college voice
Spring Term 2022 Your staff magazine
Dear colleagues,
I
hope you had a restful half-term if you were on annual leave last week. It certainly feels like spring is in the air as we move into March. Throughout last half-term, the Executive Team has shared a Monday briefing and I have circulated my weekly round-up. I hope that you find these helpful and feel communication has improved. We made great progress last term including launching our revised values and strategic plan (view here) and our HE strategy is in the final stages of being approved. We had a successful Open Event in January and need to ensure the event on Wednesday 30 March is engaging and positively showcases the great offer we have for students of all ages and levels. I have been consistently advising you over the past few weeks that our priority remains our journey to an Ofsted ‘good’ rating, and achieving healthy finances. At this point of year, it is critical that we do all we can to maximise achievement rates through a relentless focus on attendance, retention and assessment, and this will help us secure a positive inspection in the future. At the same time, we also have to scrutinise our expenditure to identify potential savings and look to increase income where possible. The best colleges in the country are those that have a good quality of education as well as a robust financial position – the two should go hand-in-hand.
We are moving out of Davy House at Ashley Down as scheduled. We are still on-track to open a new supported-living centre (Hawking House) at Ashley Down and this will mirror the fantastic provision we offer to students at the Brislington Centre. We continue to invest, where we can, in our estate and facilities to ensure that we provide a first-class learning experience for our students. Our Academy Café, run by Hospitality and Catering students, is now open at our South Bristol Skills Academy and the re-launch has been very successful they do a wonderful caramel shortbread if you get the opportunity to have a treat! There are a range of events taking place this term and we are delighted to be hosting the Business West members event early this month. We will welcome around 100 local business people to come and hear about our offer and find out more about how we can work with employers, particularly on two of our projects: Work Force for the Future and Bristol Talent. I look forward to seeing you over the next few weeks and thank you for your ongoing support and dedication as we do all we can to make 2021/22 a successful year for our College.
Rich Harris Chief Executive and Acting Principal
contents Your staff magazine
Spring Term 2022
Welcome
1
News
3
24-hour bike ride
5
Learn more about the College Corporation
5
Bringing the outdoors in
6
Bristol Clean Air Zone
6
Support Ukraine - British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal 7 Open Event Feedback
9
Getting ready for Open Event on 30 March
10
Marketing Update
11
New Starters/New Pastures
13
Important dates for the diary
15
Do you have a car you want to get rid of? The College’s Motor Vehicle Department is looking for cars for students to use as training vehicles. If you have a car or know someone who is looking to get rid of one, we can plan to collect. If a small payment is required, this can be paid but donations are greatly appreciated. For more information please contact Deana.Beaven@cityofbristol.ac.uk
news
Got a story for us? email ellie.young@cityofbristol.ac.uk
Beaver visit Children from the 2nd Portishead Beaver Group joined us at our South Bristol Skills Academy for a tour of the Animal Care centre. The Beavers were shown around the facility and were able to get up close to some of the centre’s residents, including rabbits, rats, snakes and reptiles. The visit was organised by Facilities Manager, Chris Gwynne, who volunteers at the group as a Beaver Scout Leader and Building Manager for more than 10 hours a week. You can read more about his volunteering here.
3
Students who currently study Animal Care at the College were on-hand to support staff during the visit and explain what they knew about their resident furry and scaly friends. The trip is just one of many ways the College is supporting the nationwide Good For Me, Good For FE campaign which is encouraging and celebrating volunteering efforts in schools and colleges.
Bristol Talent launched We, in partnership with South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, have officially launched our collaborative project Bristol Talent with an event at our Motor Vehicle Technology Centre at Parkway on 11 February. The event was the last in a string of celebrations we hosted during National Apprenticeship Week, with apprentices sharing their backgrounds and experiences through live blogs, question and answer sessions and case studies.
Couch to 5K
The launch of Bristol Talent featured talks from the Project Manager, Donna Kenny, and both college’s principals, Richard Harris and Sara-Jane Watkins.
Avid runner and Director of Marketing and Sales, Becky Wilkins, is leading City of Bristol College’s Couch to 5K team to victory.
Donna Kenny said: “Bristol Talent is the key to providing greater connectivity between our major employers and the college’s vocational students. This will be achieved through activities such as work experience, master classes, guest lectures, career talks and more.
After returning from Christmas break, a College-wide email came around to see who would be keen to start a running group. The group has been progressing through the programme on weekly Monday runs around Bristol Harbour.
“Providing our students with a greater awareness of progression pathways within the region and ensuring our students are apprenticeship/employer-ready in order to make that positive next step.” Guests toured our Motor Vehicle Technology Centre and SGS’ new Brunel building. To find out more about Bristol Talent, or if you have an employer lead, contact Donna on info@bristoltalent.org.uk
As the weeks progress, the group have improved their fitness, strengthened their running skills and most importantly, got to spend time together which they don’t get the chance to do day-to-day. Events Officer, Erin Hewitt, said: “It is something I look forward to every week as it is lovely to get to know the team more.” The Couch to 5K team will be finishing their programme with a Parkrun, while Erin plans to continue her training towards a 10km run at Ashton Court in May. If you would like to join, or for more info contact Erin.Hewitt@cityofbristol.ac.uk
Read the full story here.
The City of Bristol College Student Union and Student Council has launched its handbook. To view this document, click here.
24-hour bike ride
S
tudents at the Brislington Centre will be completing a 24-hour bike ride to raise money to purchase outdoor gym equipment.
The equipment will encourage the SEN/additional needs learners who live at the centre in School Road to exercise more and get active. In their JustGiving story, the Brislington Centre team said: “We currently lack fitness opportunities, and therefore the equipment will greatly benefit the student’s overall health and encourage them to get outside. “The equipment is said to not only aid strength, balance and cardiovascular fitness, but also benefit their mental health.”
The staff and students aim to raise £3,000, which is enough to buy two pieces of equipment. They will be aiming to cycle the distance from the Brislington Centre, in south Bristol, to London and back again. Staff and students will take it in turns to cycle from 6pm on 26 April to 6pm the following day. To donate, visit their JustGiving page.
Learn more about the College Corporation Steve Bennett (Vice Chair & Chair of the Curriculum & Quality Committee) Steve returned to live in the Bristol area after a career in London. He is an experienced further education professional, who started his career as a secondary geography teacher. Steve took on various leadership roles in two London colleges and most recently was Assistant Principal with a sharp focus on curriculum, outcomes and student experience. Steve helped lead his former college to successive ‘good’ Ofsted grades. He was seconded to a London-wide ‘value-added’ project for two years during which he visited more than 30 of London’s colleges and 100 of its schools. Steve remains a committed friend and supporter of the work colleges do for their communities.
5
Bringing the outdoors in
W
e have partnered up with Bristol Rainforest to bring a touch of green into our Centres and promote mental wellbeing in education.
The Bristol Rainforest places trees and plants in schools and colleges across Bristol, and they are now creating an exciting environment full of plants at SBSA. It is hoped the tree, which now resides by the Food Hall on the first-floor balcony of the Centre, will get students talking about trees, the rainforests and nature. Bristol Rainforest said: “We are looking forward to working with the students at SBSA to help them understand how trees can contribute to their wellbeing and that of the world as a whole. We also want to reach out to the community SBSA sits in and make this knowledge available to all.”
The installation of the tree is the latest step we have taken on our sustainability journey to create an eco-friendly College. Read the full story here.
Bristol Clean Air Zone The city of Bristol is about to become a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) this year in a bid to reduce air pollution in the city.
The zone will mean certain cars which enter the CAZ will be charged for entry, a scheme which is already in place in Bath.
Our Facilities Manager, Chris Gwynne, attended the meeting where the next steps for the CAZ were discussed, including plans to introduce the zone in September.
So how will it affect you?
The zone will help improve air quality by reducing harmful levels of air pollution caused by traffic. It will make sure everyone in Bristol benefits from a healthy and natural environment.
As a guide, petrol vehicles older than 2005 (Euro 4) and diesel vehicles older than 2014 (Euro 6) will be charged for entering the zone. To find out if your car will be charged, visit the Bristol.gov site.
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F
ollowing on from the Open Event in January, we asked attendees to complete a survey to understand how the experience was for our guests and how we can improve.
All the staff members were good, however the electrician lectures were very enthusiastic and helpful.
The learning support team were incredibly helpfu and very reassuring. I really liked being able to communica my struggles and what I would li achieve before and when I start journey at the College.
Of the 38 respondents, 36 attendees said they would recommend the event to others while 37 said they were more or just as likely to apply to study at City of Bristol College. Thirty-five of the respondents praised the helpfulness of the staff while 37 felt welcomed when they first arrived on-site. Some comments included:
The departments we are interested in were exactly what we were hoping for. We came a year earlier than needed to get an idea of the courses available for my daughter and to be ahead of the game with the grades needed to get on her ideal course. We immediately had a positive feeling about College Green and the courses available, so we will definitely be returning when we apply.
9
The whole experience was good and the staff were very informative and friendly.
Excellent experience. The lecturer was very passionate about his subject and very informative and positive. The facilities are great and I am looking forward to my interview.
It wa was nob XXXXX
Getting ready for
Open Event on 30 March
Open Events are a key part of the Marketing calendar. We welcome people who have expressed an interest in the College to attend and encourage them to apply to us. We have seen great attendance at our open events and we are keen to keep improving the experience based on the feedback we get from those who complete our post-event questionnaire. Here are some ways we can make events even better:
ul y ate ike to t my
as a shame there body available from XXXX to speak to [at SBSA].
•
Ensure there are engaging, relevant displays in every room being used Ensure classrooms are clear of clutter and well presented Get students to help at the event - they are your best advocate! Students can tell your visitors how they feel about studying with you which prospective students and their parents are proven to be receptive to Have demonstrations and examples of work available for people to see Ensure we acknowledge people if we cannot speak to them straight away If we cannot answer someone’s question, take them to someone who can or take their details and ensure these are passed on in a timely manner Ensure that we have enough staff in each curriculum area to deal with demand
• •
• • •
• I felt it was a wasted trip in some ways as I couldn’t sign up there and then as the course I wish to study won’t be ready for applications until June. There were also no dates which could be given until they organised the timetable. Why bother with the Open Event until June? The staff were very friendly and did their best to help though and it was good to see the place.
The lecturer discussing the course was full of information and explained things concisely and was very helpful.
It would have been useful to understand what the apprenticeship lecturer could offer but unfortunately, he was not available to speak to when we finished our tour. The atmosphere was good and the people were friendly. The teachers were very informative and passionate about what they teach.
Marketing update
T
he focus of the Marketing team this term has been to advertise the new courses starting. As we know, we have under-recruited in some areas in the past and it is critical we fill the remaining courses we have on offer. We are working closely with the Admissions Team to ensure enquiries are dealt with.
Changes to how we interview students Our School Liaison Officer and Admissions Team are working together to trial a new approach to student interviews and course meetings, initially for school leavers. We know we are one of the only colleges in the area who do not interview in schools, and we sometimes make the process harder for potential students. We will initially be focussing on applicants who have missed an appointment and endeavour to interview them in their school. The team will be working with curriculum staff to ensure they have the information needed to offer a guaranteed place with us, which is then confirmed when they have their GCSE results. We are also going to hold a major interview event where we can hold applicant interviews and also have a meet and greet team, support services, refreshments and an exciting atmosphere. More details will follow on this shortly.
Website makeover The website is getting a makeover! It is long overdue and we hope you will agree that it makes it easier for potential students to find what they are looking for. This is phase one and we will be developing further areas of the site over the next few months.
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The Voice series
What else is going on?
We have received great feedback from our new range of newsletters - Community, Employer and Student Voice. These are used as part of our ‘keep warm’ process to ensure applicants know what is happening in the College and to help them feel like they belong before they even join us.
There are a number of projects in progress, with a key one being to generate high-profile awareness of our Higher Education provision.
We want to hear from you! Please ensure we have news of events and visits from your area to include in these in the future. Copies will soon become available on leaflet stands in reception areas so feel free to pick one up!
We are going to further promote the options for people to hire facilities at the College and we are working on new window vinyls for the hair and beauty salons. Our next Open Event is on Wednesday 30 March. We are keen to continue to improve these events, so if you have any feedback please do get in touch.
Signage backgrounds
As always, please get in touch with the team if we can help you or you have any ideas.
Do you need a sign to inform learners about a classroom change, or have an event you need to advertise?
Becky Wilkins - Director of Marketing and Sales Rebekah.Wilkins@cityofbristol.ac.uk Ellie Young - Communications Officer Ellie.Young@cityofbristol.ac.uk Siân Cahill - Web Editor and Copywriter Sian.Cahill@cityofbristol.ac.uk Erin Hewitt - Events Officer Erin.Hewitt@cityofbristol.ac.uk Peter Kyriacou - School Liaison Officer Peter.Kyriacou@cityofbristol.ac.uk Dawid Giermak - Videographer/Graphic Designer (starting in March) Dawid.Giermak@cityofbristol.ac.uk
The Marketing team has created a series of coloured signage JPEGs which can be downloaded and used to create posters or signs. If you have any questions, please email Ellie Young. Ellie.Young@cityofbristol.ac.uk You can access the signs here on Sharepoint
New starters
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Julian Price
Apprenticeship Trainer
Natasha Passell
Lecturer
Lindsey Scott
Lecturer
Jennifer Rowland
Study Coach
Ziyad Ali
Lecturer
Clare Haines
English Coach
Bethany Lamont
Catch-up Mentor
Sade Mujki
Catch-up Mentor
Shamiso Mahari
Catch-up Mentor
Hannah Morgan
Learning Assistant
Laura Cullen
Apprenticeship Trainer
Charean Campbell
Learning Assistant
Sam De Boeck
Lecturer
Clare Haines
Lecturer
Patricia Armenteros Garcia
Kitchen & Restaurant Co-ordinator
Angela Ellery
ICT User Support Engineer
Djamila Harwood
Digital Apprenticeship Services Co-ordinator
Maise Fortune
Lecturer
Peter Morgan
Lecturer
Jeremy McCulloch
BI and Systems Lead
Ian Stott
Lecturer
Jan De Bishoppe
Lecturer
Andrew Hillberg
HR Systems Co-ordinator
Katie Schlechter
Adult Course Recruiter
Daniella Astudillo-Gonzalez
Learner/Customer Service Advisor
David Foster
Invigilator
David Fursland
Lecturer
Farzin Gharvy
Lecturer
New pastures Alexandra Moruzzi
Assistant Director FE & HE
Richard Pring
Learning Assistant
Rachael Earley
Lecturer
Beth Hill
Lecturer
Lorraine Ashworth
CSW
Keith Stansfield
Lecturer
Helen Ceo
Apprenticeship Trainer
Jill Mallett
Learning Assistant
Malina Cribbin
Learning Assistant
Jennifer Drewell
Learner/Customer Service Advisor
Tanis Lang
Residential Support Practitioner
Kay Burridge
Lecturer
Charlotte Postle
ESOL Advisor
Maddie Hodgkinson
Learning Assistant
Abbey May
Learning Support Funding Admin
Claire Ellison
Learning Assistant
Lewis White
Learner/ Customer Service Advisor
Carol Blythman
MIS
Lorna Rowe
Learning Assistant
Abbie Delaney
Student Services Receptionist
Ian Stott
Lecturer
Emma Jarrett
Admin Assistant
Trudie Hawkins
Lecturer
Brian Bracken
Lecturer
Malgorzata Dreissig
Apprenticeship Operations Co-ordinator
Reviews on Glassdoor Do you enjoy working at City of Bristol College? Or maybe the benefits of working for the College are something to shout about? Do you think others would like to work here? Share your views on the College at Glassdoor so potential recruits know what to expect and why they should work with us.
Important dates for the diary Here are some important dates for your diary to keep you in the know of everything happening at the College and beyond in the next few months:
Date
Event/Campaign
w/c 7 March
National Careers Week
Tuesday 8 March
International Women’s Day
Wednesday 9 March
Business West Conference
Wednesday 9 March
Careers Progression Event
Tuesday 15 March
Wellbeing Event
Thursday 17 March
British Sign Language Week
Friday 18 March
Global Recycling Day
w/c 20 March
National Complementary Therapy Week
Monday 21 March
World Poetry Day
Monday 21 March
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Wednesday 23 March
National Day of Reflection
Wednesday 23 March
Staff Lino Print Workshop
Wednesday 24 March
Student Enrichment Evening
Wednesday 30 March
Open Event 4.30-7.30pm
April
Stress Awareness Month
Access the Delivery Planner for 2021-22 here!
