Agenda item
Partnership work
To receive a presentation on the partners’ work from:
· Queen Mary University (Mike Wojcik, Chief Executive Officer of Queen Mary University of London Students’ Union and Professor Stephanie Marshall, Vice Principal Education)
· Tower Hamlets College, New City College Group (Alison Arnaud, Borough Principal)
· Tower Hamlets Education Partnership (Tracy Smith, Executive Director)
Minutes:
The Committee received and noted three presentations on the partners’ work which is summarised as follows:
- Queen Mary University (Mike Wojcik, Chief Executive Officer of Queen Mary University of London Students’ Union and Professor Stephanie Marshall, Vice Principal Education)
- Tower Hamlets College, New City College Group (Alison Arnaud, Borough Principal)
- Tower Hamlets Education Partnership (Tracy Smith, Executive Director)
1. Queen Mary University
The Committee noted that:
· The student voice is at the heart of Queen Mary’s community life. The Students’ Union (SU) is the voice of all students studying at Queen Mary University of London, and a critical friend;
· The SU has charity status, robust governance, and an entrepreneurial subsidiary trading company, surpluses are re-invested back into improving student lives’;
· The SU works to improve the student experience, representing student views, supporting academic, personal and skills development and their welfare and well-being, and providing hundreds of student-led activities. For example nearly a 1000 students are involved in community volunteering, over 6000 members of societies, and similar figure in sport and fitness;
· Queen Mary’s is a Russell Group institution based in east London, teaching across the full disciplinary spectrum. Our curriculum is constantly changing to broaden the student experience, build social capital and enhance prospects on graduation, allowing graduates to make a positive societal impact.
· The Russell Group were the first institution to deliver Degree Apprenticeship programmes and remain at the forefront of this type of delivery;
· Queen Mary’s sponsor two local Multi Academy Trusts, including the local Tower Hamlets St Paul’s Way Trust School. In addition, they have developed positive links with a number of local organisations such as Tower Hamlets Youth Sports Foundation, Local Schools, Tower Hamlets Council, and the Mile End Community Project.
· Queen Mary’s new pilot Social Cohesion Project with community sport will provide university students training and key skills for young people in Tower Hamlets in order to improve their awareness of life style improvements, delivered by role models that Queen Mary’s believe will inspire long term positive changes;
· In addition to the significant support to St Paul’s Way School Trust, and the Drapers Academy, Queen Mary’s have partnered with the Phoenix School, Tower Hamlets Council, award winning skills and training charity Tower Project to deliver Project SEARCH. Project Search is an education-to-work programme for young people with learning disabilities and Autistic Spectrum Conditions, and provides 8-12 students full time internship opportunities for a year. The overall aim being long term employment;
· Prospective students are increasingly considering Degree Apprenticeships over traditional study options with the promise of zero student debt, up to 4 year’s work experience, a competitive salary and often a guaranteed job at the end of their degree;
· Queen Mary’s currently run a Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship in partnership with FTSE 100 and blue chip entities like IBM, Goldman Sachs & Bloomberg. Queen Mary’s also deliver in partnership with a number of local SME’s and act as a broke for any 10% employer transfers;
· For 2019 entry Queen Mary’s have submitted proposals to launch a Degree Apprenticeship for the Charity Sector which already has the backing of: The Scout Association, Mind, Age UK, Red Cross & National Union of Students among others;
· Queen Mary’s are an Anchor university partner in the Albert Island redevelopment in the neighbouring borough of Newham. Queen Mary’s are expecting to deliver a series of transport engineering degree apprenticeships from 2020 with the likes of Siemens and TFL;
· 20% of our Degree Apprentices are from Tower Hamlets.
2. Tower Hamlets College, New City College Group
The Committee noted that:
· Tower Hamlets College Ofsted Graded ‘GOOD with outstanding Features;
· Tower Hamlets College send more learners to university than any other institution in the Borough;
· The College is funded approx. 20% less than any school;
· The Colleges learners are hardworking, well behaved and aspirational;
· The average 16-18 year old college learner comes from within a 4 mile radius (78%+ are Tower Hamlets) residents); they not have both GCSEs English and Mathematics grade C; will be funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency; they will be on free school meals; have at least one workless parent;
· Students from the College careers paths are varied such as Goldman Sachs; KPMG; East London Hospital Trust; West Ham; Tottenham Hotspurs; and Employment Law and Bar Association;
· Tower Hamlets College faces a number of challenges as (i) it is linked to ‘solving’ social issues; (ii) reputational issues such as: ASB; (iii) not in media spotlight like schools; (iv) due to the many functions delivered by the College means that it can be received as having no clear identity; (v) funding often does not comes until mid- year and it is therefore difficult to plan effectively; (vi) whilst the College has received funding for buildings ( Mayor’s £82 Skills Development Fund), it has not got extra funding for the teaching staff which makes it difficult to attract and retain the best for learners who need it most.
3. Tower Hamlets Education Partnership
The Committee noted that:
· Tower Hamlets Education Partnership [THEP] is a schools’ company established by school leaders to deliver high quality school improvement to all Tower Hamlets schools. It is rooted in the highly successful collaboration that has characterised and underpinned education in the Borough over the last two decades. The schools operate as a family to support, challenge and encourage each other in their determination to do the very best for every child. The member schools have access to a rich membership and a strong model of school improvement. The Partnership is independent of the Local Authority, but works closely with it and is supported by it. It also works closely with a range of other local organisations who are determined to give local children and young people the best possible start in life;
· The Partnership team works with member schools and other key organisations to negotiate and broker solutions to meet improvement priorities;
· To bring about the Partnership’s vision the Company will promote, facilitate and drive school-led improvement through which the schools themselves are in control of and responsible for school improvement and have a collective say in its development and delivery. Performance and results are rigorously analysed and challenged to support continued improvement;
· Trusted networking opportunities enable good practice to be shared and new developments and solutions to be planned and delivered.
· Schools support, challenge and learn from one another and from trusted partners to spread effective practice;
· Schools actively collaborate to design and access the support they need to ensure improvement;
· A culture of innovation for continuous improvement is encouraged and supported. With the best schools extending their reach so that all improve;
· Effective interventions are brokered quickly where there are issues of concern so that targeted outcomes are achieved.
· Leadership Consultants have been allocated to every member school and whilst the THEP has a role to play in monitoring and challenging schools, it is essential that the Leadership Consultancy visit supports school leaders with their agenda for school improvement;
· THEP has developed a suite of leadership development programmes that support staff from middle to senior leader and offers the LEAD (Leadership Exploration and Development) programme for middle leaders.
Supporting documents:
- QMUL QMSU presentation to Tower Hamlets - Final ready to send, item 6.3 PDF 3 MB
- THEP O&S Committee September 2018, item 6.3 PDF 609 KB