Further education colleges often describe themselves as anchors within their communities, but at City of Bristol College, that commitment extends beyond a slogan.
Its team of three community campus leads work on students’ personal development alongside their education and employability skills.
Jake Sanders, community campus lead for the college’s Ashley Down and Parkway campuses, knows Bristol inside out. A former carpenter and a passionate cyclist, he carved out a career in FE after working on building sites.
This is what a typical day looks like for him.
5.00am
Three mornings a week, my day begins with a gravel bike ride. My usual 25km route climbs to a viewpoint above the River Avon, where I can look out across both Bath and Bristol – an incredible way to begin the day.
I think I fit well within FE because I understand what it feels like growing up with the stigma of being a free school meals kid.
My family sometimes couldn’t afford the 50p needed for school discos, and in the holidays we’d often live off jam sandwiches because money was tight. It shapes the way I think about inclusion and how colleges can support students beyond the classroom.
I knew my parents really wanted me to get an apprenticeship and earn a living, so I trained as a carpenter – and I loved it. But part of me also felt capable of much more.
7.30am
After taking a shower and getting the kids ready for school, I down a smoothie packed with oats and berries before jumping back on my bike and cycling to work.
The two campuses where I work have their own distinct feel. Ashley Down, where I am today, offers ESOL courses and SEND provision.
Its grey stone buildings carry a fascinating history as the site of the Müller Orphan Homes, founded in 1849 as a progressive alternative to the harsh Victorian workhouse system. The campus later became the exterior filming location for the BBC medical drama Casualty.
Meanwhile, Parkway Centre specialises in engineering, motor vehicle and construction courses. When I joined the college last year, I assumed that campus would feel like a natural fit because of my background in construction.
But over time, I’ve realised I probably fit in better at Ashley Down as supporting our most vulnerable learners plays to my strengths. My nephew has Down’s syndrome, which gives me a personal connection to supporting young people with SEND.
8.15am
As I’m locking up my bike, I notice a student who is already on his final written warning jumping his moped over a speed bump. I know he can become defensive when challenged by staff, and the last thing I want is for him to lose his place at college. He’s only 18 and already a father.
Instead of confronting him there and then, I ask him to come and see me an hour later so we can talk properly about what had happened. The approach worked. He acknowledged what he had done and no further action was needed.
A big part of my role involves contributing evidence at behaviour management meetings, but I always try to consider the wider context behind a student’s behaviour as part of our trauma-informed practice.
8.30am
I spend some time at reception greeting students as they enter. Many of our SEND learners arrive by taxi. Part of my role is simply being a familiar, welcoming face – someone who helps students feel they belong here.
I love the sheer variety that each day brings. One moment I’m organising a campus tour for local MP Darren Jones (the prime minister’s chief secretary), and the next I’m arranging a student talk on healthy relationships or reviewing CCTV footage for breaches of the student code of conduct.
I took a small pay cut to join this college because I’d always wanted to work here. Bristol is my hometown, and this role was unlike anything I’d seen before or since in further education.
9.15am
With GCSE exam season approaching, my office is piled high with boxes of calculators and exam supplies. I attend a meeting with staff working through the finer details, only to discover that one exam clashes with a student activity happening nearby. It’s the sort of logistical issue that can quickly become a headache if it’s not picked up early.
I don’t mind attending lots of meetings. When I first started as a carpentry lecturer at Wiltshire College & University Centre, aged 25, I remember sitting in my first staff meeting thinking, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid for this”.
Around me, lecturers were complaining about minor frustrations while I was thinking, “Last week I didn’t even have a toilet on site, working on building sites – what’s there to moan about?”
Teaching had always been my dream job, but stepping into FE felt like entering a different world. Up until then, I’d just been kicking around construction sites, so I carried a huge sense of imposter syndrome.
The first time I had to teach theory, I was terrified. I’d never stood in front of a room and spoken publicly before. But over time, teaching taught me how to communicate clearly and connect with people.
Moving into management was another challenge altogether. When I became deputy head of construction, the role felt alien and I struggled with the difficult conversations that come with leading staff. There were even moments when I tried to resign and return to full-time teaching, but thankfully, nobody let me.
Later, I joined Swindon College as a quality manager, a role that suited my growing interest in teaching, learning theory and the processes that underpin good education.
10.45am
I’m in a meeting planning a community picnic as part of the college’s Refugee Week activities. The idea is to create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere where students can share food and sit together on picnic blankets so it feels like a genuine community event rather than a formal college activity.
A big part of my day is spent in such meetings with department heads and programme managers. In a recent meeting with our ESOL team, we were reviewing attendance data and noticed a dip during Ramadan. It prompted important conversations about how we can better support students during that period, including perhaps introducing later starts next year to better reflect their needs.
12.00pm
We’re hosting Avon and Somerset Police for a lunchtime pop-up linked to a project called Corridor Conversations, designed to reduce any distrust students may feel towards the police.
For our SEND learners, particularly those who experience anxiety or become dysregulated, the presence of police officers can feel intimidating. The aim is to create positive interactions and help students see officers as people they can approach for support. I spend time encouraging students to ask questions and talk openly with the officers about issues affecting them.
A couple of years ago Bristol suffered a rise in knife crime linked to postcode rivalries between gangs, although things have improved since then. We’re supporting the national knife crime initiative Operation Sceptre, and the police are making students aware there are safe and anonymous ways to hand weapons in.
12.30pm
I grab a panini and coffee in our student-run café, and catch up on emails. It’s the best place on campus to see students interacting with one another. I’m quietly keeping an eye on things, making sure they’re treating each other respectfully.
A huge part of my role is about making college feel like more than somewhere students simply pass assessments and get qualifications. It’s about creating a genuine sense of community.
Later, I head to our Parkway campus. I’ve developed a structured enrichment programme there for apprentices and vocational learners who might not normally volunteer for enrichment activities, to broaden their horizons and help prepare them for life beyond college.
The 12-session programme covers topics such as gambling awareness, driver safety and refugee myth-busting.
Often, our safeguarding team will come to me with concerns about behaviours emerging among students, and together we’ll organise talks or workshops to address them. As the network of local organisations I work with continues to grow, it gives me more flexibility to bring in the right support where it’s needed most. That’s probably the part of the job I enjoy most – knowing that, in some small way, I’m helping these young people make better life decisions.
2.00pm
As I arrive at Parkway, a group of motor vehicle students are gathered in the car park, chatting about cars and playing loud music. I stop briefly to join them in conversation, but the real reason was to ask them to lower the volume and remind them to use the designated smoking area before heading inside. I find challenging behaviours in this way more effective as it makes the interaction less confrontational and helps us to develop a respectful relationship.
I’m attending a student council meeting focused on plans to redevelop parts of the campus. We want students to help shape what that redevelopment looks like and gather feedback from their peers about what they think might improve their college experience.
Some staff understandably prioritise teaching, so part of my role is balancing those perspectives. I’m that bridge between different groups across the college – translating what students want into something workable for lecturers and support teams.
1.00pm-3pm [on Wednesdays]
One of the most rewarding parts of my day is seeing students experience something that many people take for granted: the freedom to ride a bike.
At Ashley Down, we work closely with a local organisation, Warmley Wheelers, that has a range of adapted bicycles so everyone can enjoy cycling, regardless of physical ability or disability.
At first, we ran a cycling collaboration at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club’s grounds, before moving it to the Ashley Downs food hall. During the sessions, the hall is transformed into a makeshift velodrome, with students navigating the adapted bikes around the space together.
The activity draws out our students’ potential; lecturers have described seeing them communicating with each other for the very first time while trying to overtake one another on the track. Forget the cycling; at that point it’s all about what else that project is doing.
3.00pm
Another part of my role involves leading the college’s approach to competitions. I work closely with departments to encourage students to take part in regional contests or create opportunities through internal events.
Today, I’m meeting with the programme manager for foundation and community learning to plan the next stage of Art Beyond Barriers, an inclusive SEND competition we’re running in partnership with four other colleges across the South West.
The project invites learners to creatively explore and express the barriers they experience in everyday life. Local artists help judge the entries, and the competition culminates in an exhibition and celebration event showcasing the students’ work.
More than anything, it gives learners the chance to connect with others who share similar experiences and feel seen through their creativity.
5.30pm
When I get home, I usually try to switch off from work so I can maintain a healthy work-life balance. At the start of each term, I’m full of energy and ideas, although by half-term I’m usually limping towards the finish line in need of a break. But the fulfilment I get from the job more than makes up for that. I feel incredibly fortunate to do work that genuinely means something to me.
Even now, though, I never want to lose sight of the fact that at heart I’m still a carpenter. I’m proud of that background. And whatever happens in my career, I love knowing I can still fit my own kitchen if I need to – which is a pretty useful string to my bow.
Most evenings, I’m tinkering with my bike in the garage or reading cycling articles on my phone, already thinking about the next ride.
In many ways, my job feels like cycling – the uphill parts can be tough, but they’re also what make the journey so rewarding.