About Foundation Skills & Progression

Foundation Education Faculty

This is a dynamic and innovative Faculty, which consistently delivers high quality teaching and learning programmes in a multi disciplinary and geographically diverse context. The Faculty has a multi site provision located primarily at the College neighbourhood centres of Hartcliffe, Ashley Down, Bedminster, Lawrence Weston and Soundwell. It also delivers substantial programmes in community venues.

The faculty offers a wide range of courses for full time 16 to 19 students from Pre Entry to NQF level 1. Disciplines include Art and Design; Music Technology; Health and Social Care; Child Care; Construction, Horticulture; Basic Skills; Vocational Access Programmes and Skills For Life. We also offer 19+ full-time and part-time courses for students with disabilities and learning difficulties  across Bristol.

We have positive relationships with local schools and are heavily involved with the development and delivery of the 14 to 19 curriculum. We do this through providing vocational courses for schools and individual provision for disaffected and excluded under 16s. The Faculty also includes Education Unlimited and Princes' Trust.

We offer a significant range of part time courses for adults and young people delivered at the college centres or in community settings. Courses range from independent living skills to arts, crafts, wooden furniture, cookery, photography, music, essential skills, sports, ITC, and Advice and Guidance.

The Faculty has developed close and productive working relationships with community organisations to provide educational opportunities for students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities who are disadvantaged or unable to easily access mainstream provision. Our objective is to bring learning to where it is most needed in order to encourage personal development and create pathways for progression.

We have a total commitment to delivering high quality education to all our students and offering valid progression routes. This quality is validated through our OFSTED/ALI inspection grade 1, and our recent AOC interim inspection in which we were awarded a grade 1.

The Faculty is organised into 2 schools and an EUL project with a central administration team. There are approximately 600 f/t students and over 500 p/t students supported by around 240 f/t and p/t staff.

The Faculty of Skills for Life and Languages

The role of Faculty of Skills for Life and Employment is to engage adult learners and enable their progress in to further training and employment.  They work collaboratively with community organisations and employers designing learning programmes to meet individual and group needs. They have played a leading regional role in the training of specialist teachers for Skills For Life, and have disseminated their good practice in Essential Skills to other providers through the award of Beacon Status. The college has been designated a Pathfinder in the Whole Organisational Approach to Embedding Essential Skills. Learners achieve excellent success rates, which is attributed to high standards of programme management and an excellent teaching grade profile.

During the year the faculty has enrolled, 7000 learners on LSC funded and full cost recovery courses, most are part time adult learners. The faculty employs 8 management staff, 13 administrative staff (11FTE), 33 programme coordinators, 250 part time teaching staff and a Workplace Basic Skills Coordinator.

All main centres offer a range of Skills for Life courses, Employability and Modern Foreign Languages.  The majority of the classes during 07/08 have been SfL ESOL from Entry level to Levels 1 & 2.   Learners on the day time courses are largely drawn from the large Somali community in Bristol.  The faculty’s response to the growing numbers of evening students has been to develop provision of full cost recovery English language courses for EU and overseas learners. This is mainly based at our Ashley Down centre.

Skills for Life and Employment teachers have continued to run popular courses in Sign Language, Makaton, Lip Reading, Discover your Family History and IT sessions.  A course called Making Choices which aims to assist those with mental health and addiction issues back in to education has run in community settings. We are also offering a large programme of employability courses throughout South Bristol.

Development Plan Strategic Aims

1. Raise retention and achievement  through excellent teaching and learning
2. Ensure an outstanding  learning experience for our students
3. Increase the number of 14-19  year olds on college programmes and develop wider skills for success in employment and  education.
4. Meet the current and future skills needs of employers and individuals
5. Enable adults to take first steps into learning and  progress into employment
6. Play a leading partnership role which  contributes towards  improving  the prosperity of Bristol and the region
7. Develop the  organisation and  staff to meet our strategic aims and emerging opportunities
8. Ensure corporate efficiency  and effectiveness. 
9. Embed equality and diversity. 

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