CONNECT - Merger Special Edition (March 2023)

Olivia Morton Corporate Communications Manager omorton@bedford.ac.uk

MARCH

Thursday 2:

Quiz Night at The Manor Restaurant, Corby

Monday 6:

Construction Skills Event for Employers (LSIP) –Bedford College

Monday 6 – 10:

National Careers Week (various events being arranged by Student Services Team shared on CONNECT intranet)

Tuesday 7:

The Corby Sixth Form Open Day – The Cube, Corby

Thursday 9:

Mexican Night at The Manor Restaurant, Corby

Tuesday 14:

Advanced Manufacturing Event for Employers (LSIP) –National College for Motorsport

Thursday 14:

Young Carers Awareness Day – All Campuses

Thursday 16:

St Patrick’s Night at The Manor Restaurant, Corby

Monday 20:

Employer Event (LSIP) – Tresham College, Corby

Tuesday 21:

The Bedford Sixth Form Open Day

Thursday 23:

Employer Event (LSIP) –

Central Bedfordshire College, Dunstable

Thursday 23:

National College for Motorsport Open Day

Tuesday 28:

Official launch and stakeholder event (LSIP) –Tresham College, Wellingborough

APRIL

Wednesday 19:

Central Bedfordshire College Stakeholder Event

Tresham College, Corby Open Day

Thursday 20:

Shuttleworth College Open Day

Grease Night at The Manor Restaurant, Corby

Tuesday 25:

Central Bedfordshire College Open Day

Tresham College, Wellingborough Open Day

Thursday 27:

Tresham College, Kettering Open Day

Charity Night at The Manor Restaurant, Corby

MAY

Thursday 4 May: Bedford College Open Day

Thursday 4 May: Oriental Night at The Manor House

Thursday 11 May: Carvery Night at The Manor House

Monday 15 – 21: Mental Health Awareness Week – All campuses

Friday 19 May: GCSE Exam Day – Maths 1

Thursday 25 May: Quiz Night at The Manor House

JUNE

All Month

LGBTQ+ Pride Month

Monday 5 June: GCSE Exam Day – English 1

Wednesday 7 June: GCSE Exam Day – Maths 2

Monday 12 June: GCSE Exam Day – English 2

Wednesday 14 June: GCSE Exam Day – Maths 3

Thursday 15 June

Central Bedfordshire College Open Day

Thursday 22 June: HE Conference

Friday 30 June: Staff Conference

CEO’s Update

Onward March!

As you know, we formally merge Central Bedfordshire College into The Bedford College Group today, an event so significant that Wales has made it an official public holiday! It is not a date linked to many significant events, though it is the anniversary of the birth of Glenn Miller, whose connection with Bedfordshire is strong but unfortunate, as his last flight took off from Bedford in 1944 and he was never seen again.

Our journey to merger has been less dramatic and the process has gone smoothly thanks to an enormous amount of thought and work by the merger teams at both colleges. We originally planned to merge on 1 February but the delay was a result of government decisions in the wake of the reclassification of colleges as public sector entities, which meant additional consents were needed. This is our first mid-year merger, which adds some complexity but does give us some room to shape the next academic year in terms of a revised curriculum and budget. The move to a College Principal model also makes it easier to assimilate new staff. Sarah Mortimer will therefore join our Executive in her role as Acting Principal at Central Bedfordshire College. Rachel Jones (Vice Principal) and Karyn Godfrey (Acting Vice Principal) will join our cross-group senior team of Vice Principals and Group Directors.

We believe the merger makes us the seventh biggest college group in the country, with an income of just under £80m and a workforce of nearly 2,000. In tough economic times this gives us financial, educational and political clout. Staff should feel more secure, students and employers will have more options, and the people of Central Bedfordshire in particular should enjoy a more standard offer across the whole area.

Although most of Central Bedfordshire’s activity is in Dunstable, the College does serve the growing community of Leighton Buzzard. We are currently conducting research in that area to determine what provision should be offered in the College’s buildings in the town.

Clearly our staff at Central Bedfordshire will experience a high degree of change as we introduce our group systems and processes in areas like finance, marketing, HR, IT, apprenticeships etc. We will also look to use the same curriculum planning and budgeting processes. Inevitably though, there will be some change across the group. The purpose of merger is partly about renewal. For example our Corporation will welcome several new members from the Central Bedfordshire Corporation and we are likely to need to change our approach to monitoring of quality and standards now we are so large. There are a few areas where the colleges have very different approaches such as security, tutoring and some reception and student services. A mid-year merger means we can run two approaches in parallel for a time and review the best way forward in a leisurely manner. Clearly we want to encourage staff to build new relationships and networks across the enlarged group. The Staff Conference will be an obvious occasion to do some of this work, but we hope connections of mutual interest will be developed quickly, especially between staff teaching the same subjects. One of the benefits of merger should be sharing rather than increasing workload, and creating even more specialised services for students and staff. Another should be duplicating what works in one college in the area of the other. There are bound to be practices and courses that are successful and easy to reproduce elsewhere. This will be a key priority for the second half of this academic year.

In legal terms the merger is created by the dissolution of the Central Bedfordshire Corporation. We will obviously maintain the College identity and cherish its long history. The College has served its community for many years, merger simply continues that tradition within the security of a larger group. The launch events today will provide the perfect opportunity to celebrate that rich history while looking forward to a bright future too.

Ian Pryce CBE

Ian Pryce CBE CEO, The Bedford College Group

“Our journey to merger has been less dramatic and the process has gone smoothly thanks to an enormous amount of thought and work by the merger teams at both colleges.”

PURPOSE AND VALUES

Our Purpose

To help individuals, communities and society flourish through education by raising aspirations and reducing inequality to create a sustainable future.

Our Vision

To

Our Values

Student Centred

At our heart is always doing what is best for our students. We consider students in all of our decision making to create positive outcomes and memorable experiences for every student.

Educational Excellence

We promote educational excellence by delivering programmes that challenge our students to achieve their ambitions.

Teamwork

We are one team who by working together can achieve great things, respecting the opinion and valuing the contribution each of us makes.

Caring

We care about the wellbeing of our staff, our students, our community and wider society, creating an environment built on trust where we listen, engage with and support each other.

Inclusive

We celebrate differences and diversity, recognising that we can learn from each other.

Continuous Improvement

We challenge ourselves to always do better by trying new things, sharing knowledge, reflecting on best practice and learning from others.

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

The Group’s strategic plan is underpinned by three themes - education and community leadership, education sustainability and financial sustainability. To find out more about what we want to achieve, please visit: https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/about/strategic-plan/

be the best and most authoritative post-16 educator in the South East Midlands.

WHO’S WHO AT THE BEDFORD COLLEGE GROUP

As we welcome staff from Central Bedfordshire College joining the Group today, it may be useful to provide a guide of Who’s Who in our new Leadership Team.

Our Executive Team

The Group is led overall by the Executive Team, responsible for all professional and academic provision.

Ian Pryce CBE Chief Executive Officer

Ian Pryce CBE is now Chief Executive Officer of the Group having joined the College in 1996 as Finance Director and quickly becoming Principal in 1998. Ian is primarily responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Group. In 2017, as Principal, Ian led the merger bid between Bedford College and Tresham College to establish The Bedford College Group. More recently, he has led a team for the proposed merger with Central Bedfordshire College (CBC).

Pat Jones

Deputy Chief Executive (Finance)

Pat Jones is a Deputy Chief Executive for the Group. She is accountable to the Corporation Board for the Group’s Estate and has responsibility for maintaining the Group’s outstanding financial health grade and the lead on Risk Management for the Group. Pat’s specialisms include Leadership and Management, identification and application of funding streams as well as leading the Group in new ventures and developments.

Em Lowe

Deputy Chief Executive (Education)

Em Lowe is a Deputy Chief Executive for the Group overseeing a range of key areas related to the student experience and student success including Quality, Exams, Additional Learning Support, Professional Development, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, T Levels, Student Services, Centre Administration, Health & Safety, English and maths, High Needs and is the Safeguarding Lead.

Sheraz Amin

Executive Director of Digital Transformation

Sheraz Amin is one of the Group’s Executive Directors, with responsibility for digital transformation. He pays a particular emphasis on the strategic use of technology across the Group in order to improve processes, the user experience, and most importantly implements technology into teaching and learning.

Sarah Baxter

Executive Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment

Sarah Baxter is one of the Group’s Executive Directors, with accountability for marketing and communications, enquiries and admissions, stakeholder feedback and research to inform business decisions. With a background in marketing and business management within the services sector, Sarah has worked for the Group for over 20 years, progressing through a number of different roles and has been part of the Executive leadership team since 2009.

Our Executive Team

Caroline Biddle

Executive Director of HR (Human Resources)

Caroline Biddle joined the Group in 2019 as Executive Director for HR (Human Resources). As an active member of the leadership team, she is accountable for the human resources management and payroll functions across the entirety of the Group’s campuses.

Debbie Houghton

Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Business Development

As the Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Business Development for the Group, Debbie is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the Apprenticeships and Business Development teams. Having worked in the FE and Apprenticeship sectors for over 20 years, Debbie joined us in 2017 and was appointed to Executive Leadership Team in the summer of 2022.

To support Ian with the day-to-day operation of our campuses, three Principals work in Bedfordshire, Central Bedfordshire and our Northamptonshire campuses.

Karen Campbell

Principal of Bedford College and Shuttleworth College

As Principal, Karen Campbell is responsible for overseeing the campuses at Bedford College and Shuttleworth College. Joining the Group as an Additional Learning Support Manager in 2007, Karen has since held several management roles– such as Head of Department for Care, Childcare and Counselling and then Director of Adult and Social Studies.

Sarah Mortimer

Acting Principal of Central Bedfordshire College

Sarah Mortimer serves as Acting Principal for Central Bedfordshire College. She is the Accountable Officer for CBC’s financial and educational outcomes. Within her role, she manages all areas of the College alongside her leadership team.

Sarah joined Central Bedfordshire College as Vice Principal in 2012 and was later appointed as Acting Principal in 2022.

Robin Webber-Jones

Principal of Tresham College, National College for Motorsport and the Sixth Forms

As Principal for Tresham College, Robin Webber-Jones is responsible for overseeing the campuses in Corby, Kettering, and Wellingborough, The National College for Motorsport, alongside The Bedford Sixth Form and The Corby Sixth Form. Passionate about providing life-enhancing education opportunities for individuals of all ages, Robin began working for the Group in the Autumn of 2022.

Vice Principals

Supporting the new Principals will be a number of Vice Principals to ensure individual campuses meet the local needs of the community and employers, whilst ensuring best practice is shared across the Group.

Vice Principals at Bedford College: Gail Cocozza, Alex Mortby and Dave Wilkins

Vice Principals at Central Bedfordshire College:

Karyn Godfrey and Rachel Seddon

Vice Principal at Shuttleworth College: Dr Catherine Lloyd

Vice Principals at Tresham College: Dr Jo Baxter, Nick Haywood and Dr Mohammad Milani

Vice Principal for Group-Wide Maths, English and Progression Pathways:

Nina Sharp

The Bedford Sixth Form and The Corby Sixth Form

Helen Smith (as Group Head of Sixth Forms)

Rachel Nicol Director of Governance and Clerk to the Corporation rnicol@bedford.ac.uk

Corporation News

The Corporation are very pleased to support the merger between The Bedford College Group and Central Bedfordshire College (“CBC”) from today. A detailed meeting took place in December to consider the due diligence reports and the board formally approved the merger last week.

On behalf of the Corporation – a very warm welcome to all the staff and students of Central Bedfordshire College and thank you to the management team for their hard work to-date.

In anticipation of the merger, reflecting on campusbased management and the ever growing legal and regulatory duties on our volunteer governors, we are currently carrying out a review of our governance structure. Any recommendations will focus on the need to drive improvement for students as well as supporting local needs.

We are delighted to announce that the Governance Committee has so far recommended two appointments from the current CBC board. This will add strength in terms of local knowledge of the area, strategic vision and educational expertise. A meeting with a further applicant is scheduled to take place in the forthcoming weeks.

Whilst the board of Bedford College Services Limited has strong representation from Northamptonshire the Corporation recognises that it would benefit from further knowledge of the region in due course and has factored this into board succession planning.

The Corporation are also leading the recruitment for the new CEO in 2024 supported by professional recruitment consultants FE Associates and the HR team. Interviews will take place at the end of March.

JOIN THE BERA BCF Project Workshop: WEDNESDAY 26 April 2023

As part of the BERA BCF curriculum investigation project, the project team are running a series of workshops with colleagues and students. The project title is: Students as the Co-creators of the Sustainability Curriculum: Developing an Introductory Course on Climate Chang, Social Justice and Sustaibility. The project aims to develop materials for an introductory module on climate change, social justice and sustainability to offer to the Group’s students as well as share with other colleges across the country.

This workshop will be with both staff and students and will take place on Wednesday 26 April to assess and finalise the proposed topics and the content of the module. It will be a unique opportunity for you to engage and participate in this course development process. There will then be another follow-up workshops engaging both staff and students on 24th May 2023. These sessions will be accessible both over Microsoft Teams and in-person and run from 12.15pm to 13.15pm.

Faheem Mir Cathy Barr

AoC BEACON AWARD WINNERS 2023

Deputy CEO, Em Lowe and EDI Manager, Ashley Spiers were joined by former EDI lead for the Group, Anastassia Parsons, to attend the AoC’s Beacon Awards held on Monday 27 February alongside other finalists from colleges across the country.

We are delighted to announce that The Bedford College Group was announced as the winner of The National Centre for Diversity Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership 2023. This demonstrates the Group’s commitment to providing an inclusive learning and working environment for all students and staff. The National Centre for Diversity’s Award for Inclusive Learning Leadership category was one of 12 examined under the AoC scheme and all those shortlisted demonstrated “a high level of innovation, impact and sustainability.”

Hosted at One Great George Street, a stone’s throw from the Houses of Parliament, the AoC Beacon Awards capture and celebrate the best and most innovative practice among UK further education colleges. The aim of the awards programme is to demonstrate and promote the far-reaching impact of colleges on their students and the communities they serve. The commended and winning case studies will be used to increase understanding of colleges’ contribution to educational skills policy and economic and social development.

Em Lowe, Deputy Chief Executive added: “This is a tribute to the commitment of everyone across all our college campuses to promote and embed inclusive values which support all our students and staff.”

If you are interested in putting yourself, your team, a colleague or a student forward as a nominee for national or local awards please contact omorton@bedford.ac.uk who will be able to provide more details on the process and help with award entries on behalf of the Group.

Ashley Spiers EDI Manager

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

Why is everyone talking about trans people?

Trans people are no greater threat than anyone else. They are endlessly having to explain the issues, debate and controversy that is happening around them.

Anti-trans rhetoric is now common in the UK media. The gender-critical movement has gained momentum in the last 10 years. Gender-critical people and specifically ‘Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists’ are those who believe that in order to be a woman you have to have been born biologically female. This group therefore believe that trans women are not women and oppose trans access to women’s spaces such as bathrooms and sports groups. Like many historical oppositions to human rights, the GC movement relies on many mistruths around the protection of women and children to move forward the narrative. This in turn amplifies the notion that trans people are deviant, sexual predators who use their trans identities to access women’s spaces and commit crimes. This discriminatory notion is spurred on by high profile celebrities and senior politicians who bring the rhetoric into the mainstream. Despite this 67% of the British public support trans people to live however they wish.

In December the Scottish parliament passed a bill to make legal gender recognition easier for trans people. Currently in the UK, for trans people to be legally recognised as their gender they need to be living as their ‘acquired gender’ for two years, providing proof of this every two months, a gender dysphoria diagnosis, records of surgery and consent from a spouse.

This information is sent to the ‘gender confirmation board’ who then decide if you can be your gender.

The changes that the Scottish government committed to would make this process easier. It takes away a majority of the paperwork and allows people to apply from the age of 16. It includes legal protection against misuse. This is usually referred to as self ID. Over 30 countries have this in place and there has been no evidence of people going through a three month gender recognition process in order to attack women. Argentina have had this in place since 2012 and there was no change in the number of cases of violence against women involving trans women.

On February 11th this year Brianna Ghey was murdered in a park in Warrington. She was a 16 year old trans woman. Immediately the police said they were not treating this as a hate crime. The Times actively sought and used Brianna’s previous name for their coverage. Brianna was an openly trans woman who lived authentically as herself and had a large online presence. Following years of anti-trans sentiment and online abuse she was seemingly killed by two of her peers in broad daylight. Because of the regressive UK laws around gender recognition she will be misgendered on her death certificate.

The Bedford College group are a trans-inclusive organisation and are committed to supporting our trans and non-binary staff, students, visitors and the wider community.

Wednesday 8 March International Womens Day

Thursday 16 March Young Carers Awareness Day

Monday 15-21 May Mental Health Awareness Week

June LGBTQ+ Pride Month

JOIN A FORUM

There are many ways to get involved in improving decision making processes, policy making and identifying ways to celebrate success through joining one of our many forums hosted throughout the year. Please feel free to find out more about each of the following by emailing the contact and register your interest in attending the next meeting.

DisAbility Advisory Group:

This forum is available to all members of staff with experience of, or an interest in, disability issues. All staff from the Group are invited to join and contribute to the Forum at any time. The Forum provides advice and guidance on disability issues and supports the Group to provide an inclusive environment and equity of outcome for people with a disability by:

• Providing a forum for the discussion of disability issues within the Group

• Informing policy development and decision-making at the Group in relation to disability equality and inclusion.

Please email lbedworth@bedford.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest.

LGBTQ+ Forum:

Everybody is welcome to join the LGBTQ+ staff community and allies in termly Teams meetings, gatherings and hopefully socials later in the year. Come and join us to make a difference within Group.

For more details and meeting links email or teams Phil pwells@bedford.ac.uk

LEAF - LGBTQ+ in Education & Alternative Provision Forum

New this year is the Group’s forum that focuses on sexual orientation and gender identity in education known as LEAF. LEAF is an inclusive entity which is available to people working in (or closely with) education who have an interest in LGBTQ+ issues, regardless of their own sexual orientation or gender identity. Members may be EDI or inclusion leads, LGBTQ+ coordinators or any practitioner/educator from primary, secondary, FE, HE or specialist provision. It aims to support settings in developing good practice in relation to providing a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students and staff, and address issues and barriers related to LGBTQ+ inclusion across Bedford Borough. There will be many opportunities for members to share good practice and successes.

Please email aspiers@bedford.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest.

Men’s Health Forum:

The Men’s Health Forum encourages the Group to be responsive to the multitude of men’s health issues, or challenges that specifically affect male staff and students. Alongside our other diversity forums, this will feed into the EDI committee, making recommendations based upon feedback from students and staff about the realities of men’s health – as well as opportunities to celebrate awareness days, events and other relevant, pertinent issues. Anyone with an interest in Men’s health will be able to approach and join, regardless of their own gender identity. Please email swilson@bedford.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest in joining or would like further information.

Multi-faith Network:

This network will increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities across the college group and support understanding between people of differing religious and non-religious beliefs. If you are interested in getting involved in this brand new diversity network please contact Abby Smith on abbsmith@bedford.ac.uk

Race Equality Forum:

This is an inclusive group for everyone regardless of ethnic identity or background and College staff are invited to join in at any time.

Any colleague can join the network, whether you identify as Black, Asian, from any minority ethnic background or you’re an ally. The purpose of the group is to discuss issues in relation to ethnic background, cultural diversity and race, share experiences in a safe and supportive environment, network with others who have encountered similar barriers at work, share concerns and make recommendations to ensure inclusion is indeed being practiced within departments and with our students.

The forum informs Group wide policy development and decision-making to ensure that a diverse equality perspective is proactively considered by managers and senior leaders, challenges the senior management to implement systems, processes and procedures that eliminate possible barriers for race equality and supports the celebration of diversity across cultures and ethnic identities.

Please email sknight@bedford.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest.

Unity Forum:

Are you passionate about inclusion and fairness? Our ‘Unity’ forum champions equity, promotes diversity and works towards a culture across the Group that is respectful and inclusive of everyone regardless of their differences. Set up last summer, we continue to welcome members of staff to join us for termly discussions. The forum allows us to bring together members of our current diversity forums - and these groups will continue to run and champion their distinct areas of diversity.

The Unity Forum helps the Group to be responsive to the differing needs of staff and students, making recommendations based upon feedback from students and staff about the realities of unfairness and discrimination – as well as identifying opportunities to celebrate successes. We aim to be a visible body for unity, and anyone will be able to approach and join. Please email aspiers@bedford.ac.uk if you would like to register your interest.

Women’s Staff Network:

The Women’s Staff Network is an inclusive group which is open to all staff members (including allies).

The purpose of the network is to not only provide a safe space for women/anyone identifying as female to share challenges, but also to raise awareness for the discussion of gender equality issues at college and inform policy development and decision-making at the college on issues affecting all women/those identifying as women.

If you are interested in joining the Women’s Network (we meet at least once a term), please contact Hayley hwedgwood-setchell@bedford.ac.uk

Caroline Biddle Executive Director of Human Resources cbiddle@bedford.ac.uk

Wellbeing Resources & Discounts

Our Wellbeing Group looks at resources and initiatives to support the wellbeing of all staff across the Group.

Finally, we continue to review Martin Lewis’s top tips for the month so you don’t have to.

This month’s best tips include: 50 plus supermarket coupons and deals: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ latesttip/#supermarket

Savings’ boosters with the best accounts: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/savingsaccounts-best-interest/

Birthday freebie – free treats and discounts on your birthday: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/birthdayfreebies-discounts/

A wellbeing page, which highlights resources, initiatives and guides for managers and staff on a wide range of wellbeing subjects can be found on the Connect Intranet via the following link: https://college.oak.com/Home/Index/59465601-e4a64eb9-9348-cf94bf1a2c88

With the cost of living challenges continuing across the UK, the Group’s focus for 2022/23 is Financial Wellbeing and in this addition, we want to remind you of the Group’s reward programme that offers discounts and cashback offers to numerous companies. The link to the Reward Gateway can be found on Connect intranet at: https://college.oak.com/Content/Page/Index/d94dcdf7505c-4ae9-ae44-3b5c8861d43e

Summer plants bundle (39 plants) for just £11: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/thompsonand-morgan/#54679

Join the learner engagement 23/24 steering group

A new steering group looking at the new learner engagement 23/24 processes has been established as we start to prepare for the new academic year as a newly merged organisation. Specifically, this group will establish and monitor four key strands of operational activity: Welcome days, Conversion, Enrolment and Induction.

Strand leads are currently compiling membership from representation across all three main campuses to support this review. If this is something of interest, or you would like to find out further information, please contact the chair of the steering group, Debbie Houghton, at dhoughton@bedford.ac.uk for more information.

Professional Development For All

As a staff member of The Bedford College Group all staff benefit from the following:

All staff:

• 2 x College Development Days per year

• 1 x Staff Conference

• 1 free course per person, per year

• A generous PD offer (may be subject to 2 year commitment)

• Access to the Staff Lounge area on Connect

• Risk It! mentoring support

• Recommended 5 x development days per year.

Teaching staff

In addition to the above, teaching staff also receive:

• 1 x Golden Hour per week (protected development time)

• Advanced Practitioner support for every department

• Specialised new teacher support.

What you want or need to develop will be decided in one of four ways:

If the development you would like to do has a financial cost or results in a qualification you should apply for Professional Development support.

Once you know that you need to apply for it, the process is simple:

1. Discuss with your line manager

2. If you want Professional Development support apply using the form on the Intranet

3. Your line manager will be asked to approve the request (and if you are applying for Teacher Training so will the Teacher Ed. Team)

4. We will process the request

5. Discuss this development and the impact it has had in your next Risk It! meeting.

All applications are processed according to the Professional Development Policy. Some requests will be straight forward, others will need to be reviewed by a panel.

The Professional Development team will communicate with you throughout the process and are always happy to be contacted by Teams or email.

For more information about accessing Professional Development visit their dedicated area on CONNECT intranet here: https://college.oak.com/Home/ Index/4cf5c535-9a96-4ce0-bf74-5c14bf716635

Staff Social Group Staff Resources

The Staff Social Group aims to provide social events for staff across The Bedford College Group.

Emails are shared throughout the year with details of discounted tickets available for activities across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire and sometimes further afield.

Future events can be found in the calendar on the intranet but previous events include:

• Quiz nights

• Summer BBQ

• Christmas buffet

• Theatre trips

• Cinema events

• Visits to zoos, theme parks and other attractions.

The staff social group hope to organise future events which may include:

• Sporting events

• More theatre trips

• More movie nights

• Attraction visits, such as Harry Potter Experience and Legoland.

The SSG welcomes staff from across all campuses of the Group and would like to hear from staff from newly joined Central Bedfordshire College for ideas for events or generally contribute to the Staff Social Group. If you are interested please email ssg@bedford.ac.uk

In addition to organising fun trips, the Staff Social Group also co-ordinates the annual staff awards.

In recent months work has been carried out across the Group’s staff intranet, CONNECT, to improve how staff find useful resources and links.

All new members of staff to the Group receive a welcome tutorial when they first login to the intranet and we recommend that you take a few minutes to look through the newly launched homepage that has short cuts to Policies and Procedures and links to useful forms and processes for working here such as using iTrent.

Policies and Procedures Index

https://college.oak.com/Home/Index/0db8b9c3-89264542-830f-c267937b2ba5

Have Your Say

https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/contact/

iTrent

https://college.oak.com/Content/Page/Index/d94dcdf7505c-4ae9-ae44-3b5c8861d43e

Helpdesks

https://college.oak.com/Content/Page/Index/99869f46c9f5-45d2-ae45-c5631d19a6f9

Professional Development

https://college.oak.com/Home/Index/4cf5c535-9a964ce0-bf74-5c14bf716635

There is a bank of useful videos within the system from uploading a news story to the news column of the homepage, updating personal details and using the search function.

Intranet

Help

https://college.oak.com/assistance/KnowledgeBase/#/ If you have any questions about the intranet and accessing the system please log a help ticket using the Marketing Helpdesk system or email: communications@bedford.ac.uk

In addition to sharing key news, updates, policies and producedures within the intranet, an email is shared with all staff every Tuesday afternoon during term time with key updates from across the Group.

All staff at Central Bedfordshire College will be issued with usernames and passwords in the w/c 27 February to allow them access to the intranet but if you have any queries please email communications@bedford.ac.uk

Lynsey Travers HR Manager - Human Resources

STAFF PERKS

Rewards for staff at The Bedford College Group – Saving you money everyday

What is The Bedford College Perks Scheme?

The Perks Scheme is available to all core staff and offers a variety of discounts at retailers from fashion, books, dining, pets, travel and many more.

How can I save money?

Instant Vouchers – you can purchase vouchers for a set amount and a discount will be applied. Most supermarkets offer at least 4% discount, saving you money on your weekly shop. Other offers are:

• EasyJet – Save up to £200 with a discount code plus 2% cashback

• Clarks – Save 10% in-store

• Ocado – Save £30 with a discount code and earn up to 3% cashback

Cashback – Earn money when you shop online. Any cashback you earn can be used as you wish either towards future purchases or transferred to your bank account. Current offers are:

• Nike – Earn up to 7%

• Halfords – Earn 2%

• Expedia – Earn 8%

How do I access the Perks Scheme?

You can access The Bedford College Group Perks via the Quick Links on Connect or download the ‘SmartSpending’ app through Google Play or Apple App Store!

When you access the Perks Scheme, you will also have access The Wellbeing Centre and the Social Recognition Wall.

News from the Wellbeing Centre

The Wellbeing Centre provides education, support and tools to help you live a healthier and happier life, because your wellbeing matters.

Walking outside, or spending time in green space, can reduce negative thoughts and boost self-esteem. You can access all this:

• Fitness Video of the Week ‘Kickboxing Class’ –a high energy total body workout that will burn calories while challenging your stamina and coordination

• Expert guides, tips and tools to help you manage your money better and improve your financial wellbeing

• A collection of mindfulness audios and tips to reduce stress and help you sleep better

• Recipe of the Day ’BBQ Beef Ragu Rigatoni’ plus others such as Mexican Beanie Tostada or Creamy Spiced Lentil and Chicken Curry.

Social Recognition Wall

The Social Recognition Wall is your way of making someone feel special through recognition. You can recognise another staff member for a job well done, living the values or celebrate an occasion.

It is great to see that staff have been recognising their colleagues and sending cards to say ‘Thank You’ and ‘Just Because’.

If you wish to make someone’s day by sending an e-card please visit the Bedford College Perks scheme at https://bedford.rewardgateway.co.uk/SmartHub and click on Say Thank You

Discounts for staff in education

For exclusive discounts, cashback and vouchers for Teachers and all Education staff, join FREE today at https://www.discountsforteachers.co.uk/ Discounts for Teachers has something for everyone!

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Opening of £6+ Million Health, Science & Digital Skills Centre in Bedford College

Work is currently still underway to transform the Bedford College 1960’s tower block at Cauldwell Street. The refurbished site will open up as a state-of-the-art science and technology building at the end of 2023.

The £6+ Million Health, Science & Digital Skills Centre will include high-specification computer labs and the very latest scientific equipment, helping the College to establish an advanced digital and scientific skills offer in Bedford. It is predicted that the new Centre will attract an additional 250 students each year and will offer degrees and advanced-level qualifications so that students can progress further and develop the cutting-edge skills required by employers.

The Corby Sixth Form

The Group are currently transforming Chisholm House in Corby Town Centre into a brand-new £9.5 million Sixth Form which will be open in the Autumn Term of 2023. The 4,000 sq ft Corby Sixth Form will comprise an impressive new entrance extension, more than 25 classrooms, stateof-the-art science labs, resource centres and performance areas. The students will be able to enjoy an external roof terrace, and a modern café and common room areas.

As well as focusing on improving the skills of the young people within Corby and North Northamptonshire, locating the Centre within Chisholm House – a long-term vacant building – will regenerate the town. The Centre will

also be a carbon neutral building, utilising the latest green technologies within the refurbishment.

Funded by the Corby Town Fund, The Corby Sixth Form will bring 100’s of students and staff into the town centre.

£2 Million Investment at Shuttleworth College

A redevelopment of Kingshill Farm (part of Shuttleworth College) will support curriculum change to deliver the T Levels in Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care. The funds come, in part, from Government T Level grants and from The Bedford College Group. The money will provide high-quality teaching accommodation and fit-forpurpose facilities which will in turn provide an inspiring environment for students at the Old Warden Park setting. The site currently provides an educational setting for students who are involved in all aspects of farm and habitat management. This plays an important role in developing skills with both arable and livestock enterprises and providing a wider understanding of land management.

This investment will enable the effective utilisation of new and emerging technologies, providing workshop and classroom space.

Kingshill Farm will provide the focus for the occupational specialisms of crop production, livestock production, and habitat management (land and water) as well as providing access to livestock to enhance the experience of the animal management T Level students.

The strong focus on sustainability and the use of regenerative farming methods provide an excellent resource for the delivery of the core knowledge and understanding required in the T Levels. This aligns with the current sector focus on improving the environment, reducing carbon emissions and improving animal health and welfare.

The farm development will include innovative and advanced technology available to farmers and growers at the forefront of the sector (e.g., GPS/Satellite imagery, robotics, drones). These new facilities will promote an industry and employment-centred ethic to stimulate and inspire students and industry representatives in current and novel technologies. This also includes the technologies in breeding, rearing and managing livestock to optimise welfare and production.

Central Bedfordshire College’s Leighton Buzzard Campus

We are currently undertaking significant research with the local community and educational leaders in and around Leighton Buzzard so that we can develop the campus to meet local skills needs.

Across the region

BIGGER BETTER TOGETHER

From today, The Bedford College Group spans from North Northamptonshire, through Bedfordshire to Central Bedfordshire becoming one of the top 10 largest education providers in the country. This map shows the main campuses and their locations.