MEETING OF THE CORPORATION OF COLLEGE

TUESDAY 15 OCTOBER 2019 – 9.30 AM

BOARD ROOM – M219 PART I

Clerk: Mrs R Clare

Mrs M Grant Mrs R Kay Mr N Schofield Mr M Sharples Chair Prof A Sutcliffe Mrs C Trasler Mr K Williams Mr M Wright Councillor N Mannion G Bell Mr P Newell Mrs J Walters

In attendance: Mrs L French Ms L Reed

MINUTES

Item Title Action 61/19 Welcome and Apologies for Absence The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received for E Kennedy and S Musgrave. A late apology was received for M Bansal. N Mannion was welcomed to his first Corporation meeting as a new Member of the Corporation.

62/19 Declaration of Members’ Interest M Sharples declared an interest as his wife works for East Council. N Mannion also registered an interest as Councillor for and former governor at one of Schools (term due to end within the next week).

63/19 Minutes and matters arising from the previous meeting The minutes from the Corporation meeting held on 9 July 2019 were approved as an accurate record. The Chair of the Corporation reviewed the matters arising from the meeting held on 9 July 2019.

The Chair of the Corporation confirmed that he has had ongoing discussions with RH and AS to review; the Year 11 GCSE results and RH will be presenting a paper at the meeting today.

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Member requested a partnership update at a future meeting. R Kay confirmed that an update on partnerships would be within item 5 (The Principal’s Report).

LF reported that next year the College would go out to tender for external auditors as this should be done every three years in order to gain best value for money. The Audit Committee discussed the element of risk in changing both the internal and external auditors at the same time. This will be an action for the Audit Committee in the autumn term.

L French reported that the NICDEX benchmarking data will be available in LF November and will be discussed at the next Corporation meeting.

L French will be presenting the new Health and Safety report during the meeting.

L Reed will check that an action has been added to the QIP relating to contacting students’ multiple times to gather destination data.

64/19 R Hedge presented an update report on The Macclesfield Academy. He informed Members of the Corporation that at the 4+ threshold for mathematics and English, the Academy achieved the highest percentage since they opened. Members were also informed that the provisional Progress 8 score has risen to -0.09. There were improvements to both mathematics and disadvantaged students. There is still work that needs to be done in the performance at 5+ in mathematics and particularly around separate science and overall progress in English Literature, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Both Hospitality and Catering and Social Care had disappointing results. A specialist subject leader in science from Fallibroome is working with the Macclesfield Academy to investigate and carry out a deep dive on the area. R Hedge stated that Health and Social Care has been removed from the curriculum for this academic year. There has been an ongoing problem within the Hospitality and Catering course and issues around quality but there has been changes in this area in order to improve outcomes. R Hedge stated that the Academy are working on making predictions more accurate.

R Hedge informed Members that the Academy was preparing for the return Ofsted visit that could take place any day with a particular emphasis on curriculum intent and aligning the curriculum to future pathways. R Kay reiterated that the problems around mathematics and English have an impact on the College as they resit these qualifications at College but with less time and less funding.

R Hedge confirmed that Macclesfield Academy continue to progress with discussions surrounding joining a Multi Academy Trust. The discussions surrounding the partner are confidential but the Academy is hopeful that due diligence will be completed in time to join the MAT in September 2020.

M Sharples will continue to liaise with A Sutcliffe (Chair of the Macclesfield Academy Governors) and R Hedge.

65/19 Principal’s Report – 1 of 4 of the Annual Review document The Principal shared her Principal’s Report with Members in advance of the meeting. The Principal reported the headlines within her report: • The new Vice Principal L Reed was welcomed to the College at the beginning of September • The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced that the FE base-rate for 16-18 year olds will increase from August 2020 for the first time since 2003 to £4,188, representing a 4.7% increase

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• Enrolment was busy on 22 August 2019 and the Principal expected that by day 42 of the current academic year, the enrolment figures will have been met • Two new Academies have opened, the Heath Academy, developed in partnership with the East Cheshire NHS Trust and Whites Chef Academy (patron Michelin-starred TV celebrity chef and local restaurateur, Aiden Byrne). There was reported to be healthy numbers and good behaviour and standards within the Academies • From 2020-21, the College will be launching a new Events Management Academy. This will be delivered in conjunction with Stockport County and will link to the Whites Chef Academy • The two new Football Academies recruited well. One with Macclesfield Town Pro-Football Academy who deliver the football-training element of the new BTEC Level 2 and 3 courses. In addition, the Stockport County Pro-Football Academy that comprises of a BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate in Sport over a one-year period, and one successful completion of this, students will be invited to enrol on to a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport. The Stockport County Academy is highly regarded and is an exciting partnership. The behaviour of the students with Stockport County is impeccable • One of the governors recommended a link for events management with Capesthorne Hall and Tatton Hall and offered to provide an introduction • The Principal informed Members that the College has been shortlisted for ‘Employer of the Year’ at Cheshire Business Awards. Maxim Business Training has been nominated and shortlisted for the ‘Partnership Working Award’ in conjunction with its partnership with East Cheshire NHS Trust • R Kay has also been nominated by Apprenticeships 4 England as ‘Inspiring Woman’ within the Apprenticeships sector • The College has signed up to the Association of College’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter

R Kay thanked Governors for their continuing support as the College continues on its journey to ‘Outstanding’.

66/19 Quality and Curriculum

I.Outcome against Key Performance Indicators for 2018/19 Members reviewed the key performance indicators for 2018/19. The KPIs for 2018/19 were presented along with a detailed commentary provided by ELT with a number of key points highlighted: • The RO4 recorded 1,083 learners which will form the basis of the college’s 16-19 allocation in 2019/20. As at the 31 July, the college was recording 1,088 learners against the college’s target of 1,095 • The Levy is at £334,000 against a target of £490,000 and the Non-Levy is at £590,000 against a target of £468,000. The overall 16-18 apprenticeship funding is at £924,000 compared to £958,000. A retention figure of 70% is included in the figures • The Adult Apprenticeship funding is at £910,000 compared to a target of £789,000 • The Adult Education funding is at £686,000 compared to a target of £970,000 • The HE enrolment is at 83, against a target of 100. The HE income is £302,000 against a target of £350,000. The HE income is higher than it was in 2017/18 • The 19+ loan income was reported to be below target at £292,000 against a target of £400,000 but there have been withdrawals in this area

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• The fee collection was reported to be £945,000 and the target £1,030,000 for 2018/19 will be achieved

The Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality presented the KPIs for Teaching and Learning and highlighted the following points: • Lesson observations graded 1-2 completed is at 91.5% and the target of 100% for the number of lesson observations is completed overall • Lines 11-13 will be presented once the performance tables are published in January • The E&T retention for 16-18 is currently at 95.3% against a target of 94.8%. The E&T retention for HE is currently at 91.5% against a target of 93% • The E&T achievement for all was 88.3% against a target of 90.1%. It was confirmed that 50% of students moved up at least one grade. The final data will be presented at the meeting in December • The Apprenticeship Achievement All Ages is at 75.7% against a target of 76%. L Reed confirmed that the end-point assessment has been removed but there are 21 remaining students who are at the end-point assessment stage from 2018/19 but due to a problem with the ESFA cannot be processed. Members will be informed of any progress on this matter. It was reported that going forward timeliness will be reported through the deep dives on Apprenticeships and reported at Board level by T Cosgrave • Overall, all attendance figures are down for 16-18 at 88.6% compared to a target of 90%, mainly due to attendance in English, mathematics and tutorials. The attendance figure for 19+ is at 90.2% and above target. There is no national data for attendance to draw comparisons from so the College benchmarks against other local colleges

• Sickness levels were at 1.80% compared to a target of 2.6%. The staff

survey completion was 68%

• The appraisals completed was at 95.2% and will be at 100% by year end

• Staff utilisation was at 96.1% • The FE Choices survey completed was 73.3%. Governors were reminded that employers had been asked to completed multiple surveys and will only be asked to complete one in future to encourage a higher completion rate

The Vice Principal for Finance and Resources reported the financial KPIs and confirmed the financial health grade is ‘Good’. • Cash days in hand was reported to be 30 against a target of 41. • Staff costs were 59.15% • The adjusted current ratio was reported to be 1.10 • The College surplus after depreciation and interest was £274,000

L French reported that the college had met this year’s financial targets except the adjusted current ratio. The sale of the Willows building being delayed and occurring in the 2019/20 budget rather than the 2018/19 budget affected the cash days in hand but the sale is now completed.

The Director of Governance confirmed that attendance at Corporation meetings was high at 86% against a target of 80%. The Director of Governance confirmed that there has been excellent engagement from Corporation Members and that this is shown in the training hours achieved which is well above target at 255.45 hours.

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The Corporation noted their congratulations to all College staff on the excellent achievement rates and thanked members for staff for their continued hard work.

ii. Update report on the progress of the College Improvement Plan The Vice Principal for Curriculum and Quality presented the Quality Improvement Plan for 2018/19 that was shared with Members in advance of the meeting. The plan had been updated and included a summary of the 2018/19 SAR process. Most of the sections were highlighted green with a small amount amber. The improvements are evident and many can be validated through the 2018/19 outcome figures. The Vice Principal discussed the red sections within the document of which there were three. Corporation Members discussed the E Learning strategy and the changes to how this would be embedded within the curriculum going forward. They also discussed the attendance in maths and English but understood the interventions and strategies in place to improve this.

The majority of the green sections showed that the level of scrutiny and monitoring is having a positive impact and this is well evidenced. Individual reports during the year will show impact in detail. The SAR process is underway and the new system was reported. Staff own their SAR document and it is clear that the process is embedded. Governors have been issued with the SAR timetable and assigned to one or more panels.

iii. Safeguarding Annual Report 2018/19 The Safeguarding Annual Report 2018/19 and the Annual Health and Safety Report were shared in advance of the meeting. The Safeguarding report had been shared with the Safeguarding Strategy Group that the Chair of the Corporation and the Safeguarding Link Governor was invited to attend. The Vice Principal for Curriculum and Quality stated that within the report the needs of vulnerable students being met was high and important. It was explained that is seeing a major rise in the number of students with mental health issues and it is important to provide students with the best possible help. There were 130 cases reported last year compared to 50 the previous year. This does affect attendance. There is a Counsellor based at College, which is important. It was reported that mental health issues can also impact on other students and the wider college and requires specialist care.

Q: Is there any extra funding for this area and what is the impact on college staff and students? There is no additional support financially for this increase. The college continues to monitor and progress the support for students and the significant wrap around care that is required. It was confirmed that although this area is well resourced, it is costly but the college will continue to resource this area as it is important for students to receive the support they need. Members discussed the need for students to disclose this information and to be open with College. Key indicators are attendance, attitude and appearance that a student may be struggling. The College also engages with Operation Encompass whereby if there is an incident at home that a student may have witnessed then the police inform College so they can put the necessary support in place if required. There is a separate SAR relating to the most vulnerable learners.

iv. Health and Safety Report The Vice Principal for Finance and Resources shared the Health and Safety Report in advance of the meeting. The report was a new format and will be shared three times during the year. It was confirmed that the Health and Safety Policy was reviewed during 2018. The Health and Safety Committee meet termly and the attendance for this committee has been reviewed to ensure that the relevant staff are on the committee. It was reported that Health and Safety audits were carried

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out during 2018/19 and from these audits, 29 actions were identified of which 25 were completed in year. The remaining four relate to training on first aid and manual handling and will take place during the autumn term in 2019. The Health and Safety training schedule was shared with Members for 2018/19. The number of fire wardens has increased and specialist training has been provided to estates and reception staff, who have different responsibilities in the event of an emergency evacuation. Training has also been provided to Maxim staff who visit employers’ workplaces to carry out Health and Safety assessments. LF A staff governor asked if more teaching staff could also attend this training. L French will report this back to the Health and Safety Committee. There were 31 reported accidents in 2018/19 all of which were minor, this compared to 21 in 2017/18. During the summer traffic flow improvements were made with renewed white lining, additional speed humps, and signage installed.

67/19 Business

i. Letter to Chairs of Governors at further education and sixth form colleges: July 2019 Corporation Members received a copy of a letter to Chairs of Governors at Further Education and Sixth Form colleges dated July 2019. Members discussed the contents of the letter. The Vice Principal Finance and Resources provided assurance that all the points within the letter were being completed and evidenced in a written summary report to the Corporation. The Vice Principal Finance and Resources confirmed that the Audit Committee receives a Funding Audit report.

ii. Year end management accounts 2018-19 and executive summary The Corporation received the year-end management accounts for 2018-19 and executive summary, which were subject to changes once audited. The year-end management accounts presented a surplus of £274K (after interest, depreciation and amortisation costs) compared to a forecast surplus of £1K, with a financial health grade of ‘Good’. The income outturn was a favourable positon. Members discussed the positive Apprenticeship position. Staffing costs for the year were a more favourable position reflecting a positive variance of £102K. The pay to income ratio excluding restructuring costs was 59.15%. The £50,000 in the contingency budget supported the restructure costs. Hourly paid staff was lower than anticipated. The contingency in the non-pay costs supported the surplus increase at year-end. A decline in subcontracting costs were reported due to a decline in student withdrawals in year and Members noted that this would be the last year subcontracting with SCL. The valuation pension costs were more favourable but were out of the college’s control. Members were informed that the sale of the Willows building was completed but later than anticipated in 2019/20 rather than 2018/19. The Vice Principal for Finance and Resources confirmed that keeping a surplus and the adjusted current ratio up would result in a stronger ‘Good’ financial rating.

iii. September 2019 update on Bank Covenant L French reported that during the financial year there have been several meetings with Allied Irish Bank in relation to the setting of a new bank covenant. Recent discussion with the bank has confirmed that their credit department has now approved a new covenant with the interest rate not expected to change. The college is still awaiting the final documentation for the new bank covenant. The college is in negotiations with Cheshire East in relation to applying for a loan through The Publics Loans Board with Cheshire East. This has been discussed with the ESFA and the college is continuing to progress with this matter and RK/LF any further updates will be shared.

iv. Enrolment update

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A detailed update on enrolment was provided at the Teaching and Learning Planning day. The college planned to deliver 1,250 learners against its 2019/20 contract and to date has achieved 1,036. In addition to this are the SCL learners who are expected to enrol in the next few weeks. A full break down of the numbers was provided within the report and reviewed by Members of the Corporation. Members discussed student and parental engagement and the success of the Open Day events. v. Sub contract provision L French presented a report to review performance of the College’s subcontract work in 2018-19 and to provide an update on plans for 2019-20. In October 2016, the Corporation Board approved the proposal that the College develop subcontract work to support the growth agenda for 2016-17 and beyond. Subsequently the Corporation Board approved subcontracting with SCL in October 2017.The college worked with two subcontractors during 2018-19: Learning Curve SCL In relation to Learning Curve the College had one contract in place during 2018/19 for AEB Delivery which was the following: Maximum Contract value (MCV) of £172,500 Delivered against Contract value: £168,570 80% of the above was payable to Learning Curve

The College took the decision on October 2017 to work with SCL to help grow learner numbers in preparation for the increase in demographics in 2020. The contract continued into 2018-19 which was the following: Learner Numbers: 136 Maximum Contract value (MCV) of £646,600 Delivered against Contract value: £638,703 90% of the above was payable to SCL

Q: Is the Subcontracting externally reviewed? The ESFA require external assurance on subcontracting and for 2018/19, it was required for this to be carried out and the certificate submitted to the ESFA by 31 July 2019. The college submitted the certificate on 29 July 2019. The audit work associated with this certificate was carried out by BDO and the audit report presented to the Audit Committee at their meeting in June 2019.

For 2019/20 the following subcontracting arrangements are in place: One contact in place for SCL for: 16-18 Study programs 42 learners Contract Value of £199,920 (90% £179,928) vi. Members are invited to review and approve the Public Values Statement for a further year Members reviewed and approved the Public Values Statement for a further year, which conforms to ESFA guidance.

vii. HR and Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2018/19 The HR and Equality and Diversity Annual Report 2018/19 was received in advance of the meeting. The Equality and Diversity Management Group have reviewed the report. Members accepted the contents of the report and acknowledged the detail within it. The report will be published on the College website. The College’s Strategic Equality & Diversity Action Plan is fully compliant with all of the statutory duties of the Equality Act 2010 and reporting standards required under the Public Sector Duty. All new statutory equality requirements and best practice standards continue to be incorporated into all College staff & learner policies and procedures. It was reported that on each occasion equality analysis

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assessments are undertaken to ensure appropriateness in relation to each ‘protected characteristic’ as defined by the Equality Act 2010. The College continues to benchmark its equality data against the Association of Colleges and the Office of National Statistics respective surveys, measuring current outcomes against historical trends. The report also references against the Department of Education’s College Staff Survey Research Report – November 2018, the Economic Strategy for Cheshire East 2019-2024 and the Macclesfield Council Plan 2019-2020. L French confirmed that the report provides detail of how the College seeks to advance its commitment to the three aims of the Public Sector Duty by committing to the Governments new Disability, Mental Health and Well- being initiative.

A Member pointed out that the Ethnicity and Religion section was duplicated twice within the report.

68/19 Impact of this meeting The Corporation discussed governor impact. Governors stated that they enjoyed meeting the CBLs at the beginning of the meeting and had found the meetings very useful. There were a number of themes from the meetings including the increase of mental health cases and capital expenditure (including space). Governors also found the discussion around safeguarding during the meeting particularly useful as they could substantiate the information collected from the CBLs with the increase in mental health cases reported within the paper.

Governors recognised the excellent culture and enthusiasm from staff about the College. All staff wanted to reach the ‘Outstanding’ judgement and contribute to the College journey. R Kay stated that staff recognised the journey the College had been on and it was important to drive the finance forward to support the aim of the College to become ‘Outstanding’. R Kay confirmed that it was important that the College offered the ‘real living wage’ and she would like to be in a positon to offer staff a pay rise in the near future. The College has worked hard to create a strong wrap around offering to staff although it had not been possible to offer a pay increase in the last two years.

69/19 Policies The following policies were reviewed and approved by the Corporation along with a summary document that summarised the changes to the policies: Social Media Acceptable Use Policy 2019-2020 Equality and Diversity Policy Discretionary Learner Support Fund for Students Aged 16_18 Years 2019-20 Critical Incident Policy 2019-2021 Advanced Learning Loan Bursary 2019-20 Child Protection and Adults at Risk Policy 2019-2020 Complaints Policy 2019-2022 Discretionary Learner Support Fund Students Aged 19 and Over 2019-20 Safeguarding Policy 2019-2020

70/19 Date and time of the next meeting The date of the next meeting was confirmed as 3 December 2019 at 9.30am followed by Governor Christmas lunch, at Sutton Hall at 12.30pm.

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