Appreciating the contribution of senior managers to further education college governance in England

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Hill ◽  
Ian James
Keyword(s):  
Further Education ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
College Governance ◽  
Education College

An analysis of the role and responsibilities of chairs of further education college and sixth-form college governing bodies in England

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Hill ◽  
Chris James
Keyword(s):  
Training And Development ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Specific Training ◽  
Governing Body ◽  
College Governance ◽  
Education College ◽  
High Level ◽  
Further Education Colleges ◽  
The Chairs ◽  
Sixth Form

This article reports research into the role and responsibilities of the chairs of governing bodies of further education colleges and sixth-form colleges in England. Further education colleges and sixth-form colleges represent a significant part of post-16 educational provision in England. Every college in the sector has a governing body, which has a chair elected from and by the governing body’s membership. Sixteen chairs from further education and sixth-form colleges in England were interviewed and data themes identified: the chair’s role and responsibilities reflect those of chairs in non-further education/sixth-form college settings; a range of expertise is required, but detailed educational knowledge is not a priority in the requisite skill-set; chairs consider they bring a range of high level values and commitments to the role; chairs’ participation in role-specific training and development was not a strong theme; the responsibility of being the chair is substantial and complex; high-quality chair–principal relationships are crucial and complex; the governing body clerk has a significant role in relation to the chair, the principal and college governance generally; and the role and the responsibilities of chairs and the way they are specified locally by their governing bodies have significant implications for further education and sixth-form governance.

The role of the clerk to the corporation in promoting the legitimate governance of further education and sixth form colleges in England

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-174
Author(s):  
Colin Forrest ◽  
Janet Goodall ◽  
Ron Hill ◽  
Chris James
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Role Conflict ◽  
Further Education ◽  
College Governance ◽  
First Order ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Education College ◽  
A Company ◽  
Sixth Form

In England, further education college and sixth form college governing bodies are required to appoint a clerk to administer and advise on governing procedure and practice. In this article we report research which aimed to understand and theorise about the role and the associated responsibilities. We analysed the relevant literatures, carried out a national survey of clerks and held seven regional focus group meetings. The role in relation to board matters is significant in institutionalising the governing body and thereby promoting legitimate governance. The clerk’s practices entail communicating the requirements of second-order governance which frame the everyday actions of first-order governance. The context for the role is potentially highly dynamic and clerks’ accountabilities to their boards can be complex. Clerks may have within-college governance responsibilities where their work may be similar to that of a company secretary. These responsibilities can expose clerks to role conflict and complicate accountability relationships, but can also bring benefits to their work with the board. The role, as experienced by clerks, is accorded insufficient status and under-valued, which can affect their authority. We conclude that a role promoting legitimate governance in the English further education sector and in other educational settings is crucial.

scholarly journals A scabies outbreak in a further education college in Gloucestershire

2006 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. O. EJIDOKUN ◽  
O. S. ARUNA ◽  
B. O'NEILL
Keyword(s):  
Immune Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Media Management ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Homes For The Elderly ◽  
New Students ◽  
Education College

Scabies outbreaks in England have been reported in hospitals, long-stay wards, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) units and residential homes for the elderly. This paper describes the control of an outbreak in a further education college for persons with learning disabilities. In March 2004, four confirmed cases of scabies were reported among a subset of 108 students and 41 staff members. Staff had considerable physical contact with the students who were housed in five groups of homes, individual homes and support centres. Mass prophylaxis was offered to all staff and students, through 39 general practice surgeries. Challenges overcome were: ensuring complete case ascertainment, accessing of up-to-date information about students and staff, achieving a coordinated approach to treatment, securing informed consent and media management. No further outbreaks have been reported. The college has revised its information request form for new students.

E-Mentors

2010 ◽  
pp. 244-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Macfarlan ◽  
Richard Everett
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Education College ◽  
21St Century Learners

The eMentors scheme encapsulates the concept that the person in the home most likely to be able to programme the audio-visual equipment is the teenager. The scheme harnesses the digital generation’s propensity for technology by using the students to teach their teachers how to make appropriate use of electronic resources in the classroom. We present a case study that focuses on both staff and student experiences of the eMentoring system at a further education college in Hertfordshire, UK and outlines the strategy for ongoing staff development and support. The scheme has given lecturers the confidence to develop new technology-enhanced pedagogical practices and has given students the opportunity to play an active part in the development of their own learning environments and to influence policy on the use of technology. We believe that this model has been an effective element in a concerted approach to changing the prevailing attitudes to designing pedagogy for 21st century learners.

Supporting progression to HE: the role of colleges and vocational courses

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 637-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Elizabeth Gartland ◽  
Christine Smith
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Possible Selves ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Level 3 ◽  
Education College ◽  
Vocational Courses

Purpose Vocational courses in England support the progression to higher education (HE) of large numbers of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, yet there is little research exploring the college experiences of these young people prior to entering university. The purpose of this paper is to consider the experiences of young people on Level 3 Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) vocational courses in their progression to HE from differently positioned post-16 colleges in England. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was undertaken into the experiences of students on BTEC courses in four subject clusters (science, technology, engineering and maths, arts and humanities, social sciences and health) at both a Further Education College and a Sixth Form College in an area of multiple deprivation and low HE participation. Young people’s experiences of BTEC courses and the support and guidance they receive are explored through the conceptual lens of “possible selves” and using Bourdieu’s ideas of capital, habitus and field. Findings Pedagogies and practices on BTEC courses are found to support the development of relevant social and cultural capital and help young people formulate well-articulated “possible selves” as university students, even amongst students who previously had not considered university as an option. The findings illustrate how differently positioned colleges support students’ progression and identify challenges presented by an increasingly stratified and marketised system. Originality/value The study highlights the transformative potential of BTEC courses and their role in supporting progression to HE amongst young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. The current emphasis on standardisation and rigour as mechanisms to better equip students for HE neglects the unique contribution BTEC pedagogies and practices make to encouraging HE participation. A Bourdieusian and “possible selves” theoretical framework has provided new insights into these valuable learning processes.

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