Petition to the CEO and Chair of governors: Celebrate difference: don’t standardise CCCG. Listen to staff

We have to try

CM Duties are un-manageable now. New MIS systems are creating more work and providing sometimes irrelevant, quantitative data which has to be qualified to be meaningful. Complex graphical and numerical data does not help learners (achievement/retention/attendance issues)- in fact it hinders them. Get staff back in the classroom assisting learners with their ever-increasing needs- help from the bottom up not from the top down- Senior managers want to know why there have been decreases in percentages and data changes. Teaching staff now spend as much time reporting on systems (EBS/Promo) as they do teaching. Wake up PLEASE and do the RIGHT thing for our local communities who are becoming more disenfranchised, more socially and economically deprived. Is FE about selling a brand or about helping local people to retrain and add value to the local economies and support themselves financially. Has anyone looked at the benefits statistics in London and how it has changed? Work is changing rapidly in every way and what are we doing to adapt to that change? Rebranding/reducing/restructuring- New CEO- new brand- really the "Emperor's new clothes" is a bit "old hat" now!

It is hard to make ends meet due to consistent decline is our pay and and mortgage, heating and all other bills rising.

What is the real reason for this restructuring? What is the point of re-structuring something that works extremely well?

Our colleges have a significant identity and reputation in our communities. No analysis has been conducted to consider the potential impact on our colleges with these changes. Time to pause and reflect.

This 'harmonisation' is ruining educational enrichment by flattening to a lower, ill-fitting standardised schooling. Worst of all, it is an assault on teacher and student autonomy

The impact of the full-scale harmonisation has been counter productive. I urge you to investigate before it is too late. There is far too much to write about here.

Everything seems to be going downhill with a great impact on staff and students. Consultations no longer exist and Centralised Managers not having much understanding of their areas.

Please ensure due consultation. Consulting with staff, students and local communities should have been a milestone of the whole process by design. Ultimately, the objective of this merger is serving better students' and local communities' needs. This is something that can't be achieved optimally without including those parties, and also the knowledge and experience of staff. The larger the change, the more everybody needs to be involved and listened to, otherwise the end result risks falling far from the merger's goals, no matter how well-intended the actions enacting the merger might be initially.

The merger with managers managing multiple sites remotely, has made communication in the newly created group generic and almost commanding in tone. Decisions are steamrolled without consultation let alone discussion followed by in person consultations with staff and students affected. As mentioned in previous comments , this does not result in any form of inclusive workplace, but more like a generic digital factory.

I feel by centralising all the colleges you impact diversity and devalue each branch's individual identity and creativity.

The change has removed any identity the different sites had, and barely even tells the general public what it is we do. Not to mention that the 6th Form is barely seen in the group marketing, despite us being the biggest site in the group.

1 year ago Featured

We were promised that, despite the merger, we would maintained our identity, and that included our name; not only was the promise broken, but there wasn't any consultation either. The management should note that many parents coming to open days, questioned the change of name, for the same reason as we do. And what about the waste of money??

How can we not have Islington in our name?

'Harmonisation' does not promote differences and inclusion. It's a one size fit all approach to education.

Yes

I disagree with the plan to merge depts into a single entity because every site within CCCG has its own strengths and identity.

Most of "harmonisations" have not benefited our learners.

Poor communication and a very bland branding of established colleges.

It is vital that we prioritise and treat with the utmost respect, the needs and wishes of the young people and communities that we serve.