Leicester College: How to be outstanding on Equality and Diversity

1. Leicester College: How to be outstanding on Equality and Diversity

2. Our top tips...... • The context is key - it helps to be in Leicester! • Let the learners do the talking and take your lead from them • Get E and D into the DNA of the setting • Learn to love your data • Get to the parts others can’t reach • Chose your partners well • Find allies with knowledge, passion and tenacity • E and D is for life and not just for inspection!

3. The context is key- it helps to be in Leicester! Leicester is expected to be the first city with no majority ethnic group by 2012 45% of primary school children speak a first language that is not English 45% of people are under 29 years More people in Leicester attend faith activities than any other UK city There are 190 churches, around 40 mosques,22 Hindu temples, 7 Sikh Gurdwaras,1 Jain temple and many other places of worship Leicester has a history of interfaith work and community cohesion

4. General FE College Around 1500 staff and 28,000 learners 15 subject sector areas 631 14-16 year olds 4145 16-18 year olds 57 Foundation learners 9251 19+ learners 5342 TTG 864 apprentices Around 3,500 ESOL learners Good with many outstanding features The context of Leicester College • “The college makes an outstanding contribution to the promotion of community cohesion and manages equality and diversity very effectively. The achievement gap between different groups of learners has been successfully narrowed and the promotion of equality and diversity is very effective throughout the college.”

5. 45.1% of our learners are from BAME backgrounds-Indian and African are the largest minority ethnic groups 6.5% are disabled and 7.3% have self declared learning difficulties 51.5% are from “widening participation” backgrounds Largest religious groups are “no religion”, Christian, Hindu and Muslim Staff are less diverse(24% BAME,4% disabled) but we have strong positive action strategies The make up of each curriculum area is totally different e.g. there are 43% Asian students in SMAH and 9% in Construction and 12% in Hair and Beauty We always try and address all protected characteristics, but lack of monitoring of some is an issue(LGBT students) The diversity of the College

6. Let the learners do the talking and take your lead from them • It was the learners who got us our grade • Learner voice is key through: • Course reps, super reps, Student Council,Student Union-they are trained in E and D and tell us what we need to know • We have BAME, LGBT, Disabled, Refugee and International Student Forums • Inclusion Champions • Analysis of all learner surveys and quality processes by equality group • E and D in inductions and in taught enrichment through themed weeks

7. All themed weeks have displays on all campuses and related taught enrichment sessions(lesson plan, presentation and activities) and college wide activites

8. Get E and D into the DNA of the setting • Our core values are: • Raising aspirations, achieving ambitions • Demonstrating excellence in teaching, learning and support • Valuing diversity and promoting equality • Working together to get the best results • E and D is explicit in all quality processes: SARs, Teaching Obs, Effectiveness Panels • E and D is explicit in planning:SOW, lesson plans • E and D is on all staff meeting agendas • You can’t avoid E and D training • Briefings at significant management meetings

9. Learn to love your data! • Research and recommended strategies for closing equality gaps are summed up in the National Strategies as: • Know the gaps (good, timely data analysis) • Narrow the gaps (planning for progression, effective pedagogy, personalised intervention) • Mind the gaps (systematic assessment and tracking) • Celebrate gap busting (acknowledge and build on success)

10. What we have done that worked re: data Equality data a high profile issue with Leadership Team and governors Never settling on the headline data - always drilling down (success rates on their own tell us nothing and do not lead to strategies) Made managers accountable through Effectiveness Panels, meeting with Diversity Manager to set EDIMs with accompanying action plans (SARs explicitly ask re E and D data) No excuses culture (National Strategy) Integrated data system - easy to use Gaps/under-representation are regular items on staff meeting agendas and staff development on E and D includes data exercises We monitor everything that moves!

11. Get to the parts others can’t reach

12. How it works in practice: Case study Science, Maths and Humanities - significant gender gap identified (particularly White males) EDIM and Action Plan put in place: Raising the issue Staff development Tracking and early intervention Work on teaching and learning 2009/10 Female success rate 81%, male success rate 82%! (White males up 6%, Black males 5% and Dual Heritage males up 27%!!

13. Chose your partners well: Kaine Management (Black Achievement Project and Gospel Choir) Multiple Heritage Project Leicester Civil Rights Mvt (Refugee Week) St Philips Centre (Interfaith Week, Taking a Stand against far right extremism) Leicester University African Caribbean Society (Mentoring project) Rathbone (Diversity in Apprenticeships) Leicestershire CIL(Disability equality) RESPECT Week Speakers for conferences(Misfits)

14. Key partnership: Multifaith Chaplaincy • 10 volunteer chaplains from 9 faiths plus St. • Philips Centre offer: • Individual support for learners • Drop ins • Interfaith Friendship Group • Multifaith rooms • Taught enrichment on faiths or ethnical issues • Staff development • Faith celebrations/displays/events

15. Multi-faith Chaplaincy Team

18. Find allies with knowledge, passion and tenacity • Diversity Champions • E and D Committee chaired by Principal with key members of SLT • Key Governors with lead responsibility • Curriculum Area Managers as allies • Key student officer positions • Support Team Leaders

19. E and D is for life and not just for inspection! • Show it as it is • Don’t hide the gaps/weaknesses but have explanations • Let the learners do the talking • Work out the key messages you want to get across against the CIF, and brief everyone well • Work hard with curriculum area managers and meet them - sending data and background papers is not enough • Know your data and national benchmarks and know the stories • “Before I came to the College I had heard about E and D - now I live and breathe it!” Chris-adult learner on Access Course