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Ofsted's Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman spoke at this year's Association of Colleges conference and recognised the 'notable improvement in performance' for Waltham Forest College.
Addressing sector leaders and governors, Amanda commented on a rise in the proportion of general Further Education Colleges rated good or outstanding and the College was singled out and recognised as one of them.
The education watchdog inspected the College in February 2018 and praised all staff and governors on their unwavering commitment to improving the College, securing a good-quality provision across all areas of the College.
Waltham Forest College has also been crowned the number one London College for learner and employer satisfaction in the FE Week league table for colleges.
David Fitzgerald, Manager for Hillyfield Academy said,
'I have found working with Waltham Forest College extremely helpful and staff are very knowledgeable around employer relations and apprenticeships ' I highly recommend them.'
This College now ranks in the top 3% of overall Further Education colleges in the UK with a high score of 87% in learner satisfaction and 93% of employers satisfied with the overall quality of training that the College provides.
College Principal, Dr Joy Kettyle said,
'The results from the league table clearly identifies the hard work and commitment of college staff and our priority is to ensure that the local community has a college it can be confident in.
'I am now consulting with our key stakeholders to review our strategic priorities and align these with the skills priority of the borough as well as London on a whole. We are working very closely with the London Borough of Waltham Forest and actively cultivating relationships with employers and developing partnerships to improve the life chances of our learners.'
The College has become the latest further education provider to be welcomed as a corporate partner of the Society for Education and Training (SET).
The agreement will see over two-hundred teaching staff at the college become members of SET, the only professional membership body dedicated to teachers and trainers working in further education. They will benefit from a valuable range of professional development opportunities.
Announcing the partnership, College Principal Dr Joy Kettyle said: 'This partnership will allow the College to be recognised as a corporate partner and by championing the quality of teaching and training, the professional development will allow our teaching staff to be further inspired by having access to high-quality teaching, learning and assessment resources and move us towards our journey to outstanding.'
As SET members, teaching staff at the college will:
- have the opportunity to study for Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) and Advanced Teacher Status (ATS). SET is the only passport to achieving both QTLS and ATS
- gain access to resources, training and teaching tools, research and expert views in further education
- enjoy benefits, such as the Society for Education and Training's mentoring service
- be part of a professional community of over 17,000 teachers and trainers in the education sector, with opportunities to share expertise and experience with their peers
- receive copies of inTuition, the most widely read journal for practitioners working across further education, vocational teaching and training.
David Russell, Chief Executive of the Education and Training Foundation, said:
'Becoming a corporate partner of SET signals a college's commitment to high-quality development for its staff and to the teaching of students. We are delighted to welcome Waltham Forest College as a corporate partner and look forward to providing teaching staff with access to a host of CPD opportunities, expertise and resources and helping them strive for excellence in their professional journey.'
MP Stella Creasy and the Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith joins college campaign to highlight discriminatory funding of further education
Waltham Forest College hosted a series of activities as part of the ' Love Our Colleges' week showcasing all the brilliant work they do, day in and day out, as well as taking part in a national lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 17 October. Students, staff, parents, MPs and Union Reps all collaborated to help raise the awareness nationally.
The ' Love Our Colleges' campaign is a partnership between Association of Colleges (AoC), National Union of Students (NUS), Association of College and School Leaders (ASCL), University and Colleges Union (UCU), Unison, GMB, TUC and National Education Union (NEU).
Rooted in local communities, colleges are crucial in driving social mobility and providing the skills to boost local and regional economies. However, there is currently a reduction in education funding once a student turns 16 ' whether they are in a school sixth form or a college. ' Love Our Colleges' is calling on the government to increase 16-19 funding by 5% a year for 5 years. It is also asking Department for Education to provide exceptional funding, ring-fenced for teacher pay.
Waltham Forest College plays a vital part of the East London region offering career pathways to university, apprenticeship and employment. Each year it supports 4,500+ students offering over 200 courses across 37 subject areas.
Principal, Dr. Joy Kettyle, headed up the national lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 17 October, accompanied by students, staff and local MP Stella Creasy.
She said: 'Our young people are being short-changed compared with their counterparts in other countries and compared with previous generations. The hours of teaching and support, the choice they have and the enrichment they are offered have all reduced as funding cuts have bitten. This cannot continue if we are to secure the future of our nation.'
The Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith attended the College for a roundtable discussion with students from a variety of industry sectors. Students discussed their views on the importance of financial funding in further education, and how the College supports them to reach their career goals.
He said: 'FE Colleges are the forgotten sector where you have money in education at school level and money also following people into education in universities. It's as though FE colleges don't feature on the same level and I think they should as we head towards what is rapidly becoming the new industrial-technological revolution.
Many people who've gone through school will also need to re-skill and FE colleges are critical for that. There should be a greater investment as well as recognition of the important place FE colleges hold within the educational establishment.'
David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said: 'Every single day colleges like Waltham Forest College provide a world class education and transform the lives of millions of people.
Colleges Week is an opportunity to celebrate the brilliant things that go on and a chance to showcase the brilliant staff that make it possible. It is simple, if we want a world-class education system then we need to properly invest in it.'
Waltham Forest College celebrated the exceptional success of its Higher Education students marking its 15th Graduation Ceremony.
The College continues to build a strong reputation for higher education as hundreds of graduates celebrated their achievements. The auspicious occasion transformed the campus into a lavish venue, attended by friends and family members, college governors and staff.
Special guests included The Worshipful Mayor of Waltham Forest, Cllr Sally Littlejohn who presented students with their graduation scrolls and guest speaker Ruth Pearson, Motivational Speaker and Author who shared words of wisdom outlining her journey to success and overcoming professional challenges.
Ruth said, 'I felt humbled by the response received and still in awe, I am pleased to offer healing and encouragement to others.'
Students shared their stories on how they overcame barriers to learning and how the College has supported their journey to pursue the next stage of their career.
Student Melodie Kiff said, 'Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor - I was very fortunate to have four. The College staff genuinely cared about my future. The Graduation ceremony was a real boost to my confidence to pursue my next step. Overall an amazing night!'
Guests were treated to several music performances by the London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), who performed during the Brit Awards and supported acts such as Justin Timberlake, Elton John and Madonna.
The Principal of the College Dr Joy Kettle, said: 'This is the pinnacle event of the year where everything we have all worked towards comes together. There is nothing I enjoy more than celebrating great achievements and today I am proud to be able to congratulate all our graduates and their remarkable journey.'
Waltham Forest College students celebrate their achievements, proving that vocational pathways allow progression to university and employment.
Deputy Mayor of London for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, has paid a visit to Waltham Forest College to find out about the College's commitment on preventing youth crime.
Waltham Forest College celebrates its eighty-year anniversary and continues to provide London with a workforce that closes the skills gap across various industrial and professional sectors.
Over three hundred young people turned up for a taster event at Waltham Forest College choosing to continue their education at the College
The College is now an official member of the Mayor's Construction Academy and awarded with a prestigious Quality Mark that recognises the high standard of skilled workers that it produces.
