Colleges involved: Godalming College Esher College Reigate College Strodes College, Egham Woking College

Story of the Consortium Started in 2002 with 7 colleges Two colleges have since merged with GFE Colleges Part time Manager (only two since the start), who is ex Senior Manager from one of the colleges (2 ½ days a week) and who works from home Part time Officer, supporting Manager (20 hours a week), who works from home Grown enormously in size and remit over the last 9 years Funded by the colleges themselves plus successful bidding for particular projects (around £500k over 9 years)

Procedural and Quality sharing meetings: Principals – strategic overview, current political climate, day to day issues (6 times a year) Vice Principals – policy writing, implementing bid projects, procedural issues (6 times a year) Staff Development – organisation of S7 CPD for all staff (6 times a year

Meetings (continued) Student Services Managers – quality sharing and ways of working (once a term) Equality and Diversity Group – implementation of new Equality Act (once a term) Learning Support Managers (once a term) Directors of Faculty (once a term) Exams Officers, Clerks to the Corporation, Marketing Managers, HR group, Admin group, LFs group Subject groups (once a year)

Staff Development Bespoke Sixth Form College Education courses at a fraction of the price, taught by our own Senior Managers and the Consortium Manager: Teachers Toolkit Training for UQTs and NQTs Aspiring HoDs New HoDs Leadership Programme (HoDs who wish to move to HoFs) Support Staff Managers Leadership Programme Senior Managers day

Professional Development at hugely reduced cost: Identified by Staff Development Managers through professional review process: Observational training for staff who have to observe teachers Differentiation training Mental Health and Dyslexia Training for LFs Equality and Diversity training for E and D co- ordinators and all staff Employment Law for Senior Managers Any other training requested

S7 one day T &L Conference Royal Holloway University, June 2011 Guest speakers: T and L topics, Future of Higher Ed Subject meetings: Stretch and challenge, independent learning, assessment for learning, embedding E and D into lessons, the role of e-learning, dealing with more students in less time, subject matters of concern Workshops: E and D, Dyslexia, Exam board processes, future IT, using data in the classroom, EPQ, A* grading, value added, how colleges are financed, web conferencing for revision £25 a head for 400 staff!!! Support Staff Conference in 2012

Peer Review and Development: Review each others SAR processes and be an external critical friend Dual lesson observation standardisation Visits and Exchanges requested by Senior Management and by staff Internal Quality Reviews of subjects and cross curricular areas Sharing of experiences including OFSTED inspections

Can we prove that working as a Consortium helps? 3 outstanding colleges and 2 good colleges Numbers of students consistent or rising Grades rising year on year Very good to excellent value added Economic problems have been shared and worked on together to such ends as joint procurement of staff and equipment Marketing agreement has meant that all colleges thrive Ability to continue with excellent CPD at massively reduced cost Bidding for money as a consortium works

Further information For further information contact the S7 Consortium,PRD Group at: