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Round 2 project summaries: College collaboration fund (CCF)

Updated 12 January 2022

Activate Learning (lead), The Bournemouth and Poole College and Newbury College (partners)

The project aims to:

• share best practice sector-wide to retain level 2 learners and promote progression to level 3
• identify successful methods to retain and progress level 2 learners, including early identification of most at risk
• develop online toolkits of guidance and resources to implement rapid and effective actions to retain (Staying the Course) and progress (Perfect Progression) level 2 learners, for learners and staff
• support digital skills development across the partner colleges

The objectives are to:

• research issues and solutions for level 2 retention and progression
• draft resource packs for learners and staff that pilot ideas
• produce final, high-quality versions of the packs as toolkits and associated resources based on the evaluation of the pilots

Contact: anne.haigsmith@activatelearning.ac.uk.

Bridgwater and Taunton College (lead) and Wiltshire College (partner)

The project aims to harness the learning and development of digital skills and pedagogical approaches over the last 2 academic years.

The objectives are to:

• produce a training programme for blended, flipped and hybrid learning with input from groups of staff and student digital influencers
• develop tools and approaches to assessing engagement and progress of students specifically using the Microsoft 365 Ecosystem and assess the impact of a one-to-one device strategy
• build a co-designed seminar programme and coaching activities to support emerging curriculum leaders

Contact: houlihanb@btc.ac.uk.

Cirencester College (lead), Strode College, Brockenhurst College, The Henley College, Petroc and Shrewsbury Colleges Group (partners)

The project aims to improve the following 4 key areas within the partnership:

• student wellbeing (participation and engagement)
• student progression and employability
• internal technology and reporting
• risk management

The objectives are to:

• support students with mental health issues to develop coping skills and prepare for exams
• widen access to specialist engineering knowledge to address shortage of engineering teachers
• address lost employability experiences due to COVID-19 and develop efficient methods of recording careers and work experience
• evaluate models for remote pastoral provision to improve efficacy and take-up
• maximise role of parents to support learning and progression
• improve timetabling process, address more complex attendance tracking and enhance data analytics
• analyse further education (FE) sector risks and adopt a proactive approach to anticipate and inform decision making by leadership and management, and provide assurance to governing body in a rapidly changing FE climate, with associated training

Contact: matt.reynolds@cirencester.ac.uk.

EKC Group (lead), MidKent College, Morley College, North Kent College (partners)

The project aims to develop policy and deliver practice in developing resilience and achieving sustainability in newly formed college groups. The project aims to deliver in 3 key leadership areas: finance, sustainability and mental health. It will design and test new approaches and share this innovation and new practice with the sector, with the aim of developing sector level policy for college groups.

The objectives are to:

• produce budgets and curriculum plans for each college
• produce resources for middle leadership training on budgeting and curriculum planning
• publish financial benchmarks based on a set of common parameters
• develop carbon net zero strategies to deliver net zero carbon emissions in line with the government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution
• produce and deliver a student programme on net zero
• establish mental health leads and champions and produce online resources for wellbeing and mental health

Contact: Kerry.Hickmott@eastkent.ac.uk.

Harrow College and Uxbridge College (lead), Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, West Thames College, Barnet and Southgate College, Stanmore College (partners)

The project aims to address the quality improvement need that 70% of health and social care students do not pursue health and social care careers despite the number of vacancies in the sector. Existing partnerships will be harnessed to provide excellent career opportunities and pathways.

The objectives are to:

• improve learner progression through an online progression route map and repository detailing opportunities
• carry out research to address the mismatch between health and social care learning and resulting careers
• develop a mentoring programme to support health and social care learners’ resilience
• develop an employability programme using VWex (virtual work experience) to encourage learners to pursue health and social care careers

Contact: sdickerson@uxbridgecollege.ac.uk.

Hartlepool College of Further Education (lead), East Durham College, Bishop Auckland College and NCG (partners)

The project aims to develop and implement coaching to improve teaching, learning and assessment practice, apprenticeship provision and leadership and management practice across the partner colleges.

The objectives are to:

• undertake a review of evidence-based effective coaching practice
• develop a Coaching for Further Education Excellence training programme
• train lead coaches and coaches in the principles and practice of effective coaching, who will then support staff across the colleges

Contact: darren.hankey@hartlepoolfe.ac.uk.

Heart of Worcestershire College (lead) and TEC Partnership (partner)

The project aims to address the significant demand for digital resources through the curation and dissemination of a library of online learning objects that have been written by subject specialists.

The objectives are to:

• assess and identify curriculum development priorities through surveys and regional communities of practice
• produce individual learning objects with built-in assessment or demonstration videos and which can be integrated into all learning management systems
• ensure all materials service vocational subjects alongside additional resources focused on wellbeing and teacher workforce development on blended learning and accessibility
• ensure a proportion of the resources focus on skills areas undergoing transition and green jobs - for example clean energy and renewables, home efficiency, electric vehicles and green credentials - in the drive to develop a sustainable curriculum of the future following the 10-point plan towards the green industrial revolution

Contact: cheywood@howcollege.ac.uk.

Lincoln College (lead) and Chesterfield College (partner)

The project aims to improve support for learner and workforce mental health, resilience and wellbeing, to increase student engagement and experience, and to improve skills and employability. Delivery will be through 3 workstreams focused on activity, mindfulness and employability.

The objectives are to:

• produce and deliver a leisure and activity enrichment programme tailored to each learner and planned directly into student timetables (activity)
• develop multi-channel content to inform, engage and enthuse learners and to encourage and increase participation (activity)
• deliver a programme comprising individual learner strengths evaluation and ‘purpose pursuit’ and ‘strengths and wellbeing’ personal development to develop resilience and mental skills for learners and staff, including social connections, stress management, positivity, focus, motivation and confidence (mindfulness)
• produce and deliver a new ‘fit-to-lead’ leadership development and coaching programme for managers to increase personal awareness and understanding of others, how to embed wellness, mindfulness and mental ill-health learning in leadership and how these lead to improvements in impact and outcomes (mindfulness)
• produce and deliver an innovative CPD coaching and employability framework that improves student skills and employability (employability)

Contact: mlines@lincolncollege.ac.uk.

London Southeast Colleges (lead), East Sussex College Group and East Surrey College Corporation (partners)

The #Changemakers2021 project aims to build on, deepen and enhance the impact of the previous CCF project. It will extend the impact through an increased geographical, provider and thematic scope with a focus on the following workstreams: careers and progression, digital transformation, SEND quality improvement, leadership and management and re-engagement in education.

The objectives are to:

• link to local skills plan priorities by creating a Capital to Coast employer skills network linking curriculum planning, co-teaching, CPD and the management of placements using a ‘talent bank’ - the stakeholder engagement approach will be developed, including with parents and schools, to increase inclusion and progression on to apprenticeships (career and progression)
• deliver an improved systems interface to enhance the learner and staff experience of the corporate digital infrastructure - a staff development programme and ‘digital teacher’ will be developed through CPD, e-authoring tools, staff champions, bootcamps, training learning resource centres and SEND staff and incorporating video and audio learner feedback - a learner digital leaders and champions training programme will be designed, existing student portals will be improved, and a digital and employability skills space will be developed (digital transformation)
• produce and deliver a quality and transition improvement programme, map provision to local community needs and employment, and implement a SEND transition and progression framework to support enrolment into mainstream FE (SEND provision quality, achievement and progression)
• produce and deliver a Diverse Leaders in FE Talent Leadership Programme (leadership and management career progression)
• create and deliver mental health materials and provision to enable students to catch up on lost learning, including a review of best practice, appointment of mental health champions, creating a student wellness ambassador programme, establishing a Re-engagement Taskforce focused on at risk students, and developing a catch-up events programme for disadvantaged students (re-engagement in education)

Contact: andrew.cox@lsec.ac.uk.

LTE Group (lead), Bury College, Bolton College, Hopwood Hall College, Oldham College, Tameside College, Trafford College, Wigan and Leigh College and Salford City College (partners)

The project aims to:

• improve the quality of education through the development and effective use of technology to enable and enhance learning
• strengthen partnership and collaborative working at all levels from senior leadership to front line practitioners

The objectives are to:

• extend Communities of Practice across Greater Manchester Colleges (GMC)
• collaboratively extend and develop GMC HQ Digital and Blended Learning Toolkit
• develop digital and blended learning strategies around the key themes of digital inclusion, quality and curriculum design
• evaluate, develop and disseminate emergent practice and new strategic models

Contact: ScottG@ltegroup.co.uk.

Middlesbrough College (lead), Darlington College, Hartlepool College, Education Training Collective and the Northern Art School (partners)

The project aims to:

• enhance support for learners’ mental health and wellbeing
• improve teaching and support staff’s understanding of mental health and wellbeing
• develop strategies to improve learners’ resilience and positive attitudes and behaviours

The objectives are to:

• improve understanding of the challenges learners face by extending the ‘learner voice’ and enhancing the curriculum, tutorial and enrichment offer
• extend and amplify staff understanding of mental wellbeing and growth mindsets through staff training
• develop a suite of resources to enhance learners’ determination, independence and creative problem solving through multidimensional learning

Contact: g.duffy-mcghie@mbro.ac.uk.

New College Durham (lead) Gateshead College and Trafford College (partners)

The project aims to support the apprenticeship learner and employer journey by combining 3 specific strands of activity.

The objectives are to:

• develop a comprehensive customer relationship management system which will improve cross-college communication with employers and key stakeholders
• design and develop digitised learner and employer resources which will improve efficiency with employer and learner engagement
• develop a robust e-portfolio for learners which will support learners’ identified mental health needs, develop resilience and improved wellness

Contact: mark.anderson@newdur.ac.uk.

Runshaw College (lead), Bury College and Tameside College (partners)

The project aims to:

• develop digital resources to support learners in addressing lost learning at key stage 4 and transitioning to level 3
• investigate alternative sources of home-based IT equipment

The objectives are to:

• develop a suite of online self-study resources across a wide range of level 3 subjects, targeted at level 2 knowledge and skills that are key to early level 3 study
• collate resources into a shareable level 3 transition package for use both by the partner colleges and within the sector, including schools for use with key stage 4 students
• compare and evaluate alternative sources of IT kit that could be supplied to students more widely to support home-based learning

Contact: Browne.C@runshaw.ac.uk.

South and City College Birmingham (lead), Solihull College and University Centre, City of Wolverhampton College and Coventry College (partners)

The project aims to develop and build English and vocational digital programmes linked to priority skill gaps and local employment demand.

The objectives of the workstreams are:

• to develop a digitised construction programme to support candidates to move into learning and work within the sector (ESOL/English into Construction)
• to develop a digitised health and care sector programme to support candidates to move into learning and work within the sector (ESOL/English into Health and Care)

Two further workstreams to be confirmed are:

• ESOL/English into Business and Administration
• ESOL/English into Hair and Beauty

Contact: greg.dugdale@sccb.ac.uk.

South Thames Colleges Group (lead), Sparsholt College and Basingstoke College (partners)

The project aims to reduce the risk that learners from level 1 and 2 drop out, by improving student engagement and delivering effective learning support through an online platform and use of artificial intelligence.

The objectives are to:

• provide learners with personalised learning strategies and suggested independent learning skills and study resources to allow them to appropriately plan and organise themselves to catch up on missed learning
• develop a series of recommended tasks that enable learners to consider what encourages them to make positive decisions and supports successful progress on their learning journey

Contact: Jane.Morrison@stcg.ac.uk.

Tyne Coast College (partner), Itchen College and Selby College (partners)

The project aims to develop a synergy on the delivery of health and social care courses among the partners, with the support of an online curriculum. The project will develop new digital content and resources, support learner resilience, wellbeing and mental health, and address lost learning.

The objectives are to:

• develop interactive content allowing learners to explore different settings for a variety of learning and assessment purposes - English and maths will be embedded into the resources, helping contextualise the learning and to encourage learners to see English and maths as an essential element of their studies
• develop an online platform and create interactive online content including using augmented reality by developing the use of virtual reality headsets for use within the curriculum
• develop use of 360 degree cameras for creative assessment methods
• establish 24 hour access to online material for all students to help reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training and support catch-up for learners impacted by disruption to learning

Contact: marie.flatman@tynecoast.ac.uk.

Weston College of Further Education (lead), City College Plymouth and the National College for Advanced Technology and Infrastructure (Partners)

The project aims to support apprentices through:

• innovative catch-up strategies for missed learning
• dedicated mental health support, staff and employer CPD to improve the quality of higher education and degree apprenticeship programmes
• a systematic review and upgrade of data systems to support apprenticeship delivery and reporting

The objectives are to:

• implement targeted intervention to apprentices by offering extra workplace and classroom training
• provide apprentices with mental health support and upskill staff in mental health programmes
• upskill staff and employers to meet the requirements of Ofsted’s Education and Inspection Framework
• design and plan the implementation of a new management information system to support improved financial and resource management of apprenticeships and other provision
• develop a library of digital resources and toolkits across all 4 workstreams

Contact: directorteam@weston.ac.uk.

Wilberforce College (lead), Franklin College and John Leggott Sixth Form College (partners)

The project aims to increase attainment level, progression to level 3 and beyond and student engagement, and also to enhance the blended learning experience of students.

The objectives are to:

• develop high-quality digital lessons, resources and hosting platform to support remote and blended delivery, increase student engagement and provide a high-quality accessible online learning experience for students
• develop ‘catch-up toolkits’ focused on English and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and general resources to encourage independent catch-up
• develop transition and progression materials to prepare students for their next steps, including transition from level 2 to level 3 and from level 3 to higher education, employment or further training

Contact: LHR@wilberforce.ac.uk.