Hopwood Hall College Strategic Intentions 2016-2020 Contents

Introduction and context

Adapt and change

Our aims and priorities

2020 Vision

Strategic Intentions

1. High Quality, High Expectations

2. A thriving community

3. An innovative offer

4. Sound finances and resources

5. A 21st Century College

Key performance indicators

Hopwood Hall has been graded ‘GOOD’ by Ofsted in both 2011 and 2016 Introduction and context

This document sets out to update our 2012 - 2015 strategic intentions and how we will achieve our aim to be recognised as one of the leading colleges of the learning and skills sector.

We want to become excellent in everything we do so that our students and staff can reap the benefits of being part of a highly successful organisation. As such, through our revised strategic intentions framework and vision, we have set ourselves our most demanding challenge yet. Over the past four years we have delivered very strong An analysis of the outcomes performance of our success rates across all cohorts coupled with one of the learners across a range of indicators mapped against strongest value added performance in the country. In their socio-economic profile means we can justifiably 2013 and 2014 our success rates for 16-18 learners were lay claim to be one of the most inclusive, highly the highest in . performing colleges in the country.

Student progression measures show that 90% of our learners have a positive outcome rising from 88% in 2013/14. Adapt and change

The Greater Manchester Area Based Review took place in 2015/16 and was part of a national review process designed to “establish the best institutional structure to offer high quality provision based on the current and future needs of learners and employers within the local area”. At a local level, the aim was to address the future skills requirements of Greater Manchester and to establish a sustainable configuration of colleges to deliver them.

In June 2016, the recommendation for Hopwood Hall College was to remain as an autonomous, independent college.

Central to this recommendation is the commitment that Hopwood Hall College has to providing a local and Greater Manchester solution responding to the local priorities of while realising the ambitions of the Combined Authority. Over the next few years there will be huge The key drivers of change will be to create: changes within the FE sector as colleges • An offer that meets each area’s educational and reconfigure in response to the Area Based economic needs Review. • Sufficient access to high quality and relevant Partnerships, collaboration and co-operation are education training for all central to our vision, mission and operating priorities • Providers with strong reputations and greater ensuring that we maximise the benefits for all specialisation stakeholders, locally and regionally. • Provision which reflects changes in government funding priorities and future demand • Institutions which are financially viable, sustainable, resilient and efficient, and deliver maximum value for public investment In order to achieve this we will need to ensure that we have:

• Outstanding provision for technical and professional • Delivery of professional and technical education qualifications, including work place learning which including the further development of existing meets the needs of all in the borough and its Centres of Excellence in The Built Environment, Life neighbours. Sciences, Sport, Manufacturing, Health & Social Care, • High quality, impartial, careers and educational Digital and Creative Media. guidance which has clear pathways and progression • The expansion of our apprenticeship delivery building points for academic, technical and apprenticeship from moderate volumes to be a significant provider pathways. across north Manchester. Developing a fully • Highly effective and individualised support that is integrated borough approach so that the number planned in response to effective transition planning of young people entering training and education at each key stage, especially in relation to maths and through an apprenticeship shows a significant English academic attainment. increase. As ever, we cannot afford to stand still. In striving to • Working with key partners, we will build on our meet local and regional priorities the College will focus established higher education provision to ensure on current specialisms and target growth in relation to high quality, cost effective HE provision is accessible the following provision: across the Borough and beyond.

Derek O’Toole Robert Clegg Principal Chair of the Corporation Aims and Priorities

Our new and refreshed strategic intentions framework has set out an ambitious and challenging vision for the future of Hopwood Hall College in response to the changing post 16 education landscape. It is underpinned by key indicators and progress measures to track our progress. Strategic Intentions The college continues to focus on a core set of strategic intentions which has enabled the college Vision 2020 to become a highly performing institution across • Become the country’s most enterprising a spectrum of measures but most importantly in community college, focusing on collaboration and terms of financial and curriculum quality. innovation Our Strategic Intentions are: • Unashamedly celebrate the world of work and professional and technical education and training • High quality, High expectations • Celebrate emerging talent and be the first choice • A thriving community for those who want to enter the world of work or • An innovative offer improve their place in it • Sound finances • Make our students highly employable and • A 21st century college enterprising by developing the skills employers want • Be a place for the community to keep learning and for businesses to grow and develop • Impact positively on the Rochdale economy, playing an active role in economic development and regeneration of Greater Manchester • Value the efforts and talents of our people and further develop their skills, impacting positively on their careers. Area Based Review

The focus of the College over the forthcoming years is to imbed the following principles of the Area Based Review:

1 An offer that meets each area’s educational and economic needs 2 Sufficient access to high quality and relevant education training for all 3 Providers with strong reputations and greater specialisation 4 Provision which reflects changes in government funding priorities and future demand 5 Institutions which are financially viable, sustainable, resilient and efficient, and deliver maximum value for public investment 1. An offer that meets each area’s educational and economic needs • Hopwood Hall College and • We will ensure that the college • Our Business Plan will allow Rochdale Sixth Form College, has a set of clear progression swift and flexible responses to through the vehicle of the pathways to higher level the demand for skills among Rochdale Education Partnership, awards including Foundation employers ensuring a close to establish two free schools in degrees, HNDs, and Advanced alignment between skills with the borough, responding to future Apprenticeships with expert business support services, to local school place demands. staff, high levels of employer improve growth and productivity. • We will deliver a core vocational involvement, and continued • We will continue to review our and technical curriculum, based investment in high quality community provision to support on the Level 2 and Level 3 specialist and bespoke facilities. a shift away from recreational qualifications required in the • Our highly efficient and effective learning in preference towards primary sectors of the Greater business processes will ensure ESOL, literacy, numeracy and Manchester economy. that our curriculum model is workforce development, working • Our curriculum design will ensure delivered effectively. We will jointly with Job Centre Plus and that a high quality, dedicated embrace local accountability, with local partners’ including those technical and professional a high degree of responsiveness from the voluntary sector. education will be delivered to Greater Manchester and in parallel to the community, local labour market demand higher education and employer including strategic engagement focused provision. Our curriculum, of employers and Rochdale focusing on technical and Council, Rochdale Development professional education, will Agency and the GM Chamber of work closely with employers Commerce. to ensure that it is shaped to • Our business plan will ensure that guarantee its relevance to the Rochdale borough and its nearest labour market and is designed to neighbours will be equipped with embed best practice in vocational the skills and teaching and learning, embracing infrastructure required to offer the keynote findings of the clear choices and options for Commission on Adult Vocational learners to follow a vocational Training and Learning report or A level route (through the (CAVTL, 2013). Rochdale Sixth Form College). It will include work based, classroom based, or a mixture, to maximise their engagement with the labour market at the highest skill level possible. 2. Sufficient access to high quality and relevant education training for all • We will continue our strong track • The college’s curriculum will • The college will expand our record of co-operative working encompass a “core curriculum” apprenticeship delivery building with Rochdale Borough Council, (up to Level 3) in a range of from moderate volumes to be a local secondary schools through sector skills areas. We will have significant provider across north the Pioneers Trust, Rochdale specialist provision for higher Manchester. Developing a fully Sixth Form College, neighbouring level skills, in both work based integrated borough approach so colleges and the Greater and higher education routes, that the number of young people Manchester college community. with dedicated “second chance” entering training and education • We will ensure the delivery of high programmes for adults and through an apprenticeship can quality technical and professional young people, focussing on those show a significant increase. curriculum, focussed on key with lower prior attainment, or • Working with key partners we will employment and growth sectors, who need support in Language build on our established higher reflecting both Rochdale’s local (including ESOL), English, education provision to ensure priorities and Greater Manchester Mathematics, and behaviour for high quality, cost effective HE ambitions based on local and work/learning. provision is accessible across the regional LMI data. • In striving to meet local and borough. regional priorities, the College • We will continue to expand the will focus on current specialisms high quality provision for learners and target growth in key areas of with disabilities or learning specialism. difficulties supported by our • The college will seek to deliver estates investment strategy professional and technical education including the further development of existing Centres of Excellence in The Built Environment, Life Sciences, Sport, Manufacturing, Health & Social Care and Digital and Creative Media. 3. Providers with strong reputations and greater specialisation • Hopwood Hall College will continue to share best practice in order to drive up standards in teaching and learning. We will also liaise on curriculum planning with other providers so there can be effective and targeted curriculum rationalisation focused on GM priorities. • We will continue to expand our curriculum and be at the forefront of the developments in specific areas, as we have shown within Games Design and multi-media recently. 4. Provision which reflects changes in government funding priorities and future demand • The College, through its opportunities to enhance and strategic plan and its Vision extend their professional skills, 2020, will focus on key targeting key areas of growth Greater Manchester and Local and productivity. Enterprise Partnership growth • Training@Hopwood will provide areas as identified through an advice service, extensive local LMI and through analysis training and assessment provided by the New Economy. options, innovative recruitment • The College will look to expand solutions and help small, its curriculum offer in response medium and large employers to to LMI and meeting local and access funding. regional skills priorities and • Training@Hopwood will demand. continue to work with many of • We will continue to expand the Boroughs largest employers our curriculum and be at the and maintain strong links with forefront of developments in RMBC, Greater Manchester areas such as Games Design colleges through Greater and multi-media. Manchester Futures, Greater • Our forward plan will ensure Manchester Chamber and pertinent responses to Business Networks throughout apprenticeship delivery, HE Rochdale and Greater growth, focusing on 16-18 Manchester. Rochdale learners reflecting • All college programmes will demographic demand, and involve the use of advanced building upon the clearly e-learning features of reflecting articulated progression rotes an innovative pedagogic model. for academic and vocational • Hopwood Hall College will learners. endeavour to maintain its • Training@Hopwood, the reputation as a centre for dedicated employer facing excellence for e-learning business services team, will having been recognised in a engage with local employers nomination for an AoC Beacon to provide relevant training Award in 2015. 5. Institutions which are financially viable, sustainable, resilient and efficient, and deliver maximum value for public investment • The College will respond swiftly to government funding decisions that could impact on the financial health of the business. • The college will continue its robust business planning cycle which supports its curriculum and financial ambitions producing outstanding financial health, facilitating continued loan repayments and an ongoing capital investment programme this offering financial and curriculum sustainability. • We will maintain our “Outstanding” financial health grade. Key Performance Indicators

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20

Overall Retention 93% 93% 93% 93% 93%

Overall Achievement 96% 96% 97% 97% 97%

Learner Destination (Key stage 5) 68% 70% 72% 74% 76%

Learner Satisfaction (1-10) 8.0 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5

Employer Satisfaction (1-10) 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.2 9.3 Key Performance Indicators

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20

Success Rate (Overall) 86% 87% 88% 88% 90%

Success Rate Apprenticeship (Overall) 65% 70% 73% 75% 77%

Success Rate Apprenticeship (Timely) 62% 67% 70% 72% 75% Key Performance Indicators

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20

High Grades - English 16-18 16-18 16-18 16-18 16-18

32% 32% 36% 40% 45%

19+ 19+ 19+ 19+ 19+

53% 55% 57% 60% 62%

High Grade - Maths 16-18 16-18 16-18 16-18 16-18

28% 28% 33% 37% 40%

19+ 19+ 19+ 19+ 19+

53% 55% 57% 60% 62%

Value Added 2 2 2 1 1

0.35 0.35 0.36 0.38 0.39

SAR Overall Grade Good Good Good Outstanding Outstanding Key Performance Indicators

Target 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 (forecast) (forecast) (forecast) (forecast) (forecast)

Operating Annual Surplus/Deficit surplus 2% 3% 5% 8% 7% 7% (as a % of 3% - 5% income)

Borrowings (as a % of <40% 33% 32% 30% 28% 26% 25% income)

Adjusted >1 1.4 1.7 3.03 4.41 5.75 7.07 Current Ratio

Staff Costs (as a % of <65% 59% 61% 59% 58% 59% 60% income)

SFA Financial Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Rating

Middleton Campus Rochdale Road, Middleton M24 6XH t: 0161 643 7560 e: [email protected]

Rochdale Campus St. Mary’s Gate, Rochdale OL12 6RY t: 01706 345346 e: [email protected]