Minutes of the Board - 6 October 2025

PART I – OPEN ITEMS

In the absence of J. Hoyland in the meeting room in person, M. Hartland, as Vice Chair took the Chair.

39/25. Declarations of Interest

M. Pavitt declared an interest an interest in Minute Number 42/25 as a candidate for appointment to the Board. They did not speak or vote for the duration of the item.

40/25. Minutes of Board Meeting Held 07 July 2025 (Appendices, Agenda Item 3)

The Minutes of the meeting held on 07 July 2025, were approved as a correct record.

41/25. Matters Arising

Matters Arising – Governance Pack – Min. No. 36/25

The Audit Committee Chair reported that he had met with the EDoF, to discuss opportunities for the Board to receive robust assurance on the effectiveness of the college’s internal controls, particularly regarding AI and cyber security. This would be discussed further at the next meeting of the Audit Committee.

42/25 Chair’s Announcements

The Meeting Chair made the following announcements:

1. 1. 1. Chair’s Action – none
      2. He welcomed E. Chanda, the Student Governor (16 – 19) and H.E. Student Governor elect M. Pavitt to their first Board meeting. All those present introduced themselves and the Meeting Chair welcomed everyone to the new academic year.
      3. Link Governor Visit Reports. Link Governor visits for this Term would commence after Half Term. The Audit Committee Chair reported that he would attend the college’s Health & Safety Committee’s first meeting of the year.
      4. All governors were reminded to complete the mandatory development relating to Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, by the set deadline.
      5. Learning Walks – The Learning Walk Programme 2025 – 26 would consist of:
         1. Autumn Term - Performing Arts, Music – London Road Campus
         2. Spring Term - Business, Physics and Electronics in Spring term – Welsh Bridge Campus
         3. ASDAN Provision/Supported Internship/College Ready – London Road Campus
            ACTION: Learning Walk 2025/26 Autumn Programme date to be agreed and circulated to all governors by 31/10/2025 - COMPLETE
      6. A Valid Nomination to the Higher Education Governor vacancy had been submitted. Marion Pavitt would be appointed as the vacancy for a Two-Year Term from 09 October 2025 to 31 October 2027. They would commence Induction with the support of the outgoing HE Student Governor and Clerk.

Action: Clerk conduct induction

43/25. Change to Agenda Order

The following item was presented, to accommodate the presence of the external guest.

44/25. Strategic Discussion – College Estate (Confidential Appendices, Agenda Item 8)

The Finance & Business Operations Committee held 30 September 2025, had considered a confidential report (previously circulated) on estates-related projects aimed at improving the college’s capacity and infrastructure in the medium term. All governors not on the Committee had been invited to dial into the meeting for this item and the Committee had made a recommendation to the Board. Mr Berry attended the Board to provide a further strategic update.

Details are set out in a Confidential Minute.

45/25. Board Chair’s Report

The Board Chair provided a verbal report on their main activities since their appointment, including the Ofsted inspection, work with the Remuneration Committee, working with the Search and Governance Committee to secure new members of the Board and to review the Instruments and Articles, establishing a meeting schedule with the CEO and Governance Professional and with the Vice Chair and attending a number of internal and external events.-

• • • The Clerk would be contacting all governors regarding their use of the new college branding in emails and online meetings.
    • The Senior Post Holder annual performance review cycle had commenced.
    • The Board Chair Guided Conversations with all governors would take place after Half Term.
    • The programme of governor informal events for 2025/26, was being devised, with the intention of one event being held a Term.

46/25. P/CEO’s Strategic Review of 2024 - 2025 and Strategic Priorities for 2025 – 2026 (Confidential Appendix, Agenda Item 6)

The Board had been given the opportunity to view in advance the P/CEO’s strategic overview of 2024 - 2025 and strategic issues for 2025 - 2026. This presentation set out in detail information on:

• • • Staff
      • Welcome to new Staff
      • Staff Examination Success
      • Staff Long Service Awards
    • Review of 2024 – 2025
      • 2024 – 2025 General Targets
      • Review of -
        • A Levels
        • T – Levels – Inaugural Cohort
        • Other advanced qualifications, Levels 1 &2 and High Needs
        • GCSE Results
        • Progression into Higher Education: Academic and Vocational
        • Adult Work and Apprenticeships
        • Higher Education
        • Teaching & Development
        • Enrichment
        • Student Support, Safeguarding & WellBeing
        • Sport
        • Estates Summer Works
        • I.T. Summer Programme
        • Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
    • Planning for 2025 – 2026
      • Policy Landscape
      • Revenue & Capital Funding
      • New Government Policies
        • BTEC Reform
        • Expansion of the Franchise
      • Pay Awards 2025 - 26
      • Recruitment
      • Areas of Focus
      • General Targets

Having delivered the report, the P/CEO made the following additional observations –

• • • The college Overall Achievement Rate was likely to be very similar to 2024 – 2025.
    • A Level value-added performance ranked the college between the 70th and 80th percentile nationally, or in the top 20-30 percent.
    • The college’s 2024 – 2025 GCSE performance was outstanding, with significant improvement on 2023-24 when the college was ranked ninth nationally of GFE/Tertiary colleges.
    • T Level performance was outstanding in the college’s inaugural year.
    • In response to a question, the P/CEO explained that the focus remained on attendance and retention, which had improved on the same time point in 2024/25. The college had in place a programme of support and interventions to support the expectations of high-grade achievement and attendance.
    • Regarding Apprenticeships, performance was likely to be below the desired level and this was reflected in the targets set for 2025 – 2026. Regarding questions on why the achievement rate had declined, the P/CEO explained that lack of capacity for End Point Assessment (EPA) had impacted on electrical achievement, and the six-month EPA window had impacted on TUS achievement. The college's electrical assessment centre was at capacity, requiring alternative arrangements to be made, including sending apprentices to the South-West for assessment.. This presented another reason for urgent financial investment in the college’s estate. However, the achievement rates did not reflect the apprentice experience at the college and there were opportunities to grow apprenticeship provision by extending the range of apprenticeships offered and widening the geographical reach of the college’s provision.
    • Enrolment. The P/CEO confirmed the college had recruited more 16-18 students, having to turn some applicants away. In response to questions, he explained how the college was acting to ensure –
      • Quality of facilities, as the college had carried out projects across the three campuses to improve further the student experience. However, the college had reached a limit both in terms of capacity and affordability, in what it could do if it wished to accommodate all students who wished to attend the college going forward.
      • Managing impact on staff and ensuring quality of teaching. The college had made successful appointments from high quality candidates over the spring and summer period, increasing its teaching and student support staffing to ensure that there were sufficient skilled staff to deliver the additional teaching required and to support the needs of the larger student cohort.
      • Good outcomes for students. The college would continue to invest in providing enhanced development support for teaching staff and further embed the quality enhancement process.
    • Recruitment 2025 - 2026: Higher Education. The Quality, Standards & Curriculum Committee Chair explained that the Committee had questioned the VP, V&TE on strategies being developed and implemented to reverse the trend of declining applicant numbers in Higher Education
    • Recruitment 2025 – 2026: High Needs. More High Needs Students had enrolled than forecast, increasing the claim from Shropshire Council via Element 3 funding.
    • Areas of Focus: Prevent and EDI. The college’s priority was to address the wider issues on national identify raised by recent national issues. In response to questions, the VP, S explained that Induction had promoted the expectation that the college was a respectful environment and that it was an inclusive college. In addition, the college was supporting teachers using resources developed by the Association of Colleges (AoC) designed to support them around challenging conversations. It had held the ‘Proud to Be’ campaign, designed to promote positive identity and was involved in the AoC Equity Exchange. The college’s work on identity was well embedded reflecting the increasingly diverse cohort. 

47/25. Strategic Development Plan – Year 4 Operational Plan Outcome (Appendix – Agenda item 7.a)

The Board reviewed progress against the Strategic Plan Operational Implementation Plan: Year 4 (2024 – 2025) (previously circulated).

48/25. Strategic Development Plan – Year 5 Implementation Report (Appendix – Agenda item 7.b)

The Board reviewed the Strategic Plan Operational Implementation Plan: Year 5 (2025 – 2026) (previously circulated), to seek assurance that the planned operational projects would deliver the expected impacts.

The Board agreed that the Operational Plan supported its ambitions for the college as set out in the current Strategic Plan. The biggest strategic challenges remained securing sufficient teaching and enrichment space and these would influence the development of the next Strategic Plan. The Board therefore faced some challenging decisions as part of the development of the next Plan.

49/25. Risk (Appendix, Agenda Item 09)

The Board reviewed those risks specific to the Board and agreed that the risks have been appropriately identified and the management actions reported were effectively mitigating these risks.

50/25. Governance Pack (Appendices)

Committee chairs presented a precis of the following meetings (previously circulated), to ensure that all governors were aware of the key issues discussed at each committee.

Committee Meeting with Recommendations for the Board

Finance & Business Operations Committee – 30 September 2025

Set out at Min. No. 44/25.

Committee Meeting with no Recommendations for the Board

A precis of the following meeting was presented to the Board (previously circulated) -

Quality, Standards & Curriculum Committee – 29 September 2025.

The Committee had focused on receiving reports on the college’s results performance with respect to academic, vocational, apprenticeship and higher education provision, ensuring quality in education provision and receiving a detailed briefing on the college’s programme of support to enhance further teaching and learning in 2025 – 26.

51/25. Board KPIs 2024- 2025 including Attendance Record of Governors 2024 - 2025

The Board continued to demonstrate a track record of progress in achievement and improvement against targets set. 

52/25. Register of Confidential Items Considered by Board 2024 – 2025

The Board had placed relatively few items in confidential session and only when it was necessary to do so. Therefore, the Board continued to demonstrate its commitment to transparent and open governance.

53/25. Date of Next Meeting

Monday, 08 December 2025 from 5.30 p.m. in the H.E. Centre, London Road Campus.

The meeting concluded at 7.14 p.m.