Dear Colleagues Firstly a massive ‘shout out’ and ‘thank you’ to you – please take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back and a ‘high five’. This challenging week has brought out the very best of everyone in the ESL team and there have been countless amazing examples of the strong values […]
Dear Colleagues This briefing is coming out later than planned due to the pressures of urgent Covid-19 related actions that have been juggled this week. I wanted to say how impressed I have been with the way everyone across ESL has dealt with unprecedented and historic events this week. You have all shown real courage […]
Dear Colleagues This week we have had changing updates on the Coronavirus from Public Health England, through the City Council and the media. I was particularly struck by the words of the World Health Organisation Director General two days ago – ‘This is not just a public health crisis, it is a crisis that will […]
Dear Colleagues Fantastic news – after 12 months of planning and 3 full days of assessment by an appointed assessor this week, I’m delighted to report we have successfully achieved the DfE Matrix national quality standard for information, advice and guidance services. This process has been expertly led by Delyse Taylor and Kirstie Mallett, with […]
28 FebruaryDear Colleagues Another rainy day in Bristol and the 17 year old Greta Thunberg will be getting ready to stand up in front of City Hall is make a speech that puts science and the voice of young people at the centre of the conversation about our climate emergency. I do wish her and […]
Dear Colleagues What a week – we heard on Monday that we were going to be visited by Ofsted on Wednesday and Thursday for a short inspection of our FE and Skills provision which includes community learning and apprenticeships. Whilst I can’t divulge the results until our inspection report has been published, I can say […]
Dear Colleagues There is an interesting piece in the Guardian today which anticipates a strong focus on skills in the March budget with: ‘more funding to repair crumbling further education colleges, measures to increase the availability of in-career retraining, and a further expansion of apprenticeships.’ The City of Bristol College is a critical strategic partner […]
Dear Colleagues A big part of the Bristol story is the existence and expansion of thousands of local businesses – large and small. Of course, businesses are made up of many people who are local residents too, including young people, parents/carers, volunteers and active community members. ESL has a critical role in linking up with […]
Dear Colleagues Did you know that our Young Careers and Pathways Team (formally known as Post 16 Participation) are managing an amazing work placement scheme for around 70-100 young people and adults each year? Hayley does a fantastic job arranging placements for WORKS schools for young people who are keen to find out more about […]
Dear Colleagues Happy New Year! Here’s looking forward to the best possible year and decade ahead. In the first week back after a good few days, it is not uncommon to hear colleagues reflect on how hard it is to make the transition from holiday to work. Let’s take comfort that two thousand years ago […]
