equality, diversity and inclusion annual review 2015/2016 · develop bite sized learning...
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Paper SGB15/1239
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Review 2015/2016
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Contents
1. Summary .......................................................................................................... 3
2. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Our legal requirements ....................................................................................................... 6
3. Review of Equality Objectives .......................................................................... 6
3.2 Objective 1 .......................................................................................................................... 6
3.3 Objective 2 .......................................................................................................................... 7
3.4 Objective 3 .......................................................................................................................... 7
3.5 Objective 4 .......................................................................................................................... 8
4. Achievements and Activities ............................................................................. 8
4.1 Self-Assessment Report (SAR) ............................................................................................. 8
4.2 Investors in Diversity (IID) ................................................................................................... 9
4.3 Student Focus .................................................................................................................... 10
4.4 Policy review and development ........................................................................................ 10
5. Workforce Review .......................................................................................... 11
5.1 Sex (Gender) ...................................................................................................................... 11
5.2 Age .................................................................................................................................... 13
5.3 Disability ............................................................................................................................ 16
5.4 Ethnicity ............................................................................................................................ 19
5.5 Pregnancy and Maternity .................................................................................................. 22
5.6 Religion and Belief, Sexual Orientation and Gender Reassignment ................................. 23
5.7 Discipline, Capability and Grievance ................................................................................. 25
6. Student Review .............................................................................................. 27
6.1 Student Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 27
6.2 Student Success ................................................................................................................ 29
6.6 Student Complaints ........................................................................................................... 38
7. Conclusion and Key Objectives for 2015/2016 ............................................... 40
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1. Summary
This report highlights work undertaken to advance equality, diversity and
inclusion at MidKent College during 2015/2016. It includes specific achievements
and data for both staff and student groups which meet our legal obligations under
the Equality Act 2010. A summary of this data is provided below.
Workforce headline data:
The College workforce gender profile has remained consistent. The gender
profile is more balanced than that found in the wider national FE workforce.
The gender profile across sites has also balanced out due to departmental
relocations.
The College age profile, again remains relatively consistent with an ageing
workforce profile. However, there has been a slight reduction in staff over the
age of 60. Conversely, the College has seen an increase in managers aged
60 and above but a large decrease in mangers aged 50-59 years old. There
has also been an increase in younger teaching staff and managers, aged 30-
39.
There is a slight reduction in the number of staff declaring a disability and a
slight increase in staff choosing to “prefer not to say”. The majority of staff
who “prefer not to say” whether or not they have a disability are teaching staff,
which is a significant increase since last year. The largest group of staff
declaring a disability are teaching\support staff, followed by teaching, and
then support staff.
The proportion of BAME staff, is lower than the SIR national FE workforce
figure but has increased slightly to 6.93%.
This year there has been 100% declaration regarding religion or belief by
staff. This is compared to 65% unknown returns last year. This may reflect the
increased trust staff have in declaring their religion at work. 55.13% of staff
declared being Christian, 22.43% being Atheist, and 11.79% as “other”.
Data on sexual orientation shows an increase in staff choosing to declare their
sexual orientation. This is a really positive change, and again may show an
increase in trust at work. The “prefer not to say” category is also low, at
2.51% but has increased from 0.31% last year.
Gender reassignment data shows some change since last year, with the
“unknown” category reducing to 48.22%. The category, “prefer not to say” has
also reduced slightly thereby continuing a three year trend.
Data for MKCTS are included wherever possible for comparative information.
Student headline data:
The College has a higher proportion of students from BAME communities
than the local working age population for either Medway or Maidstone. For
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students from BAME communities, achievement in 2015/16 is slightly higher
compared to overall achievement.
The groups showing the largest increase in pass rates are: African, Chinese,
Indian, Irish, other mixed and White\Black African. Those showing the largest
drops are Gypsy\Roma\Irish Traveller and other black.
Achievement rates for both the male and female leavers have improved this
year. The gap continues to widen between male and female students.
The number of students withholding information about if they have learning
difficulty or disability has increased for 16-18 year olds but decreased for over
19’s.
There is a small gap for achievement between students with a Learning
Difficulty Assessment (LDA) or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and
those without. Students with an LDA or EHCP, are better retained by the
College each year (this is a three year trend). The pass rate for students with
an LDA or EHCP was 5.2 percentage points higher than for those without a
LDA or EHCP.
The achievement, retention and pass rates of high needs students (with
support costs over £6,000) are higher than students without high needs.
There is a widening gap between students eligible for free school meals and
those not eligible.
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2. Introduction
2.1 Equality, diversity and inclusion are integral to the ethos and values which
underpin our work at MidKent College. Efforts are ongoing to embed the
equality, diversity and inclusion into the curriculum and to enable all staff to
feel supported. They are encouraged to be individuals working towards a
common goal, able to fulfil their potential.
This year has seen the launch of the Hearts and Minds initiative. This has
been designed to allow all staff to take ownership of their development and for
curriculum staff to support the development of their students. It is a
mechanism by which positive attitudes, training and Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) can be promoted and rewarded. The end goal is to
ensure that our students have the very best possible experiences and
outcomes whilst at MidKent College. The image of the four chambers of The
Heart have been used to embody the attitudes and qualities desired for our
staff: Passion, Pride, Purpose and Resilience. The core of this message is
that staff can make a difference to the lives of our students. It is envisaged
that staff will embody these principals, modelling this behaviour for students to
help them to achieve their potential.
In December 2015, MidKent College was reaccredited for Investors in
Diversity. The College is now in the Top 50 FE Colleges for the National
Centre for Diversity Award, based on our 2015 Investors in Diversity survey
(35/50 in 2015, up from 80/100 in 2014). During 2015\16 the Diversity and
Inclusion Committee has had a focus on data and the analysis has been used
to gain better understanding of the wider picture that it represents. Going
forward, the aim is to address achievement gaps that have been highlighted
and to share and learn from good practice.
College-wide training has been undertaken to embed British Values in the
Curriculum, alongside the College Values - ASPIRE.
This report outlines some of our achievements during the 2015/2016
academic year and provides important information and data regarding
equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the College. This can be used to
measure progress to date and aid the development of new initiatives that will
continue to develop EDI going forward.
Please note that all data contained within this report are taken from 31 August
2016.
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2.2 Our legal requirements
This report sets out how we are meeting our Public Sector Equality Duties
under the Equality Act 2010. The General and Specific Duties are outlined
below.
The Equality Act 2010 – General Duties
Under the Equality Act 2010 providers must have due regard to the need to:
a) Eliminate unlawful discrimination
b) Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected
characteristic and those who do not
c) Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic
and those who do not.
The Equality Act 2010 – Specific Duties
a) Publish equality information annually
b) Publish equality objectives every four years.
3. Review of Equality Objectives
3.1 The College has a legal responsibility under the Equality Act (2010), to set
equality objectives every four years. These objectives are set and monitored
by the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, on behalf of the Governing Body. A
two year action plan sets out challenging objectives for the College. The
Governing Body also specifies one member who is the lead Governor for
Equality and Diversity.
In addition to the objectives and actions required under the Act, the
Committee monitors objectives set out on a yearly basis arising from the
findings of the annual report and follows guidance from our Investors in
Diversity reaccreditation report. This is underpinned by the Diversity and
Inclusion Committee Action Plan. The Action Plan details the substantial
body of work undertaken to meet our objectives. A summary of action taken
against the 2015/16, Equality and Diversity Annual Review objectives is
shown below:
3.2 Objective 1
Review and update the Equality Strategy, including the associated action plan
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What we have achieved:
A new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy was developed in association
with the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The Action Plan was reviewed
and revised with each Lead Person. There has been a focus on developing
SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound)
objectives.
3.3 Objective 2
Develop bite sized learning opportunities to improve staff confidence to deliver
and embed E&D in teaching and learning
What we have achieved:
Curriculum Managers were surveyed regarding the training needs of their staff
in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion. Training was delivered on
embedding British Values and Equality and Diversity within the curriculum.
Similar training was also delivered for customer service staff. A rolling
program of bite sized training has commenced and continues to be delivered
to staff according to business needs, as well as refresher training. The
summer training week included training for customer service staff (reception
and Learning Resource Centre staff) on deaf awareness. Courses offered to
all staff included: mental health awareness, Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller
awareness, managing stress, and LGBT+ awareness. All courses focused on
supporting both students and staff.
This objective will be carried forward because it is part of a two year initiative
for 2016/18.
3.4 Objective 3
Introduce relevant support groups that support staff and promote diversity and
inclusion and fair treatment for everyone.
What we have achieved:
Staff Networks have been launched for Race and Ethnicity, and Disability.
The Race and Ethnicity Network has held its first meeting. A further network
is planned for gender, and if in demand, age. The College may look to
combine two network groups, if applicable and desired by staff network
members. Networks are intended as social and networking groups, as well as
a working groups to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for
staff at MidKent College.
Staff networks provide a forum to share information and consider good
practice, providing recommendations to enhance college policy and practice
where appropriate.
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While the networks are in their infancy, the College has also sought to
emphasise that the College Diversity Champions are in place to support staff
as well as students. Training is planned for Champions, to help them better
support staff. As described, this focus on supporting our staff has been
espoused by training for managers and colleagues, to help engender an
environment of fairness, respect, trust and inclusion. There has also been an
emphasis on the Chaplaincy service being in place for staff, as well as
students.
This objective will be carried forward because it is part of a two year initiative
for 2016/118.
3.5 Objective 4
Ensure the College estate is open and inclusive for all users having particular
consideration for those with physical and hidden disabilities
What we have achieved:
Maidstone Phase II refurbishment has been completed. In the snagging
phase, a DDA Audit was carried out allowing the resolution of a number of
access issues. A DDA Audit is rescheduled for the Maidstone main campus
and Medway campus. In particular factors around disability and potential
hazards and signage requirements for partially sighted users of the building
have been recorded for future adjustment.
Due to its importance and ongoing nature, this objective will be carried
forward in spirit but it is proposed that it is reworded as follows;
Revised Objective 4
Ensure that the needs of staff and students with disabilities are surveyed and
reviewed by the College. This will include identifying suitable working
practices for staff, with due consideration for those with physical and hidden
disabilities.
4. Achievements and Activities
4.1 Self-Assessment Report (SAR)
The self-assessment report for the year 2015 / 2016 highlighted the following;
Good achievement for high needs students
High retention rates for students with High Needs/EHCP
Effective working relationships with Local authorities and Independent Specialist Providers
Curriculum + provides good outcome focussed personalised support for HNS
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Furthermore, it was stated that,
“Promotion of core values, respect, democracy and tolerance were a core theme of
the pastoral programme, with a different focus every month. Further support and
training was delivered across all levels of operation in order to raise awareness and
embed key messages within curriculum delivery.”
These activities have had a direct bearing on the impact of EDI in the College and on
the student experience overall.
4.1.2 The last Ofsted inspection report was written in March 2015. The most recent
inspection report for 2016 / 17 has not been received yet. The 2015 inspection
highlighted a need to focus on an observation that:
“Teachers do not always do enough to prepare students for the diverse
communities in which they will live and work, particularly for those who may
move away from the local area to live with people from different backgrounds
to their own.”
4.1.3 As described training on embedding British Values in the Curriculum was
undertaken. There is ongoing work to continue the process of imparting
equality and diversity in the curriculum.
The Student Union have played an active role in promoting equality and
diversity activities, along with the Youth Work team. Student societies have
developed and the Students Union President has been a valuable part of the
Diversity and Inclusion Committee, as well as championing the Student
Liberation groups at both campuses.
4.2 Investors in Diversity (IID)
The College have held an Investors in Diversity award since 2009. In
December 2015, the College was successfully awarded the Investors in
Diversity Standard, Stage II with the Advisor reporting that:
“I personally feel confident that the College and its leadership have always
been extremely committed to diversity and inclusion. … The College has
some excellent practice in place for both staff and learners and always
provides a welcoming environment to visitors.” Recommendations from the
IID Reaccreditation report have fed into the Diversity and Inclusion Action
Plan.
The College will be scheduled for reassessment in November 2017.
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4.3 Student Focus
The Students Union has continued to celebrate festivals and awareness days
on the diversity calendar. The LGBT+ social and support group has
continued, supported by the Youth Work team and LGBT+ Diversity
Champion. It provides exemplary support to Trans students at the College.
4.4 Policy review and development
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy and policy were revised,
as scheduled, with agreement from the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Along with the revision of Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. The Easy Read
Strategy document was also revised and expanded to include an explanation
of British Values.
The HR two year cycle of regularly reviewing all employment policies to
ensure good practice and legal compliance, highlighted the need to streamline
and revise the Equality Impact Analysis process. It will also be updated to
reflect legal changes. This will be reviewed with the HR and Quality
departments in 2017/18.
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5. Workforce Review
5.1 Sex (Gender)
The College workforce gender profile has remained consistent for the last
three years, at 63.2% female and 36.77% male for 2015/16. The College
gender profile shows more balance than the national FE workforce trends
revealed by SIR (staff individualised record) data (2014/15 SIR figures
showed 72% of all FE employees were female and 28% male).
The 2014/15 SIR data are from information supplied by the returns of 115
colleges (a third of all colleges) and 79,049 staff contracts. Returns are
voluntary and are made to the Education and Training Foundation. The
2015/16 SIR data has not been released yet. As convention, the Workforce
Review, comments ons the 2015/2016 academic year and all data contained
in this report are up to and including 31 August 2016.
The proportion of female managers has fallen from a peak in 2010/11 (61.3%)
to 47.37%. The percentage of female managers has reduced by 13.93
percentage points since 2011, the largest reduction has been in the last year
(a drop of almost 7 percentage points). Last year there was a reduction in
managers overall, so in percentage terms, there is now a greater ratio of male
to female managers. An overall reduction in managers, has been coupled with
an increase in managers who have been replaced by agency staff. Self-
employed, agency staff are paid by Finance and their salaries do not fall
within this data set.
There has been a reduction from 31.8% to 24.6% in the number of male staff
in support roles. This data is tabulated in Table 5.1.1. Historical breakdown
by gender and grade.
The gender breakdown by site has balanced out due to the relocation of
Corporate Services staff from Medway to the newly refurbished Maidstone
UCM building. Support roles, such as Corporate Services attract a higher
number of female staff. (See Figure 5.1.2 Gender breakdown by site).
The college carries out an equal pay audit each year to monitor pay levels
across genders. As previously, women are predominantly in the lowest
earnings brackets and men in the £35-£50k bracket. However, the highest
earners £50+ are largely balanced in terms of gender. The self-employed
contractors who make up the majority of new staff in the higher earning
brackets are not included in this data. Changes within the curriculum
management structure led to an increase in agency staff / contractors at short
notice.
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The predominance of women in the lower earnings brackets is reflected by
SIR data. It is evident that the majority of lower paid, administrative, non-
technical roles are occupied by women.
Please see figure 5.1.3 Gender and earning distribution.
Table 5.1.1 Historical breakdown by gender and grade
MKC
Academic Year
Gender
All Staff Management Support Teaching Teaching/Support
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
2013/2014 62.2 37.8 55.9 44.1 67.8 32.2 55.6 44.4 N/A N/A
2014/2015 62 38 54.2 45.8 68.2 31.8 55.2 44.8 N/A N/A
2015/2016 63.23 36.77 47.37 52.63 75.4 24.6 53.08 46.92 59.09 40.91
MKCTS
Academic Year
Gender
All Staff Management Support Teaching
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
Female %
Male %
2014/2015 18 82 4.76 95.24 40.26 59.74 4.72 95.28
2015/2016 16.75 83.25 4.76 95.24 36.62 63.38 5.71 94.29
Figure 5.1.2 Gender breakdown by site
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Figure 5.1.3 Gender and earning distribution
MKC
MKCTS
5.2 Age
The College age profile, again remains relatively consistent, showing an aging
workforce. This is also reflected in SIR (staff individualised record) statistics,
which show over 50% of FE staff nationwide, are over 45 years of age.
Overall at MidKent, there has been a slight fall in staff over 60. This year we
have seen a rise in managers over 60 years of age (from 4.2% to 7.89%) but
a large decrease in managers aged 50-59 years old (from 41.7% to 26.32%).
However, there has been an increase in younger teaching staff and
managers, aged 30-39.
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
0-10K 10-20K 20-35K 35-50K 50K+
Gender and Earning Distribution
F
M
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Please refer to Table 5.2.1 Historical breakdown of staff by age and grade for
further detail.
The age breakdown by site has shown little change (see Figure 3.2.2).
The youngest staff, aged 17-29, make up the majority of those paid under
£10k, as expected according to national trends.
Table 5.2.1 Historical breakdown of staff by age and grade
MKC
Contract Academic
Year
Age
17-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60+%
All Staff
2013/2014 14.6 18 23.7 33 10.7
2014/2015 15.1 18.2 26.2 30.4 10
2015/2016 13.85 19.89 25.75 31.79 8.7
Support
2013/2014 21.4 17.1 20.6 27.8 13
2014/2015 22.2 17.2 22.7 25.7 12.2
2015/2016 20.56 14.52 23.39 31.05 10.48
Teaching
2013/2014 7.3 18.5 28.2 38.6 7.3
2014/2015 7.8 19.6 29.5 35.2 7.8
2015/2016 9 25.12 27.01 34.12 4.74
Management
2013/2014 0 23.5 20.6 44.1 11.8
2014/2015 0 16.7 37.5 41.7 4.2
2015/2016 0 23.68 42.11 26.32 7.89
Teaching/ Support
2013/2014 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2014/2015 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2015/2016 12.12 21.21 21.21 30.3 15.15
MKCTS
Contract Academic Year
Age
17-29% 30-39% 40-49% 50-59% 60+%
All Staff 2014/2015 4 14.5 30.5 31.5 19.5
2015/2016 4.86 15.14 28.65 34.05 17.3
Support 2014/2015 9.09 20.78 23.38 23.38 23.38
2015/2016 11.59 21.74 23.19 24.64 18.84
Teaching 2014/2015 0.94 10.38 33.96 35.85 18.87
2015/2016 1.03 11.34 31.96 37.11 18.56
Management 2014/2015 0 11.76 41.18 41.18 5.88
2015/2016 0 10.53 31.58 52.63 5.26
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5.2.2 Age breakdown by site
5.2.3 Age and earning distribution
MKC
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
0-10K 10-20K 20-35K 35-50K 50K+
Age and Earning Distribution - MKC
17-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
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MKCTS
5.3 Disability
The number of staff with a disability has remained broadly constant over the
last three years. However, there is a slight reduction in the number of staff
declaring a disability, and a slight increase in staff choosing to “prefer not to
say”. We are addressing this by examining where we advertise and the
accessibility of our website and recruitment processes. The College is
mindful that unconscious bias works both ways, in terms of recruiters and
applicants; we want people with disabilities to feel that MidKent College is a
supportive and accessible place to work. The College has secured a
Disability Confident, Committed award. The College is working towards an
Employer award, which has helped guide an audit of our processes. We are
also instigating a Staff Network for people with disabilities, to act as a
networking, support and consultative body. This is to improve access and
inclusion at the College.
Training for managers and staff has also been undertaken regularly as part of
the Colleges training cycle, raising awareness of a variety of visible and
hidden disabilities.
Improving accessibility at the College has been a continual focus: from the
commissioning of a Deaf Accessibility report, and implementation of its
recommendations, to the focus on improving access for people with physical
disabilities.
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
0-10K 10-20K 20-35K 35-50K 50K+
Age and Earning Distribution - MKCTS
17-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
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Table 5.3.1 refers.
Table 5.3.2 shows that disability breakdown by grade has changed since
2014/15. The majority of staff who “prefer not to say” whether or not they
have a disability are teaching staff, which is a significant increase since last
year (from 1.1% in 2014/15, to 10.42% in 2015/16). The largest group of staff
declaring a disability are teaching\support staff (12.12%), followed by teaching
(7.11%), and then support staff (6.85%). Differing from last year, some
managers have declared a disability (2.63%).
At MKCTS, teaching staff are the only staff declaring a disability.
There does not appear to be a pattern to the disability earning distribution
(Figure 5.3.3).
Table 5.3.1 Historical staff disability breakdown
MKC
Academic Year Disability
Yes% No% Prefer not to say% Unknown%
2013/2014 8.5 73.4 0.8 17.4
2014/2015 7.41 77.16 0.62 14.81
2015/2016 7.28 78.33 0.89 13.5
MKCTS
Academic Year Disability
Yes% No% Prefer not to say% Unknown%
2014/2015 1 77.5 0 21.5
2015/2016 1.1 78.57 0 20.33
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Table 5.3.2 Disability breakdown by grade
MKC
Contract Year
Disability
Yes% No% Prefer not to say% Unknown%
Support
2013/2014 7.5 75.9 0.3 16.2
2014/2015 6.1 79.6 0.3 14
2015/2016 6.85 81.45 0.4 11.29
Teaching
2013/2014 9.7 69.1 1.5 19.7
2014/2015 9.6 73.7 1.1 15.7
2015/2016 7.11 78.2 10.42 13.27
Management
2013/2014 8.8 79.4 0 11.8
2014/2015 0 83.3 0 16.7
2015/2016 2.63 76.32 0 21.05
Teaching/ Support
2013/2014 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2014/2015 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2015/2016 12.12 68.18 1.52 18.18
MKCTS
Contract Year
Disability
Yes% No% Prefer not to say% Unknown%
Support 2014/2015 0 83.12 0 16.88
2015/2016 0 83.58 0 16.42
Teaching 2014/2015 1.89 71.7 0 26.42
2015/2016 2.08 75 0 22.92
Management 2014/2015 0 88.24 0 11.76
2015/2016 0 78.95 0 21.05
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Figure 5.3.3 Disability earning distribution
MKC
MKCTS
5.4 Ethnicity
This year has seen an increase of Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME)
staff in teaching and management and a decrease of BAME staff in support
roles. The proportion of BAME staff overall has also increased slightly (from
6.02% to 6.93%).
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
0-10K 10-20K 20-35K 35-50K 50K+
Disability Earning Distribution
Yes No Prefer not to say Unknown
20
The BAME profile of teaching staff has increased to 11.37% which is nearly
3% above the national figure. (See Table 5.4.1 Historical breakdown of staff
ethnicity). See also Figure 5.4.2 Ethnicity comparisons. At MKCTS, BAME
staff make up 3.05% of staff, almost half the proportion than at the main
college.
The ethnicity breakdown by salary chart (Figure 5.4.3) shows that the majority
of BAME staff are paid £20-35k, and are the second largest group staff paid
£35-30k. All staff earning over £50k are white, as are all staff earning under
£10k. As above, the majority of BAME staff are employed in teaching posts
which attract higher salaries than for support staff. The exception to this is for
those members of staff in managerial or professional positions. At MKCTS,
staff from BAME communities feature in the £20-35k and £35-50k pay bands,
however the numbers are low and therefore not statistically significant. See
Figure 5.4.3 Ethnicity breakdown by salary.
Table 5.4.1 Historical breakdown of staff ethnicity
MKC
Contract Year Ethnicity as a percentage
BAME% White% Other% Unknown%
All Staff
2013/2014 4.86 97.73 0.63 0.78
2014/2015 6.02 93.21 0.31 0.46
2015/2016 6.93 91.47 0.36 1.24
Support
2013/2014 3.48 95.36 0.58 0.58
2014/2015 4.08 95.34 0.29 0.29
2015/2016 3.23 95.97 0.4 0.4
Teaching
2013/2014 7.34 91.12 0.77 0.77
2014/2015 8.9 90.04 0.36 0.71
2015/2016 11.37 86.26 0 2.37
Management
2013/2014 0 97.06 0 2.94
2014/2015 0 100 0 0
2015/2016 5.26 94.74 0 0
Teaching/ Support
2013/2014 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2014/2015 N/A N/A N/A N/A
2015/2016 7.58 89.39 1.52 1.52
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MKCTS
Contract Year Ethnicity as a percentage
BAME% White% Other% Unknown%
All Staff 2014/2015 3.02 95.98 1.02 0
2015/2016 3.05 95.94 1.02 0
Support 2014/2015 4.23 94.37 1.41 0
2015/2016 4.23 94.37 1.41 0
Teaching 2014/2015 2.83 96.23 0.94 0
2015/2016 2.86 96.19 0.95 0
Management 2014/2015 0 100 0 0
2015/2016 0 100 0 0
Figure 5.4.2 Ethnicity comparisons
The College has a higher proportion of students from BAME communities
than the local working age population (16-65 years) for either Medway or
Maidstone. For consistency, 2011 Census data is used for the working age
populations, as in previous reports. Data from the government NOMIS,
Annual Population Survey (2015-16) gives the working age population figures
for Medway (10.6%) and Maidstone Local Authority (4.6%). This
demonstrates little change since the 2011 Census, and supports continued
use of the 2011 Census data. 2014/15 LIS data has not yet been released.
The proportion of BAME staff, is lower than the SIR figure.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
All Staff All Students MedwayWorking Age
MaidstoneWorking Age
SIR
Ethnicity Comparison - BAME%
22
Figure 5.4.3 Ethnicity breakdown by salary
MKC
MKCTS
5.5 Pregnancy and Maternity
This year, 2015/16 six staff went on maternity leave (1.68% of female staff), of
these three have returned and three are currently on maternity leave. A
review of staff returning from maternity leave in 2015/16, showed that of
seven staff who could return to work after maternity leave, six staff chose to
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
0-10K 10-20K 20-35K 35-50K 50K+
Ethnicity Breakdown by Salary
BAME Other Unknown White
23
return. This year, of those six staff returning to work after maternity leave, five
were still employed after 13 weeks. 13 weeks employment, post maternity
leave, is point at which staff must still be employment or they must repay their
additional maternity pay. Its promising that most staff return to work, and that
most stay longer than the 13 weeks required to avoid repaying their additional
maternity pay and choose to continue their careers at the College. On return
most staff request compressed hours, rather than a decrease in hours, and
most flexible working requests are granted by managers. This flexibility
displayed by managers helps staff choose to continue to work at the College
while balancing their family life alongside a career. Research has shown that
offering staff flexible working, improves both staff retention and performance.
5.6 Religion and Belief, Sexual Orientation and Gender Reassignment
Staff data on religion and belief is collected by staff self-declaring on the
College Employee Self Service (ESS) system. This protects this confidential
data, which is presented overall, not by staff group, to further protect
anonymity. This year, in a reversal compared to last year, where about 65%
of staff data was unknown, and this year all staff made a declaration. This
may reflect an increased trust staff have in declaring their religion at work.
55.13% of staff declared being Christian, 22.43% being Atheist, and 11.79%
as “other”. At MKCTS, 87.94% of staff did not declare a religion. The College
Chaplaincy service is for all faiths and none. Although our current Chaplains
are from the Christian faith, the scheme is being expanded and invitations for
chaplains from other religions are being extended.
. The capture of data relating to religion and belief broadly reflects the faiths
and religions that are part of the wider local communities of Medway and
Maidstone. See Table 5.6.1.
Data on sexual orientation also shows a drop of “unknown” from 63.43% to no
staff declining to declare their sexual orientation. This is a really positive
change, and again may show an increase in trust in the work place. The
“prefer not to say” category is also low, at 2.51% but has increased from
0.31% last year.
Gender reassignment data shows some change since last year, with
“unknown” falling to 48.22%, “prefer not to say” has reduced slightly,
continuing the three year trend. MKCTS data shows limited self-reporting and
is statistically insignificant. See Tables 5.6.2 and 5.6.3.
24
Table 5.6.1 Historical breakdown of religion and belief
MKC
Religion and Belief 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
Atheist 7.25 22.43
Buddhist 0.31 0.76
Christian (all denominations) 20.68 55.13
Hindu 0.31 1.52
Jewish 0.31 0.38
Muslim 0 0.76
Other - Please Specify 3.4 11.79
Prefer not to say 0.31 3.8
Roman Catholic 1.08 2.28
Sikh 0.77 1.14
Unknown 65.59 0
MKCTS
Religion and Belief 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
Atheist 0 2.51
Buddhist 0 0
Christian (all denominations) 0.5 5.53
Hindu 0 0
Jewish 0 0
Muslim 0 0
Other - Please Specify 0.5 2.01
Prefer not to say 0.5 2.01
Roman Catholic 0 0
Sikh 0 0
Unknown 98.5 87.94
Table 5.6.2 Historical breakdown of sexual orientation
MKC
Sexual Orientation 2013/2014% 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
Bisexual 0.31 0.15 0.72
Gay man 0.31 0.31 0
Lesbian 0.47 0.62 1.08
Heterosexual 33.23 35.19 95.7
Prefer not to say 5.02 0.31 2.51
Unknown 60.66 63.43 0
25
MKCTS
Sexual Orientation 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
Unknown 99 90.45
Heterosexual 1 8.04
Bisexual 0 0.5
Prefer not to say 0 1.01
Table 5.6.3 Historical breakdown of gender reassignment
MKC
Gender Reassignment 2013/2014 % 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
No 29.45 31.02 44.48
Prefer not to say 8.74 7.87 7.3
Unknown 61.81 61.11 48.22
MKCTS
Gender Reassignment 2014/2015% 2015/2016%
No 2 13.07
Prefer not to say 0.5 0.5
Unknown 97.5 86.43
5.7 Discipline, Capability and Grievance
All staff discipline and grievance cases are monitored and reviewed by HR to
safeguard fairness throughout the investigation process and resolution or
hearing. College HR policies underpinning this are the Dignity at Work Policy,
Disciplinary Code and Procedure, the Grievance Procedure, and the
Capability Policy and Procedure. Table 5.7.1 presents cases for 2015/2016.
Most cases are brought by white, males over 40 years, this reflects previous
year’s data and also the College staff profile. However, matters for which
cases are brought are not generally gender or race specific. Overall the
number of formal cases is low, which shows good staff management that
issues are resolved before being taken up formally.
26
Table 5.7.1 Equality overview of discipline and grievance cases
Case Analysis Disciplinary % Capability % Grievance % Total Cases %
Gender
Male 59 58 50 58
Female 41 42 50 42
Age
17-29 0 0 0 0
30-39 24 9 0 13
40-49 41 28 0 32
50-59 24 57 100 48
60+ 11 6 0 7
Disability
No 65 64 50 64
Yes 0 6 0 2
Unknown 35 30 50 34
Ethnicity
BAME 17 9 0 11
White 77 85 100 83
Unknown 6 6 0 6
27
6. Student Review
6.1 Student Characteristics
Student’s data is collected by the College according to the four protected
characteristic areas, as required by Ofsted and the ILR: age, gender, disability
and ethnicity. Students’ performance in terms of the diversity characteristics
is commented on below. This report describes the 2015/2016 academic year
and all data contained in this report are up to and including 31 August 2016.
Table 6.1
Student Characteristics historical data - new measures of success
Gender
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Leavers % Leavers % Leavers %
Male 7480 53.9 6932 52.9 5323 53.1
Female 6390 46.1 6167 47.1 4707 46.9
Total 13870 100 13099 100 10030 100
Learning Difficulties or
Disabilities
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Leavers % Leavers % Leavers %
16-18 No 7089 51.1 6954 53.1 5839 58.2
16-18 Withheld 60 0.4 54 0.4 46 0.5
16-18 Yes 3708 26.7 3207 24.5 2600 25.9
19+ No 2167 15.6 2062 15.7 1094 10.9
19+ Withheld 110 0.8 71 0.5 8 0.1
19+ Yes 736 5.3 751 5.7 443 4.4
Total 13870 100 13099 100 10030 100
Age
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Leavers % Leavers % Leavers %
16-18 10857 78.3 10215 78.0 8485 84.6
19+ 3013 21.7 2884 22.0 1545 15.4
Total 13870 100 13099 100 10030 100
The table above (Table 6.1) shows a slight rise in the gap between the
number of male and female students leaving. This figure had fallen slightly
the previous year. The number of students withholding information about if
they have learning difficulty or disability has increased slightly for 16-18 year
olds but decreased slightly for over 19’s. The gap between the number of 16-
18 and 19+ leavers is increasing, after reducing last year.
28
Table 6.2
Student Characteristics historical data - Ethnicity
Ethnicity
2013/14 2014/15 2015/16
Leavers % Leavers % Leavers %
African 210 1.51 355 2.71 250 2.49
Arab 12 0.09 36 0.27 10 0.10
Bangladeshi 58 0.42 60 0.46 40 0.40
Caribbean 119 0.86 100 0.76 55 0.55
Chinese 48 0.35 43 0.33 10 0.10
Gypsy/Roma/Irish Traveller 80 0.58 72 0.55 50 0.50
Indian 129 0.93 117 0.89 84 0.84
Irish 31 0.22 21 0.16 16 0.16
Not Provided 108 0.78 143 1.09 112 1.12
Other 94 0.68 109 0.83 62 0.62
Other Asian 284 2.05 243 1.86 114 1.14
Other Black 28 0.20 28 0.21 28 0.28
Other Mixed 105 0.76 97 0.74 84 0.84
Other White 554 3.99 668 5.10 467 4.66
Pakistani 51 0.37 50 0.38 51 0.51
White British 11,660 84.07 10,577 80.75 8,344 83.19
White/Asian 100 0.72 145 1.11 81 0.81
White/Black African 28 0.20 59 0.45 43 0.43
White/Black Caribbean 171 1.23 176 1.34 129 1.29
Total 13870 100 13099 100 10030 100
BAME 1,625 12 1,833 14 1203 12
Table 6.2 shows student characteristics relating to their ethnicity, and includes
a calculation of students from BAME communities (all groups except white,
white other and white Irish – as national census conventions). This shows a
fluctuating trend in the number of BAME students. Similarly the number of
leavers for most ethnicities fluctuates over time but is rising for the students
declaring they are of an “other black” and Pakistani ethnicity. The number of
Caribbean, Chinese, Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller, Indian, Other Asian
students is falling (three year trend). The majority of 2015/16 leavers are of
White British ethnicity (80.85%). This year there has been a rise in leavers
from other black, other mixed, Pakistani and white British groups.
29
6.2 Student Success
Table 6.3 shows the new Skills Funding Agency categories, now
“achievement” has been renamed “success”, “retention” remains the same,
and “achievement” is renamed “pass”.
Table 6.3 shows that achievement (previously “success”) has improved
across the college last year (from 72.9% to 75.1%) this has been due to
considerable focus on this area. The following charts and commentary will
describe the data in greater detail.
30
Table 6.3 Student Achievement, Retention and Pass by Ethnicity
Ethnicity Achievement Retention Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16
African 83.8 79.7 85.6 96.2 95.2 90.0 87.1 83.7 95.1
Arab 66.7 86.1 100.0 66.7 88.9 100.0 100.0 96.9 100.0
Bangladeshi 79.3 83.3 85.0 94.8 93.3 97.5 83.6 89.3 87.2
Caribbean 64.7 75.0 72.7 91.6 96.0 92.7 70.6 78.1 78.4
Chinese 83.3 74.4 100.0 100.0 88.4 100.0 83.3 84.2 100.0
Gypsy/Roma/Irish Traveller 70.0 75.0 46.0 90.0 87.5 60.0 77.8 85.7 76.7
Indian 83.7 73.5 86.9 94.6 92.3 96.4 88.5 79.6 90.1
Irish 83.9 71.4 93.8 96.8 90.5 100.0 86.7 78.9 93.8
Not Provided 70.4 75.5 75.9 85.2 90.9 85.7 82.6 83.1 88.5
Other 66.0 83.5 71.0 81.9 93.6 80.6 80.5 89.2 88.0
Other Asian 81.7 77.4 76.3 90.5 90.1 85.1 90.3 85.8 89.7
Other Black 60.7 85.7 67.9 82.1 96.4 82.1 73.9 88.9 82.6
Other Mixed 65.7 68.0 67.9 87.6 87.6 77.4 75.0 77.6 87.7
Other White 82.7 84.0 76.2 94.2 93.4 88.7 87.7 89.9 86.0
Pakistani 82.4 82.0 82.4 94.1 94.0 92.2 87.5 87.2 89.4
White British 75.0 71.6 74.7 92.1 90.0 87.2 81.5 79.5 85.7
White/Asian 78.0 78.6 76.5 94.0 91.7 87.7 83.0 85.7 87.3
White/Black African 67.9 54.2 76.7 89.3 78.0 83.7 76.0 69.6 91.7
White/Black Caribbean 67.3 73.9 71.3 90.1 93.2 87.6 74.7 79.3 81.4
Grand Total 75.4 72.9 75.1 92.1 90.5 87.2 81.9 80.6 86.1
BAME 73.2 76.6 77.6 89.3 91.1 87.4 82.2 84.0 88.4
31
For students from BAME communities, achievement in 2015/16 is slightly higher
compared to the average of all ethnic groups. Retention is fluctuating slightly over
the three years but is slightly higher than the overall retention figure for the college in
2015/16. The BAME students pass rate is improving significantly over the three
years, from 82.2% in 2013/14 to 88.4% in 2015/16, and is 2.3% above the overall
College figure for 2015/16. BAME groups include all those except students,
declaring as white other, (white) Irish and white British. Thereby, the BAME category
includes some of the highest performing ethnic groups for the last year (African
students, Arab, Chinese, Indian and White/Black African students – all with pass
rates over 90%). BAME also includes some of the lowest performing groups with
pass rates below 80% (Caribbean heritage students and Gypsy/Roma/Irish Traveller
students). The achievement rate of the Gypsy/Roma/Irish Traveller students, at 46%
in 2015/16 skews the BAME achievement data as a whole. These factors call into
question the value of generalising about the BAME category in this context.
Chart 6.1
The Chart above shows that for the majority of students, the achievement for
their ethnic group has improved this year. The achievement rates showing
the most decline are Gypsy\Roma\Irish Traveller, other, other black and other
white. Groups showing most improvement include, Arab, Chinese, Indian,
Irish, and white\black African. However, the numbers of students in some of
these groups are very small, so results are not statistically significant.
The achievement gap between Gypsy\Roma\Irish Traveller and White British
students, stands at 28.7 percentage points. The achievement gap between
0.010.020.030.040.050.060.070.080.090.0
100.0
Achievement
13/14 14/15 15/16
32
White British students, and Caribbean students stands at 2 percentage points.
This will be a focus for the coming academic year.
The College is focusing on Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller (GRT)
communities because the Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller population is
comparatively large in Kent, when contrasted with the proportion of GRT
communities nationally. To illustrate this, GRT communities compose 0.10%
of the English population, 0.17% of the South East population and 0.32% of
the Kent population. In Kent, Maidstone (0.54%), Ashford (0.45%) and Swale
(0.54%) have the highest Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller populations. The
Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller community constitutes 0.19% of Medway
Unitary Authority population.
Chart 6.2
The retention rates for Chinese leavers (chart 6.2) have risen from a decline
last year, from 88.4% in 2014/15 to 100% in 2015/16. There is also an
increase in retention of Arab, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Irish students. Other
groups show a fall in retention this year. The largest drop in retention is for
Gypsy\Roma\Irish Traveller students, echoing the previous results.
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Retention
13/14 14/15 15/16
33
Chart 6.3
The groups showing the largest increase in pass rates are: African, Chinese,
Indian, Irish, Other Mixed and White\Black African. Those showing the largest
drops are Gypsy\Roma\Irish Traveller and Other Black.
Table 6.4 Student Success by Equality Groups (Gender) and by Qualification
Gender Achievement Retention Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16
Female 77.4 75.1 78.1 92.2 90.2 88.3 83.9 83.2 88.5
Male 73.6 71.0 72.4 91.9 90.7 86.3 80.1 78.3 83.9
Grand Total
75.4 72.9 75.1 92.1 90.5 87.2 81.9 80.6 86.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16
34
Chart 6.4
Achievement rates for both the male and female leavers (Chart 6.4) have
improved this year, after a decline last year. The female achievement rate for
2015/16 was 78.1%, compared to the male at 72.4%, indicating the gap
continues to widen between the genders.
Chart 6.5
Retention has declined for both males and female students. Overall retention
has fallen from 90.5% in 2014/15 to 87.2% this year. Retention for males has
shown a greater fall, from 90.7% to 86.3% in 2015/16, compared to females
(90.5% in 2014/15, to 87.2% in 2015/16)
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Female Male
Achievement
13/14 14/15 15/16
75.0
80.0
85.0
90.0
95.0
100.0
Female Male
Retention
13/14 14/15 15/16
35
Chart 6.6
Pass (previously achievement) has risen overall, and for both males and
females. Both genders show a similar improvement in pass rates.
Table 6.5 Student Success by Qualification
Qualification Type
Achievement Retention Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16
A Level 80.7 82.1 77.1 93.2 92.1 86.4 86.5 89.1 89.3
Access to HE 77.1 77.2 76.9 83.1 85.5 79.3 92.9 90.3 97.0
AS Level 66.8 59.0 n/a 88.9 87.6 n/a 75.1 67.3 n/a
Award 93.5 88.8 89.2 96.8 95.2 94.8 96.6 93.3 94.2
Basic Skills Maths and English
54.1 50.4 41.3 91.2 89.5 81.9 59.3 56.3 50.4
Certificate 85.5 82.4 84.7 91.8 88.9 88.4 93.2 92.7 95.8
Diploma 83.6 84.2 83.6 91.6 90.4 88.8 91.3 93.1 94.2
ESOL 91.2 94.9 85.4 93.7 96.5 86.6 97.4 98.4 98.6
GCSE Maths and English
85.9 84.8 79.8 92.7 90.5 87.2 92.7 93.6 91.6
GCSE Other n/a 75.0 n/a n/a 75.0 n/a n/a 100.0 n/a
Other Non-Reg
96.6 93.6 95.7 98.0 93.6 96.3 98.6 100.0 99.4
Other Reg 81.4 83.3 81.1 88.8 88.9 88.5 91.6 93.8 91.6
Grand Total 75.4 72.9 75.1 92.1 90.5 87.2 81.9 80.6 86.1
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Female Male
Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16
36
As shown in table 6.5, the qualifications that require improvement in
achievement, retention and pass rates remain the same. Unfortunately
results have fallen again in almost all these subjects: A levels, Basic Skills
English and Maths and GCSE English and Maths, and need to improve. The
college is no longer offering AS levels.
A Level achievement has fallen from 82.1% to 77.1%. A Level retention has
fallen from 92.1% to 86.4%, and A Level pass has risen slightly from 89.1% to
89.3%.
The Access to HE qualification achievement rate has fallen slightly. There is
a small fall in retention this year, from 85.5% in 2014/15 to 79.3% in 2015/16.
Pass rates are at a peak of 97%, up by a significant 6.7 percentage points in
one year.
The Award qualification has fluctuated slightly over the three years, and
stands at 89.2% achievement rate, however there is a fall in retention this
year, of just over one percentage point, to 94.8%. The pass rate has fallen
from 96.6% to 94.2% over the three years.
Basic Skills, English and Maths achievement has continued to fall, from
54.1% in 2013/14, to 50.4% to 41.3% this year. A substantial drop of 12.8
percentage points over 3 years. Retention in Basic Skills, English and Maths
has also fallen just over nine percentage points (91.2% in 2013/14 to 81.9% in
2015/16). The pass rate has fallen 8.9 percentage points over the same time
period.
Certificate and Diploma programmes have shown a small increase in the pass
rate over the last year, and a slight drop in retention rates.
ESOL achievement rates have again fallen by 9.5 percentage points over the
past year. Retention rates have fallen by a significant almost ten percentage
points (from 96.5% to 86.6%). The ESOL pass rate has continued a three
year upward trend, to 98.6%.
GCSE English and Maths achievement rate fell 6.1 percentage points from
2013/14 to 2015/16. The three year downward trend has also continued for
retention, with a 5.5 percentage point drop. The pass rate has only dropped
slightly over the same period and is at 91.6% for 2015/16.
Achievement, retention and pass rates have fluctuated slightly for other non-
regulated and regulated courses.
Overall achievement has risen from 72.9% to 75.1%, a rise of 2.2 percentage
points over the last year but still slightly lower than 2013/14 (75.4%). Overall
retention has fallen over the three year period, from 92.1% to 87.2%, a
decline of 4.2 percentage points. The pass rate overall, has increased from
81.9% in 2013/14 to 86.1% in 2015/16, an increase of 4.2 percentage points.
37
Table 6.5 Student Achievement, Retention and Pass by Free School Meals (16-
18)
Free Meals (16-18) Achievement Retention Pass
14/15 15/16 14/15 15/16 14/15 15/16
16-19 learner eligible for free meals
70.7 68.8 89.7 85.0 78.9 81.0
Not eligible for free meals 70.8 74.9 90.3 87.4 78.4 85.7
This year additional analysis has been carried out to look at a measure of
social Inclusion – Free School Meals (FSM). Data for 16-18 year olds is
shown in Table 6.5 above. The achievement rate gap between students
eligible for free school meals and students not eligible, has widened
considerably in the past year, from being 0.1 percentage point to 6.1
percentage points. The retention gap has similarly widened from 0.6 to 2.4
percentage points, in favour of those not eligible for free school meals. The
pass rate gap has also increased significantly from 0.5 to 4.7 percentage
points difference, between students eligible for FSM and those not eligible.
Table 6.6 Student Achievement, Retention and Pass by LDA or EHCP
LDA or EHCP (16-24)
Achievement Retention Pass
13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16 13/14 14/15 15/16
Student has LDA or EHCP
77.1 71.0 72.4 95 94.0 90.3 81.2 75.5 80.2
No LDA or EHCP 72.6 71.0 74.4 91.8 90.1 87.1 79.1 78.8 85.4
Further new analysis has been performed examining students with a Learning
Difficulty Assessment (LDA) or Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
The data shows a small gap for achievement. Regarding retention, students
with an LDA or EHCP, are better retained each year, over the three years.
The pass rate for students with an LDA or EHCP is lower the last two years
but was higher in 2013/14. This year, there is a 5.2 percentage point gap in
pass rates.
38
Table 6.7 Student Achievement, Retention and Pass by LDA or EHCP
High Needs (16-24) Achievement Retention Pass
14/15 15/16 14/15 15/16 14/15 15/16
Learner has High Needs (Support Costs over £6,000)
77.2 89.6 92.4 95.8 83.5 93.6
No High Needs 71.0 73.8 90.4 87.2 78.5 84.7
Lastly new analysis has been carried out looking at students with high needs
(support costs over £6,000) or no high needs. The achievement, retention
and pass rates of high needs students are higher for 2014/15 and 2015/16
than for students without high needs. This is a testament to the quality of
support provided at the College.
6.6 Student Complaints
Students’ complaints are recorded by the Quality Department, in line with the
College Complaints Procedure. Students may self-declare their gender, age
group, disability and ethnicity when they log a complaint. However if a
complaint is taken by email or by telephone, as is frequently the case, this
data may be missed.
There are a large proportion of students not declaring their gender, this figure
has risen by 9% points overall. However, this year students have declared
being of a gender other than “male” or “female” for the first time.
In 2015/16, the majority of complaints were made by students aged 16-18
(57%), in 2014/15, students aged 19+ made the majority of complaints (21%).
A disability is only declared for 14% of students making a complaint, a similar
picture to 2014/15.
Although there are still a large proportion of students who do not disclose their
ethnicity, the number of students disclosing has risen significantly since
2014/15. In 2014/15, the total of students whose ethnicity was “unknown”
was 95% over both campuses. In 2015/16, only 22% of students did not
disclose their ethnicity. The majority of complaints are from white students
(76%) and 2% from BAME students, which reflects the ethnic make-up of the
college (white students made up 88% of leavers, BAME constituted 12% of
leavers in 2015/16).
39
Table 6.7 Student complaints data
Complaint Analysis
2014/15 Medway
2015/16 Medway
2014/15 Maidstone
2015/16 Maidstone
2014/15 Total
2015/16 Total
Gender %
Male 38% 52% 58% 48% 44% 51%
Female 53% 33% 37% 20% 48% 28%
Other Not recorded
0% Not
recorded 2%
Not recorded
1%
Unknown 9% 15% 5% 20% 8% 17%
Age %
16 0% 3% 0% 0% 0% 2%
16-18 4% 58% 0% 56% 3% 57%
19+ 15% 20% 37% 24% 21% 22%
Unknown 81% 18% 63% 20% 76% 19%
Disability %
Yes 15% 4% 16% 2% 15% 3%
No 2% 15% 5% 2% 3% 11%
Prefer not to declare
2% 1% 0% 2% 1% 1%
Unknown 81% 80% 79% 94% 80% 84%
Ethnicity %
BAME 0% 3% 0% 0% 0% 2%
White 6% 77% 0% 74% 5% 76%
Unknown 94% 20% 100% 26% 95% 22%
40
7. Conclusion and Key Objectives for 2015/2016
7.1 Equality, diversity and inclusion are an important part of the work undertaken
at the College. The values and culture of the College are intended to reflect
the importance placed upon diversity and inclusion and in particular respect
for the individual. The Student Union, ‘Respect’ campaign has also reflected
this. Additional work and focus has been provided by the Diversity and
Inclusion Champions, who have helped develop the College’s new online
Diversity Calendar.
Under the Ofsted, Common Inspection Framework, equality, diversity and
inclusion falls within the heading of Personal Development, Behaviour and
Welfare. This report demonstrates how the College meets its Public Sector
Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010.
The key objectives for 2017/18 are set out below. These will be expanded
upon in the revised Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan during 2017. The
2016-18 Action Plan was developed to cover two years’ work, to allow for the
development, implementation and evaluation of projects, therefore, actions
which have not yet been completed have carried over.
Action / Objective
Lead Person
or Team
Completion
Date
Develop, implement and evaluate,
evidence-based strategies to
address achievement gaps between
different groups of students.
Diversity and
Inclusion
Committee /
Diversity and
Inclusion
Adviser
December
2017
(Carries forward from Key
Objectives for 2014/15)
Develop bite sized learning
opportunities to improve staff
confidence to deliver and embed
E&D in teaching and learning
Diversity &
Inclusion
Adviser /
Learning and
Development
Advisor /
Advanced
Practitioners
September
2017
41
(Carries forward from Key
Objectives for 2014/15)
Introduce relevant support groups
that support staff and promote
diversity and inclusion and fair
treatment for everyone.
Diversity and
Inclusion
Adviser /
Champions
December
2017
(Carries forward with revision
from Key Objectives for 2014/15)
Ensure the College estate is open
and inclusive for all users having
particular consideration for those
with physical and hidden disabilities
Due to its importance and ongoing
nature, this objective will be carried
forward in spirit but it is proposed
that it is reworded as follows;
Revised Objective
Ensure that the needs of staff and
students with disabilities are
surveyed and reviewed by the
College. This will include identifying
suitable working practices for staff,
with due consideration for those with
physical and hidden disabilities.
Head of
Facilities
Diversity and
Inclusion
Committee
December
2017
December
2017