strategic plan 2015 -2019

Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019

www.eastkent.ac.uk Broadstairs Campus, Ramsgate Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1PN

Dover Campus, Maison Dieu Road, Dover, Kent CT16 1DH

Folkestone Campus, Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2TZ

Innovation House, Discovery Park, Sandwich CT13 9FF

It gives me great pleasure to introduce East Kent College’s Strategic Plan for 2015 to 2019. As Principal, I am extremely proud of the outstanding contribution the College makes to the prosperity and wellbeing of the communities we serve, both locally and regionally.

With campuses in Broadstairs, Dover and in Folkestone, and an administration and training centre at Discovery Park, Sandwich, the College is a major employer across the East Kent region. The College’s commitment to the districts of Dover, Shepway and Thanet is supported by a culture of excellence that places students at the heart of college life; that respects diversity, encourages creativity, sparks ambition for achievement and emphasises the responsibility we have for each other. Our emphasis on the value of responsibility ensures rigorous review of key performance indicators across the College’s operation including financial performance, and on-going consultation with students, staff and employers informs future development.

I am delighted to take this opportunity to report that the quality of the College’s educational provision has never been better. In April 2013 following full inspection, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) judged the Further Education of East Kent College to be ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ leadership and management; and in April 2014, the Quality Assurance Agency, following detailed review, confirmed that the College’s Higher Education met national expectations with identified areas of good practice.

The College’s core purpose is to prepare students for their future employment and continuing education. We are a community-based college that seeks to make a practical and positive difference in and across the three districts that we serve, celebrating the transformative power of education for each student, their family and the communities within which they live and work.

This Strategic Plan is an ambitious proposition that encourages innovative thinking and action to address wide-ranging challenges and opportunities within East Kent. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many students, staff and partners who have contributed to the process of strategic planning. We look forward to working with you to achieve the five strategic goals that are set out in this plan and which define the next phase in the advancement of East Kent College.

IntroductionMissionEast Kent College is committed to developing the prosperity and wellbeing of the communities we serve.

ValuesThe mission is supported by a shared set of values:

Creativity: continuous enhancement through innovation

Ambition: inspiring and empowering all to achieve their potential

Respect: a welcoming culture that celebrates diversity

Excellence: professionalism that places students at the heart

Enterprise: a drive and determination to turn ideas into reality

Responsibility: to each other and the communities we serve

Principal East Kent College

East Kent College Strategic Plan 2015 – 2019

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By 2019 the College will offer a well defined curriculum that demonstrates specialisation in areas of study aligned to the East Kent economy. The curriculum will be attractive to students due to the quality of teaching and learning resources, as well as the flexible course access on campus, online, in the workplace and in the community, with study commitments arranged to enable students to earn while they learn. The deep-rooted challenges of educational attainment present within the coastal communities the College serves will be responded to systematically through imaginative curriculum design and delivery that engages students in the active application of theory into practice. A broad range of workplace traineeships, apprenticeships and higher apprenticeships will be available across the College’s areas of specialism, with a wide range of employer partnerships formally agreed and contributing to the career relevance of the curriculum.

In order to achieve Strategic Goal 1 we will:

Objective 1:

Ensure specialised curriculum areas provide a seamless range of career-relevant learning pathways from entry level through to higher education;

Objective 2:

Be active in responding to the interests and ambitions of students with technology used to increase flexibility of access to the curriculum;

Objective 3:

Be creative in partnership with employers to design learning opportunities for students.

To deliver a flexible curriculum that is attractive to students and highly relevant for East Kent

“The best thing about East Kent College is that it’s great at preparing students for the workplace and helping them to progress from school into the real world.”

Chloe West, Health and Social Care Level 3

“The provision of the highest quality further and technical education in East Kent is essential if we are to realise our ambitions for economic growth…East Kent College’s innovative approach and leadership has been highly successful and has been supported strongly by Kent County Council…With a shared focus on emerging sectors and a co-ordinated approach to skills delivery, the expanded role of East Kent College will be vital to our ambitions.”

Paul Carter, Leader, Kent County Council

Excellence and Responsibility: outstanding engagement with external stakeholders including the business, voluntary and education communities in East Kent

Excellence and Ambition: sustained, priority focus on teaching, learning and assessment in order to enable students to achieve

Strategic Goal 1

The College Performance Indicators (CPIs) used to monitor progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 1 include the following CPIs to be reviewed monthly:• Numberofyoungpeoplestudyingonfunded

courses;• NumberofschoolchildrenstudyingattheCollege;• Participationonapprenticeshipcourses;• Numberofnewfull-timeapplications;• Satisfactionofemployersforthedeliveryoftraining;

and the following CPIs to be reviewed annually:• Percentageofyoungpeopleinwork-related

activities;• Progressionratesofyoungpeoplebetweenlevels

of study;• Progressionintoemploymentbyyoungpeople

and adults.

The College strategies that support achievement of Strategic Goal 1 include the:• CurriculumStrategy;• MarketingStrategy.

Our values in action...


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Strategic Goal 2By 2019 the College will be well known as a welcoming community of learning that is career focused. Students from the age of 14 enjoy a personalised experience within which the acquisition of their technical skills are at the core of their wider personal development, supported by a vibrant range of social, cultural and sporting opportunities and well represented by an active Students’ Union. The employability of students will be enhanced through a creatively work-relevant, project-based approach to learning within industry standard facilities operating on a commercial basis, with students celebrating success in local, regional, national and international skills competitions. The programme management of courses will be student-centred and create a well coordinated, interesting mix of activities to support a meaningful understanding of enterprise and the ‘global workplace’. International visits will be a well established component of Higher Education, with the College annually recruiting international students, in association with its partner – Hilderstone College, to areas such as Catering, Enterprise, Engineering and Computing through a foundation year leading directly to higher studies.


Objective 1:

Prioritise student satisfaction, placing the interests, aspirations and needs of students at the heart of decision making;

Objective 2:

Prepare students for their future careers, building confidence, resilience and adaptive capacities alongside the acquisition of technical proficiency;

Objective 3:

Design educational experiences that enable students to prepare for the 21st Century workplace.

To offer an outstanding student experience that is distinctive within East Kent

The College Performance Indicators (CPIs) used to monitor progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 2 include the following CPIs to be reviewed monthly:• Satisfactionofstudentsonfundedcourses;• Attendanceofyoungpeopleonfundedcourses;• Studentsfeelingsafe;• Numberofstudentsprogressingtohighereducation;

and the following CPIs to be reviewed annually:• SuccessratesforyoungpeopleonStudyProgrammes;• Percentageofyoungpeopleinwork-relatedactivities;• Punctualityrate;• Progressionratesofyoungpeoplebetweenlevels

of study;• Progressionintoemploymentbyyoungpeopleand

adults.

The College strategies that support achievement of Strategic Goal 2 include the:• StudentEngagementStrategy;• InternationalStrategy;• PropertyStrategy.

“The best thing about East Kent College is observing the learning journey students make over the time they are with us - their growing confidence and achievement.”

Nik Weakley, Programme Director, Construction

“Hilderstone College is delighted to be working with East Kent College to offer a new International Foundation Course. It is a wonderful opportunity for two local state further education colleges, each with its own areas of excellence, to come together to offer a unique course to international students. Both colleges are committed to offering an outstanding student experience and maximising student achievement, as well as working to the benefit of the communities they serve. This project exemplifies those goals.”

Jon Burton, Principal, Hilderstone College


Respect, Responsibility and Ambition: empowerment of the student voice

Creativity and Enterprise: a commitment to entrepreneurship, demonstrated by a Peter Jones Enterprise Academy for students and innovation project funding for staff


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Strategic Goal 3By 2019 outstanding management of all academic processes allied to innovative approaches to teaching and assessment will increasingly motivate students to exceed their expectations of academic success, specifically including achievement of national qualifications in EnglishandMathematics.Independentstudyandtheacquisitionofhighergradeswillbechampioned and celebrated. Progression to the highest possible level of study will be an agreed expectation with a systematic approach that encourages and supports continuing study. Through the advocacy of student ambassadors progression to university as well as alternative forms of higher study, such as higher apprenticeships, will be considered an expectation for East Kent College students.


Objective 1:

Be relentless in the pursuit of outstanding teaching, learning and assessment;

Objective 2:

Inspire an enjoyment of learning through the practical application of knowledge;

Objective 3:

Provide student support services that are consistently effective in meeting the diverse range of needs.

To maximise student progress and achievement

Respect and Responsibility: highly effective support for disadvantaged learners and those with complex needs

Excellence, Creativity and Ambition: academic leadership at all levels of the College to create exciting learning opportunities

Student success rates will be used to monitor progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 3, as well as the following College Performance Indicators (CPIs), to be reviewed monthly:• Numberofstudentsprogressingtohighereducation;• Standardsofteachingandlearning;• Attendanceofyoungpeopleonfundedcourses;

and in addition, the following CPIs reviewed annually:• Passrates(A*-C)foryoungpeopleinGCSEEnglish

andMathematics;• PercentageofhighgradesforBTECqualifications;• Progressionratesofyoungpeoplebetweenlevels

of study;• Progressionintoemploymentbyyoungpeople

and adults;• Highereducationcoursespassrate.

The College strategies that support achievement of Strategic Goal 3 include the:• Teaching,LearningandAssessmentStrategy;• StudentSupportStrategy;• HigherEducationStrategy.

“The best thing about East Kent College is the thanks we get from the students at the end of their course.”

Craig Fraser, Multi-trades Technician

“The East Kent Partnership between the College and the University readily acknowledges the transformational power of education for the individual and their community.”

Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, Vice-Chancellor, Canterbury Christ Church University



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Strategic Goal 4By 2019 East Kent College will have established its reputation as a major employer of choice that encourages and recognises excellent performance through management practices that are clear, measurable, well communicated and fully supported. Flexible ways of working will make effective use of technology to facilitate communication and enhance business operations. Individual and team achievement will continue to be recognised and celebrated within a culture of lifelong learning and enterprise that encourages and supports innovative thinking and creativity.

Active partnership with business (see Strategic Goal 5) will inform the professional development of teaching staff to ensure approaches to teaching, learning and assessment are relevant for the contemporary workplace. Student progress and achievement (see Strategic Goal 3) is inspired by the ‘dual professionalism’ of teaching staff - in both vocational pedagogy and industry practice - and enhanced through a broad range of opportunities for continuing professional development and an increasing involvement by businesses, particularly within specialist areas of curriculum leading to higher learning.


Objective 1:

Invest in our people, individually and collectively, within a collegiate culture of mutual respect;

Objective 2:

Support colleagues to be ambitious in delivering consistently excellent performance;

Objective 3:

Offer an attractive, valued and satisfying working experience within which innovation and creativity is encouraged and celebrated.

To continue a sustained and supported college-wide drive for excellence

Excellence, Responsibility, Ambition and Enterprise: structured ‘Support and Development’ for staff with increased opportunities for Continuous Professional Development

Excellence and Responsibility: maintaining our Investors in People Gold standard

An annual staff survey will inform the monitoring of progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 4, as well as the success rates of students. In addition, a range of College Performance Indicators (CPIs) will be used to monitor progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 4 including the following CPIs to be reviewed monthly:• Retentionofyoungpeopleandadultsonfunded

courses;• Apprenticeshipframeworksuccessrates;• Numberofstudentsprogressingtohighereducation;• Standardsofteachingandlearning;• Satisfactionofstudentsonfundedcourses;• Satisfactionofemployersforthedeliveryoftraining;

and the following CPIs to be reviewed annually:• Progressionintoemploymentbyyoungpeople

and adults;• Overallsuccessrateofworkplacelearning.

The College strategies that support achievement of Strategic Goal 4 include the:• HumanResourcesStrategy;• FinancialStrategy.

“The best thing about East Kent College is being in a relaxed environment with brilliant teaching.”

Lewis Weller, Electronic Engineering Level 2


“Having read the Strategic Plan I would like to take the opportunity to comment and endorse the plan, particularly welcoming the strength of references throughout to workforce development, career development, and developing close relationships with employers. Skills development to support our key and emerging sectors is a key aspect of Shepway District Council’s new Economic Development strategy and we will continue to work closely with the College over the coming years.”

Councillor David Monk, Leader, Shepway District Council


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Strategic Goal 5As the established Further Education provider in the districts of Dover, Shepway and Thanet, East Kent College will have strong, practical partnerships in action with the three district councils across the East Kent region. The sectors associated with the College’s areas of curricular specialism are the basis for a wide range of external strategic partnerships with schools, businesses and third-sector organisations, with East Kent College students engaged in work placements, traineeships and apprenticeships. Both students and staff will be renowned for their contribution in giving back to the community through the application of practical skills within projects that contribute to social action for positive change.

East Kent College will be highly effective in relationship management, with support structures inplacetoencourageproductive,ongoingrelationshipswithpartners.Mutuallybeneficialcollaborations will be informed by clear understanding of strategic priorities, with joint determination to achieve shared ambitions. Ongoing exchange with employer partners will be formalised through business advisory boards linked to specialised areas of curriculum that enhance the vocational relevance of the curriculum.

By 2019 the College will be known nationally and internationally as a strategic partner of Canterbury Christ Church University through examples of ‘best practice’ collaborative working between Further and Higher Education. A significant growth in Higher Education programmes will have been achieved across East Kent through a unique range of access and undergraduate programmes aligned to the local economy and graduate employment that enable seamless progression from Further to Higher Education.


Objective 1:

Realise the ambitions we share with our strategic partners;

Objective 2:

Be active in making a positive contribution within our local community;

Objective 3:

Sustain and develop the East Kent Partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University.

To strengthen and extend our partnerships within the communities that we serve

Respect and Responsibility: a wide range of community projects and charity events undertaken by students and staff

Respect and Responsibility: active communication amongst all members of the College community – students, staff, governors and stakeholders, including alumni

The College Performance Indicators (CPIs) used to monitor progress in the achievement of Strategic Goal 5 include the following CPIs to be reviewed monthly:• Numberofstudentsprogressingtohighereducation;• Satisfactionofemployersforthedeliveryoftraining;

and the following CPIs to be reviewed annually:• Percentageofyoungpeopleinwork-relatedactivities;• Progressionintoemploymentbyyoungpeopleand

adults;

• Fundingachievedfrom‘fullcost’training;• Commercialincome.

The College strategies that support achievement of Strategic Goal 5 include the:• PartnershipStrategy.

“The best thing about East Kent College is being able to make a real contribution to the needs of the community.”

Jill Bayford, Programme Director, Community and Employability

“The Creative Foundation is delighted that East Kent College is now working in Folkestone. This gives us the opportunity to build a relationship over the next few years. Already we have been working together during the Folkestone Triennial and a number of films were made by students. Additionally, the Creative Foundation is looking to support the College’s trades programme with our charitable building works. We hope the College will be fully embedded in the Creative Quarter of Folkestone.”

Alastair Upton, Chief Executive, The Creative Foundation



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Investing in our future

InkeepingwithitsMissiontodeveloptheprosperityandwellbeingofthecommunities it serves, East Kent College maintains a curriculum comprising a broad range of programmes, apprenticeships, workplace training and short courses designed to meet educational needs, interests and aspirations that are common across the districts of Dover, Shepway and Thanet. For example, the encouragement of enterprise is a core area for East Kent College across its campuses; supporting the economic regeneration of East Kent by mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs through the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy. Service sectors relevant to retail, beauty, hospitality, child care and social care feature in college-wide provision to enable the acquisition of career-relevant employability skills that are directly relevant to each sector as well as being transferrable to a broad range of future career opportunities.

Sport will play a motivating part in the life of the College, enhancing the vibrancy of the student experience and contributing to social inclusion through participation in team sports within and across the districts of Dover, Shepway and Thanet.

The College will extend the range of accessible opportunities for the acquisition of adult literacy and numeracy, with targeted pre-employment training, often in partnership with Job Centre Plus.

In addition, the College will ensure the curriculum at each campus location is distinctive in meeting the economic needs of its locality - responding actively to national, regional and local economic strategy in supporting sectors of economic growth including, for example, the Creative Industries at both the Broadstairs and Folkestone campuses; Engineering and associated technologies distinctively defined in Broadstairs and Dover campuses; the areas of tourism, logistics and transportation as a focus at the Dover Campus, recognising the international significance of the Port of Dover; traditional trades within building services being well established at both Broadstairs and Folkestone campuses, with a specialism in Science at Discovery Park alongside professional training in the areas of business and finance, and in applied sciences.

Technical education and training designed for East Kent, meeting the skills needs of the Dover, Shepway and Thanet districts.

“It is very important to us to have East Kent College on Discovery Park. We know it is advantageous to the growing number of businesses on site in finding employees with the right skills for local high-tech and scientific jobs.”

Paul Barber, Managing Director, Discovery Park

New vocational facilities and commercial outlets, Dover Campus

Centre for Environmental Technologies, Broadstairs Campus

Yarrow Hotel, Broadstairs Campus

Michael Wright Centre for Creative Industries, Broadstairs Campus

New reception, commercial training salons and restaurants, Folkestone Campus

“East Kent College has an excellent reputation for its management and leadership, and we support your vision for a strong, community-based college that prepares students for the world of work. We’re particularly excited about plans to develop courses to deliver the skills needed by our local industries and businesses.”

Cllr Paul Watkins, Leader, Dover District Council


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strategic plan 2015 -2019

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