South Lanarkshire College - Striving to achieve equity for all learners and closing the poverty-related attainment gap
South Lanarkshire College strives to achieve equity for all learners through a strong focus across all faculties and departments on placing the learner at the centre.
There is a college-wide expectation that all students achieve their qualification. Equality of opportunity and outcomes is promoted across all learner groups, and supported well through strong inter-departmental links and appropriate early interventions. As a result there is no gap in attainment between learners from the most and least deprived areas in the latest published data.
The college has achieved consistently-high and still improving attainment rates across both its further and higher education provision. Learners from the most disadvantaged areas attain well. Around 10% of the local population live in SIMD 10 locations, and the percentage in the college population is around 17%.
What did they do?
The college supports learners well to overcome personal issues and barriers to learning through:
- In-house counselling and chaplaincy service.
- Very positive staff culture, as evidenced through their IiP Platinum status, with empathetic and supportive staff: staff are highly-valued as a key asset.
- Bespoke staff development for teaching staff from the start of their employment to introduce them to effective learning and teaching approaches.
- Strong messages and strategic priorities articulated clearly in corporate documents and around the college about the college’s ambition, vision and values.
- Being a listening and responsive organisation with an “even better if”
How did they do it?
- The college is an inclusive community: promotional materials address equality and do not reinforce stereotypes.
- All students are personally interviewed to ensure placement on the right course for their needs and aspirations.
- Excellent relationships with key local authorities and stakeholders including Skills Development Scotland, to support learner transition and progression to positive destinations.
- Investment in learning and teaching materials and resources such as Clevertouch screens replacing and adding to the previous smartboard resources.
- Ready access to appropriate data and information for all - students, lecturers, support staff, managers, senior managers through bespoke in-house materials that enable speedy decision making and intervention.