Principal’s Update
Abseil for Dementia Jersey
Good morning colleagues,
On Sunday, I finally completed my abseil down Mont Orgueil (Gorey Castle), which had been delayed due to poor weather. We had practised at Noirmont Bunker, but little did I realise that we were coming down the biggest wall at the Castle! Please see the film below—it’s quite entertaining, especially the moment I ended up lying on the ground at the bottom from sheer relief.
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Thank you to all those staff who sponsored me. Funds raised go to Dementia Jersey, and here’s the link should you wish to contribute and haven’t had time yet:
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Progression Boards: A Strong Start
Last week, I attended a couple of Progression Boards and was very impressed by the level of detailed knowledge displayed by Heads of Department about all the students in their area—particularly new students who haven’t been enrolled with us very long.
It’s clear there’s strong communication between co-ordinators, Heads of Department, Student Life, and the Quality Team. This enables early interventions to address barriers quickly and effectively. Thank you to Heather Audoire, who leads this process.
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University College Jersey Graduation
This week marks the University College Jersey graduation, a major calendar event for the college and our wider community, with 231 attendees expected. I’m very much looking forward to celebrating the excellent outcomes achieved by our students, the colleagues who teach them, and the support staff who contribute so much to their success. Thank you to Celina and UCJ staff for all the work that has gone into the preparations. Eileen Buicke-Kelly has been a great support and offered guidance throughout as usual 😊.
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Teacher of the Year Award – JEP PRIDE Ceremony
Also, this week, I’ll be presenting the Teacher of the Year Award at the Jersey Evening Post PRIDE ceremony on Wednesday evening. I was part of the judging panel last week, reviewing the three shortlisted candidates chosen by the general public. Over 26,000 islanders voted across all categories—clearly a very popular award chosen by our community, for our community.
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Quality Activities and Self-Assessments
There are many ongoing quality activities this month as part of our yearly plan. Self-assessments of departmental areas will be going through validation, using both qualitative and quantitative data, alongside professional discussions. This will help us make a holistic assessment of student and staff achievements and inform realistic yet stretching Quality Improvement Plans. Dom Glennon has been sampling new JPQ assignments and schemes of learning – some areas have clearly embedded the new approaches; some still have work to do. We spent two years building up to this implementation phase, so we need to get it right. Staying the same is not an option.
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Room Booking Protocol
A quick reminder: if you are booking rooms for external visitors, please ensure this is done through the system – EBS. Coordinate with Celina Crenan to avoid double bookings. We recently had a clash involving external users from Art House Jersey, which caused embarrassment. From a safeguarding and risk perspective, it’s essential that we know exactly who is on site and when.
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Senior Leadership Team Visibility
In response to last term’s staff survey, where colleagues asked to see more of the Senior Leadership Team around the college, we’ve started going into classrooms more regularly and meeting students. These early weeks are crucial in a learner’s journey at Highlands College. SLT and Heads of Department will try “walking 121s” where possible to free up time to do this. The two sites and 11 buildings do not facilitate visibility.
Let’s continue to set professional standards:
- Starting on time
- Being prepared to learn
- Providing a clear roadmap for each session
- Ensuring students understand their role in the learning process
We want to avoid students settling into ineffective learning practices. Best practice for inclusion is best practice for all learners, so let’s focus on getting the foundation elements right.
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I hope you enjoy your working week—there’s certainly lots to celebrate.
Best wishes
Jo
Principal