MidKent College
Learner Engagement
Strategy
2014/15
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Topic
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
vi)
Vision
Rationale
Aims and Objectives
Scope
Implementation
a. Communicating
b. Monitoring
Action Plan
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i) Vision
Our Vision
"Everyone is proud to recommend MidKent College to family and friends. It is a great
place to learn and work, where all students and staff feel part of the College
community."
Our Values
Aspiring to Excellence
Setting High Expectations
Passion for Learning
Integrity and Honesty
Respecting the Individual
Effective Teamworking
Our Mission
Our mission is to challenge and support every student to be the best they can be.
Our Strategic Priorities
 Teaching – We will provide first-rate teaching and learning
 Curriculum – Our curriculum will improve the employment prospects of all
our students
 Community – We will engage actively with our community
 MKCTS – We will secure the work we do with the RSME and develop other
activities from it
 Future – We will develop strategies to ensure our long term success
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ii) Rationale
In 2005 The Foster Report highlighted that “Learner voice may be perceived as a
threat in some educational institutions because it changes traditional power
relationships. It can put the organisation and staff under the microscope in a way
that they would prefer not to happen. They may feel that it will have a negative
effect on relationships between staff and learners and diminish their authority.
However, the experience of most organisations is that when young people are
consulted more widely there is almost always an improvement in
staff-learner relations and a heightening of learner responsibility. In fact listening to
learners is seen as an important element in school improvement and raising
standards”.
Following changes to college instruments and articles in April 2012 there is now a
requirement for the college to publish arrangements for “obtaining the views of staff
and students on the specific matters for which the Corporation is responsible”
including “the determination and periodic review of the educational character and
mission of the college”. Guidance from John Hayes MP, formerly Minister of state for
Further Education, Skills & Lifelong Learning, stated
“The Government’s reform plan for Further Education, ‘new Challenges, New
Chances’ said that students should be at the heart of the FE and skills system… That is
why we have retained the requirement to have student and staff members on college
corporations. We have also developed a new broad requirement for colleges to
publish their arrangements for obtaining the views of its staff and students.”
The Learner Engagement Strategy will be reviewed annually by the Students’ Union,
Student Voice coordinators and Head of Student Support, to be presented at Quality,
Teaching and Learning Committee for review and approval before receiving final
approval to be published by the Governing Body. Once approved the strategy will be
publically published.
At the college we recognise and value the power our students can have in improving
the college experience for themselves, their peers and the wider college community.
We firmly believe that embracing learner views enables individuals to shape their
own learning experience whilst having a significant and effective impact on
developing the College’s quality improvement processes. We look to work in
partnership with our students to offer a college experience they will recommend to
friends and family, ensuring that students are supported to maximise their
contribution to self-assessment and all key decision-making processes. We see
participation in learner involvement activity as a key opportunity for students to
become active citizens and we aim to develop students who can engage in dialogue
that will support their preparation into employment or further study and within their
communities.
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iii) Aims and Objectives
This strategy will set out the steps we will take to maintain, enhance and build
learner engagement. For our students the benefits of such involvement are clear; to
have a more responsive more engaging, a higher quality offer that empowers
students in shaping their own experience and delivers improved outcomes for more
learners. It develops a wider sense of empowerment that students can take into
life and their working careers. For us as a college, potential benefits include
increased participation, retention, progression and achievement. It will help produce
students who are more motivated, more involved, expert and independent, who can
help shape learning experiences tailored to meet their needs and objectives in a way
that achieves success.
The college will:
• be responsive
• provide outstanding services
• be inclusive
• measure and evaluate student feedback, participation and satisfaction in multiple
areas of college life
• embed learner involvement at all levels within the college
• develop our staff to enable our mechanisms to work
• provide appropriate resources and training to support an engaged and effective
learner voice
• ensure learners are entitled to participate in the co-production of their learning
and wider student experience both as an individual and collectively by providing
structured opportunities
• have student-led structures that are professionally supported
• acknowledge and celebrate success, creating an achieving environment
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iv) Scope
This strategy is a forward-looking ‘living’ document; it has a co-ordinated approach
across the organisation to ensure the full value of student involvement
All students individually and collectively have an entitlement to participate in the ‘coproduction’ of their college experience through the following mechanisms:
1. The students’ union (SU)
Under the auspices of the Education Act 1994 the students’ union is the
recognised representative body of students at the college. Upon enrolment a
student will automatically become a member of the students’ union and will
be viewed as such unless they decide to ‘opt out’ via the process outlined in
the students’ union constitution. The college views the students’ union as a
key driver in this Learner Involvement Strategy and will channel all other
mechanisms and learner involvement activities in consultation with, or via
the formal structures of, the students’ union.
The union is headed up by a paid, elected student president who will be
supported by a team of professional staff. The sabbatical president needs to
have been a student at the time of election and can stand for no more than
two terms in office. Upon election, the sabbatical president will also
automatically assume one of the student governor roles for the coming
academic year, sitting on various college committees and acting as a key
communication link between Student Voice representatives, the student
executive committee and the college. A student and college Governing body
agreed constitution is implemented to guide the Students Union operation
and ensure the work of the Students’ Union for the student body.
2. Student Governors
On an annual basis, two students are elected as student governors. Usually,
the successful students’ union presidential candidate, or another identified
executive role, will automatically become a student governor alongside one
other student. The student governors will be responsible for presenting a
report to each governing body meeting, providing updates and appropriate
scrutiny during meetings.
3. Student Voice reps
The Student Voice system aims to capture cross college views, empower
students and provide a robust system to engage students. A three times a
year cyclical model, supported at each stage by the Youth Worker and
Student Union President, starts from class based discussions facilitated by
Personal Tutors which are fed to a Course Representative meeting within
each faculty. This addresses key issues that students want to raise about
their college experience both in and out of the classroom. The course
representatives subsequently elect faculty representatives to take their views
forward, including collective issues, specifically issues that cannot be solved
or addressed at department level, at a central, more strategic meeting with
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senior managers.
This feedback is taken by the elected faculty
representatives to meetings with the Heads of Faculty, Cross campus
managers and Assistant Principals. Responses are then fed back to course
representatives by their faculty representative to disseminate to the wider
student body.
In order to make sure that students are free to express views, but that
students are able to be held accountable for their feedback as a true
reflection of the student voice, no anonymous feedback will be collected, but
feedback will be anonymised before it is presented to heads of faculty or
other relevant parties. This will allow information to be traced back by the
Student Voice coordinator and verified, whilst maintaining the students’
freedom to provide accurate and representative feedback.
The Student Voice rep structure will feed directly into the constituted
students’ union structure, ensuring that student voice is heard at every level
within the college. This structured approach to student voice gives meaning
to the term “from classroom to boardroom”.
4. Student Voice Conference
Towards the end of the academic year the college and the students’ union
will jointly run a Student Voice conference. This event will allow Student
Voice reps the chance to directly question managers and engage with
strategic discussions. The conference will also offer an opportunity to
recognise and celebrate Student Voice reps’ activity over the previous year,
debriefing them on what has been achieved and highlighting work that still
needs to be done.
5. Self-Assessment Review (SAR)
All faculty areas are asked to complete a Student Voice section as part of the
SAR. The Students’ Union president will also have the opportunity to
scrutinise faculty responses to this issue through presence during the SAR
validation process.
6. Learner surveys
A number of internal and external surveys are promoted to students,
including (but not limited to): induction (internal), teaching and learning
(internal), OFSTED learner view (external) and the FE Choices learner
satisfaction survey (external).
7. Personalised Learning Plan (PLP)
The PLP is a learner-led vehicle for students to track their progress and
discuss learning with tutors. The PLP aims to be personalised, professional
and ensure students are motivated in taking control over their learning
journey.
8. Procurement
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The college aims to involve students in decision making around our major
contracts (for example catering and facility management), including through
student attendance at periodic review meetings.
9. Recruitment and selection
All college appointments will involve students where appropriate; for
example interviewees taking a class of students. Feedback from the group is
used to inform the decision-making on that appointment, the outcome of
which should be shared with the students involved. Students may also, where
appropriate, take part in panels and shortlisting. The process will be
supported with training for all students involved to avoid the process being
tokenistic and consequently ineffective.
10. Learner induction
Student induction is an important opportunity for us to discuss with students
how they can become involved, discuss their assessment and help them take
more responsibility for their learning, therefore we will need to target all
students at this crucial time. There are overarching angles to this; the course
itself, the tutors, facilitators, Curriculum Access Support Team, Information
Advice and Guidance team. Also the dual role of the Personal tutors in
course support but also wider engagement. The Students’ Union, Youth
Work, and external agencies plays a key part at this time also to ensure
students are signed up and aware of opportunities they can engage in both in
and outside of the classroom.
11. Community links
Through developing our community links with agencies, businesses, youth
service, sports clubs etc. we continue to grow our awareness of students’
achievement outside of the college and recognise and celebrate this within
the college. Many students are active participants in their community and
we need to celebrate this wider participation and strengthen our links and
resource for other students with similar interests. This capacity building can
offer opportunity for us to strengthen our student experience.
12. Volunteering
The college community to actively engage in volunteering opportunities
through a college offer e.g. Duke of Edinburgh, Marketing ambassadors,
Mentors, Students’ Union officers and in-college charitable events. This
offers enhancement to personal development, CV and employee
opportunities that all have a responsibility to encourage.
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v) Implementation
a. Communicating the learner involvement strategy
In implementing a process for measuring and reporting on our learner involvement
strategy, we will:




publicise the actions we have taken to involve students, and to respond to
their views through ‘you said, we did’ and other appropriate mechanisms.
Beyond this we will also shape our messaging to be appended with a ‘so
what?’ This will allow us to combat a level of cynicism about what the
changes mean for students.
report back to and celebrate with learners themselves the changes we have
made in response to their views
Invite students to be a part of wider college decision making
Be creative with involving students at every opportunity
b. Monitoring and refreshing the learner involvement strategy
The Learner Engagement Strategy will be reviewed annually by the Students’ Union,
Student Voice coordinators and Head of Student Support, to be presented at Quality,
Teaching and Learning Committee for review and approval before receiving final
approval to be published by the Governing Body. Once approved the strategy will be
publically published.
The strategy will be evaluated in the light of its effectiveness and the difference that
it makes to the student experience and success rates. Students will play a key role in
monitoring and refreshing our strategy.
Refreshing our learner involvement strategy will be driven primarily by our selfassessment and action-planning against the responsiveness to the Learners’ strand
of the Framework for Excellence and the Common Inspection Framework (Ofsted,
2005).
We will measure the impact of our learner involvement strategy in a number of
ways:
i. Outcome measures
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Firstly we will measure whether learners’ views and involvement actually making a
difference; this will be measured through:




Retention, achievement and overall success rates
Improved tools for learning eg, PLP, facilities etc that are informed and
evaluated by learners
Learner satisfaction – through our surveys and feedback from focus groups
College actions in place as a result of Learner Voice and published as such
ii. Process measures





participation and involvement; have students taken up the opportunity
provided and how many have taken this opportunity
inclusion; are our diverse range of students taking up opportunities equally.
How are we adapting practice to make it equality of opportunity
reporting back; is the impact of learners views and involvement being
communicated to our learners
satisfaction with the process; the extent to which students are satisfied with
the processes in which we are involving them
As staff are we creative with involving students at every opportunity; ask the
question ‘are we involving our students in this’ If not why not? Time is no
excuse, planning is key. If we are, ask ‘are students involved fully,
appropriately and are the students getting something from the process as
well as us?’
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ACTION PLAN:
Aim:
To actively involve students in
equality and diversity issues
within the college.
How:
The full team of elected student
liberation officers will be invited to
sit on the equality and diversity
committee to directly represent
students in matters of equality and
diversity. The freshers’ fair will
include themes of equality and
diversity, with students able to
engage
in
educational
and
entertaining activities. This theme
will then continue throughout the
year with activities and events
themed around key dates (e.g. Black
History Month). Students will be
actively involved in the planning of
these events, with focus groups and
planning committees. The Students’
Union will continue to raise equality
and diversity issues through the
Student Voice system and papers
presented to the equality and
diversity committee.
Who’s responsible:
Achieved:
Students’ Union President,
youth work team, supported
by personal tutor team.
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To actively involve students in The Students’ Union constitution
the creation/review of Students’ contains the provisions for students
Union policies.
to be actively involved in the
creation and review of policies
through
the
representative
structures of the Students’ Union.
Student Councils, which are
democratic
decision-making
gatherings of students, will be
convened when appropriate or
when requested by students.
Student Voice reps will also be
made aware of the existing bank of
Students’ Union policies, and all live
policy will be uploaded to a policy
bank on the Students’ Union
website, including details of the
meeting at which they were passed
and when/how they will be
reviewed.
To actively involve students in Students are given the opportunity
quality improvement processes. to contribute actively to quality
improvement processes through
the Student Voice system, including
activities in Personal Tutor sessions.
This should be extended so that
students who do not take part in
Personal Tutor sessions (mature
Students’ Union President
Students’ Union President,
youth work team, HE
Student Voice coordinator
and personal tutor team.
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students) also have the same
opportunities to take part in the
system. One way of doing so may
be to extend the system out into
English and maths sessions, which is
an area of provision open to mature
students going forward.
The Students’ Union will continue to
provide feedback to faculty and
college SARs and improvement
plans, and students will be asked for
suggestions and ideas where
appropriate.
To ask students their opinion on Once any proposed changes to Students’ Union, HE Student
changes to the buildings around buildings
are
able
to
be Voice coordinator and youth
college.
communicated to students they will work team.
be raised through the appropriate
channels, including the Student
Voice system. If the timescales do
not allow for the issues to be raised
through the Student Voice system
then focus groups or engagement
activities will be held with students.
In the example of the creation of
commercial facilities at the Medway
campus a display of the proposed
changes was displayed in the
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pavilion, manned by Students’
Union representatives and the
youth work team. As well as giving
students the opportunity to view
the proposed plans, student opinion
was canvassed, with suggestions
and comments collected.
To ask students their opinion on Students have the opportunity to Students’ Union, HE Student
academic affairs.
raise any concerns, suggestions or Voice coordinator and youth
items of good practice through the work team.
Student Voice system. The good
work of this system will be built
upon to continue giving students
the opportunity to give their
opinions, and representatives will
continue to receive training to
maximise their effectiveness in this
role. The feedback gathered
through the system will also be
combined with feedback from other
areas, such as external reports and
surveys (NSS, Learner View etc.) to
inform reports and contributions to
the Governing Body and its
subcommittees.
The Student Voice conference also
offers students the opportunity to
provide feedback on academic
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To ask students their opinion
about
issues
relating
to
procurement.
To engage students with the
recruitment and selection of
teaching staff
affairs directly to managers in
representative numbers.
Students will have the opportunity
to contribute to course board
reviews and the HE Student Voice
system through the HE Student
Voice coordinator and related
surveys, including the National
Student Survey
When contracts are up for review
the Students’ Union will engage
proactively with the facilities
manager to discuss how students
may be involved in the review of
these contracts. This may include,
for example, the Students’ Union
sustainability officer liaising with
the facilities manager over the
inclusion of sustainability criteria in
the selection of refuse contractors
or cleaning contractors.
The Students’ Union will continue to
promote the practice of actively
involving
students
in
the
recruitment and selection of new
teaching staff in a meaningful, nontokenistic way, in which the scope
of their contribution to the process
Students’ Union President,
facilities
manager
and
Students’ Union officers (as
appropriate).
Youth work team and
Students’
Union,
departmental staff.
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To
engage
conversations
provision.
is clear from the outset. Where
departments are unsure of the
process to involve students in
recruitment and selection, the
Students’ Union will work with the
youth work team to support
departments in implementing this
in a meaningful way that will have
the maximum impact for all parties.
students
in Students will continue to be Students’ Union President,
about catering encouraged to raise issues related youth work team
to catering through the Student
Voice system. When Caterlink
reviews take place the youth work
team and Students’ Union will put
forward students to take part in
these focus groups, extending the
opportunity out to a wider pool of
students. A group of students will
also sit in on the annual ‘innovation
meeting’ where new suggestions
are made for catering provision
within the college.
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