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Many people assume that as a Principal of a college I and other College staff will get the same holidays as our Teachers. This isn’t the case. Some support staff have annual leave excluding bank holidays of 22 days per annum. We are sometimes asked what do you do once the teachers and students have left for the summer? Many of the support staff teams start a very busy period of work.
Our IT staff are installing new servers, replacing computers and developing or loading up and testing new software. Our MIS staff overhaul our systems and send off relevant reports for student enrolments and success to the government. One technician spends the summer carrying out the PAT Testing of all electrical equipment. Our Finance and Administration staff are clearing the back log of work that has built up over the preceding busy months and are involved in the preparation of the end of year accounts and in the Financial and other Audits. The exams team processes and checks thousands of examination module results and organises the distribution of these to our students and then deals with any enquiries or appeals etc.
The Admissions Officer has been responding to late enquiries and to people who would like to transfer to us from school sixth forms. Our Student Support Managers have been interviewing students for a place at College and also providing advice and guidance for current students on subject choice going forward etc. Â
Senior managers review and develop strategic documents, policies, procedures etc to ensure the College complies with recent legislation and analyse performance data in preparing the Self Assessment Report and Quality Improvement action Plan. The personnel team organise CRB checks on any new staff and payroll and other functions continue all year round. The refectory has been improved and a new outlet developed so that students can be served more quickly at lunch times.
The Estates team is under a lot of pressure as they are currently working with local tradesmen and builders in remodelling some of the College to provide enhanced facilities for staff and students. All of the front of house service areas: Admissions, Enrolment, Finance, Exams and Student Services will be concentrated in one place in a new Reception area. Academic Learning Support will be moved to a more spacious area opposite the Study Centre. Back of office functions will be moved to the Annex to allow this zoning to take place. The boys and girls changing rooms and shower and toilet areas next to the gymnasium are going to be completely overhauled and replaced with up to date much improved new facilities. The old Chemistry lab will be replaced and completely refurbished with state of the art facilities and the old Physics lab has been gutted to provide a first class Electronics Engineering facility. The temporary classrooms have been removed  and new state of the art classrooms on floor three of the new building will be decorated and equipped ready for opening to students in September. A new staircase and lift up to floor three is under construction. New lighting is being installed that is both more effective and also more energy efficient. The Alarms system is being updated. This is without the general refurbishment work such as painting, or the unseen work such as checking and emptying gutters and drains. Senior Management holidays are staggered so that one of us is always here to respond to Student or Parental enquiries and to write Student references etc.
Dr Esther Maughan
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