Annual Report 2012 - Highbury College

celebrating success
annual report 2012

Our Vision
Highbury 2020: A world-class learning enterprise, leading
the way, transcending borders
• Transforming and enriching lives
• Pioneering innovative approaches to education and training
• Inspiring ambition and co-creating sustainable futures with
individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and communities
• Serving our diverse stakeholder communities
with pride and passion
• An influential organisation, recognised for excellence
locally, nationally and internationally
Our Mission
To enable all our students to succeed
Contents
Principal’s introduction 5
Chair’s introduction 7
Celebrating success: six key priorities 9
The Collegiate College 15
The Community College 17
The Corporate College 19
Expert Advisory Boards 20
University level programmes 23
Highbury International 25
Highbury Academies 27
Entrepreneurship 29
WorldSkills 31
College profile 33
Transforming lives 34
News and events 40
A sustainable environment for success 44

Principal’s introduction
I am delighted to present to you our annual report for 2012, the
year of the spectacular London Olympics and our Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee.
Highbury’s culture of high expectations and aspirations, mutual
respect between staff and students and our exemplary
approach to social and educational inclusion continued to
underpin the outstanding outcomes achieved by our students
and the whole College.
Our students’ qualification success rates published last year
remain in the top 1% of general further education colleges in
England. Beyond this, Highbury students and staff contributed
to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, volunteering
through the Bridging the Gap scheme to help realise the
success of this historic event. Later in the year, our students
stood out at the WorldSkills UK 2012 competitions, where
they won five medals and showcased talent and exceptionally
high standards of work. The College is a WorldSkills UK
partner and each year runs the web design competition
including local and regional heats across the UK as well as the
national final. We were delighted to host our partner college
Guangzhou Industry & Trade Technician College, China at the
2012 competitions.
We celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a range of
themed events and activities including curriculum projects, a
street party and typically English afternoon cream teas, served
in our stylish Chimes Fine Dining restaurant.
In 2012, we achieved the Investors in People Gold Standard
demonstrating our excellence in developing and supporting
staff. We were also awarded the Association of Colleges (AoC)
Charter for International Excellence.
We said a fond farewell to John Wright, our long-serving Chair
of Governors, and Robin Dickens, our Vice Chair, who between
them have given so much of their time and energy to supporting
the College on the journey to outstanding. And we welcomed
Stuart Hill and Nicki Youern our new Chair and Vice Chair of
Governors respectively.
Looking forward to 2013, as a member of the Gazelle Group of
Colleges, our focus will be on working towards large scale
transformation of the vocational educational landscape through
entrepreneurship and enterprise for the benefit of our students
and our communities and in response to the seismic changes in
the global economy and the consequences for work in the early
21st century. Our aim is to foster an entrepreneurial mindset in
our students, encouraging and equipping them to add value to
communities, bring innovation to existing businesses and create
their own employment with confidence and ambition.
We are accountable to our local communities for the work we
do and recognise we have a significant role to play in developing
a skilled and flexible workforce. Our innovative, employer-led
Expert Advisory Boards (EABs) are at the forefront of real
employer ownership of skills and economic development.
These EABs and our Community Forums are leading the way
in co-designing our programmes and services. In 2013 we will
continue to actively support and make a significant contribution
to our City’s regeneration strategy, Shaping the Future of
Portsmouth, the Employment Learning and Skills Plan and the
Schools Strategy.
Students from more than 80 countries studied at Highbury in
2012. Our international activity included the continued
development of partnerships, laying the foundation for the
College to play a global role in sustainable vocational and
technical education.
At the end of this annual report you will find a selection of
student journeys from 2012. Each of these inspirational stories
shines a bright light on the transformational power of education
and the unfailing skill and dedication of Highbury staff that
make such transformations possible.
As we enter our 50th year the success of our students remains
our mission and calling. To that end, we will continue to serve
the diverse communities of Portsmouth and beyond with
passion and pride.
Stella Mbubaegbu CBE
Principal & Chief Executive
5

College Leadership Team 2012
Stella Mbubaegbu CBE
Principal & Chief Executive
Jonathan Cox
Executive Director, Finance & Corporate Services
Dee John
Executive Director, Corporate College
Deborah See
Executive Director, Collegiate College
Board of Governors 2012
John Wright
Chair of Governors (until March 2012)
Stuart Hill
Chair of Governors (from March 2012)
Robin Dickens
Vice Chair (until March 2012)
Nicola Youern
Vice Chair (from March 2012)
Shaun Adams
Steve Banham
Asma Begum (from October 2012)
Alex Bentley
Graham Best
Bharti Boyle
Trevor Cartwright MBE
Max Craft (from March 2012)
Jack Davenport (until July 2012)
Natalie Deter
Nikki Gilbey (from March 2012)
Mo Griffiths
Jay Kettle-Williams
Stella Mbubaegbu CBE
John Rees-Evans
Tommy Sealey (until July 2012, re-elected October 2012)

Chair’s introduction
I am delighted to be writing for the first time as the Chair
of Governors at Highbury.
After a number of years on the Board, including six years
as Chair, John Wright retired from the Board of
Governors in 2012 having seen the College to - in his
words - ‘the very top of the professional achievement
ladder’. The culmination, as described in the last annual
report, of a remarkable journey and team effort. We wish
John and Robin Dickens, who stood down as Vice Chair in
2012, all the very best and I thank them on behalf of all
Highbury stakeholders for their hard work and
commitment to the College during their tenure.
Whilst the Chair and Vice Chair may have changed, the
ambition, determination and commitment of the Board
of Governors has not. At Highbury College we have high
expectations of ourselves - Governors, the Principal, the
Leadership and Management Team, Academic and
Business Support staff and most of all our students.
Whatever their chosen area of learning, we challenge all
of our students to be the very best they can be. And we
challenge ourselves to deliver the best possible support
for students.
Our students have not disappointed this year. Student
success rates place the College as the top-performing
general further education (GFE) college in the South East
Region and the only college from Hampshire and the Isle
of Wight to appear in the top ten of the national league
table. It is the fourth consecutive year that Highbury
College has appeared in the top ten of GFE colleges in
England, an achievement that is shared with only one
other college. This outstanding success is testimony to
the hard work and commitment of our students and the
entire College community who have worked together
tirelessly to deliver on Highbury's Mission - to enable all
our students to succeed.
Our Mission remains constant - it is timeless and
universal. In the current challenging economic,
environmental and social times however it is more
important than ever that our students are global citizens,
equipped with the enterprising and entrepreneurial skills
that will enable them to succeed. To this end the College
will continue to work with local, regional, national and
international partners to provide an inspiring, innovative
and forward-looking learning environment, capable of
securing the best opportunities for its students.
As we enter the final year of our 2011-2013 strategic plan
and begin preparations for the College’s 50th anniversary
celebrations, I commend our students to you and proudly
celebrate their success.
Stuart Hill
Chair of Governors
7

In 2011 the College
launched a new
strategic plan,
Higher Ambitions,
Greater Expectations:
Vision Plan 2011-2013,
with six priority
themes to take
Highbury through to
2013. This annual
report, the second of
three in the cycle, is
a statement of how
successfully we
worked towards
these six priorities in
2012, the Vision Plan’s
second year.

Celebrating success
Dr Susan Pember OBE, Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
Priority 1
Student success, resilience and employability
Our top priority is student success. We are ambitious for our
students and have high expectations for what they can
achieve. In the context of extremely high success rates we will
broaden the concept of success to encompass a more holistic
and personalised approach. Students will leave Highbury with
not only vocational and academic qualifications, but the
employability, entrepreneurial and enterprise skills to apply
them in all parts of their lives.
In 2012:
• 2010/11 figures from the National Data Service confirmed
that our headline student success rate of 91% made
Highbury the top-performing general further education
college in the South East Region and the overall topperforming
college in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
• Our student success rate for 2011/12 was 93.6%; Success
rates for students aged 16-18 were also high at 93.1%.
• The overall pass rate for A Levels was 96%.
• The success rate for Apprenticeships increased from
80.7% (2010/11) to 84.3% (2011/12).
• 48% of our Level 3 and Level 5 students progressed to
higher education and 82.2% of students who applied for
a place in higher education were successfully placed.
• The College achieved its targets for success in the key
areas of Apprenticeships and Level 3/A Levels.
• Of this year’s group of volunteer teaching assistants
studying at Highbury, over 50% were taken on by their
schools at the end of the programme.
• An Ofsted good practice report in April confirmed that
at Highbury ‘a strong strategic focus is placed on
ensuring the success of students and developing their
employability skills’.
• In November, Highbury students competed at The Skills
Show, the national final for WorldSkills UK, and won
five medals.
• Highbury students helped to keep the London 2012
Olympic Games safe, working through the Bridging
the Gap project to provide qualified stewards and
security staff.
• We supported our students through the
university/higher education application process (UCAS).
Highbury students went on to study at university in a
range of competitive areas including dentistry,
architecture and forensic psychology.
• We provided targeted support for more than 450
vulnerable students through our Support to Achieve
programme to build resilience and support success.
• The College held its first student conference. The event
was attended by both FE and HE students, and included
a session on safeguarding facilitated by police community
support officers.
• We piloted five student wellbeing support groups to
improve the confidence, self-advocacy skills and
employment opportunities for students with mental
health problems. We secured additional funding from the
Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to further
develop our wellbeing support groups.
• We developed a 16-19 ESOL Youth Group, a personalised
programme for looked after young people who need to
improve their English language skills, confidence and
employment prospects.
• The College facilitated several social enterprise initiatives
to build the self-esteem, confidence and employability
skills of students on our Foundation Learning
programmes, including Moving On and the Prince’s Trust.
• Highbury’s annual Graduation and Celebration of
Achievement was held at Portsmouth Guildhall. Guest of
Honour was Dr Susan Pember OBE, Director for Further
Education and Skills Investment and Performance
Directorate at the Department for Business, Innovation
and Skills (BIS). Also in attendance was The Lord Mayor of
Portsmouth, Councillor Frank Jonas.
9

Priority 2
Growth
The College’s framework for growth takes full account of
the needs and priorities identified by key stakeholders and
those of policy makers at local, regional and national level.
In 2012:
• We opened our own in-house Telemarketing Academy,
staffed by apprentices.
• Two mobile apps were launched - iProspectus, which
enables anyone in the world to search and apply for
full-time and part-time courses from a smart phone; and
iHighbury, for mobile access to Highbury’s Virtual
Learning Environment, Media Portal (iVideo), student
news and the College’s Twitter feed.
• We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with That's Solent Ltd and as partners were successful in
our application for one of the UK’s first digital local
television licences. Highbury students and staff will work
with That's Solent to develop a community channel with
a schedule of news, current affairs, information and
entertainment.
• The number of full-time and part-time students at the
College increased by 8.4% compared to 2010/11.
• The number of Apprenticeship frameworks available
through the College increased from 43 to 51.
• There was an increase of 70% compared to 2011 in the
College’s facilities for hire initiative, enabling local
businesses, community groups and organisations to hire
College facilities at competitive rates during nonteaching
times.
• As part of a consortium of colleges (GFE South), we
secured a three-year contract from the European Social
Fund through the Skills Funding Agency for Training
Works, a new initiative to support employers to up-skill
and develop their workforce.
• In October Highbury was selected to partner the Federal
Government of Nigeria to establish 10 new vocational
skills centres that will provide training and employment
opportunities to young unemployed people in Nigeria.
• We signed an MoU with the Government of Cross River
State, Nigeria to help develop a world-class polytechnic,
improve vocational education and training and support
the development of a science park.
• An MoU was also signed with the Sani Bello Foundation,
Niger State, Nigeria in November for the development of
vocational skills training centres including site design and
train the trainer capacity building.
10

Stella Mbubaegbu CBE speaking at
MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival
Priority 3
Innovation and enterprise
We have an exciting vision of a world-class learning
enterprise. We will embed innovation, enterprise and
entrepreneurship as core skills and activities for students
and staff. All staff will be actively involved in challenging
current practice and, through interaction with external and
internal stakeholders, identifying new opportunities to
improve the experience of students, employers and staff, as
well as making our working practices and processes more
efficient.
In 2012:
• Highbury became a founder member of the Gazelle
Colleges Group, which combines the experience of
entrepreneurs with educators and aims to transform the
further education sector, using entrepreneurship as a
strategic driver for change.
• We became an active member of NACUE (National
Association of College and University Entrepreneurs),
which seeks to stimulate enterprise by supporting,
connecting and representing enterprise societies,
enterprising students and student entrepreneurs in
colleges and universities across the UK.
• We supported Live Unlimited, a National Lottery funded
initiative that provides support and start-up cash of up
to £5,000 for young people who want to launch their
own social enterprise.
• Highbury’s Principal, Stella Mbubaegbu CBE, spoke at
MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, which attracted more
than 3,000 visitors and 50 high-profile speakers,
including Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business,
Innovation and Skills.
• The College purchased an empty property in Portsmouth
to give Construction & Building Services students
valuable hands-on experience of working on a live
restoration project.
• The use of ePortfolios for NVQs was trialled, enabling
students to log all evidence of their experience,
competences and courses for their entire training
period.
• We introduced a ‘lesson capture’ system in the 6th Form
Academy to record lessons and enable playback for
students via the College’s iVideo portal.
• Microsoft Lync was installed, encouraging staff
collaboration and communication, with the ultimate aim
of reducing our carbon footprint.
• We installed Citrix virtual desktop and remote access
software, enabling staff to work more effectively from
home and students to access College software off
Campus.
• Business lecturer Graham Carter won a Hi5 Award for
his innovative use of the collaborative and
communicative possibilities of our virtual learning
environment to engage all his students, irrespective of
their physical location.
• Nadim Bakhshov, Head of the Centre for Excellence in
Teaching & Learning, was awarded a Learning and Skills
Improvement Service (LSIS) Research Development
Fellowship to create an open access online research
journal for practitioners aimed at directly engaging,
challenging and developing innovative teaching, learning
and assessment practices in further education.
• We secured LSIS funding to work with individuals,
community groups and media professionals on a series
of short documentary films and radio features that
tackle stereotypes.
• With funding from LSIS, we developed several eBooks
for use in the community.
11

Priority 4
Reputation
We will maintain our reputation for an outstanding approach
to educational and social inclusion, strong employer
engagement, partnership working and skills development.
Our outstanding qualification success rates, entry to
university level programmes, world-class facilities and
innovative learning environments with the use of technology
as a distinguishing feature will underpin the further
development of our reputation.
In 2012:
• An Ofsted Good Practice report published in April praised
our highly inclusive atmosphere and student-focused
approach, which ensures that Highbury is a ‘college for
everyone’.
• We achieved the Investors in People Gold Award,
demonstrating our excellence in developing and
supporting staff.
• Highbury’s Five Ways to Wellbeing initiative won the
Health and Wellbeing category at the Leading the Learner
Voice Awards, hosted by The Learning and Skills
Improvement Service (LSIS) and the National Union of
Students (NUS).
• The College continued to maintain excellent relationships
with over 700 employers, including EADS Astrium, IBM,
Rolls-Royce and Veolia.
• We partnered with Mayfield School in Portsmouth to
jointly develop a new Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) Centre of Excellence to inspire
young people and demonstrate the potential of STEM
subjects and careers across the City.
• Our partnership working with Highbury Primary School
included linking the school to the College's network
resulting in significant improvements in their IT facilities.
We also delivered theatre workshops as well as SATS
boosters for pupils at risk of not fulfilling their potential.
• More than 100 secondary school girls attended a Women
in Business and IT day hosted by Highbury in April, to
hear from women entrepreneurs and women working
for a range of companies including L'Oreal and IBM.
• John Hayes MP, the Minister of State for Further
Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, acknowledged
Highbury’s success in international education at an
Association of Colleges (AoC) International Conference
in May.
• The quality of our provision for international students was
confirmed when we became the first further education
college in the South East to receive the Association of
College’s (AoC) Charter for International Excellence. The
prestigious award was presented to Highbury at the AoC
conference in November.
• We were successful in our fourth reaccreditation for the
Matrix Standard, demonstrating our strengths in the
effective delivery of information, advice and guidance on
learning and work.
• The College was highly commended in the Hampshire
Business Awards in the sustainability category, sponsored
by legal firm Blake Lapthorne.
• Chief (Barr.) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Honourable Minister
of State for Education in Nigeria, led a delegation of
government officials to Highbury in January to see how
young people in the UK are trained in vocational skills.
• For the second year in a row, Highbury hosted regional
competitions for WorldSkills UK in two areas, web design
and construction skills.
• A lecturer from the Computing, Business &
Professional Studies department was selected to be a
professional development tutor for WorldSkills UK and
is now part of the official training team.
• In a survey of 157 Group colleges in September,
Highbury topped the list for Facebook engagement
for users.
• For the second year in a row, Highbury’s NCTJ Diploma
was named the best performing FE fast-track course in
the country by the National Council for the Training of
Journalists.
12

Priority 5
Leadership
It is our firm intention to thrive for the benefit of our
communities. We aim to play an important and influential
role nationally, regionally and locally in rebuilding a
strong, resilient and sustainable economy in partnership
with all our stakeholders. A renewed focus on leadership
is vital to our success and will be underpinned by an
emphasis on ‘every level leadership’, where everyone is a
leader, responsible for making a contribution to the
College Vision and Mission.
In 2012:
• Students developed and demonstrated their
leadership skills in a variety of roles including Student
Union Officer, Student Governor, Course
Representative and College Ambassador.
• Business Support staff from across the College formed
Quality Circles and took a lead role in identifying
weakness in service standards and working collectively
to find and implement solutions.
• Members of the Information, Advice & Guidance and
Student Support Services teams provided regular
mentoring to vulnerable pupils in local secondary
schools.
• Highbury College’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching
& Learning led the sector by launching an open access
journal for the dissemination and exchange of innovative
teaching, learning and assessment practice.
• Highbury’s Principal was elected inaugural Chair of the
Gazelle Colleges Group, which is committed to
transforming further education through enterprise
and entrepreneurship.
• Highbury’s Executive Director, Collegiate College, led
the 157 Group's Curriculum Network, which provides a
strong practitioner voice to inform the development of
157 Group policies.
• Highbury's Head of Technology & Innovation led the
157 Group’s Technology and Innovation Network.
Highbury led on a successful bid for £665k from the
Skills Funding Agency to work with other colleges to
investigate the collaborative development and
delivery of curriculum through new technology.
• The Executive Director of the Corporate College
chaired the Association of South East Colleges (AOSEC)
Business Development Network, which was introduced
to help colleges explore commercial opportunities,
grow Apprenticeships and manage increasing
demands on generating full cost income.
• Highbury's Principal and senior managers actively
supported the delivery of Shaping the Future of
Portsmouth, the City’s strategy and plan for economic
growth. The Principal served as Chair of the City
Brand Group, and was a member of the Business
Leaders Group.
• As part of Shaping the Future of Portsmouth, the Head
of the Community College co-chaired the development
of the Portsmouth Ambassadors programme, which is
working to engage members of the local community to
promote the City.
• Together with NHS Solent, we developed the idea of
an NHS Recovery College for Portsmouth. Once
established, the service will deliver comprehensive,
peer-led education and training within mental health
services, enabling people with mental health problems
to develop the skills they need for living and working.
Priority 6
Financial health
The College will remain financially strong, ensuring the
resources to provide excellent services and programmes,
further investment in facilities and to take advantage of
investment opportunities. Key to this success will be
steady growth in funded priority programmes, expansion
of non-funded provision and a diverse curriculum offer.
In 2012:
• The College secured a £0.6 million operating surplus
for the financial year 2011/12.
• The financial health of the College continued to be
classified as ‘Outstanding’ by the Skills Funding
Agency.
• The College maintained large cash reserves, providing
the potential to invest in and secure opportunities to
support Highbury’s growth strategy.
13

The Collegiate College
Highbury’s Collegiate College opens doors to higher
education, employment and self-employment for young
people in Portsmouth and the surrounding area. With a
wide choice of subjects, qualifications and activities, our
students are offered relevant, high-quality programmes
that enable them to achieve their goals, go to university
and obtain employment with good career prospects.
Among the year’s highlights were:
The 6th Form Academy continued to expand with an
increased range of A Level subjects and the creation of a
new centre providing dedicated common rooms and
study spaces. Science (STEM) subjects were popular, with
students opting to increase their knowledge and skills in
these growth areas. We partnered with Mayfield School
to develop a STEM Centre of Excellence to accelerate
learning and support progression to Highbury and on to
university.
Of school pupils aged 14 to 16 studying part-time at the
College, 90% achieved and almost all progressed to
courses, either at the College or with other learning
providers, or gained employment. The progression rate
to full-time study from the College’s summer schools
was 85%.
Our annual survey revealed that the vast majority of our
students enjoyed their courses and College life, with
satisfaction recorded at 97%. In the survey, students
confirmed that they liked the friendly and relaxed
atmosphere at Highbury, the excellent support from staff,
the interesting and stimulating lessons, the wide choice of
qualifications, the personal and job-related skills they
develop, the excellent learning facilities and the good
rapport between students and staff.
The College provided an outstanding range of support to
enable students to succeed. Pastoral and academic
support enabled students to improve, progress and
succeed. Group sessions, 1:1 reviews and online resources
helped students to develop independent learning and
study skills. Targeted support included education and
training for disadvantaged people and those with specific
learning needs including mental health problems.
Social enterprise activities enabled students to grow in
confidence and included students from our successful
vocational, Moving On and Prince’s Trust programmes
taking on projects for the benefit of the community.
Students from Business and Computing courses ran very
successful ‘Have a Go’ sessions in primary schools with
over 400 pupils taking part, and organised a popular
Women in IT conference for secondary school pupils.
These projects enabled students to make a contribution
to their communities, further developing their
employability skills.
Amongst the many enrichment opportunities were a
multicultural festival, a sustainability fair, the Highbury
Theatre Company, enterprise competitions and sporting
activities. In March, more than 400 students took part in
Barclays Money Skills week, which teaches young people
about money and how to manage it.
As part of the Skilled & Talented Academy, many of our
students were entered for and won local, regional and
national competitions, including WorldSkills UK.
15

The Community College
The specific purpose of Highbury’s Community College is
to engage adult learners and communities in lifelong
learning. The College is now the first point of contact for
learning for many adults and families in the area, a high
proportion of whom have not participated previously in
education and training.
During 2012 the Community College played a central role
in building community cohesion and contributing to the
economic regeneration of Portsmouth and the
surrounding area. Among the year’s highlights were:
We invited partner organisations, stakeholders groups
and students to Highbury for two Community Forums.
Amongst those attending were representatives from Age
Concern, Portsmouth Craft & Manufacturing Industries
(PCMI), ANA Treatment Centres and a range of approved
secure units. The events attracted more than 30 groups
and enabled us to listen to and learn from our diverse
stakeholders and develop our service and curriculum in
collaboration to better meet the needs of our community
learners.
A record 7,842 students enrolled on Community College
courses. The range of courses also increased. The number
of community venues used by the College for training rose
to over 70 during 2012 and included community centres,
sports centres, schools, residential homes, treatment
centres, hospitals, hostels and cafes.
For the fourth year in a row, we exceeded the target set
out in our Adult and Community Learning contract with
Portsmouth City Council and surpassed the target for our
contract with Hampshire County Council.
A number of on-going initiatives continued to be
successful. Among these was our work-focused training to
help the unemployed back into employment, which was
funded by the European Social Fund through the Skills
Funding Agency.
We also continued with our programme for teaching
assistants. This leads to a recognised national qualification
for support staff in schools.
Our provision for the visually impaired continued in 2012
with a good take up of courses such as word processing for
the visually impaired and training in specialist technology.
The number of community partnerships also rose during
the year, from 40 to 60, and now includes Portsmouth
Craft & Manufacturing Industry, Two Saints and St James
Hospital.
17

The Corporate College
Highbury’s Corporate College works with employers to
provide a professional training service for businesses in
line with the latest industry developments and legislation.
The College offers workforce solutions for businesses of
all sizes, encompassing short courses, professional
qualifications, skills analysis and consultancy. Among the
year’s highlights were:
Training solutions were provided to more than 700
employers including EADS Astrium, IBM, Isle of Wight NHS
Primary Care Trust, Lockheed Martin, Portsmouth City
Council and Rolls-Royce.
Feedback from the employers who worked with the
College in 2011/12 showed high levels of satisfaction:
• 96% said that Highbury had met the training needs of
their organisation
• 95% of employers who had come to us for staff
training would use the College again
• 95% of those surveyed said they would recommend
the College
Our employer-led Expert Advisory Boards (EABs) met
throughout the year and made a tremendous contribution
to the development and delivery of our employer
responsive services and training. As a result of a
Construction EAB initiative, national building company
Warings set up a site office at a nearby business complex
to replicate the environment construction students could
expect to work in once they finish their studies. Another
initiative, developed by the Engineering EAB, enabled
secondary school head teachers to attend the Southampton
Boat Show where they met employers and learned about
the many career opportunities within the sector.
Highbury was asked by Skillsmart Retail to lead their
National Skills Academy in Hampshire. The new Academy
has been developed to enhance the skills of anyone
working in retail and equip those seeking employment in
the sector with the required skills.
In February, as part of the continuing development of
Highbury Planet: Centre for Sustainability, we bid
successfully to become a lead hub in the South East for
the National Skills Academy for Environmental
Technologies. The hub, which also includes two other
colleges, and two manufacturers, Ariston and WILO UK,
will provide quality training for new and existing lowcarbon
technologies.
Additional developments for Highbury Planet in 2012
included a sustainability fair, the recruitment of
sustainability champions to promote environmental
awareness across the College and a Learning and Skills
Improvement Service (LSIS) project to create an online
environmental technologies course.
Highbury’s Apprenticeship scheme continued to expand in
2012, with more than 700 apprentices recruited over the
year and a new Higher Apprenticeship in Sustainable Built
Environment offered from September 2012 onwards. The
College now supports 51 Apprenticeship frameworks at
intermediate, advanced and higher levels.
New for 2012 was our IT Office Specialist Apprenticeship
programme, which employed 30 young apprentices across a
range of departments within the College. The programme
was highly successful with a 100% success rate. Apprentices
were also at the heart of our new Telemarketing Academy,
which was launched in April 2012.
For those not quite ready for the world of work we
launched an intensive one-week pre-Apprenticeship
course to help entrants prepare for an Apprenticeship.
Among the many corporate events hosted during the
year was the launch of the National Skills Academy for
Environmental Technologies, several events to promote
Apprenticeships and a continuous professional
development evening hosted in partnership with the
Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB).
19

Expert Advisory Boards
Highbury's employer-led Expert Advisory Boards (EABs)
met regulary in 2012. The EABs provide a platform for
industry and sector experts to co-create employer
responsive services and training. Board members are
employers from private and public organisations in the
South East.
Key objectives of the EABs include clarifying emerging
industry priorities, developing training programmes that
address sector specific industry requirements, identifying
future trends in professional practice and developing
opportunities for collaborative working.
Advanced Engineering (including Marine)
Chair: John Walkerdine, EADS Astrium
Babcock 4S, BAE Systems, Collison Motoring Services, Fast
Track, Land Rover, Lillywhite Bros Ltd, Lockheed Martin UK,
Lynx Garage, Mototech, Northshore Yachts, Portchester
Auto Services, Pressco Precision Engineering Ltd, Semta,
Solent Hub Business Development, Southern Tyres,
Sycamore Cars, Technograph Microcircuits, Universal
Marina (Testbank), West Group, Whites Motors.
Construction & Building Services
Chair: Guy Shepherd, Warings
AJS Engineering, Brymor, Dyer & Butler, Kier Group,
Magnet, Mansell, Morgan Ashurst, Mountjoy, Osbornes,
Seaward Properties, The Free Test Company, Total Project
Integration, Trant Construction.
Digital Media
Chair: Colin Channon, Chichester Observer
Climb Digital, CommunityUK, Express FM, Hoot Marketing,
ITV South, ITV Studios, Journalism & Communications Ltd,
NN24, Plus 3, The News, Travel Talk.
Health & Social Care
Chair: Marilyn Collins, Oaklands Care Homes
Abacus Pre-School, Age UK, Alphabet Corner Nursery,
Brunel-Meredith Pre-School, Care UK (St Mary's Hospital),
Contemplation Homes Ltd, Cornerways, Fairways Care,
Hampshire County Council, Hollybank Rest Home, In Home
Care, IoW NHS Trust, Izzies Nursery, Leapfrog Nursery,
Little Learners Day Care, Milkwood Care Ltd, Northern
Parade Pre-School, Parade Pre-School, PCC (Independent
Care Homes), Portsdown Nursery, Portsmouth City Council,
Primecare, Rowans Hospice, Skills for Care, St.Jude’s School
Nursery, Two Saints.
20

Hotels, Restaurants & Catering
Chair: Mark Sampson, De Vere, New Place
36 On the Quay (Emsworth), Ageas Bowl, Careys Manor &
Montagu Arms, County Caterers, ARAMARK @ Langstone
Technology Park, Hallidays Restaurant (Funtington), Hilton
(Farlington), Holiday Inn, Ibis Hotel, Innlodge, Lysses House
Hotel (Fareham), Marriott Portsmouth, Noble House and
Chez Choi Chinese Restaurant, Portsmouth Guildhall,
Premier Inn, Restaurant 27, Sinah Warren, Solent Hotel,
University of Portsmouth.
Information Technology
Chair: Parviz Daneshvar, IBM
Advanced Resource Managers, AGD Associates Ltd,
Community UK, Cowley Computer Solutions, Dinamiks,
Easy Networks, ITGL, Novatech, NxtERA, PC World,
Portsmouth City Council, Radweb, Smart CCTV Ltd, The
Free Test Company Ltd, The Really Helpful IT Company,
University of Portsmouth, Xyratex.
Retail
Chair: Steve Taylor, Asda Portsmouth
Andover Council, Cascades Shopping Centre Portsmouth,
Centre Manager Havant/Waterlooville, Centre Manager
Petersfield, Crown, Debenhams, Goldchem Pharmacy,
Gosport Council, Gunwharf Quays – Land Securities, Hart
District Council (Fleet area), Havant Borough Council, JCP,
John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Matalan, MP Gosport,
Portsmouth & Southsea Town Centre Manager,
Portsmouth City Council, Republic, Romsey Council,
Sainsbury's, Skillsmart Retail, Southsea Retail Group,
Thomas Cook, Centre Manager Fareham, Winchester
Executive Director.
Sustainability: Highbury Planet
Chair: Ren Kapur, eFonomics
Ariston, Eco Ltd, Ecoisland Partnership CIC, Environment
Centre, Southampton, Hampshire County Council,
Portsmouth City Council, The Sustainability Centre (East
Meon).
Tourism, Corporate & Cultural
Chair: Caroline Sharman, New Theatre Royal
Action Stations, Aspex Gallery, Bath Travel, Blue Reef
Aquarium, Brittany Ferries, Channel Tunnel, Dark
Encounters, Ferneham Hall (Fareham), Gosport Submarine
Museum, Groundlings Theatre, Hampshire County Council,
HMS Warrior, Hover Travel, Independent Cinema
Portsmouth Ltd, National Museum of the Royal Navy, PCC
Commercial Port, Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth City
Museums, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Ryanair
Bournemouth, Southsea Travel@21, Spinnaker Tower, The
Cellars (Eastney), The Kings Theatre, The Mary Rose, The
Point (Eastleigh), The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre,
Thomas Cook, Wightlink.
21

University level programmes
Highbury College enables students to reach the next level
of education and to gain their place in the world of work.
Throughout the year we provided students with
outstanding facilities and support - and high-quality
university level programmes at affordable prices.
In 2012 we enhanced the links between Level 3 courses
and our higher education offer, increased the
participation of young people and adults on work-based
and vocational programmes, extended our higher
education programmes, and worked with employers to
identify priority areas for university level provision in
order to contribute to the sustainable economic growth
of the region. Among the year’s highlights were:
We increased the number of places allocated to us by the
Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) and
recruited more higher education students.
We ran Access to Higher Education Diplomas in Biological
& Biomedical Sciences, Business & Marketing, Education
& Social Work, Nursing & Midwifery, and Science &
Engineering. Students from these courses progressed to
universities both locally and throughout the country,
including Bournemouth, Chichester, Coventry, Edinburgh,
Exeter, Lancashire, Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth,
Portsmouth, Southampton, Surrey and Winchester.
We introduced a new HNC Diploma in Construction in
2012 and successfully recruited to our HNC Certificate and
HND Diploma programmes in Business, Computing &
Systems Development, Electrical/Electronic Engineering,
Health & Social Care and Mechanical Manufacture. There
was a good take up of our Certificate in Education
programmes and our university level professional courses
in Automotive, Business, Construction, Health & Safety,
Health Care and Journalism.
We delivered three Foundation Degree programmes
validated by the University of Sussex - Business
Management, Computer Networking and Software
Development - and Foundation Degrees in Hospitality
Management and Travel & Tourism Management
validated by the University of Portsmouth. In addition, we
offered the Professional Certificate in Education (DTLLS),
validated by the University of Sussex.
We continued to deliver part-time Foundation Degrees in
Construction Management and Construction & Surveying,
validated by the University of Westminster.
Highbury staff also taught on the University of
Portsmouth’s BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management and
Hospitality Management with Tourism.
Our University Academy was successful in supporting
students to apply for a university level course. Among the
benefits offered by the Academy were a guaranteed
interview for a place on a Highbury College Foundation
Degree, dedicated careers and financial advice and the
opportunity to spend a day on a higher education course.
A very successful Higher Education Fair was held in
October. This was well attended by students interested in
progressing to higher education.
23

Highbury International
Chief (Barr.) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike,
Honourable Minister of State for
Education, Federal Republic of Nigeria
The development of our international work continued to
accelerate in 2012, particularly in the areas of student
recruitment and partnership projects. Highlights included:
Students from more than 80 countries studied at Highbury.
The quality of our provision for international students was
confirmed when we became the first further education
college in the South East to receive the Association of
College’s (AoC) Charter for International Excellence.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the twinning between the
cities of Portsmouth and Haifa in Israel, art and design
students from Highbury and Tiltan College in Haifa
collaborated on an art project that was exhibited at the
Guildhall, Portsmouth in February.
As part of the College’s long-standing partnership with the
Albert Lange Vocational College in Duisburg, Germany, our
students visited Duisburg in May to experience the culture of
the city and gain experience in their curriculum subject areas.
We established a partnership with Lukács Sándor Mechatronikai
és Gépészeti Szakképző Iskola és Kollégium in Hungary.
The project, funded through the Comenius programme,
involves a series of exchanges to share best practice in teaching,
learning and assessment for Automotive Studies.
Chief (Barr.) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Honourable Minister of
State for Education, Federal Republic of Nigeria, led a
delegation to Highbury in January. In October the Nigerian
Federal Government announced the appointment of Highbury
as technical partner to the Ministry of Education for the
development of 10 vocational skills centres in Nigeria.
Specialist staff travelled to Lagos in March, to provide media
training for a community radio project in partnership with
Lagos State Polytechnic. Later, staff from Highbury delivered
master classes in film-making at BOBTV, the ninth African
Film and TV Festival, in Abuja. The College’s links with the
Nigerian film industry were further strengthened when we
welcomed award-winning ‘Nollywood’ actress Joke Silva to
the College for a visit in March.
Also in March, following a visit by senior representatives of
Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), we
signed a contract to deliver leadership and management
training for a new vocational training centre near Port
Harcourt, Nigeria.
In April, Highbury’s Principal attended the launch in Nigeria
of an Apprenticeship programme, supported by the College,
for Lagos State Technical and Vocational Educational Board
(LASTVEB).
Later in the year the Principal and a specialist member of
staff joined a delegation to Brazil organised by the AoC to
look at English language training and the development of
skills to support the emerging economy. In August, we
joined an AoC delegation to India with a focus on developing
partnerships for healthcare education.
Highbury staff visited Guangzhou Industry & Trade
Technician College (GITTC), China, in April. With backing
from the British Council, the visit was to share our approach
to skills development, employer engagement and skillsbased
competitions, in particular WorldSkills. A delegation
from GITTC visited Highbury in June, and in November a
GITTC student worked alongside web design competitors at
the WorldSkills UK final at the Birmingham NEC.
We welcomed a group of 51 South Korean teachers in April.
Supported by the British Council, the visit focused on English
language training and developing teaching skills in a wide
range of vocational subject areas.
In September, senior staff from Ekurhuleni West College,
Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Sisonke Partnership
visited Highbury to learn about our vocational programmes.
In October, Professor O. E Offiong, Honourable
Commissioner of Education, Cross River State, Nigeria,
led a delegation to Highbury. During the three-day visit a
memorandum of understanding was signed by Professor
Offiong and the Principal. The partnership will see the
College support the region’s technical vocational education
and training (TVET) reforms, and will include the
development of 18 technical colleges and a polytechnic.
25

Highbury Academies
Highbury’s Academies serve to increase motivation,
participation and success, and offer students a chance to
develop their skills, widen their experience and take part
in a range of activities including national competitions,
internships and voluntary work.
6th Form Academy
We launched the 6th Form Academy in September 2011,
offering 16-19 year olds a choice of A Level subjects, which
can be taken alongside vocational Level 3 BTEC Diplomas.
The purpose of the 6th Form Academy is to provide a
stimulating environment in which young people can gain
the skills and qualifications needed for university or
employment. In 2012 we increased the number of A Level
subjects on offer and created a new centre providing
dedicated common rooms and study spaces.
Skilled & Talented Academy
The Skilled & Talented Academy demonstrates our
commitment to vocational excellence. Membership of the
Academy is open to all students who wish to compete in
internal, regional, national and international skills
competitions.
During 2012 more than 45 students entered vocational
skills competitions and, through the Skilled & Talented
Academy, received coaching and guidance as well as
financial support in order to compete. Vocational skills
competitions, many of them WorldSkills UK events, took
place in a wide range of areas including accounting,
automotive, bricklaying, hair and beauty, performing arts,
plastering, plumbing, wall and floor tiling and web design.
All students (100%) taking part in vocational skills
competitions went on to achieve their qualifications.
University Academy
Membership of the University Academy is open to all
full-time students who wish to progress to Foundation
Degrees at Highbury or Degrees and Higher National
Diplomas at university. All members of the Academy have
a guaranteed interview for Highbury’s Foundation Degree
courses and receive impartial advice about applying for
higher education courses elsewhere. Activities in 2012
included visits by students to a local higher education fair,
higher education ‘drop in’ clinics, a higher education
evening for parents and the College’s own higher
education fair, providing students with an opportunity to
speak to representatives from local universities.
Leadership Academy
Membership of the Leadership Academy enables students
to develop their leadership skills and represent their fellow
students in a variety of roles including Student Union
Officer, Student Governor, Course Representative and
College Ambassador. In addition, Academy members are
encouraged to make a contribution to the local community
through voluntary work.
Projects in 2012 included Business and IT students
delivering workshops on marketing and brand awareness
for school pupils, Hair & Beauty students providing
face-painting and pampering sessions in local schools
and students from the College’s Moving On programme
decorating a local youth centre.
Sports Academy
Highbury’s Sports Academy provides an opportunity for
young people to develop their talent and work towards a
career in the sport and leisure industry. Through the
Academy, students can take part in a wide range of sport
and fitness activities and classes, from Cheerleading to
Zumba. Events in 2012 included a five-a-side football
tournament at Fratton Park, a Royal Navy Junior Leaders
Field Gun Competition, an inter-college sports competition
sponsored by Sport England and a nail-biting game of
Boccia, a Paralympic sport, between Highbury students
and students from a nearby college.
27

Entrepreneurship
At Highbury we have high ambitions for what our students
can achieve. A key part of our vision is to become
increasingly entrepreneurial and place enterprise at the
heart of our work. In 2011/12 we launched the Centre for
Entrepreneurship, which is leading on the promotion and
delivery of enterprise and entrepreneurship across the
College for the benefit of students, staff and the
community.
Highbury teamed up with several organisations to develop
entrepreneurship at the College. In January we became a
founder member of the Gazelle Colleges Group. Gazelle
draws on the experience of entrepreneurs to bring their
knowledge and experience of building and growing
successful enterprises to the FE sector.
In May, two Executive Directors from the College attended
the Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurial
Educators at Babson College, Massachusetts, one of the
most highly ranked universities in the world for
entrepreneurship education. The intensive four-day
programme of lectures, seminars and workshops explored
the entrepreneurial process in depth and examined the
‘art and craft’ of teaching and learning entrepreneurship.
We also become an active member of the National
Association of College and University Entrepreneurs
(NACUE), which seeks to stimulate enterprise in UK
colleges and universities. Through NACUE we obtained
funding to create our student-led Enterprise Society called
Collective Futures, which will support and advise students
wishing to start their own businesses.
At the start of the year we were accredited by the Peter
Jones Enterprise Academy to offer BTEC Diplomas in
enterprise and entrepreneurship. Founded by Peter Jones
CBE, this new initiative will help young entrepreneurs
develop the attitude and skills they need to succeed,
whether they want to start their own business or shine in
an existing one.
In September our students travelled to Sheffield for MADE:
The Entrepreneur Festival, which attracted more than
3,000 visitors and 50 high-profile speakers, including Vince
Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and
Skills. Co-sponsored by Gazelle, the three-day event was a
chance for our students to get involved and learn from the
experience of people who have succeeded in business.
Students were similarly inspired following a Live Unlimited
workshop in October. Supported by the National Lottery,
the initiative will support 16-21 year old students who
want to make a difference in their communities by
developing a social enterprise project.
Other activities in 2012 included a visit from the Start-Up
Britain bus, for students to meet business advisors and
entrepreneurs, a 'Pantrepreneur’ competition which
encouraged students to create and sell Olympic-themed
pants, and Market Maker, a business competition where
students pitched their ideas to a panel of experts - top
prize, a trip to New York.
At the end of the year we were delighted to welcome
entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star Doug Richard to
Highbury for a series of Challenge Workshops delivered
by Gazelle and the Entrepreneurial Institution. The lively
two-hour sessions were open to students, staff and
members of the public, and challenged our knowledge
of entrepreneurship and how it functions within an
educational environment.
29

WorldSkills
Principal Li, of Guangzhou Industry &
Trade Technical College, with Principal
Stella Mbubaegbu
WorldSkills is the largest international vocational skills
competition in the world. Every two years more than
1,000 young people from over 50 countries compete to
become the best of the best in their chosen skill.
Throughout 2012 we continued to encourage students to
become fully involved in skills competitions, both as a
valuable learning experience and also as an opportunity
to showcase their skills.
As the WorldSkills UK Partner for Web Design, we ran all
web design competitions, including local and regional
heats and the national final. A lecturer from the
Computing, Business & Professional Studies department
was selected to be a professional development tutor for
WorldSkills and is now part of the official training team.
We hosted WorldSkills competitions at Highbury in two
areas, web design and construction skills, with nearly 30
of our students taking part.
With backing from the European Social Fund (ESF) and the
Skills Funding Agency (SFA), Highbury was the lead for
‘Have a Go’ events in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
As lead, we supported, and continue to support, providers
across the county to organise Have a Go events, giving
people an opportunity to try out a new skill.
For the first time, UK national finals were held at a single
venue - WorldSkills UK, the Skills Show, which took place
at the Birmingham NEC in November 2012. Students and
staff from Highbury attended the competition, in which
more than 500 students from across the UK took part in
61 WorldSkills UK national finals, ranging from
aeronautical engineering through to landscape gardening.
Our students competed in three categories - Web Design,
Advanced Microsoft IT Technician and Wall & Floor Tiling -
and picked up five medals, two gold, two silver and one
bronze. In addition, we hosted Have a Go activities in
environmental technologies and wall and floor tiling,
while our fashion students showcased their talent by
taking to the catwalk with items they had made using
recycled and sustainable materials on their course.
Staff and students were joined at the event in Birmingham
by members of Highbury's partner college in China. With
backing from the British Council’s Skills for Employability
Programme, Highbury is assisting Guangzhou Industry &
Trade Technical College to prepare for WorldSkills
competitions in China.
Winners from the national finals of WorldSkills UK may
have the opportunity to join the UK squad for the next
WorldSkills international final, which takes place in
Leipzig, Germany, in 2013.
31

College profile
Student profile
09/10 10/11 11/12
Full-time 2,628 2,716 2,832
Part-time 8,261 7,064 7,773
Total students 10,889 9,780 10,605
Total enrolments 27,130 25,232 27,192
Employer sponsored 2,786 2,511 2,526
Students with disability 781 704 1,013
HEFCE funded 316 285 273
Aged under 19 2,640 2,800 2,999
Aged 19 and over 8,249 6,980 7,606
Female 5,389 4,550 4,781
Male 5,500 5,230 5,824
Ethnic origin
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 129
Asian or Asian British: Indian 62
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 20
Asian or Asian British: Other 146
Black or Black British: African 221
Black or Black British: Caribbean 24
Black or Black British: Other 34
Chinese 41
Mixed: White and Asian 30
Mixed: White and Black African 18
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean 21
Mixed: Other 33
White: British 8,542
White: Irish 40
White: Other 390
Other 167
Unknown 687
Total 10,605
Financial statistics
09/10 10/11 11/12
Total income (£000s) 24,831 24,050 23,166
LSC income (£000s) 17,565 17,606 16,559
Sources of income
09/10 10/11 11/12
LSC Core funding 70.8% 73.2% 71.5%
HEFCE funding 3.5% 3.6% 3.5%
Education contracts 7.9% 3.7% 3.4%
Tuition fees 6.3% 6.9% 7.0%
Other grant income 2.1% 2.9% 4.1%
Other income 9.4% 9.7% 10.6%
33

Transforming lives
Many students choose to study at Highbury
College because they want to change their lives
for the better. Here are just some of the student
success stories from 2012.
Dani Houghton
BTEC Extended Diploma in Business
with Marketing
When I first came to Highbury I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a career and
wasn’t very confident. I hadn’t done well at school and left early - I only went back
to take my GCSEs. I had a bit of false start at Highbury too, but once I started my
business course things really began to improve.
The staff on my course are really supportive. At the same time they push you to do
things even if you’re not sure you can - especially if you’re not sure you can.
Since I’ve started my BTEC in Business and Marketing I’ve done loads of things. I’ve
taught classes in advertising and branding at local schools, helped plan a Women in
IT and Business day, entered the WorldSkills competition in Microsoft Applications
Specialist and got to the regional finals, and made a presentation on sustainability
to senior managers at IBM.
And over the summer I entered a competition to make a short film about my
perfect summer and won an iPad 2!
These are things I would never have had the confidence to do before. I feel so
much more confident now I’m doing something I enjoy and am good at.
I know what I want to do with my life too. When I finish my BTEC I want to take a
Foundation Degree in Business and Marketing at Highbury, which I’ll be able to top
up to an Honours Degree at university. After that, I think I’d like to work in
marketing as this is the aspect of my course I enjoy the most. Or I could do web
design. It’s still early days but everything seems possible.

Chris McConnell
Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Software
Development
Around 2005 I began studying for a Physics Degree with the Open University.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a good place then and struggled with my motivation.
I was a single parent but I didn't look after myself very well. I stopped eating and
began suffering from malnutrition. This affected my health, including my
eyesight. In 2008 it got so bad that I was admitted to hospital and induced into a
coma for 20 days. When I woke up I had lost most of my sight.
The next two years were very difficult. My son went back to his mum’s and I
stayed at home, struggling to come to terms with my blindness. I lost my
confidence. I didn’t see anyone or go out.
Then one day I was on the internet. I discovered that Highbury runs IT courses
for people with visual impairment. I was anxious, but I went along for an
interview at Highbury City of Portsmouth Centre.
The lady who runs the courses there was great. She put me at my ease. From
the start I knew I was in the right place. I pushed and pushed to get on as fast as
I could, beginning at Level 1. In 2011 I achieved a Level 3 Diploma in Software
Development, gaining distinctions in 11 out of 12 units.
After that I enrolled on a Foundation Degree. The tutors are really supportive
and I feel so much more confident. I plan to work in website development once
I graduate. I am already working on a website that will help developers
understand how people with visual impairment use the internet. I’m very
grateful to the staff at Highbury, especially the lady who runs the courses for
people with visual impairment. She really helped me feel good about my future.
In fact, she convinced me that I have a future!
I couldn’t imagine my life without Highbury. Coming here opened a door. If it
wasn’t for the College I’d still be at home, sitting on my own and wondering
what to do with my life.

Cleopatra Sillah
Access to Higher Education & Social Work
I worked as a support worker and later a manager in care homes for 18 years but
always felt I had more to give, which was why I applied to join the Access course.
Just before I started the course I went to Zimbabwe to see my mother, who is 76.
I hadn’t seen her since 1991 and I was shocked to learn what a struggle life was
for her. I discovered how little she has and also saw how she looks after my sister
who has HIV.
When I returned to England I found that I’d lost my confidence. I felt guilty and
thought I should be caring for my family. I have a young daughter with special
needs and worried that I should be giving her more of my time too.
I thought about this a lot, worried about it, and suddenly I realised that the best
way I could help my family was to better myself and achieve my potential.
The first few months of the Access course were very hard - I hadn’t been in
education for 20 years and everything was a struggle. The lessons were hard, and
I wasn’t good at IT - everything was difficult. But the staff at Highbury were so
helpful, so supportive! The Library staff helped me with my study skills and
computing, the tutors were clear and understanding. The head of Access was my
rock - I’m not sure she knows how much she helped me, but she was so kind and
encouraged and pushed me to do what I needed to do.
There was one tutor who was really tough with me in a subject I found difficult.
She kept on pushing me. I thought: I am struggling so much and she should be
giving me better marks. I almost hated her! But now I thank her for her toughness
because she made me a better person and helped me to progress.
I’m so proud of Highbury College. I learned so much at Highbury that when I
started my BSc (Hons) in Social Work at Portsmouth University I was ready for it.
When I finish my Degree I’ll be able to use my voice more constructively in the
Care sector and really make a difference.
I’d like to say THANK YOU to EVERYONE at Highbury - all the staff at the College
are AMAZING!

Tim Richardson
HNC Electrical Engineering Higher
Apprenticeship (EADS Astrium)
Before I began my Apprenticeship I was at a local college studying A Levels.
I didn’t enjoy these much and only achieved mediocre results in my exams.
University didn’t feel right for me either, so I started thinking about a more
hands-on route. An Apprenticeship was the best option.
At the back of my mind, I’d always wanted to do something in engineering.
Getting a role within Astrium really put me on that path.
When I started I soon realised how much there was to learn. The lecturers at
Highbury built my knowledge from the ground up. My knowledge of electrical
principles was especially non-existent when I started. Now I feel extremely
confident in the subject. The way the lessons were taught at Highbury really
brought the subject to life and made the theory easy to understand. I also
improved my hand-working and machining skills.
The Apprenticeship was hard work, but good fun. The best thing about it was the
mix between practical lessons and theory lessons. In my first year I spent three
days a week in the classroom, and the other two days in the lab, carrying out
experiments, working on the lathes - putting all that theory into practice.
I was very pleased when I won an award from the Institute of Engineering and
Technology (IET) after I gained distinctions in all 12 units of study of my National
Certificate. It felt good to be recognised and rewarded for the hard work I had put
in. After the National Certificate I moved on to an HNC. This was a big step up, but
studying at this level helped me to really understand some of the essential
principles behind the work at Astrium.
I now have a full time job in the AIT (Assembly, Integration and Test) department
at Astrium where I am in charge of certain mechanical processes within the clean
room. Hopefully in the near future I will be leading the mechanical activities on an
entire project. It’s a long way from A Levels. I know I’m in the right place.

Mark Flynn
BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT - Computer
Networking & Systems Support
I hadn’t thought about entering the regional final of the Advanced Microsoft IT
Technician WorldSkills competition, which was held at Highbury. But my teacher
encouraged me to turn up, just in case there was a spare place. Luckily for me
there was. I came second!
My score was high enough to earn me a place at the national finals in
Birmingham. After the regionals I got lots of extra coaching and practice tests
from my teachers to prepare for the finals.
The competition was challenging and there was a lot to do. We had to create a
computer network. It meant building computers from scratch, making cables,
installing software, solving problems, getting it all running - it felt like a real-world
work situation.
I liked the fact that the competition was open and people would come by to see
what you were doing as you were competing. People were taking an interest and
it was good to have that interaction with the crowd.
It was a huge event. It felt like being at the Olympics! After our competition was
over it was exciting to walk around, see the other competitions taking place and
experience the range of things to get involved in.
I felt that I’d done quite well in my event, but when I learned that I’d won gold I
couldn’t believe it. Winning a gold medal has given me more confidence in my
own abilities. It will look good on my CV too.
There are WorldSkills competitions taking place in Germany in 2013 and in Rio de
Janeiro in 2015. I'm hoping to broaden my skills by studying another area of IT and
then I could possibly be selected to compete for the UK team in Brazil, which
would be amazing!

Nicole Ford
BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Fashion & Clothing
Textiles was one of my favourite subjects at school. I’ve wanted to work in fashion
ever since. Initially, I studied A Levels at another college before I discovered I
could learn about fashion and clothing at Highbury.
I loved my Highbury course. It was really intense and hands-on, and included
research, sketching, sewing - all the technical aspects of making clothes. One of
the best things about the course was the end-of-term fashion show where I
displayed a collection I created based on the symbols in tarot cards.
At this show I was approached by a student who’d left Highbury the year before.
She said she really liked my designs and wanted my clothes to feature in the
Demi-Couture section of the first Southsea Fashion Week, which she was
organising. I’d been blogging about the fashion week already so I was really happy
to get involved.
I’d just moved to London to study fashion at the University of East London, but all
of the outfits were made during my time at College. Highbury is where I learnt
how to make clothes. If I hadn't gone to Highbury, I wouldn't have been exhibiting
my work.
I really enjoyed Southsea Fashion Week - it was a good learning experience. So
I was pleased when I got a call from my teacher at Highbury, asking if I wanted to
exhibit my work at the national finals of WorldSkills UK at the Birmingham NEC.
I jumped at the chance - that’s three shows I’ve done already!
Studying at Highbury developed my practical skills, which has given me a head
start at university. And my Highbury teachers gave me the confidence to pursue a
career in fashion, to go out and do it. They pushed me, made me work harder
than I wanted to sometimes, but convinced me to believe in myself.

January
Highbury launches its
Peter Jones Enterprise
Academy for students
wanting to achieve
qualifications in enterprise
and entrepreneurship and
develop their own ideas
into successful businesses.
Minister of State for
Education in Nigeria, Chief
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike,
visits Highbury to see how
we train young people in
vocational skills.
February
In the lead up to National
Libraries Day, ex-Portsmouth
FC defender Linvoy Primus
talks to students about his
career, charity work and the
importance of literacy in
achieving your goals.
Students from Highbury and
Tiltan College in Haifa, Israel,
collaborate on an art project
marking the 50th anniversary
of the partnership between
the cities of Portsmouth and
Haifa.
Highbury welcomes industry
experts and local business
leaders to the launch of its
Hub of the National Skills
Academy for Environmental
Technologies, which is opened
by the Lord Mayor of
Portsmouth Cheryl Buggy.
March
Nigerian film star Joke
Silva visits Highbury as
part of a fact-finding
mission to help her open a
school of theatre, film and
media in her own country.
Students join aspiring
business leaders and top
entrepreneurs from
around the world at the
Global Entrepreneurship
Congress in Liverpool. Sir
Richard Branson is the key
note speaker at the event,
which aims to ‘unleash the
will to win’.
Highbury’s Principal signs
a partnership agreement
with Noble E Pepple,
Executive Director & CEO
of the Rivers State
Sustainable Development
Agency (RSSDA) to support
a new vocational
education centre for
young people in Nigeria.
40

April
May
June
Girls from local secondary
schools visit Highbury for a
Women in Business and IT
day. The hands-on event
includes workshops led by
women experts from top
companies including L’Oreal
and IBM.
Highbury launches its own
in-house Telemarketing
Academy. Staffed by
apprentices working
towards qualifications in
Contact Centre Operations,
the academy will promote
College courses and
Apprenticeships to
employers in the
Portsmouth area.
Portsmouth South MP
Mike Hancock meets with
representatives from
Highbury and the National
IT Partnership (NiTP) at
local software developer
Dunstan Thomas, to
support the company’s
commitment to taking on
local apprentices.
Construction trainees
from around the south
come to Highbury to
compete in the regional
heat of SkillBuild - the
UK’s largest multi-trade
competition.
Highbury launches two
apps: iProspectus, enabling
people to browse our
prospectus on their
phones and iHighbury, for
mobile access to the
College’s virtual learning
environment.
Students from colleges in
the South East travel to
Highbury, to take part in
the regional heat of the
WorldSkills Web Design
competition.
Highbury Theatre
Company presents
Adventures with Alice, a
unique stage adaptation
of Lewis Carroll’s classic
tale. The inclusive theatre
company welcomes
students from a diversity
of backgrounds, ages and
abilities.
Students and staff
celebrate the Queen’s
Diamond Jubilee with a
range of themed events
and activities including a
street party.
41

July
August
September
Staff from the Guangzhou
Industry & Trade Technical
College, China, spend three
days at Highbury to build,
develop and share
curriculum and
employability skills,
particularly those linked
with WorldSkills.
Highbury’s Five Ways to
Wellbeing initiative, which
promotes mental wellbeing,
wins the Health and
Wellbeing Award at the fifth
annual Leading the Learner
Voice Awards in London.
Highbury joins other
employers and businesses
to sponsor Southsea’s first
ever Fashion Week, which
features over 30 designers
from London and the South.
Among the designers taking
part are two Highbury
Alumni, Nicole Ford and
Briar-Rose Kelleher.
The College is highly
commended in the
Hampshire Business Awards
in the Blake Lapthorn
Sustainability category,
recognising Highbury’s
commitment to sustainable
practices and the
measurable improvements
we have made to our
environmental impact.
Students and staff travel to
Sheffield for MADE: The
Entrepreneur Festival, which
attracts more than 3,000
visitors.
Senior staff from Ekurhuleni
West College, South Africa,
and the Sisonke Partnership
visit Highbury to learn about
the College’s vocational
programmes and our
strategy for success.
42

October
November
December
Professor O. E Offiong,
Honourable Commissioner
of Education, Cross River
State, Nigeria, leads a
delegation to Highbury and
signs a memorandum of
understanding for
Highbury to support the
region’s vocational
education and training.
As part of Global
Entrepreneurship Week,
Highbury students travel to
London for the final of
Market Makers - a Dragons’
Den style competition in
which teams develop
business ideas to pitch to a
panel of experts.
Highbury College students
take gold, silver and bronze
at the WorldSkills UK Skills
Show - the UK’s biggest
skills and careers showcase.
Our students pick up five
medals in web design and
IT after taking on the best
of the nation’s young
talent.
For the second year in a
row, Highbury’s NCTJ
Diploma is named the best
performing FE fast-track
course in the country by
the National Council for the
Training of Journalists.
Gazelle entrepreneur and
former Dragons’ Den star
Doug Richard visits
Highbury for a series of
workshops for students,
staff and local employers
about how to become
more entrepreneurial and
innovative.
Our annual carol service is
held at St Philip’s Church
Cosham. Joining students
and staff are pupils from
the Charter Academy Choir,
Mayfield School Choir
and members of the
Portsmouth Baroque Choir.
A clarinet solo is performed
by a Year 9 pupil from
Springfield School.
43

A sustainable environment for success
Highbury Campus
Highbury City of
Portsmouth Centre
Highbury Northarbour Centre
Highbury Arundel Centre
Highbury Apex Centre
Highbury Marine Training
Centre, Trafalgar Wharf
44
plus over 70 community venues

Enabling all our students to succeed
Student Support Services Highbury College Students’ Union Student Enrichment
45

Fast facts
4 On 17 September 2013 Highbury College will have been educating people for 50 years
4 Highbury has a three-Colleges-in-one structure - Collegiate, Community and Corporate - to
meet the education, skills and training needs of students, the community and businesses in
and around Portsmouth
4 The College recently completed a £56.4 million building programme across the City of
Portsmouth
4 In 2011/12 the College’s turnover was £23.17 million
4 Highbury currently has over 10,100 students, 27% of whom study full-time and 73% part-time
4 21% of the College’s students are sponsored by employers
4 Students from more than 90 countries currently study at the College
4 The College employs 526 staff: 158 lecturing staff, 338 business support staff and 30 managers
4 The College’s Board of Governors has members drawn from local business and the community,
and includes the Principal, two student representatives and two members of staff
4 The College works closely with businesses, offering training solutions to more than 700
employers
4 In 2012 96% of employers rated the College as either excellent or good at meeting the needs
of their business, while 95% of those surveyed said they would recommend the College
(Highbury's Employer Satisfaction Survey 2012)
4 Highbury works in partnership with over 20 schools to provide education and training to 14-16
year olds
4 Highbury College achieved Grade 1 Outstanding in its 2010/11 Ofsted inspection
4 Our student success rates for 2010/11 made us the top general further education college in
the South East Region and fourth in England

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Highbury College
Portsmouth
PO6 2SA
Tel (023) 9238 3131
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