Minutes of Quality Standards and Curriculum Committee 2 February 2026

01/26. Declarations of Interest

No pecuniary interests were declared. J. Hoyland and R. Harrison gave verbal indications of new interests which they would declare on their Register of Interests.

ACTION: Clerk to distribute Register of Interests to update

02/26. Minutes – 01 December 2025 (Appendix – Agenda Item 3)

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 01 December 2025, were approved as a true record, subject to the following expansion –

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

The HE Student Governor commented that the college did not appear to have a current EDI Strategy. To meet statutory requirements, they requested that the college produce, for the Committee’s review and assurance, an EDI Strategy. 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.

03/26. Strategic Presentation - Draft Self-Assessment Report (SAR) (Appendix – Agenda Item 4)

The VP, Q, A & I presented for the Committee’s review the draft SAR (previously circulated). The draft constituted a complete update of all elements of the college’s annual self-assessment, presented in the same structure as previous years. Student stories had not yet been finalised but were due to be added before publication.

The VP explained –

• • • The identified strengths in the SAR supported the validity of the college’s self-assessment, including those relating directly to quality, retention, achievement, destinations and teaching performance.
    • Overall achievement reached 88.8%, significantly above national averages.
    • A Level progress remained in the top 20–30% nationally, demonstrating sustained high-quality provision.
    • GCSE English (+25%) and maths (+10.5%) high-grade performance significantly exceeded national averages.
    • Adult learner achievement remained exceptionally strong at 94.4%.
    • 92% of courses were graded Good or Outstanding and 56 achieved Outstanding
    • 97% of students stated they would recommend the college; 99% stated they felt safe.
    • Positive destination rates remained high.
    • Students with LDD achieved well above national averages.
    • High needs students achieved 100% positive destinations.
    • The SAR had identified several areas where improvement was required -
    • Retention and Attendance for 16–19 provision sat below targets.
    • Overall apprenticeship achievement remained too low.
    • Free College Meals learners achieved below National Average and the internal achievement gap had widened.
    • Some subjects remained at Grade 3 (Requires Improvement) and one at Grade 4.
    • Although improving, Functional Skills performance, particularly for adult learners, remained below expectations.
    • The SAR set out clear improvement actions that would be monitored termly by the Committee. These included –
    • Raising 16–19 retention and attendance to 90%.
    • Increasing high-grade outcomes in A Levels, T Levels and Extended Diplomas.
    • Improving apprenticeship achievement to 65%, with sustained action on End Point Assessment (EPA) and curriculum delivery.
    • Closing identified achievement gaps for Looked After Young People, Free College Meals, High Needs and supported students.
    • Intensified Learning Enhancement Team (LET) support for all Grade 3 and Grade 4 courses.

In response to questions, the VP explained –

• • • The validation process was built around securing the best progress for students and in supporting subject teams to engage in improvements, if identified.
    • The validation process, how it was undertaken, the inputs and outputs and the process leading up to the grade produced, including the use of tracked data to inform the grades. The Committee sought assurance that the processes to improve subject self-assessed grades were robust, based on tracked evidence over a period, supportive, planned and owned by the team under supervision. The D - Q, T & LE explained some of the interventions and team-led actions that had been put in place to bring about improvement, including –
    • LET interventions which had improved several previously weaker subjects.
    • Introduction of Engagement Coaches and Progression Specialists had contributed to improved Level 3 retention and in-year attendance.
    • Addressing EPA delays and staffing concerns had led to improved completions in 2025–26.
    • Implementation of Student Voice actions had strengthened student satisfaction indicators. The Committee acknowledged the impact of this approach in several subject areas, understanding that impact and progress could take more than one academic year.
    • Governors would be invited to participate with SLT in a further scrutiny exercise before the SAR was finalised, to be assured that -
    • the evidence in the SAR validated the judgements reached
    • the SAR included elements that governors had triangulated through their own monitoring (e.g., learning walks, student meetings)
    • that they were satisfied that the self-assessment process was accurate, complete and rigorous.

ACTION: SAR SLT/governor scrutiny event to be held.

04/26. Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) 2025/26 (Appendix, Agenda Item 5)

The Committee reviewed the QEP, which set out priorities for improving quality and student outcomes (previously enclosed). The QEP had been developed following Course Review meetings and drafting of the SAR.

The Committee reviewed the Key Projects and progress against milestones -

• • • Apprenticeship Achievement (Target: 65%) The Committee noted that work to increase apprenticeship achievement continued, including redesigned EPA preparation, enhanced employer engagement and strengthened quality support. Progress to date showed 71 early achievements compared with 51 at the same point in 2024/25, with a best-case achievement of 83.1% reported and the action remained on target.
    • Attendance Improvement (Target: 90%). The Committee reviewed actions to improve attendance through strategies for persistent and marginal absentees, strengthened monitoring of English and maths attendance and enhanced parental reporting. Attendance currently stood at 88.6% (including snow disruption) compared with 87.1% at the same time in 2024/25. However, the project was off target overall. In response to questions, it was explained that many courses were showing attendance over 90%. The VP, S had met with colleagues from another college to follow up on strategies that college had used to drive up attendance. The college was also exploring the potential to use Ai to identify risk factors to not meeting attendance targets.
    • Retention Improvement (Target: 90%). The Committee noted strong progress in monitoring withdrawals, early interventions, and strengthened IAG processes. Year-to-date retention was reported as 94.7% for all learning aims and 97.6% at student level and the workstream was assessed as on target.
    • Increasing High Grades. The high-grades project included the introduction of a new cross-college High Grades strategy and tailored curriculum interventions. Early data showed A Level high grades at 48.8%, PG1 at 52.5% and T Level high grades at 90.5%, with the project on target.
    • Improving Course SAR Grades. The project was marked as carry-forward into 2026, due to the timescale for change.
    • Reducing Achievement Gaps. The Committee reviewed activity to monitor and analyse performance for LAYP, high needs, FSM/FCM and minority ethnic groups, using enhanced EDI data reporting and intervention planning. Whilst the project was on target, it required continued focus, to build on the progress made so far this year.
    • Functional Skills Achievement. The Committee reviewed work to investigate the difference between GCSE and Functional Skills performance, including learning-aim analysis, benchmarking and adapted strategies for high-needs students. Functional Skills achievement was below the national rate and the action was on target with further improvements expected.
    • Parent Information and Communication. The Committee acknowledged the significant improvements in parental survey responses but recognised the need for a redesigned communications approach.

The Committee agreed that progress would continue to be monitored through termly reporting.

05/26. Higher Education – Term Report (Appendix, Agenda Item 5)

The VP, T&VE presented a strategic update on Higher Education (HE) provision (previously circulated), as follows -

• • • The Office for Students (OfS) had formally approved the college’s Access & Participation Plan (A&PP) 2026–30. Approval permitted the college, as an OfS-registered provider to charge tuition fees above the £6,355 lower fee limit. In response to questions, the VP explained that additional income above the basic fee cap had to be reinvested into activity supporting improved access for under-represented students; the annual amount for the college was approximately £37k. The Committee was also informed of the key features of the A&PP, including the four-year intervention strategies and methods for measuring impact.
    • The Modular Acceleration Programme (MAP) pilot, had ended on 31 December 2025. The college had been one of 25 national providers selected to deliver flexible HTQ modular provision supporting adult upskilling. The college had received a DfE letter of congratulations acknowledging its significant contribution to sector readiness for the forthcoming Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). The VP reported that MAP participation had strengthened the college’s creativity, innovation and capability in delivering modular, credit-based higher education aligned to LLE reforms launching in 2025.

06/26. Student Voice Report (Appendix, Agenda Item 7b)

The Committee received a verbal update on student voice activities across all campuses.

• • • There has been a meeting between student representatives and the P/CEO, which had provided an opportunity for students to learn more about the operational elements of the college and to present issues for action. Further meetings were planned.
    • The PRIDE Group had started positively, with increased engagement at the English & Welsh Bridge campuses, and plans in place to engage London Road Campus students.
    • Members of the SUE continued to engage in the national student leadership programme.
    • The High Sherrif of Shropshire had commended the SUE and students for their support in the ‘Wear it Blue’ fundraising campaign and had invited the college to support more fund-raising activities going forward. The High Sheriff Awards would take place at the college on 17 March 2026, to which governors had been invited.

07/26. EDI Report (Appendix, Agenda Item 9)

The Committee was advised that the EDI Committee would review the SAR, with a focus on actions to address achievement gaps. The EDI Link Governor would be meeting with the VP, S the following week.

08/26. Safeguarding Report

The Committee received a verbal safeguarding update -

• • • The local authority had commended the work being done by the college to support students at the risk of exploitation.
    • There was a continued increase in the number of mental health referrals. Having analysed this increasing trend, the college had again attempted to access NHS funding and support. However, the college, along with all post-16 education providers in Shropshire and Telford had been unsuccessful. However, by 2029, it would be mandatory for the NHS to financially support mental health support resources in every educational setting, so the college could expect some funding. However, in the meantime, the college still needed to support students. Therefore, the college had allocated funds to undertake a a strategic project to audit the college’s current range of resources and students’ and staff perceptions of them, to identify gaps in provision and target where additional resources should be placed.

09/26. 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.

Regarding QSC07 – student destinations are not adequately measured or are not positive – the Careers Link Governor advised that this risk had been highlighted with respect to careers and student destination mapping as part of their recent Careers & Skills Link Visit.

10/26. Date of Next Meeting – 16 March 2026 from 5.30 p.m. – Room 1a, London Road Campus.

The meeting concluded at 7.27 p.m.