Jo Watson
South West Area Director
jo.watson@aoc.co.uk
AoC South West
We help our member colleges to deliver social and economic benefit to people, businesses and communities on the ground. We also make sure they are fully engaged in debates about the sector so they have a say in AoC policy.
Meet the South West Team
Gavin Whitworth
Membership Services Manager (South) and Projects Manager
gavin.whitworth@aoc.co.uk
Sarah Gardner
Charitable Trust and Membership Services Co-ordinator
sarah.gardner@aoc.co.uk
AoC Sport Contacts
Lucy Callingham - Contact the Sport Development Officer for advice on: leagues and cups, regional tournaments, local development opportunities and programmes
Matt Webber - Contact the Policy and
Projects Officer for advice on: sports and education policy and projects,
national and regional funding streams, new developments in the sector, and
strategic planning
Network Contacts
International contact: Emma Meredith, AoC Director of Skills, Policy and Global Engagement
Apprenticeships contact: Claire Barker, AoC Senior Skills Policy Manager
SEND contact: David Holloway, AoC Senior Policy Manager, SEND
HE contact: Arti Saraswat, AoC Senior Policy Manager, HE
Each year, we produce a College Key Facts booklet, which provides a useful overview of the main facts and figures relating to colleges in England. It contains information on students numbers in education, on apprenticeships and higher education as well as statistics on curriculum and quality, diversity, sport, mental health, international, staff and finance.
AoC South West Networks and Forums
Principals and Chairs Network
Chaired by Julia Gray, Principal and CEO at City of Bristol College
Meetings enable Principals and CEOs from the South West region to meet twice a term virtually or in-person to discuss current strategic and policy issues in the sector. Members also receive key national updates, with an opportunity to meet collectively with senior representatives from external stakeholders in the Further Education sector.
Curriculum and Quality Network
Co Chaired by Matt Harbour, Vice Principal - Quality and Curriculum, & Deputy CEO, South Devon College
Adam Sturt, Vice Principal - TLA, Curriculum & Quality, UCS College Group.
This
network currently meets 4 times a years virtually or in person supporting all aspects of quality
improvement in colleges as well as the implementation of new curriculum
initiatives and developments. The primary audience is Vice Principals and
senior managers with responsibility for quality and improvement, although all
interested staff are welcome to attend. Members also receive key national
updates from the AoC Policy Team, with an opportunity to meet collectively with
senior representatives from Ofsted and other key stakeholders.
Finance Directors Network
Co Chaired by Bill Blythe, Vice Principal – Finance, Resources & Regional Affairs, Petroc,
Marc Webb, Chief Financial Officer, New College Swindon
Tim Peacock, Chief Operating Officer, City of Bristol College.
This network currently meets 5 times a year virtually or in person. Meetings include updates on current financial areas of interest/concern, updates from the AoC and the ESFA, with feedback shared from the national College Funding Directors Group (CFDG) meetings.
HR Network
Co Chaired by Caroline Pringle, Director of Human Resources, Weston College
Nicola Beckley, Chief Operating Officer, New College Swindon
This network meets 3 times a year virtually or in person, providing an opportunity for college HR Managers to share best practice and receive legal updates from Irwin Mitchell LLP on current issues. Members also receive key national updates from Jo Taylor, HR Specialist Member Services Manager
Governance Professionals Network
Co Chaired by Gillian Steel, Governance Professional Hartpury College Wendy Randle, Governance Professional Truro and Penwith College This
network currently meets 4 times a year virtually or in person, providing members with key information
on policy changes and other matters which affect college Governance, as well as
an opportunity for round table discussion. Members also receive relevant
national updates from Hayley Igbokwe,
AoC Governance Manager. |
SEND Forum
Led by David Holloway, AoC Senior Policy Manager, SEND.
The aim of this virtual forum is to receive key updates from David, share best practice and provide discussion points on issues relating to provision for Learners with Special Educational Needs in colleges. The forum is open to senior managers and expert practitioners, and has a particular focus on sharing practical solutions to current challenges.
BDM/Apprenticeship Forum
Led by Claire Barker, AoC Senior Skills Policy Manager
This virtual forum supports college staff in a range of business development roles with a focus on all aspects of provision for employers or employment, including Apprenticeships, work with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and enterprise activity, plus receiving key updates
Higher Education Forum
Led by Arti Saraswat, AoC Senior Policy Manager, HE.
The virtual forum supports college staff with management roles in the provision of higher education in colleges, although anyone from a member college with an interest in higher education is welcome to attend. Each forum features key updates from Arti along with presentations from stakeholders such as HEFCE, QAA and other organisations, with opportunities for sharing experiences and good practice.
Sport Network
Led by AoC Sport.
The network supports the development of all aspects of sport-related and student experience activity in colleges and forms a key regional component of AoC Sport's wider strategy.
The network meets once a term virtually and is attended by college staff with responsibilities for curriculum delivery as well as sports facilities and student participation. Meetings of the network provide updates and sharing of best practice in the areas of study programmes, sport development, and student employability. A key component of the network is to support collaborative development activity which is continued beyond the network meetings.