3 a X X X. Chairman. Keith Dennis Julie Richards Geoff Leyland Martyn Glossop. Clerk to. David Higham. Sue Saunders. Ebony Pascall.

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1 Minutes of the Standards Committee Meeting held 7 November Item No Approval Information Discussion 3 a Present: In Attendance: APOLOGIES Keith Dennis Julie Richards Geoff Leyland Martyn Glossop Terry Betts Gunter Scheidt Sam Ulyatt Gill Parkes Anthony Gribben Lisle Sandra Stewart David Higham Roozie Alexander Sue Saunders James Marples Ebony Pascall Tony Cawthorne Chairman Principal and CEO Committee Member Studentt Governor Committee Member Deputy Principal Interim Vice Principal, Business Excellence Clerk to the Corporation 485/17 Declaration of Interest Members were reminded of the need to disclose an interest in any item of business to be considered at the meeting. No items were declared. 486/17 Minutes from the previous meetings: Minutes from the meeting held 3 October 2017 The minutes of the Standards Committee meeting held on 3 October 2017, of which had been circulated, were agreed as a true and accurate record and signed byy the Chairman. Matters arising and actions Minute Reference 481/17 (a) Some suggestions for key focus themes have beenn received and will be reviewed by the Chair and Deputy Principal for the Spring and Summer Term. Minute Reference 483/17 (a) Achievementss of Chesterfield College students at university are being sourced and an update will be provided as soon as possible. The Chair welcomed members of staff Ebony Pascall, Sue Saunders,, Roozie Alexander, David Higham and James Marples for Agenda Item 3. SS/Clerk to the Corporation/Standards Committee Minutes Part 1 7/11/177 1

2 487/17 Key Focus Bringing the business to life Curriculum Snapshot James Marples (Senior Marketing Officer) and Ebony Pascall (Career Pathway Leader Media and Photography) provided a presentation on how the college has been working Melodic Caring Project, a US company expanding in Europe, which does live streaming of concerts to sick children. Following an initiative from James, the college were chosen as the first partner in Europe to work the project. Media, graphics and photography students took part and the concert was live streamed to Sheffield Children s Hospital. The event provided real life media and work experience opportunities which were very rewarding for the students and staff involved. There are plans to extend the project into local towns and cities with a further event planned for Ashgate Hospice and students will be live streaming the college Higher Education Graduation on 10 th November. Meet the Directors David Higham, Commercial Director Learning Unlimited outlined his role and that of his team in growing apprenticeships and other provision, including full cost and Programmes For The Unemployed (PFU), providing high levels of customer service. The team engage with employers and students based in all sites, generating leads and working with employers Partnership account officers work with 1800 employers and have contracts across the country The amount of tenders and paperwork has increased since the introduction of standards, with high success levels The team work on developing links with employers and large organisations Employer forums are being developed with curriculum teams to grow employer voice and increase employer involvement in curriculum planning Reputation is key and the college has the highest employer satisfaction rate in the FE Choices survey In response to a question from the Chair, David Higham defined the USP of the area and how the college placed itself in the current volatile market. The area focussed on high quality of customer service and return on investment to grow and sustain the business Roozie Alexander Director of Apprenticeships and Commercial Services provided details on his area of responsibility which included: Managing the Learning Unlimited provision for the group Driving performance and KPIs Working with the business development team Ensuring the provision is well placed to meet the transition from frameworks to standards Regularly meeting with stakeholders and taking part in employer forums Managing PFU projects, to deliver the adult education budget of 1m for the group Sector Based Work Academies providing qualifications and recruitment processes to large employers Skills Bank led by Sheffield City Region for upskilling workforces with particular demand SS/Clerk to the Corporation/Standards Committee Minutes Part 1 7/11/17 2

3 from employers for Prince 2, IT and electrical qualifications. Post 16 Technical Education Reforms Sue Saunders, Director of Strategic Planning provided an update on Post 16 Technical Education Reforms under the following headings: Background to the reforms College response to the changes Planned implementation timetable T Level Structure Curriculum response and plans Occupational map Staffing and skills T Level work placements Being routes ready Next steps Governors queried how the college was ensuring that staff would be prepared for the changing delivery models. The Deputy Principal outlined the work in progress including working in partnership with employers and universities, continued professional development (CPD) to develop and upskill staff and working with employers to provide work placement opportunities which meet the requirements of T Levels. The Vice Principal Business Excellence outlined details of a project being planned with a large IT provider which will link infrastructure with delivery. Discussion took place on the changes to work placements and governors with industry background shared their suggestions this could be addressed to meet the needs of employers and the possible impact. Action: The committee requested regular updates as the changes progress. The Chair thanked staff for sharing developments and confirmed that it had provided the committee with a deeper understanding of activities within the college. The staff left the meeting. 488/17 Performance Report The Deputy Principal talked through the new Performance Report which captures college performance and informs the committee on all matters relating to the student experience. Section one relates to the relevant strategic intent, including the Capacity and Delivery Fund, the work experience strategy and a University research project on GCSE resits. In response to a query from governors on the value of involving alumni in working with students, the Deputy Principal outlined what is currently being done within some areas of provision. The college is currently recruiting for new Director of Career Planning and Progression to reflect the emphasis on work ready and progression. Governors queried how the curriculum planning process meets employers needs and work opportunities. The Deputy Principal outlined the robust curriculum planning process which is in place to plan curriculum to meet local, regional SS/Clerk to the Corporation/Standards Committee Minutes Part 1 7/11/17 3

4 and national needs. Curriculum areas have recently being going through a validation process, outcomes will be shared following a final review. The Chair questioned how the college externally validated SARs, in response the Deputy Principal outlined how governors were involved in curriculum SAR validations and the college SAR would be externally validated by a previous HMI. The information in the report is underpinned by the data provided which has been provided in more detail to Standards Committee for scrutiny purposes. Governors queried when data would be available on disadvantaged students (measured by free school meals entitlement), destination outcomes and care leavers. The Vice Principal Business Excellent reported that this data would be available for the college Self Assessment Report (SAR) validation. Action: Data for disadvantaged students and care leavers, including destination outcomes to be circulated as part of the college SAR. The Chair asked if a trend version against national benchmarks could be included in future data reports. Achievement data for 2016/17 is now complete with overall classroom based achievement at 85%. In response to a question from the Chair regarding actions being taken to address this, the Deputy Principal reported that a restructure of the higher education and adult provision had taken place with the new area responsible for monitoring adult provision across the college and a steering group has been set up to review the curriculum offer strategically and delivery models. Significant in year actions are in place for functional skills and GCSE, both are on or above national average and a focussed action plan is in place. Work based learning has declined slightly, but remains above benchmark. The decline is due to some subcontracted provision. To address this, a new Partnership Co ordinator has been recruited recently and a reduced number of subcontractors are being engaged with this year. College direct delivery had improved and LU Derby results are very positive. All areas of concern are being addressed through the curriculum areas and college Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs). Action: Review possibility of providing a trend analysis against national benchmarks in future data reports. The committee discussed the recent HEFCE QAA visit, the Deputy Principal outlined how the HE strategy, robust business plan and emphasis on quality, led by the Director of Higher and Adult Education, had contributed to the positive developments within the area. The Chair expressed thanks to Sharon Woodward Baker (Director of Higher and Adult Education), the higher education team and Gunter Scheidt (Student Governor and student representative at the QAA) for their hard work and contribution to the visit. The report highlighted that Engineering and Construction Team had taken on 40 apprentice starts over budget. Governors asked for how the college plans for the addition of such a large number of additional starts and what was in place to ensure a positive learning experience. The Deputy Principal stated that these students join us at different times and their teaching SS/Clerk to the Corporation/Standards Committee Minutes Part 1 7/11/17 4

5 and learning experience is not impacted by their later starting date. It is anticipated as that the engineering and construction market is changing that staggered start dates will be ongoing to meet employer demands. The committee discussed benchmarks and how the trend was being anticipated nationally this year. It is anticipated that benchmarks will be similar to last year or a slight decline, due in part to the issues there has been in the sector with large private training providers and the impact of the apprenticeship standards being managed by employers The Chair queried progress toward the number of areas self assessing as good or outstanding, it was confirmed the actual figure won t be confirmed as some confirmation of grades are still awaited. The challenge across all curriculum areas has been English and maths. The Deputy Principal requested feedback from the committee on the themed based meeting and the new style reporting. The committee welcomed the opportunity for further insight into the curriculum at the college. 489/17 Date of next meeting: 5 th December 2017 (Self Assessment Validation) 490/17 Any other business there was no other business SS/Clerk to the Corporation/Standards Committee Minutes Part 1 7/11/17 5