (£’000s)

Total fixed assets

44,418

44,380

35,430

35,373

Net current assets

1,819

2,020

1,427

1,734

Total assets less current liabilities

46,237

46,400

36,857

37,107

Net assets excluding pension liability

44,543

44,706

34,574

34,824

Net assets including pension liability

34,544

34,707

26,284

26,534

Total reserves

26,505

25,668

19,770

20,020

Total Funds

34,544

34,707

26,284

26,534

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OUR COMMUNITY SCORECARD OVERALL PERFORMANCE

GREEN

STUDENTS How do we get students involved in what we do?

GREEN

What do our students say about us?

GREEN

How do our students succeed?

GREEN

Where do our students go next?

GREEN

COMMUNITY Who do we work with in the community?

GREEN

Who comes to our College?

GREEN

How do our courses match local needs?

GREEN

How well known are we locally?

GREEN

What does the community think about us?

GREEN

How environmentally-friendly are we?

GREEN

EMPLOYERS What work do we do with employers?

GREEN

How do we help businesses?

GREEN

What do employers think about us?

AMBER

The community scorecard is a tool to help everyone understand more about how Bedford College is performing.

The scorecard is made up of 12 sections covering all aspects of our organisation, from our students’ success and our environmental record, to how the College contributes to the local community and more.

Each section is rated and assigned a traffic light coloured score (green, amber or red) to show how successfully the College is meeting its requirements for that area.

Annual Review 2015 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Bedford College Cauldwell Street Bedford MK42 9AH Web: www.bedford.ac.uk Email: info@bedford.ac.uk Tel: 01234 291000 Fax: 01234 342674