AoC London Members' Bulletin - Issue 113

1. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin
04 May 2012- Issue 113
London Regional Committee Meeting on 26 April
Caroline Neville, Regional Director Designate, attended last week’s Regional Committee
meeting where the main agenda items were: updates from the funding agencies; a partnership
proposal on labour market intelligence between AoC and the London Skills and Employment
Observatory; and how to engage governors in London region meetings and events. The last of
these items was led by the Chairs who are Regional Committee members and generated an
interesting discussion about the topics that governors would find of interest and the timing of
events to meet their needs, reflecting that many of them have other commitments. AoC London
has already been in discussion with Barclays about an event in the autumn that would bring
together financial, legal and funding inputs on the new freedoms for Colleges and what they
mean for governors. The minutes of the meeting will be published on the AoC London website
in due course; in the meantime, if you would like to follow up on any of the items mentioned
above, please contact Kate Anderson.
Vice Principals’ Curriculum and Quality Network Meeting on 30 April
Vice Principals who attended this week’s meeting heard policy and funding updates from Joy
Mercer and Julian Gravatt respectively and a plea from WorldSkills Regional Champion, Sue
Rimmer, to take a fresh look at skills competitions and how London Colleges could use these
for the benefit of students, staff and Colleges themselves. Sue will work with AoC’s new
Director of WorldSkills Engagement, David Smith, to come up with a draft format for Colleges
to run their own competitions as part of a strategy to revitalise London Colleges’ approach to
skills competitions in the wake of the successful WorldSkills London 2011 event at ExCel last
October. In the meantime, see below for the latest updates from WorldSkills UK on Leipzig
2013 and Information Seminars about National Training Awards.
WorldSkills update – WorldSkills UK Competitions
WorldSkills Leipzig 2013
NAS is looking internationally to the road to WorldSkills Leipzig 2013. To create a great
Team UK requires great training and NAS are looking for Training Managers. If you think your
College might be able to help either with the immediate or the ongoing request, please get in
touch with Patrick Gormley, Apprenticeships/Skills Competition Development Manager:
patrick.gormley@apprenticeships.gov.uk
Information Seminars final reminder!
The Awards information seminars are a golden opportunity to find out how to put together a
winning entry for a National Training Award, meet a past winner, hear hints and tips from the
Judges and network with like-minded people.

2. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
If you have not yet booked a place, there is still availability on some of the seminars. You can
see the remaining dates and make a booking here. Deadline for entry is 5pm, 25 May 2012.
If you would like to get more information about the seminar, please email
info@nationaltrainingawards.com
Olympic and Paralympic games update
Hackney Community College performing arts students: audience of 3.5billion at Games'
Opening Ceremony
A group of nine performing arts students aged 16-18, and two staff from Hackney Community
College have all been selected to perform in the event of a lifetime at the Olympic Opening
Ceremony, which is expected to be viewed by 3.5billion people across the world.
Before the audition, the students worked together in preparation. As well as their performance
training, they watched extracts from the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony to see the incredibly
high expectations of performers at the Games. The group is also expected to act as high-
performing role models for other
performing arts students and as
impeccable representatives of their college.
They have excelled in all areas. Alongside
the students, two staff auditioned and
were also selected: Adele Smith
Performing Arts and Sport lecturer, and
Ndenko Asong a Faculty Administrator,
are also proud to represent their college in
this amazing spectacle.
The students and staff, although brimming
with excitement, are not allowed to give
any details about the performance or
rehearsals, as they are sworn to secrecy
until the big day.
Hackney Community College photo
Among the students:
Adilson Santos aged 18 came from Brazil to join the college's (unique) Circus Skills Performing
Arts programme
Chloe Rooney aged 16 joined HCC from Dance United, having missed out on traditional
schooling
Leah Walker-Murrain aged 18 started at HCC on a media course and moved over to
performing arts after her first year.
Leah commented: It's such an amazing thing to be part of something so big and so important.
The ceremony looks brilliant. It's going to be so exciting!"
Head of Department Paul Lazarus added: "The group has made an indelible mark with the
organisers of the ceremony and have made friends and won the admiration of other performers
with their charm, friendliness and good humour. We are very proud of their tremendous
achievement and look forward to seeing them perform in the ceremonies.”
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3. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
OTHER NEWS AND UPDATES
Calls for proposals – European Integration Fund
UKBA calls for proposals for the European Integration Fund 2011/2012 are now open. The
closing date for completed applications is 4.00pm on Wednesday 16 May 2012. For more
information please visit UKBA website.
AoC's No Free Lunch campaign
No Free Lunch? is AoC’s campaign calling for the Government to extend the provision of free
lunches to disadvantaged 16-18 year olds who study at College.
You can pledge your support for this campaign by signing the petition at
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31069 and by following @AoC_Campaigns using the
hashtag #nofreelunch when you tweet about this issue.
The 2012 Women’s Leadership Network Conference – for ALL leaders -
is more exciting than ever, with something for everyone.
Come and find out:
• What it takes to get grade all 1s during an unannounced Ofsted inspection!
• What Governors look for when recruiting to senior posts!
• About the personal career journeys of inspirational women!
• How flexible employment works in corporate practice.
The conference is on Thursday 24th May 2012 at Hallam Conference Centre, 44 Hallam Street,
London, W1W 6JJ. For more information please visit WLN conference website.
VQ Learner of the Year 2012 – NOMINATION DEADLINE EXTENDED
The deadline for the 2012 VQ Day Learner of the Year Awards has now been extended to
Friday 18th May at 4pm.
The Awards are one of the most exciting elements of VQ Day, celebrating the exceptional
achievements of vocational learners from every region in England, as well as Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
So please continue sending your nominations of outstanding learners! You can find the
application form and other useful information at VQDay website.
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4. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
NACUE Enterprise Society Project
The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) are seeking
colleges across London to be part of their project to develop enterprise societies. These extra-
circular clubs/societies will be student-led and focus on inspiring, educating and connecting
students across your college.
To ensure execution of the enterprise agenda, NACUE aims to facilitate the development of the
enterprise movement. Enterprise Societies, fundamentally, are a community of like-minded
individuals with a similar ideology of work and understanding of future of the society as a
whole. Societies can have different goals and approaches to organising things, but the underline
is the same – if you all believe that creative problem solving is the new way forward and if you
don’t make it happen no one will.
These extra-circular clubs/societies will be student-led and focus on inspiring, educating and
connecting students across your college. Applications to the Project are open until Wednesday
16th May.
Please visit NACUE website for more information about the National Association. If you want
to know more about the about the support package available, please email Will Bywater at
NACUE or Teresa Frith at the AoC.
Academic opportunity at UCL this summer for students from London
Colleges
The UCL Schools Outreach team is currently recruiting for a programme called Summer
Challenge, a six-week after-school study programme for Year 12 students. There are six courses
on offer at Summer Challenge and they all still have places available.
You can find full details about Summer Challenge on the UCL website.
If you think your students will be interested, please contact Alice Home at UCL for more
information.
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5. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
Havering College students win BBC debate prize
The college in Hornchurch, Essex, will be hosting a live
webcast debate with politicians and celebrities on Friday,
June 1st. The programme will also be broadcast on the BBC
Parliament channel.
The prize is the result of the college's curriculum manager for
Media, Andy Popperwell, entering a five minute edited clip
of Havering Asks in the BBC's annual Schools Questions and
Answers competition.
Havering College photo
The Havering Asks event was organized by the college and Havering Council during Local
Democracy Week last September and involved a filmed debate with an audience of 150 young
people and a panel of politicians and celebrities. Havering College is delighted to be named as
one of six winners nationwide in the BBC Schools Questions and Answers contest. Mr
Popperwell said: 'This is an excellent achievement for the college. Our students and staff are
excited to be working with the BBC on a live broadcast. Young people will be able to question
politicians and celebrities on the issues which matter to them. It will be a fantastic insight into
the industry for our media students.'
The BBC's deputy political editor James Landale is to chair the debate in The Space at the
Havering College Ardleigh Green Campus on June 1st. Panellists announced to date include
Labour MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy and television presenter Hardeep Singh Kohli. A
Havering College student will also be on the panel.
You can read the full article at the London Colleges website.
Recent meetings
Date Event/meeting Attendees Feedback
25 April Institute of KA Group formed of partners in the schools, FE
Education's new and HE sectors to consider education issues
London of strategic importance to London and how
Consultative Group the partners could work together on them.
26 April AoCLR Regional AoCLR See Headlines
Committee meeting
30 April Safer Learners - JS This meeting discussed the Safer Learners’
Working Group Pilot programme.
Meeting
30 April Meeting with KA Regular catch up meeting
Alexandra Worden,
Eversheds
30 April AoCLR VP C&Q AoCLR See Headlines
network meeting
1 May Strategic Group for KA The following topics were discussed:
Sport • Agenda for Sports Conference on 14
Teleconference May
• Progress with the Pro-Active co-
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6. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
ordinated sub-regional meetings in
relation to Sport England Funding
bids
1 May London Higher Ian Regular catch up meeting
Meeting Ashman,
KA
4 May Institute of JS Event organised by The Institute of
Education/London Education on behalf of London Councils as
Councils' part of their consultation on the vision for
Consultative young people's education and skills in the
Seminar future
Future meetings
Date Event/meeting Attendees Agenda
8 May AoC London AoCLR The following will be discussed:
Principals' Forum • The New Ofsted Inspection
Framework for Further Education
and Skills, Matthew Coffey, National
Director, Learning and Skills, Ofsted;
• Lewisham College’s Recent Ofsted
Inspection Experience, Maxine
Room, Principal, Lewisham College;
• LSIS Regional Response Fund
extension project, Stephen Evans,
Consultant, AoC London;
• Mayor’s Education Enquiry, Laraine
Smith, Principal, Uxbridge College
and Jason Lever, GLA.
10 May Marketing JS The agenda includes the following updates:
Managers’ network • Fiona Carthy from the Knowledge
meeting Partnership: workshop on Reputation
Management and Workshop
Discussion;
• Ben Verinder, Director of
Communications, AoC National;
• London Region PR campaign
Update: Jo Gilham;
• Discussion groups/sharing good
practice;
• Working with International
Colleagues on a Collective Offer.
10 May AOC, YOT, Secure JS The following topics will be discussed:
Estate working • Terms of reference
group on young • Who does what by when
offenders and • Making sure our respective networks
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7. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
access to sustained are engaged in this work and how we
and successful FE can communicate and implement our
placements recommendations.
14 May AoC & BCS London KA The agenda includes the following updates:
Region Conference • National Policy update
• Teaching & Learning – Evidence
Based Learning
• Student Led Sport & Community
Links – FE Pilot Projects
• How to Achieve Healthy College
Accreditation
16 May AoC BDM Meeting EB The Agenda includes:
• Local Enterprise Partnership
• FE Commercial
• Regional Up-date
18 May Meeting with Vic KA Quarterly catch up meeting
Grimes,
Apprenticeships
18 May Clerks’ Network JS Agenda to be confirmed
meeting
Events and Dates for the Diary
 AoC London Principals’ Forum, Tuesday 8 May, 3.00pm-5.00pm at Hackney Community
College. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
 AoC London Marketing Managers’ network meeting, Thursday 10 May, 9.30am-2.00pm
at Working Men’s College. Please email Judith Smyth for more information.
 AoC & BCS London Region Conference, Monday 14 May, 12pm-5pm, Hackney
Community College. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
 How to be successful in the HE market Conference, Tuesday 15 May, 9.30am-4.20pm,
Maple House, Birmingham. For more information please visit AoC Create Events website.
 2012 AoC International Conference, Tuesday 15 May, 9.00am-4.30pm at Prospero House,
London. For more information please visit the AoC Create Events website.
 AoC London Business Development Managers’ Network meeting, Wednesday 16 May,
1.30pm-4pm at AoC offices, Stedham Place. Please email Judith Smyth for more
information.
 Linking London Event: Producing Access Agreements for 2013-14, Wednesday 16 May,
2.00pm-5.00pm, Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck, University of London. For more
information please visit the Linking London website.
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8. AoC London Region Members’ Bulletin, 4 May 2012
 Alcohol Awareness discussion, Thursday 17 May at AoC Offices, Stedham Place. Please
contact Shireen Al-Khalili at AoC Create Events for more information.
 AoC London Clerks’ Network meeting, Friday 18 May, 2.00pm-5.00pm at Westminster
Kingsway College, Victoria Centre. Please email Judith Smyth for more information.
 AoC Equality and Diversity Conference, Wednesday 23 May 2012, Holiday Inn
Bloomsbury, London. For more information please visit the AoC Create Events website.
 AoC London Heads of Student Services Network meeting, Tuesday 29 May, 10.00am-
1.00pm at AoC Offices, Stedham Place. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more
information.
 AoC Purchasing Conference and Exhibition, Tuesday 29 - Wednesday 30 May 2012, ICC,
Birmingham. For more information please visit the AoC Create Events website.
 AoC London Regional Committee, Thursday 31 May, 3.00pm-5.00pm at AoC offices,
Stedham Place. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
 AoC London Finance Directors’ Network meeting, Wednesday 13 June, 9.00am-1.00pm
at AoC offices, Stedham Place. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
 AoC London HE Coordinators meeting, Wednesday 20 June, 3.00pm-5.00pm at AoC
Offices, London. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
 BCS/AoC National Sports Conference 2012, Thursday 21 & Friday 22 June at Aston
Business School Conference Centre, Birmingham. For more information please visit the
AoC Create Events website.
 AoC London AGM, Regional Forum and Summer Party, Thursday 28 June, PM, Venue
Working Men’s College (tbc). Please email Judith Smyth for more information.
 AoC CIS/MIS Managers’ Network meeting, Friday 29 June, 10.00am-1.00pm at AoC
offices, Stedham Place. Please email Evelina Bagusyte for more information.
Policy and other documents
If you wish to contact the AoC London office to give feedback on this bulletin, to request
additional information where we have offered it, or to provide suggested content for future
issues, please email Evelina Bagusyte.
Kate Anderson Judith Smyth
Regional Director Executive Manager
kate.anderson@aoc.co.uk judith.smyth@aoc.co.uk
Evelina Bagusyte Cyheme Bilouta
Regional Coordinator Team Administrator (part-time)
evelina.bagusyte@aoc.co.uk cyheme.bilouta@aoc.co.uk
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