College Strategies

Strategy Framework

1. Introduction

  1. London Churchill College (LCC) is a private, for-profit Higher Education Institute, based in East London, offering a range of BTEC HND programmes. LCC’s main campus and headquarters is Barclay Hall, located at Upton Park together with Avicenna House and Kings House campus at Barking. In the past LCC operated additionally from its Whitechapel campus, however, it is no longer in use due to LCC’s relocation to Barclay Hall, campus. Barclay Hall is a locally listed freehold property owned by the College. By choice, LCC will remain a medium sized College with a capacity to accommodate circa 1200-1500 students;
  2. This document describes the Strategy Framework of LCC. It is not a conventionalstrategic plan with a defined life and fixed goals, but a statement of the College’s mission,strategic aims and objectives, together with the Key Metrics which will be employed tomonitor their progress.
  3. The document first sets out LCC’s mission and a statement of values. It then sets outhow the institution will achieve its mission through a statement of Overall Strategic Aimsfollowed by particular Strategic Aims, Key Objectives and Key Metrics in each of fivefocus areas or pillars through which the College will achieve its overall strategic aims.These pillars are:
    a) Academic;
    b) Finance, Resources, Estate and Investment;
    c) Access and Participation;
    d) Information Technology;
    e) Human Resources
  1. For each pillar the Strategic Aim gives a broad high-level statement of what is intendedto be achieved, the Key Objectives are the goals set to achieve the strategic aim and theKey Metrics provide the measures which allow the College to monitor its progress inachieving the Key Objectives.
  2. The Principal’s Executive Group (PEG) will develop an operational plan which sets outbroad annual goals and milestones linked to the Key Objectives within the StrategyFramework. The operational plan will be reviewed and revised informally by the PEGaccording to current needs within the organisation; all any major amendments areapproved by the Board of Directors.
  1. Our mission is to enable our students to reach their full potential through the provision ofhigh-quality learning opportunities that meet their specific needs, a student experiencewhich promotes and enhances self-confidence which develops an enterprising outlookto maximise employability.
  1. We expect our student and staff to:
    a) respect their fellow students and work colleagues;
    b) take a collaborative and mutually supportive approach in all their activities;
    c) aspire to achieve excellence in all aspects of their work and study;
    d) be accountable for their actions;
    e) adopt a strongly positive attitude to diversity.
  1. To encourage the widest possible participation of students from disadvantaged /underrepresented backgrounds from the East London area in post-16 education leadingto progression into employment or Higher Education, through fostering a culture ofstudent employability and continually seeking to expand our student numbers andenhance our Higher Education portfolio.
  2. Through entrepreneurship, responsive leadership, structural changes and efficiency initiatives, the College aims to be financially and operationally adaptable and sustainable
  3. To ensure student engagement through partnership, which enables and empowers students in their learning and professional development. To act on student feedback and involve students in the College senior Boards and Committees to implement effective student representation.
  1. Strategic Aim
    1. To deliver a high-quality and sector recognised student learning experience which will equip students with skill sets supporting them to progress into employment and/or further studies.
  2. Key Objectives
    To deliver the Strategic Aim, the College will:
    1. Achieve learning and teaching standards benchmarked against the Teaching Excellence and the Student Outcomes Framework (TEF);
    2. Maintain a learning and teaching environment that meets expectations and aspirations of students, staff, the regulator (i.e. OfS) and the designated quality assurance body (i.e. QAA).
  3. Key Metrics
    1. Overall student satisfaction rate is the OfS benchmark for NSS or 90% whichever is higher.
    2. The non-continuation rate to remain below the HE sector benchmark (OfS) or 17%, whichever is lower;
    3. 70% of the College’s students achieve their intended qualifications (LCC Quality Cycle);
    4. The College meets all (100%) core practices as set out in the Quality Code;
    5. Keep the Graduate outcomes response rate at 60% or OfS benchmark, whichever is higher.
  1. Strategic Aim
    1. Through entrepreneurship, prudent financial management and careful investment, the College aims to be financially and environmentally sustainable and operationally adaptable ensuring that physical and staff resources are available and used sustainably to deliver an excellent student experience.
  2. Key Objectives
    To deliver the Strategic Aim, the College will:
    1. Remain financially and operationally sustainable by having in place robust financial plans that incorporate a steady improvement in income diversification and surpluses;
    2. Support the operational sustainability, the College will invest in modern, fit for purpose facilities and buildings to respond to staff and students’ needs and expectations and to enable the College to achieve its academic vision;
    3. Invest in income generating assets, which can also provide fast access to liquidity, to make the College financially sustainable and to resource the student protection plan;
    4. Undertake investment opportunities including real estate that can directly benefit the College’s operations, or invest in low-risk ventures where the return on the investment is higher than the inflation rate or opportunity costs;
    5. Enhance the real value of the assets with an emphasis on capital growth;
    6. Support and promote the environmentally sustainable development principles in all aspects of the estates and resources, learning delivery and strategic planning.
  3. Key Metrics
    1. To maintain a minimum cash balance of 120 days of operational costs to meet the College’s short-term obligations at any point in time;
    2. To keep the dividend pay-out ratio modest and to ensure the College does not distribute more than 25% of its surplus funds as dividends to its shareholders;
    3. The student satisfaction rates on library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) and course-specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software, collections) to remain above the HE-sector benchmark or 90%;
    4. All investment opportunities should result in a projected investment return of
      a minimum of 1% over LIBOR or inflation rate (whichever is higher);
    5. All permanent investment should be projected to maintain a net asset value
      above the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation index.
    6. Ensure that College business is conducted in a manner that improves energy efficiency and seeks to eliminate waste and that the management of existing buildings minimises the environmental impact of the energy consumed;
    7. Promote the use of more sustainable resources to deliver lessons including modes of delivery which are environmentally friendly such as use of online teaching, online meeting, use of less paper-based materials. Encouraging staff and students to use public transport or cycle to get to the College.
    8. Encourage our staff and students to undertake volunteering activity as part
      of a community commitment to sustainable development.
  1. Strategic Aim
    1. To support access and participation in Higher Education by students from all backgrounds and particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-represented groups.
  2. Key Objectives
    To deliver the Strategic Aim, the College will:
    1. Maintain mature students and BAME students as the principal target groups
      of potential students at the College and include those students who are underrepresented in the UK higher education;
    2. Reduce and eliminate the non-structural gap in success (retention rate and
      achievement rate) and progress (into employment or further study) between
      various groups of unrepresented students;
    3. Ensure that the College meets the needs and aspirations of all its students with appropriate support availability;
    4. Provide support for students throughout their studies and into employment.
  3. Key Metrics
    1. 50% minimum or OfS benchmark, whichever is higher of the College
      students to be classed as mature students;
    2. 70% minimum or OfS benchmark, whichever is higher of the College students
      to be from the BAME backgrounds;
    3. 70% minimum or OfS benchmark, whichever is higher of the College’s underrepresented students (e.g. BAME and mature) achieve their intended
      qualifications;
    4. 90% or OfS benchmark, whichever is higher of the College’s underrepresented students’ progress rate into employment or further study
  1. Strategic Aim
    1. To build, maintain and develop a comprehensive IT and virtual learning
      infrastructure that will enhance the smooth running of all aspects of College
      life, including making the educational delivery adaptive and responsive to the
      needs of its students who may demand home study and personalised
      timetable.
  2. Key Objectives
    To deliver the Key Strategic Aim, the College will:
    1. Maintain and develop a virtual learning environment to support student
      learning and inter-college communication; Maintain and develop IT systems
      to support the College’s Administrative function;
    2. Keep abreast of technology and how it relates to educational delivery;
    3. Support the College’s aims to provide an economic and efficient educational
      delivery
    4. Incorporate appropriate ways for the acceptable use of ICT policies (AUPs)
      containing specific reference to the statutory Prevent Duty.
  3. Key Metrics
    1. The Student satisfaction rates on the IT resources, facilities, equipment and software to remain above the HE-sector benchmark or 90%.
    2. Minimum 90% of LCC students are supported to ensure they are prepared to attend one or more classes online.
    3. Access to and usage rate by students of the virtual learning environment (VLE) is 90% or above
    4. Annual confirmation from OfS (or other) that the College is fully (100%) in compliance with the requirements of Prevent Duty.
  1. Strategic Aim
    1. To systematically match the capabilities of our teachers and support staff with the challenges of the role for which they are accountable and to ensure the development of staff resources through established and managed HR Policies and Procedures.
  2. Key Objectives
    To deliver the Key Strategic Aim, the College will:
    1. Maintain a salary and reward system which is seen to be internally equitable and recognises individual performance;
    2. Maintain a system for appraisal, review and/or assessment of staff;
    3. Design and maintain a personal development programme that through deployment, promotion and training enables our staff to realise their personal potential;
    4. Define the accountabilities of each role (both teaching and support staff roles) along with the performance indicators by which success is judged.
  3. Key Metrics
    1. Minimum 90% of students confirm that they can contact staff when needed, evidence by survey;
    2. Minimum 90% of students and staff consider they are part of the LCC community; evidenced by survey; survey;
    3. 100% of staff and student feedback is acted upon, evidenced by survey
    4. 100% of staff are given appropriate support and advice to support them achieve their career potential within LCC, evidenced by survey.

Reference

Version
4.2
Updated
July 2022
Author
Principal
Delegated authority
Principal
Approval By
Board of Directors
Approval Date
09 September 2022
Version History
V4.1 (July 2021), V3.1 (Sept 2020); V3.0 (June 2020), 2.02 (May 2020); V1.0 (May 2020)
Review
College Oversight Board (COB)
Circulation
Public Information
Key Metrics Sources
OfS Benchmark
HESA data
LCC Quality Cycle

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