CONNECT N E WS
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D I A RY DAT E S APR IL 201 9
Students from across the region visited the National Apprenticeship Show held in Milton Keynes where they could take part in activities with the Group’s Apprenticeship Team and National College for Motorsport Team.
BCS BEDFORD COLLEGE SERVICES
EDITOR’S NOTE Hello everyone!
Welcome to the April issue of CONNECT Magazine with all the latest news from across the Group. Over the past month the Group has been busy holding GSCE mock exams across all sites and has hosted successful taster events for potential new students. The Apprenticeship team also fully embraced National Apprenticeship Week 2019 with various activities, read more on page 5 all this whilst welcoming our international visitors from Sinclair College, Ohio. Remember; please keep sending in your news and photos!
OLIVIA MORTON
Corporate Communications and Events Manager
T: 01234 291026 E: omorton@bedford.ac.uk
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY April 2019
May 2019
2 APRIL 2019 – The Bedford Sixth Form Open Day (5.00pm-7.30pm)
20 MAY 2019 Teacher Education Conference
4 APRIL 2019 – National College for Motorsport Open Day (5.00pm-7.00pm)
23 MAY 2019 Shuttleworth College Open Day (5.00pm-7.30pm)
19 APRIL 2019 – Bank Holiday (colleges closed) 22 APRIL 2019 – Bank Holiday (colleges closed)
CONTENTS PAGE 3
PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE
PAGE 4
ILT NEWS
PAGE 5
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP
PAGE 15
YOUR PICTURES
PAGE X
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
PAGE 16
PEOPLE NEWS
PAGE 17
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY
PAGE 18
SPOTLIGHT ON… TEACHING ASSISTANTS (TRESHAM)
Corporation News The Corporation Development Day was a lively and positive day held last month that included a presentation from David Hughes, Chief Executive of AoC, who gave more details on the national picture in further education, followed by the Executive who explained curriculum and strategic planning. Governors also enjoyed join in on learning walks that have enabled them to gain a greater understanding of the Group provision. Further invitations have been extended for learning lunches in the coming months where they will witness the sharing of best practice across the group first-hand.
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The priority for the Board over the forthcoming months remains the recruitment of new governors. They are particularly keen for our regional employers to understand that participation at Board level can provide good development opportunities for their staff. If you can help to promote these opportunities and would like more information please contact the Director of Governance & Clerk to the Corporation, Rachel Nicol on rnicol@bedford.ac.uk
RACHEL NICOL
Clerk to the Corporation T: 01234 291003 E: rnicol@bedford.ac.uk
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It is really pleasing to see that Wixams Academy is the most in-demand school locally
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Did you know you can follow Ian on Twitter? @ipryce
PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE
Hat trick in national teaching awards
We did it! We have achieved a hat trick in winning at the TES Oscar style awards three years in a row. Our latest winner is Samantha Jones, Advanced Practitioner, who won the TES Teacher of the Year who follows in the footsteps of Keith Haynes of Tresham College who won Assessor of the Year in 2018 and in 2017 Judith Larsen, in computing, won Teacher of the Year. Clearly there is lots of competition for these awards so making the shortlist is a major achievement in itself. Our Finance Director, Pat Jones, was shortlisted in the Leader of the Year Awards. These awards are the highest accolade in the educational sector so for our staff to win three years in a row in the realm of teaching demonstrates that we offer the very highest standards. Well done to both Sam and Pat. More details in the next issue.
Who is the fairest of them all?
The College’s multi-academy trust (BCAT) has been running its two schools in Wixams for two years now. It is really pleasing to see that Wixams Academy is the most indemand school locally with 271 first-choice applications for its 120 places. It is always disappointing when we cannot accommodate everyone who wants a place, and we are looking to take an additional class of 30 to help some parents. It says a lot about the ethos and operation of the school that is has become so popular so quickly.
Not in front of the children!
Finally I think we should all congratulate staff member Tom Wild who has managed to rack up over 2 million YouTube and other platform views of his latest work “I’ve No More F****s to Give” which can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Vqbk9cDX0l0 but perhaps after the 9pm watershed.
Timetable Day
On 20 March we tried a new approach to timetabling. All course managers, Heads and Directors took time to develop the timetables for next year together. This new approach aims to ensure we only create the number of timetabled groups to guarantee improved average group sizes and accommodate growth at Corby and Wellingborough. We also looked at the proposed timetables for whole departments and agreed the programme attendance days and the start and end times of each day. Once agreed these will not be amendable, a significant change to our policy. Finally we took the time to discuss the shape of each day – gaps, timing of tutorials, work experience, maths & English, enrichment etc. – and have agreed this in principle. Course managers are now working to complete the detail so that staff have their timetables agreed earlier. April 2019
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ILT IN THE CLASSROOM STARTERS AND PLENARIES GALORE! This month I wanted to share a range of tools that might support you in creating quick, easy and engaging starters and plenaries for your sessions. Ultimately, starters in particular may serve any of a broad range of purposes. I have used puzzle or riddle starters to simply get students engaged and thinking, starters to get students into groups, maths or English starters to focus the group on key skills and even ‘big question’ starters to foster debate and discussion about the topic of the lesson. For many teachers, one of the most effective ways to encourage creativity in the use of starters is to remind them that not all need to be directly related to the material of the lesson, it is great when they are, but as long as you are clear about its purpose you can choose any number of starters to achieve it. To begin with I want to introduce you to http://classtools.net. Classtools.net is a collection of tools, from graphic organisers to timers and random name and word pickers as well as an easy way to build arcade style games for assessments. A few minutes on the site and you will see that you could literally use it to create a different starter or plenary for each day of the week. You may like to try the QR code quiz generator, have students create fake Facebook profiles for key figures in your field, build easy graphic organisers (puzzles, fishbone, hexagons and a few more). There is also a key word picker that looks like a fruit machine and can be used as a random name picker or to review key terms as a starter of plenary. Not convinced yet? How about a key-word-checker that will help students check an assignment quickly to ensure they have used key words that you have set? Still not sure? Check out this game I created in 3 minutes: Just for Fun. If nothing else, by showing you this site I will have given you something to do during TV adverts this weekend. If it is a quick maths starter you are looking for, try Starter of the Day (https://www.transum.org/Software/SW/Starter_ of_the_day/) which has a unique maths starter for each day of the year. You can also go back and look at previous months to find ones you like and all of the solutions are included so there is no need to let a lack of confidence get in your way.
LOOKING FOR A RESIDENTIAL STAY? Are you part of an organisation or group outside of work and looking for residential accommodation? Remember that the accommodation blocks at Shuttleworth College are available to hire during Easter, Christmas and summer breaks. For more information, or to book, contact Leanne Cripps on 01234 291783.
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For English starters, a quick google image search might help you find loads of image prompts for a quick writing activity, or you could try this random plot generator (https://www. plot-generator.org.uk/opening-line/), which will generate any number of random sentences from which to start a piece of writing. Plenaries are in some ways more difficult as they should be linked to the content of the lesson for you to evaluate the learning that took place. Sometimes analogue solutions are the easiest for quick plenaries. The almighty note card (index card) or post-it note is perhaps one of the best methods to get students to evaluate what they have learned, but there are some really good digital options. Many teachers regularly use sites like Kahoot.com to assess students, but I would suggest that Quizizz.com and Socrative.com are perhaps more effective as plenaries. Quizizz gives a bit more detail in the report for discussion and Socrative has its own built in ‘Exit Card’ quiz that you can run on a moment’s notice with just a question you write on the board. Don’t just take it from me though, over the next few weeks try to shake up the way you do starters and plenaries and if you have any other tools I haven’t shared here, please pass them on. mtinney@bedford.ac.uk
MARK TINNEY Teacher Education Course Leader/ILT Development Coach
Tresham College
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP FIRE, FORMULA 1 AND TANKS - ALL PART OF NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2019 The Group made a flaming success of National Apprenticeship Week, which took place from Monday 4 to Friday 8 March, with events across Beds, Northants and MK. The week began with a special spot at Beds Fire HQ to table ideas about apprentices covering a wide range of jobs with the service followed by visits to the Job Centre and Jobs
Tresham College based Apprenticeship Ambassador, Kyra Joy, joined others in visiting the House of Commons to talk about the possibilities offered by apprenticeships. Kyra was chosen by the East Midlands Young Apprentice Ambassador Network to attend a high profile event at the House of Commons for National Apprenticeship Week
The Group’s celebrations for National Apprenticeship Week also included a variety of key employers including Weetabix, Tayto, Tata Steel and RS Components visiting the Tresham College campuses to give talks to existing cohorts to promote their business and their apprenticeship vacancies.
as one of six Young Apprentice Ambassadors who were chosen from each region. The event was an opportunity for Kyra to meet other ambassadors and members of the Institute for Apprenticeships, ESFA, National Apprenticeship Service, National Careers Service and WorldSkills UK and listen to guest speakers including the CEO of the Education and Skills Funding Agency Eileen Milner. To top off the activities of the week, Tresham College apprentices hosted a stand in Corby and Kettering to promote apprenticeships and in particular women in STEM (which coincided with International Women’s Day).
Hub in Bedford before electrical apprentices were featured on a local news film site. See the videos here: https://www.bedfordindependent. co.uk/bedford-apprenticesshow-how-its-done-for-nationalapprenticeship-week/
Keeping up the momentum, the Business Development Team met with 100s of young people at the Milton Keynes arena for the Central Region National Apprenticeship Show. The visitors to the stand could ‘talk tanks’ to Mark Lawson Head of Engineering Facilities at international Lockheed Martin (Mark is also a Governor of Bedford College) and try their hand at a pit stop challenge on a Formula 1-style tyre with the National College for Motorsport (Silverstone). Major Northamptonshire employers Weetabix also joined the stand for the second day at MK to discuss the various opportunities an apprenticeship can offer.
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NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP TRESHAM COLLEGE FOOTBALL STUDENT HAS GEORGIA ON HIS MIND Tresham College’s Football Academy student Ryan Kenyon has won a scholarship at one of the USA’s top sports colleges to play football. Ryan, 19 from Kettering, has been studying at Tresham College since 2016 as part of their successful Football Academy. To ensure students achieve their potential the team invite sports agencies such as Future Elite to matches and training sessions where Ryan was spotted. Having attended a trial of over 150 talented football players, Ryan was ranked ‘Five Star’ and won a scholarship to Georgia Military College, one of the top ten sports colleges in the USA. Midfielder Ryan has enjoyed a successful football career in the UK playing for Kettering Town first team as well as qualifying for the upcoming National Championships in 2019 with the Tresham College team.
Ryan said: “Football has always been my passion and there are great opportunities in the USA where soccer is increasing in popularity. I have won a scholarship for a two year Foundation Degree at Georgia and hope to carry on to an Honours Degree. All whilst playing for their soccer team, which has been doing very well in the American leagues.” Tresham College Head Coach Paul Curtis, an ex-professional footballer himself, said: “We like to make sure our students are given every chance to progress, both with their academic studies and football careers. This is a fantastic achievement by Ryan and it has inspired several of our other students to also look at the possibilities in the USA.” Ryan will head to Georgia in July this year.
THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP LAUNCHES FREE BASIC SKILLS SCHEME WITH THE OPEN UNIVERSITY A brand-new scheme to bring free Level 1 Functional Skills courses to local people has been launched by the Group in partnership with The Open University (OU). People are being encouraged to develop basic skills in English and Maths by studying online on the OU’s OpenLearn platform, and then get additional support and a Functional Skills qualification via the College. The pilot project is funded by the Department for Education’s Flexible Learning Fund, and this is the first time the OU has collaborated closely with FE colleges to support students at this level.
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People can access course materials on OpenLearn at their leisure and study at a time and pace that suits them. The college will support
local students and facilitate exams so that people can go on to get their Functional Skills qualifications if they wish – all for free.
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP TEACHER ED PLACEMENTS HELPING TO ADDRESS THE RECRUITMENT SHORTFALL The Teacher Education Department is one of the most unique amongst local FE colleges as it is able to offer trainees volunteer placements within the college setting as part of their course. Most other colleges do not offer this facility, but we have found that in a lot of cases these trainees are filling the recruitment gap. Over 75% of trainee teachers that are on placement here within the Group end up working in some capacity, with a lot taken on in an AL role whilst in their placement year.
MAKING INSTAX STARS Photography giant Fujifilm which has its UK headquarters in Bedford, is testing the talents of our students on its new instax cameras. The instant prints cameras are aimed at the Instagram generation and so engaging with photography teens & twenties at Bedford College was a happy partnership. The students have been given cameras and were set a challenge to come up with six of the best photographs which will then be displayed within special wall frames. The images will cover “the passage of time” and will be taken in and around the Cauldwell Street campus. The students are on a Level 3 UAL (University of Arts London)
Extended Diploma in Art & Design course and leader Julie Davies says using the limited instant films will encourage a new way of thinking about photographs. “This isn’t digital where you can take 100s of shots and find the good one or Photoshop it afterwards, the skill is in seeing the potential of the image before you click the shutter.” Students on this course undertake a range of interesting development opportunities and experiences within the photographic industry. Photo L- R Natalie, Tareq and Lia test out the instax
At a time where there is a recruitment shortfall of around 30,000 FE teachers nationally (TES 2018) it is more important than ever that we develop innovative schemes to train our staff. The latest figures from AoC also suggest that 60% of FE employees leave colleges within the first 2 years of employment so it is essential that we provide the right environment to give these trainees the best possible chance of surviving those difficult first couple of years. We have been running the teacher placement facility at Bedford for around 10 years now and the scheme began in Tresham from September 2018. We have a dedicated group of mentors that offer the placements and they support the trainees throughout their qualification. The system would not work without the support that our mentors offer and they are a vital part of the recruitment and retention tool. We are really grateful for the nurturing environment they create. We are now looking for more placements for 2019-20. There is an honorarium payment available and we offer structured training and support for teachers wishing to become mentors. It is a great way to complete CPD and your students will also benefit for the extra input that the trainee teachers can offer. If you are interested in becoming a mentor for the 2019-20 academic year please register your interest with Clancy Lynch in the Teacher Education Department clynch@bedford.ac.uk
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NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP KEEPING IT LOCAL: STUDENST DESIGN BRANDING FOR NEW CHARLES WELLS BREWHOUSE Bedford-based family-brewer Charles Wells has challenged students to come up with branding design ideas for its new multimillion investment Brewhouse and visitor destination, due to open to the public in early 2020. 20 students from Bedford College’s graphic design department recently had the opportunity to pitch their individual creative design ideas to a team at Charles Wells, who will review and choose one concept to develop further. The panel judging the entries includes former Bedford College BA student Marcus Finch, who studied graphic design and is now working at Charles Wells as a Retail & Brand Marketing Executive. Charles Wells’ commercial director Peter Wells said “Bedford College
is full of talented and creative individuals and we truly value their ideas and feedback on what would work well in terms of the look and feel of our new branding. It’s a great opportunity all round to channel some fresh thinking into an established brand.” Jeffrey Tribe, Graphics Lecturer at Bedford College added: “The creative challenge from Charles Wells was to come up with an identity for its new home to include a logo and supporting merchandise and branding for one of the new beers. It is a fantastic opportunity for our higher education graphics students. It’s especially inspiring to have one of our former graphic design alumni, Marcus Finch, now working at Charles Wells and
demonstrates how the business supports our students from education to employment.” The initiative marks Charles Wells’ wider plans to engage with education establishments in Bedford as part of a drive to scout and recruit local talent for its apprenticeships and positions in head office and throughout its pub estate.
WORKING WITH TV’S THE APPRENTICE Bedford College apprentice Jade Bagshaw is working with an agency which boasts TV’s The Apprentice icon Lord Sugar among its portfolio of clients. Yakety Yak has created ads featuring I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here star Georgia Toffolo and global giants like Huawei, Volvo, and more. For Jade, aged 20, her role as Business Administration Apprentice covers much more than a day in the office. She is developing skills in Account Management for digital communications, helping on filming shoots on location and multi-media activities for clients from around the UK.
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Based in smart new offices in Kempston, Yakety Yak has welcomed the help of the Bedford College business support team. Said Roy Testa, who founded the company with son Ross: “We are great fans of Bedford College and its commitment to developing young talent so it was the obvious place to ask for help about recruiting a new member of our team. “The college helped us through the paper trail and Jade has one day a week there linking the theory to our practices.” Jade, who lives in Kempston said: “This is such an exciting place to work. I can’t believe some of the people who pop up on our screens.”
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP RAID THE VIDEO COLLECTIONS Did you know that The Bedford College Group has a huge collection of videos available to not only support teaching and learning, but also a selection that are linked to personal and professional development? The collection is a combination of films and TV programmes, everything from ‘Stereotypes in Media’ and ‘Solving Linear Equations’ to episodes of ‘The Hollow Crown’. These are all available via Click-View, the link for which is currently only on the Bedford College Moodle Page with a Bedford Sixth Form Moodle Page link coming soon. In the meantime visit: https://online. clickview.co.uk/libraries You log in using your email address and your usual login password. If you find this useful, or if you have any queries please email Jemma Hines jhines@bedfordsixthform.ac.uk
FOOTBALL ACADEMY VISIT BARCELONA Last month, Tresham Football Academy players headed to Luton airport for a short trip to Barcelona, a first for the Academy since it was established. Once settled into the hotel, students had the opportunity to venture around Barcelona to get acquainted with the area. Students were given more free time to explore the city independently, which resulted in some students playing basketball/ football with some locals. For their first full day, students enjoyed an early walk to Las Ramblas for shopping and sightseeing. In the afternoon they visited the beach where they played football, volleyball and
swam. In the evening they eagerly made their way to ‘Camp Nou’ for the Barcelona FC v Real Valladolid match. All had great seats behind the goal to watch Messi score a penalty! Day three started with free time and shopping in the morning followed by a return visit to Camp Nou for a Stadium Tour, including pitch side/ dugouts/ away changing rooms and media centre. All students in their Tresham Football Academy kit also enjoyed having their photo taken at the world famous stadium. Students ended their day by heading back to Las Ramblas for more shopping and a short boat trip out of the port to end the day and trip.
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NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP AWARD-WINNING APPRENTICES Bedford College apprentices swept the board at the Bedfordshire Businesswomen’s annual awards in March. Hannah West of the CILEx Law School won Female Apprentice of the Year and Sophie Parker of the Grand Union Housing Group was the runner-up in the same category. Gina Bubbins, Director of Business Development at Bedford College said: “We like to see all our apprentices recognised by employers for the great contribution they make to companies. During National Apprenticeship Week 4th – 8th
March, dozens of our apprentices hit the headlines, appeared in films and across social media.” *In the Female Employee of the Year Award, Bedford College finance director Pat Jones was a runner-up. (Pat has been shortlisted in the national Times Educational Supplement TES awards taking place later in March).
COMPUTING STUDENTS GIVE ADVICE WITH A BANG On Wednesday 27 March two lecturers from Computing took a group of students to Silverstone for the Bing Bang STEM fair, targeted at children all the way from primary school to College age, with the aim of getting them to consider careers in STEM industries. We joined other colleges and universities from the area, along with local employers such as Aston Martin and Nissan, and representatives from areas such as logistics, agriculture and fashion, demonstrating the range and impact that STEM subjects have on society. Students took our two VEX robots, setting challenges in controlling the robots and coordination of the robotic arms to pick up and move objects
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which visitors had to complete to win a Cadburys Crème Egg. Our students also took some PCs to the event which were opened up and dismantled for the visitors to be able to see what goes on inside the machines. Our students spent time expertly explaining how the computers work, showing visitors the different components and talking about the kinds of things they get up to in classes. The stand was a hit with the visitors young and old, and we were rushed off our feet all day, with the students we took doing an amazing job of talking to people, engaging the kids and demonstrating their amazing skills. I am sure the Crème Eggs only played a small part!
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP TEACHERS WELLBEING After working at Tresham College for a number of years, Shaun Wilson, Staff Governor and Lecturer at Corby, completed his Certificate in Education and from then on he got ‘the learning bug’. Shaun has most recently graduated and developed his skills to become a Mental Health First Aider. Below is more about his experience and how he is available to offer support and advice to others across the college: “I completed my certificate in Education in July 2012 at the age of 42. After two years of study I was hooked on learning, as someone who left school at 15 with the bare minimum, I wanted to learn more. My interest in people and especially psychology started at a young age. I wanted to do it at school but was told that I wasn’t clever enough and I wasn’t in the ‘top set’. Now at 42 years young, my passion for knowledge was re-ignited, and I started to search for psychology courses. After some deliberation and research I decided to study with The Open University. In October 2012, the module opened at the OU, learning materials had been delivered and I started on a 6 year journey as a part time student. During this time modules covered by the BSc included Child Development, Counselling: Fear & Sadness and Issues in Research with Children and young people and in July 2014 I spent a week at Bath University designing and developing a research project on spatial awareness and long term memory. As part of my final year dissertation I had to design a project, reviewing literature on a chosen topic. Being a teacher, I wanted to research how mental health and wellbeing affects teachers and their teaching. I wanted to disseminate through greater
understanding of the difficulties faced on a weekly/termly basis go unrecognised and how this can have an impact on their teachings in the classroom. I concluded that the wellbeing of teachers is extremely important; teacher wellbeing was a significant factor in how teachers teach and how they interact with students and teacher burnout, my findings mirrored literature from Korea, Canada, Japan, Germany and the UK. In July of 2019 I graduated from the OU with my BSc in Psychology and became a graduate member of the British Psychological Society, (BPS) where they require a 2:2 or above.
portfolio and was signed off as an approved YMHFA Instructor.” The picture shows those who completed the YMHFA (Youth Mental Health First Aid) course on 18th-19 February. This now brings a total of 19 YMHFA’s across the Group including those who completed the course in December 2018. Shaun has been working alongside other teams including Sam Jones and the PGCE group and the ALS team to provide training on Anxiety and Depression and Mental Health Awareness. Future presentations are also booked for the HE Teacher Conference and at The Bedford Sixth Form.
In September 2018 I put forward a poster of my dissertation to present my work at the East Midlands Branch of the BPS conference, it was accepted, and this was a great experience to present my own work.
Shaun added: “My scope is to bring mental health out into the open, through difficult discussions and CPD. YMHFA for teachers helps to gain a greater understanding of mental health and potentially assist in classroom teaching.
Between March and April 2018, I spent seven days training to be a Mental Health First Aider with Mental Health England, where I became a Youth Mental Health First Aider (YMHFA). I also completed the subsequent Instructor training course.
Moreover, I also want to highlight the wellbeing of teachers and how they cope when something is disclosed to them by a learner. Again, I want to highlight this area and influence stake holders and the Dfe so the mental health awareness is on the curriculum for teacher training.
Last month I completed my second delivery of the YMHFA course and
For more information please contact swilson@bedford.ac.uk
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NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP PLANNING A GRAND EVENT? The Grand Hall has a limited number of remaining dates for parties, weddings and events up until the end of July 2019. We are delighted to announce any staff who book a party between now and July 2019 (6.00pm-12.00am) will receive an increased 30% discount, and this also applies to your friends and family so why not celebrate in style at The Grand Hall Bedford. For more information contact Leanne Cripps on 5783 or email lcripps@ bedfordcollegeservices.co.uk A Wedding Style Evening Event is also being held on Thursday 18 April between 6.00pm – 9.00pm, working with George James Bridal to showcase her latest collection, live fashion show, hair & makeup, live music and more.
GENERATION OF SUPPORT Friends from across three decades gathered to say “Thank You” to Elizabeth Nash former Director of HR, and so much more, at The Bedford College Group. CEO Ian Pryce said that without her support the Group would not be the towering success it has
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become today across so many areas of education. Elizabeth, who has been unwell but is making strong progress, was famous with audiences at the annual Bedford College Achievement Ceremony for her “Master of Ceremonies” role.
Picture shows Elizabeth (centre) with husband David and former Governor Paddy Barratt, another of the much admired women who has done so much for Bedford College.
NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP YOUNG CARERS AWARENESS DAY 2019 To celebrate Young Carers Awareness day, student, Laura Abbott Mitchell, along with other students from Art and Design Level 2 and Graphic Design Level 2, got together and put on a fundraiser and awareness event for Northamptonshire Young Carers which took place on the 31st of January 2019 (Young Carers Awareness Day). During this day students hosted stalls such as cake stands, art workshops and games and raised £80.00 towards the NYCS. Due to her support
within the organisation over numerous years, event organiser Laura Abbott-Mitchell was given a fantastic role to be an NYCS Ambassador.” Laura said: “I approached tutors asking if I could hold a fundraiser to help both groups with their work experience as a lot of people where stuck on what to do for their 20hr work experience. Because I have experience in fundraising I knew that it would be a good experience for both groups and would cover the hours they needed to do to be able to pass the course.
HI TO OHIO! A special relationship between Tresham College in the UK and Sinclair Community College in the USA continues under The Bedford College Group banner. ‘Sinclair Community College Dayton, Ohio, U.S. A and Tresham College have had a sister college relationship for a number of years, a suburb of Dayton, Kettering, Ohio also has a sister city relationship with Kettering, England’ Deborah Gavlik MPA, Director of International Education and DeAnn Hurtado Ph.D, Associate Dean, visited the Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire campuses to renew discussions about this international partnership. They visited on March 6th and 7th meeting up with old friends led by Vice Principal Corrie Harris at Tresham College (photographed) and then with new faces including Group CEO Ian Pryce CBE at the Bedford College campus in Bedford. Corrie said: “This has been a long standing friendship and we were keen to extend the relationship to the whole group now. There are many opportunities to add value to our partnership.” Photo shows L - R Vice Principal Em Lowe, DeAnn Hurtado, Vice Principal Corrie Harris, Deborah Gavlik April 2019
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NEWS FROM THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP JET SETTING TRAVEL & TOURISM TEAM Travel & Tourism have been busy with their residentials lately with trips to Dubai, Marbella and Edinburgh! The HE students travelled to Dubai for a five day visit full of sun, sand and coursework! The trip included visits to the Burj Khalifa, Atlantis waterpark and the late night aquarium. Students completed their research projects on the city and ensured that they researched enough to help them complete their assignments when they returned. Level 3 students visited Marbella, Gibraltar and Malaga in a busy three day Spanish adventure! The students spent time checking out the boats in Marbella, went on a cruise to spot the
dolphins in Gibraltar and sampled paella in Malaga. The trip enabled students to gather research for their Worldwide Airlines, Customer Service, Cabin Crew and Passenger Transport units. Level 2 flew up to Edinburgh for the day and took in the sights of the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Dungeons. The students were very impressed that they were allowed to play the same piano played by HM the Queen. The students were able to use the trip to gather information to help them in their Victor Attraction’s, Interpersonal Skills, Customer Service and worldwide Destinations units.
PROGRESSION EVENT FOR COMPUTING The Computing Department held their Progression Event on Tuesday 5 March. The event was attended by our Level 3, Access to HE, and HE students and it gave them an opportunity to find out more about progression within HE, apprenticeships, volunteering, interview skills, etc. Over one hundred students had registered by 9.00am. The team were joined by local employers including Lockheed Martin, Bluechip, Total IT, The ICT Network Manager from Biddenham Upper School, Centrality, Citrix, Clearview Intelligence, TechnetIT Recruitment, Invisinet Wifi Solutions, Riverlite, Partnership Education, Santander, University of Northampton, De Montfort University, UoN, Coventry University, Hayes Recruitment, and others. A number of past students also returned to talk about their experiences with volunteering, HE and in the workplace. Feedback from students following the event included: • “ I found the information about apprenticeships helpful and
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managed to take information away with me.” • “I learned about what each company does and the IT skills that apply to them.” • “I found out about apprenticeships.” • “The representatives were passionate about what they do and what their companies had to offer.” • “The event allowed me to gain knowledge about certain jobs and how they are useful for careers.” • “Networking with people and gaining insight into different environments.” • “The event was very informative. It gave us a good viewpoint from employers and apprentices.” • “It was very informative and made me aware of my options for higher education.” Following the event, Total IT contacted the Computing Department requesting CVs for 6 of the students they met during the event. A very successful event!
YOUR PICTURES Every month you send the marketing team wonderful images from our different campuses that we post on to our social media channels. Here are some of this month’s highlights. The Bedford Sixth Form visit to Florence 37 Bedford Sixth Form students and four members of staff ventured to Florence last week – (2-5 March). All of the students are studying creative A levels in Fine Art, Photography, Textiles and Graphic design. During the tour students visited the Uffizi museum, Duomo, Gucci textiles exhibition, Piazzele Michelangelo and the Ponte Vecchio. We explored the historic city taking every opportunity to practice creative skills stopping to paint, draw and take photos. We returned with amazing memories, an appetite for authentic Italian food and a deeper understanding of art which will be used to enhance A level projects.
Max Murdo inspires upcycling We had a fantastic morning with Bedfordshire’s own star upcycler, Max McMurdo, as he helped out the HND Y2 students with an exciting brief to find a new purpose for the old diesel London black cabs, as they are phased off the roads to make way for new electric vehicles. There are three very creative and feasible ideas on the table, all of which Max got behind and helped push along. A great experience for our students, and it was really interesting to hear his thoughts.
Lights, camera, action for Electrical Apprentices Bedford Indy filming of electrical apprentices and Georgina Smith brilliantly stepping into break to do interview giving overview of apprenticeships thanks Georgina.
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PEOPLE NEWS CURRENT VACANCIES Here are the current vacancies available across the Group. Visit the Staff Intranet to find out more information on how to apply.
Lecturer in English Location: Bedford Salary: Circa £30,000 per annum, pro rata dependent on qualifications and experience Application closing date: 31/03/2019 Facilities Assistant Location: Bedford Salary: Circa £18,000 per annum, pro rata, dependent on qualifications and experience. Application closing date: 31/03/2019 Head of Department - Hair and Beauty Location: Bedford Salary: Circa £40,000 per annum - dependent on qualifications and experience Application closing date: 31/03/2019 Lecturer – Music FIXED TERM -MATERNITY COVER Location: Kettering Salary: Circa £24,500 per annum, pro rata dependent on qualifications and experience Application closing date: 31/03/2019 Associate Student Support Assistant Location: Bedford Salary: £8.20 per hour Application closing date: 31/03/2019 Lecturer - English (GCSE) Location: Kettering Salary: Circa GBP 20,500 to GBP 39,042 per annum. Qualified lecturers will achieve a minimum salary of GBP 25,500 per annum. Application closing date: 02/04/2019 Lecturer in Graphic Design Location: Bedford Salary: Circa £25,000 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 02/04/2019
BECOME A GOVERNOR
The Corporation seeks applications from talented prospective governors on an ongoing basis. The Bedford College Group serves an ethnically diverse community and our Board should be representative of the local community. In order to improve the composition of the Board in terms of diversity, the College welcomes all applicants and particularly applications from women and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. It would be much appreciated if staff could promote the governor roles through their links in their communities and log any activity and feedback with me on rnicol@bedford.ac.uk or 01234 291003. Below is a link to the website page “Become a governor”. www.bedford.ac.uk/about/corporate-governance/become-a-governor
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS The Inter Faith Network website has a more detailed list of festivals with short descriptions. 3rd THE PROPHET’S NIGHT JOURNEY and ASCENT Muslim 8th HANAMATSURI Buddhist (Japanese) 14th The Sikh New Year Festival 14th RAMA NAVAMI Hindu 20th – 27th PASSOVER Jewish 20th THE NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS Muslim 21st EASTER DAY Christian (Western Churches) 21st Apr – 2nd May RIDVAN Baha’i 23rd ST GEORGE’S DAY 30th BELTAINE/MAY EVE Pagan
DIVERSITY CALENDAR – APRIL 2019 For more details and inspiration go to Equality and Diversity on Connect intranet.
1ST – 7TH AUTISM AWARENESS WEEK
Autism is a hidden disability that remains with a person for their whole life. Learn more about autism here. A short film by the National Autistic Society shows what a person with autism might experience when walking through a shopping centre. Finally, see the perspective of people with autism in ‘Things not to say to an autistic person’. Elli Kyrou and Wendy Cook (Autism Co-ordinators) can help your team with tips and ideas for supporting students with autism. If you work with employers (apprenticeships and work placements), read here for advice on recruiting and managing an autistic person. Autism awareness events: Tue 2nd (Cauldwell Str, main reception) and Thu 4th (Shuttleworth, canteen foyer) - cake sale, tombola with prizes and an opportunity to ask questions about autism.
7TH WORLD HEALTH DAY
The theme this year is ‘Universal health coverage’. Millions of people have no access at all to health care and millions more are forced to choose between health care and other daily expenses such as food, clothing and even a home. Health is a human right; everyone should have the information and services they need to take care of their own health and the health of their families.
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PEOPLE NEWS SORRY TO SEE YOU GO:
WELCOME TO THE GROUP:
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Clare Baron, Salon Manager, Hair & Beauty
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Sherida Carter, Director of Human Resources
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Helen Brake, Customer Service Assistant, Student Recruitment
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Mary Clark, Course Manager - Business
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Charlotte Daniell, Personal Achievement Coach
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Robert Cowley, Lecturer - Motor Vehicle
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Ailish Easton, Curriculum Administrator
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Emma Gordon, Student Registry Co-ordinator
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Elliot Green, Technician - Land & Environment
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James Green, Site Maintenance Officer
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Derrick Griffiths, Head of Apprenticeships
YOU’VE MOVED:
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Fiona Hardy, Trainer/Assessor, Care, Childcare & Counselling
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Marcus Barritt, Senior Trainer, Electrical Installation
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Jon Crawford, Maths Co-ordinator
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Sophie Holmes, Centre Administrator
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Michael Curtis, Course Manager - Construction
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Lynn Quennell, Examinations Co-ordinator
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Teddy Kye-Nyarko, Course Manager - Construction
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Sunnie Sian, Lecturer in Health, Social Care & Early Years
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Serena Murray, English Co-ordinator
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Heather Platt, Course Manager - ESOL
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY Tackling Micro-aggressions Traditionally, it has been thought that discrimination is conscious and can be eliminated simply by raising understanding. Research shows that people sometimes make choices that discriminate without even realising it. What can influence our attitudes, choices and behaviours are the unconscious biases we all have. For instance, teachers may pay more attention to students who are from a similar background, or can have higher expectations for some students based on unconscious bias. Similarly, we can make (incorrect) assumptions about people based on their name, appearance or accent and these can influence our decision-making process; or we can remember the positive contributions of some people and the negative of others so we end up with a skewed assessment of two individuals.
STAFF DIVERSITY FORUMS •T he Diversity group (Bedford) is meeting on Wed 1st May, Cauldwell Str. •T he Diversity group (Tresham) is meeting on Thu 2nd May, Kettering. •T he Staff LGBT+ forum is meeting both in Bedford and Kettering. These are your forums and a chance to influence the diversity and inclusion agenda in the college! For more information and to join a group, contact Anastassia Parsons anparsons@bedford.ac.uk
Being aware of stereotypes, positive or negative, can help us to make fair decisions. Stereotypes such as ‘men are decisive and analytical’, and ‘women are emphatic and good communicators’, would advantage men if we’re looking to fill in leadership positions. The stereotype that students from some ethnic backgrounds are more ‘academic and study-focused’ can be equally damaging for students from all ethnic backgrounds. The more we know about our own attitudes and beliefs, and the stereotypes at play, the more we can manage our behaviours, avoid unconscious bias and being prejudiced. The video ‘Different Voices’ explains how everyday comments can be infused with racism, disablism, islamophobia, xenophobia, transphobia and homophobia. It also demonstrates the impact that micro-aggressions have on individuals.
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SPOTLIGHT ON... TEACHING ASSISTANTS (TRESHAM TEAM) (Photo shows Debbie Brown with students)
WHAT DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT DO?
WHAT ROLES DOES EACH TEAM MEMBER HAVE?
Tresham College has an experienced, proactive and dynamic team of Additional Learning Support staff that support students across all sites with an identified disability, learning difficulty or need. Students are supported within mainstream college within a variety of different curriculum areas and levels. The college also has a Learning Facilitator based at the two main campus’ who offer small group out of class support sessions. Foundation Learning is also supported by the Additional Learning Support team; there is a core team that support the varied and wide ranging disabilities, difficulties and needs to ensure consistency and continuity.
Each member of the Additional Learning Support team bring their own individual strengths, knowledge and experience to the department ensuring that effective support is implemented and maintained.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED? ALS staff are based across all sites with base rooms allocated at Kettering Windmill Avenue and Corby Oakley Road.
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WHAT CHALLENGES WILL YOU FACE THIS YEAR? The Additional Learning Support team will need to continue to evolve and grow to meet the demands of an everchanging college environment; with expanding number of students who are identified as having an additional need, difficulty or disability.
WHAT ACHIEVEMENTS DID THE TEAM ACCOMPLISH LAST YEAR? The Additional Learning Support team have supported students to ensure progression onto the next level of programme study. The team have been effective in their support
strategies, encouraging independent learning and acting as an effective tool in education. This is particularly true of students who have successfully progressed from a Foundation Learning study programme into mainstream college.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK IN YOUR DEPARTMENT? The Additional Learning Support team have a strong ethic that encapsulates a supportive work environment, promoting independence within a nurturing setting. The team offer each other support, advice and guidance, share good practice, have a strong sense of team work and input into the development of the department.
ANY INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT? Each member of the Additional Learning Support team brings their own unique qualities and strengths which allow each of us to grow and evolve shaping our workplace experience.