Minutes of Quality Standards and Curriculum Committee 16 March 2026

11/26. Appointment of Chair for the Meeting

In the absence of the Committee Chair in the room, it was RESOLVED that P. Adams be appointed Chair for the duration of the meeting.

P. Adams in the Chair

12/26. Declarations of Interest

No pecuniary interests were declared.

13/26. Minutes – 02 February 2026 (Appendix – Agenda Item 3)

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 02 February 2026, were approved as a true record, subject to the following expansions –

Minutes Nos 56/25 and 60/25 – Draft Quality Enhancement Plan (QuEP) 2025/26 and SEND & EDI Term Report

Delivery of an updated EDI Strategy was part of the QuEP project to close achievement gaps between student groups. Progress of projects in the QuEP would continue to be monitored by the Committee termly. In response to questions, the VP, S provided assurance that the draft EDI Strategy was programmed in the QuEP for delivery by October 2026. However, it would be delivered before the end of the academic year. The Committee requested consideration of this at the appropriate meeting.

Minutes No. 03/26 – Strategic Presentation - Draft Self-Assessment Report (SAR)

In response to a question, the VP, Q, A & I advised that the final version of the SAR remained as reviewed by the Committee. As there was no requirement for a formally approved final version to be submitted to external agencies, arrangements for the Board to review and discuss the document proposed at the previous meeting, had been revised. The Committee acknowledged this and that the draft document had been subject to scrutiny at Committee level.

14/26. Progress Grade 2 and Apprenticeships (Confidential Appendix, Agenda Item 4)

The Committee reviewed the Student Progress Report for Progress Grade 2 (previously circulated), which outlined student progress across A Level, GCSE, vocational, technical and apprenticeship provision. The report also highlighted emerging risks linked to qualification reform, curriculum reshaping and the growth in apprenticeships.

The Committee discussed areas where outcomes or trajectories were below expectation and questioned the mitigation actions in place. They considered the impact of qualification reform on retention, achievement and progression. The Committee recognised both strong performance areas and reviewed those requiring continued monitoring.

A Level Progress and Predictive Accuracy

The VP, ALs reported that –

• • • A Level PG2 grades would, if realised in summer 2026, produce a lower A* rate but a higher proportion of high grades compared to 2025.
    • progress grades continued to show cautious A* predictions and some optimistic bias elsewhere. Work to reestablish principles with staff on realistic and meaningful progress conversations was in progress.

Vocational Provision – Improvement and Variability

The VP, V&T E reported that –

• • • several vocational areas continued to perform strongly—particularly Art & Design, Esports, Health & Social Care and Business—while a small number of courses showed lower highgrade performance. However, these were not considered a concern, as most students were meeting targets.
    • The college had significantly improved English resit performance, exceeding national benchmarks and broadly comparable Maths outcomes. Attendance across exams had remained high. These outcomes were strategically important due to their direct impact on sufficiency of Level 3 progression routes and overall college achievement rates.
    • The college had achieved an outstanding set of T Level results in 2024–25, which had strengthened staff confidence. However, with the expansion of student numbers, some newer staff were still developing predictive accuracy. This had been identified as a strategic capacity risk requiring targeted support and continued curriculumlevel review; operational projects were included in the Quality Enhancement Plan to bring about improvements.

The Committee was further briefed on the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) Post16 reforms and that the government had now confirmed the planned defunding of several Level 3 qualifications from 2026. Computing BTEC Extended Diploma would be discontinued. However, Health & Social Care would now be retained for a further year. The government had also confirmed the introduction of V Levels. In response to questions, the VP confirmed that the college had planned for this eventuality and would continue to provide Health & Social Care BTEC into the 2026/27 year, with no disruption to delivery. The Committee agreed the importance of curriculum design stability during the wider qualification reform period and supported the approach taken by SLT.

The Committee discussed the strategic impact of these recent announcements and observed that the removal of familiar pathways and incomplete clarity on the content and timetable for the implementation of V Levels presented challenges for student recruitment, pathway viability and longterm curriculum planning. However, the college was well placed to meet these challenges due to the pro-active planning undertaken by the SLT. The Committee confirmed that the ongoing modelling and transition planning activities being undertaken were critical.; the outcome of these would be reported in future reports.

Apprenticeship Provision

The VP, Q, A & I reported that -

• • • The college had experienced strong apprenticeship recruitment and early achievement rates, which already exceeded the 2024–25 position. Therefore, confidence in achieving improvement rates toward the 65% target had risen.
    • The Committee identified with satisfaction the new employer partnerships, including a confirmed contract with Müller for Food & Drink Manufacturing apprenticeships. In response to questions, the VP confirmed that the college had sufficient resources and capacity to deliver this additional contract without detracting from the quality of delivery. The VP took the opportunity to further update the Committee on the revised staffing structure and changes being made to the London Road Campus estate to expand provision, particularly in Construction Trades and Motor Vehicle.
    • improving achievement rates toward the 65% target and expanding employer engagement would improve the college’s chances of reaching the identified income ambition by 2028/29.

Value Added and National Position

The college’s DfE valueadded progress score remained at +0.12, placing the college 20th nationally and 2nd in the West Midlands. Updated ALPS benchmarks also placed the college in the top 25% of providers for progress. This consistency was recognised as a strategic strength, particularly given national volatility postpandemic, which provided a secure platform on which to build further improvement.

15/26. Professional Practice Review (PPR) Report 2026 (Appendix, Agenda item 5)

The Committee received the Professional Practice Review (PPR) Report for 2026 (previously circulated). The VP, Q, A & I presented the findings, stating that the review had placed a particular emphasis on inclusive practice in anticipation of a future Ofsted inspection under the new inspection framework.

The Committee discussed how the PPR findings aligned with Ofsted’s strengthened emphasis on inclusion as a core evaluation area. Ofsted’s expectation was that providers demonstrated:

• • • highquality, inclusive education for every learner regardless of background or need;
    • removal of barriers to learning, particularly for SEND and disadvantaged students;
    • coherent adaptation of the curriculum without dilution; and
    • inclusion embedded in culture, systems and everyday practice.

Ofsted also now evaluated inclusion through evidence such as learning walks, case sampling of vulnerable learners, discussions with staff and students and reviews of curriculum accessibility and intervention impact. The VP, S advised that a strategic discussion paper on the recent SEND consultation would be presented to Board at its next meeting and the governance of these issues would be covered.

The Committee noted that 220 lesson observations had taken place in this cycle, with continued reductions in “Develop” lessons and in the need for intervention. This trend indicated improving teaching quality and stronger practitioner ownership of development, which the Committee commended.

The VP referred to the crosscollege themes identified as limiting inclusive practice and the Planned Actions to strengthen inclusive teaching. The Committee welcomed the shift towards wholecollege consistency and the embedding of inclusive techniques within everyday pedagogy. The Committee noted that many strengths mirrored the development areas, demonstrating wide pockets of excellent practice that could be leveraged to support improvement.

The Committee discussed the extent to which inclusion was becoming embedded as the “default” across the organisation—an Ofsted expectation. It acknowledged that the PPR outcomes provided valuable intelligence for targeted CPD, curriculum planning and organisational culture work and that PPR monitoring would continue through Quality Reviews, Professional Exchange Meetings and linemanagement processes.

The Committee agreed that the PPR outcomes provided a clear and credible evidence base for preparedness for the new Ofsted framework and that the actions planned would strengthen teaching consistency, improve inclusion for all learners and reduce identified risks.

16/26. Annual SubContracting Report 2024–25 (Confidential Appendix, Agenda item 6)

The Committee received the Annual SubContracting Report for 2024–25 (previously circulated), prepared to support governor scrutiny of the college’s subcontracting function and to ensure continued compliance with the DfE Subcontracting Standard.

The VP, Q, A & I presented the report, reminding the Committee that the college had successfully achieved the Subcontracting Standard in March 2024 and was now preparing for the required assurance work to support reapplication at the end of the current academic year.

The Report examined the quality outcomes provided for each of the three longstanding partners and that all partners continued to deliver provision that met at least one of the required criteria for subcontracting.

The Committee noted that:

• • • Achievement rates remained high across all AEB/FCFJ programmes.
    • Progression rates were also positive
    • each subcontracting partner remained subject to the college’s full quality assurance framework
    • all three partners had been inspected by Ofsted in the previous 18 months and each had been graded Good

and agreed that the evidence presented demonstrated strong overall performance, though with areas requiring further monitoring. In response to questions, the VP confirmed that alternative models were being explored, to safeguard future funding and reduce dependency on subcontracted provision in areas where recruitment remained challenging.

The Committee concluded that the subcontracting provision continued to demonstrate strong quality, positive progression outcomes and good levels of compliance with the Subcontracting Standard.

17/26. Progress Against Delivery of the College Careers Strategy (Appendices, Agenda item 8)

The Committee received the Careers Report for March 2026 (previously circulated), which provided assurance that the college continued to meet statutory requirements and deliver its planned careers provision.

The AM reported that -

• • • the revised Gatsby Benchmarks, introduced nationally in September 2025, had raised the standard expected of schools and colleges. The Careers Team had completed a selfassessment on 8 December 2025, with the Careers Link Governor and representatives from the Marches Careers Hub. While the college had previously achieved all eight benchmarks, the new enhanced framework meant that the college now fully achieved two benchmarks and was making excellent progress against the remaining six, which mirrored the national picture. The Committee recognised that meeting the enhanced Gatsby expectations was a key driver of quality and compliance and supported the college’s approach.
    • The college’s first Careers Impact Internal Leadership Review (ILR), part of the new Careers & Enterprise Company maturity model, had recently been completed. The Committee acknowledged that the ILR was designed to stretch organisations that had already achieved all Gatsby benchmarks and agreed that its findings would support deeper embedding of careers within curriculum intent and across the whole college.
    • The college had recently participated in a peer review undertaken with Hereford & Ludlow and North Shropshire College in January 2026. Good practice had been exchanged in areas including:
    • curriculum intent documentation,
    • governance support and challenge in careers work,
    • careers data recording, and
    • use of data to support positive destinations.

these insights strengthened assurance around the quality and maturity of the college’s careers provision.

The Committee welcomed the outcome of the recent external Matrix Standard assessment. The college continued to meet the Matrix Standard, a condition of DfE adult education funding. Verbal feedback had been excellent, with the assessor acknowledging the strong progress had been made since the 2023 assessment. The Careers Link Governor had met briefly with the assessor who had identified a genuine studentcentred culture within the college. Recommendations would be “tweaks rather than fundamentals.” The Committee praised the outcome and recognised that this provided robust external validation of the college’s careers guidance quality.

The Committee confirmed that it felt assured that the college continued to make strong progress in delivering its Careers Strategy, meeting statutory requirements and was developing a maturing, highquality careers ecosystem aligned to the revised Gatsby Benchmarks and Matrix accreditation.

18/26. Student Voice Update (Agenda item 8)

The Agency Manager provided a brief verbal update. The Student Union Executive (SUE) was looking to review the college’s student engagement model, to increase further student engagement. Diversity & Inclusion continued to be a key theme for the SUE in terms of fund-raising activities and events.

19/26. YearEnd Student Perception of College (SPOC) Report (Appendix, Agenda Item 9)

The Committee received the YearEnd Student Perception of College (SPOC) Report for 2024/25 (previously circulated), which presented an analysis of student feedback at the end of their courses and an update on the actions identified as a result.

The Committee noted –

• • • the improved response rate of 55% compared with 44% last year.
    • the strong collegelevel findings with significant improvements in student satisfaction across multiple areas:
    • 96% felt teaching was effective and would recommend the college.
    • 97% felt encouraged to aim high (+7% from last year).
    • 15 SPOC questions showed improvement compared with 2024.
    • Major gains were seen in emotional health and wellbeing support (91%, up from 86%), preparation for next stages of life (89%, up from 83%) and development of selfconfidence (88%, up from 83%).
    • Subject Survey responses also improved across every question.

In line with the report’s discussion prompts, the Committee discussed aspects where satisfaction had improved but remained comparatively lower than other areas, particularly Travel support: 76% (a newly detailed question). In response to questions, the VP, S explained what further action was being taken to provide support. The Committee acknowledged that while the college had limited influence over external transport providers, improvements in communication, guidance and promotion of available information could support student experience.

The Committee reviewed the proposed updated actions and agreed that the action plan was robust, wellaligned to student feedback, and would be monitored through the Committee.

20/26. EDI Report (Appendix, Agenda Item 9)

The Committee received the SEND and EDI Termly Report, which provided an update on key activity and developments during the Spring Term (previously circulated).

The Committee noted that –

• • • the government had recently published two significant documents that would shape SEND provision nationally and for the college in the coming years. The implications of these documents would be explored further at the forthcoming Board meeting.
    • progress had been made against the improvement areas previously identified for High Needs students. Retention for High Needs students stood at 96%, above the whole-college average and represented a marked increase from 89% in the previous year. The Committee also noted the increased participation of High Needs students in enrichment activities, including work placements, the outdoor gym, the Pan-Disability football team and the newly established Drama and Improv group. High Needs students were participating in the college’s Reverse Jobs Fair, with strong employer engagement. There was also a significant year-on-year increase in High Needs applications for September 2026 and a request had been submitted to the DfE to increase centrally funded High Needs placements from 2026/27.
    • the update on targeted English and Maths interventions for High Needs students and noted the improved projected outcomes at Progress Review 2. The Committee took assurance from the narrowing gap between High Needs students and the wider cohort, both in expected target achievement and retention.

The Committee received the broader EDI update, which covered forthcoming events and awareness activities, including Neurodiversity Week, Heritage Weeks and the celebration of International Women’s Day. It noted the positive student engagement reported across these activities and additional initiatives, including Construction Tasters for girls in Years 8–12 and preparations for the upcoming STAR Awards.

The Committee considered the overall position on SEND and EDI and confirmed that it felt assured by the provision in place and the continued progress across these areas.

21/26. Safeguarding Report (Confidential Appendix, Agenda item 9)

The Committee received the Safeguarding Termly Report, which provided an update on safeguarding activity and emerging themes for the Spring Term (previously circulated). The Committee welcomed the HoS&SC who assisted in presenting the report.

The Committee noted that

• • • there had been a significant rise in transition information received from schools, which reflected the strengthened processes developed with the local authority. In response to questions the HoS&SC explained these strengthened processes and how they would improve support for students.
    • the patterns of disclosures and the increased concerns relating to mental health, emotional health and wellbeing referrals and risks associated with exploitation. The Committee recognised that emotional health and wellbeing referrals had already exceeded the total for the whole of the previous academic year.

The Committee discussed the increased number of students flagged as at potential risk of criminal or sexual exploitation. In response to questions, the HoS&SC explained the college’s proactive approach, including early assessments, referrals to the Local Authority Exploitation Team and participation in mapping meetings with local partners and how this supported students. The Committee acknowledged that, although the wider Shropshire context showed increased risk, the college’s strong processes and partnership working contributed to safeguarding students effectively.

The Committee received an update on the actions taken to respond to rising emotional health and wellbeing needs, including the increased promotion of the Student Assistance Programme, additional counselling sessions commissioned with Crane Quality Counselling, improvements in reducing missed appointments and the targeted delivery of resilience sessions for curriculum areas with higher referral volumes. The Committee also noted that the forthcoming review of mental health provision by the Anna Freud Foundation and CORC would inform the next phase of the college’s Mental Health Strategy.

The Committee noted the work of the Emotional Health and Wellbeing student ambassadors, including their successful student engagement activities in the autumn term and their plans for Mental Health Awareness Week. In response to questions, the HoS&SC provided assurance that these students received sufficient training and support themselves.

The Committee received updates on wider safeguarding processes, including online safety monitoring, checks for students declaring criminal convictions and progress on implementing the new safeguarding system, CPOMS. In response to questions, the HoS&SC reported on how CPOMS would improve the timeliness and efficiency of transition information when it went live in September 2026.

The Committee confirmed that it was assured by the safeguarding provision in place. It agreed that the increased volume of disclosures reflected both rising need and the effectiveness of the college’s systems, reporting culture and earlyintervention approach.

22/26. Risk

The Committee considered the strategic risks relevant to its remit and agreed that they had been discussed within the meeting, particularly –

• • • QSC 1 - Risk of retention factor falling below target 95% for 16-19 students (or declining from year to year)
    • QSC 2 - Risk that Achievement rates fall below target or are declining
    • QSC 4 – Risk that Attendance falls below target levels
    • QSC 5 - Risk that Systems in place to support students who are struggling to achieve predicted grades are not effective.

23/26. Date of Next Meeting – 22 June 2026 from 5.30 p.m. – Room 1a, London Road Campus.

The meeting concluded at 7.13 p.m.