OUR FUTURE VISION
STRATEGIC PLAN
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FORWARD FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The Henley College’s new strategic plan will take us to 2028. The environment within which we operate is changing rapidly driven by future skills needs and digital advancements. This strategic plan reflects our determination to deliver a truly outstanding learning experience for future generations of students at The Henley College, becoming an exceptional college that transforms lives.
At The Henley College, we pride ourselves on the excellent preparation we deliver for higher education and into employment. Our students’ progression is one of the best in the country, not least because of the range of opportunities that are open to them. We have invested heavily in the last three years to modernise teaching spaces and digital infrastructure. We have developed strong and lasting relationships with businesses, universities and the wider community. We were rated Good with many Outstanding features including Outstanding for High Needs in our most recent Ofsted inspection. This forms the foundation of future plans and has already served us well in enhancing students’ experience and growing our student numbers.
As we approach the end of the 2021-2024 strategic plan, we reflect back on a period of unprecedented challenge brought by the global pandemic. It is a challenge to which the college, our staff, students and our community rose to effectively. We intend therefore for this strategic plan to act as a framework to shape and drive our focus and priorities whilst remaining agile and responsive to our changing environment.
Simon Spearman Principal The Henley College
INTRODUCTION
The overarching aim of the 2024-28 Strategy is to maintain the College’s positive trajectory, building on the success of the 2023 Ofsted inspection and the College’s strong financial position. The strategy focuses on five key areas of College operations that interact with one another to drive the strategy forward. These are:
● Curriculum
● Quality of Teaching and Learning, including Digital and Data
● People and Culture
● Finance
● Estates and Sustainability
The 2024-28 Strategy is informed by the College’s new brand and value proposition, which makes clear the College’s purpose and mission. It builds on the successful March 2023 Ofsted inspection, drawing on local and regional labour market data and demographic changes, both of which influence the qualifications the College offers and the development of skills. The vision and values expressed in the 2021-24 Strategy accurately expressed the vision and values of the College and are retained.
RATIONALE
The strategic direction for 2024-28 centres on three strategic imperatives that form a ‘virtuous circle’ and represent an evolution of the highly successful 2021-24 strategy.
The maxim is: INVEST in QUALITY to build BRAND STRENGTH and INFLUENCE STUDENT CHOICE, thereby GROWING student numbers and INCOME required for sustained investment.
INVESTMENT IN QUALITY AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE
To thrive as an independent sixth form college, THC will invest in the quality of its academic offering and student experience, with a clear ambition to achieve Ofsted Outstanding within the period of this strategy, requiring a sustained focus and investment in:
a. Quality of teaching and learning (academic excellence and valueadded outcomes)
b. Quality of PPD (personal growth and access to opportunity)
c. Our estate and support systems
DRIVING BRAND REPUTATION AND INFLUENCING STUDENT CHOICE
Investment in QUALITY will enable THC to establish a preeminent brand reputation that differentiates the College from other sixth form options, positively influencing student choice and supporting essential growth.
ACHIEVING GROWTH IN STUDENT NUMBERS WHILE IMPROVING EFFICIENCY
Generating the income to support the required investment will come from two areas:
1. GROWTH: Increased funding based on growth in student numbers.
2. EFFICIENCY: Increased operating efficiency (specifically optimising class sizes).
THE COLLEGE’S VISION AND VALUES
The College’s vision and values that underpinned the success of the 2021-24 Strategy remain the same for 2024-28. Our inspirational and timeless motto will remain.
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VALUES
The values expressed through the acronym HEART will continue to guide the College:
HVISION
To be an exceptional College that transforms lives.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
We always strive for excellence.
ENTERPRISE
We are innovative and creative, showing independence of thought.
ACCOUNTABILITY
We own our actions and take responsibility.
RESPECT
We show understanding and regard for ourselves and each other.
TEAMWORK
We collaborate and work together for the benefit of all.
BRAND AND VALUE PROPOSITION
The College’s value proposition highlights the importance of maintaining and building activity that substantiates and communicates the intention to position students’ experience as being transformative with unrivalled choice, which requires the College to continue to strengthen its engagement with key stakeholders. It provides a focus for nurturing the eight Skills Builder life skills as the cornerstones of personal growth and professional success in every student and every aspect of College life, and the development of the College’s estate, to provide additional classrooms, workspaces, modern and secure teaching and learning spaces and recreational spaces for students.
WHERE WILL GROWTH COME FROM?
Growth will come from three sources:
● The relevance of the curriculum to the local labour market
● Changes in population size in the Thames Valley area
● Improvements in quality
Relevance of the curriculum to the local labour market
Table 1 shows the eight sectors in which the College offers academic and vocational qualifications and the relative importance of the qualifications to employment opportunities in the Thames Valley area, and the concentration of employers in the Thames Valley area compared to the national average.
TABLE 1: EIGHT INDUSTRY SECTORS THE COLLEGE OFFERS QUALIFICATIONS
IN
Changes in population size in the Thames Valley area
The Thames Valley population increased in size by 3% from 2015 to 2020 to 2,009,100. It is predicted to see a further increase of 2.7% up to 2025, adding a further 53,378 to the population (ONS Census 2021). This is mirrored by an overall increase in population size of the UK, which grew by more than 3.5 million (6.3%) between 2011 and 2021 and is expected to grow by a further 2.3% to 68.8m in the five-year period to 2028. As a result, 16-19-year-old student enrolments are forecast to increase between 2023/24 and 2028/29 by around 320.
Improvements in quality
With sustained investment in quality, enrolments are predicted to increase by a further 85, resulting in an overall growth in student enrolments of 405, up to 2027/28. Table 2 shows predicted student enrolments for the four-year period from 2024/25 to 2027/28, given the anticipated demographic growth and a sustained focus on quality over the four-year period.
TABLE 2: THC PREDICTED 16-19 ENROLMENTS FOR 2024/25 –
Based on RCU Vector Data (January 2024)
THE IMPACT OF GROWTH ON INVESTMENT IN QUALITY
This section outlines the strategic aims, objectives, actions and KPIs against the five key areas of College operations that will drive the strategy forward and against which key milestones will be measured. Table 3 shows the estimated income that will be available by 2027/28 to invest in quality, as a result of growth in student enrolments.
TABLE 3: ESTIMATED GROWTH IN INCOME GENERATED BY GROWTH IN 16-19 STUDENT ENROLMENTS
The table shows that by the third year of the strategy, the College will be generating the surplus needed to make positive investments in the quality and delivery of the curriculum.
STRATEGIC AIMS, OBJECTIVES, ACTIONS AND KPIS
This section contains a summary of the Strategic Aims and Objectives for 202428, given under the headings of the five areas of College operations referred to in the Introduction: Curriculum, Quality of Teaching and Learning (including Digital and Data), People and Culture, Finance, and Estates and Sustainability.
Details of actions and associated KPIs per academic year are given in a separate appendix located on the College Intranet.
CURRICULUM
STRATEGIC AIMS
1.Increase 16-19 student enrolments to surpass the College’s current 9% share of 16-19-year-old student enrolments.
2. Enhance students’ development of knowledge, skills and behaviours, so that all students surpass their predicted outcomes. The College will be judged Strong by Ofsted for the development of students’ skills.
OBJECTIVES (WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2028)
Student Recruitment
16-19 student numbers will increase by 17% from 1,970 in 2023/24 to 2,373 in 2027/28.
THC will be the College of choice for an increasing number of parents and Year 11 applicants.
Skills Builder
The four core life skills of creativity, communication, collaboration and care will be nurtured in all students through the implementation of the Skills Builder programme and through the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and Personal and Professional Development
Partnerships
Each subject area will co-design and develop its curriculum in partnership with a local or regional business or other local stakeholder.
Level 2 Curriculum
Students taking Level 2 qualifications will be engaged through a college-wide skills programme that includes English, maths and the eight Skills Builder life skills.
3. Enhancing students’ experience at College and preparing students to be successful in their next steps beyond initial expectations.
All students will take part in college-wide and curriculum-based enrichment programmes on the themes of Sport and Wellbeing, Community and Social Enterprise, and Skills for the Future and complete work experience programmes that enrich their time at College and enable them to develop aspirational career pathways.
The College will be a centre of excellence for the development of skills.
4. Every student is not just safeguarded but enabled to flourish.
We will instil a college-wide culture of trauma informed and solution-focused practice.
Students will be empowered to manage their own well-being successfully, achieving the best possible outcomes.
Students will actively demonstrate the HEART values and the Skills Builder life skills in their behaviour and attitudes.
We will achieve national-level recognition for exceptional practice.
QUALITY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING (INCLUDING DIGITAL AND DATA)
AIMS OBJECTIVES (WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2028)
1. Exceptional teaching, learning and support – High expectations and unrelenting standards.
2. Exceptional delivery of educational programmes in line with academic and industry standards.
3. Digital learning technologies will be integrated into the curriculum to enhance students’ experience and inspire students to flourish.
4. A culture of learning and being exceptional will be nurtured throughout all areas of College operations and throughout the student population.
The College will deliver inspirational, cutting-edge Teaching, Learning and Assessment that incorporates innovation.
Students will achieve exceptional outcomes including value-added outcomes, that position the College as the parent provider of choice.
We will implement a college-wide digital strategy that supports the digital literacy of staff and students and inspires the use of AI and VR to enhance students’ learning and development.
We will instil a collaborative approach to teaching, learning and assessment and working with students through ‘learning communities’ that provides teachers with a forum to actively engage in continuous professional development and learning.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
AIMS OBJECTIVES (WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2028)
1. Attract and recruit great people. Vacancies will be filled in a timely fashion with strong candidates.
2. Develop extraordinary staff. There will be a culture of learning nurtured through a vibrant CPDL programme for teachers. High performing teams will be led by well trained and confident middle managers.
3. Embed a distinctive culture and excellent communication to create high levels of engagement.
4. Encourage diversity, equality, wellbeing and inclusion (DEWI).
5. Reward and recognise great performance and HEART values.
We will have implemented a collaborative, caring, transparent and inclusive culture that involves staff teams in driving change. College staff will be engaged through excellent communication.
We will support new initiatives that focus on communication and engagement with staff.
We will support new initiatives that focus on training and support for staff.
There will be a culture in which staff feel valued and are motivated and engaged. Salaries will be in line with SFCA guidelines.
FINANCE
AIMS OBJECTIVES (WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2028)
1. Increase College income to fund quality improvements in staff and resources.
2. Improve efficiency by increasing the average class size.
3. Deliver/ maintain outstanding financial health.
4. Develop and implement robust financial processes that are communicated across the College.
We will have generated a 5% year-on-year increase in income over the four-year period of the strategy.
The curriculum will be delivered efficiently through an average class size of 23, to allow for an increase in funds available for investment in quality.
Budgeting and planning will reflect the FEC benchmark thresholds for liquidity and profitability, maintaining a score above 230/300, in order to be judged Outstanding for Finance by the ESFA.
THC Financial Regulations will provide the framework for delivering best practice. They will be reviewed and updated annually and provide measures to safeguard College assets through robust internal control procedures.
ESTATES AND SUSTAINABILITY
AIMS OBJECTIVES (WHAT THIS WILL LOOK LIKE BY 2028)
1. Develop both sites to offer quality learning and social spaces and improve the working environment for staff.
2. Continuous development of the estate to maintain a safe environment for staff, students and visitors.
The College estate will expand to accommodate 400 additional students. The expansion will include the refurbishment and modernisation of classrooms and social spaces for students and staff.
The College perimeters will be secured on both sites, reducing access points and controlling footfall, to improve safeguarding.
The Standard Tier Emergency Plan measures will be implemented to limit the exposure to terrorism.
Condition surveys will have been undertaken to assess the condition of buildings and roofs as well as an updated asbestos survey and Health & Safety review, which will focus resources on areas in greatest need.
3. Raise awareness of sustainability within the College, in order to reduce carbon emissions to match the DfE sustainability and climate change strategy.
We will have developed relationships with local ‘green’ groups, leading to the development of a THC sustainability plan.
Each area of the College, curriculum and non-curriculum will have its own sustainability plan.
Each curriculum and non-curriculum area will have an awareness of carbon emissions and will have acknowledged in its sustainability plan the extent of its own reduction in carbon emissions.
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The Henley College
Deanfield Avenue
Henley-on-Thames
Oxfordshire RG9 1UH
01491 579988
info@henleycol.ac.uk
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