TRANSFORMING EDUCATION COMMUNITIES L E A R N E R S FACILITIES A YEAR IN REVIEW 2014-2015
Our Mission: East Kent College is committed to developing the prosperity and wellbeing of the communities we serve.
Our Shared Values: • Creativity: continuous enhancement through innovation and enterprise • Ambition: inspiring and empowering all to achieve their potential • Respect: a welcoming culture that celebrates diversity • Excellence: professionalism that places the student at the heart • Enterprise: a drive and determination to turn ideas into reality • Responsibility: to each other and the communities we serve
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
East Kent College is continuing its journey to be the leading provider of technical and vocational education for the whole of east Kent. There have been a number of transformations during the 2014-2015 year, with capital development, work to further embed the College’s campuses into their communities, and innovation in the College’s training offerings. Part of the College’s aim is to ensure our students get the right skills to become productive members of the local economy. As a result, we now work more closely than ever before with the local business community, offering the skills which are required by businesses. We have also worked to improve our apprenticeship offering, partnering with large employers to ensure consistent growth in the delivery of these high quality opportunities. The College is, in essence, a commercial operator and its business is education. Working to provide the local economy with the skills they need are fundamental to our continued growth and success. The College’s two campuses in Folkestone and Dover have also received significant capital investment to improve their range of learning facilities. They now boast industry standard equipment
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to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for every East Kent College student. Strategic partnerships with local councils have also helped the College become a valued member of the communities which we serve, with a range of exciting social action projects taking place on each campus. I believe that the College’s goal to be considered ‘Outstanding’ is within our grasp. We have continued to work to our Strategic Plan, seeking to ensure our strategic goals are fulfilled in activities undertaken by the College. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Governors, staff, students and partners for their continued commitment to the College’s successes.
Graham Razey Principal
The College’s Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019 set out a variety of goals to be achieved by 2019. Each focuses on enhancing the learning experience for students, while further embedding East Kent College into the local communities we are based in.
Strategic Goal 1: To deliver a flexible curriculum that is attractive to students and highly relevant for East Kent College Strategic Goal 2: To offer an outstanding student experience that is distinctive within East Kent Strategic Goal 3: To maximise student progress and achievement Strategic Goal 4: To continue a sustained and supported college-wide drive for excellence Strategic Goal 5: To strengthen and extend our partnerships within the communities that we serve
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Key Achievements From building better partnerships with the local business community, to hosting Nick Boles, the Minister for Skills, the year provided East Kent College with a packed highlight reel. The theme has been one of transformation with a journey taking place across all of our campuses. These are just some of the highlights we have seen during the 2014-2015 academic year.
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It was the first full academic year under the East Kent College banner began for our Dover and Folkestone campuses following the merger
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We won the Association of Colleges Beacon Award for Progression Curriculum
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Life sciences Minister George Freeman visited our science students at Discovery Park
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The FE Commissioners report was released, which praised inspirational leadership during merger of Folkestone and Dover campuses. He wrote that the difference was transformational
East Kent College and the Port of Dover signed new Memorandum of Understanding, committing the two organisations to working together
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Students got involved in politics during the General Election, holding their own hustings for the candidates
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Shepway District Council invested ÂŁ500,000 to help transform Folkestone Campus, bringing new industry standard equipment
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We launched our new nursery on the Broadstairs Campus, with former Thanet District Council leader Iris Johnston giving it her blessing
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Broadstairs Campus gets green light to open the new Technical School for 14 to 16-year-olds.
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Skills Minister Nick Boles visited our Broadstairs Campus with Craig Mackinlay, taking a tour of the various facilities on offer and meeting staff and students.
Folkestone’s catering programme area hosted an employer event with the celebrity chef Rosemary Schrager
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The College completed a successful blended learning pilot programme to deliver maths and English training to students
TRANSFORMING E DUCATIO N Offering our students the best possible learning experience is core to East Kent College’s mission. One of the best ways to enhance that experience and give learners the technical, vocational training they require is to transform the way we deliver their education. Strong partnerships with local businesses give our students valuable on the job experiences, placing them in living business environments and giving them the skills the local economy requires.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Transforming education means developing ever-stronger partnerships with the local business community to give students the opportunity to hone their tradecraft in real commercial environments. The College continues to build ever-stronger relationships with businesses across the east of the county in order to improve the outcome of students.
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As we invest in our future and that of Dover, there will be a greater demand for appropriately skilled people and we need to ensure that we can continue to and increasingly recruit them locally to support our growth.
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Tim Waggott, chief executive, Port of Dover
In December we signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Port of Dover, one of east Kent’s biggest employers. It became the first in a series of strategic alliances with major businesses driving the east Kent economy. These agreements gauge the needs of the local business community, ensuring we provide our students with the skills required to walk out of College and into the world of work. When the MoU was signed with the Port of Dover, its chief executive, Tim Waggott, highlighted the importance of the partnership approach saying it would ensure local people would have the opportunity to gain the right skills for employment in Dover. Memorandum of Understanding documents have also been signed with other leading businesses and local councils too. One was signed by Shepway District Council in March 2015 and is already bearing fruit for the College, with partnership working projects underway.
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I am really pleased that Shepway District Council worked with the authorities to help keep the Folkestone Campus open, and now, with this agreement with East Kent College, we can really help local people find work by offering training and apprenticeships by working with local employers like us.
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David Monk Leader of Shepway District Council,
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Giving students a strong commercial grounding while they’re at the College has also led to one of our areas taking on employment. Our School of Creative and Business at the Folkestone Campus – known as The Edge – started working as a professional creative agency during the year. Students at The Edge now get the opportunity to work on live projects as part of their course, getting a solid grounding in professional expectations and a greater understanding of the pressures of a commercial environment. The Edge received one of its first contracts from East Kent College, with an agreement to provide marketing support and content creation. It has
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led to a number of projects being fulfilled by students from The Edge, including a video diary of students taking part in the World Skills Competition and the creation of a range of engaging content for programme areas. The benefit to students is clear, with an insight into the real world dynamics of a commercial work environment. Students are required to pitch to win clients, before settling down into the actual projects, with oversight from industry experts who guide the development of work and assist when required. It gives our students a competitive edge over those who have no experience when they leave East Kent College.
Apprenticeships Apprenticeship growth is one of the primary Government ambitions. They also form a key part of East Kent College’s offering. We have worked hard to grow the range of apprenticeships delivered through the College, using the strategic partnerships the College has built with key employers to ensure students get the high quality training we are known for. In a wonderful display of the standard of our apprentices, East Kent College science apprentice, Charlotte Carr won the Advanced Apprentice Award and was named overall winner of the Upcoming New Talent award at the Science Industry Skills Awards. Her Level 3 Science and Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship with Pfizer at Discovery Park is just one example of the many high quality apprenticeships the College now offers.
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East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Job Centre Plus referrals to all campus areas for the academic year
1,236
quality standard for information advice and guidance services approved by the matrix Accreditation
Alongside working in partnership with business, we have taken on other projects to help get young people into work. In July we completed a successful ‘blended learning’ pilot project funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and Job Centre Plus. East Kent College was chosen as the areas pilot provider after tendering for the contract. The project was a success, with a high proportion of those who took part achieving a grade C or above in English and maths. Careers advice also remained a key priority for the College. Our advisers were awarded Matrix Accreditation for the work done to support individuals into work or training. The team have used links with local employers and also Job Centre Plus to help get unemployed individuals back into work, while also ensuring students receive high quality careers advice. In the Academic Year 2014-2015, 1,236 unemployed individuals were supported and trained across all of East Kent College’s campuses. Of those who were on a programme with a job outcome aim, the College helped 154 – or an impressive 45 per cent – into sustained employment.
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The number studying a direct employability focused course was
343
These were industry focused Sector Based Work Academies or a course with a job outcome aim. Of that 343 customers, the College helped 154 into a job – or
45%
259 people secured an interview while on the programme equalling
76%
60%
of customers that secure an interview secure employment.
The 893 that did not study a job aim outcome related course, studied other basic skills related courses. All referrals received IAG with some being referred to other organisations or did not want to attend training.
TRANSFORMING CO M MUN ITIES East Kent College has always sought to integrate into the communities in which we are based. Our mission statement commits us to engaging with our local communities, making it clear that enhancing their wellbeing and prosperity is of key importance. The College instituted ‘progress weeks’ for staff and students to work on social action projects but we also encourages everyone at the College to volunteer and help their communities outside of these times.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Staff and students from across all three campuses have been active in a range of community social action projects. These projects have been many and varied, but they all have one key strand – that they must give a tangible benefit to the College’s local communities. Students have been involved in the redecoration of community buildings, styling the hair of the residents in a nursing home, and preparing food for a lunch for the homeless. Students have also opened food banks at campuses, with collections being distributed to those who are struggling. Students from the Broadstairs Campus also donated digital tablets to the Town Shed Project after raising £900 through charitable activities. One of the ‘head sheds’ from the project, Andy Parkin said he was thrilled by the work the students had done.
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On behalf of all of our members I am delighted to receive these Hudls and the footballs. A number of our 60 members want to learn how to use tablets but we have a waiting list of months for training, so it is fantastic that the students are willing and able to help.
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Andy Parkin, Head shed
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The different projects not only build our reputation in the local community, but also build the confidence and skills of our students. This type of social action develops employability skills and supports work experience, enhancing our students’ prospects once they finish their course. Two of the College’s students from our Broadstairs Campus also won awards at The Pride in Thanet Tourism Awards. The awards are held annually to celebrate those who go the extra mile to support the tourism and leisure industry in Thanet. Anthony Parker and Tim Hudson and were put forward for awards by their tutors for their outstanding behaviour and achievement. Anthony, who was studying Tourism on our pre-16 programme won the Tourism Student of the Year award while Tim, a Level 2 Catering and Hospitality student scooped Hospitality Student of the Year.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Students on the Level 2 Site Carpentry programme at our Folkestone Campus salvaged the fireplace before returning the 100 year old pitch pine structure to its former glory.
Staff members also got involved in social action across the campuses, helping to cement strong relationships with local communities and individuals. One staff member who was honoured for the work she has done in the local area was Debbie Meacham. Debbie is an executive officer working from our Broadstairs Campus. She was nominated for a ‘Community Oscar’, winning the prize for her work to help community groups navigate through some of the difficulties of applying for Government funding. One of the people who nominated Debbie said she was known for being exceptionally supportive for all those who require her help. It isn’t just social action which has helped the College embed itself into local communities. Folkestone construction students worked on a heritage restoration project when they fully refurbished and reconditioned an Edwardian fireplace from the former Eversley College.
Students from The Edge also engaged with the local community when they ran a winter t-shirt competition. The Business and Enterprise students worked in partnership with The Quarter Masters apparel shop to launch and promote the competition. Stephen Bail, co-owner of The Quarter Masters shop said the partnership was something he had been keen to foster.
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We know from experience it can be challenging as a young person to publicise and sell your work and we were proud to offer this opportunity to the students at East Kent College.
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Stephen Bail
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East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
The College has also further integrated itself into the Broadstairs community after the official launch of its nursery for local people and students. The purpose built nursery was opened by Iris Johnston, the former Thanet District Council leader in January 2015. All of the building work was undertaken by students from the College’s construction programme area, and now that the nursery is fully up and running it provides a unique work experience opportunity for learners who are studying Early Years.
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The new nursery offers members of the community and students a variety of services, with a state-of-the-art kitchen providing hot meals every day, a sensory room, a sleeping room and two spacious gardens. One of the many advantages to having the nursery at the College campus is that students can leave their children while they are studying, removing one of the key barriers to learning for student parents.
The opening of this new nursery marks a very special day for the College. It’s great to be able to provide this service in a wonderful purpose built facility which provides a great place for both the children who come here, and students who will gain experience here.
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Graham Razey
TRANSFORMING LEAR N ER S East Kent College exists to improve outcomes for our learners. Improving both their learning experience, and their chances of finding a job when they finish their study is key to our mission. We place the student at the heart of the College, always working to ensure they receive the best possible experience while at the College. That means we need to give our students the best possible experiences, and as many chances to flourish and grow as we can. Only in that kind of environment can we transform them, and ensure they achieve their fullest potential.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
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One challenge is always ensuring our learners are constantly engaged with what they’re studying. Making sure our curriculum offering is innovative is the key to recruiting new students, and keeping our current ones engaged. An innovative curriculum also gets the most out of our students, maximising their opportunities to learn. During the year, we were awarded a prestigious Beacon Award by the Association of Colleges. The award was given to East Kent College for our Continued Engagement in Education and Training for 16 to 19-year-olds. The College received the award for its hard work to engage students, and also provide the highest quality mental and emotional support across its campuses. The award recognised the approach adopted by the College to tackle the rise in those not in employment, education or training (known as NEETS), with a new Progression Curriculum. It was launched to encourage 16 to 19-year-olds to attend College, giving them an innovative and engaging curriculum offering.
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Around 300 students now study on this curriculum each year and, prior to the introduction of this programme, as many as one in five of these learners would leave within the first six weeks – now retention for the whole year is running at around 94 per cent. Of these students some 60 per cent have continued studying to Level 2, which is double the national average. Some of these students have continued at the College for three years and even gone on to higher education.
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Graham Razey
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The Beacon Awards are all about innovation and making a difference to young people – and that is certainly what East Kent College has achieved and why it was chosen to receive this award. I am also very pleased that the curriculum is now going to be extended to the Dover and Folkestone campuses.
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Pamela Lumsden, Chief Executive of the Association of South East Colleges
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Giving students the opportunity to compete against their peers is also a key aspect of improving their outcomes. East Kent College has always encouraged its learners to enter skills competitions, and over the last year has seen a number of notable successes. Students have shown off the skills they have honed at a number of events against both regional and national competition. Jamie Oliver, a Level 3 Painting and Decorating apprentice studying at East Kent College’s Folkestone Campus, won silver at Johnstone’s Young Painter of the Year Competition after a stunning display of real tradecraft and attention to detail. Our Broadstairs Campus hosted the regional heats of the World Skills Beauty Therapy Competition, with competitors coming from as far away as Portsmouth. Apart from providing a great opportunity to showcase the impeccable facilities on offer at the campus, it gave our students the chance to pit their skills against the best in the region. Level 2 Beauty
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student Drew Sweetingham came second place in the body treatment competition, booking herself a place in the World Skills Show National competition. Alongside those skills wins, our learners have also had successes in competitions such as the National Money for Life Challenge 2015, a Kent Association of Further Education Colleges design competition for Early Years Level 2 and 3 students and the Entente Cordiale cookery competition. Ensuring the courses we offer are fit for industry is also important for the College. That’s why when we received the approval for our Engineering Study Programmes from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) it was such a coup for us. The approval came after a thorough investigation of the course by the institution. It means that students who achieve their Level 3 qualification can apply for professional recognition by the Institute and achieve EngTech status, improving their employability and boosting their career prospects.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
The College has always encouraged our students to involve themselves in extra-curricular activities alongside their courses. As a consequence, we welcomed the Student Union decision to hold a Hustings event before the General Election. The event was a great success, with most of the main candidates for each constituency covered by our campuses coming to speak to the students. It gave our students the opportunity to really engage in the political process, improving their understanding of local and national politics and also giving them a platform for their voices to be heard. Our students have also been given opportunities to experience industry experts at work. Students from
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Folkestone’s Hairdressing Programme Area saw leading industry experts at work during a trip co-ordinated by the College. They were able to ask salon owners what they could do to improve their employability, as well as getting to see experts demonstrate different styles. Other areas benefitted from trips too, with students taking our Higher National Certificate in Sport and Exercise Science visiting the French Alps for five nights to experience winter sports. The trip gave them the chance to experience sports they wouldn’t normally be able to take part in such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing, igloo building and rock climbing. It gave them valuable experience, adding to their standard learning.
TRANSFORMING FAC I LI TIES East Kent College works hard to ensure that our students have industry standard state-of-the-art facilities to learn in. We have successfully completed a range of transformational capital projects across our three campuses over the past year, with real investments to ensure our students have the best equipment available.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
Transforming facilities means the development of ever-better equipment for students to take advantage of. Creating work spaces which are as close to industry as possible is a key goal which will help our learners’ transition seamlessly into work when they finish their training at the College.
unveiled in July with students now able to benefit from a commercial hair and beauty salon, a new sports pitch and improvements at The Edge school of business and creative. At the launch of the new facilities in Folkestone, Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said: “We recognise the vital role that a strong further education sector plays in improving the county’s future, one built upon a skilled and motivated workforce.”
Capital projects have taken place across all of our campuses, with real transformation as industry standard equipment has been installed.
East Kent College also opened a new satellite site at Discovery Park. The science programme area was transferred to the new site, giving students the opportunity to work alongside the growing number of life sciences companies at Discovery Park.
Our Dover Campus received a £2.9 million makeover, with new skills and training facilities unveiled in June. The new facilities were designed to develop future employees for the local business community, with an emphasis placed on the skills need in Dover. Engineering, hairdressing and plumbing all benefitted, while hospitality now benefit from a full size air cabin which provides a realistic training environment. Our Folkestone Campus also benefitted from a £3.7 million investment in capital projects. A range of new facilities were
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We regularly have talks from scientists from on-site organisations including one from the analytical research department of Pfizer who talked about his career path and what qualifications he needed for success in his chosen field. His talk really raised our aspirations.
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BTEC applied science student Charlotte Holloway
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
The transformation of facilities at East Kent College isn’t always just about largescale capital projects and physical redevelopment. Sometimes this transformation takes the form of a change in culture. The campuses at Folkestone and Dover came in for this type of transformation over the first full year of East Kent College running them. It was made clear just how much the two formerly neglected campuses had changed when the FE Commissioner, Dr David Collins visited to inspect them.
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The commissioner praised the campuses as having been ‘transformed’, paying tribute to the staff contribution to the change in attitudes, and noting the ‘drive and professionalism’ of staff. He also noted the inspirational leadership as being the driving force at improving standards across both campuses. Although Folkestone and Dover have only been part of East Kent College for a short time, it is already clear that the campuses have benefitted directly.
East Kent College Annual Review 2014-2015
East Kent College opened its new Technical School after getting the green light from Ofsted. The school – which is based in the heart of the College’s Broadstairs Campus – is one of just a handful of its type in the UK. It offers a range of technical pathways for 14 to 16-year-old students to take which complement traditional academic subjects. The school gives students the opportunity to access industry standard equipment on the campus, allowing them to put their learning into practice in the College’s extensive facilities.
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Development of The Yarrow Hotel has also continued. When this luxury four-star Grade II Listed hotel opens, campus students will be given the opportunity to work in all of its commercial spaces. This will include its full commercial kitchens, its spa and hair salon. It will be utterly unique in the UK as the first training hotel to be owned by a further education college. The Yarrow will be run as a commercial hotel first and foremost, but also enable future leaders in the hospitality sector to train alongside talented commercial professionals.
INVESTOR CAREERS
www.eastkent.ac.uk Broadstairs Campus, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1PN
Folkestone Campus, Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TZ
Dover Campus, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent CT16 1DH
Innovation House, Discovery Park, Sandwich CT13 9FF