Annual Report 2014/15
2 [2014/15] Contents 4 A year of success 5 Mission, vision and values 6 Employer links 8 Financial report 10 Staff profile 12 Student satisfaction 13 Student profile 16 News in brief
4 A Year of Success Mission, vision and values Northampton College is very proud of its achievements in a year that saw student pass rates increase to 96%, in which funding was secured for a new 13m campus in Daventry, and where financial health was maintained. Pat Brennan-Barrett, Principal Success Thanks to a very high standard of teaching, learning, assessment and support, and a culture of high expectation and high achievement, 87% of students went on to further study or into employment and 13% gained higher education places. Opportunities More than 4,000 young people benefited from the wide range of provision within our developing curriculum and were supported to take advantage of opportunities to progress on to further study and into work. As part of their study programme, students aged 16-18 benefited from: qualifications that stretched their skills, enabling them to progress maths and English classes for everyone who had not yet achieved a GCSE at grade C or above in both subjects work experience that helped students to develop employability skills or potential employment options, and activities to help them to develop life skills and to build their confidence. Student numbers continue to be strong with over 9,000 enrolments, more than half of whom were adults aged over 19. College in the community Partnership and employer links are strong and the College has good relationships with local schools and academies, the University of Northampton, local enterprise partnerships, Northamptonshire County Council, employers and the local Chambers of Commerce, the Rights & Equality Council and other local voluntary groups as part of its mission to be the college in the community. Successful and productive partnerships with employers and both Northamptonshire Local Enterprise Partnership (NEP) and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) have ensured that the College s curriculum map meets the wider needs of the local economy and helps to fill skills gaps. Maths and English In line with the government s mission to improve standards, over 3,000 students joined the new School of Maths and English and significant improvements were made in the achievement of qualifications in both subjects. Innovative teaching including specialist facilities such as the Maths Lab and English Hub have enabled young people to engage with these subjects with a fresh perspective. Plans for Daventry Construction of a new, state of the art building for the Daventry Campus is well underway after investment from the local growth fund was secured in partnership with South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and Northamptonshire County Council. The new facility is on track to open in Autumn 2016 and will welcome around 400 students with room for future expansion including into Apprenticeship provision for the town. Higher education The College is focused on developing its portfolio of higher level skills and has developed a new range of higher education courses across a range of disciplines. Our ambition is to improve accessibility to higher professional and technical skills for those who want to study while they are at work or who want to remain living locally to keep control of living costs. Governance The Northampton College Corporation is a non-executive committee that meets monthly to monitor the College s performance and make decisions on strategy, policy and finance. Dr Roger Morris OBE, stepped down as Chair of Governors after ten years service but remains on the board of governors. We are grateful for his contribution to the success of the College and his continuing commitment to its students and the local community. Dr Geraldine Schofied MBE has now taken up the post of Chair of Governors and we look forward to working with her as the College continues to develop. Working with business We continue to work closely with local businesses on developing training provision that meets their specific needs. We are working in partnership with the University of Northampton to develop career pathways from Level 2 to Level 7 in manufacturing engineering and logistics. We are pleased to be working with logistics businesses from across the region as part of a scheme designed to promote careers in the sector to our students. Northampton College was the first Career Ready academy in logistics in the East Midlands. The scheme forges links between young people and employers to improve their understanding of the logistics sector and the appeal of a range of exciting careers. Businesses including Travis Perkins, Caterpillar, DHL, Alpro are all keen to help plug the future skills gap by inspiring young people to think about alternative career paths in the sector. Mission To enhance the lives of our students and other customers, maximising their potential through learning. Vision We will work: To raise ambitions and expectations To raise levels of knowledge and skills To improve employment prospects To improve community cohesion. We will do this through: The provision of education and training which meets the needs of students, other customers and employers The consistent improvement of quality and student success The effective delivery of contracts Continuous improvement and development of resources and staff. The College s activities, and staff behaviours, are governed by our values; Values Respecting and helping each other Engaging people through teaching with expertise and enthusiasm Developing people through learning Bringing out the best in each other Playing a positive role in our community. Quality provision Ofsted recorded a judgement of Good for overall effectiveness as the outcome of its last inspection of Northampton College. The whole-college inspection judged that success rates were high in the majority of subjects, that teaching and learning was good, and that college resources were of a very high quality.
6 Employer Links 12/13 13/14 14/15 1,311 employees from local businesses trained 90% of apprentices remained in employment after completing their Apprenticeship 90% 97% 983 97% of unemployed students completed training programmes Apprenticeships delivered 555 98% we worked with 555 businesses 98% of employers agreed that the College understands their business and training needs We work with businesses across a range of sectors to make sure the training and qualifications we deliver meets their needs and fulfils demand for specific skills. We are committed to making a contribution to improving skills and boosting local economic growth and productivity. Our Business Centre team worked with over 500 businesses during 2014-15 delivering Apprenticeships and industry-training in the workplace including projects funded by the European Social Fund. Apprenticeship income increased by 27% during the last year. 99% of businesses we engaged would recommend us to other employers 99% 369 Apprenticeship vacancies advertised
8 Financial Report Income ( 000) Other income 2,273 Tuition fees and education contracts 2,034 7% 7% Total 30,019 Funding body grants 25,674 Investment income 38-0% 86% Expenditure ( 000) Interest 559-2% Depreciation 4,460 15% 24% Total 28,794 59% Staff costs 16,878 The College s finances are in excellent shape and its financial health has been rated as outstanding by the Skills Funding Agency. In this respect, the College is extremely strong compared with many others in the sector and continues to provide a firm foundation for investment in the provision of excellent resources and good teaching. Other operating expenditure 6,897
10 Staff Profile 31 July 2015 (Full time / Fractional staff only) Our Staff Academic 247 Management 49 Business Support 233 Total 529 Staff Gender Business Support 57 Business Support 176 Academic 88 Academic 159 Management 15 Management 34 Total 160 Total 369 Staff Ethnicity Total Management 49 Academic 247 Business Support 233 Total 529 44 4 1 The College relies on the expertise and professionalism of its staff to deliver an excellent student experience. From teachers to support staff, our employees work hard to help our students achieve their success. Here are the numbers behind the Northampton College team. White British 201 Total 463 218 White/Any other 18 white background 16 Total 38 Combined 12 Ethnic groupings 13 Total 26
12 Student Satisfaction Student Profile In a survey of nearly 2,000 students of all ages, 84% said that they would recommend the College to friends or family. Eighty-two percent were highly satisfied with both the content of their training programme and the level of support they had received. Regular focus groups are conducted during the year in order to address any issues as they arise and actions taken to improve the student experience are centrally recorded with improvements being communicated throughout the College. 85% How good or bad is the respect staff show to you? Overall satisfaction rate 84% How likely is it that you would recommend the college/learning provider to friends or family? Overall satisfaction rate 82% Overall, how good or bad do you think the college/learning provider/training programme is? Overall satisfaction rate 82% How good or bad is the support you get on the course/training programme? Overall satisfaction rate We are passionate about our students and place them at the centre of all that we do. We welcome students of all ages and abilities and focus on helping them choose the right programme for them. Eight out of ten students claim to be satisfied with their college experience. Our student body spans all ages and many diverse ethnic groups, and more than 15% of our students have a disability or learning difficulty. You can see the profile of our students overleaf.
14 Student Profile Our Students Full-time 4343 46.9% Student Age 16-18 43.3% No. of students 4031 25 Plus 37.7% No. of students 3493 Part-time 3023 32.6% Total 9268 19-24 18.8% No. of students 1744 Part-time (evening) 686 7.4% Student Disability Distance/workplace learning/apprenticeships 1216 13.1% Yes - has disability or learning difficulty 1429 Unknown 112 Student Ethnicity 61.4% 16.5% 7.0% 2.2% 2.0% 1.6% 1.5% 1.4% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0% 0.8% 0.7% 0.5% 0.4% 0.4% 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% 5682 1525 649 200 188 148 137 126 106 99 95 76 65 46 38 37 18 15 1 English/Welsh/Scottish/NI/British Any other White background African Bangladeshi White and Black Caribbean Caribbean Any other Asian background Not Known Any other mixed/multi-ethnic Any other Black/African/Caribbbean Indian Other Pakistani White and Asian White and Black African Chinese Irish Arab Gypsy or Irish Traveller Student Gender No disability or learning difficulty 7727 Total 9268 42.1% 57.9%
16 News in Brief Dancers take centre stage at national festival All systems go for Daventry as work starts on new campus Work is now officially underway on our pioneering 13million campus in Daventry, giving around 400 students the chance to learn the new skills they need to find a job close to home. The plans were given the green light following the College s successful bid to the South East Midlands Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) for 6.5million of funding from the Local Growth Fund for a completely new centre in the town that will offer vocational training for young people and adults. The first spade was put into the ground during a ceremony in November to celebrate the start of works at the Badby Road site. Construction work will continue throughout 2016 when the building will open its doors to new students for the first time. Competition win is feather in the cap for fashion designer Melissa Aspiring hat maker Melissa Mehrtens won an international competition which will give her the chance to work for a designer who supplies headwear to the Duchess of Cambridge. A dance group became the first ever Northampton College representatives at the prestigious Festival of Dance, fending off competition from across the region to earn the right to perform on the national stage. The students were selected to represent the East Midlands at the national festival in Plymouth, perform alongside some of the biggest names in dance. The group created a work titled My Line, an abstract performance created in a collaboration between first and second year dance students. Matthew finds the winning Formula Engineering student Matthew Quincey is in pole position for an exciting career in the high octane world of Formula 1 after landing an Apprenticeship with world champions Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP). The 18-year-old BTEC Level 3 Engineering student landed the role as part of a tie-in with the Brixworth-based power unit manufacturer. Stuart Boyer, Employee Development Manager at HPP, said: Matthew will be machining components for use in F1 power units. By the end of his Apprenticeship he could well be working on components used in Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg s power units, so it s a great opportunity to contribute to our success. The millinery student was named the overall winner of the prestigious competition, organised by the Worshipful Company of Feltmakers of London. Melissa, who cites Alexander McQueen as her design hero, scooped the 1,200 first prize and will benefit from a work experience placement with Rachel Trevor Morgan, milliner to the Duchess of Cambridge. She said: The chance to design and make hats was one of the main reasons I came to Northampton College as I really wanted to learn new skills. I absolutely love it and to win this competition is amazing.
18 News in Brief Megan stars in national TV campaign Former student Megan Gilbride appeared on TV screens up and down the country, with her lifestyle blog securing the 26-year-old a starring role in a leading haircare company s nationwide advertising campaign. The former Musical Theatre student, named Company magazine s Best Fashion Blog Newcomer in 2015, starred in Schwarzkopf s latest campaign, showcasing her vibrant red hair and fashion know-how on everything from prime time TV adverts to shopping centre billboards. The Wonderful You blog has amassed Megan over 13,000 Twitter followers and 20,000 YouTube subscribers. She said: I absolutely loved my course at the college. We got to try out so many different things and the teaching was just incredible. You need a real energy to act and perform and I ve been able to carry that through to my videos and blogging. The College taught me how to present myself in the best possible way, to make the transition from stage to film. Think laterally think logistics A specialist academy to train and prepare the next generation of workers in the logistics industry was unveiled by Northampton College, with students urged to think laterally think logistics. The Logistics Academy will give students the chance to work with local companies through a series of internships and mentoring programmes and employers have been urged to get on board to ensure they benefit too. Businesses involved with the Logistics Academy will be able to access a pool of newly-skilled workers to help their own growth plans and benefit from the exposure gained through running a number of masterclasses, warehouse tours and a place on the Career Ready advisory board. College bookworms earn reading rewards Students at Northampton College have helped land a top award after taking part in a national drive to get more people reading. The Six Book Challenge, organised by The Reading Agency, aims to promote literacy by encouraging people to read a minimum of six books and note down their thoughts on what they have read. More than 600 Northampton College students signed up for this year s challenge and 238 successfully completed the task, earning the college a national Gold award for the fourth consecutive year to recognise its success. Students given sound advice by Joey Essex Students were urged by reality TV star Joey Essex to work hard, believe in yourself and keep persevering in order to make their dreams come true. The celebrity, who shot to fame in The Only Way is Essex, was the special guest at the College s Outdoor Cinema event, which saw thousands of people flock to Booth Lane to watch films including Grease and Guardians of the Galaxy on a giant open air screen. He said: I ve always had to work hard for everything I ve had. I ve always tried to stay true to myself and I ve had this belief that all the hard work will pay off in the end. If I could give one piece of advice to all the young people at Northampton College, it would be to just keep going, keep persevering. Believe in yourself and it will come good for you. Kings of Spice crowned in college kitchens The hottest talents in the world of curry cooking showcased their skills in the college kitchens as Northampton played host to the national finals of the Bangladesh Caterers Association annual cook-off. More than 30 chefs from across the country cooked up a storm to produce a series of stunning dishes and impress the starstudded judging panel. Winners were announced at a lavish ceremony in London, broadcast on TV stations around the world. Organiser Tipu Rahman said: We are incredibly grateful to Northampton College for the use of their first-class facilities. It was an honour for our competitors to cook in such fantastic kitchens and we hope to have inspired the next generation of curry chefs.
Northampton College Booth Lane Northampton NN3 3RF Northampton College Daventry Badby Road West Daventry NN11 4HJ Northampton College Lower Mounts Northampton NN1 3DE email: enquiries@northamptoncollege.ac.uk Phone: 01604 734567