Sussex Downs College
Encyclopedia
Sussex Downs College is a further education
college in East Sussex
, England, that was established in 2001 through a merger of Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology, with Park Sixth Form College in Eastbourne
added in 2003. They are now known as Lewes Sixth Form College, Park College, and Eastbourne Vocational College (EVoC) respectively, and operates campuses in Eastbourne, and Lewes
with further skill centres in Uckfield
, Newhaven
and Hailsham
.
Following a 2007 Ofsted
inspection the college received an overall Grade 2 (good). In their report, the inspectors accorded Grade 1 (outstanding) assessments in two areas. The Government has asked the college to take on a leading role to drive through improvements, reforms and changes. In May 2008, the college achieved Beacon status, a high award for Further Education colleges. With the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area covering Banbury, Kent and Dover, Sussex Downs College is one of two colleges to have this status. In November 2008 the college gained recognition through the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Beacon Award. The college won the CLA Award for Creativity in Writing, Art or Design for the work in familiarising learners with the business side of music production. The college has an established record label – Hard Pressed Records – which enables the students to publish their own work in a real working environment.
The college is a founding member of the 157 Group
, which was established in 2006.
Work-based learning is provided in a wide range of vocational areas, including business, construction, engineering, hairdressing and beauty therapy, and health and social care. The college is designated as a Centre of Vocational Excellence for the performing arts and entertainment industries. The college now has approximately 6,000 mostly full-time students under the age of 19 and around 10,000 adult learners. The College employs around 1600 staff.
, Uckfield Community Technology College
, Uplands Community Technology College and Sussex Downs College have collaborated to establish The Wealden Skills Centre, which will offer a range of vocational courses to the whole community. It was officially opened by Charles Hendry
MP in 2005.
In May 2008 it was announced that new teaching staff appointed to Park College would no longer be employed on nationally agreed Sixth Form Teachers pay and conditions but instead appointed on Sussex Downs FE contracts.
In May 2009 a “reshaping” of the college was announced. For Park College this will mean that a number of A Levels will no longer be taught in the Park College building. These include English, Modern Foreign Languages, Media Studies, Film Studies and Art. These subjects were being moved out to other (EVoC) buildings on the Eastbourne campus in order to move in non A Level subjects such as BTEC Secretarial courses. Additionally some subjects such as A Level Business Studies, Accounting, Economics and Law will no longer be managed from within Park College but have a manager based at Lewes. A Public Meeting was held at Eastbourne Town Hall on Monday 18 May 2009, attended by over 200 parents, students, ex-students, staff and local councillors. Members of SDC Corporation and senior management chose not to attend. The teaching unions at Park College held one day strikes March, May and December 2009 in support of the campaign to keep Park College a Sixth Form College.
In May 2010 it was announced that all student support services would be withdrawn from Park College in September 2010.
On 24 April 2009 UCU lecturers took part in a one day strike in an attempt to force SDC to implement the nationally agreed pay scales for FE College. SDC is one of only eight FE College in England that has failed to implement the 2004 national agreement.
Three one day strikes took place in 2009 by the teaching unions at Park College in a dispute over newly appointed teaching staff at the College not being appointed on nationally agreed sixth form contracts.
In March 2010 a series of redundancies of teaching and support staff were announced.
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
college in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England, that was established in 2001 through a merger of Lewes Tertiary College and Eastbourne College of Arts and Technology, with Park Sixth Form College in Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
added in 2003. They are now known as Lewes Sixth Form College, Park College, and Eastbourne Vocational College (EVoC) respectively, and operates campuses in Eastbourne, and Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
with further skill centres in Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
, Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
and Hailsham
Hailsham
Hailsham is a civil parish and the largest of the five main towns in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the town of Hailsham has had a long history of industry and agriculture...
.
Following a 2007 Ofsted
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
inspection the college received an overall Grade 2 (good). In their report, the inspectors accorded Grade 1 (outstanding) assessments in two areas. The Government has asked the college to take on a leading role to drive through improvements, reforms and changes. In May 2008, the college achieved Beacon status, a high award for Further Education colleges. With the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) area covering Banbury, Kent and Dover, Sussex Downs College is one of two colleges to have this status. In November 2008 the college gained recognition through the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Beacon Award. The college won the CLA Award for Creativity in Writing, Art or Design for the work in familiarising learners with the business side of music production. The college has an established record label – Hard Pressed Records – which enables the students to publish their own work in a real working environment.
The college is a founding member of the 157 Group
157 Group
The 157 Group is a group of 28 colleges of further education in England. The group was established in 2006 with an aim of promoting and maintaining high standards of education and management for this type of college...
, which was established in 2006.
Education
The college has three campuses for sixteen to nineteen year old students: Eastbourne Vocational, Park and Lewes 6th Form College. Each of these has a Head who is responsible for all of the students within that college, and each Head is supported by a Sussex Downs College Team of Senior Managers, under the direction of an Executive Director of Business Development and a Principal/Chief Executive. A variety of part time and full time courses are also offered at Sussex Downs College. These vary from leisure based courses in subjects such as arts and crafts, music, food, drink, and dance to qualification based courses such as medicine and teacher training. Part of the college also specialises in courses for local businesses.Work-based learning is provided in a wide range of vocational areas, including business, construction, engineering, hairdressing and beauty therapy, and health and social care. The college is designated as a Centre of Vocational Excellence for the performing arts and entertainment industries. The college now has approximately 6,000 mostly full-time students under the age of 19 and around 10,000 adult learners. The College employs around 1600 staff.
School ranking
For the year 2004, Sussex Downs College received an A/AS-level performance ranking from the Department for Education and Skills of 228.2, below the national average of 269.2.Wealden Skills Centre
Beacon Community College, Heathfield Community CollegeHeathfield Community College
Heathfield Community College is a secondary school located just outside the market town of Heathfield in the heart of the Wealden district of East Sussex. The school is a specialist Arts College.-School Enrollment:...
, Uckfield Community Technology College
Uckfield Community Technology College
Uckfield Community Technology College is a community college situated in Uckfield, UK. It has approximately 1,600 students, including 360 in the sixth form college.The school motto is "Realising Potential"...
, Uplands Community Technology College and Sussex Downs College have collaborated to establish The Wealden Skills Centre, which will offer a range of vocational courses to the whole community. It was officially opened by Charles Hendry
Charles Hendry
Charles Hendry is a British Conservative Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Wealden. In May 2010 he was appointed Minister of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change.-Early life:...
MP in 2005.
Matrix accreditation
Sussex Downs College has been re-accredited with the nationally recognised quality mark for organisations which provide support to individuals to make learning and work more accessible – the Matrix Standard.Merger with Park College
In 2003 Park College was merged with Sussex Downs College, with reassurances given that Park College would continue to be a Sixth Form College.In May 2008 it was announced that new teaching staff appointed to Park College would no longer be employed on nationally agreed Sixth Form Teachers pay and conditions but instead appointed on Sussex Downs FE contracts.
In May 2009 a “reshaping” of the college was announced. For Park College this will mean that a number of A Levels will no longer be taught in the Park College building. These include English, Modern Foreign Languages, Media Studies, Film Studies and Art. These subjects were being moved out to other (EVoC) buildings on the Eastbourne campus in order to move in non A Level subjects such as BTEC Secretarial courses. Additionally some subjects such as A Level Business Studies, Accounting, Economics and Law will no longer be managed from within Park College but have a manager based at Lewes. A Public Meeting was held at Eastbourne Town Hall on Monday 18 May 2009, attended by over 200 parents, students, ex-students, staff and local councillors. Members of SDC Corporation and senior management chose not to attend. The teaching unions at Park College held one day strikes March, May and December 2009 in support of the campaign to keep Park College a Sixth Form College.
In May 2010 it was announced that all student support services would be withdrawn from Park College in September 2010.
Eastbourne Technology College
In July 2009 East Sussex County Council announced proposals for Eastbourne Technology College to become an academy that would be run by a trust led by the lead sponsor, Sussex Downs College with the University of Brighton providing further support as a partner in the project.. On 15 October 2009 the Government agreed the proposal. The plans for an Academy are proceeding despite the school exceeding the required grades in GCSEs in Summer 2009, and the considerable opposition from parents, governors and staff. Teaching staff expressed their concerns in a number of meetings where they quoted the poor industrial relations of Sussex Downs College, failure of Sussex Downs to honour nationally agreed employment contracts and lack of effective management. Despite reassuring messages from John Blake staff expressed concern that such assurances had not been delivered in other areas managed by SDC.Industrial Relations
Sussex Downs College is currently in dispute with NUT and NAS UWT over a variety of contract issues.On 24 April 2009 UCU lecturers took part in a one day strike in an attempt to force SDC to implement the nationally agreed pay scales for FE College. SDC is one of only eight FE College in England that has failed to implement the 2004 national agreement.
Three one day strikes took place in 2009 by the teaching unions at Park College in a dispute over newly appointed teaching staff at the College not being appointed on nationally agreed sixth form contracts.
In March 2010 a series of redundancies of teaching and support staff were announced.