Annual Review 2016 by The Bedford College Group

ANNUAL REVIEW / 2016

Our apprenticeships

have grown by

48%

in three years

WE HAVE HAD A

increase in

direct HIGHER

EDUCATION

students since 2012/2013

PR IN C I PA L M E SSAG E

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:

Best in Bedfordshire During the past six years Bedford College has grown rapidly to become the largest college in the region for 16-18 education, apprenticeship training, higher education and part-time education. This is an amazing achievement given a stable population, new competitors and being based in one of the region’s smaller market towns. Achieving this growth has been down to partnership. Partnership with community organisations and employers who are committed to the development of their staff. Partnership with our own employees and governors who also invest in their own development and use their skills to help our students. And, of course, partnership with our amazing students who continue to push themselves to gain qualifications that are recognised nationally and internationally.

Our students’ achievements translate into great results for them: jobs, promotions, university and a more socially and economically prosperous community. We want everyone to have the chance to achieve these positive outcomes and this was the aspiration that formed the basis of our 2021 strategic plan which we finalised this summer. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read on and find out more.

CONTENTS Our vision Our strategic objectives 2021 Our students Our staff Employers College success Our businesses Financial report Customer care charter

3 4 8 16 18 20 24 26 28

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Ian Pryce, CBE Principal & Chief Executive Bedford College

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

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE CORPORATION:

True Community Education 2016 has seen major change in the world we live in. We know the best way to cope with change is to ensure we are more resilient, more observant, more agile and more productive. Further education helps support individuals and employers to do just that. So it is no surprise that Bedford College has continued to grow, even in a period of austerity, to become the largest education provider in the region.

community. We know: the higher your level of education, the higher your salary, the lower your chances of unemployment and the longer your life expectancy. We believe that every individual should have the opportunity to achieve this.

This summer, the Bedford College Corporation approved a new strategic plan for the period to 2021. We are determined to continue investing in our staff, our programmes, our infrastructure and our high-quality service, even in this period of uncertainty. We are also determined to make sure we improve education and skills for everyone in the

Linda Hockey Chair of the Corporation

OUR VISION

2015-2016 BOARD OF GOVERNORS

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

EXTERNAL GOVERNORS

OUR VALUES

Mrs L Hockey (Chair of the Corporation from 12 July 2016 to present)

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 otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution and achievements.

Mr K Bromboszcz (Chair of the Corporation until 12 July 2016)

Mr S Briggs Mrs S Clough Mrs D Dankyi-Killick Mr J Frost Ms E Johnson Mr M Kiteley Mr J Marriott Mr S Miah Mrs S Selwood Mr A Simmons Mr A Schofield STAFF GOVERNORS Ms J Dudeney Mr C Whewell Mr I Pryce STUDENT GOVERNORS Ms N Bandee Mr I Khan

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

OU R ST R AT E G I C O B J ECTI VE S TO 202 1

Educational Leadership To be perceived as an authority locally and within the sector on all educational matters, not just further education To maintain our position as market leader by number of students locally on 16-18, apprenticeships, part-time provision and higher education To be perceived by local employers as highly responsive and an expert in work based and work-related learning

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR We won the bid to open the new Wixams Academy family of schools opening in September 2017

We are the largest provider in the region1

12000 10000 8000

2012/2013 2013/2014

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2014/2015

4000 2000 0

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Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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O U R ST RATE GI C O BJ ECTI VE S TO 202 1

Educational sustainability To maintain full-time 16-18 numbers of at least 3,000 by 2021 To grow The Bedford Sixth Form to 600 by 2021 To grow our higher education by 30% by 2021 To grow our non-subcontracted apprenticeship provision by 20%-30% over the plan period

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR increase in DIRECT HIGHER EDUCATION

STUDENTS SINCE 2012/2013

We have had a 6% increase in 16-18 students studying Level 3 programmes 2 since 2012/13

This year our non-subcontracted apprenticeships grew by 14%

The number of full-time 16-18 students has increased by 30% in the last year

The number of higher education students has increased by 13% in the last year

2014/2015

2,457

2015/2016

3,187

Sources: 1 RCU Report for South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) combining 16-18, adult and apprenticeship learners 2 Bedford College EBS Student Data Records

2014/2015

695

2015/2016

783

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

OU R ST R AT E G I C O B J ECTI VE S TO 202 1

Financial

sustainability

To maintain our ‘Outstanding’ financial health throughout the plan period and return to surpluses of at least £1m by the end of the plan period To maintain capital investment at an average of at least £2.5m p.a. over the plan period To make like-for-like productivity improvements of at least 10% over the plan period

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Sources: 1 Financial Statements for year ended 31 July 2016 (Bedford College, 2016) 2 www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables 2015 3 Bedford College Destinations data 2014/15 4 Level 4 includes all Level 4 (including AAT etc) or higher enrolments

O U R ST RATE GI C O BJ ECTI VE S TO 202 1

To achieve key performance measures in the top 10% nationally by the end of the plan period To continue to raise the curriculum “centre of gravity” upwards during the plan period so more of our activity is at Level 3 and above To achieve key A-Level performance table results that at least match the best local state schools by the end of the plan period

High Quality

provision

To improve student outcomes in terms of employment and higher education, and progression to Level 3 and above, with < 7% unemployment levels overall

To invest a minimum of 3% of our income towards staff development to support improvements in staff quality and productivity

OUR PROGRESS SO FAR In the past three years we have gradually increased our provision at Level 3 and above 6.5%

34.2%

33.8%

33.6%

7.1%

33.3%

40.3%

Level 1 26.3%

Level 2 Level 3

27%

26.5%

26.3%

Level 4+ 4 Level 3 qualifications include:

In 2015 we were the best state sixth form in Bedford for students achieving three A-Levels (A*-E)2

BTEC Diplomas Access to HE Advanced Level Apprenticeships A-Levels

In our latest students’ destinations surveys 9% of our full-time and HE students were unemployed and seeking work3 Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

OU R ST UD E N TS

OUR STUDENTS 1

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

BY DISABILITY 2.3%

13.3%

86.7%

WITHOUT A DISABILITY

WITH A DISABILITY

4.3% 4

16% WITH A DISABILITY

WITHOUT 84%A DISABILITY 3 2

0.7% 3.4%

82% of our students

live in Bedfordshire

IN 2015/2016 WE WELCOMED 5

Local Authority/ County

Count

Bedford BOROUGH LA Central Bedfordshire LA Luton LA Milton Keynes LA Cambridgeshire County Hertfordshire County Northamptonshire County Buckinghamshire County Other

4,171 1,818 345 360 396 256 245 38 45

54% 24% 4% 5% 5% 3% 3% 1% 1%

Sources: 1 Bedford College Spring Full-Time and Part-Time Student Survey 2015/16 2 Office for National Statistics 2014 Mid-Year Population Estimates (30th June 2014) 3 Office for National Statistics 2011 Census 4 Office for National Statistics 2011 Census 5 Student records enrolment report 2015/2016 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

students For our Schools Links Programme

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

10 /

F U L L-T I M E ST UD E N TS

FULL-TIME STUDENTS 2

45.8% 85.7%

33.5%

84.7%

8.7% 0.2% 1.2% 10% 0.5%

4.2 out of 5

students enjoy

their course I never thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d enjoy education as much as I did here. It was the first time I was able to use facilities like this and I loved every single lesson.

Oskar Kutyla

E ngineer ing Level 3 D iplo ma

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Sources: 1 Full-time destinations data (includes students at The Bedford Sixth Form) 2 Destinations data is from 2014/15 3 Bedford College First Impressions Full-Time Student Survey 2016/17 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

H I GH ER E D UCATI O N

/ 11

HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS 1

36.1% 0.9% 53.2%

0% 1.3% 6% 2.5%

91.2% I really enjoyed programming and building databases. I am dyslexic so writing reports was quite difficult, but luckily I had help to find ways to overcome it.

Yvette Lawson

of higher education students achieved their qualification

Co m p u t i n g & Syste ms D evelo pment H igher Natio nal Diplom a

Source: 1 Destinations data is from 2014/15 2 Bedford College Spring Higher Education Student Survey 2015/16 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

Annual Review 2016 | 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%

83.6%

83.7%

86.7%

80 82.3%

60 40

Age of Part-Time Students 2 2.9%

2.9% .9%

Age

12%

18.9%

12.9%

Under 16 16-18 19-23

19.6%

18.6% 15.1%

24-30 31-40 41-50 51+

84%

of students stated that their part-time course helped them reach their future goals 1

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

Su pportin g Tea ch in g & Lea rn in g in Sch ools CACHE Level 2

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Sources: 1 Bedford College First Impressions Part-Time Student Survey 2015/16 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

AP P RE NTI CES H I P STUD ENTS

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APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS

of our apprentices would recommend the College

apprenticeship students

College success rates National success rates 100 80 60 40 20 0

77.7%

76.8%

70.6%

70.3%

You can learn from a book, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s completely different to when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re faced with real life situations at work. Learning hands on skills at Vauxhall has allowed me to develop my technical knowledge and practical skills.

NASAR KHAN

Adva n ced A ppren ticesh ip: ICT Profession a l Com peten ce

Sources: 1 Bedford College First Impressions Part-Time Student Survey 2015/16 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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TH E B E D FO R D S I X T H FO RM STUD ENTS

THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM

THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM KEY FACTS

97%

I really enjoyed my time at The Bedford Sixth Form. The opportunities open to me were first class.

Nathan Smalley A-Level Govern m en t & Politics, History a n d Law

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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In 2015 WE WERE THE

BEST STATE SIXTH FORM IN BEDFORD FOR students achieving THREE

A-Levels (A*-E)

80.9% 4.8% 9.6% 0% 2.2% 1.7% 0.9%

Sources: 1 www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables 2015 2 Destinations data is from 2014/15 Other sources: Bedford College Student Data

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OU R STA F F

OUR STAFF

734 1

18%

Black & Minority Ethnic (BME)

WITHOUT A DISABILITY

WITH A DISABILITY

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

O UR STAFF

Our staff rate job satisfaction 8/10 Sources: 1 Bedford College Human Resources Data July 2016 (includes Associates) 2 Bedford College Staff Survey 2016 Other sources: Bedford College Human Resources Data

/ 17

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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WO R K I N G W I T H E M P LOYE RS

WORKING WITH EMPLOYERS

2,585

EMPLOYEES FROM LOCAL Businesses

TRAINED WITH BEDFORD COLLEGE

IN 2015/2016

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

587 IN 2015/2016

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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Our apprenticeships

have grown by

48%

in three years

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.

68 324 IN 2015/2016

Apprenticeships employers took

Career Pathways

available Source: Bedford College Employer Data

on apprentices

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 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

20 / CO L L E G E

SUCC E SS

COLLEGE SUCCESS February 2016

World Class University Links

Engineering apprentices from Bedford College linked up with world experts at Cranfield University to solve problems using 3D virtual reality technology.

January 2016

Going for Gold

Daniel Bullen took a gold medal in a National School Games event and is now working towards the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

MARCH 2016 Shuttleworth

TV stars Shuttleworth College horticulture students were involved in a Monty Don BBC TV show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Dreams, Small Spacesâ&#x20AC;?.

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MAY 2016 Winning Website APRIL 2016

A team of computing students from Bedford College won a national competition, taking place at Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices in London.

HE Award for

Bedford College The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) awarded Bedford College the Quality Mark for its higher education provision, identifying a number of areas of good practice.

JUNE 2016

Apprentice of the Year

Lorrie-Ann Frater, an Apprentice Quantity Surveyor working at MACS Plasterboard, beat substantial competition to win the Finishes & Interiors Sector (FIS) Apprentice of the Year award.

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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CO L L E G E SUCC E SS

SEPTEMBER 2016

Exhibiting at the Royal Academy

JULY 2016

Award

Of 1,400 students nationwide who submitted 2,000 pieces of work, only 45 were selected to be included in a Royal Academy exhibition and four pieces were by Bedford College students.

winning support

Once again our Student Services team have been awarded with the Matrix accreditation in recognition of the professionalism and quality of our support and guidance. The team have held this accolade for over 12 years.

AUGUST 2016 Cisco champion Computing tutor, Judith Larsen is the ONLY woman in the UK to achieve the ‘Expert Level Excellence’ status from international computing giants Cisco.

OCTOBER 2016 AA Rosette Award Bedford College’s 25 Restaurant was awarded a prestigious AA Rosette and listing on the national database.

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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NOVEMBER 2016

Excellence in Education

Sport student Harrison Dowling won the Excellence in Education prize in the Times & Citizen newspaper Pride in Bedford awards.

DECEMBER 2016 Award winning staff

Ruth Tippell, part-time Computing Lecturer, won the Bedfordshire Business Awards Employee of the Year for her commitment to her students.

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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OU R B US I N E SS E S

OUR BUSINESSES

350

EVENTS

Christmas meals

AND PERFORMANCES

served in December 2016

EVERY

YEAR

Situated on the fifth floor of Bedford College’s Cauldwell Street main tower, 25 Restaurant is a prestigious training restaurant which has been accredited with an AA rosette. Our award-winning ‘show case centre’ enables catering and hospitality students to provide excellent food and drink and fantastic service.

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, up-to-date equipment in a relaxing environment.

www.25restaurant.co.uk

www.brooksspa.com

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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

/ 25

munch & M O C H A

One stop shop for facilities hire in the Bedford area, catering for business, leisure and community users. www.thevenuehub.com

swimmers

162,000

transactions in 2015/2016 Two Munch & Mocha cafĂŠs in Bedford and Shuttleworth, provide a wide choice of refreshments and freshly cooked food for staff and students.

25,500 during 2016

This beautiful hall is the perfect venue for wedding ceremonies and special occasions, helping you to celebrate in style. www.thegrandhall.co.uk

Based on the same site as The Bedford Sixth Form on Bromham Road, Trinity Arts & Leisure has a 25 metre, six-lane UV swimming pool, gym facilities, fitness classes and a theatre. www.trinityleisure.co.uk

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

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F I N A N C I A L R E P O RT

FINANCIAL REPORT 2015 (£’000s)

2016 (£’000s)

25,813

25,761

Tuition fees and education contracts

7,143

7,246

Other income

2,850

2,595

35,818

35,637

2015 (£’000s)

2016 (£’000s)

Staff costs

21,106

21,288

Other operating expenses

11,666

10,670

Depreciation and amortisation

2,205

2,128

399

415

35,376

34,501

INCOME Funding body grants

Endowment and investment income Total income

Our finances have been classified as

'Outstanding' for over a decade

EXPENDITURE

Interest and other finance costs Total expenditure

2015 (£’000s)

2016 (£’000s)

Surplus before other gains and losses exceptional items

442

1,136

Loss on disposal of fixed assets

(41)

(104)

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

401

1,032

Surplus for the year

401

1,032

7,537

(1,203)

4,641

6,735

5,673

SURPLUS

Unrealised surplus on revaluation of assets Actuarial Gain/(loss) in respect of pensions schemes Total comprehensive income for the year

Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Source: Financial Statements for year ended 31 July 2016 (Bedford College, 2016)

O UR CO M M UNI TY S CO RECARD

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

BALANCE SHEET

/ 27

Group 2016 (£’000s)

College 2016 (£’000s)

Total fixed assets

44,418

44,380

43,962

43,927

Net current assets

2,787

2,860

1,446

1,647

Total assets less current liabilities

45,864

46,027

46,749

46,787

Creditors – amounts falling due after more than one year

(9,360)

(8,581)

Defined benefit obligations

(9,999)

(5,990)

Total net assets

26.505

26,668

32,178

32,216

Total unrestricted reserves

26,505

26,668

32,178

32,216

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

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.

EMPLOYERS What work do we do with employers?

GREEN

How do we help businesses?

GREEN

What do employers think about us?

AMBER Annual Review 2016 | www.bedford.ac.uk

Customer Care Charter At Bedford College we are committed to continuously improving the standards of service we offer to all our customers. We are committed to: • Treating you with honesty, openness and respect in line with our College values • Providing you with a consistent, co-ordinated and proactive service • Responding to your communications with us quickly and effectively • Providing you with access to clear and accurate information, advice and guidance • Providing opportunities for you to easily give us feedback • Continuously improving our service to you

Customer feedback We always welcome and value feedback. If you have had a positive experience from a particular service or member of staff, or have any suggestions for further improvement, please tell us by visiting www.bedford.ac.uk/haveyoursay

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