Strategic Plan 2023

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

WELCOME TO MACCLESFIELD COLLEGE

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Introduction from the Chair of the Corporation PAGE 4

Introduction from the Principal and Chief Executive

PAGE 6

Our Mission, Vision & Values

PAGE 8

2018 - 2023

PAGE 14

STRATEGIC GOALS

Our Aim by 2028

PAGE 16

INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHAIR OF THE CORPORATION

It gives me immense pleasure to present our Strategic Plan for 2023-28, featuring our goals, aspirations and objectives for the next five years.

Macclesfield is a general Further Education College with big ambitions, a strong track record for performance and an unyielding resilience that enables us to face each challenge with agility, adaptability and a collective sense of determination.

We have achieved so much together since 2018 and managed to survive and grow in a really positive and sustainable way, thanks to our fantastic Senior Management Team and our dedicated teaching and support staff. Each and every member of the Macclesfield College family is committed to doing their utmost for the people of this vibrant area and, working together, we

will continue to live and breathe our core values, as we strive to do everything in our power to deliver first-class education, skills and professional training across East Cheshire and our wider region.

Standing still is never an option at Macclesfield College. Our Governors, Senior Management Team and staff share a passionate commitment to further enhancing a safe, inclusive and caring environment in which young people not only achieve academically or vocationally, but also grow as individuals in terms of personal and social development.

Over the next five years, we will strive to take our shared vision, levels of teamwork and inspiration to exciting new heights, so as to achieve a level of leadership, management, teaching and training that’s unrivalled anywhere in our region’s education sector. To do this, we will need to engage even more closely with our local community, its people and its many businesses, working at all levels to ensure we deliver outstanding education and training.

We are confident that by 2028, Macclesfield College will become even more established as ‘the place’ for academic, technical excellence and vocational learning. A place that students and the wider community alike value and recognise as being inspirational.

I hope you find this, our latest Strategic Plan, an enjoyable, informative and insightful read.

Mark Sharples Chair of the Corporation

INTRODUCTION FROM THE PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE

As Principal and Chief Executive of Macclesfield College, I am extremely proud of our overall performance, our unwavering resilience and our seamless adaptability over the past five years – a period marked by unprecedented and unforeseen circumstances which have had a significant impact on the personal and professional lives of us all.

With this in mind, I feel it is vitally important for me to acknowledge and applaud our fantastic team here at Macclesfield College. We have retained and strengthened our position as one of our region’s leading FE organisations and apprenticeship providers, which is a testament to their collective agility, outstanding professionalism and absolute determination.

At Macclesfield College, we pride ourselves on the first-class teaching, learning and training we give to each and every one of our students, in order to help prepare them for either higher education, an apprenticeship, or the world of work. The progression rate of our students is consistently high, thanks both to the stimulating, positive learning environment we have created on campus and the dynamic mix of academic and vocational subjects we can offer.

Macclesfield College has been proactive in the local community, developing strong and lasting relationships with businesses, public sector organisations and the region’s Chambers of Commerce. Looking forward, we anticipate even stronger engagement locally, placing us at the very heart of the community we serve.

I am proud to continue leading Macclesfield College, as we prepare to face the next five years stronger, wiser and more resilient than ever before.

Rachel Kay Principal and CEO

OUR MISSION STATEMENT:

OUR MISSION EMPOWERMENT THROUGH

LEARNING

OUR VISION

OUR VISION STATEMENT:

Develop, grow and drive ambition in all that we do. Ensuring we adapt and change our educational offer to meet the needs of our community and employers to provide a fully cohesive educational offer resulting in well educated, skills driven learners that have the resilience to thrive.

CORE VALUES

INTEGRITY

Openness, honesty and transparency, matched by strong moral principles.

• Doing the right thing when no one is looking;

• Teaching higher standards;

• Setting consistent expectations.

RESPECT

• Earned, not given;

• Professional appearance;

• Honesty.

Listening to and treating the needs of stakeholders with dignity, honour and tolerance.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US...

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US...

An overriding ethos that focuses on genuine innovation and a demonstrable ambition to be the best education and training provider in the Cheshire region and beyond.

• Teaching with enthusiasm;

• Service with a smile;

• Be passionate.

AMBITION ACCOUNTABILITY

A commitment to taking responsibility for our actions as an education and training provider, and a dedication to regular reporting to relevant bodies.

• To be the best that I can be for myself and our students;

• Dedication;

• Inspire and thrive.

PASSION

A collective and relentless drive for excellence in everything we do.

• High standards;

• Take ownership;

• Learn from mistakes.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US...

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US...

WHAT THIS MEANS TO US...

OUR HISTORY

1877

School of arts built and branded as the society for acquiring useful knowledge

1916

First College day classes

1968

1887

1955

5 year aircraft course introduced

1975

Park Lane new building

James Ward Chair of the College

Development of new technology courses

1979

2008

Wise partnership awarded by Princess Anne

2017

2015

New Building at Arts College Apprenticeships launched

2008

2007/8

Park Lane College expanded to the building it is today

Aviation course hits the headlines as student numbers increase

2023

2021

Ofsted success T-Levels launched

Investor in Wellbeing Award

2018 -23

A PERIOD OF SOLID AND SUSTAINED SUCCESS

Despite the considerable challenges we, like so many other FE and HE institutions, have faced over the past five years, Macclesfield College has performed well and grown, both in terms of student numbers and reputation.

Our agile and committed team have worked tirelessly together to ensure that we continue to deliver high quality education and training for all.

This, our latest Strategic Plan, will provide everyone at Macclesfield College with a robust platform on which to further build on the solid success and progress we have achieved together since 2018.

A multi award-winning FE College;

The number one FE College in Cheshire for Education and Training*; A leading apprenticeships provider;

Developed a new leadership and management skills provision –Cheshire Business School;

A strong financial health position. We have invested heavily into our facilities, our digital infrastructure and our staffing.;

Significant investment into our existing estate, to create a modern, stimulating learning environment featuring the latest digital and IT equipment;

We have created successful, dedicated Academies to provide high quality industry-specific tuition and training in areas such as Professional Cookery and Catering, Sport and Health;

We have fostered a ‘team culture’ and harnessed a tangible spirit of ‘togetherness’ that’s shared by everyone at the College, including staff and students;

Developed exciting, sustainable partnerships across the region;

Led across Cheshire and Warrington for World Skills competitions.

We are committed to excellence in everything we do, as we continue on our journey to becoming ‘Outstanding’ in all aspects.

BY 2028

Be recognised and celebrated as an exceptional place in which to work and learn, retaining our Ofsted grade ’Good’ and continuous strive to be ‘Outstanding’;

Cement our position as a leading FE provider in our region, with aspirations to become one of the topperforming Colleges nationally;

Be the first-choice destination for 16-18 students, professional skills training, apprenticeships and adult education;

Continue to grow our student numbers in both 16-18 learning and apprenticeships, through our high quality and professional marketing and outreach strategies;

Progress with our estate development to match our ambitions and ensure students can access excellent resources and technology;

Remain financially ’Good’ in all aspects, with a clear ambition to become ’Outstanding’.

EXCITING NEW HORIZONS: OUR STRATEGIC GOALS FOR 2023–2028

The first three of our four strategic goals to 2028 are rightly focused on providing the best possible learning experience to all of our Students , the highest level of support to our Staff and the forging of strong, long-term partnerships with key Stakeholders within the community we serve, including local employers.

Central to the realisation of these vital strategic goals, is a high quality, sustainable college infrastructure, enhanced by innovation, enterprise and increased commercial revenue, hence our fourth and final strategic goal –Commercial Growth and Innovation.

By committing to these four strategic goals, we are aiming to future-proof Macclesfield College and reinforce our position at the heart of our community. As a continually leading, responsive and responsible FE, skills training and apprenticeship provider, it is our duty to remain that vital link between local businesses, the regional economy and the many students we enrol, who all

ultimately want a great job and a long, rewarding career. It’s our role to help the town of Macclesfield, and Cheshire as a whole, to reap the full benefit of a highly skilled, knowledgeable and motivated next generation workforce.

As experienced educational professionals, we know that we are preparing students for future careers in industry sectors that are yet to be fully developed or, indeed, may not even currently exist. In order to face the future with maximum confidence, it is therefore absolutely essential that we have the right people in place, with the requisite drive, knowledge and agility, backed by the best possible resources and technologies.

OUR FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS

STUDENTS

STAFF

Providing a first-class student experience

STAKEHOLDERS

Inspire our team to reach even higher standards

COMMERCIAL GROWTH AND INNOVATION

Establishing the strongest possible links with our local community

An enterprising approach to maximising our income streams

STUDENTS

Providing a first-class student experience

HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS: 1 Developing

OBJECTIVES

We will continually review and adapt our offer and modes of delivery over the next five years, in line with local and regional needs. This is to ensure precise alignment to any future changes to the curriculum. Employers will be a constant thread in shaping and adapting our offer, to create a smooth and seamless pathway from us to them. This will help us to continue to develop and establish a diverse, flexible range of learning methodologies that are appropriate, as well as employer-led qualifications that are delivered in an efficient manner, providing our students with effective, relevant and meaningful learning for their next steps into University, apprenticeships or employment.

We will take a proactive approach to enhancing both the life and employability skills of our students, underpinned by significant, ongoing investment into work-ready environments, meaningful pastoral support and work experience. Likewise, we will ensure that we have the right mix of academic, technical and work-based qualifications in place to attract students from across the county, whilst aligning exactly to the region’s demographics and employer needs. With education firmly above our door in our community, we will provide the requisite level of technical excellence, and scope of vocational curriculum, to present all of our students with the best possible options and opportunities to realise their potential routes in an ever-changing economic marketplace.

2

Promoting wellbeing in a supportive, positive environment

Macclesfield College will remain an agile and adaptable FE organisation, with a strong and secure ‘mental wealth’ approach to both our students and our staff base. We will continue to invest in monitoring student wellbeing, offering appropriate support, ensuring a safe environment for our College community. Placing ‘mental wealth’ at the forefront of all we do, alongside a full and varied enrichment programme, will enable Macclesfield College to be an ‘Outstanding’ learning provider, offering a fully inclusive approach that is focused on providing tomorrow’s global citizens.

We will continue to offer high quality and enriching education to people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to help high needs students progress and achieve their potential through a focused, tailored curriculum, that’s backed by comprehensive mental health and wellbeing support.

Macclesfield College is first college in the world to be awarded the Investors in Wellbeing Award. We will to continue to work hard ensuring we are educating all staff and student ambassadors on mental wealth, positivity and resilience.

3 Ensuring excellence in teaching and learning

We will continue to attract the very best teachers and industry professionals, by adopting a highly effective HR approach that’s informed by constantly evolving industrial sectors and exciting newworld technologies. Threading proven expertise of industry standards through our existing teaching methodologies, will be an essential and fundamental part of our curriculum.

Individuals with real-life industry experience will continue to be recruited, either full-time or through innovative, flexible arrangements with some of our key industry partners. This will complement our highly trained, motivated teaching and support staff, as well as ongoing commitment to learning and digital innovation, to help us deliver the best possible education to all.

STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

4

Helping all of our students to make best possible progress

As a forward-thinking and responsible FE provider, we always measure and monitor the breadth and depth of our curriculum.

Our approach ensures post-16 students are ambitious and have longterm goals. Students are shown the different pathways into higher education, apprenticeships and long-term employment. Technical excellence, coupled with industry competitions, inspirational guest speakers and vocational visits, will enhance student’s appreciation and understanding of particular skills sets for different sectors. We will stretch and challenge learning approaches, to ensure each individual student achieves their absolute best.

Macclesfield College will strive to be in the top quartile nationally for overall student outcomes, with high attendance set across all courses, equipping our students for the world of work.

5 Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Individuality is something we will continue to champion here at Macclesfield College. Freedom of expression, tolerance, acceptance and empathy are all essential ingredients when creating and maintaining a ‘happy’ campus. Likewise, a clear understanding of these all-important societal values is central to a young person’s future development, both personally and professionally. We will regularly review our procedures regarding the monitoring of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, to ensure that our established culture of academic and vocational excellence is complemented by solid student principles and respect for others.

STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

STAFF

Inspiring our team to reach even higher standards

HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS: 1

OBJECTIVES

Recruiting and retaining the best possible staff base

We will provide a fully integrated and innovative, person-centred Human Resources (HR) service that promotes high retention of staff and cultivates an engaged, healthy and efficient workforce. This will be underpinned by far-reaching regional recruitment campaigns (which adhere to a strict Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy at all times), helping to build the talented, skilled and resilient workforce our region’s education sector needs.

We will build an exemplary leadership and management capability, by harnessing and developing a culture of first-class leadership, proven managerial acumen and supervisory excellence. This will encourage enhanced and effective communication, further strengthen working relationships and foster a positive and supportive climate of trust across the College.

2 Enhancing staff engagement and strengthening our spirit of togetherness

Building and retaining a strong team is central to the College’s ongoing success and sustainability. It is therefore vital that we elevate our collective sense of togetherness, by reinforcing and maintaining an open, inclusive and trusting environment that encourages dialogue, listens to individual and team needs alike and continues to boost staff morale across the board.

Looking forward to 2028, it is envisaged that Macclesfield College will become one of our region’s flagship employers, whilst continuing to be an ‘outstandingly happy’ place to work, where staff feel valued, appreciated and safe. We will achieve this by utilising our established Staff Engagement Surveys and cultural impact assessments as a base, complemented by a range of extra-curricular staff activities and initiatives. These will include innovative, adaptable working methods, as well as continuous evaluation of, and attentiveness to, our staff and workforce landscape.

Furthermore, we will remain an agile and resilient organisation with a strong, person-centred and positive ‘mental wealth’ approach to our highly valued staff base, including wellbeing check-ins and workshops.

3 Developing staff and management

We will further strengthen our high quality staffing profile through the effective implementation of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programmes, underpinned by first-class onboarding training courses for new recruits, where applicable.

This dedicated and determined approach to staff development will help us continue to maintain a resilient, progressive and highly skilled team who, collectively and individually, understand the pedagogy required to stretch each student to their fullest potential. Likewise, it will help us to achieve a high level of leadership and management within our region’s education sector.

STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

4 Recognising and developing talent

Macclesfield College will continue to benefit from a highperformance culture which, as well as recruiting industry-specialist staff to complement our proven team and support the local skills gap agenda, seeks to elevate and develop emerging talent from within.

Regular talent assessment and review will afford our current staff with exciting opportunities to develop through further qualifications, promotion, secondment, coaching, mentoring, shadowing and role enrichment. This will help to enhance and maintain a highly talented, dynamic and resilient workforce, as well as fostering a culture of consistent scholarly excellence.

We will also continue to pursue our successful ‘Recognition and Reward’ strategy, which supports and drives the performance of the College’s vision, values and Strategic Aims, as well as developing clear initiatives to facilitate future career progression.

5 Supporting a workforce based on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion will remain at the core of all College recruitment and staffing strategies, as we continue to build for the strongest possible future.

STAKEHOLDERS

Establishing the strongest possible links with our local community

OBJECTIVES HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS: 1

Forging strong partnerships with local and regional employers

Strong, well-established partnerships are a critical and continuous thread running throughout Macclesfield College. This is developed and driven by our dedicated employer-responsive arm, Maxim Business Training. Assisted by high quality, up-to-the-minute market intelligence, we will continue to engage both proactively and effectively with local and regional employers, in order to cement our prominent position in Cheshire and realise our ambition to be the leading and preferred provider of first-class technical education, apprenticeships, professional training and skills provision.

We will actively and energetically seek to collaborate with our partners across Cheshire to build and maintain seamless, robust links into employment, facilitated either via the T Level route, or through direct progression to apprenticeships. Complementing all aspects of technical excellence, our sustained strategic partnerships forged across all levels of the organisation, will enable employers to shape and adapt our offer, to ensure it is fully prescriptive in terms of regional needs.

Lastly, we will continue to hold our annual round-table event, to provide a platform for employers of all shapes and sizes to communicate their dynamic, emerging and growing priorities in response to an ever-changing economic climate. This will also serve as a yearly refresh and re-evaluation of our technical, vocational and skills provision, shaped demonstrably by our local and regional employer partners.

2

Building robust relationships with local and regional agencies

We will commit to the wider collaborative approach, closing the gaps identified by the Local Skills Improvement Plans, aligned to our local and regional Chambers of Commerce. This will be to ensure that our future provision dovetails neatly with the needs of our local businesses and the regional economy, by establishing and delivering a high-quality, skills-based curriculum.

A clear focus on adult education will also be maintained, in order to improve entry into the labour market and increase opportunities for upskilling. This will be achieved by accessing more flexibility around qualifications funding. Macclesfield College will also strive to continue to offer a range of Access to HE and University-level programmes, to meet the needs of local students, partners and employers.

We are proud to be part of the Cheshire and Warrington Institute of Technology (IoT). We will use this to transform our advanced technical training in the field of Construction. By 2028, it is envisaged that our part of the Cheshire and Warrington IoT will be complete in respect of Construction and we will begin to recruit high-calibre individuals.

We will align ourselves to the strategic priorities set out by Local Authority plans, using our proven expertise and working in close collaboration to provide a comprehensive skilsl offer and enhanced, value-for-money opportunities across our entire region.

We will also widen our reach to partner organisations, to expand both our memorandums of understanding, and support for, particular regional skills needs and interests. Specifically, these will be in Life Science, Advanced Manufacturing and Health & Social Care; key priorities as identified by both local stakeholders and our own continual market intelligence. This will be underpinned by cross-cutting themes of ‘digitalisation’ and ‘de-carbonisation’.

STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

3

Cultivating high quality partnerships with local schools

We will continue to strengthen our networks and connections to local schools, by enhancing our relationships with their Careers Leaders. This will help to support all schools within our catchment area, and beyond, in providing the best possible careers education.

We will also deliver fully bespoke presentations that share the unique technical offer at Macclesfield College, supported by consistently high standards, solid educational performance and exciting, aspirational student destinations.

Lastly, we will continue to develop, and add to, our successful Academies, linked to high-profile, blue chip regional partners, providing top-level, professional industry training and experience. We envisage these Academies growing steadily in both prestige and reputation, with places being in consistently high demand.

Promoting enhanced parental/carer communication

In order for our technical, apprenticeship and vocational course provision to remain at the educational cutting edge here in Cheshire, it is absolutely vital that we demonstrate clearly, to parents/carers, our persistently high standards and expectations, along with the various progression routes open to their children whilst studying at Macclesfield College.

We will continue to operate a tripartite agreement where parents/ carers, the college and the students join to continue to help each student achieve their very best on a consistent basis. This established modus operandi has served us well hitherto, leading Macclesfield to become one of our region’s leading, multi award-winning FE colleges.

Excellent and effective parental/carer relationships are critical to the successful shaping of a young person’s abilities and attitudes in readiness for work. With this in mind, we will continue to adopt a fully collaborative approach to ensuring all parties understand and embrace our standards and expectations.

Comprehensive information, advice and guidance will be supplied to our young people and their parents/carers, at each step of the learning journey, underpinned by regular updates and progress reports.

The College’s Values and overarching Mission Statement “Empowerment through learning” are lived and breathed by every single member of our team and together, we truly believe that Macclesfield College can continue to play a full and transformative role in helping our region build the strongest possible foundations for a successful future.

COMMERCIAL GROWTH AND INNOVATION

An enterprising approach to maximising our income streams

1

Maintaining ‘Good’ financial strength

We will continue to pursue and maintain consistently excellent standards across our financial practices, remaining financially ‘Good’, with a clear ambition and vision towards becoming ‘Outstanding’.

2

Growing student numbers across all curricula and age groups

We will employ an effective and attractive recruitment and retention strategy to ensure that the conversion rate from application to enrolment, across both 16 -18 and adult students, increases year on year. This strategy will be informed by detailed insights into current student demographics, and help to shape future recruitment initiatives. We will also continue to consider robust information, advice and guidance ensuring that we provide appropriate levels of entry throughout the next five years.

More widely, Macclesfield College will become the first-choice destination for students of all ages and abilities across our region. This will be through our mix of high quality, flexible learning opportunities including academic courses, vocational qualifications and skills training programmes, aligned precisely to regional demographics and employer needs.

We will strive to provide our region with the necessary skills and knowledge to enhance its economy and transform its productivity. Moreover, we will continue to respond to the current and future skills demands of local and regional employers, whilst widening both the access and scope for adult learning, creating high quality, flexible opportunities to train, re-train and upskill people of all ages and abilities. We will also explore the possibility of adding new courses and programmes, in line with demand, to our adult education programme, to broaden the College’s appeal and enhance its local visibility.

As the vocational and technical qualification landscape continues to consolidate, and T Levels become fully rolled out nationwide, we will remain agile in reacting to any new Department for Education (DfE) initiatives towards employer-led qualifications as they launch, in order to re-shape and re-align our future provision as necessary.

STRATEGIC AMBITIONS

3

Evolving our estate and infrastructure

We will establish and maintain a first-class, future-proof estate fully equipped to give our students a vital head start in the jobs market, through careful investment and a constant, calculable stream of both external funding and commercial income. Maximising the College estate, working collaboratively with stakeholder specialist in each curriculum area to capitalise on commercial collaborations.

We will continue to invest significantly into both our Digital Technologies and Management Information Systems infrastructure and systems, implementing a practical and pragmatic estates strategy that matches our medium and longer-term ambitions, whilst enabling our students to have continued access to high quality, industry-relevant resources and technology.

As well as adding to our estate and infrastructure in a financially prudent and sustainable way, we will also concentrate on remodelling our existing buildings, creating agile and adaptable spaces that can be easily re-purposed in response to future curriculum changes and the expected growth in student numbers.

4 Raising greater levels of capital funding for future growth

We will horizon scan for new growth and funding opportunities. This will be done locally and regionally, on a continuous and measurable basis, capitalising on new openings and possibilities to generate solid, sustainable commercial income, aligned to community benefit and future-proofed innovation.

Likewise, we will submit and robustly pursue capital funding opportunities for specialisms, helping Macclesfield College to become a recognised, regional Centre of Excellence in key areas like Digital and Creative Technology, Engineering and Construction.

We will develop higher-value revenue streams, by opening up our excellent on-site facilities (sporting, leisure, creative and hair and beauty), for enhanced commercial usage.

5

Embracing emerging and green technologies

We will look to adopt and implement new environmental initiatives, energy efficiency measures and sustainability solutions. The move towards green technologies will dovetail neatly with our agile approach to evolving and re-modelling our campus and its assets.

From an outward-facing perspective, businesses sending their employees to Macclesfield College on commercial or apprenticeship training and pathways, will expect them to have the necessary green skills and knowledge in place, to help them excel in the future. We will tailor our curriculum accordingly, to ensure that all of our students are fully work-ready for today, and have the requisite skills and expertise to embrace and adapt to industry developments in the future.

Sustainability and the drive towards becoming carbon neutral is increasingly key to practically every business sector. It is the ambition of Macclesfield College to become established as one of our region’s leading FE providers. Therefore, it is vital that we are always one step ahead.

*All information is correct at the time of going to print and is subject to change