WELCOME
Welcome to the new academic year! It is good to see so many of you again in person, and to welcome new members of staff faceto-face. The past six months have presented us with unprecedented challenges, on a scale and across a range none of us could have anticipated 12 months ago. It is a source of immense personal pride that both our staff and our students have risen so ably to the challenges presented by COVID19, and specifically to the difficulties associated with distance learning. The individual care for students, the flexibility in delivery of content, the embracing of new technology and the consistent focus on providing the best possible post-16 experience, irrespective of the circumstances, have illustrated once again what makes New Collaborative Learning Trust one of the country’s top providers. This is not to dismiss the issues that still face us: the need to narrow gaps in learning, especially amongst the disadvantaged, is arguably more important now than ever before; and the challenges of starting the new academic year will be many. Ensuring that staff and students are safe is our top priority, and as a Trust team we have spent a significant amount of time planning, preparing and implementing the government’s guidance. Additionally, though, it is our priority to minimise the disruption of the last 6 months. All our students will naturally be feeling anxious as they return to college. We need to help Year 13 students get to a point where, come the summer exams of 2021, they feel as prepared as any other past cohort of New College students. We need to support Year 12 students, as they overcome any issues linked to the transition from high school. The way we achieve this is to turn back to our vision and values. We know that we will “make a significant difference to the lives of our young people” even within the context of COVID19, because we know we can deliver “an outstanding, consistent student experience”. We know we can achieve that because we put collaboration at the heart of our work. [You’ll find more on this later in this booklet.] Knowing that we are surrounded by hard-working, enthusiastic colleagues with intelligent ideas and an openness to new approaches means that we are not struggling alone. As an individual, we all at times struggle; as a team, we thrive. This links to one of the Trust’s 5 Cs: care. We care about our staff. Staff well-being is very important to us, which is why we place such emphasis on rewards, on time off in lieu, on subsidising social events, and on having an open door policy, so that anyone who needs to can talk to the SLT with candour – another of the Trust’s 5 Cs. So, we look at the year ahead with pleasure at being back together, and with confidence that with collaboration we can deliver that “outstanding, consistent student experience”. The next 12 months will once again present many opportunities, particularly for those who are interested in career progression. We are a growing Trust, and we usually promote from within, which means that for those who want to move further up the career ladder, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so. Good luck for the year ahead! It’s a pleasure having you as part of our team. 3
