Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020
Contents Introduction Our Commitment Our Equality Aims The Impact of Our Actions for Our Board and Staff Bolton College in its Local Context English as a Second or Additional Language Our Approach to the Promotion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion College Estate Our Learner Profile Overall Outcomes for Learners Outcomes for Young People Outcomes for Adults Outcomes for Apprenticeships Our Staff Our Board Celebrating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Fostering Good Relations
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p3 p4 p6 p8 p9 p14 p15 p19 p22 p25 p30 p33 p36 p40 p43 p45
I am delighted to introduce our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion report. The findings reinforce the College’s commitment not only to be an open access organisation but also to celebrate the variety of cultures and backgrounds from which our College family is made up. The report profiles our learners, workforce and Board members’ protected characteristics and shows how we are responding to our legal responsibilities to tackle discrimination and how we promote our beliefs.
Introduction
A very warm welcome to everyone.
We are really proud of the progress we have made to foster good relationships and advance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Very best regards,
Bill Webster Principal
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020
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Our Commitment
Bolton College is committed to the promotion and development of equality of opportunity, valuing and celebrating the diversity of all of our staff and students and being inclusive to all of the College’s communities. Our commitment to the promotion and development of equality of opportunity, valuing and celebrating the diversity of all of our students and staff and inclusive approach to all of the College’s communities and partnerships is reflected in the College’s mission statement: ‘Bolton College will enable individuals, businesses and communities within Bolton and the City Region to realise their potential through education and training that is inclusive, inspiring, innovative and responsive to their needs’.
Our mission is underpinned by the following values, which embed our strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion: • Excellence in all we do
• Religion or belief • Sex • Sexual orientation • Marriage and civil partnership
• Ensuring learning and the learner Bolton College plays an integral are at the heart of everything we role in promoting social inclusion both within the college do community and within the wider • Equality of opportunity and Bolton context and its diverse celebration of diversity communities, and we work collaboratively with a range of • Serving our community community organisations and • Honesty and professionalism other partners to tackle social • Caring for the environment and exclusion, address discrimination the communities we serve and promote community cohesion. We provide a safe and supportive environment for all, which values individuals equally, regardless of: • Age • Disability • Gender reassignment • Pregnancy and maternity • Race
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The College is responsive to the needs of the local community and the success of all our learners is at the heart of everything we do.
We are home to people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds with diverse beliefs, values and abilities. We celebrate diversity and aim to meet the needs of all individuals and encourage them to share their experiences and beliefs. We are highly inclusive and committed to reducing gaps in attainment amongst individuals from all backgrounds, including those who have not traditionally accessed education or training. We welcome learners and staff with learning difficulties or disabilities and support them in accordance of their needs. We want everyone to feel comfortable and secure enough to be themselves; we do not tolerate harassment, bullying, victimisation or discrimination. Our Single Equality Scheme incorporates our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. This document is available on our website within our EDI section. www.boltoncollege.ac.uk/ equality-diversity-report
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020
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Our Equality Aims 6
The College has the following equality aims:
Equality Aims 1
To continue to improve staff and student awareness of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through active promotion within curriculum, staff and development of our EDI Champions.
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To continue to improve the diversity of our workforce and Board by narrowing the gap between those and the communities we serve.
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To create an inclusive environment that improves staff and student understanding about the use of data collection being used to drive equality forward; and encourages the fostering of good relations across diverse groups.
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To achieve and maintain a good satisfaction rate amongst students and staff in excess of 90% by 2023 in relation to perceptions that they are treated fairly whilst at College and that this will be analysed across all monitored protected characteristics.
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To narrow the gaps in achievement rates year on year to an average of 2% or less, across all provision by 2023, for all monitored characteristics.
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To widen participation by protected groups in franchised HE and Apprenticeships and to increase the number of learners enrolled in gender stereotypical curriculum areas by at least 1% year on year.
Celebrating Success
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, was Bolton College’s guest of honour at a dazzling ‘Celebrating Success’ awards dinner. A diverse selection of Bolton College learners met the Mayor at the awards ceremony, which was organised by the College following outstanding achievements both inside and outside of the classroom. Learners from different curriculum areas, and a diverse range of backgrounds, enjoyed a three course dinner, courtesy of the College’s catering students. Andy Burnham said:
‘Bolton College is such a positive place to learn and I am so proud of the College and these wonderful learners. There is so much talent and potential in Greater Manchester and it’s a joy to see it being celebrated.’ Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020
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The impact of our actions for our Board & Staff
• We collect staff information in relation to all nine protected characteristics for all newly recruited staff. We also continue to refresh the data for existing staff by promoting its importance and providing lots of opportunities for staff to complete updates. • We will be able to report on information in relation to all nine protected characteristics for our Board and this will form part of a report covering 2020-21. • There continues to be progress in the improvement of the data collection system in order to be able to report on trends over time and on staff development, leavers, promotions, pay, recruitment and parental leave. • The College has systems in place to monitor the number of applications shortlisted/not shortlisted and appointed by protected characteristic.
• The College continues to take steps to have a reflective workforce narrow the BME gap between the workforce and the Board and one that reflects the student population and wider community. However, the College has a stable staff turnover, which does mean that we are unable to make a significant impact quickly. Our average BME staff in 2020 was 16.91% which is an increase of 2.47% from the same time in the previous year. • The College continues to take steps to increase the amount of staff disclosing disability. Approximately 6% of our workforce declares themselves as having a disability which is an increase of circa 1%. • The College will continue to highlight to the Board the actions and impact in relation to staff and learner equality matters. • The College will continue to further develop ways in which to drive equality, diversity and inclusion forward.
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Throughout the Council quality assurance scrutiny of teaching and learning observations, of the community learning provision, it was evident that the Bolton College staff are highly skilled at creating an inclusive learning environment. The relationships among learners and staff are positive and respectful.
Adult Education Manager, Bolton Council, Self-Assessment Evaluation 19-20
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Bolton has a population of 285,400 which is both economically and ethnically diverse. 19.1% of the population consider themselves to be part of one of the non-white ethnic minorities with those from an Indian background constituting the largest minority group. Bolton includes some of the most affluent areas in the region and some of the poorest. Almost 43% of the borough’s population live in neighbourhoods that are amongst the 25% most deprived in England and Wales. (Nomis 2019)
Deprivation At 8.5% Bolton’s unemployment rate is the highest it has been since records began in 2004, having been hit particularly hard by job losses due to the impact of the Covid pandemic (Nomis 2019). Bolton has the third highest unemployment rate (and second highest in terms of total number of claimants) in Greater Manchester (GM 7.7%) with the national rate for England and Wales at 6.3%. Bolton’s working population is also less economically productive than other areas (having 5% less productivity than the national average) largely due to a high proportion of long term sick residents which is 7.4% above the national average (OfNS Nov 2020).
Following the Covid pandemic the overall unemployment rate of 8.5% varies considerably across different age & sex groups in Bolton, impacting young males in particular. Out of the 14,925 people claiming unemployment in December 2020, almost two thirds (9,000) were male and one third (6,000) female. The most prominent age group for claiming unemployment benefits were those aged 16-24. 12% of males aged 16-24 were claiming unemployment benefits, which was 1.5 times the rate of females in that age group, at 8%. (Bolton Council data Dec 2020).
Bolton College in its Local Context
Population
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020
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Bolton College in its Local Context (Continued)
According to the latest census, Christianity is the predominant religion in the borough with 63% of residents identifying as Christians. Islam and Hinduism are also significant faiths (12% and 2% of the population, respectively). 17% of residents identify as having no religion. Bolton is a key area for resettlement of asylum seekers in the North West, with 1,012 people being supported in the town in 2018, the sixth highest population of any town or city in the UK. This accounted for 0.36% of the borough’s population (Statista). Although it has dropped in recent years the percentage of NEET (Not In Education, Employment or Training) 18 year olds remains stubbornly high at 6.2%. Many of our learners face a number of barriers to their learning and we are highly successful in supporting them to achieve through a wide range of mechanisms.
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Learners are supported and challenged to develop an understanding and appreciation of diversity. The College provides a wide range of opportunities for learners to give back to their local community, be active citizens and contribute positively to society.
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Adult Education Manager, Bolton Council, Self-Assessment Evaluation 19-20 10
Employers & Employment The labour market in Bolton has changed markedly since before the pandemic with some sectors, such as hospitality, leisure and non-food retail having experienced significant decline over the past twelve months. On the other hand other sectors such as health and social care, food production, logistics, construction, digital and education have seen an increase in activity and demand for skills.
Both average workplace (£22,068 pa) and resident (£22,819 pa) wages in Bolton are below those of Greater Manchester (£25,108 and £24,945 respectively). This suggests that better equipping residents is still an important challenge for Bolton. Better skills mean that residents could access higher value employment, either in Bolton or outside, expanding the opportunities available for residents.
At Bolton College we make every effort to strategically plan our curriculum with such labour market intelligence in mind so that we ensure we are giving our students the right skills for employment and career development as well as promoting economic prosperity across Bolton and the Greater Manchester region. In December 2020 there were 28,978 jobs being advertised across Greater Manchester and 692,391 across the UK as a whole (source GMCA). Within Bolton, the majority (88%) of businesses are micro businesses, with 0-9 employees. This is similar to the North West (88.3%) and the UK.
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 11
Case Studies
Dominic Porter Progression Service Dominic was referred to the Progression Service and he said that he’d love a job at the Amazon Warehouse. A full-time job opportunity at the Bolton Depot was found, and the Service supported Dominic throughout the whole process, from application to interview. He secured the role and the team helped him to settle into his new role on his first day. Dominic’s initial experience at Amazon was difficult as his support needs had not been communicated to his supervisors, so the Progression Service liaised with Amazon HR and Dominic was given a full assessment. This resulted in appropriate support: shortened hours; more breaks; a buddy; one set station; and extra help to learn new tasks. Dominic’s now happy and settled and he hopes to eventually secure a permanent position.
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Arron Clarke - Progression Service After initial discussions with Arron and his mum, we created a support plan with Arron signing up for Universal Credit, creating a CV and joining agencies that could offer him work on construction sites. Arron failed to attend his appointments with us initially, because mum decided that she would help Arron, and there was no need for any input from the Progression Service. However, she eventually called to say he was struggling to find work and his mental health was suffering. Both came into College and we discovered that he hadn’t signed up for Universal Credit nor had he been able to find work. We completed the benefit application with him and booked an appointment with the Careers Service to help him create a CV. We also got him involved with a charity called Third Space, where he renovated properties alongside qualified tradesmen, whilst attending team building sessions. He received excellent feedback and an excellent reference. Arron also had weekly one-to-one sessions where we job searched, applied for jobs, discussed any work-related issues and continued to build his confidence. He attended a placement in a furniture warehouse, which helped him to decide that his future definitely lay in construction. He’d accumulated a great set of skills, so we started to contact local construction companies to find him more practical work experience. Arron successfully passed an interview with a local construction company and he started further work experience, where he thrived – the company were very happy with his work. With this in mind, we told the company about the Government’s Kickstart scheme, which gives financial assistance towards employing a new trainee. The company applied and was awarded the grant, making Arron a paid employee! Arron is excited and hopeful about his future in the construction industry.
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Sabrina Leagger Owner of Taste of Greece ‘With the support of Sam and Hannah, we have been able to create a role for Alex that fits her skillset and compliments our business, so that she can experience a real work environment and learn new skills on the job. We love having Alex working with us.’
Adam Burns Owner of Alison’s Fish and Chip Shop ‘Working with the Progression Service has been a really good experience for all of our staff. We would never have considered having an employee like Aiden, but the experience has been really good and he is a real asset. Aiden is now a valued member of our team.’
Bolton Council Licensing Service ‘Bolton Council are committed to a high standard of safeguarding, and inclusive customer service, in the taxi industry of our borough. Bolton College ESOL department has been an invaluable partner in achieving this, supporting residents from all backgrounds to develop the competencies to become licensed taxi drivers.’
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 13
English as a Second or Additional Language
Bolton is an ethnically diverse borough, with approximately 21% of the population being born outside the UK and a large black and minority ethnic (BME) population, with 17% of residents considering themselves to be part of non- white ethnic groups and 83% of the population describing themselves as white British or from another white background. Bolton has sizeable Indian and Pakistani communities. The most recent figures state that these communities accounted for 7.8% and 4.3% respectively. Bolton is also home to new and emerging communities, who have settled in Bolton through economic migration or Britain’s refugee and asylum arrangements. Bolton has welcomed large numbers of asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East and the UNHCR’s Gateway Protection Programme has brought groups of refugees to Bolton from many countries, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Syria, DR Congo, Sudan, Burma, Iraq, and Somalia. All resettlement has been paused in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic but resettlement seems likely to continue via the planned UK Resettlement scheme (UKRS) once launched. While the years since the Brexit referendum have seen fluctuations in net migration from European countries, large numbers of existing migrants from EU countries such as Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, have settled in the borough. The vast majority have successfully applied for settled or pre-settled status. Trends suggest that increased non-EU migration is likely to compensate for reduced EU migration as the UK moves away from the European Union. All this contributes to a borough with a high degree of ethnic diversity, and an especially high demand for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) provision across Bolton, which the College continues to prioritise for curriculum offer. In 2019/2020 the College recruited a higher proportion of learners from minority ethnic backgrounds (52%) when compared to Bolton as whole (21%). The vast majority of these learners are disadvantaged with 66% of them coming from widening participation postcodes.
In response to local needs, the College offers a substantial ESOL curriculum delivered from our main campus as well as a variety of smaller community centres across the borough, located in areas of high deprivation. 90% of ESOL learners come from widening participation postcodes. Nearly 60% of the learners in the department were women during the academic year 2019/2020 indicating the key role ESOL classes play in supporting female migrants to integrate into life in the UK. Ethnicity data alone does not capture the stunning diversity of cultures that make up the cohort of ESOL learners at Bolton College. However a recent survey conducted on behalf of the Association of Colleges identified that there were over 70 different nationalities and first languages represented in the department. Very few of these learners have qualifications on entry because the majority are new arrivals to the UK. For a large number of learners on our Pre-entry and Entry Level 1 provision, this is their first experience of formal education in any setting. For higher level ESOL students the department offers excellent opportunities for progression to mainstream courses and there is now a direct progression pathway to HE Foundation courses at the University of Bolton for learners with prior achievement in their home countries.
‘17%
of secondary school children use a language other than English at home.
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Source: GOV.UK
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Latest Ofsted Inspection
In-year course attendance, retention, achievement, progress and success rates are monitored by protected characteristic. This approach was recognised by Ofsted in its latest inspection: “Managers and staff promote equality and diversity passionately and exceptionally well. Managers identify any particular groups of learners who do not achieve as well as others and put effective actions in place. Consequently, there are no significant differences in achievement between different groups of learners.”
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The College has an active approach to promoting and celebrating equality, diversity and inclusion. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive College with a real commitment to continually raising awareness of equality and diversity matters and minimising discrimination and prejudice. There is a senior strategic lead in place with the objective of ensuring a proactive approach is taken to promoting and monitoring EDI in our College.
Comprehensive systems are in place to regularly monitor the views of learners (questionnaires, focus groups, learning walks, student representatives). The student questionnaires include specific questions on aspects of EDI.
Our Approach to the Promotion of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
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Teachers use the EDI Champion calendar to plan for the embedding and promotion of EDI into lesson plans and schemes of work.
Managers and staff promote equality and diversity passionately and exceptionally well. There is a strong development of learners’ awareness of equality and diversity themes.
Quality Assurance Promotion EDI is embedded into all quality assurance mechanisms designed to drive improvement of teaching, learning and assessment, such as observations and walkthroughs of teaching, learning and assessment, learner surveys, course reviews, departmental and College self-assessment reports (SARs), performance management and quality improvement plans (QIPs).
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 15
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Teachers make good use of a range of learning resources and materials that celebrate diversity and that reflect their multi-racial society. Learners are respectful of each other and work well together in class. The teaching of fundamental British Values and equalities is integrated successfully into programmes. Tutorials are highly effective in promoting diversity and developing learners’ understanding of tolerance, respect and resilience.
• Teachers consistently deliver a respectful, supportive and fair approach. This is recognised by learners;
Latest Ofsted Inspection
• Themed tutorials are planned against a calendar of diverse events and delivered by the Learning and Development Mentor (LDM) team such as LGBT+ awareness, Black History Month, support for our partner charity FAST Romania, Stereotyping, Self-worth and Self-esteem, Anti-bullying and the College-wide Respect Week.
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Curriculum Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are embedded at the heart of our curriculum planning through a variety of activities such as: • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion awareness and promotion are embedded in session plans, schemes of work and tutorials • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is scheduled as a standard agenda item in all meetings and good practice is recorded and shared at meetings and through self- assessment. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion Calendar informs lesson planning. • Observation of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA) shows high achievement across College against the standard:
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“Learners enjoy an environment that supports and promotes good wellbeing, where they feel cared for, respected and safe”.
- 97% agreed with the statements: “I learn about British Values in class” and “I am treated fairly and with respect.” (QDP End of Course survey 19/20). • Teaching and learning materials used in lessons and Learning Resource Centres (LRCs) promote EDI and cultural awareness, with LRC staff members acting as champions. Dedicated EDI teaching and learning Moodle resources have been created, aiming to widen the sharing of good practice and the ease of accessing materials.
• In March 2019 the College was re-accredited for ‘The Matrix Quality Award’ for its information, advice and guidance (IAG) services. The award recognised that ‘Equality and diversity, confidentiality, impartiality and professional integrity are all robustly addressed in policy documentation and staff confirmed that these matters are frequently introduced into discussions at team meetings and in individual meetings with managers. An appropriate mandatory training and refresher programme underpins key aspects.”
Student Support The College’s Wellbeing for Learning & Life Strategy and our whole college approach to becoming an Ace’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Aware organisation, drives the individualised wraparound support packages that students benefit from. Active promotion of anti- discrimination and anti-bullying and harassment ensures that learners know where to report and how to access support if they have any issues or concerns. Consistent and fair behaviour management and the proportionate use of our trauma informed Behaviour for Success Policy, support and challenge learners to behave appropriately and take responsibility for their actions. These approaches create a culture in which all can be heard and valued whilst harassment and bullying of any kind are minimised. The commitment and care for the welfare and success of Care Leavers is exceptional. Through the Student Services Manager, the College monitors the progress and outcomes for Care Leavers. The Student Services Manager regularly attends Bolton Council’s Corporate Parenting Board. This is a multiagency group designed to improve the prospects, raise aspirations and track the progress of Bolton Looked after Children/Care Leavers.
The College has invested in a highly skilled transition team that ensures learners with learning disabilities and/or difficulties, and looked after children have a smooth transition into College. This team provides a wide range of support for learners on all courses across the College provision. The College has an excellent reputation working with these learners and providing innovative and inclusive support packages according to learner need. This is demonstrated by the continued growth in the number of high needs learners choosing to come to Bolton College. In 2019-20 the Education Funding Agency (EFA) provided funding for 157 high needs learners, in line with the numbers from the previous year. High needs learners achieve and progress as well as or better than their peers and above national average for their category. The College provided high needs support for 165 learners in total during 2020-2021.
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College staff provide effective pastoral and learning support. They ensure that learners who require additional support make good progress. Learners with high needs quickly develop their skills and confidence to become independent.
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Latest Ofsted Inspection
The College has volunteer chaplains from the Christian and Muslim communities who visit Deane Campus regularly to offer Friday prayers and fortnightly Christian fellowship in the Quiet Room, as well as providing a listening ear for learners who feel they need to talk about faith or non-faith matters. .
At the operational level, the College is involved in a regular EET (Education Employment and Training) Group within the Borough which looks for practical solutions to help hard to place Care Leavers. Each Care Leaver who enrols at College is allocated a Student Mentor to help them with their journey through college life and charts their progress through a termly PEP (Personal Education Plan).
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 17
Case Study Josue Losasa Josue has been awarded the ‘Dr A G Peace Prize’ for his Outstanding Service to Bolton College. Josue has faced many challenges – he was new to the country when he first arrived at College and he needed to learn English. He also has faced some tough disability challenges during his time with us but Josue has proved he has the ability and determination to succeed. He has been a keen and reliable Student Volunteer with the College for several years now and is producing first class results on his Level 3 Business course. Josue does all this and with a big smile on his face – he inspires both staff and students alike and we wish him well as he takes his next step to university.
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Learners develop and adopt a positive awareness of equality and diversity and embrace British values, which are promoted well throughout lessons.
Latest Ofsted Inspection
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Campus. Black History Month is an example of awareness raising which took place. The College catering contractor, Catering Academy, continues to provide a range of food to satisfy the College’s diversity. As a result, the food offer is varied and satisfies all users in which menu choice is continuously refined and needs are met. For example, a separate halal area has been established and the menus altered to reflect this.
College Estate
Bolton College has made considerable investment in all the building stock and sites to improve and ensure access. Access improvements have included ramps and lift compliance features, extending doorways to ensure wheelchair access. Many main doors throughout the College have the facility to open automatically, again for equal access. Signs and surfaces have been altered to ensure support to the partially sighted. Work continues on all buildings as necessary, ensuring reasonable alterations are made. This includes substantial toilet facilities for people with disabilities. Parking for people with disabilities is available on appropriate car parks and continues to be improved. All buildings, and those recently developed, reach the highest standards of compliance for access. The College has utilised the services of AccessAble (previously known as DisabledGo, the UK’s leading provider of disabled access information. They are committed to providing disabled people with the information required to make informed choices, and to break down the barriers disabled people face accessing education, local services and employment). Every site in which the College operates from (Deane Road Campus, Deane and Derby, New Bury and Brownlow Fold) are reviewed on an annual basis and DisabledGo update their website to reflect building changes that have taken place. The College publicises and raises awareness of a number of national and local campaigns throughout the year by utilising a comprehensive digital signage system which is distributed within the buildings at the Deane Road
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 19
Marketing
Social Media
In the planning and implementation of its marketing and communications activities, the College aims to reflect the profile of the local population and the student body. To do this, it aims to ensure equality and diversity measures in respect of all the protected characteristics are taken into account to promote inclusiveness. The use of positive role models and case studies detailing success stories is also seen as important, particularly when targeting under-represented groups.
The College’s social media platforms are a key tool for connecting with learners, potential learners, stakeholders and members of the public. Posts and videos on all social media platforms – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube – reflect the diverse local population and student body.
As well as using appropriate imagery and non-discriminatory language, marketing materials and course information include a statement outlining the College’s commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity. Such materials are directed at encouraging the widest representation of cultural and social groups on College courses. Our recruitment website and all adverts state that we particularly welcome BME applicants and applicants with disabilities and we continue to promote images of balanced ethnicity around the College and on our website. The College ensures that all publicity, marketing materials and all activity on the College’s social media platforms is reviewed regularly by key stakeholder groups to ensure that they are appropriate and do not discriminate and/or reinforce stereotypes.
Student case studies, used frequently on social media, also reflect diverse backgrounds and champion the diversity of the College.
Young People’s Virtual Open Event The marketing team overcame the restrictions of the Covid pandemic by creating an accessible Virtual Open Event for young people. Watched by over 12,000 people, 40 videos gave prospective students access to the College from the comfort of their homes. Students from a diversity of backgrounds appeared in the videos, reflecting the rich tapestry of learners at the College. A ‘Learner Support’ video was also produced, highlighting extra support available for learners with protected characteristics.
Supporting the Bolton Family Over the pandemic, marketing engaged its partners and Team Bolton to produce ‘Supporting The Bolton Family’, an e-magazine for the people, partners and communities of Bolton. This extended the
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reach of vital information relating to health services, and also highlighted the many organisations offering support in the town.
Procurement The College recognises the requirement to address equality and diversity considerations within the procurement function. Suppliers are asked to provide confirmation of their compliance with legislation, as part of a pre-qualification or tendering exercise. Suppliers are required to disclose and provide details of any finding, in the past three years, of unlawful discrimination in the employment field or breaches of the Equality Act that has have been made against them by the Employment Tribunal, the Employment Appeal Tribunal or any court, or in comparable proceedings in any other jurisdiction.
Pay Equality The College is committed to the principle of equal pay for all our employees and we understand that equal pay between men and women is a legal right under both domestic and European law. It is in the interests of the organisation to ensure that we have fair and just pay systems and to assist with this we publish our gender pay details and have a gender pay action plan in place.
Our Approach to Disability
Disability Confident Employer
We provide communicators and scribes for learners both for on course activities and other activities such as reviews and university interviews. We can modify resources to include large print, audio, colour contrasted or Braille documentation and embossed diagrams if required by learners, staff and visitors. The College has a Materials Adaptation Unit that supports staff and learners with a visual impairment to engage with the College IT systems including Moodle.
Bolton College is a committed Disability Confident Employer and has been awarded the ‘disability confident’ symbol demonstrating we are recognised as an employer which made commitments to employ, keep and develop the abilities of disabled staff.
We are committed to assisting all members of staff with issues or concerns regarding their disability in the working environment.
The College demonstrates this in seven key areas. We: • Actively look to attract and recruit disabled people • Provide a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process • Offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job
• Are flexible when assessing people so disabled job applicants have the best opportunity to demonstrate that they can do the job • Proactively offer to make reasonable adjustments as required • Encourage our suppliers and partner firms to be Disability Confident • Ensure employees have appropriate disability equality awareness Whilst English is our principal language, we will endeavour to provide information relating to the documents we produce in other formats and languages.
As an approved Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to employing and supporting disabled people. We interview all applicants with a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy. Our recruitment website and all adverts state that we particularly welcome disabled applicants and prominently display the Disability Confident Employer logo. We work with Access to Work, Occupational Health and other specialist organisations to ensure the best support for staff is available. Interpreters are available for D/deaf staff in staff meetings. Counselling support has been provided to staff who required it and there is an Employee Scheme in place that provides a range of benefits for staff. We encourage all members of staff to develop and progress in their role and monitor this through annual staff performance development plans and recruitment activity.
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 21
Our Learner Profile 22
Our students are drawn from a wide area and our inclusive environment creates a multi-cultural and diverse student population, reflecting the local area that we serve. A significant percentage of people in our communities experience disadvantage and deprivation due to social and economic hardship and the College has responded to these challenges by adapting the recruitment, marketing and curriculum offer to meet the needs of the borough. During 19/20 62.4% of learners came from a widening participation background and 47.9% from a BME group (of those that declared it). The College believes passionately that disadvantage is a context not an excuse, and plays an important role in raising aspirations and supporting social mobility and economic growth.
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Senior managers and college staff have developed an inclusive learning environment where mutual respect and tolerance are emphasised. Most learners have a good understanding of diversity in modern Britain.
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Latest Ofsted Inspection
Learner Numbers by Age Group The College has a high volume of adults learners (69%) compared to young people (31%). This is a slight increase of young people over the past few years. The majority of young learners are full time and the majority of adults are part time. 19+
69% 31%
16-18
Learner Numbers by Ethnicity Enrolments of EMG (Ethnic Minority Group) learners have been increasing year on year and they are currently at 48% and significantly above that of the local population, which is 21%. A key contributor being a responsive and locally needed ESOL provision. Non BME
52%
BME
48%
Learner Numbers by Gender The College has a higher ratio of female learners (58%) than males (42%). This percentage is higher than that of females in the local population, which is 50.4%. 58%
Female 42%
Male
Learner Numbers Learning Difficulty The College provides a comprehensive and high standard of support for learners with a disability and/or learning difficulty, including learners with high needs. This was recognised as good practice in the latest Ofsted Report. From the learners who declared a learning difficulty, the highest percentage are those requiring dyslexia support (47%). Teachers and support teams work very closely together to ensure the needs of these learners are met and that they are supported effectively. Dyslexia
47%
Moderate learning difficulties
24%
Autism
12%
Other
7%
Severe learning difficulty
3%
Other specific difficulties
3%
Multiple learning difficulties Dyscalculia
2% 1%
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 23
Learner Number by Sexual Orientation The data collection has slightly improved with 62.5% of people disclosing their Sexual Orientation. However there is work to be done to encourage others to declare rather than for opting for ‘prefer not to say’.
0.61%
0.37%
0.88%
0.30%
Hetrosexual Prefer not to say Bisexual
37.59%
Other
60.26%
Lesbian Gay Man
Learner Numbers by Religion, Faith and Belief There has been a small increase (3%) of those declaring no faith and atheism with the most significant increase (7%) of those declaring the Muslim faith. Christian remains the highest of the declared faiths and has remained relatively static at 25%.
0.04%
32.32%
0.04%
5.10%
24.93%
1.07%
0.63%
1.35% 0.40%
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0.18%
10.64%
22.53%
0.76%
Agnosti c
Athei st
Buddhist
Christian
Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
None
Other
Pagan
Prefer not to say
Rasta
Sikh
Overall Outcomes for Learners
This section includes data for young and adult learners funded by the SFA and EFA, including our Community Learning funded learners and Higher Education learners.
‘
Managers identify any particular groups of learners who do not achieve as well as others and put effective actions in place. Consequently, there are no significant differences in achievement between different groups of learners.
’
Latest Ofsted Inspection
Overall Achievement by Age Group Outcomes for learners continue to improve year on year. The gap between adults and young people’s achievement has now closed to 1%. 89%
88%
87%
85%
88%
82%
% 2017/18
2018/19
16-18 19+
2019/20
Overall Achievement by Gender There have been steady increases in achievement for both males and females with no significant differences between then.
89% 88%
89%
87%
84%
%
83%
2017/18
2018/19
Female Male
2019/20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 25
Overall Outcomes for Learners (Continued)
Overall Achievement by LLDD Learners with a declared Learning Difficulty and/or Disability continue to achieve at the same rate of their peers who did not declare having a disability. 89%
89%
88% 87%
%
84%
84%
2017/18
2018/19
LLDD - Yes LLDD - No
2019/20
Overall Achievement by Supported and Not Supported Learning support continues to be effective with those learners being supported experiencing better success than their peers who did not declare having a disability, by 3%. 91%
89% 87%
88%
87%
%
82%
2017/18
2018/19
Yes No
2019/20
Overall Achievement by Ethnic Group BME learners continue to perform better than their White British peers by almost 2%.
90%
90% 88%
87% 85%
%
84%
2017/18
26
2018/19
2019/20
Non BME BME
Overall Achievement by Widening Participation There is no significant gap in the achievement of learners from households within widening participation post code areas and their peers.
87%
88%
89%
89%
%
84% 83%
2017/18
2018/19
Yes No
2019/20
Overall Achievement: Faith The gap between learners from non-faith groups and faith groups has narrowed from 3% in the preceding two years to 1% in 19/20.
89%
89%
88%
86%
85%
%
82%
2017/18
2018/19
Yes No
2019/20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 27
Case Studies Sally Fernandes Prince Health & Social Care Level 3 ‘I’m the mum of twin boys and I originally come from Guine-Bissau in West Africa, where I never had a chance to attend school. When I arrived in the UK I couldn’t speak English nor write – I had to sign my first passport with a cross and whilst there’s nothing wrong with that, when family members tell you you’re nothing, it makes you feel worthless. It did however spur me on, giving me the determination to be something, so I aimed to work hard and motivate myself. I started my education at New Bury Community Learning Centre and at first I was scared, but the team were wonderful! They made me feel so welcome and I joined the Women’s Wellbeing group, then I did a Community Learning Ambassador course which really boosted my confidence and pushed me to look for the next learning opportunity. Next, I did Maths and English, and a mentoring course. Then, I learned about Health & Social Care, which I am so passionate about. I’m currently studying for my Level 3 – now, I can look in the mirror and I tell myself, ‘You don’t have to sign your name with a cross anymore!’ At Bolton College, there’s an opportunity for people to improve themselves, all the way up to Higher Education – there are no barriers to learning. I never thought it would be possible to be in this position, but now that I’ve proved what I can do, I want more. My next goal is the University of Bolton for a three-year nursing degree and I have the passion and desire to get there. So if I, Sally Fernandes Prince, can do it so can you! Trust me, you can achieve anything when you put your mind to it and have a little help along the way. Without Bolton College’s teachers, I wouldn’t be fulfilling my dreams and I want to thank them from the very bottom of my heart.’
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Kevan Forkin Professional Cookery Level 3 ‘I’d been out of work for four years after working 23, due to a back injury - there were some very dark days when I wasn’t working and I was hospitalised on a couple of occasions. However, College helped me massively from the first day I started a course at Brownlow Fold Community Learning Centre. After receiving support from a Job Coach, I’ve found employment in the café at Heaton Fold Garden Centre. I can’t thank the staff at College enough because they’ve completely changed my life and turned it around.’
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 29
16-18 Achievement by Gender The achievement gap between males and females for young learners is less than 1%.
Outcomes for Young People
90%
30
88%
89%
88%
Female
%
86%
Male
84%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
16-18 Achievement by Declared LLDD Achievement rates for young learners with a declared Learning Difficulty and/or Disability has increased at a faster rate than their peers over the past few years and is now 0.3% higher.
90% 88%
88%
89%
%
86% 84%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Yes No
16-18 Achievement by Ethnic Group The 2% drop in the achievement of BME learners and a 4% increase for their non BME peers has closed the achievement gap to less than 1%.
93% 91% 89% 85%
%
85%
Non BME BME
83%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
16-18 Achievement by Widening Participation The gap continues to be 1% in the success rates of young learners from widening participation areas and their peers.
89%
89%
90%
88% 86%
%
85%
2017/18
2018/19
Yes No
2019/20
16-18 Achievement: Faith There is no significant gap in the achievement of young people within this protected characteristic.
88% 86%
89%
89%
90%
%
85%
2017/18
2018/19
Faith Non Faith
2019/20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 31
Karen Eckersley Award for Endeavour Jayne is a Level 2 Business student who despite her physical restrictions, is focused and always manages to achieve passes in her assignments. She started on Level 1 and progressed to Level 2, with the support of staff to physically hand her work, or read content out aloud owing to Jayne’s visual impairment. Jayne is confident in class, fast thinking and quick to answer questions accurately. She is well liked by her peers and staff and is always happy to chair learner voice meetings in class.
William Lyons Foundation Studies Step into Employability ‘I’ve been working in the College’s Diversity Food Court, which has been a very good experience. I’ve had lots of positive feedback from the staff and customers and I’ve really enjoyed the work environment.’
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Case Studies
Jayne Gray
Outcomes for Adults
19+ Achievement by Gender Female adults continue to achieve at a slightly higher rate than males although the gap has reduced from 2% to less than 1% over the past few years.
88% 87%
87%
87%
%
82%
Female Male
80%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
19+ Achievement by Declared LLDD The gap has narrowed from 3% to 1% as the achievement rate has increased faster for adult learners not declaring a learning difficulty and/or disability.
89% 87%
87%
88%
84%
%
Yes No
81%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
19+ Achievement by Ethnic Group Adults from BME groups continue to outperform their peers although the gap has decreased to 3%.
90%
89% 86%
84% 82%
2017/18
%
Non BME BME
81%
2018/19
2019/20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 33
Outcomes for Adults (Continued)
19+ Achievement by Widening Participation There is no achievement gap between adult learners from widening participation areas and their peers.
88%
87%
88%
86%
%
82%
Yes No
81%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
19+ Achievement: Faith The performance of learners from a non-faith group has increased at a faster rate than their peers over the past few years which has closed the achievement gap to 1%. 88%
88%
87% 85%
83%
%
80%
2017/18
34
2018/19
2019/20
Faith Non Faith
Case Studies
Miamia Kouri Variety of courses Miamia has overcome language barriers to excel in learning and improve her knowledge and skills. She is extremely bright, and after completing an ESOL course to improve her English skills, she continued her learning and development with a series of courses, including GCSE Maths. Miamia has accomplished so much in a short space of time. She would next like to secure a job in an adult care environment, before training as a nurse.
Siham Birbach Health & Social Care Level 3 Commended by the Mayor of Greater Manchester at the Celebrating Success Awards Siham’s progress has been considerable. She started on a community learning ‘Find Out About’ course then swiftly progressed through Levels 1, 2 and 3. Siham’s now secured a place at the University of Bolton, studying Adult Nursing. She truly embodies the spirit of community learning, and is proof that it helps broaden horizons. Nine other learners in Siham’s class have also followed the same path, starting on a community course before progressing to the University of Bolton.
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 35
Outcomes for Apprenticeships
Apprenticeship Achievement by Age Group There has been a significant swing with adult apprentices outperforming 16-18 apprentices for the first time in several years having seen an increase of 8% in achievement. Young apprentices continue to increase achievements at a more steady rate.
74% 72% 71%
70%
%
68%
16-18 19+
66%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Apprenticeship Achievement by Gender A significant increase in achievement for adult male apprentices now has them outperforming their female peers by 8%.
77%
%
71%
69%
68%
Female Male
69%
67%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Apprenticeship Achievement by Declared LLDD Following a significant dip in the achievement of apprentices with declared learning difficulties and/or disabilities in the previous year, there is now no significant gap as the difference is less than 1%.
68%
69%
70%
72%
73%
%
48%
2017/18
36
2018/19
2019/20
Yes No
Apprenticeship Achievement by Ethnic Group Achievement rates for BME learners continue to be marginally higher than those from non-BME groups.
76% 73%
71%
Non BME
%
68%
BME
65% 64%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Apprenticeship Achievement by Widening Participation The gap in achievement between learners from widening participation and their peers has closed significantly in the last year to 1%.
75%
74%
71%
73%
66%
62%
%
2017/18
Yes No
2019/20
2018/19
Apprenticeship Achievement: Faith The gap in achievement between learners from non faith and faith groups has also closed significantly in the last year and is now less than 1%. 76% 73% 72% 69%
%
Faith Non Faith
68% 67%
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 37
Case Studies Victoria Walsh Electrical Installation Apprenticeship Level 3 Working at Bolton at Home ‘Apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers, they’re a great way to get qualified, whatever your age. I’ve had so much support from Bolton College and Bolton at Home. Once I’m qualified, I’m planning on emigrating to New Zealand where there’s a skills shortage of electricians.’
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Naeem Khondoker IT/Helpdesk Technician Apprenticeship Level 3 Working at Bolton School ‘I’ve had so much support from Bolton College and Bolton School; I was never keen on learning in a classroom environment, so working whilst learning really suits me.’
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 39
Our Staff
Bolton College is an inclusive organisation and at the heart of our Single Equality Scheme is a commitment to achieving excellence through inclusion. Our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion is a broad one, however our key aim is to provide a working and learning environment which is free from discrimination and one which promotes and celebrates difference, and takes actions to narrow gaps in achievement. Our staff are key to achieving this. In support of the College-wide approach to EDI, the Human Resources team are at the cornerstone of this commitment. The team ensures that staff are treated fairly, with dignity and with respect. The HR team ensures that the College’s approach to the recruitment of staff and the promotion of staff supports the College values and that no-one is discriminated against because of their age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation (protected characteristics).
The HR team do this by being actively involved in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process. The HR team’s involvement is much broader than the recruitment of staff; the team also play a pivotal role in decisions affecting selecting staff who will be in receipt of funding for training/qualifications which would have an impact on potential promotional opportunities. This involvement not only ensures that appropriate procedures are being followed but also, from an EDI perspective, ensures that staff from protected characteristics are not disproportionately or adversely affected. In addition to being part of the process/decision, the HR team also record, report and monitor a range of EDI data in support of this aspect of their work. The College has a vibrant and diverse staff training programme which is designed to ensure that our staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. Training varies from legal updates; induction sessions for new staff; mental health awareness; embedding EDI into lessons, as well as a variety of specialist updates for those staff who provide support to learners with disabilities. As at 31st December 2020 , the workforce stands with a head count of 556 employees (444 FTE). The following are key observations linked to this information.
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Average Age
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The average age of the workforce is 45 years old, this is a slight reduction from 47 years old from the previous year. With the abolishment of the normal retirement age staff can now work longer and our workforce data confirms that we have some staff that would have been previously classed as working beyond normal retirement age who have highly-valued skills.
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Average Age
Gender Male Female
30% 70%
The current profile with regards to staff gender, remains with the gender split being 70% female and 30% male. This percentage is significantly higher than our learner profile (58% female and 42% male) and our local population (51% female and 49% male).
Female 70%
Disability Current College data evidences that 5.22% of the workforce have declared themselves as having a disability. This has decreased from 6.16%. The latest census data for Bolton reports that 20% of the population has a long-term illness or disability. However the criteria for the census return is a broader definition. The College is recognised as a Disability Confident Employer and is subject to an audit on an annual basis to maintain the status.
5.2%
94.8% Disabled Not Disabled
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 41
Our Staff (Continued)
Race BME Non BME
16.6%
83.4%
The College’s vision is to have a workforce which is representative of the local community. The latest census data for Bolton reports that 17% of the local population are from a BME background. The College’s BME representation is 16.61%.
Non-BME 85%
Religion, Faith and Belief Christian Hindu Jehovah's Witness
35.2%
Muslim
Unknown 35.19%
Christian 40.3% 40.31%
None Sikh Unknown
0.2%
The latest census data from Bolton reports that 62.7% of the local population class themselves as being of the Christian faith and 11.7% being of a Muslim faith. Compared to our workforce which are 40% Christian and 7.5% Muslim.
16.2% 7.5% 0.2%
0.5%
Sexual Orientation 2.3%
Heterosexual 64%
97.7%
LGBT Heterosexual/prefer not to say
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The College also records the sexual orientation of its staff, the majority of staff (97.66%) classify themselves as heterosexual or prefer not to say and 2.34% declaring themselves as LGBT.
Many of our Board members are local residents who have first-hand experience of working and living in Bolton, with a personal understanding of the diverse needs of our communities. Our Board recognises that effective leadership and good decision-making is enabled through a diverse membership, a culture of listening to, and acting on, diverse perspectives and, having behaviours that embody respect, openness and constructive challenge.
Our Board
The Board recognises the value of having a diverse composition with members providing a blend of differing skills, experience, perspectives and characteristics. Our Board and our leadership culture reflects the diversity of our College and the communities that we serve and is committed to setting an inclusive leadership culture that values and celebrates diversity and inclusion for our staff, learners and key stakeholders. ‘Our Board and leadership culture reflects the diversity of our College and communities that we serve. We continue with our commitment to ensure that the Board demographics are more closely aligned to our College population. This is reflected within our Equality Aims.’
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 43
Board Member Profile by Gender
Our Board (Continued)
The percentage of our Board members who are female is not currently representative of our local population and has seen a reduction from 56% in 2016-17.
Gender Male 12 – 67%
Board Member Profile by Age Band The age range of our Board members has not changed significantly and the percentage of those in the 40-60 age bracket has remained static. We are currently underrepresented for those aged 40 and below.
Age Under 25 2 – 11%
25-40 0
40-60 9 – 50%
60+ 7 – 39%
Board Member Profile by Ethnic Group The percentage of Board members from BME ethnicity groups is not representative of our local population at the moment. BME representation has improved from 6% in 2016-17.
Ethnicity BME 17%
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Female 6 – 33%
Non-BME 83%
The College is currently working in partnership with The Proud Trust to get the Rainbow Flag Award which is a kite-mark that shows recognition for organisations that go the extra mile to support and value LGBT+ staff and students. We are on track to achieve this status in July 2021. Most young people come to terms with their sexuality in their teenage years but, for one reason or other, those who identify as LGBT+ do not always feel comfortable about coming out and expressing their identity when they are at school. For that reason we feel it is very important that such learners feel comfortable about coming out when they progress to College and we want to make sure that Bolton College is a place where everyone feels comfortable enough to be open and upfront about their sexuality or gender identity if they want to.
• Ensured parents are given information about how best to support young people who are coming out about their sexuality/ gender identity. • Reviewed all College policies to ensure we are sufficiently robust at challenging homophobic and discriminatory behaviour. • Ensured the College curriculum fully embeds LGBT+ culture, history and role-models. • All LGBT+ learners have access to well-informed pastoral support if they need it. • LGBT+ learners have their own Facebook community and are invited to participate in the College Learner Voice forum.
Celebrating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Fostering Good Relations
The Rainbow Flag Award – Supporting and valuing LGBT+ Staff and Students at Bolton College
In the last 12 months we have undertaken the following actions: • Trained our teaching staff so they feel comfortable to address any inappropriate use of homophobic language in College and to help them better understand terminology around LGBT+ identities.
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 45
Celebrating Equality, Diversity and Inclusion across Bolton College At the College we take great pride in having a wide range of activities that celebrate the diversity of our college and promote the inclusion of everyone in our college life. These are promoted through awareness posters, electronic screen promotions, news features, positive case studies and diverse cross-College events. The Freshers’ Fair is the first opportunity our students have to sample the wide range of activities and events they can get involved in while studying at the College. It is normally held in the College Atrium at the start of term with a wide range of stalls and displays representing the different College groups and departments, as well as partner organisations from the local community. This was held remotely in September 2020 due to Covid restrictions but was still well attended and popular with our learners.
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The cross-College enrichment programme is designed to allow learners from different departments to meet and spend some quality time together and to make friends with other learners they may not usually come into contact with, thus promoting College and community cohesion. During lockdown this was switched online so that students could continue to support and encourage each other. The Learner Volunteer Group comprises of learners of various ages and backgrounds; departments work together on events and projects and this brings learners together and develops their awareness and understanding of cultural and social differences. The College has a range of different sports teams and we also run interdepartmental sports competitions, actively bringing learners from different departments together. The College’s Early Years and Pre-School Centre also celebrate many cultural events throughout the year with learners’ children, through food tasting, music and craft, and dressing up activities.
The Equality Diversity and Inclusion Champions Team Across the College curriculum we plan all kinds of activities to occur throughout the year that promote equality and inclusion and celebrate diversity. This is delivered by a team of 14 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions who come from different curriculum areas, and support teams, and they are led by a senior manager at the College. The team meet on a regular basis in order to plan regular displays, events and curriculum initiatives across the College that celebrate the diverse backgrounds of our students. They also critically evaluate the policies and processes of the College to suggest ways to improve the experience for all our learners. For example, the idea of adopting the Rainbow Flag kite-mark to promote inclusion of LGBT+ staff and students at the College came from the EDI Champions team.
Champions are recruited from colleagues with an interest and passion for the promotion of EDI. They volunteer to represent protected characteristic sub groups of age, gender, race/ ethnicity, religion & belief, disability, mental health and LGBT+. The EDI Champions aim to be an accessible and visible ‘face of fairness’ who proactively promote inclusion across the College. The group produces an EDI calendar for the College and lead on a range of awarenessraising promotional campaigns.
The EDI Champions also produce an annual calendar of national events. The calendar is shared across College as a planning tool for curriculum and an awareness- raising tool for learners. The calendar highlights national events and showcases College events organised by the EDI Champions.
The EDI Champions have created an online sharing resource that contains teaching and learning materials, video content, web links, case studies and records of celebrations aimed at sharing good practice across College, continuing awareness raising and as a record of our commitment to foster good relations, promote EDI and challenge discrimination.
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 47
Events Celebrated Between 2018 and 2021 the following events have been organised by the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Champions Team, despite the restrictions of lockdown: • Freshers’ Fair • Diversity Festival • Black History Month • Interfaith Week • A Taste of Bolton Cookery Competition • World Religion Day • LGBT+ History Month • International Women’s Day • Mental Health Awareness Week • Deaf Awareness Week • World Refugee Day In the next section we have a couple of recent articles about these events:
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The 2019 Bolton College Diversity Festival Bolton College’s vibrant Diversity Festival has become an annual tradition, enjoyed by staff and students alike. This year’s Festival was no different; we were treated to traditional Somali, African and Afghan dance; listened to songs from around the world; rocked to the beat of the Steel Drum Band; and enjoyed showstopping performances from our performing arts students. An abundance of stalls filled the Atrium and corridors, with world food and free hair and beauty treatments on offer. MhIST, Smile of Hope and a selection of other charities also attended.
throughout the day, including the Oscar-winning ‘The Silent Child’. Human Libraries and Dementia Memory Workshops further stressed the vital importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Jackie and Martin, from the Justicia Fair Trade shop had the following to say about the event: “We enjoy the event, it’s a lively day with a variety of stalls and events including music and dancing from different cultures. We have worked closely with Bolton College over the past few years and are impressed by their support of different students with a variety of needs. We hope we have been able to play our part by having some students volunteer to help on our stall and sometimes in our shop. “
The sports hall hosted a football tournament, with all proceeds being donated to charity, whilst the LRC screened short films
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 49
A Taste of Bolton 2019 Intercultural Cookery Competition Food connoisseurs and VIPs sampled tasty dishes from around the world last week at a cultural cookery competition. ‘A Taste of Bolton’, organised by Women in Neighbourhoods (WiN), Bolton College and Bolton at Home, was a vibrant celebration of cuisine and cultures from around the world, and was held to officially launch ‘A Taste of Bolton’ recipe book. Competitors were separated in to three categories: students from the College; charities and community groups; and professionals. Prizes were handed out for best presentation of food, and best recipe and taste.
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The cook-off started in the College catering kitchens, where the chefs rustled up their dishes. 10 judges sampled the gastronomic delights: celebrity chef Paul Heathcote MBE; food and wine writer Patrick Trodden; the RAF’s Sgt Amanda Edwards; Doctor Baroness Newlove LLD, campaigner and Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton; His Honour Judge William Morris, former Resident Judge of Bolton Crown Court; Edith Conn OBE DL JP, President of Greater Manchester’s British Red Cross; Ray Hanks, Trustee at Gorton Monastery; Shauna Morton from Bolton at Home; and Bolton College’s Principal, Bill Webster. Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Hilary Fairclough presented the winning teams with their prizes. She said, “The cultural MasterChef cook off was a brilliant experience and A Taste of Bolton Cook Book is absolutely fabulous.
“I must admit I wasn’t sure what to expect at this event but whatever I thought could never have measured up to what actually happened. “All of the ‘chefs ’ were so accomplished that it would be difficult to have known who were professional and who was considered amateur. I only know that if I had practised all year I couldn’t have come up with anything near the standard tonight. “The whole event was a triumph.”
Adina Zglimbia Despite most people writing her off, as her English wasn’t good and she had two children under the age of 3, College was Adina’s ambition. Thankfully, she wasn’t deterred and whilst she struggled initially to split family, work, College assignments and volunteering, she soon started to see her own potential. She completed ‘Skills for Working with Children’ whilst holding down a full-time role at KFC and a job as a play worker in a school. She then progressed to a nursery practitioner position, whilst studying Basic Sign Language, Autism Awareness and Level 1 Mental Health Awareness, after deciding that these would be useful to get into the primary education sector, her ambition. She has since found employment as a teaching assistant, passed her driving test, and had another baby. She said: ‘Through my college life, I’ve met nice people that believed in me, gave me plenty of support, and encouraged me to think positively.’
‘
The College works effectively with partners to ensure the Community Learning provision is responsive to local need. Managers at Bolton College plan a curriculum that strives to extend the reach to those most far removed from work and skills. The growth in mental health and wellbeing curriculum during the pandemic, both online and in the Community Learning Hubs, was welcomed by partners and much needed by residents.
’
Integrated Work and Health Project Officer, Bolton Council, Team Bolton Curriculum Planning Event 19-20
Annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019-2020 51
For more information visit : www.boltoncollege.ac.uk 01204 482 000
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@boltoncollege
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