Higher Education Review of
Lewisham Southwark College
November 2014
Action Plan 2015
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Introduction
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) conducted a Higher Education Review for Lewisham Southwark
College from 4th to the 6th November 2014. The purpose of the review was to investigate the higher education provided by
Lewisham Southwark College and to make judgements as to whether our academic standards and quality meet UK expectations.
The QAA team formed the following judgements about HE provision at Lewisham Southwark College.
The maintenance of the academic standards of awards offered on behalf of its degree-awarding bodies and other awarding
organisation meets UK expectations.
The quality of student learning opportunities meets UK expectations.
The quality of information about learning opportunities meets UK expectations.
The enhancement of student learning opportunities requires improvement to meet UK expectations.
The QAA review team identified the following features of good practice at LeSoCo.
(Expectation B3).
The QAA review team made several recommendations to be implemented by April, June and September 2015. The following action
plan provides detail of how each recommendation will be addressed and implemented. The aim of the action plan is to continue our
development and improvement of our higher education provision. It provides a public record of our commitment to take forward the
findings of the Higher Education Review, and so will promote greater confidence among students and other external stakeholders
about the quality assurance of higher education at Lewisham Southwark College.
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Lewisham Southwark College Higher Education Action Plan 2015
Good practice
Action to be taken
Date for
completion
Sept 2015
Action by
Success indicators
The support provided for
the innovative use of new
technological
applications which
enhance learning and
teaching (Expectation
B3)
▪ One staff representative from each
programme to participate in the
Blending-In e-learning project.
E-Learning Projects and
Innovation Manager
HE lecturers
▪ Share project evaluation and good
practice at the HE Quality
Enhancement Group.
Nov 2015
HE lecturers
▪ Participate in the University of
Greenwich conference on Flipped
Learning.
July 2015
HE lecturers, e-Learning
team, Head of Teacher
Development
One module on each
programme to be
remodelled as online
delivery to enhance
learning and teaching.
Innovation continues to
become more
widespread and
embedded.
Flipped classroom
methodology is
implemented
Recommendations by April 2015
Recommendation
Action to be taken
Ensure that definitive
programme
specifications for
Pearson programmes are
easily accessible to
students and staff
(Expectations A2.2 and
C)
▪ Ensure that the externally
validated published course
handbook provides consistent
information about the programme
specifications (including individual
learning outcomes; credits; teaching
and learning; the assessment
strategy; support and resources).
Date for
completion
April 2015
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Action by
Success indicators
Curriculum Manager,
Dance, Drama & Music
Comprehensive and
appropriate programme
specifications are
validated, easily
available, understood
and widely used by staff
and students.
Recommendation
Action to be taken
Strengthen and clarify
reporting structures to
ensure effective
oversight of the
development, planning
and quality of provision
(Expectation A3.3)
▪ Establish a HE Quality
Enhancement Group, formed of HE
staff, students representatives;
employers/external advisors as
appropriate. This group to report
into the Higher Education Steering
Group.
Introduce and embed a
policy and procedures for
assessment boards for
Pearson programmes
(Expectation B6)
Date for
completion
May 2015
Action by
Success indicators
Assistant Principal,
Quality.
▪ Quality enhancement and student
engagement to be standard agenda
items for discussion at the Higher
Education Steering Group
May 2015
Vice Principal
Clear oversight of HE
planning, operational
matters, quality of
provision, student
engagement and
development is gained
through a clear structure
of termly and annual
reporting from
practitioners to senior
managers and
governors.
▪ Fully implement and embed the
Performance Monitoring Framework
within the Higher Education
Steering Group. Include the
validation of programme monitoring
reports for validating bodies.
May 2015
Vice Principal
Quality enhancement of
students’ learning and
experience is driven.
▪ Agree terms of reference for
HNC/HND programme meetings,
including external membership.
April 2015
Curriculum Manager for
Dance, Drama & Music.
Policy and procedure for
assessment boards for
Pearson programmes are
understood and
implemented by the
team, ensuring rigorous
quality assurance.
▪ Establish assessment boards for
the Pearson HNC/HND
programmes using awarding body
guidelines and an external chair.
▪ Provide training for the team on
assessment board policy and
procedures.
April 2015
May 2015
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Recommendation
Action to be taken
Develop and embed an
effective process to
ensure that all
information is fit for
purpose, accessible and
accurate (Expectation C).
▪ Introduce a clear written policy and
process that clarifies responsibilities
and the validation process for a
range of information and
publications. Provide training to staff
highlighting how the process relates
to the Expectation of Part C of the
Quality Code.
Date for
completion
May 2015
Action by
Success indicators
Head of Marketing and
Assistant Principal,
Quality.
Processes are effective
in ensuring information is
fit for purpose, accessible
and accurate.
Information on Lewisham
Southwark College’s
website is accurate
▪ Prior to launching the new
website, conduct an audit of HE
programmes to ensure that
information is fit for purpose,
accessible and accurate. In
addition, specifically check that
levels for awards and awarding
body information is correct.
April 2015
Head of Marketing &
Curriculum Managers
▪ Clarify the process of correcting
factual errors and inaccuracies,
including marketing with partner
universities.
.
April 2015
Head of Marketing
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Recommendations by June 2015
Recommendation
Ensure that staff
understand and engage
with the Expectations of
the Quality Code, the
subject and qualification
benchmarks, and the
FHEQ (Expectation A1)
Action to be taken
▪ All HE staff to be trained on the
Expectations of the Quality Code,
the subject and qualification
benchmarks and the FHEQ through
a series of workshops delivered by
partner universities.
Target date
May 2015
Action by
Head of Teacher
Development
▪Update the Higher Education
Strategy with roles and
responsibilities as set out within the
College’s partnership agreements.
May 2015
Vice Principal
Success indicators
HE staff demonstrate a
good understanding of
the FHEQ, the Quality
Code and the Foundation
Degree Qualification
Benchmark and are able
to relate the assessment
of academic standards
and progression routes of
their programmes to the
external references.
HE lecturers are able to
fully articulate the
defining characteristics of
foundation degrees;
relevant subject and
qualification benchmarks.
Recommendation
Develop and embed
mechanisms to review
and monitor processes
for recruitment, selection
and admission of
students (Expectation
B2)
Action to be taken
▪ Conduct an annual review of the
admissions policy and information
including an audit of website
information and Faculty entry
requirements.
Target date
May 2015
▪ Conduct an admissions survey to
inform an analysis of the
admissions, enrolment and einduction process by the HE Quality
Enhancement Group.
Sept 2015
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Action by
Assistant Principal,
Quality.
Assistant Principal
Success indicators
Published information is
reliable and accurate at
all times.
Analysis and actions lead
to continued
enhancement of
recruitment, selection
and admissions
processes.
Ensure the annual
monitoring process
provides more effective
oversight of all
programmes and the
enhancement of
provision (Expectations
B8, A3.3 and
Enhancement)
Recommendation
Develop and implement
strategies to enhance the
quality of students'
learning opportunities
(Enhancement).
▪ Draw together the outcomes of the
review of individual programmes
into an overall report and discuss
the analysis at the HE Quality
Enhance Group.
Sept 2015
Assistant Principal
Quality
▪ Agree an overall Self Assessment
Report and Quality Enhancement
Plan with the HE Quality
Enhancement Group, Higher
Education Steering Group and
governors.
Action to be taken
▪ Embed the Higher Education
Quality Enhancement Policy and the
deliberative structures; review their
effectiveness through the selfassessment process.
Oct 2015
Assistant Principal
Quality
Target date
Sept 2015
Action by
Vice Principal
Success indicators
Policies and structures
are embedded and are
effective in enabling
enhancement to take
place.
May 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
Staff demonstrate good
understanding of the
Higher Education
Strategy and
enhancement processes.
Enhancement is driven
systematically.
▪ Establish the Higher Education
Quality Enhancement Group and
provide opportunities for debating
higher education issues and
disseminating good practice
identified from internal inspection,
internal moderation and external
examiner reports.
▪ Engage staff in the Higher
Education Academy; maximise use
of available resources and CPD;
support applications for fellowships.
▪ Implement a peer sharing strategy
and attend partner annual
conferences
June 2015
Head of Teacher
Development
Sept 2015
Head of Teacher
Development
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Oversight of all
programmes are
analysed and used to
improve and enhance the
higher education
provision as a whole.
The profile of the HE
teaching community is
raised across the college;
practice is enhanced
through staff
development and peer
sharing; all full-time HE
teachers gain
fellowships.
Recommendation
Develop and embed
processes for systematic
engagement with
employers in programme
development and review
(Expectations B1 and
A3.4)
Action to be taken
Target date
▪ Course approval policy to include
Sept 2015
the involvement of employers and
other stakeholders in the design and
development of new programmes.
Action by
Curriculum Managers
▪ All programmes to formalise plans
for making more effective use of
subject industry links and expertise.
June 2015
Curriculum Managers
▪ Employers to be formally engaged
in the design and approval of
programmes.
June 2015
Curriculum Managers
▪ Note carefully the focus on QAA in
other partner HE Reviews on the
documentation, procedures and
definitions of work based learning
and seek out exemplars.
June 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
▪ Ensure tripartite contracts between
student, college and employers are
in place as well as work based
learning handbook.
May 2015
Work-based Learning
Manager
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Success indicators
External expertise is
systematically used in
programme development
and review; assessment
design and updating staff
and students on sector
developments to align
the curriculum offer with
local skills needs and
requirements.
Introduce a strategic
approach to developing
staff as higher education
practitioners (Expectation
B3)
Recommendation
Develop and embed
consistent monitoring
and review of the
College's approach to
student engagement
(Expectation B5).
▪ Introduce a HE Practitioners
Professional Development Strategy
that is aligned to the UK
Professional Standards Framework.
Sept 2015
Head of Teacher
Development
▪ Work with HE partners to make
applications for HE fellowships.
June 2015
Head of Teacher
Development
▪ Ensure a system of cover for
teaching to release staff to attend
CPD at partner colleges.
Action to be taken
▪ Provide training to student
representatives on their role as
‘partners’.
April 2015
Curriculum Managers
Target date
May 2015
Action by
Assistant Principal,
Quality
Success indicators
100% completion of
module evaluation
questionnaires
▪Module evaluation questionnaires
are consistently completed
July 2015
Programme Tutors
Student feedback is
acted on to enhance HE
provision.
▪ Survey analysis explicitly informs
annual programme reviews and
quality improvement plans.
July 2015
Curriculum Managers
▪ Increase the completion of
external surveys and ensure
feedback is acted upon by
Curriculum Managers.
Sept 2015
▪ Allocate resources to enable an
appropriate response to student
feedback.
▪ Review the timeliness of
responses to student feedback at
All HE practitioners work
towards gaining HEA
professional recognition.
The quality of HE
provision is enhanced
through professional
learning and pedagogical
development.
Programme Tutors
Students have good
understanding of how
issues they have raised
have been resolved.
July 2015
Vice Principal
Continuous review of the
engagement of students
as partners leads to
improvement.
July 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
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the HE Steering Group.
Increase the involvement
of students in the formal
quality assurance and
enhancement processes
at all levels, and use
feedback to inform
improvements
(Expectations B5 and
Enhancement)
▪ Review the effectiveness of the
student representative system.
July 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
▪Monitor the attendance of student
representatives and contribution to
programme team meetings; report
findings at the HE Quality
Enhancement Group and HE
Steering Group meetings.
May 2015 &
ongoing
Assistant Principal,
Quality
▪ Feedback to students on issues
raised is published.
May 2015 &
ongoing
Programme Tutors
▪ Introduce a HE student blog.
Sept 2015
▪Ensure that students are aware of
resources and activities at partner
universities, Student Union
opportunities.
▪ Formalise the membership of
students on the HE Quality
Enhancement Group and HE
Steering Group.
April 2015
HE Student Advice
Officer
Programme Tutors
May 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
▪ Ensure student representatives
attend programme team meetings
and are involved in the annual
programme review.
July 2015
Programme Tutors
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Student representation
within the College’s HE
deliberate bodies and
formal quality assurance
processes contributes to
the enhancement of HE
provision.
Affirmation
Action to be taken
Date for
completion
Sept 2015
Action by
Success indicators
The steps taken to
implement and embed
the assessment
principles and guidelines
outlined in the Higher
Education Assessment
handbook to enhance the
variety and validity of
assessment practice
(Expectation B6)
▪ Continue to embed the principles
and guidelines outlined in the
Higher Education Assessment
handbook.
Assistant Principal,
Quality & Improvement
Curriculum Managers
and all HE lecturers
Consistently applied
principles and guidance
for assessment practice
drive quality
enhancement.
▪ Improve the oversight of
assessment practice by analysing
internal moderation process and the
outcomes of external examination.
Sept 2015
Assistant Principal,
Quality
▪ Research varied and innovative
methods of assessment which
reflect modern learning styles
Sept 2015
Head of Teacher
Development &
Improvement Practitioner
▪ Discuss and disseminate good
practice at the Higher Education
Quality Enhancement Group.
Sept 2015
Head of Teacher
Development &
Improvement Practitioner
▪ Ensure students take up
opportunities to join networks
related to their fields of study.
May 2015
Programme Tutors
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