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OUR COMMITMENT

The transition into the 2020s marks a time the world will never forget. By the end of March 2020, almost all of the College’s delivery migrated to education accessible on-line, with both staff and students having to get used to what was to become the ‘new normal’. In this extraordinary era, extraordinary measures were needed to keep up with the times, and at Walsall College, we pride ourselves on going the extra mile to maintain communication with our students and stakeholders, through high quality education and continued support. We remain proud of our reputation of providing students with a high-quality learning experience in an environment which is inclusive, diverse and welcoming. Whilst delivering education remotely, and students accessing this remotely, we had to prioritise continuity and learning which would trigger student attainment and enable them to progress as planned. Our passion for inclusion and respect however, meant that all efforts were made to continue to promote and celebrate diversity and recognise that our differences make us unique, and there is more that brings us together than separates us.

Students have a legal right to teaching that does not discriminate against them on grounds of age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Disabled students have a legal right to reasonable adjustments to ensure that their needs to access education are met. We are proud of our reputation and inclusive approach which enables individuals to achieve their potential and progress in their chosen career pathway. The importance of education is clear and we acknowledge the positive impact of education and the potential to transform lives by overcoming educational and economic disadvantage. We celebrate and champion diversity and go beyond what is expected in our drive for inclusion and community development.

In order to reach their potential, students and staff must be able to flourish at the College and feel that they have a fair and equal chance to achieve and progress. We therefore, support our College community to achieve excellence by continuing to “bring talent to life”. Our Corporate Strategy outlines our intent to ensure Walsall College is at the forefront of providing innovative, high quality education and skills for an evolving and modern Britain. This supports us to create an aspirational, motivated and diverse community which is able to thrive in a changeable global economy. We respond to the huge range of needs expressed by our students, staff and stakeholders and celebrate the benefits of difference.

Walsall College has a passion to ensure we meet the demands of this changing world, to be agile, innovative and creative, thereby, providing individuals, businesses and our community with the skills necessary for a modern economy. We work with over 1,000 employers, universities, schools and local, regional and national partners and work proactively with businesses to ensure our curriculum is fit for the future.

The FE Sector has a responsibility to provide individuals with the skills necessary for success in an ever-changing environment. Driving prosperity for the borough of Walsall remains a continued focus for the College and working closely with our partners to identify key opportunities, innovative activity and developments is a priority.

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Students who choose to study with us receive a holistic education that supports their personal development, confidence, health and wellbeing and prepares them for their next steps into work or higher levels of study in a local, national or global context.

Our Adult and Community Learning offer enables us to deliver an educational solution for the borough of Walsall, giving local residents the opportunity to progress from Entry Level courses right through to Degree Level. This has meant our adult provision is stronger than ever before and our widening participation, intergenerational learning and community cohesion work is more effective. We offer education through 30 community venues across the Borough.

We aim to continue to develop a corporate culture that is inclusive at all levels and in every system and process. Through our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy we work with people from across the College and beyond not only to meet our statutory responsibilities, but to exceed them. We facilitate awareness raising events for our students to ensure they embrace the College ethos and celebrate our differences and uniqueness. The College embodies Positive Communities and British Values and this is recognised by those with whom we work. Students, staff and visitors to the College recognise the inclusive nature of the College ethos and understand our expectations for equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Equality and diversity and a commitment to inclusion are embedded in our mission: “Walsall College is uniquely and proudly vocational, delivering technical, professional and community education. Our greatest passion is unleashing the potential of individuals, communities and businesses; our greatest legacy is the talent of our students: skilled, professional and enterprising”. Our vision is accessible to all students, regardless of their sex, race, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status or age. We will provide them: “an excellent learning experience, education and skills development to support them into higher levels of study and jobs”.

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion continues to be evident in the shared values outlined within our Corporate Strategy:

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We continue to encourage students and staff to disclose information in relation to protected characteristics to enable us to more effectively understand our community and to target activity where required. There is a guide to inform both staff and students about this initiative called, ‘Why are we asking?’ and this is available either electronically, via the Equality and Diversity site or as a hard copy document. Work will continue to increase disclosure of protected characteristics and this remains embedded in our equality objectives.

Walsall College is passionate about helping students to achieve positive outcomes whether that is to get back into work, start a new career or climb the career ladder. To support this, we offer a broad and varied curriculum from entry level through to higher education, top up degrees and professional level qualifications all of which are designed to give our students the skills employers want and need.

THE LOCAL CONTEXT

Population Whilst we have seen some improvements in the overall local and regional economy when compared to previous years, the context remains extremely challenging, with a clear need for Walsall College to continue to provide opportunities for high quality education and training which will not only ultimately improve the local and regional prosperity, but also the prospects of residents in terms of lifestyles, health and wellbeing and social mobility. Walsall is a net importer of people both nationally and globally and, therefore, the Borough of Walsall has a diverse population, which varies greatly from one ward to another. There are around 75 community languages spoken in Walsall.

Walsall has an estimated population of 285,500 (ONS 2019 Mid-Year Estimates), comprised of approximately 21.7% children under 16 (62,100), 60.7% working-aged 16-64 (173,300), and 17.6% 65+ over (50,100). Nearly four fifths (79.1%) of the population are economically active, of whom 74.2% are in employment; this compares to 74.7% in the West Midlands (WM) as a whole and 76.2% in Great Britain (GB). 2% fewer people are in employment than nationally. Workless households comprise 17.4% of households in Walsall compared to 15.3% (WM) and 13.9% (GB). 3

Walsall is expected to see continued and consistent population growth, projected to increase by 7% to an estimated 304,400 by 2030, and further by 13% to an estimated 320,400 by 2040 (2020 ONS, 2018- based projections). Source: ONS 2020

Source: ONS Population estimates based on single year of age (2019)

Walsall Council’s local integration strategy, Walsall for All (2019) indicates: • 1 in 4 residents from a minority ethnic group (just under 25%) • For 7% of Walsall residents, English is not their first language • 68% of secondary schools are classed as segregated • The Borough has the 12th highest residential segregation in the UK (Walsall.gov 2019). • 68% of residents in the Palfrey ward are from an ethnic minority group compared to 4% in Pelsall.

Walsall for All is a long-term strategy for creating strong and integrated communities in Walsall. It recognises the numerous strengths as well as our challenges, and sets out the steps to break down barriers to integration. Walsall College very much supports this strategy and works in partnership with our communities to promote and celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion.

Health Health in Walsall is worse than the England average on a number of indicators: hospital stays for alcohol related harm and self-harm, smoking related deaths, rates of sexually transmitted infections and TB, levels of excess weight and physical activity is worse than average and, therefore, life expectancy in Walsall is less (source: ONS Life expectancy at birth and at age 65 years by local areas, UK (2019)).

Indices of Multiple Deprivation The English Indices of Deprivation (IMD), produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), identify small areas of England, which are experiencing multiple aspects of deprivation. This makes them an important tool for identifying and understanding deprived areas and for targeting resources effectively. They are based on the concept that deprivation consists of more than just poverty; so, while poverty is related to not having enough money to live on, deprivation refers to a much broader lack of resources and opportunities.

The indices are based on seven different domains (or aspects) of deprivation, which are weighted as follows:

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1. Income deprivation (weighted 22.5%) 2. Employment deprivation (weighted 22.5%) 3. Education deprivation (weighted 13.5%) 4. Health deprivation (weighted 13.5%) 5. Crime (weighted 9.3%) 6. Barriers to housing and services (weighted 9.3%) 7. Living environment deprivation (weighted 9.3%)

The 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation now ranks Walsall as the 25th most deprived English local authority (out of 317), placing Walsall within the most deprived 10% of districts in the country (33rd in 2015, 30th in 2010 and 45th in 2007).

Source: https://www.walsallintelligence.org.uk/home/demographics/deprivation/ Source: https://www.activeblackcountry.co.uk/insight-hub/data/communities/indices-of-multiple- deprivation-2019/

Walsall is an area of high economic and social deprivation with low skills and a low-income economy, which is evident in the average salary statistics.

Full-time workers resident in Walsall earn an average of £518.50 gross per week compared to £550.80 (WM) and £587 (GB).

Female full-time workers earn £100 less per week compared to male workers and there is a similar trend for part-time hourly paid workers. As at September 2020, 8.9% are claiming out-of-work benefits compared to 7.4% (WM) and 6.5% (GB). The percentage of 18 to 21-year-olds claiming out-of-work benefit is the highest of all age groups at 15.6%, higher than 10.5% (WM) and 9.2% (GB) (ONS 2020).

• 44 out of 167 neighbourhoods (LSOAs) are now amongst the most deprived 10% in England compared to 34 in 2015. • There are extremes of deprivation, with central and western areas typically much more deprived than eastern areas, although pockets of deprivation exist even in the more affluent parts of the borough. • Walsall fares particularly badly in terms of income (16th), education, skills & training deprivation (11th) and employment (38th) and many of the issues that challenge the borough match the geography of deprivation.

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Economic Summary for St Matthews (The College’s ward) • 69.7% of working age people in St Matthew’s ward were economically active. • This was much lower than the Walsall value of 74.0% and the national value of 76.8% (2011)*. • The largest occupation group in the ward was Professional (18.4%) followed Elementary occupations (13.3%) (2011)*. • Of working age ward residents, 19.8% had no formal qualifications. Walsall’s value was 24.3%, and 15.0% nationally (2011)*. • In May 2019, 6.8% of working aged residents (aged 16-64) were unemployed and seeking work. This equated to 747 people and was above the Walsall average of 5%. Unemployment claimants (aged 16-64), May 2019.

Sources: 2011 Census, ONS (% based on residents aged 16-64); Alternative Claimant Count, DWP (May 2019) * This is the most recent data available at ward level

Ethnicity - for St Matthews (the College’s ward)

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Asian is the largest minority group at 29.8% (much less than Walsall average of 15.2%). Of the Asian minority group, Pakistani is the most prolific at 12.1%

Source: Walsall Council - Ward Walk Profile: St. Matthew’s January 2020 Version – FINAL

Qualification Profile – Walsall residents with no qualifications

Source: https://www.activeblackcountry.co.uk/insight-hub/data/workforce/labour-market- profile-2019/

Progression to Further Education The average Attainment 8 score per pupil is 0.7 percentage points higher than 2018 but still 2.9 percentage points below the national average (46.7), whilst the average Progress 8 score has increased from -0.18 to -0.12.

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Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-performance-2019-revised

Progression to Higher Education

The College has an important role to play in improving the skills level for residents within Walsall. The proportion of people holding a Level 4 and above qualification in Walsall has improved in recent years from 24.3% in 2015 to 27.6%, but this is still 12.7% lower than the 40.3% total for GB.

Similarly, the percentage of people with no qualification has fallen from 16.7% in 2015 to 12.3%, but remains higher than in the West Midlands (10.2%) and Great Britain as a whole (7.7%).

Walsall has a lower proportion of people aged 16-64 classified as students – 25.2% compared to the West Midlands (28.2%) and Great Britain (26.3%). The College aims to provide opportunities for more adults from underrepresented communities to access higher level study and progress into highly skilled and well-paid roles.

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OUR STUDENTS

Walsall College attracts people from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds. We have a diverse student population which demonstrates the impact of our inclusive approach to education. The data in this report relates to all students. The local community who we serve has a diverse and changing population and some people in our communities’ experience disadvantage and deprivation due to social and economic hardship. During 2018/19, 63.8% of students came from disadvantaged areas, which is similar to 2017/18. In 2019/20, this increased to 67.6%. The College believes passionately that disadvantage is not a barrier to success and that the work we do to support our students and our community is having a positive impact on their lives. A key strength of the College is in raising aspirations and encouraging students to be the best they can be - the work we do does make a difference. The data below outlines where our home students come from, and provides information related to their protected characteristics. The report contains information related to recruitment of staff and students by the protected characteristics of religion and belief, sexuality, pregnancy and maternity, marriage/civil partnerships.

Ethnicity Profile – College Students The College community in 2019/20 comprised of 36.2% of students (measured by numbers of starts on each course) from a minority ethnic background which is an increase of 1.4% on the previous year and above the regional figure of 25%. Some areas within the borough have seen major changes in their ethnic composition over a relatively short period of time which means that minority ethnic groups are highly concentrated in certain parts of the borough. Some wards have experienced much greater change than the borough average and the College works closely with the Walsall Community Cohesion and Engagement Team to promote Positive Communities and minimise negative impact which could, potentially, occur because of these rapid changes.

Where do our students come from? We are Walsall’s College and, as such, recruit high numbers of students from our local area as well as students from a wider geographic area. 67.6% of our students reside in postcodes which are within the most deprived areas of the borough. This is an increase of 3.8% in comparison to 2019 (63.8%). The College supported 51 students in 2019/20 who were Looked After Children (LAC) (broadly in line with figures in previous years), of which 3 were within the pre- 16 cohort. This was across 12 virtual schools. Our Ward (St Matthews) consists of areas within the 10% most deprived (towards the Town Centre) and two within the 40% least deprived.

Source: Walsall Council - Ward Walk Profile: St. Matthew’s January 2020 Version – FINAL

Our Students: ‘Bringing Talent to Life’

Blogpost - My T Level journey so far: Aqsah Ahmed

Architecture and building projects have always been a part of Aqsah’s life. It’s why the T Level in Construction, Design and Planning is the perfect course for her, as she explains here.

What makes a building so special that it stands out from everything else that’s around it? I would say that it's special when it includes the culture and history of the surrounding area. I look forward to exploring this a whole lot more throughout my career. Dubai has some of the most stunning architecture I’ve ever seen. I dream of working here one day. Growing up, I was also interested in building work. I helped my dad rebuild our garage. It was literally taken apart and rebuilt from scratch. I liked helping the other builders that were working for us as well. Our industry placement at HS2 through Balfour Beatty VINCI is going to be amazing.

Spotlight on Talent: Cleo Ofori - Studying: Level 3 Engineering

Cleo’s ambitions to pursue a career working with CNC machinery are getting closer by the day. This is thanks to the skills he continues to develop on his College course.

He moved from Italy to the UK two years ago and studied Level 2 Engineering. He is now about to start the second year of his Level 3 course. “What I love about this course is the way you can learn in such a practical way,” said Cleo. “Getting used to working with CNC Programming, CAD Design makes me confident I can find a job in this industry. Cleo’s interest in engineering began as a student in Italy. This meant he did experience a period of adjustment as he got used to using

equipment and machinery of a different design and make compared to what he had been used to. Cleo has embraced the challenge, also completing GCSE English and maths.

Spotlight on Talent : Sammey Ahmed

Studied: Level 1 Introductory Certificate in Business, Level 2 Business Administration, Level 3 Diploma in Business. Progression: Business and Accounting at Birmingham City University Aspiring accountant, Sammey credits his success as a student to the college’s Deaf Academy team. “I had all the support I needed thanks to them, including access to an interpreter and a note- taker,” he said. “The support workers also available to me had a real understanding of all the challenges I might face in and outside the classroom and how I could handle these.” Sammey’s advice to other deaf students thinking of joining a mainstream college is to ‘go for it’. “You’re supported in so many ways and get to be around people of all abilities and ages, so you have a bigger friendship and social unit.”

Spotlight on Talent: Sindy Weals

Studied : HNC and HND Diploma in Photography. Progression : Level 6 BA Hons Visual Communication (Photography) TOP-UP A growing interest in photography sparked Sindy’s desire to return to education after a 30-year break. However, it was becoming redundant from her job in retail that spurred her to pursue her ambition. Witnessing how passionate her son, Guy was about the photography courses he studied at the College also helped. “I liked the idea of knowing more about the art of photography and the different techniques involved,” Sindy explained. When Walsall NHS Trust’s communications department asked if someone could volunteer to take photographs for them to use in their marketing materials, Sindy jumped at the chance. She has since provided them with images for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as well as other departments to use. In addition, Sindy has completed her first VIP portrait commission for the Lord Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Paul Bott. These experiences are paving the way towards her becoming a freelance portrait and commercial photographer.

“I grew up thinking I wasn’t clever enough for university – now look at me!” Sindy added. “And my family, classmates and tutors encouraged me. I’m glad they did. My message now to anyone thinking about further and higher education is to just go for it. Follow your dreams – you never know what might happen until you try.”

Spotlight on Talent : Zara Jabbar

Studied: Level 3 Travel & Tourism, Level 3 Extended Diploma, HNC & HND Hospitality Management Progression: Hospitality and Tourism Management Top-Up degree at University College Birmingham

Zara’s interest in the business side of travel was sparked by her studying the subject at GCSE. Travelling around the UK and to parts of the Middle East has also bought the subject to life. Her further studies are enabling her to become even more aware of the importance of giving and receiving good customer service. And she has a better understanding of how essential it is to create positive memories for tourists and guests. “It’s about making people feel valued,” said

Zara. “If people are made welcome in a venue or location, they will remember it for the right reasons. Studying hospitality management towards degree level is providing Zara with more confidence to pursue a front of house career.

“Self-belief used to be an issue for me,” she continued. “I was happy to stay in the background when I was involved in group activities in class. This changed when I became involved in events at College.” Zara has been able to develop her professional skills during a placement at the College’s restaurant, The Littleton. “I spent time as bar staff,” said Zara. “It helped me get used to talking to customers.

PARTNERSHIPS/STAKEHOLDERS

External Agencies Partnership working enables the College to engage with a wide range of external agencies. This allows us to support activity across the Borough, which improves experiences for residents and students and contributes to positive development of community cohesion. We are a key partner supporting the Borough in delivering the Cohesion and Integration Strategy in Walsall. We work effectively with the Walsall Community Cohesion and Engagement Team and this positive partnership has resulted in the College being recognised as a pro-active, supportive and inclusive organisation. The Government published the Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper in March 2018. It set out ambitions to build strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities.

Our passion for the development of partnerships which add value to the community is evident in the work that we do. We support community organisations and development at an operational level through student projects and at a strategic level through a range of partnership boards. Strategically, the College has representation on various Boards and Committees. This includes the Adult and Children’s Safeguarding Partnerships, Strategic Partnership Board, Safer Walsall Partnership, Violence Reduction Group, Adult Performance and Quality Assurance Sub Group and the Corporate Parenting Group. We also attend operational groups, such as Channel Panel and relevant workshops, such as, Single Point of Contact for Prevent (SPOC) and the Black Country Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Group.

2019/20 saw the national launch of ETF Centres for Excellence in SEND and the College will look at the criteria for this recognition in view of making an application. We know that our SEND curriculum and support is outstanding and we do expect to be able to realise this accolade moving forward and in particular when post-lockdown activity resolves.

Schools We continue to develop our work with school partnerships and provide opportunities for education at the College from the age of 14 onwards.

Students (and Parents/Wards) Putting our students at the heart of what we do is integral to our success. We, pro-actively, seek the views of our students, our staff and those who access our College or use our services. There are at least seven ways in which our stakeholders can make their voice heard, including student feedback weeks, Chat with Jat, Student Voice Committee, College surveys, elected Students’ Union Reps and an elected student governor. This supports our ongoing drive for inclusion and excellence and is underpinned with a range of information and celebratory activities.

Student Engagement Team/Student Union Our Student Engagement Team play an integral part in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across our student groups. The team start each academic year by planning a range of activities to relate to campaigns throughout each term. During induction, they provide our students with the

citizenship proof of age cards and Totum cards. The team also help coordinate activities and provide support material which promote mental health awareness and the wider support offered through our student services team. Working closely with the Tutorial manager and Curriculum teams, an annual plan for engagement includes a wide range of extra-curricular activities, campaigns and workshops scheduled throughout the year to mark major calendar events and to address local and national issues as well as global awareness of key issues such as global warming, poverty and the political landscape.

Student Engagement Team activity also included: • Engagement Video BSL accessible and captions. • Enrichment video has captions. • Student Union only available from Wisemore, as yet. • Deaf Awareness Week promotion. • June-BLM Shared Beatfreeks opportunities: #Blacklivesmatter commission and Script Writing. • Shared Pride Month events Global Pride 27 June & LGBTQI Virtual Festival 28 June–5 July. • Promoted Walsall Pride virtual event on portal, SU social media - July. • Walsall For All Star Awards-submissions included E&D aspects. • Big Hello Induction (BSL version available). • National Youth Trends Report- promoted a heritage focus group opportunity. • Link to Dr Maya Angelou-Try to be a Rainbow in Somebody Else’s Cloud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nYXFletWH4 • Black History promoted Walsall For All & Faith Forum Looking to the Future. • All E&D roles within the SU have been filled-including 2 students sharing the LGBT post. • Green Impact Officer is 69 and a part time student. • Black poppies promoted as part of Remembrance • Students have asked for access to SU and Engagement Team at other sites. The provision is available however this has not yet come into effect. • Finances are clearer and the SU will be meeting with Head of Student Services and Wellbeing to discuss plans for this year and future years that they will support ways to engage.

Student Voice Students consistently report high levels of satisfaction with the College and are particularly complimentary about the great atmosphere, approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, safety and wellbeing and the support they receive from staff. They comment, regularly, on the welcoming atmosphere and the fact that they can be themselves. When asked to identify what they liked about being a student at Walsall College, comments included: • Walsall College is very supportive when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. • Supporting me well for SEN, they are making sure we are all well. • Helping us with our mental health while we are at home. • I liked the individuality that was given to me and how I was respected.

Our students report that they feel treated with fairness and respect regardless of any protected characteristic. Staff continue to be pro-active in challenging any inappropriate behaviour and help students to understand and promote positive behaviours and British Values. Our approach to the ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ campaign has been strengthened further this academic year and continues to provide the focus for behaviours across the College community and supports positive student/staff interaction. Our approach creates a culture in which all can be heard and valued and opportunities for discrimination, harassment or bullying of any kind are minimised.

We work hard to ensure that students have access to learning experiences and content embedded in the curriculum as well as extra-curricular opportunities which promote inclusion, recognise and value diversity and which, ultimately, embody Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare. True inclusion can only be successful if all those involved work in partnership. This includes our students, parents, employers, staff, service providers and communities themselves and we strive to develop external relationships which enhance the student experience and from which we gain mutual benefit.

EQUALITY VS EQUITY

The difference between equality and equity must be emphasised. While the terms equity and equality may sound similar, the implementation of one versus the other can lead to dramatically different outcomes for marginalised people. Although both promote fairness, equality achieves this through treating everyone the same regardless of need, while equity achieves this through treating people differently dependent on need.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), equity is defined as the ‘absence of avoidable or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically’. Therefore, inequities in health or education for example, involve more than a lack of equal access to needed resources to maintain or improve outcomes. They also refer to inequalities that infringe on fairness and human rights norms.

Equality In the diagram below, two individuals have unequal access to a system — in this case, the tree that provides fruit. With equal support from evenly distributed tools, their access to the fruit still remains unequal.

Equity The equitable solution in this diagram, however, allocates the exact resources that each person needs to access the fruit, leading to positive outcomes for both individuals.

A further way to demonstrate this is portrayed in the two diagrams below. To give them all the same, equal support (as in the diagram on the left) means that the person in the middle can hardly see the game, and the person on the right cannot see anything of the game at all.

In order to ensure that all three people can each see the football game clearly, they each need different support. The equitable solution has been achieved in the diagram on the right.

The College recognises that Equity is at the heart of our EDI ambitions and objectives and we believe that people do need to be considered differently, i.e. each person has different circumstances and we must seek to allocate the exact resource and opportunity needed to reach an equal outcome.

This view flows through our approaches to governance and quality assurance and whilst we have not changed the titles of our EDI annual report, EDI Committee or EDI Policy, we very much see Equity as the thread that binds and underpins, as featured in our published shared values.

GOVERNANCE AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

College Governance and Oversight Our Governors are united in their passion to support and maintain an inclusive organisation where the whole community can learn, work and thrive whilst reaching their full potential. Several of our Governors are local residents and all have a passion to see Walsall College fulfil its commitment to its community and play varied roles in business, education and community cohesion. Our BME Governor profile has decreased when compared to the previous year (from 21% to 13%). This is lower than the borough BME profile of 25% and lower than the student profile of 36%. However, the gender profile has improved over previous years (there are 8 male governors (50%) and 8 female governors (50%). Governors are keen to understand student experience and share our ambition to systematically capture ‘Student Voice’. They take account of student feedback and use it well to challenge and support the College to make improvements which support inclusion and drive equality forward. To this end there is a Student Voice Committee, which is a key Governor Committee to formally review Student Voice and associated actions. Governors also attend the ‘Chat with Jat’ sessions which gives them an insight into student experience as well as take part in ‘Walk-Throughs’ which supports them in dipping into classes that take place across our sites.

A named Governor for equality and diversity sits on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee which is chaired by the Principal and Chief Executive. The Committee considers matters which includes those pertinent to staff as well as students. The Committee includes representation from the College’s Human Resource Team. Through management reports, this Committee advises on decisions and changes what it wishes Corporation to consider and approve. The Committee deliberates on any appropriate ‘action against discrimination’. Voluntary consideration to help people with a protected characteristic (‘positive action’) is legal if people with a protected characteristic:

• are at a disadvantage; • have particular needs; • are under-represented in an activity or type of work.

College governors have fully endorsed our Codes of Practice and policy regarding Freedom of Expression, which is a fundamental right under both British and European law and is protected by Article 20 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The College has a duty to promote the fundamental British Values of: • Democracy; • The rule of law; • Individual liberty; • Mutual respect; • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Every individual and body of persons concerned in the governance of the College is required to take such steps as are reasonably practicable (including where appropriate the initiation of disciplinary measures) to secure compliance with the code of practice.

Quality Assurance for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion The College actively seeks to address inequalities through our quality systems and robust monitoring of data. We also, actively, listen and respond to student feedback as and when concerns are raised. Our main strategies and policies to increase awareness and drive improvements are: • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report (published on our website) • Corporate Strategy • Freedom of Speech Policy

• Equality Objectives/targets • Self-Assessment Reports and Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) and Equality and Diversity Impact Measures (EDIMs) for curriculum and service areas • Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) process

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy ensures that our objectives, which continue to drive equality forward, are agreed, disseminated and brought together centrally. Whilst Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is no longer a legal requirement we continue to review and monitor our major policies affecting students and staff to ensure that equality and diversity remains at the forefront across all aspects of College business. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which underpins College activity is reviewed and approved, annually, by Corporation. Equality policy and practice is monitored by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee which is chaired by the Principal. Equality, diversity and inclusion, at an operational level, is monitored by the Equality and Diversity Team and relevant managers.

The refreshed operational Equality and Diversity (E&D) Team aim to promote and protect the interests of students/staff across many of our activities, continuing to adapt to reflect the new environment in which we are all now living and working and will work to support our ambition for change, setting out: • what we intend to do to achieve intended changes • the targets we set to drive this • the investment we aim to make to deliver our ambitions • how we will evaluate whether our actions are effective.

Achieving Levelling-up Equality, Diversity and Inclusion needs to be considered not only in the micro view at regional, local and College level, but also should include the impact of the macro perspective, which this report offers. Arguably ambitions held at micro level will never truly be fully realised unless national concerns are addressed. The November 2020 report; Achieving Levelling-up. The Structures and Processes Needed (LIPSIT Report, November 2020, available at https://lipsit.ac.uk/project- outputs/), refers to economic convergence between the regions—more specifically, convergence upwards. In essence the research suggests the nature of the changes required, and points outs how Whitehall exercises control through funding competitions which lead to poor resource allocation, waste time, and create an adversarial atmosphere. The report states that the problem is not just inequality between regions, it is also inequality between areas within regions and the existence of pockets of deprivation. The College’s Senior Management Team work closely with not only local and regional stakeholders, but also takes up seat at a national level, working directly with DfE, Ofqual and Ofsted for example, primarily to share our expertise and success in the sector and to influence to changes we feel would benefit education and training and therefore ultimately our students and their prospects.

Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector The experiences of BAME people are explored in the report published June 2020, Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector, is the final report in the year- long Making Diversity Count project. https://www.acevo.org.uk/reports/home-truths/

Whilst focusing on the charity sector, the findings of this report contains potentially uncomfortable home truths for many white leaders who do not understand how racism manifests in their own organisations and actions, or how policies and procedures seen as the ‘norm’ within the sector, can actually marginalise BAME people.

Race in the workplace - The McGregor-Smith Review This review discusses the issues faced by businesses in developing Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) talent in the workplace. The College upholds that every person, regardless of their ethnicity or background, should be able to fulfil their potential at work. That is the business case as well as the moral case. Diverse organisations that attract and develop individuals from the widest pool of talent consistently perform better. The review challenges organisations that, ‘hide behind the

mantle of ‘unconscious bias’. The College has seen very positive responses from students who engage with the concepts of unconscious bias as part of their induction activities. The College aim to adapted suitable training packages for staff that look more broadly and includes awareness of bias which also affects women, those with disabilities or anyone who has experienced discrimination based upon preconceived notions of what makes a good employee or promotes a fully inclusive workplace.

As well as maintaining a view of the very latest EDI legislation, the College’s Senior Management Team (SMT) continues to review the most relevant publications and papers which seek to inform, shape and challenge. We review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.

INCLUSIVE TEACHING PRACTICE

Our commitment to teaching Our teaching, learning and support services take due regard of the needs of different groups and adapt practices in order for those needs to be met, in order to give every individual student the greatest opportunity to succeed. Where it is appropriate to do so, we take legitimate positive action to encourage participation and to equalise success rates, and will use specialist advice from outside the organisation where our expertise in supporting different groups of students needs to be enhanced. Inclusive teaching practice is an approach we adopt to our teaching that recognises the diversity of students, enabling all students to access course content, fully participate in learning activities and demonstrate their knowledge and strengths at assessment. Our inclusive practice is embedded into our curriculum and values the diversity of the student body as a resource that enhances the learning experience.

Reflecting on teaching practice Staff have been asked to consider how to increase the effectiveness of their teaching practice by reflecting on diversity, being aware of how their own background and identity are expressed in course design and teaching style, and understanding their reactions to particular individuals and communities to recognise affinities and prejudices and consider how they affect students’ experiences of their course.

By explaining cultural references and using accessible language, staff are asked to illustrate points with examples that reflect the diversity of our students, recognising how the dynamics of relations between different groups have impacted on their subject field. Staff are asked to acknowledge which voices/issues are not represented in their subject areas which will more likely engage and motivate all students.

By using a variety of teaching and assessment methods (essays, examinations, website and blog- based assignments, individual and group projects, presentations, etc) each student will have the opportunity to enhance their strengths and challenge their less developed learning skills. The student response to each activity enables staff to identify whether some methods work better for particular groups of students and to pinpoint any barriers to learning that might need to be addressed. Staff understand what reasonable adjustments disabled students need in order to facilitate their learning, and adapt to teaching methods appropriately.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY PERFORMANCE AND DATA

Impact of COVID-19 on 2019/20 Achievement Rates Much of the 2019/20 achievement data consists of Centre Assessed Grades (CAGs). Teachers were allowed to utilise all assessment evidence both formative and summative in order to apply professional judgements for final grades based on what students were likely to have achieved if the pandemic did not happen. Delivery went remote from the end of March and end of year grades submitted in June and July were subjected to national moderation from each exam board. There were also however a smaller proportion of qualifications where assessments had to be adapted and or delayed due to the pandemic. For our HE provision for example, there remained the need to gather and submit actual student work in order to qualify the grades submitted. Apprenticeships were able to continue to use formative assessments however some End Point Assessment (EPA) opportunities were delayed and some students were placed on furlough, impacting on timely achievement.

Whilst 2019/20 achievement data is important to consider, we should be mindful that much of the following results have been reached through CAGs and via exam board moderation rather than ‘actual’ attainment. That said, the results are important to help us to focus our energy at curriculum level, where specific E&D gaps will receive management and leadership attention and intervention, aiming to address and improve gaps for the 2020/21 academic year.

Our analysis however is much more than looking into gaps and targets. This is about enabling individuals to reach their potential: a student who is the first among his family and friends to study for a degree; a disabled student able to access and enjoy learning like everyone else; a care leaver getting the chance to study for a degree; a black student getting the first-class degree she deserves, placing her in line for a good graduate job.

Other Factors Impacting on Achievement: On a national scale there are substantial differences in attainment rates for certain groups of students. The College’s E&D gaps in many ways reflect the national picture. Factors can be complex and warrant careful review due to other considerations that may play a part. For example, the national HE attainment rate of students from a manual background was 8.6 percentage points lower than students from a higher managerial, administrative and professional background. Students from an unemployed background had an attainment rate 21.5 percentage points lower than students from a higher managerial, administrative and professional background. For Higher Education, one of the most pressing is the black attainment gap. The attainment rate for black students in 2018/19 was 22.1 percentage points lower than white students.

Our students know how they can report incidents and to feel confident that when they do their complaints will be addressed. It is not as simple as assuring ourselves that harassment has been stamped out. Workplace attitudes to race and lack of role models mean BAME individuals are more susceptible to ‘imposter syndrome’ than their white peers, contributing to growing issues around their attainment and retention. Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. Typically, they may find it more difficult to recover from setbacks, and in the long term their career development will begin to wane as they will hold themselves back from pursuing personal ambitions or opportunities to progress.

A recent study found that despite making up 14% of the UK population, just 3% of the country’s most powerful individuals are BAME. With such a severe lack of representation, especially at senior levels, it’s no wonder that so many BAME workers struggle with imposter syndrome. The College’s Equality and Diversity Team was reinvigorated during this year, with new membership and a refreshed mandate to engage in discussions which consider how Walsall College can enhance its support for BAME students, promote racial equality across the whole organisation and successfully achieve the Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC).

Further Considerations The mental health and wellbeing of students have been a growing concern in recent years, and the pandemic has created heightened anxiety and depression for some. During lockdown Mental Health issues increased. Mostly due to lack of routine, not able to socialise, feelings of being trapped, fear of parents/loved ones contracting COVID-19. Increased pastoral support is important when more learning is happening online. Counselling support for students continues to be provided via Microsoft Teams or telephone during this lockdown. Students are engaging in this delivery, despite preferring face to face. Students are also accessing material on the College website for mental health support, as well as the information we provide about mental health on GOAL and student home pages. September 2020, we completed the highest number of sessions offered over the last 7 years (at almost 1,000 such interventions), demonstrating the exponential growth in the need for support and counselling. One of the highest presenting issues is anxiety and family issues, this is no surprise with young people being at home and the effects of lockdown.

We will continue focus on the digital poverty that the coronavirus pandemic has thrown into sharp focus. By the end of 2020, almost 400 devices had already been sent to students who had little or no access to education remotely, with plans into 2021 to meet a growing demand due to the national lockdown announced for January ’21, lasting until at least into February half-term.

Vocational Achievement rates and E and D Gaps 2020/21 The following data sets represent all College starts for the academic year 2020/21. The top-level view indicates where there may be gaps in either retention and or achievement for student groups such as adults or BAME etc. It is important to note that where there is a gap larger than 3%, we record this as requiring further exploration and actions which aim to close the gap against agreed deadlines, which commonly will be to conclude by the following academic year. Each curriculum team do analyse this data much closer to their curriculum and managers and staff devise strategies and actions where relevant to address. Achievement gaps are recorded in Curriculum level Quality Improvement Plans (QIP) and are monitored each term in the curriculum Quality Summit meetings.

To summarise the more detailed analysis that follows, the 2020/21 data shows that the following actions will be prioritised for the 2021/22 year ahead:

• There are no material Gender achievement gaps (apart from Higher Education, see below). • There are no material Disability achievement gaps. • There are no material Learning Difficulty achievement gaps. • There is a material Age achievement gap, where adults achieve 6.67% less well. • BME students are well represented within the College community (36.2% of all students starting a course with us) which is significantly above the borough representation). There is however, a BME achievement gap of 5.23%. • Widening Participation students represent a healthy 68% of the Colleges students overall, however, there is a WP achievement gap of 6.01% that needs to be addressed. • Aim to close the achievement gap of 9.9% for BME students in Higher Education. • Aim to close the 9.01% gap for Disability Higher Education group (although numbers are low). • Aim to close the 13.42% gap in achievement for females is Higher Education.

Ethnicity There is a 5.2% achievement gap between BME and Non-BME students, this is made up predominantly by African and Caribbean students where achievement is around 76% (there are around 1,000 students in these cohorts, so the gap, requires attention and action at curriculum level). This is a decline from previous year (2018/19) where there was no achievement gap for BME students. Whilst retention is high for both groups, the final achievement of the qualification forms a gap which is 2.23% the 3% tolerance we use.

BAME Remote Learning impact We know that around 50% of the 20% of overall students who did not / were not able to continue to engage with their learning post the March 2020 lockdown, were BAME. This is disproportionate given that overall BAME students make up around 36.2% of all students starting a course at the College. There are several potential factors that may be contributing to this outturn such as social and economic status of those families involved, feeding into such considerations such as availability of devices to study remotely, internet access and speed, the need to have a quiet study space at home, family priorities to contribute financially and other such matters which may impact upon aspirations and priorities of the individual students.

Achievement % Ethnicity Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 BME 3,729 95.55% 89.22% 81.18% (-5.23%) Non-BME 6,561 96.07% 89.76% 86.41% Grand Total 10,290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Achievement % Ethnicity Sub Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 African 535 97.58% 84.62% 74.84% Caribbean 448 93.66% 100.0% 77.70% Grand Total 983 95.94% 88.48% 76.04%

Age There is a 6.67% achievement gap between Adults (19+) and Young People (16-18) students. There are around 600 more Adult students starting qualifications however courses are often short or very short. Nevertheless, the data is significant and will be addressed directly in each of the relevant Curriculum Team.

Achievement % Age Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 16-18 4,842 94.67% 89.33% 88.15% 19 + 5,448 96.86% 89.83% 81.48% (-6.67%) Grand Total 10,290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Disability Achievement % Disability Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 Disability 1,345 97.75% 87.73% 83.43% No Disability 8,945 95.48% 89.98% 84.70% Grand Total 10,290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Learning Difficulty Learning Difficulty Achievement % Starts (enrolments) Retention % Group 2018/19 2019/20 Learning Difficulty 1,423 97.26% 87.87% 82.63% No Learning Difficulty 8,867 95.51% 90.04% 84.97% Grand Total 10,290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Gender Achievement % Gender Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 Female 5,974 96.01% 89.41% 83.74% Male 4,316 95.70% 89.77% 85.41% Grand Total 10,290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Widening Participation There is a 6.01% achievement gap between Widening Participation and Non-Widening Participation students. This is a disappointing outturn, as previously Widening Participation achievement was equal or slightly higher than Non-Widening Participation. There are around 3,640 more Widening Participation students starting qualifications at the College as related to the context of the local and regional communities.

Achievement % Widening Participation Starts (enrolments) Retention % 2018/19 2019/20 No 3325 96.27% 91.59% 88.65% Yes 6965 95.70% 88.60% 82.64% (-6.01%) Grand Total 10290 95.88% 89.57% 84.48%

Apprenticeship Provision

Ethnicity There is no significant gap in BME and Non-BME student achievement, however, the total number of BME leavers accounts for just 13% of the total apprenticeship cohort in 2019/20.

Leavers Achievement % Ethnicity Group (2019/20) 2018/19 2019/20 BME 98 66.0% 67.3% Non-BME 585 69.5% 66.8% Grand Total 683 69.0% 66.9%

Age There is a 6.4% gap between Adults (19+) and Young People (16-18) apprentices. There are around 83 more Adult apprentices leaving apprenticeships. Nevertheless, the data is significant and each Apprentice Sector Manager are tasked to analyse this closer to their curriculum and devise strategies and actions where relevant to address the achievement gaps. Achievement % Age Group Leavers (2019/20) 2018/19 2019/20 16-18 300 71.8% 63.3% (-6.4%) 19+ 383 67.2% 69.7% Grand Total 683 69.0% 66.9%

Disability There is a 7.5% gap between those apprentices with a disability and those with no disability. However, the number of apprentices with disabilities is significantly smaller than those with no disabilities.

Achievement % Disability Group Leavers (2019/20) 2018/19 2019/20 Disability 27 82.6% 74.1% No Disability 656 68.6% 66.6% (-7.5%) Grand Total 683 69.0% 66.9%

Learning Difficulty There is a 10.7% gap between those apprentices with a learning difficulty and those with no learning difficulty. However, the number of apprentices with learning difficulties is significantly smaller than those with no learning difficulties.

Achievement % Learning Difficulty Group Leavers (2019/20) 2018/19 2019/20 Learning Difficulty 22 57.1% 77.3% No Learning Difficulty 661 69.2% 66.6% (-10.7%) Grand Total 683 69.0% 66.9%

Gender Achievement for male apprentices was 4.3% higher, in comparison to female apprentices, despite there being 85 more males leaving programme. Each Apprenticeship Sector Manager is tasked to analyse this closer to their curriculum and devise strategies and actions where relevant to address the achievement gaps.

Achievement % Gender Leavers (2019/20) 2018/19 2019/20 Female 299 70.3% 64.5% (-4.3%) Male 384 67.8% 68.8% Grand Total 683 69.0% 66.9%

Higher Education (HE) Curriculum Walsall College plays an integral role in making Higher Education courses accessible to hundreds of students in the local area. Our progression routes for our Level 3 internal students, with additional external students is reflected in the suite of qualifications that are provided by our institution. Alongside the Pearson qualifications for Level 4 and 5 that are delivered onsite, we also have partnerships with other Higher Education institutions. We aim to continuously provide courses that suit the demand of prospective students and businesses. Our partnership with Worcester University has seen the expansion of our Higher Apprenticeship provision and Top Up Level 6 qualifications with Birmingham City University. The teacher training programmes are offered through Birmingham City University (BCU) creating newly qualified teachers each year.

The Higher Education provision specifically supports students who want to stay local and are likely to be living with their families, not looking for a lifestyle change, have been studying vocational rather than academic programmes, career focused, and are sensitive to financial matters. Most students live and work in the local area and want to maintain part-time jobs whilst studying. The provision has remained static for the last three academic years with student cohorts between 210 to 250 College based students. We have around 215 HE students in 2020/21 (excluding the students based in London through our partnership with the London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA) which has 219

students on the London Campus). The partnership with LCCA comes to an end in January 2021 where numbers will revert to enable focus on local HE delivery only.

Through set meetings held thrice yearly, the HE curriculum is examined and discussed for sustainability and validity to suit the local needs of students. We will continue to position ourselves to take advantage of increased opportunities, as the sector expands to embrace innovative ways to access higher study and our desire to adapt where necessary to local and regional needs. The Auger Report of Post 18 Education and Funding in May 2019 highlights a world class HE system that encourages widening participation for all students, that is clear in terms of repayment and value. This reflects the College’s status on the Office for Students’ register of Higher Education Providers, which examines the student life cycle from application to destination. This ensures transparency and parity at every point. The Access and Participation Plan is published on the College website for 2020/21 to 2024/25, which outlines how we plan to continue these proposals.

The College will continue to strengthen its offer to HE students; ensuring that they gain a complete developmental experience which, for example, may include further development of English and or maths skills, as well as formal wider opportunities to include work experience, industry placements, volunteering and a full programme of personal development. Our HE students will expand their digital literacy and take part in enrichments and tutorials to explore wider issues such as culture, equality and diversity and the values that will support them into being active citizens, and to be able to contribute positively within their community. HE students will leave with much more than a qualification, to become a Walsall College Graduate, gaining the wider personal development and employability skills which will give them edge in the local, national and international jobs market. HE students contribute to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion by actively participating in discussion and action, displaying their initiative and autonomy in making College wide decisions; which in turn, ensures the College has the power to be reactive to changes in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion agenda. An example of this, is the message posted on the College website so that our community will know that we support Black Lives Matter (BLM) and will offer a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students and staff. BLM is a response to the historic and continued oppression and marginalisation of Black people across the world. For many HE students, their involvement will be their introduction to politics and political movements. With Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students experiencing disparities exacerbated by COVID-19, and particularly for a generation at pivotal stages of their educational journeys, the College will do more for its community in terms of encouraging progression to HE where this is likely to improve life choices and strengthen career options in this uncertain time of significant economic decline. We are committed to upholding academic freedom of enquiry in its education and believe that a culture of free and open discussion is essential. This open culture of discussion can only be achieved if all concerned behave with tolerance, and respect the College’s values as stipulated in the ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ Code of Practice. This ensures good relations and the safety of students and staff. Our Freedom of Speech Policy is fully supported by the College’s Governors and describes the philosophy, principles and procedures relating to our responsibility to foster freedom of expression and the circumstances in which that freedom might be restricted in order to prevent violence, abuse or discrimination. The policy also details the College’s responsibilities regarding visiting speakers.

For 2020/21 and strengthening activity further across 2021/23, the College will continue to grow the Equality and Diversity Team of staff to build on the expectations to deliver contextualised and or subject specific outreach activity. This ambition to expand our delivery of outreach work will seek to encourage increased year-on-year progression to higher education for under-represented groups. This academic year, we have two sets of ‘Aspire to HE’ teams; one that explores underrepresentation by postcode, and the other that encourages full time students over 19, to go into Higher Education. At the start of September 2021, there will also be a bespoke outreach officer who will support students on the ‘Children in Care’ list to get into Higher Education. Our Access and Participation Plan (APP) for 2021–2025 advocates that for academic year 2021, that the Equality and Diversity Team will actively review our identification of underrepresented groups in and during Higher Education with a view to take the College forward in its deeper analysis of wider groups such as care leavers and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities as well as possible intersections. The identification of two or more indicators of underrepresentation or continuation will

enable the College a more precise understanding of impact and contributing factors. Presently, multiple indices of underrepresentation are not captured by College data programmes. The 2021 – 2025 Plan highlighted that we have areas to improve widening participation across HE college provision. The APP created several objectives that now have to be addressed over the course of the next five years; which have been made into QIP actions:

• Close continuation gaps between White vs Asian, Black, Disabled and Mature students. • Increase the proportion of students who are from indices of multiple deprivation, students who have learning difficulties, and increase mature student progression. • Re-examine and improve College’s capability in terms of gathering data regarding students from under-represented groups; to ensure we recognise all students from all areas. (Presently we do not collect/hold information regarding the following underrepresented groups: Roma/Gypsy/Traveller communities, Carers, Refugees, and Children from Military families). • To ensure that HE students have a stronger voice in the ethos and decision making within the organisation by completing the Student Written Submission/Consultation.

The APP for 2021 – 2025 created targets surrounding Equality and Diversity, and opportunities were highlighted for underrepresented groups within the College. The datasets used were from the monitoring information that we had provided for OfS, over the last two academic years. As our student cohorts are so small, some aspects were difficult to analyse on a granular basis to be statistically significant.

Higher Education E and D Performance Data

Ethnicity - Walsall College There is an achievement gap of 9.9% for BME students, this is made up predominantly by Caribbean and mixed ethnic students where achievement is around 61% (there are around 13 students in these cohorts and teams will be reviewing performance at course level.

Ethnic Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % Achievement % BME 29 92.31% 80.77% (-9.9%) Non BME 78 93.33% 90.67% Grand Total 107 93.07% 88.12%

Disability - Walsall College A 9.01% gap for Disability group records a failure of 2 students through their decision to leave the course.

Disability Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % Achievement % Disability 10 80.00% 80.00% (-9.01%) No Disability 97 94.51% 89.01% Grand Total 107 93.07% 88.12%

Learning Difficulty - Walsall College Learning Difficulty group records 100% retention and high achievement.

Learning Difficulty Group Starts (enrolments) Retention % Achievement % Learning Difficulty 10 100.00% 90.00% No Learning Difficulty 97 92.31% 87.91% Grand Total 107 93.07% 88.12%

Gender - Walsall College A 13.42% gap in achievement for Females represents a downturn in the data for this group to be explored at course level during term 2. Retention a key factor.

Gender Starts (enrolments) Retention % Achievement % Female 60 91.07% 82.14% (-13.42%) Male 47 95.56% 95.56% Grand Total 107 93.07% 88.12%

Widening Participation - Walsall College There are slightly more WP students on our HE provision which is healthy as we are attracting so called non-traditional HE students from regional recruitment ‘cold-spots’ who are performing as well as their peers.

Widening Participation Starts (enrolments) Retention % Achievement % No 48 91.67% 89.58% Yes 59 94.34% 86.79% Grand Total 107 93.07% 88.12%

PROGRESSION TO POSITIVE DESTINATIONS DATA (TAKEN 6 MONTHS AFTER COURSE END)

The latest progression to positive destination data available relates to the students completing their courses at the end of the 2018/19 academic year. This allows time enough for students to settle into their next steps. Clearly this represents a pre-Covid world and therefore something for the College to review as we aim to address any disproportionate lack of progression across 2019/20 and beyond. As the data shared here is at top level view, it is important to note that additional gaps in attainment can appear at micro level (curriculum and course level) analysis, and delivery teams have reviewed their data at that detail in order to generate meaningful and specific targets for improvement.

16-19 cohort 3,470 in scope of which 84% known and is 89.2% positive. • Positive destinations were equal for both male (88.2%) and female (90.5%) students. • There were no significant ethnicity gaps in the destinations data for this cohort. • High Needs students enjoyed high levels (91.7%) of positive progression. • There were no significant gaps in progression for Widening Participation students.

Adult cohort (19+) 4,281 in scope of which 76.3% known and is 82.9% positive • Positive destinations were equal for both male (80.2%) and female (82.8%) students. • There were no significant ethnicity gaps in the destinations data for this cohort. • High Needs students enjoyed comparatively high levels (83.8%) of positive progression. • There were no significant gaps in progression for Widening Participation students.

Apprenticeships 476 in scope of which 63% known and is 92.7% positive • There was a female gap of 4.3% compared to male (94.8%) positive progression (female 90.5%). • There were no significant ethnicity gaps in the destinations data for this cohort. • There were no High Needs students in the data for this provision. • There was significant gap (8%) in positive progression for Widening Participation students (87.7%) vs 95.7% for non-WP students.

Community 693 in scope which is 71% known and is 49.2% positive • There is a significant 20.8% gap in destinations for male students (34.5%) vs female (55.3%) although the male cohort is much smaller in number than females. • There was a significant gap of 27% for non-BME cohort (37.2%) vs BME (64.2%). • There were no High Needs students in the data. • There were no significant gaps in progression for Widening Participation students.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION OF EDI

Personal Development (Students’ activities and engagement across the year) Despite ten years of austerity and qualification reform and because of the significant increase in numbers of students needing mental health, wellbeing and safeguarding support, we have invested in our support staff, employing extra Pastoral Officers, Counsellors, Work Experience Officers and Safeguarding support as well as Sales Executives. Likewise, we understand that the learning environment is essential to the students’ experience and so we have invested in our new Digital Engineering Centre, Business and Sports Hub and digital technology right across all our campuses. Part of our commitment to providing the best possible online experience includes the additional layer of inclusive software to our website. By utilising accessibility and language technology solutions, we have supported our students, parents, carers and communities to read and understand the content on our website barrier-free, and the accessibility toolbar has been launched on our site thousands of times in 2020. Other such new developments for 2020 included:

• Pre-induction – all resources are accessible to all students. • Health and Safety video – BSL accessible. • Unconscious Bias training for all students. • Deaf Awareness training. • ACE’s – support for mental health awareness with adverse childhood experiences.

Personal Development/Themed Activities/Cultural Calendar Resources The College values its commitment to the personal development of all students. Students who acquire the skills to work productively with people from different backgrounds are likely to be attractive to potential employers. Here is a sample of the personal development activities which spanned the 2020/21 calendar year.

Black Lives Matter The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a glaring light on racism across our society, within our institutions and structures. Sadly, the college sector is not immune. Much work is needed to understand the lived experiences and outcomes for BAME students and staff in order to address those inequalities and create true equity in education, where everyone feels they belong and can succeed. Walsall College’s response to the appalling killing of George Floyd in the United States and the widespread feelings of injustice was shared across our communities and published on our website. The topic was discussed at our senior management meetings and governance committees, leading to a renewed commitment to address the issues both in the curriculum with our students, and within our staff community.

As a College firmly rooted in our commitment to serve and support our community, we emphasised our unreserved support and solidarity for our Black colleagues and students. With much of the coverage at the time focused on events in the United States, we know this is an issue of entrenched racial inequality across the world, including in the UK and in further and higher education. We acknowledge that citizens were protesting not only the death of George Floyd, but also police killings of many other unarmed Black people over time. Black Lives Matter is a response to the historic and continued oppression and marginalisation of Black people across the world.

We understand that for many of our students, particularly for our Black students, the ongoing protests, which highlighted the deep-rooted racism and inequalities within our society, may be very triggering. The College shared various information and support resources that students may have found helpful, including some on intersectional issues such as race, police violence, gender and LGBTQ+ rights as well as key contacts at the College.

Challenging social evils like racial inequality and injustice through our curriculum, as well as our wider engagement with students and our community, is part of Walsall College’s purpose, but this is not enough. We must also ensure the practices within our College are strengthened to fully reflect this.

We therefore want to outline some of our actions to further support our community, but also acknowledge that we need to do more.

We have made progress, for example introducing our Ready Respectful Safe campaign to raise aspirations and self-esteem, expanding our enrichment activities to celebrate diversity, and embed confidence that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated. Our mechanisms which promote engagement in this however, must be strengthened, with some curriculum areas benefitting more than others from the activities we offer. We will outline our expectations to all delivery teams so that the wide range of enrichment activities are placed more centrally to the student experience. Clearly the College has already delivered specific tutorial sessions about the murder of George Floyd and other citizens across the USA and UK and the impact of the Black Lives Matters movement.

This is a time to step forward and ask ourselves uncomfortable questions, so that we can understand the best ways to support Black Lives Matter and fight racism in education and all aspects of society. In doing so we may not always get things right, but through mutual respect we know that to do nothing, is not acceptable. We recognise that structural inequality manifests itself not only in visible ways, but also in the circumstances of our everyday working lives. We want to make sure that staff and students at all levels of the organisation are comfortable to discuss and address these issues, but also recognise that such conversations involve very unequal degrees of risk for different people. The College supports that we are stronger when we come together as a community.

Black History Month (BHM), with Walsall for All and Black Lives Matter • Books available for Black History Month • Social enterprise Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England - new guidance on supporting the mental health of People of Colour and Black people in the workplace. • BLM - parents’ guide • Podcasts • BLM Films resources • 500 words competition winners BLM • Black History: Looking to the Future Webinar • BHM Quiz, Past Present and Future • BHM 2020 Famous Men and Women • BHM Presentation Extracts from Book, poems • Beverley Knight's A to Z of Black Music • The First Black People in Britain • Spotlight

Wider Personal Development Activities: • Stay safe week – mental health resources. • Remembrance Day video by Public Services and Media with support resources 653 accessed video – BV – Mutual Respect and Tolerance. • Colleges Live - includes FBI Special Agent – African American woman discussing diversity and inclusion in the FBI, A German-British historian forced to flee Germany during WW2, Antisemitism. • Links to International day of people with disabilities. • Aids awareness with LGBT+ presentation. • Resources available to students/staff: • Migration. • Racism. • Apocalypse – stereotyping. • Training made available to support staff with how we engage with BHM, discussing on the narrative of BHM and Race in the classroom. • Resources available which include Equality session, BSL introduction, and links to online systems like iDeas, open learning and Princes Trust. • Events calendar has individual links to different events or awareness across the year to include: Human Rights Day, Hanukkah, Diwali and many more. • Holocaust Memorial Day 27 January - awareness of Hate crime this will be linked to the Stay Safe week in February, BV – Mutual Respect and Tolerance/Individual Liberties. • Chinese New Year – 12 February. • LBGTQ History Month (February) – link to stereotyping, discrimination with Stay Safe week BV – Mutual Respect and Tolerance/Individual Liberties. • Ramadan starts 13 April – link to faith awareness BV – Mutual Respect and Tolerance/Individual Liberties. • Pride Month (June) LGBTQ celebrations • Inspiring Women in Construction July – leadership roles in the industry • Virtual Pride events – August 29th • Range of resources through GOAL available • Equality Act • Media representation of ethnic minorities • International Women’s Day • Mental Health and Wellbeing, • British Values • Equality and Diversity, • Internet Safety • Unconscious Bias Training • Health and Safety

Monitoring the Impact of Personal Development The College systematically measures the engagement and impact upon students through the Walsall College Graduate (WCG) on-line system. This is the College’s bespoke Individual Learning Plan and personal profile for every student. We are able to track the engagement of all students through their reflections that are prompted once they have completed an activity.

Reflective Practice A random sample of student records from across a range of courses, offers an example of how their understanding and appreciation is enhanced through reflective practice and how their engagement with equality, diversity and inclusion topics, broadens their personal development and strengthens their potential and prospects as Walsall College Graduates.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

OCR Level 2 I have gained a wider understanding of mental health day, and that Cambridge asking twice can really help someone to express their feelings. I also Technical in never knew that these campaigned existed, so it really opened up my Business eyes to real topics going on around the world and that it has a massive community which is supported. Painting and I have been enlightened on different factors of mental health, I also Decorating looked at ways to combat and control mental illness. We also looked (Level 2 at online bullying and how it affects us mentally and physically. Diploma) Cache Level 3 We had a guest speaker go through a presentation on well-being, well- Diploma in being is a state of being comfortable, wealthy or happy. A balanced in Childcare and diet is good for wellbeing and having a healthy diet helps improve it. I Education (EYE) know who to turn to if I ever feel like my wellbeing is getting worse; parents, tutors, family, friends, kooth or ChildLine support. I also know the positive and negative coping strategies and what strategies I can use to become more positive Cache L2 We had a guest speaker, talk to us about healthy relationships and Diploma for the consent, and what all this means whilst in a relationship. We learnt Early Years that many actions within a relationship should be consented to. We Practitioner also learnt that if ourselves or someone we know is being abused or is in a toxic relationship, then there are many apps, websites and services that can help us. I have developed, because I now know the signs of a toxic/abusive relationship and what to look out for in others relationships so I can warn them as well. we had a person who is deaf from the deaf academy come in and teach us some sign language such as hi, good morning, thank you BTEC Level 1 and more and the dos and don’ts of how to call them and how to and Introductory not to communicate to a deaf person. Also I learned how to sign my Diploma in name. Now I know how to communicate and react when I am around Health & Social a death person and what to call them and not to call them Care L3 Diploma in I had a look through the NHS mindfulness, which tells you what it is, Sports Massage how it helps mental health and a list of things how to be mindfulness. and Exercise I watched this small video 'Mindful Breathing Exercise' in which a Referral woman keeps you aware of you breathing, allowing you to take your mind away. I then completed the 'mood self-assessment quiz'. It shows you how to be more mindful, and how to manage it. Sometimes it just reminds you that things like that do happen and people need an uplift. (C&G) Level 3 I have looked through the anti-bullying week presentation. It provided Advanced a lot of interesting information that is not often thought about but we Diploma for use in everyday life. Labels are more powerful than what we think and Professional what we can think of as fun can be detrimental to another person. It Chefs (Kitchen & made me reflect on the everyday labels we use. I have reflected on Larder) the labels that I use for people and thought about the labels that people would use for me and I realise that as a society we should be careful of the labels we use as they are not always accurate and can carry a lot of prejudgment which is often wrong or inaccurate. I will be more mindful in the future

Internet Safety

BTEC National I have developed knowledge that can help keep me safe while using Foundation online devices and technology and platforms I know how to spot fake Diploma in emails or messages and what to do or who to report them to if I do Business receive any fake emails or scammers sending text messages. I have also benefit from this by learning how to keep my accounts safe by using different passwords for each account to keep myself safe. In general I have learnt a lot from this. Cache Level 3 We went over E safety in our PPO session, we answered questions Diploma in on an interactive PowerPoint. I took from this session that I need to Childcare and include symbols to make stronger passwords, this is what I can also Education (EYE) do personally. I can put this into place by changing my passwords for my accounts. I have developed as a result of this as I can ensure that I am safer online. We encourage children to use technology in setting e.g. iPad and we supervise the children, use passwords and block websites BTEC Level 1 I have learnt how to stay safe on online and how to be careful who you Introductory talk to. However, we have learnt that to consider our choice's very well Diploma in that we protect ourselves from online safety. I have developed my Health & Social results is to be secure and protect my selves from being in a difficult Care position in online safety which I try to protecting my selves from grooming, threats and other harm BTEC Level 1 We discussed in class about cyberbullism and its effects on an Introductory individual's mental health. We understood how delicate the internet Diploma in can be: A single video, might give someone unwanted attention; This Health & Social can have a huge, negative impact on the person's life. Care (C&G) Level 3 Sexting is creating or sharing a sexual image and is illegal for people Advanced under the age of 18 many one can share copy the photo, blackmail Diploma for bulling and harm can happen from this digital footprint - make sure Professional you change your password often and use a strong unique password. Chefs (Kitchen & Grooming is where someone builds and emotional connection with a Larder) child to gain their trust for the purposes of sexual abuse and exploitation. It’s reminded me of the signs I need to look out for.

British Values

OCR Level 2 I have developed as I have a better understanding that being tolerable Cambridge to people, that it’s ok for people to feel different as they all have a right Technical in to be happy calm and safe. Individual freedom allows people to Business express themselves in ways that are unique, so everyone has their own thoughts which benefits society. Freedom is important because it allows us to do what we want to a certain appropriate extent. Painting and I have developed my knowledge on the British values, I also learnt Decorating more about parliament and how the voting system works. We also (Level 2 learnt about racism that involved completing an exercise about Diploma) stereotyping people based on religion and race. I have learnt more about how to respect people how I would like to be respected and treated.

(Y1) BTEC L3 Consider what Remembrance day is about and how we celebrate it National as well as completing a quiz to see how much I know about Extended Remembrance day. I went through a power-point explaining Diploma in Remembrance day as well as key topics such as poppies and war. I Performing Arts now know what inspired poppies to be the traditional symbol for (Acting & Dance) Remembrance day, as well as growing on the battlefields, they inspired John McCrae to write the first ever war poem. I know more about war and poppies because of this BTEC Level Remembrance day - We participated at the remembrance day 1/Level 2 First parade, we responded to the commanders and listened to some video Diploma in Public presentations as well as to a speech made by; the people presenting Services (RQF) the event. As a result of this activity, I developed respect and discipline. (C&G) Level 3 I read about British values and understand the meaning of British Advanced values According to Ofsted, 'Fundamental British values' comprise: Diploma for the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect for and tolerance of Professional those with different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith. Chefs (Kitchen & British Values is a government initiative to teach students the values Larder) of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance. I now understand the definition of democracy from the Greek words "demos” meaning people, and "kratos" meaning; power. Democracy can be thought of as "power of the people": a way of governing which depends on the will of the people the rule of law the restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well- defined and established laws individual liberty. Individual liberty means each of us having the freedom to make our own choices and do what we want within reason. Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. Mutual respect is understanding that we all don't share the same and values. Respecting the values, ideas and beliefs of others whilst not imposing our own on others.

Equality and Diversity

BTEC National This helped express what we go through in everyday living situations Foundation and listen and understand other people views and opinions on how Diploma in black people are treated and why some people act the way they act. Business OCR Level 2 Treat everyone equally. Treat everyone as you want to be treated. Diploma in Applied Science (QCF) BTEC Level 3 I think it has made me more aware of certain parts of history that have Foundation definitely been hidden prior to this. I always knew there's more to Diploma in Art & British history than what I have been taught in school, but I mainly Design thought it was more to do with how horrendous Britain's history actually is rather than all these positive stories that Black history (16 to 18/Loan) As a result I have idea of bias and unbiased opinions and that I need Cache Level 3 to become more aware of unconscious bias and become more aware Diploma in of what people say. Childcare and Education (EYE)

(C&G) Level 3 I know about how coloured individuals didn’t have the same human Advanced rights as white people from watching the Netflix documentary and I Diploma for read through the BLM PowerPoint. I learnt that coloured people still Professional get discriminated for the colour of their skin, yes they have all the Chefs (Kitchen & same rights as white people now but certain individuals still get Larder) treated differently. (C&G) Level 3 Did the unconscious bias training and learnt about what it means and Advanced why it is an important issue to discuss. I now know that an Diploma for unconscious bias is a prejudice assumption we make but not Professional necessarily out of spite, as we do not think about it before we make Chefs (Kitchen & the assumption. However, just because we are not aware of the Larder) decision at the time, doesn’t make it right. C&G) Level 2 We had a deaf woman brief us on how she communicates in everyday Diploma in Air life without hearing. She told us personally that she can lip read and Cabin Crew uses sign language to anyone else that can read it. She learned us that not every deaf person is the same and some cannot lip read so communicating can be different. She also learned us how to finger spell our names and other words. This has learned me how to finger spell to a deaf person which is very useful to me and makes me feel happy that I know how to politely communicate with them.

Health & Safety

OCR Level 2 I have developed as a result of this, because it has really open my Cambridge eyes to how hard and endlessly NHS workers work to provide our Technical in safety. This makes me appreciate every person who is a part of the Business NHS, doing their best to ensure our health and wellbeing is being cared for. During the pandemic NHS workers have sadly died due to being in such close contact with people who have the virus and catching it themselves then sadly dying because of the reaction they had to the virus. Advanced After going through the PowerPoints I now have more knowledge of Technical the safeguarding in college. I now understand how different areas are Diploma in designed to help keep students safe Plumbing (YR1) BTEC I have developed an understanding of what I need to do to keep Level 3 Extended myself safe in college and the risks of health and safety Diploma in Creative Media Production (TV & Film)

Cache L2 We did our covid- 19 safe and expectations of personal development. Diploma for the This was the first week of college so not much was really said only Early Years regarding covid and how to keep safe. I am more enlightened of what Practitioner is necessary to keep safe at Walsall College and the college's restrictions regarding social distancing and using hand sanitizer regularly C&G) Level 2 I now know the different types of health and safety my knowledge Diploma in Air how now developed and I’m now aware of the types of health and Cabin Crew safety risks which I didn’t know about before so I have now gained more knowledge and are aware of different types

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Implementation Each year we prepare our teachers for the new academic year with our September Walsall College Graduate Full Package (WCGFP) training programme. This training programme is designed to inform staff of any changes, updates and services available to both staff and students. It also covers pedagogic developments for their teaching, learning and assessment. Web accessibility is now mandatory across college for all staff in terms of creating resources that are inclusive to all staff and students. We are leading 12 West Midlands Colleges on a Synchronous Teaching and Learning CPD development project and that our focus is accessibility. We also delivered a bespoke training day to the inclusive support team, learning mentors and our deaf team, subtitles and accessibility were the topics covered and this was successful. The wider staff development programme for this year included the following relevant topics:

• Mental Health Awareness (supporting our students) • ACEs Post COVID Lockdown • Students’ Target Setting and Reflection • Work Experience • Expectations and Managing Students’ Behaviour Online • Safeguarding our Students in an Online World • Student Induction (Preparing for the New Normal) • Students’ Personal Development (Tutorial) • Students’ Enrichment in a New World • Unconscious Bias (Black Lives Matter) • Using Formative Assessment Online Strategies • Careers and CEIAG • Digital Educator Programme (Bronze and Silver Awards) • HR Update • Keeping Children Safe in Education 2020 Refresher Training. • Personal Education Plan (PEP) quality training for our Looked After Children (LAC).

All sessions have an online quiz and evaluation form for staff to complete so we can evaluate the effectiveness of our offer and measure the impact of new knowledge and skills in terms of student progress, attainment and satisfaction as well as their engagement in the wider aspects of personal development.

Learning Walks (Lesson Observations) Our comprehensive Learning Walk process supports staff in offering critical friendship and coaching to improve practice for the benefit of our students. In terms of Equality and Diversity themes we do know what went well and where we need to do more:

What went well: • Highly effective inclusion strategies used by the tutor throughout. • Tutor promoted an inclusive atmosphere. • Tutor promoted inclusivity, through question nomination. • Exceptional personalisation provided to students to enrich their learning. • Tutor had a clear understanding of the wide variety of different abilities. • Differentiated support provided on a 1:1 basis when students raised queries. These involved skilful questioning to direct the student to answer the one posed. • Strong evidence of inclusive learning. • Tutor handled often sensitive discussion with regards to learners’ beliefs and opinion on E&D in a supportive and professional manner and provided a safe environment where learners had no hesitation in sharing their opinions and experiences.

• The conversation the tutor had with the apprentice was very well linked to the apprentice’s job role and how E&D is relevant to the apprentice in their workplace. • E&D was explored as part of the session and the tutor explored stereotypes.

What didn’t go so well: • When discussing discrimination, the tutor asked what the student would do if they saw discrimination, this could have been extended by asking what types of discrimination can occur within the workplace and what signs to be aware of as sometimes this can be very subtle and not easily identifiable. • Students were all addressed as Ladies rather than applying a ‘gender neutral’ term such as ‘Folks’.

OUR KEY EDI OBJECTIVES FOR 2021/22

As a result of the analysis in this report, we aim to:

• close the material Age achievement gap, where adults achieve 6.67% less well • close the BME achievement gap of 5.23% • close WP achievement gap of 6.01% • close the achievement gap of 9.9% for BME students in Higher Education. • close the 9.01% gap for Disability Higher Education group (although numbers are low) • close the 13.42% gap in achievement for females is Higher Education • close the 6.4% achievement gap for adults (19+) apprentices • close the 4.3% gap in achievement for female apprentices • close the 10.7% achievement gap for those apprentices with a learning difficulty (although numbers are low) • close the 7.5% achievement gap for those apprentices with a disability (although numbers are low) • close the positive destination gap of 4.3% for female apprentices • close the positive destination gap of 8% Widening Participation apprentices • close the positive destination gap of 20.8% for male community students (although numbers are low) • close the positive destination gap of 27% for the non-BME community students. • continue to develop specific resources for staff to support tutorial activity e.g. Banter vs Abuse, Prevent, Positive Communities and British Values • continue to monitor the outcomes from the Learning Walks, related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion • continue to monitor analysis of Equality and Diversity data to further promote inclusivity • improve the students’ understanding of Prevent and British Values has been maintained • increase awareness of the inclusive support available for our apprentices to and to further promote enrichments opportunities as appropriate. • prepare against the criteria to achieve the Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter (REC) • prepare against the criteria to achieve Centre of Excellence in SEND (Special educational Needs and Disabilities) • continue to increase disclosure of protected characteristics to staff and students. • continue to promote Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through student engagement, personal development, enrichments and tutorial activity.

HUMAN RESOURCES - STAFF EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ANNUAL REPORT (2019/20)

1 INTRODUCTION At Walsall College we recognise that our employees are our greatest asset. We want them to be happy and proud that they work in a College that eliminates all forms of discrimination.

At the end of the academic year, 2019/20 Walsall College employed 864 staff. Human Resources set out to achieve a number of key objectives in the year 2018/19 as follows:

2 SUMMARY OF EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACTIVITY This section of the report summarises EDI activity over the last academic year.

1. Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster a culture of respect. 2. Maintain workforce profile to be reflective of the community through improving the diversity of the pool of applicants, diversity in shortlisting and diversity of appointments. 3. Set workforce diversity targets to reduce differences in experience and improve workforce diversity. 4. To analyse the 2020 gender pay gap and analyse what actions (if any) can be taken to reduce it further.

Disability Confident – Employer (Level 2)

Since joining the Disability Confident scheme in 2017, we remain a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme is voluntary, and aims to help employers successfully employ and retain disabled people and those with health conditions. Being Disability Confident is a unique opportunity to lead the way in our community.

Some of the commitments that the College agrees to in order to maintain this status are:

1. Actively looking to attract and recruit disabled people. 2. Offering an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. 3. Providing paid employment (permanent or fixed term). 4. Promoting a culture of being Disability Confident. 5. Providing occupational health services if required.

The Disability Confident – Employer logo is prominent on all job adverts with a separate statement to say that we particularly welcome applicants with a disability. We also display the logo on the Human Resources SharePoint site and internal emails to ensure it is promoted to our employees.

2.1 Health and Wellbeing Through ZEST we offer a range of services, guidance, awareness and activities to help ensure we embed a strong culture of workplace wellbeing. Some examples of the ZEST activity from 2019/20 are listed below:

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Mental Health First Aid Team – Walsall College now has 13 members of staff that are trained as Mental Health First Aiders. The MHFA Team are trained with the skills, knowledge and understanding of first aid for mental health and how to effectively support staff experiencing distress. The MHFA Team was set up to help create a positive environment, whereby staff and managers feel able to talk openly and with trust about mental health and seek help if necessary. Awareness Days – Throughout the year ZEST has celebrated Awareness days to help promote wellbeing to staff. Some of the campaigns that we have supported over the last 12 months include; Mental Health Awareness Week, Turn Blue Monday Green, World Mental Health Day, and World Menopause Day. We promote awareness material via email, Yammer, posters, and screensavers as pop ups.

Physical Health – ZEST in partnership with the College’s onsite gym offers a free 3-month trial for all new starters to the college.

Cycle to Work Scheme – Through ZEST we also offer Cycle to Work, which enables employees to get a bike tax-free, saving 25-39% on its high street value. The scheme helps staff save money, be healthier, and be more environmentally friendly. Last year 6 staff members purchased a bike through the scheme.

SimplyHealth – Through ZEST we also offer staff the benefit; SimplyHealth, which aims to keep our workforce healthy while minimising the additional worry about cost. Staff are able to claim back a proportion of the cost of treatment (i.e. dental, optical, and counselling) from SimplyHealth. Staff can also access 24/7 GP access and an Employee Assistance programme (EAP) which includes counselling telephone services and cover for up to four children (under the age of 18).Our claims performance with SimplyHealth is currently over 90%, which demonstrates our staff are fully utilising this health benefit scheme.

ZEST events. We have converted activities to deliver virtual ZEST events. In May 2020 we launched our first virtual ZEST event, ZEST from Home, which coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week. The event offered a comprehensive package of wellbeing initiatives, services and activities to encourage and motivate staff to look after their health, both physically and emotionally generally, but especially during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Examples of the activities/services that were available for staff included; Men’s Health and Wellbeing, emotional resilience, Yogalates from home, menopause, Fertility UK, hair cutting tutorial, and the Walsall College Big Quiz to bring everyone together virtually.

Flexible Working – As part of the College’s commitment to providing a positive working environment, the college endeavour to support employees in achieving an appropriate work- life balance. Last academic year, the College have supported 18 members of staff with flexible working requests, 4 of these requests were from male employees. Three staff had career breaks this year, 1 of the 3 career breaks was for a male employee. By offering flexibility, this increases the ability of the organisation to attract and retain skilled employees; raise employee morale; decrease absenteeism; lower staff turnover; and react to changing market conditions more effectively.

Accessibility – During the last year work has taken place to ensure that information, activities and resources are more accessible. Examples of where events have been made accessible and inclusive include interpreters at all staff conference events, bespoke COVID return to site training was delivered to the Deaf awareness team. Training events have been 2

made accessible in different formats to allow a more inclusive approach including the use of subtitling and accessible formats. As the College had to transition to an off-site delivery model which saw many staff working from home we supported staff and this included a number of Access to work arrangements, individual assessments and also links to support for staff such as counselling and Occupational intervention. We took active steps to provide for the inclusion and needs of staff working off site in terms of health and safety and potential discrimination.

Results - Since launching ZEST we have seen significant improvements. Our staff turnover has reduced from 13% to 7.4%, and sickness absence levels remain lower than the public sector average, according to the XpertHR Rates and Costs Survey 2020.

2.2 Equality Training We have delivered a range of Equality and Diversity training in college and approved training requests for staff to attend external courses as featured below (* denotes mandatory training):

• Equality and Diversity Training * • Disabled Go Online Training • Equality and Diversity in the Classroom • Embedding Equality and Diversity in the Classroom • Mental Health and Suicide Awareness • Understanding and using Equality and Diversity data • Banter Vs Abuse

2.3 Gender Pay Gap Reporting The College’s Gender Pay Gap Report for March 2020 has been published in line with Government regulations. The gender pay gap shows the differences in the average pay between men and women. This differs from equal pay, which deals with the pay differences between men and women who carry out the same jobs, similar jobs or work of equal value. The College’s Mean Gender Pay Gap for March 2020 was 13.7%, 1.2% lower than in March 2019. The Median Gender Pay Gap decreased by 3.9% to 16.7% and the College are working to reduce this gap. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the Education Sector’s Mean Gender Pay Gap for hourly rate for 2020 was 17.1% and 24.6% for the Median Gender Pay Gap for hourly rate. Walsall College’s Mean and Median Gender Pay Gap for hourly pay is less than both of these average rates.

The gender pay gap is still significantly lower than the National Average of 14.6% and we are confident that male and female employees are paid equally for doing the same role at the College.

The percentage of females and males who received bonus pay within the 12-month period was 0.8%. The mean bonus pay gap in 2020 was 35.7% and the median was 46.2%, which is a reduction of 14% and 3.6% respectively. Bonuses are now only paid in one area of the College and refers to employees whose terms and conditions include performance related pay, which is based on key performance indicators being achieved. More females receive performance related pay as only one male receives bonus pay.

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2.4 Policies We review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.

Walsall College has a dedicated Human Resources area on its SharePoint pages which focuses on policies that ensure employees with protected characteristics can access easily. We also state that these policies can be issued in alternative formats.

3 MONITORING We monitor our work by examining the statistics every term and concentrating our efforts to improve the way we do things to drive equality and diversity forward. A Human Resources representative attends all Equality and Diversity team meetings and Committee meetings which are held frequently (half termly and termly) throughout the academic year. In addition to this, we monitor our casework and work with our employees if they have a complaint about any type of discrimination to reassure them it will be managed appropriately.

4 DATA ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY

The core data is set out in the Appendix.

The staff gender profile shows an increasing number of females compared, in particular, with previous years. The most recent data for the sector (2018/19) showed that 64% of the FE workforce was female (AoC College Workforce Survey 2018-19) so the College is not that dissimilar from the national profile.

In relation to staff disability, there has been a slight decrease (0.3%) in staff with a declared disability (8.9%). However, there has also been a 1.1% decrease in the number of staff selecting the ‘prefer not to answer’ response to this question.

The ethnicity profile has not significantly changed. The number of BME staff (now at 20.1%) and is reflective of the demographic of the Walsall area. The national profile shows over 85% of staff being “white British” or “white other”.

The age profile has remained at a similar percentage as the previous year for the number of staff aged 60. This may be due to the trend for people to work longer.

In relation to the sexual orientation of staff, the College has been successful in recording this information (ca 4% of staff prefer not to say compared which has decreased by more than 1% on the previous year.

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There are no national figures for religion/belief. There have not been any significant changes over the three-year period.

5 REVIEW OF SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

5.1 Adopt a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster a culture of respect. The College takes seriously complaints of this nature. The levels of formal cases in the College is low and no trends have been identified in relation to those cases in terms of the profile of the staff subject to formal processes or the reason for them. In 2019/20 there was one disciplinary case which related to an EDI issue. Appropriate actions were implemented in relation to the case however, no trends were identified as a result of that case.

5.2 Maintain workforce profile to be reflective of the community through improving the diversity of the pool of applicants, diversity in shortlisting and diversity of appointments. In 2019/20, 37% of applicants were BME, 6.2% disclosed that they have a disability and 3.5% of applicants were LGBT. The College takes seriously complaints of this nature. Further work will be done to review this against recruitment decisions and identify where proactive steps and measures need to be taken.

5.3 Set workforce diversity targets to reduce differences in experience and improve workforce diversity Improving the quality of the data collected was integral to monitoring the protected characteristics to enable to identification of where positive action and interventions we be appropriate. Therefore, we set a target to reduce the number ‘prefer not to say’ responses and improve the data for equality monitoring. The table below shows the percentage of staff who ‘preferred not to say’. This shows in most categories there has been a decrease in the number of staff who ‘prefer not to say’.

Protected Characteristic 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 (preferred not to say) Gender 0% 0% 0% Disability 2.7% 3.7% 2.8% Sexuality 5.2% 5.3% 3.7% Ethnicity 0.1% 1.4% 0.8% Religion 9.8% 10.2% 10.8%

5.4 To analyse the 2020 gender pay gap and analyse what actions (if any) can be taken to reduce it further. Gender Pay Gap reporting was carried out effectively in 2020 and the full report can be found on the College website. Actions outlined within the Gender Pay Gap for March 2020 are currently being addressed.

5.5 Objectives for year 2020/21 The following objectives are proposed for 2020/21:

1. Continue to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster a culture of respect. 2. Maintain workforce profile to be reflective of the community through improving the diversity of the pool of applicants, diversity in shortlisting and diversity of appointments. 3. Design and develop appropriate professional development and training interventions to support equality, diversity and inclusion. 4. Develop and strengthen the links between the equality and wellbeing agendas 2

5. Take all practical steps to ensure the workplace is accessible and inclusive and supports a progressive, informed and diverse workforce.

Appendix - Data Analysis

Staff Gender Profile 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Female 66.7% 65.6% 67.9% Male 33.3% 34.4% 32.1%

Staff Disability Profile 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Yes No Prefer not to say 2017/18 8.9% 88.4% 2.7% 2018/19 9.2% 87.0% 3.7% 2019/20 8.9% 88.3% 2.8%

Staff Ethnicity Profile

Ethnicity 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 White English Welsh Scottish Northern Irish - 79.1% 75.5% 77.2% British White - Irish 0.5% 0.8% 0.2% White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% White - Any Other White background 1.1% 1.6% 1.3% Mixed / Multiple ethnic group - White and Black 0.7% 1.1% 1.7% Caribbean

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Mixed / Multiple ethnic group - White and Black 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% African Mixed / Multiple ethnic group - White and Asian 0.5% 0.5% 0.6% Mixed / Multiple ethnic group - Any Other Mixed 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% / Multiple Ethnic Background Asian / Asian British - Indian 8.4% 8.9% 8.2% Asian / Asian British - Pakistani 1.9% 2.5% 2.2% Asian / Asian British - Bangladeshi 0.8% 0.5% 0.6% Asian / Asian British - Chinese 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% Asian / Asian British - Any other Asian 0.4% 0.2% 0.5% background Black / African / Caribbean / Black British - 1.0% 0.5% 0.8% African Black / African / Caribbean / Black British - 3.5% 0.8% 4.3% Caribbean Black / African / Caribbean / Black British - Any 0.6% 4.3% 0.3% other Black / African / Caribbean background Any Other 0.4% 0.5% 0.2% Prefer Not to Say 0.1% 0.1% 0.8% Total BME 19.0% 20.4% 20.1%

College Staff Age Profile 16.0% 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% Under 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60 + 25 2017/18 6.1% 8.6% 12.5% 12.5% 13.3% 12.2% 13.1% 12.7% 9.0% 2018/19 6.9% 7.7% 10.1% 14.3% 12.0% 11.9% 12.2% 14.0% 10.9% 2019/20 4.6% 7.8% 11.9% 14.9% 12.2% 11.9% 12.7% 13.2% 10.8%

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Staff Sexual Orientation Profile 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Bi-sexual Heterosexual Homosexual Prefer not to say 2017/18 0.6% 93.2% 1.0% 5.2% 2018/19 0.8% 92.6% 1.2% 5.3% 2019/20 1.2% 93.8% 1.4% 3.7%

Staff Religion/Belief Profile 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Other No Prefer Buddhist Christian Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikhism Religion Religion not to / Belief / Belief say 2017/18 0.6% 48.0% 1.8% 0.3% 2.1% 3.5% 2.2% 30.6% 9.8% 2018/19 0.3% 46.9% 2.3% 0.3% 2.9% 3.5% 2.5% 30.9% 10.2% 2019/20 0.6% 47.6% 1.7% 0.3% 2.9% 3.5% 2.2% 30.4% 10.8%

Maternity

Family Related Leave

18 employees took maternity leave and 2 employees took adoption leave, 4 employees took paternity leave and 1 employee took Shared Parental Leave. Walsall College is an accredited member of the Tommy's Pregnancy at Work scheme which has been designed to assist organisations with the tools they need to provide the best level of support for pregnant employees and their managers. The scheme also provides a wealth of information, including how to best manage time and productivity, and how to ensure a smooth return to work after pregnancy. Pregnant employees and fathers-to-be have access to a variety of information packs to provide support and guidance on pregnancy at work, medical issues, having a healthy pregnancy and planning ahead. Pregnant employees also have access to a Freephone Pregnancy Line staffed by experienced midwives and support and information for when pregnancies don't go to plan.

For more information visit https://www.tommys.org/

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