Strategic Plan 2012-15
Havering Sixth Form College aims to be outstanding. Outstanding means the
highest possible levels of achievement of all kinds (academic, vocational,
sporting, artistic, musical...) by the highest possible number.
1.
Strategic Summary: Quality, Finance and Local, Regional &
National Developments
i.
Quality
Sixth Form Colleges have an excellent reputation and this college has a very good local, regional and national reputation.
The last OFSTED inspection found the College to be good and awarded the following grade Effectiveness of provision Good: Grade 2; Capacity to improve Good: Grade 2; Achievement and standards Good: Grade 2; Quality of provision Good: Grade 2; Leadership and management Good: Grade 2; Equality of
opportunity Good: contributory grade 2. OFSTED stated that:
The overall effectiveness of the provision is good, as is the college’s capacity to improve. Achievement and standards are good with high success rates. The College provides particularly good opportunities for many learners with low prior attainment at age 16. Value added scores show that most learners make much better progress than expected from their GCSE results. Overall success rates are good at AS level and slightly lower than the very high national average at A level. Success rates at GCSE are good and the achievement of high grades is significantly better than the national average. Success rates for the learners who study at level 1 are particularly high. Attendance rates are good and learners enjoy their studies. The standard of learners’ work is good. The participation of learners with minority ethnic heritage is very good and their success rates are high.
In the Summer 2011, after good Success and Value Added in 2010, Success Rates dropped by 2% and were below benchmark. The LAT value added report continues to show that our students do at least as well as expected and the ALPS Student
there are some courses that underperform. Overall we self-assessed the College as a grade 3 in 2011 and if inspected now would expect this to be confirmed.
In-year actions in 2011-12 in order to improve success rates have included a rigorous focus on attendance and retention as well as the release of the Quality &
Innovation fund to improve educational standards. This is combined with the rigorous approach of achievement review. The poorest performing provision has been deleted. Data on 1 May 2012 shows that these measures seem to be having an impact. Overall retention is 4.4% higher than the end-of-year position in 2010-11. AS Level retention in particular has improved. However, January exam results showed that students continue to struggle with the transition to AS Levels,
consequently a number of extra support and revision classes have been provided, as well as significant on-line support, in order to maximise success.
We are keen to encourage an engagement with ‘college community’; a number of things are being done to create a sense of community. This is being led by 4
temporary Associate Principals
ii.
Finance
The College achieved a surplus of over £800,000 in 2010-11 and is currently running a surplus budget. The April management Accounts are showing a likely outturn for 2011-12 is a surplus of nearly £700,000. We received a capital grant of £1,200,000 (Building Condition Improvement Fund) in 2011-12 and have just received a further grant of £1,500,000 for 2012-13. These factors make our cash position much better than had previously been feared.
We have received confirmation of our funding for 2012-13 which is £12,601,996. In many respects our expansion strategy is working. However, this figure still includes approx. £900,000 of Transitional Protection. Setting a surplus budget for 2012-13 will be achieved and staff costs will still be below 70% of income.
The current ‘stepped’ eight point plan will enable us to set a surplus budget for 2012-13 and ensure that we do not spend more cash than we receive. By 2015-16 the cut per learner will be 14% from the 2010-11 level. In order to cope with this we will implement a revised ‘stepped’ 8 point plan. The new plan is sensitive to quality issues as well as financial security and consequently avoids deep cuts to staffing levels but keeps staff costs under control and at ratios that the college has previously experienced.
The new 8 point plan for implementation 2012-13 is:
1. Encouraging managers to look for savings in their Business Planning for 2013-14 including efficient Curriculum & staff planning;
2. Review of all posts as they become vacant with the view to not
replacing and keeping staff costs at a maximum of 71% of total income; 3. Review Capital Plans in line with need and income;
4. Follow the SFCF/Union nationally negotiated pay recommendation, whilst keeping the staff costs to 71% of income;
5. Increase student numbers to 2690 in 2012-13, with a view to review on completion of the Sports Hall Extension;
6. Review the Management Structure with a view to maintaining staff costs at a maximum of 71% income, prioritising teaching & learning and increasing
organisational efficiency;
7. Reviewing staffing levels with the view to reduce staff through voluntary redundancy, keeping staff costs at a maximum of 71% of income & prioritising teaching & learning;
8. Reviewing staffing levels with the view to reduce staff through compulsory redundancy, keeping staff costs at a maximum of 71% of income & prioritising teaching & learning.
We are currently at step 5 of this plan and we will continue through the plan if we do not recruit 2690 students. Review of staffing costs will also be necessary if we do reach our target numbers but obviously the scale of action will be less severe. The College is currently graded as outstanding under the Framework for Excellence criteria for Financial Health.
iii.
Local, Regional and National Developments.
Local
Havering Borough continues to provide high quality education and be a net importer of students through all phases of education.
Local secondary schools have mostly become Academies in line with Government policy. Despite this there has been no move for them to start Sixth Forms. We need to continue to position ourselves strategically as key partners to academies. This dialogue has begun, the aim of the dialogue is to retain our position as the natural Sixth Form for all the ‘partner schools’. We have been
asked to join a Trust with the secondary schools and Havering College of Further & Higher Education. This is further evidence that partnership is strong. The initial aim is to set up a legal identity that can provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and improvement services. We will be keen to establish the vision and mission to include transition for all young people in Havering. We are submitting a bid for a Beacon Award for our partnership work with the GFE College and local schools.
Kingswood school in Harold Hill is an old style ‘converter academy’. It is now the Drapers Academy. It opens a Sixth Form in 2012. Currently they have significant quality issues. Their Key Stage 4 results are very poor. They are aggressively advertising for students to go to their Sixth Form, however it is unlikely to recruit large numbers.
Regional
Beyond our immediate locality there are also developments that we need to be aware of. One example is the 16-19 Excellence Academy Free school in East London. This is a partnership between the 11-16 schools of Newham and some key Private Schools (e.g. Brighton College) to provide a Sixth Form College for the deprived bright students of Newham and beyond. This opens in September 2012 and has a planned intake of 250. Brampton Manor is also opening a Sixth Form in Newham. At the time of writing our applications from Newham are still strong, however it is unclear what the presence of these new providers in Newham will do to our conversion of applicants into actual enrolments. Palmers College is also becoming more aggressive in marketing to our partner schools. In summary we remain a very attractive College to students from East London. But competition increases. We remain the Sixth Form of choice for Borough schools and applications are maintaining previous levels. However, it is an easier climate for competition to emerge. Executive take the view that we will be able to achieve expansion in 2012-13 but that our planned expansion to 2690 is ambitious but achievable.
Regional support networks between Sixth Form (and other) Colleges are strengthening. One significant contributory factor to this is the close working relationship between Paul Wakeling and Keith Murdoch (Principal of Woodhouse). Also contributing is David Andrews’ chairing of the London North and East Peer Review Group. We are now in our second year of supporting leadership development in the member colleges by providing 5 seminars for leaders and managers across the Colleges. There is now a joint arrangement
with OCR for discounted exams and joint CPD as well as further plans for joint CPD. At the same time we have begun joint purchasing arrangement inc. security, cleaning and catering.
We work very closely with Havering College of F&HE. We plan to continue our joint Governor events and the joint approach to ‘transfer’ of students from schools to College.
National
We remain well connected and well represented at national level. The College is well thought of by the AoC and SFCF and connections are strong. The Principal was recently invited to attend a DfE in-house training day and was publicly thanked by Lord Hill; the Principal is on the LSIS Council; chairs the SFCF Curriculum & Quality Committee, is a member of the SFCF Council and the AoC Sixth Form College Portfolio Group. Our strategy is to remain well connected at this level.
The Coalition Government has now been in operation for two years. Alongside their austerity programme they are underpinning their policies with fairness, freedom and responsibility. This has meant increased competition as institutions are freed up to enter the market and compete on quality. We can see evidence of this locally and regionally. Whilst we continue to lobby for our interest and the interest of local young people we also understand that the best strategy is to focus on quality.
Mission & Objectives
Mission
This aspiration to be outstanding is very clearly expressed in the Mission
Statement:
The College aims to be the first choice outstanding provider of full-time
education for 16-19 year olds in the area embracing diversity and creating
excellent opportunities for all. Staff and students will participate fully in
Teaching & Learning to maximise their collective potential and promote
individual achievement at the highest level
This Mission statement is underpinned by the College Strategic Objectives.
Working towards the Strategic Objectives of the College will ensure that we
focus on providing an outstanding education as well as ensuring the financial
and physical viability of the College.
Strategic Objectives
1. To provide an outstanding values based education through the consistent
pursuit of our educational objectives.
Success Criteria:
i.
The College community will acknowledge that they have become
better
learners
and they will demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning. This
will be evidenced in staff and student feedback.
ii.
The College Community will
enjoy learning and the world of ideas
, they will
take responsibility for their learning. This will be evidenced in staff and
student feedback.
iii.
The College Community will be able to grow and adapt
and demonstrate
moral seriousness. This will be evidenced in staff and student feedback.
iv.
The College community will become
independent, critical thinkers
with
the competence to make decisions about the future and a sense of
responsibility for the community. This will be evidenced in staff and student
feedback.
v.
The College Community will
achieve and progress
including the
development of practical capability as well as acquiring the knowledge &
understanding necessary for the intelligent management of life. This will be
evidenced by Student Performance ALPS Grades of 3 or above, Success
Rates above benchmark, high levels of progression to HE and good
employment. It will also be evidenced by high levels of career progression
for staff as well as engagement with Continued Professional Development
(CPD).
Objective: T&L Grade Profile; Learner satisfaction; Retention rate (on-course); Retention rate
(in-College); Pass rate; High Grade pass rates; Value Added Perfromance; Success Rate; Attendance; Staff Turnover
2.
To maximise the use of the college site ensuring the creation of a safe, healthy
& sustainable environment providing excellent learning for the maximum
number of young people
Success Criteria:
Student numbers will be on target. Rooms will be highly utilised as will the social
spaces. The whole building will be used for learning. Student and staff feedback
will be positive about the environment. Staff and students will be safe as
evidenced by the small number of incidences of accident and injury.
There will be achievement of relevant milestones of the capital strategy.
The following KPIs will have targets set in order to further this Strategic Objective:
Enrolment Numbers; Average Class Size; Class size of 24+
3.
To effectively manage college finances in order to preserve the health of the
college and prioritise investment in teaching & learning
Success Criteria:
The college will be financially Outstanding and will spend at least
the benchmark for Sixth Form Colleges on Teaching & Learning.
The following KPIs will have targets set in order to further this Strategic
Objective: Solvency ratio; Percentage of income on salaries; Financial
Category.
Monitoring of Strategic Objectives
Outcomes relating to the Strategic Objectives are monitored at the strategic
level by the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) Report. This is monitored termly
by Executive and Corporation. Annual targets are set for each KPI.
The College has an Operational Plan which is created annually by Executive
to ensure that progress is made against the Strategic Objectives. This is a
detailed action based plan that is monitored termly by Executive and
Corporation.
2.
Vision
Our vision is
to provide outstanding education,
within the terms of our Mission.
A clear understanding of what this means has been derived. It is defined by
reference to our underlying educational objectives.
These can be expressed as enabling the College Community:
vi.
To become
better learners
with a commitment to lifelong learning;
vii.
To enter and
enjoy the world of ideas
& communities of practice and
to take responsibility for their own involvement in learning;
viii.
To grow and adapt
including the development of moral seriousness
with which to shape future choices and relationships;
ix.
To become
independent, critical thinkers
with the competence to
make decisions about the future and a sense of responsibility for the
community;
x.
To
achieve and progress
including the development of practical
capability as well as acquiring the knowledge & understanding
necessary for the intelligent management of life
Thus the Educational Objective of the College is to ensure that all members
of the College Community (including staff) can be
better learners; enjoy
ideas; grow and adapt; be independent & critical thinkers
and
achieve &
progress.
Core College Values.
The College has developed a set of core values. The recent Investor in
People monitoring visit and staff survey has shown that the values are
understood and supported by staff. The Values have been designed to help
support the Educational Objectives.
1.
Learning through continuous development & reflection-
capacity is
developed and continuous learning is institutionalized
2.
Responsibility -
Responsibility for personal and organization’s future is
shared
3.
Honesty -
Elephants in the room are named and staff & students can
speak truth to power
4.
Independence -
Independent judgement is expected and respected
5.
Excellence -
Achievement and Progression
These values are used to recruit staff and students, in our staff and student
induction programmes and to reward and progress staff and students.
Through encouraging the application of these values the Educational
Objectives of the College will be advanced. Staff and students improve
mainly because of an internal desire to do better work.
Value
Educational Objective
Learning through
continuous development
& reflection
Resulting in
Better Learners
Who
Enjoy the world of
ideas
Responsibility
and
Honesty
Enabling people
To grow and adapt
Independence and
Honesty
Encouraging
Independent, critical
thinkers
Definition of Outstanding
Outstanding means the highest possible levels of achievement of all kinds
(academic, vocational, sporting, artistic, musical...) by the highest possible
number.
This will be assessed by recording the diverse achievements of our students &
staff and comparing those with previous years. In reality this means that the
majority of the KPIs should be above high targets and/or benchmarks and
we are making good and consistent progress in our educational Objectives.
Headline Targets
Our headline targets for 2012-13 are:
• Success rates above benchmarks;
• Outstanding Student Performance Value Added (ALPS);
• Carry out essential Capital works to improve learning and increase capacity: • Firm up ‘phase 2 capital plans’
• To set a surplus budget and spend less cash than we generate; • 2690 16-18, learners in September 2012
• To enter the ‘Trust’ with the Secondary Schools and GFE • To enter the Beacon Award for partnership
Business and Financial Plans
The College has a rigorous Business Planning Process for all teams which will ensure that our resource, capital and financial plans are properly considered. The Business Planning Process has been key to ensuring local accountability for setting and monitoring budgets as well as proposing innovations and development. It has been key to ensuring the continued financial health of the college.
The context of Business Planning is now different as times are financially harder.
Specialisation
Havering Sixth Form College specialises in education for young people. Currently it specialises in 16-19. In 2012-13 we aim to continue to work with this priority group specialising in delivering full level 3 and full level 2. We aim to be a regional provider for Level 3 with a national reputation but also guarantee all local young people a second chance at Level 2. We will actively engage with Schools, FE College and the Borough in developing the 14-19 provision in order to prepare for Raising of the Participation Age.
3. Capital Plans
The vast majority of Teaching & Learning is undertaken in classrooms. Classrooms are a part of the grammar of education. We will work to maintain and improve the quality of our stock of classrooms so that teachers and students can have appropriate accommodation to engage in education.
In developing the Building Colleges for the Future Capital proposal we developed a clear vision for 21 Century Learning. This includes the provision of good classrooms but also focuses on how the rest of the College building can be used for education. The vision is summarised below:
A young person will arrive in a modern College building that is flexible and e-enabled.
That college will have:
Ø a Managed Learning Environment that has up to date data visible to all, enabling early interventions to prevent young people falling behind;
Ø flexible areas allowing for small group and individual tuition for pupils who have fallen behind as well as creating new opportunities to stretch gifted and
talented learners;
Ø large, inspiring and economically efficient spaces that allow for greater use of teaching practices that support assessment for learning, and more imaginative ways of setting and grouping;
Ø welcoming pastoral suites that provide extra support for looked after children, such as tuition, mentoring and regular liaison between College, parents, carers and the partner schools;
Ø well equipped resource areas with wireless networks allowing learners to access work and upload assignments as well as providing access to more tactile and physical resources;
Ø full access for parents to the Managed Learning Environment providing them with better information about their son/ daughter’s progress and helping them to engage in supporting their learning;
Ø teacher development centre to develop approaches to teaching – essential as part of a true learning community;
Ø ‘informal’ areas to allow for peer mentoring and 'buddy' systems that enable pupils to buddy each other and support each other in their learning and general well-being;
Ø hi-spec vocational spaces
Due to the withdrawal of funds from the Capital Project by the LSC, as well as the fiscally tight times, we are unable to deliver the vision in one master plan. However the vision can still be used as something to aim for in order to drive our capital strategy. Delivery of the vision requires a co-ordination of premises and IT
developments. It is also worth noting that under the current Government significant sums for capital improvements are being made to the Sixth Form College Sector.
Achieving the Vision
College Executive has discussed in detail how this vision can be achieved.
Stage 1 is to complete the backlog of refurbishment and maintenance and ensure the current buildings are as good as possible:
• Complete maintenance back-log, inc. plant, windows, power, toilets, etc…
• Renew the IT infrastructure inc. new wireless and wired network
• Provide coherent student and learning services in a single unified area of the College.
We should then consider the options for a larger project such as the extension of the Sports Hall.
Significant maintenance and IT infrastructure has been completed in 2010-11 which has included new heating and cooling systems e.g. International Building;
new toilets in the Library Block and Sports Hall as well as new switches, IT cabling to much of the college as well as a new college wide wireless network. These projects were completed within the approved budget.
We received £1.2 million from the YPLA Building Condition Improvement Fund in order to help us pay for some of the maintenance and plant replacement. In 2011-12 we improved the condition of Newcourt, Horsa and International, updated plant; refurbished more toilets; replaced windows to Dury Falls; created an additional science classroom; increased the amount of spaces available for students to work; and unified careers, library and learning zone in order to provide one area for Learner Services.
For 2012-13 we have received £1.5 million to update the power, replace flat roofs, do some refurbishment and replace the Multi Use Games Area.
Plans for new buildings
Consider a more substantial development, which is likely to be the £2 million extension to the Sports Hall providing the equivalent of 12 additional classrooms.
4. Improvement Indicators
Success Rates were below benchmark in 2011. A number of actions have been undertaken in 2011-12 in order to redress this.
Curriculum Areas and courses that are a particular focus at the moment are:
Subject Sector Qualification Success %
2011 Targ et % 201 2 Targ et % 201 3 Bmr k* ALPS Score 2 011
Arts & Media A2 Art (CD Design) 80 88 96 96 7
Arts & Media AS Art (Fine Art) 68 77 86 86 8
Arts & Media A2 Art (Fine Art) 85 91 96 96 7
Arts & Media A2 Art (Graphics) 86 91 96 96 7
Arts & Media A2 Art (Textiles) 89 93 96 96 8
Arts & Media AS Dance 92 92 92 86 7
Arts & Media AS Film Studies 78 83 87 87 8
Arts & Media AS Media Studies 79 83 87 87 7
Arts & Media AS Photography 80 83 86 86 7
Business &
Admin AS Business Studies 68 75 81 81 7
Business &
Admin A2 Business Studies 79 88 96 96 8
Humanities AS Geography 69 77 84 84 7
Humanities A2 Geography 90 94 97 97 7
Language &
Literature AS English Lang & Lit 82 86 89 89 8
Language &
Literature A2 English Lang & Lit 97 97 97 96 8
Science &
Health A2 Applied Science 83 89 94 94 7
Science & Health BTEC Award-Applied Science (Forensic Science) 42 54 65 65 7 Science & Health AS D&T (Food Technology) 67 74 81 81 8 Science &
Health AS Dble Applied Science 44 55 66 66 5
Science &
Health AS H&S Care - D 70 75 79 79 7
Science &
Health AS H&S Care - S 65 72 79 79 8
Science &
Health A2
Health & Social Care
- S 86 90 94 94 7
Science &
Health A2 Health & Social Care - D 85 89 93 93 7
Sport, Leisure,
Equality & Diversity
The College Places a high value on Equality & Diversity as recognised in our Mission statement and Strategic Objective 1.
During 2012-13 we aim to:
1. Roll out Equality Impact Assessments across college.
2. Ensure there is a visible celebration of diversity in the College community, including organising a Respect week.
3. To establish a complementary canteen service which supports and promotes cultural diversity and is integral to the community calendar.
4. To establish action research projects investigating how curriculum, pastoral and service areas can celebrate diversity.
5. To monitor and analyse achievement/satisfaction gaps within the 10 protected characteristics. To take effective action to ensure gaps are reduced.
Success 1. Success Rates No tio na l L ev el Be nc hm ar k Suc ce ss % Un de r 1 9 Exp En d Ye ar St ar ts Un de r 1 9 Su cc es s % S Un de r 1 9 Exp En d Ye ar St ar ts Un de r 1 9 Su cc es s % U nd er 1 9 Exp En d Ye ar St ar ts Un de r 1 9 Su cc es s % U nd er 1 9 Long 1 85% 09/10 214 90 10/11 176 74 11/12 100 90 Long 2 83% 09/10 910 86 10/11 1189 79 11/12 791 84 Long 3 84% 09/10 6909 85 10/11 7104 83 11/12 7700 86 2. Numbers 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 14-‐ 16 1 1 16-‐ 18 1986 2093 2228 2347 2380 2521* 2683 19+ 4 2 4 2 14 6 6 HE 5 5 0 0
*Actual student numbers are actually funded in the following academic year. This is known as ‘lagged funding’ Student Numbers are measured on the 43rd day of the academic year.
3. Value Added 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13 AS ALPS Grade 4 3 4 4 5 4 4 A2 ALPS Grade 5 4 5 6 6 4 4 BTEC Grade N/A 3 4 4 4 3 3 ALPS Upper 6th Combined N/A N/A 4 4 4 3 3
