Connect July 2021

How to look after your wellbeing during the summer on page 5

Read more about the 2021 Staff Conference on page 6

Exciting plans for the Zoological Education Centre on page 10

Connect N E WS | U P DAT E S | D I A RY DAT E S | D I S CO U N TS

Visit the brand-new website at www.bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk

New website now live!

The Bedford College Group’s brand-new website is now live! The site is Group wide and the old sites have now ceased to exist and have been redirected to the new Group site. Read more on page 6.

BCS BEDFORD COLLEGE SERVICES

July 2021

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Casey Essom

Corporate Communications Assistant cessom@bedford.ac.uk

Editor’s Note

Dates For Your Diary

1 July

• All Staff Conference

2 July • Apprenticeship Conference

10 August

Your July Issue of CONNECT Magazine!

• A-Level Results Day

This issue of CONNECT is a first and a last!

It is the first edition that I have put together as editor and also the last one of the academic year. Read on to find out more about the launch of the new The Bedford College Group website and how to look after your wellbeing and save money this summer.

12 August

There will be no more issues of CONNECT until September, but we still want to share your news and this can be shared on the intranet over the summer.

30 August

If you would like to add your staff news to the October issue of CONNECT, please send your article and photos to cessom@bedford.ac.uk no later than Thursday 16 September 2021.

• TBSF Open Day

• GCSE Results Day • Open Days

13 August • Open Days

• Bank Holiday (College Closed)

1 September • All Staff return • Staff Development Day

2 September • Teacher Toolkit

Contents

3 September • Teacher Toolkit • HE Toolkit (PM)

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Principal’s update

w/c 6 September

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Corporation News

• FT and TBSF Course Induction commences

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Research News

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Wellbeing

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Group News

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BCS News

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People News

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Quality & Training Opportunities

Pg.16

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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Staff Perks

10 September • All Staff Meeting

13 September • FT and TBSF Courses commence • PGCE and Educational Practice Induction and Courses commence

20 September • PT Induction and Courses commence

27 September • HE Induction and Courses commence

www.bit.ly/collegecalendars Pg.2

July 2021

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Ian Pryce CBE

CEO The Bedford College Group

Principal’s Update 2020-21: a tough year but one of our best For me, the last year has not been the most enjoyable.

At a national level, the lockdowns, especially the poorly handled one in January, have been frustrating. The handling of another year without major academic exams has again been poor; and the failure to seriously invest in helping students and young people catch up with their education has been disappointing.

national picture. With our higher education, we have also maintained progress. This is a key area for the College, and a major focus of the government white paper: Skills for Jobs. We are developing our own University Centre and looking to help future students by developing new partnerships with universities that specialise in some of our key subject areas.

However, when we look at what we have achieved, it becomes clear that 2020-21 will go down as one of our most successful years.

The Covid pandemic has put a premium on us all working together. It is therefore very pleasing to report our highest ever levels of staff satisfaction. 86% are proud to work for the College (up 18%), 81% enjoy their job and are happy (up 13%) and 74% believe we are well led and managed (up 23%). We want our College to be a great place to work, a safe place to work, and a fair place to work. I am particularly pleased with the way we have focused on inclusion and looked to identify very specific actions we can take to improve things for staff.

In that regard, I would like to thank those staff who have volunteered to lead our various forums.

In a year that has meant constantly responding to immediate issues arising from the pandemic it was very important that we did not lose our focus on delivering a long-term sustainable future for our communities.

We have spent most of the year as the TES UK College of the Year. We started the year opening our new campus at Wellingborough, definitely a long-term investment in that community, and continued to invest in the curriculum of the future with major projects as varied as artificial intelligence Maths and English Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) at Bedford; carbon-reducing technology across our campuses, and better student data systems. In the last few weeks, we then heard of the success of our bids to redevelop the Bedford Tower Block to create an even stronger offer to that community, and to develop a new Sixth Form centre for Corby, hopefully in a building that will be a showpiece of sustainability.

In terms of educational sustainability and the quality of our provision, our students have appreciated your exceptional hard work throughout the year. It was no easy task to continue teaching and other services during the lockdowns but what we have learned about online delivery will help us in the future. Most students have been able to complete their programmes and progress in line with their desires. Student feedback scores this year have been excellent. 93% said they would recommend the College, up from 79% in the previous survey. 94% agreed their teaching was good. That shows just how much students appreciated the way we have supported them.

This has been a particular challenge where we showed record recruitment, such as at The Bedford Sixth Form, in Care, Construction, Motor Vehicle, etc. Even in areas hard hit by Covid, like apprenticeships and adult education, our performance has been very strong compared to the

This is the last year of our current strategic plan so to have finished so strongly underlines everything we have achieved since we formed The Bedford College Group in 2017. It is now the right time to revisit our Group values and our purpose, and the Staff Conference will give everyone the opportunity to be involved in this work, which will underpin our new strategic plan to 2026.

On behalf of the Executive, thank you for playing such a big part in a very successful year, and I hope you can enjoy a good summer.

Did you know you can follow Ian on Twitter?

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Rachel Nicol

Director of Governance and Clerk to the Corporation rnicol@bedford.ac.uk

Corporation News Meet the Governors In this month’s “Meet the Governors” we’re introducing one of our newer members, Luisa Vecchio. Luisa is a Deputy Headteacher of a special school in Central Bedfordshire.

We asked Luisa what inspired her to become a governor with The Bedford College Group and what she enjoys most about the role.

“My first degree is in Psychology and I have a particular interest in teaching students who have barriers to learning, including cognitive and intellectual disability, physical needs, and social and emotional difficulties.

I believe in education for all and embrace an inclusive pedagogy that is student centred and puts the individual at the heart of their education. For me, The Bedford College Group reflects these values and beliefs and has been instrumental in providing high quality training and education to the local community over time.

Having been born and raised in Bedford, the College has always been a bedrock of the town and has maintained high standards and an excellent reputation. It has also welcomed and enriched the diverse community that it serves. Coming from an Italian background, I appreciate how an education centre that is open to all can impact so significantly on the life chances of so many. For this reason, I wanted to offer something back to the College in the hope my knowledge, expertise, and experience can support their growth further. I hope that as a governor I can advocate for the college, offer oversight and direction, and help to set that clear strategic focus.

Sam Jones MSc (Oxon)

Advanced Practitioner - Research and Scholarship Lead TES FE Awards - Teacher of the year 2019 sjones@bedford.ac.uk

Research News

This year’s College Improvement Research Projects (ChIRPs) are underway. These are research projects the Group funds (up to £2,000) which allow ALL staff (teaching and non-teaching) to make a change or development within the Group.

This year we are trialling the idea of a review of practice, rather than just doing a review of the literature (for more details please see: https://www.tes.com/news/ fe-colleges-research-when-it-comes-teaching-practicemakes-perfect). This is designed to help those running projects to better understand the context they wish to change and it is an idea I haven’t seen used before.

Most participants are now at the stage when they have completed their reviews and so far, so good!

The feedback gathered is that it feels more relevant than the literature review and allows the researchers to gather together lots of new ideas. It appears to bring the context of the institution into sharp focus and fits in with action research projects better than a literature review may.

So initial markers suggest that our early attempts to create models of research which suit practitioners in an FE context may be off to a good start. Stay posted for more developments to come!

I am relatively new to the role and joined the board at a time when Covid restrictions have meant our meetings can only be conducted virtually. However, I have really enjoyed finding out more about the wider College Group and being able to offer some reflections, curious questions, and constructive feedback.”

For more information on Corporation matters, please contact the Director of Governance and Clerk to the Corporation, Rachel Nicol on rnicol@bedford.ac.uk Pg.4

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Caroline Biddle

Executive Director of Human Resources cbiddle@bedford.ac.uk

Looking after your wellbeing during the summer The great British summer is an unpredictable thing, but intermittent heatwaves are becoming more common and with the reduction in overseas travel this year, here are some tips to ensure you look after your wellbeing this summer.

Eat Light

Drink Plenty of Water

In the summer, heavy meals leave you sluggish and unmotivated to get moving and, on top of that, your digestive system has to work harder to process it. Opting for fresh, local foods will help and salads are a great choice for summer.

You can mix a variety of ingredients such as watercress, spinach, and kale, and top with a light cheese or meat option such as feta or chicken for the ultimate salad recipe.

Everyone knows that keeping hydrated when it is warm is important, but it is surprising how many of us still don’t practise it. One of the barriers is that many people find water a little boring and so end up opting for fizzy drinks or juices that don’t give you the same benefits. If you’re one of those people, try pepping your water bottle up by adding some summer fruits, or maybe cucumber, or a sugar-free squash.

Enjoy Being Active

Use Sun Protection

If the summer is warm it can sometimes be difficult to motivate yourself to be active and even if you have a gym routine, being inside in a stifling environment is not really inspiring for the best of us. Take advantage of the good weather and get outside for activities – there are so many beautiful areas in the UK to walk in and lots of websites that recommend routes.

Also pop up beaches, traditional lidos, and inland beaches are great to discover when the sun is shining!

Because we have such unpredictable weather, people often think sun protection is just something for when you’re abroad, but the risks from the sun are just as prevalent in this country. Always make sure you wear a good sun cream and when out and about for days, take a smaller size one you can pop in your pocket or bag and top up that protection regularly.

Whatever you do, have a great summer everyone!

Protect Your Head The sun can really damage your hair and then there are the challenges of a sweaty scalp, sun burn and even heat stroke. Make sure you use a protective SPF scalp spray as a minimum, but ideally, always have a hat or bandana/scarf with you to cover up if you’re going to spend any significant period of time in direct sunlight.

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Group News Staff Conference

This year’s Staff Conference is being held online on Thursday 1 July 2021 and it will offer the chance for you to join colleagues from across the Group to celebrate the end of the academic year, one where we achieved the status of UK FE College of the Year.

For our 2021 conference the focus that will be useful for everyone on a personal level to apply both in and out of the workplace will be on: Inclusion: Belonging without conformity We recognise that inclusion is defined as belonging without the condition to fit within a pre-determined mould of culture, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, body, and religion. For instance “Diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance” as quoted

by Vernā Myers. Belonging is being accepted and appreciated without the need to hide or adapt any part of your identity.

We create belonging through inclusion in all aspects of our lives, as professionals, teachers, colleagues, members of our communities, friends, and family members. Inclusion requires us to make an extra effort to learn, embrace and appreciate our differences and diversity of identities.

Details to book for sessions have been shared and can be found within the dedicated Staff Conference 2021 area within the intranet.

The Bedford College Group website is now live!

You can reach the site by visiting www.bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk The new site is a Group wide site and the old sites bedford.ac.uk, shuttleworth.ac.uk, tresham.ac.uk and NC4M.ac.uk have all now ceased to exist and have been redirected to the new Group site.

Changes to website For changes to the below please contact Student Registry: • NEW COURSES • COURSE CANCELLATION • LOCATIONS

Designs on teaching careers Those who have succeeded in gaining their PGCE/ CertEd have been demonstrating their success via a poster display which was reviewed by Vice Principal Georgina Ager and Course Manager Mark Tinney.

Mark said: “This course is a great way for those who want a change of direction or new career to get into teaching.

Some of those on this course are already employed by The Bedford College Group.”

• START DATES • DAY(S) • TIMES • LENGTHS • FEES For changes to WEBSITE/COURSE CONTENT, you will need to contact Marketing on mtilley-sanders@bedford.ac.uk Feedback We welcome any feedback with regards to the site, whether it be features that work well or features that need improving. We will also be holding usability studies with staff, students, and parents.

To provide feedback, or if you would like to take part in the usability studies then please contact mtilley-sanders@bedford.ac.uk For any further questions please contact Michelle Tilley-Sanders either by email (mtilley-sanders@bedford.ac.uk) or on Teams.

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July 2021

Group News Bedford bricklayers learn ancient stonemasonry at Old Warden Church Modern-day bricklayers at Bedford College have been learning about ancient stonemasonry skills at the Church of St Leonard in Old Warden.

Martin Fildes showed the trainees how to repair the exterior wall by hand.

He said: “The great thing here is that these young people are going to leave their mark on this landscape and be part of an ancient tradition of skilled masonry.”

Dean Gibson, Head of Construction, said: “This has been a great opportunity for these trainees who are Full-time Level 2 Diploma Bricklayers.

They all have jobs already or lined up where they can quickly be earning up to £250 a day and will always be in demand.

They can keep their skills updated and progress to Higher Education.

“We are grateful to Tarmac for donating the sand stone, which is a very expensive material and to the Connolly Foundation for additional funding to make this activity possible.”

The overall project at the Grade 1 listed church - which dates back to the 12th century - is part of the work between Bedford College and the Greensand Country Landscape Partnership.

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Art talent nurtured A range of former Bedford College students are proving themselves in the competitive world of art and design.

The common denominator is they have been inspired and encouraged by Advanced Practitioner Jeffrey Tribe and his team who take special pride in guiding students towards new horizons in national and international awards, as well as introducing them to great work experience opportunities. Over nearly 26 years, Jeffrey has seen cohorts of students go on to great things in the world of design.

“By taking risks and stepping further into the water than we are comfortable, our students have learned that they can make things happen, like winning international competitions, gaining paid work placements, networking, earning fees, and gaining credible employment. Planning a curriculum that offers these opportunities, including critiques and assessments by professionals, plus a commercial trading arm aptly titled ‘Bridge’ allows us to put ‘vocational’ at the very heart of everything we do and merge education and professional practice into one,” said Jeffrey.

Director of the Arts, Toby Clark, said: “Jeffrey’s Higher National Graphic Design course is the epitome of industry-focused Higher technical Education. By working on live briefs throughout the programme, students are well prepared for professional success having pitched to some of the leading professionals in the industry and worked on high-value commercial projects.

“For over a decade, his students have regularly outperformed students from prestigious Higher Education establishments in industry-led competitions. This high standard was recognised by the industry at the last public D&AD exhibition where a disproportionate number of Jeffrey’s students were singled out as ‘ones to watch’ - a coveted acknowledgement afforded to only a small number of the 1,000s of graduates that take part in the exhibition.

Jeffrey’s teaching not only prepares students for excellent employment opportunities but nurtures social awareness. Students have regularly developed and tested their communication skills by tackling big societal issues such as hunger in schools and homelessness.

Those that teach, DO Jeffrey was recently commissioned by Cllr Caroline Maudlin to design the map for a mosaic trail highlighting tourism areas of interest in Central Beds Council area, funded by three town councils. Artwork pictured to the left.

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Group News Mo’s the man says Virgo employer

Business is booming for Jake Virgo at HHPRS Ltd, thanks in part, because of his links with the Group.

Jake from Flitton started his own property renovation business when he was only 19, now aged 30 he has gained useful qualifications in electrical work at Bedford College.

“I was always interested in electrics and wanted to gain qualifications in that field, so prior to the lockdown I signed up for an evening course at Bedford College.

Thanks to the help of the great tutors I was able to continue studying online during the Covid closures, and am now qualified to manage that side of work on my own sites,” said Jake.

I would really like put a word in here for Mo Lal Kalyan. During Level 3, in the height of lockdown, Mo was incredible with myself and the class. He went out of his way on evenings, weekends and, in some cases, even early mornings.

“I think most of my class would agree that without that extra support out of hours and at awkward times, I don’t think any one of us would have passed last year.

He went above and beyond for us and I can’t thank him enough.”

Launching national FE research group The Bedford College Group led the way on the launch of a national Research College Group for the Further Education sector.

The Research College Group represents 10 organisations comprised of General Further Education and Sixth Form colleges who lead in FE practitioner research.

Sam Jones comments: “Using practitioner and other forms of research to make organisational decisions is an important part of shaping the post-16 education and training landscape. Using context-rich, locallyconducted research can give a unique advantage to these organisations.

“We hope that through this collaborative work across the UK sector, important insights can be shared within a central point.”

The Group has a range of those with doctorates among our staff and a wider selection who have been involved in supporting Sam’s much respected work in research.

Sam is a regular contributor to the Times Educational Supplement (TES) - a touchstone of the educational sector. She is also a former winner of a TES national award for her ground-breaking work.

To find out more about the Research College Group, please visit www.researchcollegegroup.co.uk

“That’s the reason I went back to the Bedford College to help offer some paid work experience to return the favour to the college and to Mo.” In the past year, Jake’s business has quadrupled with heritage projects and building contracts in Ampthill and Toddington, as well as Bedford and Milton Keynes. The Heritage and Historical contracts are a very specific area of construction which require experience and expertise.

Jake is keen to encourage other young people into the construction industry, so he is taking students to gain real experience in the field.

“There’s a huge demand for skilled staff in construction and high-quality training, like that from Bedford College, is essential,” added Jake.

Javid Ahmed, Head of Electrical Installation at Bedford College, said: “It’s great to see how Jake credits some of his success to the support of the College and how he is investing in the industry by taking students for real life work experience. He is an inspiration to our young students.

“We need that sort of commitment from others in the construction industry.”

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Group News

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Routes into engineering careers In the current climate, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) skills are in huge demand.

Women in Engineering Day took place in June and places the spotlight on women in STEM and encourages women to follow the STEM path.

Inspirational women in STEM at the Group include: Helen Dows, who lectures in BTEC Engineering Level 3 and HNC/D Engineering, prepares young people for careers in the Corby area at companies such as Weetabix, RS, and Tata.

Helen was something of an early pioneer of women in engineering, having started work in 1986 at what was then called Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering.

I wanted to join the Royal Navy but women weren’t allowed on board in those days, luckily things have moved on in so many ways, said Helen who also worked for Copes-Vulcan Ltd on giant steam valves for power stations.

Now she is encouraging young women of the 2020s to consider well-paid and worthwhile careers in engineering. One of her former students has just joined the Ministry of Defence to pursue her dream of life in the military now women are welcome.

Course Manager in Engineering at the Advanced Engineering Centre in Bedford, Ayesha Iqbal, arrived in the UK from Pakistan in 2020 expecting to find her classroom at least one third full of women. Sadly, she has been surprised, given the equality of opportunities, that more young women are not leaving school to be engineers.

Ayesha said: “When I was lecturing in university in Pakistan, many more of my students were young women who saw engineering as a valuable career. I hope to motivate more here in this region of the UK to sign up for this important and valuable sector.

The female students I taught in Pakistan are also teaching now and are working for different companies in different industries. I want to encourage females to become engineers and work in research and teaching.

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Group News Conservation is key to zoological careers

The Zoological Education Centre (ZEC), complete with a tropical biome, based at Shuttleworth College is a unique facility offering students aged 16 and upwards the chance to work with animals and even play their part in saving endangered species.

To offer the exclusive education provision that prepares students to work in zoos or conservation projects around the world, the ZEC has to have a “zoo” licence so that those at the Old Warden setting can be trained to internationally recognised standards. But the ZEC is not a “zoo” in the sense of a public attraction and will be for education and conservation only.

With species ranging from alligators and turtles to exotic birds and amphibians, the staff and students studying at the ZEC liaise closely with the zoo industry for the conservation of endangered species.

The ZEC provides a safe setting for animals and those working with them via strict biosecurity, pest control, and specialist hygiene fittings and procedures.

When taking in animals, the ZEC has a dedicated veterinary and isolation unit which is Defra Balai Directive approved. The ZEC works closely with the Cambridge Veterinary Group and internationally with other institutions who are part of the Species 360.

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All animal husbandry is managed 365 days of the year with controls in place across all animal centres at the College for bio security.

Carl Groombridge, Animal Centre Manager and the man behind this marvellous facility said:

Everything we do here is to meet the global demand for species conservation and to train people to support that world wildlife aim. The ZEC is preparing the future teams who will be saving animals from extinction. This is a unique training environment.

The ZEC opened to students prior to Covid in March 2020. Staff have been continuing to work on-site during lockdowns as this is considered an essential service.

July 2021

Group News Greensands Country Ultra-Marathon Update Wendy Cook’s son David completed the 50km Greensands Country Ultra-Marathon to raise money for Blood Cancer UK following his brother Paul’s diagnosis with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia.

Wendy said: “He did really well, he managed to complete it in extreme heat with a finish time of 6 hours and 27 minutes. He has raised over £1800 (over £2000 including gift aid).

“A huge thanks to everyone who donated and to the Additional Support team for all the care and support they have given me since Paul’s diagnosis in September” Wendy has been amazed by all the support she has received: “I also had a member of staff contact me who has also been diagnosed with CLL, giving me information about a WhatsApp support group” If you have not donated and would like to, please visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiserdisplay/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl= DavidCook82&pageUrl=1

Connect

One Million Miles Challenge Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends raises funds to support patients and staff at Bedford Hospital by providing equipment and improving facilities – all to ensure the continued excellence of the provision of care in Bedford.

In addition to the £3.1million NHS Covid-19 funding to upgrade the A&E, the charity was invited to enhance this provision by creating a brand-new, much-needed, dedicated Paediatric A&E department and providing a dedicated state-of-the-art CT scanner to be situated in the A&E department for shared use by both emergency and general hospital patients. Their exciting new appeal to raise £1m will significantly improve the facilities available within the Accident & Emergency department at Bedford Hospital.

In support of the £1m appeal, the charity is getting people together to collectively cover a distance of One Million Miles to raise money towards this ambitious target - the #OneMillionMiles challenge was created in order to help achieve this.

If you’d like to contribute to help them achieve their target, you can sign up to the One Million Mile Challenge and participate. You can do it as an individual, as a family, or even get your co-workers or social group involved! For more information on the challenge, please visit our website www.onemillionmiles.co.uk You can also learn more about the amazing work Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends do at their website www.bedfordhospitalscharity.org.uk Every single mile we achieve and every single pound we raise will go towards the One Million Miles campaign, so please dig deep!

The hospital is sure they can collectively reach 1 million miles, but we can’t possibly raise £1 million without the people that make it happen - our sponsors.

You will be one of those ‘One-In-A-Million’ if you can help them achieve their target.

However, if you are not up to the challenge but want to donate, our family (Ann-Marie, Ismail, Jasmine and Jack) have decided to do our bit and we are pledging to complete 5,000 miles (from now until the end of 2021) towards this challenge and are hoping to raise at least £5,000. This is where we hope you can help!

If you would consider sponsoring the Anilmis Family on their 5,000-mile goal, please visit www.justgiving. com/anilmisfamily and donate whatever you can. Your donation will be invaluable and hugely appreciated by both our family, and most importantly the charity.

Thank you.

Ismail Anilmis DL

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BCS News

Bev braved the shaved!

BCS would like to thank everyone who donated to Bev’s ‘Brave the Shave’ fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support on Wednesday 9 June at Bedford College.

Bev has so far managed to raise £1162 in online and cash donations. If you did not donate and would like to, please visit bravetheshave.macmillan.org.uk/shavers/ bev-cosmai The event was live streamed and uploaded to Facebook and watched by 3000 people. If you missed the video, you can still view it by visiting Munch and Mocha’s Facebook page (@munchandmocha).

Bev has said she is enjoying her new look and is planning to dye it multiple colours throughout the summer!

Here are her before and after pictures.

Take advantage of 20% off all BCS facilities We would also like to remind all TBCG staff that they are eligible for a 20% discount when using BCS facilities. Take a look at some of the spaces that we hire.

The hall can seat up to 150 guests and its period features and stunning Victorian celling provide the perfect backdrop for a special occasion.

At Trinity Arts and Leisure (based on the same site as The Bedford Sixth Form), you are able to book public swimming sessions for as little as £3.20! Don’t forget our special TBCG 6-month swim and gym membership is only £65 and only £100 for 12 months. If you would like to check out more of our facilities please visit trinityleisure.co.uk If you are part of a sports team outside of college hours, you can take advantage of 20% off sports hall hire at Trinity, Bedford College, Shuttleworth College and Tresham College, Kettering. Please chat to our Booking and Events Coordinator Marianna at mcosmai@bedfordcollegeservices.co.uk if you would like to look at our availability.

For a full list of the facilities we offer please visit www.thevenuehub.com

Munch and Mocha have launched new till systems and a new WAY2PAY We are launching a brand new WAY2PAY app in September.

The app enables you to pay for food and drinks using your smartphone. You will also be able to use your ID card to purchase from the vending machines and money can be loaded onto your ID card via the app.

Throughout the next academic year, we will be loading offers and promotions on to the app, as well as electronic loyalty cards. We have planned some very special termly offers, as well as flash sales and national days, so don’t forget to download it! Instructions will be published on the Intranet.

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July 2021

People News

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Job Opportunities Customer Contact Advisor

Associate Lecturer in Public Services

Location: Wellingborough

Location: Bedford

Salary: £22,000 per annum Application closing date: 28/06/2021

Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate – (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour

Teaching Assistant (Maternity Cover)

Application closing date: 30/06/2021

Location: Bedford Salary: £18,188 per annum, pro rata.

Actual salary £13,154.10 per annum Application closing date: 28/06/2021

Technician in Animal Care Location: Old Warden Salary: £18,188 per annum Application closing date: 28/06/2021

Work Placement Co-ordinator – Land Based Location: Old Warden Salary: £20,909 per annum, pro rata.

Actual salary £12,484.80 per annum

Counselling Co-ordinator Location: Kettering Salary: Circa £23,500 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 30/06/2021

Library and Learning Resources Support Assistant Location: Bedford Salary: £18,188 per annum, pro rata Application closing date: 30/06/2021

Learning Facilitator Location: Corby

Application closing date: 28/06/2021

Salary: Circa £21,000 per annum, pro rata, depending on qualifications and experience

Associate Lecturer in Motorsport

Application closing date: 01/07/2021

Location: Silverstone Salary: Associate – (Unqualified) £20.50 per hour.

Associate (Qualified PGCE/Cert Ed or equivalent) £21.50 per hour.

Application closing date: 29/06/2021

Lecturer in Carpentry and Joinery Location: Corby and Wellingborough Salary: £25,500 - £30,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience

English Catch-up Tutor Location: x1 position in Corby and x1 position in Wellingborough Salary: £35,000 per annum, pro rata.

Application closing date: 04/07/2021 » View and apply for our full-time and part-time vacancies via The Bedford College Group vacancy portal which can be found on CONNECT staff intranet.

Application closing date: 29/06/2021

Lecturer in Civil Engineering / Construction Location: Bedford Salary: £25,500 - £30,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience Application closing date: 29/06/2021

Welcome to The Group •A bhilasha Kapur Customer Contact Advisor •E den McClymont Lecturer – Sport & Public Services •L aura McPhie Customer Contact Advisor •L ydia Pettet Customer Contact Administrator

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Quality & Training Opportunities

Apprenticeship Conference Friday 2 July 2021 You will have all received your save the date invites, make sure you accept the invitation so we have accurate numbers attending please.

A memo to all Training Coordinators Completions are the priority; our completions dates in July will be focussed on signing off our apprentices who will have completed their delivery, whether it be a standard or a framework.

Please can all Training Coordinators ensure that they organise their time to focus on those due to complete or are past their end date.

New starters Please can Training Coordinators allocate a window of time each week in their diary to conduct remote visits to complete the skills scan stage with their new apprentices. We are planning early sign ups this year to allow time for the full sign up to occur.

This means that as from this month they can be expected to complete the skills scan process with new starters.

Feedback Corner Jane Mead I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Jane Mead from all of us on the Apprenticeships Team. Jane worked at the college for 15 years and covered Care and Business Apprenticeships.

Jane was a huge help over recent months supporting the Construction department. Jane retired on May 13 2021 and celebrated a special birthday and we wish her all the very best for the next new chapter.

Fantastic feedback from Katie Moreland “I started at Kettering General Hospital in a 40-day work experience placement in 2018 for a year whilst in College. I was then offered the Business Administration Apprenticeship Level 3 through Tresham College, which I found a very positive experience and learnt a lot during my almost 2 years within this role where I built on my knowledge and skills throughout. My assessor Felicity met with me on a regular basis where we built a good rapport and I feel like I was supported very well. I have now been promoted to a permanent band 2 administration role within Kettering General Hospital. I achieved a Distinction grade when I recently completed my apprenticeship which I am very pleased with and worked very hard for.”

Well Done Felicity for supporting Katie through her journey and helping her to achieve a Distinction. Keep up the excellent work.

Feedback from the Training Coordinators over at Plumbing in Bedford for Jenna MacGuinness and Carl Rimes “I can’t thank you enough for all the support that you have been giving them and also Carl with the reviews.

It has helped them out and you are all working well together. You have also helped me out with showing them some of OneFile as well”.

Fantastic to see some cross-college colleague support going on within the Construction and Business departments, fantastic work and a brilliant example for all.

If you have a good news story you wish to share please email: hwedgwood-setchell@bedford.ac.uk

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July 2021

Quality & Training Opportunities ILT Update Hello and welcome to our fourth Learning Technologies/ I.T. update. Below you’ll find a brief summary of what has been included this month, with a link to the full version.

Any questions? Contact us at moodlesupport@bedford.ac.uk

Webinars Thank you to all who have attended any of the Learning Technologies webinars this year. To catch up with any you missed, all webinars can be found on the Staff Moodle - https://staffmoodle.bedford.ac.uk/course/view. php?id=67

Moodle 2021/2022 As we approach the end of this academic year, we are starting to look at different ways we can prepare for next year. This includes archiving our current Moodles for this year, making sure we remove any old cohorts from course pages, and resetting old Turnitins ready for the next cohort of students. In this month’s newsletter we have expanded on three topics on how you can prepare for your new students:

Connect

2022 Commonwealth Games Volunteering Opportunities Could you be part of the Commonwealth Collective?

Birmingham 2022 are looking for over 13,000 spirited, dedicated and dynamic volunteers to be the heartbeat of the Commonwealth Games; a community of passionate people coming together to help deliver the biggest sporting and cultural event the West Midlands have ever seen.

As part of the Commonwealth Collective, you’ll be the public face of Birmingham 2022, the heart and soul of the Games experience for athletes, officials, spectators, and a global audience of more than one billion.

Find out more and apply at Volunteering – Opportunities with Birmingham 2022 | Birmingham 2022

New Blended Learning Consortium Content Blended Learning Consortium have now made a range of videos available through Planet eStream. We have downloaded these so they are ready to upload to your Moodle pages in only a few clicks. You can find a list of these new videos in our newsletter.

Case Study – H5P One resource that is particularly effective in enhancing the online student learning experience is H5P. H5P is a web-based technology that can be used to create a wide range of interactive content. This technology is really flexible and allows you to create great looking content that has real benefits for your students. Angie Webb, a lecturer at Shuttleworth, and one of her students share their experience of using H5P in the full newsletter.

I.T. News I.T. have been at work integrating Smartlog with Office 365. This means it is now easier to access Smartlog, just by using your Office 365 credentials.

For the full newsletter, please follow this link: https:// sway.office.com/aMPyNkky57noiONR?ref=email

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Connect

Anastassia Parsons

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Making a difference for Equality and Inclusion Diversity Staff Forums in 2021 For more info and to join a staff diversity forum, see Connect.

Disability Advisory Forum (est. Nov 2020) •C onsulted with staff and students and made recommendations for adjustments in the use of PPE and better inclusion for people with a disability in the College • Hosted a panel discussion ‘Let’s talk about disability’

LGBT+ forum (est. 2018) •C oordinates LGBT+ support officers (voluntary role) for students • I ntroduced a personal pronoun footer for staff email signature •H osted a panel discussion ‘Let’s talk about being LGBT+’

Race Equality Forum (est. Feb 2021)

Women’s staff network (est. Jan 2020) •C onsulted with staff and made recommendations to HR for menopause support in the workplace, which are now included in the Wellbeing policy and in professional development for managers •R an an awareness campaign #ChooseToChallenge for International Women’s Day 8th March •H osted a panel discussion ‘Let’s talk about sexism online’

Diversity Ambassadors For an overview of the role and examples of how to make a difference in your team, see the Intranet.

This is a voluntary role in all departments and is suitable for colleagues with interests in equality, diversity, and inclusion. The Diversity Ambassadors have been identified as a key strength in the promotion of EDI in individual departments and have been instrumental for keeping a sustained focus on inclusion and diversity in their team.

•O rganised a staff survey and made recommendations to HR for different pathways for raising concerns, for training and support for line managers, and for the management of personal data (protected characteristics) •C onsulted with staff and provided feedback to HR and the Executive for improvements in staff recruitment, progression and development

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July 2021

Connect

Diversity Calendar in July Religious festivals in July The Inter Faith Network has a more detailed list of festivals and short descriptions.

7th - 16th FRAVARDIGAN Zoroastrian 17th NAVROZE / NO RUZ Zoroastrian (New Year’s Day) 18th TISHA B'AV Jewish 18th - 22nd HAJJ / PILGRIMAGE TO MAKKAH Muslim 19th – 22nd EID-UL-ADHA / THE FESTIVAL OF SACRIFICE Muslim 23rd BIRTHDAY OF HAILE SELASSIE I Rastafarian

14 July International Non-binary People’s Day

28th THE FESTIVAL OF THE POOL / EID-UL-GHADIR Muslim (Shi‘a)

Non-binary people can feel that their gender identity and gender experience involve being both a man and a woman, or that it is fluid, in between, or completely outside of that binary.

What is a gender inclusive language? Do you use your pronouns in your email signature or when you introduce yourself? Do you know how you can support non-binary people? For tips see here https://www.stonewall.org.uk/ about-us/blog/10-ways-step-ally-non-binary-people

Pronoun footers for email signatures can be found on the staff intranet File (college.oak.com).

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Connect

Lynsey Travers

HR Manager - Human Resources

STAFF PERKS

Rewards for staff at The Bedford College Group – Saving you money everyday 5 Sure-Fire Ways to Save this Summer The last year has been like no other and it’s still difficult to predict what the rest of 2021 will bring. But one thing you can be sure of, whatever happens, we’re here to help you do more and spend less.

So, whether you’re shopping online or in person, here are all the ways you can save this season.

Instant vouchers

Reloadable Cards

Purchase Instant Vouchers at a discounted price and start saving instantly. Simply show your voucher at the till if you’re buying in store or enter the code at the checkout if you’re buying online.

Get a Reloadable Card to use with your favourite retailers and you can enjoy huge savings both in store and online. Plus, you can use them alongside other discounts, promotions, loyalty points and offers to save even more.

Cashback Get a fixed amount or a percentage of your total spend back when you shop online. Just click the offer, follow the link, make your purchase and, once the Cashback has been confirmed, you’ll be able to spend it online or withdraw it into your bank account.

EasySaver™ Card Save 7% at over 40 UK retailers with an EasySaver™ Card. Topping up can be done in as little as 15 minutes, and from your mobile phone, so if you’re out and about it couldn’t be easier.

Save today, head to bedford.rewardgateway.co.uk where you can find more including: • Boredom-free school holidays • Introduce some SmartSpending™ style to your home and garden • Cut the cost of your celebrations • Lockdown essentials for less • Enjoy safe travels with our SmartSpending™ offers

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Have an Eventful Summer of Savings Some of your favourite events may have been cancelled or moved online for another year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Celebrate the events you’re missing in your own way, with our fiesta of discounts and offers.

We may not be going abroad for your summer holidays this year, but you can still create your summer wardrobe with discounts from Reiss, Asos, River Island, Ted Baker, Selfridge & Co, Harvey Nichols, and Whistles.

Even if the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games don’t go ahead this month, you can still schedule in your own sporting fun and go for gold this summer with discounts on Adidas, JD, Nike, Under Armour, Sports Direct, Reebok, and Lululemon.

Knowledge that the UK’s largest outdoor festival has been cancelled for a second year is gloomy news, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create your own Glastonbury in the garden and it currently looks as though some late-summer festivals may still go ahead.

Be festival-ready, whatever the weather, with discounts from Millets, Blacks, Go Outdoors, The North Face, and Mountain Warehouse.

July 2021