Entertainment

Thursday, 7th May: The students finished the week with a light-hearted programme to relax and have fun. Assistant Principal Simon Lovegrove hosted a pop quiz with staff and students participating against each other.

This is followed by professional demonstrations on how to perfect the current trending challenges on social media. Sport & Public Services Lecturer James Plowright gives a lesson on how to successfully perform the T-Shirt Handstand Challenge. Brooks Restaurant Manager Jamie Chantry teaches everyone how to master the Omelette Challenge.

Introduction

The Government under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017 introduced gender pay gap reporting. The College now has a legal duty to report and publish data on gender pay on both the College website and via the Government Equalities Office.

The purpose of gender pay reporting is for organisations in the public sector with over 250 employees to report on and illustrate the difference between the average earnings of men and women in their organisation.

Background Information

The regulations specify that the data must be a snapshot of 31 March 2018, this is taken from payroll data.

All employees who are paid are included in the calculations; permanent, fixed term and casual. If a casual employee has irregular working hours then the average earnings over a 12 month period have been used.

The following are excluded from any calculations; overtime pay, redundancy or termination payments, or non-cash benefits such as those paid through salary sacrifice.

The regulations require reporting on six specific calculations and they also outline the methodology to use and what is included in each calculation. These are listed below:

  1. Mean gender pay gap
  2. Median gender pay gap
  3. Mean bonus gender pay gap
  4. Median bonus gender pay gap
  5. Proportion of males receiving a bonus payment and proportion of females receiving a bonus payment
  6. Proportion of males and females in each pay quartile

The College does not operate any kind of bonus scheme, so there is no requirement to report on bonus payments.

Gender Pay Gap

March 2018

Female

Male

Pay Gap

Mean

£16.12

£16.56

2.66%

Median

£15.11

£17.28

12.55%

Pay quartile bands March 2018

Female

Male

Pay Gap

Lower Quartile

69.05% (58)

30.95% (26)

84

Lower Middle Quartile

72.29% (60)

27.71% (23)

83

Upper Middle Quartile

57.83% (48)

42.17% (35)

83

Upper Quartile

66.67% (56)

33.33% (28)

84

Gender Split March 2018

Total Employees

334

%

Male

112

34%

Female

222

66%

 

Legislation and Regulations

This section outlines the legislation and regulations the College must follow when buying goods services and works.

Brooklands College Expenditure Regulations

The Expenditure Regulations are part of the College’s Financial Regulations. They govern every expenditure arrangement needed to deliver the College’s services. In addition to ensuring compliance with Public Procurement legislation they aim to achieve value for money on a whole life basis.

EU Public Procurement Legislation

Goods and Services contracts over £181,302 (approximately) and works contracts over £4,551,413 (approximately) have to be purchased in accord with EU Procurement Directives. This is not the one-off, or annual spend, but the total value over the lifetime of the contract.

In accordance with the Financial Regulations, the College can obtain quotations or invite tenders for contracts of up to £50,000 in value, whichever is appropriate. For contracts of over £50,000, tenders are invited or a “mini-competition” is held between suppliers available to the College through one of a number of purchasing consortia.

The purchasing consortia most frequently used by the College, but not limited to, are:

Quotations

Quotations generally obtained from current suppliers, the MultiQuote Supplier Gateway and other recommended sources. The College will accept two (2) written quotes for orders up to £10,000 and three (3) written quote for orders between £10,001 and £50,000.

Tenders

A contract notice or advertisement will invite companies to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). This notice will only be published in situations where the opportunity is to be advertised publicly. In situations where the opportunity is not to be advertised publicly, such as conducting a mini-competition via a framework agreement, no notice will be published. In accord with the Financial Regulations, the College can obtain quotations or invite tenders for contracts of up to £50,000 in value, whichever is appropriate. However, for contracts of over £50,000, tenders are invited or a “minicompetition” is held between suppliers available to the College through one of the following purchasing consortia:

Selection Questionnaire

Following this, a Selection Questionnaire (SQ) may be sent out to those who have expressed an interest. The purpose of the SQ is to assess a potential bidder’s suitability to supply the College and the ability to satisfy the contract before the full tender process is commenced. It saves time and effort of both the bidder and the College being unnecessarily spent on the full tender process. In general the information requested provides basic details about an organisation, verifies that it can be identified as a legitimate, discrete trading organisation, that it has acceptable levels of economic and financial standing and that it promotes good practice in areas of equal opportunities, environmental protection and health and safety. The areas assessed can be summarised as follows:

Financial information

In this section companies are asked for certain financial information. They may be asked to submit audited accounts and annual reports for the previous three years. This information is used to assess the financial position of the company in relation to the size of the contract.

Information is also required to check that a company complies with the College’s insurance requirements.

Experience and technical ability

Further information requested seeks to ensure that a company has the relevant experience and technical ability to fulfil the requirements of contract. It may be necessary to provide references.

Quality assurance

This section is to enable the College to assess whether or not an organisation has suitable quality assurance systems in place to undertake the contract. This will usually be demonstrated by certification by approved assessment companies.

General Mandatory and Discretionary Exclusion Grounds

The SQ contains a number of exclusion grounds, both mandatory and discretionary, covering a range of areas, including, but not limited to; Corruption, Slavery and Social & Labour Law. The full list of these grounds can be found on the following webpage.

Invitation to tender

Companies will be invited to tender; either in an “Open Procedure” where all companies expressing an interest are invited, or in a “Restricted Procedure” where, through use of a SQ, only selected companies are invited to do so. In either case, the tender documentation sent out will usually include:

  • Instructions to tenderers
  • Specification
  • Pricing Schedule
  • Terms and Conditions of Contract
  • Form of Tender

Depending on the nature of the contract, further documents, such as TUPE schedules may also be included.

Tender evaluation and contract award

Evaluation will focus on examining how the tender proposals will deliver the service (“quality”) and the price. The required balance between the two will depend on the nature of the contract.

Normally, the College will award the contract of the basis of the “Most Economically Advantageous Tender” (MEAT).

You should note that the College is not bound to accept the lowest or any of the bids submitted.

Following a tender process, all tenderers will be notified of the outcome in writing.

Following a full tender process (such as an open or restricted procedure) exceeding one of the EU Thresholds for contract value, a 10-day standstill period may be observed following the award notification before any contract may be formally entered into. Debriefing The College will always endeavour to provide unsuccessful tenderers feedback on their submissions to help them find out why their bid failed. This information can be used to help with any future bids, as being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean that a company will be unsuccessful in the future. Contract performance Contracts have to be performed in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract documentation. The College is continuously striving to improve its own performance and expects its contractors to do the same.

Debriefing

The College will always endeavour to provide unsuccessful tenderers feedback on their submissions to help them find out why their bid failed. This information can be used to help with any future bids, as being unsuccessful in one contract does not mean that a company will be unsuccessful in the future.

Contract performance

Contracts have to be performed in accordance with the requirements set out in the contract documentation. The College is continuously striving to improve its own performance and expects its contractors to do the same.

Providing Goods and Services for the College

Orders

  • All our purchases are covered by a Purchase Order number.
  • You should never accept a request for goods, works or services without a valid Brooklands College Purchase Order number in the form of an 8 digit number 3xxxxxxx which you will receive by email.
  • Only invoice us when you have received our purchase order number and have supplied the goods and/or services.
  • Our purchase orders will clearly state the goods or services required, quantity and price. The delivery and invoice addresses may be different but clearly marked.
  • Our purchase orders will quote your unique Supplier number. If you need to contact us you should quote this number.

Invoices

  • Your invoices should quote a valid Purchase Order number, your full business name and address and full details of what has been supplied. Without a purchase order number your invoice can not be processed
  • Send your invoice as soon as possible after the dispatch of the goods or services you have provided.
  • The invoice must be sent to the ‘Invoice to’ address shown on our Purchase Order.
  • Ensure descriptions, prices, quantities match the purchase order.
  • Submit valid VAT invoices (unless you are not registered for VAT).
  • All our invoices are paid via bank transfer.

Payment terms

The Terms and Conditions of Contract below are those conditions which cover all Purchase Orders for any goods, works or services purchased by Brooklands College.

These Terms and Conditions may only be varied by amendments agreed in writing by Brooklands College or stated on the Purchase Order; these are the only amendments Brooklands College will accept.

Any Purchase Order placed by Brooklands College is conditional upon acceptance of these terms and conditions by the Supplier.

Terms and Conditions of Contract.

Preferred Suppliers

The College does not hold a list of preferred suppliers and utilises a number of purchasing consortia, such as; the Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) the Southern University Purchasing Consortium (SUPC), the Crown Commercial Services (CCS), amongst others, and we encourage our staff to use suppliers available through these consortia’s framework agreements.

Suppliers on these framework agreements have won their inclusion through full EU tender exercises.

How much will I be paid?

Apprentices can earn while they learn and do not need to worry about paying back student loans.

The National Minimum Wage for apprentices between 16-18 (or anyone in their first year of an apprenticeship) is £4.15 per hour (will be £4.81 per hour from 1st April 2022). All other apprentices are entitled to the standard National Minimum Wage for their age, however many employers pay over this.

Level 2 apprenticeships average between £180 and £200 per week, and Level 3 and 4 apprenticeships usually pay more, with employers often increasing wages in line with skills, experience and qualifications.

Will I get a job at the end?

Gaining relevant skills, experience, qualifications and business etiquette in an industry setting is a great way to impress future employers. While there is no complete guarantee of a job after an apprenticeship, the figures are extremely encouraging. Higher apprentices could earn £150,000 more on average over their lifetime compared to those with Level 3 vocational qualifications.

Those who start on Level 2 programmes often progress onto Level 3 higher and Level 4 advanced apprenticeships. Your son or daughter could start on the apprenticeship route as a school leaver, and learn to be a highly qualified and experienced professional within a few years.

What will the Apprenticeship involve?

Apprenticeship training can take place at a local college one day a week or at the employer’s business. The training provides students with relevant competences for their chosen industry or profession. Those students without GCSE English and Maths also have the opportunity to study literacy, numeracy and IT skills.

Apprentices work alongside experienced staff, gaining job-specific skills, nationally recognised qualifications and a wage. Apprentices also take part in work-related study to towards their qualification.

What levels are there?

Intermediate – Level 2 equivalent to five GCSE passes

Advanced – Level 3 equivalent to two A Levels

Higher – Can lead to NVQ Level 4 (equivalent to a Foundation Degree)

What qualifications will I get?

Apprenticeships offer a wealth of different qualifications in all job and career sectors. Apprenticeships offer NVQs, often along with BTEC qualifications. Apprenticeships are a minimum of 12 month duration dependent on the level, subject and employer.

SOME KEY FACTS

  • 86% of employers said apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation
  • 78% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve productivity
  • 74% of employers said apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service

In 2019/20, there were 719,000 people participating in an apprenticeship in England, with 322,500 apprenticeship starts and 146,900 apprenticeship achievements.

Recruitment and Employment of Ex-Offenders

Brooklands College is a ‘designated place’. All posts involve contact with children and vulnerable young adults and are therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974. Applicants for positions at the College are required to provide details of all relevant convictions, spent or unspent, or cautions, and if there are any court actions pending.

Existing staff are required to inform the Principal of any criminal charges, cautions or convictions during the period of their employment.

The College is also subject to the provisions of the Protection of Children Act, 1999 and the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act, 2000, which require that the names of potential employees are checked against the Department of Health’s Protection of Children List and the Department for Education and Employment’s List 99, now superseded by the Disclosure and Barring Service, and that they not be appointed if their names appear on either of the lists.

Disclosure is an integral part of the recruitment process and for every position (unless otherwise stated), an applicant will be required to make an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Existing staff taking up different positions within the College may also be required to make an application for Disclosure. The cost of Disclosure applications will be borne by the College.

Applicants should provide details of convictions, cautions, etc., at the application stage, in a sealed envelope marked “Confidential” and addressed to the Head of Human Resources who is a DBS Countersignatory for the College. Any information received is treated in the strictest confidence and only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.  Failure to provide details of convictions, cautions, etc., may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn or, in the event of employment, in dismissal.

As an organisation using the DBS Disclosure service to help in assessing applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, Brooklands College complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice.  Further information about the DBS and the Code of Practice is available from www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-code-of-practice

All those involved in the recruitment process are trained in fair recruitment practices and in the relevant legislation, including the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, 1974. They are, therefore, able to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences during the interview or at a separate discussion. The College undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information received, whilst having due regard to its duty of care for students, staff and other customers. Any matter revealed in a Disclosure will be discussed with the applicant before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily preclude an offer of employment since each case is determined according to the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence(s).

Equal Opportunities

Education and training is a right for all and Brooklands College regards all of its existing and potential students, staff and customers as being of equal value. The College staff and governors aim to provide a secure and safe atmosphere and to remove barriers to achievement, to ensure equal access and equal opportunities for all, irrespective of disability, gender, ethnicity, religion, language, social class, learning ability/disability or difficulty, sexual orientation or age. In this respect, no one should receive less favourable treatment in relation to the curriculum, services, employment or any other aspect of College life.

Brooklands College aims to present a positive image which is welcoming to all and to keep both the College and the community informed of its policy and ethos.

In order to monitor that this policy is working and that we are not discriminating against any group, we ask you for details of your gender, ethnic origin and age, and whether you have a disability as part of your application. This is processed separately and securely and not included with the application information which is used for shortlisting and interview. If you have a disability, please do not hesitate to tell us if there are any facilities or equipment you need to help you at the interview or enable you carry out the job, if appointed. This will help us to assess you equally with other applicants.

Skills for Life

As part of application form, we ask whether you have GCE O Level, CSE grade 1 or GCSE grade A – C English Language and Maths. This is to support the government initiative to improve literacy and numeracy skills in the general population. It will not affect your application if you do not possess these qualifications but we may be able to offer you training to improve your skills in these areas, if you are successful in your application and you wish to take advantage of such an opportunity. You will be asked to supply evidence of your qualifications if you are offered a position and may also be required to undertake a literacy and numeracy assessment as a part of the interview process to assess your current levels.

Data Protection

Appointment is subject to your express agreement to the College collecting, storing and processing personal data, including sensitive personal data such as health records, for the proper administration of the employment relationship. All data will be kept in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act, 1998 and the associated Codes of practice, and employees will be given the opportunity to verify its accuracy on a regular basis.

Probation Period

Every new employee of the College is subject to a six month probation period during which induction and any necessary training/coaching will be provided. There will be regular reviews at six weeks, three and six months. Subject to a satisfactory report at the six month review, the new employee will be confirmed in post.

Right to work in the UK

To comply with the provisions of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act, 2006 and the Immigration (Restrictions on Employment) Order, 2004, if offered employment, you will be asked to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK prior to you starting work or on your first day of employment. Such proof includes your passport or original EU birth certificate. In addition, we require sight of original documentation showing your National Insurance number, e.g. P45, correspondence from the Inland Revenue or pay slip as well as approved photo ID (e.g. driving licence) if you have not produced your passport as evidence. You will not be able to start work until we have confirmed your right to work.