Group Community

We value the opinions of staff and engage with them in various ways, including regular Staff Representative forums to seek views of staff on particular plans or to listen to any general concerns. We carry out an annual staff survey, review the results and put in place an action plan for each college to maintain our high scores.

We hold annual events to thank staff and encourage them to come together to celebrate their achievements, including a staff BBQ and Christmas meal, as well as having fun together to raise money for charity throughout the year.

All staff development days are organised for staff during the academic year, together with access to excellent development opportunities, whether you are looking to move into management, further develop your management skills or want to move into a different role entirely.

Our annual appraisal process is a great way to review performance, set challenging, yet achievable targets and discuss how we can support and develop our staff.

Students are involved in all elements of college life – meeting with Governors and the leadership team, taking part in self-assessment, lesson observations and recruitment interviews. They work with local services on decisions that affect young people. We have presented at conferences and workshops nationally, and we support other colleges to develop student experience. It is one of the things that we are most proud of and believe sets us apart.

Student experience is key at Chichester College Group. Through our dedicated Student Tutor teams, our focus is to support students to develop their personal, social and employability skills and build their confidence. Student Tutors provide one to ones as well as a tutorial programme based on key themes to prepare and inspire students to become global citizens. Themes include healthy relationships, the environment, social media, personal wellbeing, money matters and knife crime.

Our XTRA Enrichment Team work closely with the Student Union to provide a rich and varied programme of opportunities for students from weekly clubs, day trips, residential and volunteering opportunities both in the UK and abroad. During lockdown this programme was adapted to provide a virtual offer focussing on the wellbeing of both students and staff.

We believe that education takes place beyond the classroom for all learners, especially for our learners with SEND. Additional Support Teams follow a multi-sensory approach to learning. They work closely with curriculum colleagues to ensure support is in place to provide all learners with the necessary skills for independence in college, their personal lives and beyond.

Our staff sit on regional and national boards such as the Institute for Economic Development, Coast to Capital LEP, Chambers of Commerce, Gatwick Diamond Business and the Careers & Enterprise Company.

One of our employers recently said that for their company: “Chichester College Group are really proactive and forward thinking, working with us as a company. We meet on a regular basis, to keep up to date with lecturers and assessors. We also have College tutors coming into our factory to enhance the learning.”

We play an active role in all our communities:

• The team at Brinsbury regularly attend agricultural shows and milk from our cows is sold for manufacture into local ice creams. Students are involved in “Bridging the Gap” a project to link with older members of our community.
• Crawley College has forged close links with local homeless charity, Crawley Open House.
• During the recent lockdowns students from Haywards Heath have written to local care home residents.
• The Group has a proud record in relation to our charitable work. In 2017 the Group raised over £80,000 to build a primary school in Kenya and continues to support the school and its pupils. In 2019/20 we raised approximately £35,000 for a range of charities including Children in Need, St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Sussex Air Ambulance, Snowdrop Trust and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

This year, the Group’s chosen charity is the Alzheimer’s Society.