Minutes of WMCETT Board Meeting
Wednesday 14 November 2007 ~ 5.00 – 7.00
NEW College Bromsgrove
Agenda items
1. Welcome and introductions
2. Constitution and Terms of Reference
3. Election of the Officers
4. Director’s progress report
5. QIA evaluations
6. Collaboration and new projects
7. Branding and website
8. Commissioning process
9. Date and time of next meeting
Item
1.
Present
Chris Robertson (University of Worcester)
David Lamburn (University of Warwick) [Chair, items 1-3]
Fergus McKay (Director WMCETT)
Geoff Bateson (Core Skills Partnership)
Martin Penny (Stratford College)
Neil Bromley (NEW College)
Pauline Moylan (LLUK)
Sue Fellows (Administrative Assistant WMCETT) [minutes]
Susan Martin (Project Manager WMCETT)
Apologies
Faye Williams (Coventry and Warwickshire Learning Consortium)
Jane Peters (LSC)
Lee Weatherly (Midland Group Training Service)
Action
DL chaired the first three agenda items. DL welcomed all to the inaugural Board meeting and
thanked NB for hosting it. Introductions were made.
2.
The Constitution, Membership and Terms of Reference of the Board were circulated (see attached).
Membership: FM to meet with the principals of the Shropshire Colleges to discuss sending a
representative from their Committee. There are vacancies for a representative for the Adult and
Community sector in Shropshire, Hereford and Worcestershire, and for a representative for the
Essential Skills sector. Nominations were requested by FM. It was acknowledged that two
representatives from each of these sectors and from the Work Based Learning sector would reflect
the extent of these areas. The representative from LLUK sat in attendance at the meeting but did not
feel it appropriate become a member of the Board on the grounds of impartiality.
Terms of Reference: These were read out. DL will review draft Terms of Reference for the Quality
Committee to ensure terms are appropriate and will bring to the Board to confirm.
3.
3 Officers are required. NB invited to take the position of Chair which was accepted. GB accepted
position of Deputy Chair. SM accepted position of Secretary to the Board. All positions were agreed
unanimously by the members. DL thanked the Officers and handed over to NB.
4.
Originally West Midlands South CETT, the UoW bid was the only successful bid of four from the
West Midlands so ‘South’ has been dropped and the CETT will be known as West Midlands CETT. It
will cover Coventry and Warwickshire and Shropshire, Hereford and Worcestershire. There are four
priority areas of ITT PCET, Adult Voluntary and Community / Adult and Community Learning sectors,
Work Based Learning, and Skills. The CETT is taper funded for 3 years. Years 2 and 3 will need to
demonstrate that income is being generated to carry on the initiatives. The Business Plan will be
reviewed this week, eg the cost of a project manager was not factored into the original plan so this
will need to be allowed for. Also to be included are initiatives/ideas not considered at the start.
NB asked whether the Board or the Quality Committee should have a role in the budget. DL advised
that finance should not be the remit of the Quality Committee but of the Board. This is covered by
point 1 of the Terms of Reference. The revised Year 1 Business Plan and proposed Year 2 Business
Plan will be presented at the next Board meeting.
Objective 2 - Priority Area 1 ITT PCET
A training needs analysis is currently being undertaken with the help of a CETT partner, the
Professional Development Partnership. This started in Shropshire and now operates across Hereford
and Worcestershire. A completed TNA in C&W should reveal a need for a number of CPD-like
activities. There have already been several calls for both accredited and non-accredited CPD
modules covering challenging behaviour, mentoring and e-learning.
Several PTTLS are currently being run and evaluated to provide feedback.
A CPD accredited framework has been developed, as well as the first accredited CPD award. LSN
have asked for an e-learning CPD to be developed.
FM has talked to partners to find out how CPD activities are being managed and the methods do vary
with some choosing to do a full 30 hour CPD with others choosing smaller chunks.
The on-going ITT PCET resource analysis will be reviewed next term to try to put the resources in
systematically.
A resource portal has been developed on the WMCETT website and linked to the QIA Excellence
Gateway which stores a large amount of teacher training resources. FM requested that people test
and trial these.
A very large mentoring project involving all 40 partners will embark at the end of November. Every
teacher trainer will receive a letter inviting them to use the website and get involved in the CETT.
Eventually, invitations will also be sent to AVC/ACL, WBL and Skills.
Objective 3 – Priority Area 2 Work Based Learning
A new product, PTLLS+, has been developed. This is the PTLLS with an added vocational element.
It is fully endorsed and accredited by LLUK. The initial pilot tested an actual teaching observation
rather than microteaching, which all candidates responded to positively. To continue to deliver this,
an action research bid has been submitted to train nominated personnel from TP across the region to
undertake teaching observations within own provider.
Two PTLLS have been completed. A further two have been requested by work based training
organisations.
An action research project has begun with two observers from Shropshire County Council and two
from Hereford training providers to uplift training on how to observe.
50 people attended three ITT awareness raising sessions.
Preliminary discussions have been held with Staffordshire work-based training organisations which
are not represented by any CETT. WMCETT is not budgeted to work with organisations outside the
area but does want to include them so will look at ways to run workshops. QIA recommends charging
organisations to join the CETT but this would result in a tier system. HEIs which deliver teacher
training will be contacted in order to create a partnership. Universities of Worcester and
Wolverhampton, Staffordshire and Birmingham City Universities and Newman College will be invited
to the University of Warwick in order to work together as big HEIs outside the CETT can’t fund but
can collaborate. This will not be a unique feature of the WMCETT as 11 CETTs will not be able to
cover all areas. The North West of England is devoid of support so Newcastle University have
teamed up with Skelmersdale College. As the funding for the CETT is tapered for 3 years, funding
cannot be relied on after year 3 so the CETT may have to generate income as part of its
sustainability. Membership/joining fees may have to be considered. This will be explored at the next
meeting.
Objective 4 – Priority Area 3 Adult Voluntary and Community / Adult and Community Learning
Focus group meetings have taken place in Coventry and Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcester and
Shropshire.
A number of CPD and ITT workshops will be run.
Two PTLLS are running and there is interest in a PTLLS+ being trialled. A fee could be charged if it is
fit for purpose. A self-sustainability model will enable individuals to deliver the PTLLS themselves.
Different modes of delivery need to be tested and trialled off-site.
Objective 5 – Priority Area 4 Skills
The CETT is working with the Essential Skills Resource Centre (now part of the University of
Warwick) which has built up good contacts throughout the West Midlands. The team has undertaken
very interesting projects such as the Skills PTLLS. A distance numeracy Diploma will be developed
and tested and trialled through the CETT.
A minimum core workshop around skills which empowers generic teacher trainers to deliver the
minimum core was well received by 13 teacher trainers. Vince at University of Worcester would like
to roll this out, including into Shropshire.
A lot of work has been done in the Skills area which has resulted in very positive feedback, for
example, from Job Centre Plus following awareness raising workshops. English Heritage is also
interested in these. Partners will be encouraged to roll these workshops out.
Objective 6 – Action Research Project
Up to £500 will be available for individuals or organisations to review/research CPD or teacher
training. 4/5 are running and the first phase is expected to be finished by the end of March.
WMCETT is co-hosting the second of three national CETT meetings. The first will be held on 15
February 2008 at the Institute of Education, London, and the third will be hosted at the university of
Huddersfield.
An on-line journal will be developed for CPD and teacher trainers.
5.
HOST is an organisation employed by QIA to evaluate each of the 11 CETTS. A representative
visited last week to hold a non-judgemental/developmental interview with FM. A number of issues
emerged from the very useful 3 hour meeting. One is that changes made to the Business Plan should
be articulated and put on the organisational chart. Secondly, there should be an ongoing log of
activities and infrastructural developments so that there is a record of everything taking place. A log
will be devised and sent to all involved to be reviewed monthly.
The QIA manager of the CETTs visited yesterday to look at the Business Plan and to help in the
preparation for the year 2 Business Plan. It was confirmed that year 2 funding will be tapered 25% les
than year 1. WMCETT must focus on collaboration with other CETTS. This non negotiable statement
must be in the Business Plan. Ways of working further with EMCETT will need to be explored at the
next meeting. Suggested areas would be about mentoring or around skills which appear to be issues
in the Skills for Life area. Oxford Brookes University of the Westminster Partnership is the closest
CETT, partly based in London. However, EMCETT, based at South Leicestershire College is
geographically more suitable.
An opportunity is available to bid for an additional £25,000 from the £30million letter to support ITT
and CPD activities. A bid has been submitted by WMCETT around mentoring, developing fun, bitesize accredited modules of mentoring. The proposed target of 40 people being trained by the end of
March was considered too low so the bid will have to be re-submitted with increased figures. FM to
telephone QIA on Friday to negotiate a realistic figure which can then be divided amongst partners.
Further QIA reviews will be notified in writing to the Quality Committee. HOST will produce a report
based on the meeting. It was unclear if a written report will be produced by the QIA manager.
A 3 monthly report must be produced for the QIA (reduced from monthly).
6.
Collaboration and new projects include:
WMCETT will collaborate next year with EMCETT, HUDCETT and HEIs.
£25,000 project detailed above.
Two new overarching mentoring projects detailed in year 1 Business Plan.
Analysis of current CPD activities to give ideas to partners.
A member of the Institute for Learning may work for the CETT for one day a week next year at no
cost, however, there will be a commitment to pay for a second day a week.
7.
A simple logo, mirroring the national CETT logo, has been developed, replacing the working logo
which has been used temporarily. New headed paper has been designed, giving a dedicated
telephone number and email address plus a short ‘go’ website address.
A short tour of the website was given explaining the layout of the site and the technical limitations
experienced. It is intended that the website should be used as a primary vehicle for users by the end
of March.
SM intends to do commissioning on-line so all resources will be available on the site. Hard copies will
be sent out initially.
8.
Some funding in the Business Plan is available for commissioning with some projects being available
for partners and some within the CETT. This is designed a s a competitive system. Specialised
projects won’t be put out for tender. The draft commissioning document gives the project
specification and will be accompanied by a standard template for organisations to complete to make
a bid for the project. These will be available for organisations to look at and consider what the project
is and how to bid for it. There will be a maximum length for completion of the form which is designed
not to be judgemental but will need as much information as possible. Submission of the form is
intended to be made on-line – section 14.
Specific feedback was requested for section 11 of the evaluation.
Detailed feedback will be given to unsuccessful bids verbally. Feedback on filling the form in will also
be given. Comments made when the panel meets should be noted down at the time.
Intellectual Property Rights - The University has not yet signed the QIA contract but QIA will not
change its terms. IP sits with the Crown and there is no negotiation. Any resources created by the
WMCETT are funded through the QIA and become QIA property at the end of the project. WMCETT
can use the resources but will not hold the copyright, although workshops can be run on how to use
the materials.
9.
NB requested clarification of how many times the Board should meet per year – 2 or 3? Suggest next
meeting should coincide with the end of year 1 and the start of year 2. Business Plan deadline is the
rd
3 week in March.
Next meeting: Wednesday 27 February 2008, 17.00 – 19.00, NEW College Bromsgrove, Rm BG20