Queen Mary’s College launches its STEM Sellers project

Sixth-formers and university graduates will work together to educate schoolkids about STEM subjects and career options in an innovative new pilot project launched at Queen Mary’s College, reports Samantha King

The STEM Sellers initiative will partner five recent graduates on the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s (AWE) graduate programme with 20 of the Hampshire sixth-form’s students on STEM courses. They will all come up with ideas for outreach activities to take to local primary and secondary schools.

Managed by the graduates, the project will provide the college’s students with an opportunity to work closely with people who have been through university and who are taking their first steps on the STEM career ladder, as well as developing their own employability skills.

“We see this project as a win-win-win,” explained Marcus Rutland, STEM development lead at Queen Mary’s. “Our local schools get somebody else in doing something entirely free, with everything managed. It’s great for our students because they can build their skills and interact with people who can give them an eye-opener about the opportunities ahead, and it’s good for the AWE graduates who get to work on their project management and teamwork skills.”

Marcus Rutland

Running every two weeks in the college’s timetabled tutor time, students and graduates have been brainstorming the activities they’ll deliver to schools, striking a balance between “fun science” activities including forensic challenges and chemical reaction experiments, with informative sessions on why youngsters should pursue STEM subjects post-16.

A body language expert from AWE will visit the group next week to run a workshop on how to deliver a good presentation, to equip the students with the skills they’ll need to run their sessions successfully in schools.

“If you’re speaking to a crowd of educationalists, this project has the benefit of being something that is high impact without requiring any one person at the college to be cooking up every detail from scratch, which would be really time-consuming. Having AWE as a partner and the graduates there is fantastic,” Mr Rutland added.

“It’s something I can see could be repeated elsewhere. I’m sure lots of STEM employers have lots of graduate-intake programmes where they want the graduates to take a lead on something.”

Funding for the project, including minibus hire and any purchases required for the workshops, will be covered by a fund accessible to the AWE graduates.

Twentieth Century Fox delivers movie masterclass to students

Creative media students have enjoyed a week-long crash course in movie marketing with representatives from film studio, 20th Century Fox.

The learners from Manchester College were told to build a digital campaign around the studio’s upcoming film release, Love Simon, a rom-com telling the story of a closeted gay teenage boy in high school.

The campaigns were judged by Cameron Saunders, UK managing director for 20th Century Fox, as well as members of the studio’s marketing team, and the winning campaign used the idea of “facing your fears” to fit the film’s theme of coming out.

As part of the project, students were also allowed to see snippets of the film, which is officially released in April, and received an invite to a pre-screening in March.

“This has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as a tutor,” said Katy Rushton, a media tutor at the college. “I’ve seen students who were too shy to answer questions in class grow in confidence over the course of a week, to the point where they could pitch their ideas to 20th Century Fox professionals.”

The series of workshops with the film giant were facilitated by Ideas Foundation, a charity which gets 13- to 19-year-olds hands-on experience in the creative industries.

Main picture: Students and reps from 20th Century Fox

College caterers learn the art of military cooking

Catering students experienced the world of military cooking after a visit from the army’s 167 Catering Support Regiment.

Under the watchful eye of the team of military chefs, the Warrington and Vale Royal College learners used basic rations to whip up nutritional dishes that could support a soldier in the field, including pasta, stews and flapjacks made with tinned and long-life produce.

Students also had the opportunity to ask the army chefs about the career options available in the forces, and heard about their experiences in a field kitchen.

“This was a great opportunity for our students to see what it’s like to work within the armed forces as a chef. It’s a career option that many of them had never thought about before,” said Andy Macleod, the college’s curriculum manager for hospitality and catering.

“Using the ration packs to produce a meal was really interesting – we all loved it,” added student Maddie Hannam.

The college hopes to take students on a visit to the 167 regiment’s Lincolnshire-based barracks over the next few months.

Hugh Baird College L20 restaurant becomes first ‘centre of excellence’ in Liverpool

A college’s on-site restaurant has become the first in Liverpool to achieve gold accreditation from People 1st.

The L20 hotel school and L20 restaurant at Hugh Baird College was also awarded ‘centre of excellence’ status for the quality of the training it delivers to aspiring chefs, as well as its links with the catering industry.

The restaurant was also placed at the “top end” of the college rosette award scheme by AA inspector Garry Baldwin, who presented it with a ‘highly commended’ award.

“To be the first college in the region to be awarded gold accreditation and named as a centre of excellence really does recognise the hard work we put in,” said Stephen Otty, the curriculum coordinator at L20 hotel school.

“The school was launched to address the hospitality skills gap of the ever-growing visitor economy of the Liverpool City Region and we continue to do this in spectacular style year on year,” added Yana Williams, the college’s principal and CEO.

The college’s L20 restaurant currently has a five-star rating on trip advisor.

Nationwide competition seeks the most social-media savvy people in FE

A UK-wide competition is seeking the most social media-savvy people working in further education.

The FE Social Media Superstars 2018, run by Jisc, is looking for anyone from marketing staff to college principals who are making a positive difference to the sector using social media.

Applicants will be judged on how they use social media to address specific needs and challenges, the impact their social media prowess has had on their institution or the wider community, and how they have used social media in an innovative way.

Ten winners will be named, and each will win a visit for their college or institution from Jisc’s Digi Lab, featuring a robot, a brain reader, and augmented reality software.

Previous winners include Bedford College CEO Ian Pryce, for upbeat tweets which draw national media attention, and Hull College Group’s Amanda Reeve, a theatrical make-up tutor who uses Instagram to show off her students’ work and secure them work placements.

Entries should be submitted before midnight on March 29. To apply, click here.

Strike action escalates on a second day of college walkouts

More than 1,500 staff from colleges are expected to take part in a second day of strike action, and more walkouts are planned up to the end of April.

The dispute is over what a spokesperson for the University and Colleges Union described as “a disappointing” pay offer of one per cent, made last September by the Association of Colleges, which represents the colleges on pay.

The first walkouts took place yesterday, and UCU’s head of further education Andrew Harden has looked ahead to more industrial action.

Strikers in the snow yesterday

“Strong action was reported from all the colleges on strike yesterday, with many members in London joining the thousands marching through the capital to a rally in Westminster,” he said.

“We’ve already notified the bulk of those colleges that there will be three further days of action between now and the end of April. The ballot paper was explicit that what members were being balloted on was escalating strike action.”

The union said it was expecting more than 1,500 staff from colleges across the country to take part in strike action today.

They did not elaborate on what degree heavy snow across the country had undermined picket lines, and efforts to disrupt college life – considering how the icy conditions would have negatively affected many lectures and decisions to attend anyway.

But a spokesperson for New City College in London claimed the strike had made very little impact there.

“The strike action – and snow – have caused very little disruption,” they said. “All NCC campuses are fully open and students are attending timetabled classes.”

The union announced last month that staff at more than a dozen colleges had voted overwhelmingly to strike over pay.

 

The UCU said staff at all the London colleges that voted and Sandwell would strike today.

The AoC expressed “regret” that it was unable to offer more last September.

The National Joint Forum, made up of the unions representing college staff, had submitted a claim for an across-the-board rise of around six per cent in April.

But the final offer was just one per cent, or the sum of £250 “where this is more beneficial”.

“When we made the recommendation of one per cent, or a minimum of £250, we were clear that this was the maximum we believed was affordable by colleges, given the severe funding cuts which they have been subject to in recent years,” said AoC boss David Hughes.

But the mood will have darkened further among general FE college staff, after it was announced yesterday that teachers in sixth-form colleges in England will get a pay rise of up to two per cent, backdated to September 2017.

The agreement will give those on points one to six of the national pay scale an extra two per cent, while those above point six will get one per cent from the same date.

“Sixth-form college teachers will be pleased that their pay will increase in line with school teachers for another year,” said Dr Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union.

Movers and Shakers: Edition 236

Your weekly guide to who’s new and who’s leaving

Michael Finn, Joint headteacher, Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC

Start date: February 2018
Previous job: Vice-principal, Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC
Interesting fact: Michael is a keen singer, and in his youth performed in choirs at both the Albert and Festival Halls.

____________________________________________

Aaron Jeffries, Apprenticeship levy lead, Covéa Insurance

Start date: January 2018
Previous job: Learning and development partner, Covéa Insurance
Interesting fact: Aaron’s a keen artist and has painted a number of canvasses for friends and family.

____________________________________________

Andy Cole, Principal, Kensington and Chelsea College

Start date: February 2018
Previous job: Principal, College of North West London
Interesting fact: Andy used to curate art exhibitions and, in the 1980s and 1990s, ran a gallery around the corner from Kensington and Chelsea College’s Chelsea Centre.

____________________________________________

Nazir Afzal OBE, Chairman of the corporation board, Hopwood Hall College

Start date: September 2018
Previous job: Pro-chancellor, University of West London
Interesting fact: Nazir is known in greater Manchester for his role in prosecuting the “Rochdale grooming gangs”, as chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service for north-west England.

____________________________________________

Colin Peaks, Principal, Wilberforce College

Start date: September 2018
Previous job: Vice-principal, Wilberforce College
Interesting fact: Colin was a pupil himself at Wilberforce College between 1991 and 1993.

 

If you want to let us know of any new faces at the top of your college, training provider or awarding organisation please let us know by emailing news@feweek.co.uk

Low-paid sixth-form college teachers get 2% payrise

Teachers in sixth-form colleges in England will get a pay rise of up to two per cent, backdated to September 2017.

The rise follows negotiations between the National Education Union and the Sixth-Form Colleges Association.

This week the SFCA agreed to increase its pay offer to match the September 2017 increase won by teachers working in schools.

The agreement will give sixth-form teachers on points one to six of the national pay scale an extra two per cent, while those above point six will get one per cent from the same date.

Dr Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Sixth-form college teachers will be pleased that their pay will increase in line with school teachers for another year. The National Education Union worked hard to achieve this deal for its members, who showed their resolution to get a fair deal by rejecting the previous offer.

“The increase is, however, still below inflation and the NEU will continue to lobby to secure fully funded higher pay for teachers in schools and colleges alike.”

Graham Baird, SFCA’s director of HR services who led the negotiations on the employers side, said: “We are pleased to have reached agreement with the recognised trade unions for an across the board increase of 1 per cent on teachers’ pay, with higher targeted increases of 2 per cent on the lowest pay points.

“This agreement is at the edge of affordability for most colleges given the ongoing funding pressures facing the sector, but teachers in sixth form colleges work hard to support their students and it is important that they are rewarded for that.”

General FE colleges across the country were meanwhile facing strike action today over a one-per-cent pay offer made by the Association of Colleges to staff nationwide.

“The below inflation pay offer won’t address the real hardship caused to staff by years of pay suppression in further education,” said Sally Hunt, University and College Union general secretary. “Staff are 24 per cent worse off in real terms than they were a decade ago.”

“We have seen great support on the picket lines today with more to come tomorrow – employers need to address members’ concerns as a matter of urgency,” she added.

AoC boss David Hughes previously spoke out against the industrial action. “I appreciate that the decision to strike is never a decision taken lightly, but it is disappointing that this action is being taken so soon after we agreed to work together with unions to campaign on fair funding for colleges.”

 

Stockport College earns its third Ofsted ‘inadequate’ in five years

A college has been hit with its third ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating in the space of just five years.

The latest report on Stockport College was published this morning.

It was found to be grade four overall and received the worst possible rating for effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment; outcomes for learners, and 16-to-19 study programmes.

The report repeatedly warned that lessons had not been learned from the previous ‘inadequate’ inspection findings in November 2016.

“Leaders and governors have not reversed the decline in standards since the previous inspection,” it said.

They had also “not responded quickly enough to address all weaknesses identified at the previous inspection”.

Stockport College was said in the report to provide education and training for around 1,056 learners aged 16 to 18, as well as 1,776 adult learners, the large majority of whom are studying part time.

It was actually rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted back in 2008.

But the next inspection verdict was a devastating drop to ‘inadequate’, before an improvement to grade three in 2014, and the subsequent further two grade fours.

The latest report warned that “the financial status of the college is weak and the college remains in administered status”. 

It did recognise that “partnerships with local employers and key stakeholders are good”, and accepted that the board had been strengthened since the last report  and “governors have been recruited with a good range of skills and expertise to support the senior leadership team”.

But it warned: “The quality of teaching, learning and assessment remains inadequate. Achievement rates for learners on 16 to 19 study programmes declined further in 2016/17 and are inadequate. Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that the principles of study programmes are met.”

It added that although the new leadership team “has implemented changes, the rate of improvement in teaching, learning and assessment is too slow”.

“Although improved since the previous inspection, learners’ attendance remains too low,” it added. “Too few learners attend their lessons and too many are late, particularly to English and
mathematics lessons.”

It said that while leaders had been working to “secure a sustainable future for the college, the college finances remain inadequate”.

Stockport College announced plans last summer to merge with ‘good’ Ofsted rated Trafford College.

FE Week had previously revealed in February last year that plans to merge Tameside, Oldham and Stockport colleges had been called off after intervention from FE commissioner Richard Atkins.

That proposal had been made at the end of a troubled nine-month process riven by deep tensions between the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the colleges involved.

Dr Mike Potter CBE, transition principal for the college, preferred to reflect on the positives from the latest report.

“Whilst naturally disappointed at the latest Ofsted inspection result after all the hard work that staff and governors have put in over the past sixteen months, and that the two previous Ofsted re-Inspection monitoring visit reports have noted that there has been reasonable progress in most areas identified for improvement, we recognise that there is still further work to be done,” he said.

“That said, we take some comfort from the positives in the detailed text of the report, and that more strengths, particularly around skills’ development, partnerships, and support for learners were evident to the Inspection team this time.”