Waltham Forest College, London

Waltham Forest College is a state-funded College and its performance is regularly inspected and evaluated by Ofsted and the EFL provision by Accreditation UK.

Here at WFC, we take great care to ensure that the teaching, the facilities and the qualifications available to our international students are of the very highest standards.

The College has Highly Trusted Sponsor Status and can provide the reassurance that you need to know which means we have your best interests in mind

The International Student Centre is Waltham Forest College’s dedicated faculty for international students providing a range of vocational undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The two sites; Forest road and Uplands House have facilities to meet the needs of all students both those living in the UK and those who have come from overseas. They provide high quality teaching facilities to deliver the best possible student experience.

The College is ideally situated for our students to be able to take advantage of all aspects of life in London and we provide a range of support that will help you adapt and settle in to one the most exciting cities in the world.

Waltham Forest College was founded in 1938 and is situated in Walthamstow, an attractive residential area in north-east London within easy reach of central London by underground.

From here, students can easily enjoy not only the magic of Britain’s Capital city, but also the attractions and tranquillity of England’s countryside. The West End and the City of London, where you can find the tourist and entertainment attractions, are only 25 minutes away by tube. The tube and/or buses provide a 24 hour service to Central London. Cambridge is only one hour away by train or bus.

We are also situated a few kilometres from the 2012 Olympic Site.

The College has a library and IT centre with over 60 computers as well as many other IT rooms. Most classrooms have Interactive Whiteboards and there are many IT facilities. There is a swimming pool on the premises as well as access to a gym nearby.

We can provide accommodation in homestay with an English speaking family or there are some residences a few kilometres form the College. Flat share is also a possibility as there many agencies letting apartments in the area.

MISSION

Waltham Forest College – working with our communities to realise potential through lifelong learning

CORE BUSINESS

Inclusive, responsive education and training:

• Providing world class vocational education and training
• Providing first steps and second chances in learning, education and training

14 – 19

To enable young people to experience success and have fun whilst learning through:

• Developing the essential knowledge, skills and understandings that enable them to learn and to participate successfully in society and a rapidly changing economy
• Experiencing a range of vocational and learning options which harness the interests of learners and facilitate and stimulate career and life choices
• Developing high quality vocational and employability skills and the drive to progress in their chosen career path

19+

To enable adults to achieve success and have fun in learning and training that will facilitate individuals, businesses and the communities to explore and realise their choices and potential through:

• Developing the essential knowledge and skills required for them to participate in society
• Developing the employability, vocational skills and transferable skills required for them to enter, re-enter or progress in the labour market
• Upskilling, reskilling and multi-skilling to meet the needs of the local employers, economy and communities

Employers

To meet the training and development needs of employers ensuring that they increase their capacity and achieve their business goals through:

• Increasing their awareness of the knowledge and skills required to thrive in the rapidly changing global, national, regional and local context
• Developing an adaptable and appropriately trained workforce which has both the basic and higher level skills required for company and individual success
• Addressing national, regional and local skills shortages
• Becoming a centre of excellence for producing a workforce that is “work ready”

CORPORATE GOALS

The four corporate goals of the College are as follows:

• Maximum Success for All
• Increased employability for learners
• Social Inclusion
• Financial Health

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

The strategic objectives of the College that follow reflect the Mission and the College’s commitment to provision of accessible, supportive and effective opportunities for lifelong learning. Each objective will be underpinned by a series of key performance indicators and targets to enable the College to direct and measure progress.

To be an outstanding provider in our specialisms and to achieve excellence reflected in student success and outstanding teaching and learning that is differentiated to meet the needs of learners

• To provide accessible, supportive and effective opportunities to increase and widen participation in lifelong learning by all parts of our communities
• To meet the needs of our learners and other customers by providing access to and opportunities for development, achievement and progression into further learning or employment
• To create welcoming, safe, supportive, high quality, inclusive learning experiences and environments accessible to all learners
• To promote the safeguarding and welfare of children and vulnerable adults undertaking education and training with the College
• To attract, retain, motivate, develop and reward staff ?? To respect diversity and to have a workforce, Corporation and student body which reflects the diversity of our communities
• To continue to improve the financial health of the College on a year on year basis by developing more diverse ways of funding provision
• To ensure effective marketing strategies are in place to promote the College and the course programmes and services that it offers

WORKING PRINCIPLES

The work of Waltham Forest College will be based on the following principles:

• Continuous quality improvement having regard to “best value” principles of effectiveness and efficiency to achieve and maintain the highest possible standards
• The implementation of strategies to improve access, retention and achievement
• The timely improvement or eradication of unsatisfactory learning opportunities
• The application of innovative approaches to teaching and learning in order to meet the learning needs of individuals and groups
• The integration and embedding of systems to support excellence in the core business of teaching and learning leading to the highest possible levels of student success
• The promotion and implementation of equal opportunities and positive attitudes towards diversity for staff and students
• The embedding of collaborative and partnership working
• The promotion of the College for the mutual benefit of the organisation and the local geographic, cultural and business communities
• Growth through planned change and progression
• The ability to take “calculated” risks supported by embedding risk evaluation and management
• Innovation, responsiveness and flexibility
• Responsive to national, regional and local initiatives to seek to ensure high quality provision

CORE BELIEFS

The work of Waltham Forest College is based on the following core beliefs:

• Equality of opportunity and positive attitudes towards diversity are a fundamental right and responsibility of all individuals and groups and a fundamental prerequisite to effective and successful learning and to quality improvement
• Learning makes a difference, both to people’s lives and to the success of their communities
• All students have the right to the highest quality of teaching and learning
• The process of teaching and learning and its outcome, student success, are the business of every member of staff
• The College has a role in contributing to an improved society, in particular social cohesion, social inclusion and economic prosperity
• The diversity of the College, its Governors, staff and students is a fundamental asset
• The individual customer/learner and the community must drive our business
• Student success is predicated on high quality guidance and support, the matching of learners to appropriate learning opportunities and excellence in teaching and learning ?
• Develop work with international partners which enriches the culture and working practices of the organisation

CORE VALUES

Waltham Forest College aspires to be a place where:

• The abilities, beliefs and cultures of individuals and groups are respected and valued
• People are encouraged to believe in themselves and fulfil their full potential at any given time
• Staff and students unite around student success
• People pursue their dreams with passion and determination
• The organisation and its staff and students adopt a “can do” approach
• Students and stakeholders have real power and influence in shaping the College provision and the range of services
• The empowerment of students and staff is viewed as being of real importance
• Everyone has an equal opportunity to success regardless of their starting point
• We value and harness the knowledge and experience arising from diversity
• We recognise and value the contribution of individuals and teams in achieving the College mission, visions and goals
• Individuals are treated in a way that enabled them to fulfil their full potential
• Individuals feel that their ethnicity, gender, age or personal circumstances are not a barrier to their success at the College
• The College values include:
• Honesty
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Reliability
• Openness
• Accountability

VISION

OVERVIEW

• Champions of learning for everyone
• Equality in action
• Students who are successful, self-reliant, resilient, confident, creative
• Students who love/have loved their time with us and can’t wait to tell everyone
• Successful students and staff in all walks of life
• Acknowledged dynamic, cutting edge practice, high quality and imaginative innovation
• Ability to fund our vision
• Spectacular sites with fantastic facilities
• We will be proud to send our children here
• Staff across the country will compete to work here
• The College is recognised locally, regionally and in time nationally and internationally as an institution delivering outstanding provision
• An organisation whose diversity is reflected throughout the College

STUDENTS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE AT THE COLLEGE

We will:

• Welcome learners from all backgrounds and value their diversity
• Place the learners at the heart of everything we do and will be responsive to their needs, views and ideas
• Offer each learner the opportunity to progress according to their individual needs
• Be a safe and secure place to learn
• Develop and deliver with learners an exciting and challenging experience
• Work in partnership with the learner, encouraging their personal growth and supporting them in meeting new challenges
• Ensure that learners have the skills and opportunity to influence the running of the College and their programme of learning
• Ensure that our learners can take their place in society and a modern and rapidly changing economy
• Ensure that our young learners have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to enable them to:
• Enjoy and achieve
• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well being
• Understand, contribute to and claim equal opportunities and positive attitudes towards diversity
• Be a place where successful learning is also fun

PARTNERSHIPS

Business and Industry Partnerships

We will:

• Ensure that we are widely recognised as the training provider of choice for local businesses through outstanding responsiveness and the highest possible standards of training
• Develop relevant, planned partnerships with industry and employers supported by a one-stop shop for local businesses
• Understand and identify current and future skills needs in order to provide value-added support
• Contribute to national, regional and local skills priorities
• Seek to generate and support a range of start up businesses as a logical progression route for learners
• Develop mutually supportive partnerships with employers resulting in sponsorship, bursaries and/or their input to the design and delivery of employment related education and training
• Community Partnerships

We will:

• Work in collaboration with stakeholders, community organisations and charities
• Be responsive to the needs of the community and the individuals through shared ownership of purpose leading to relevant, responsive and valued training opportunities including that related to employability and capacity building
• Promote positive regard for individual and group experiences from a basis of mutual trust
• Be a diverse training provider for a diverse community
• Value the process of partnership which ensures a favourable outcome without prejudice to either party
• Respond to current initiatives (such as the Olympics) with relevant training and education which seeks to maximise the capacity of the local population to derive benefits from key opportunities

ENVIRONMENT

We will:

• Be a challenging but safe environment that promotes learning and allows everyone who uses the College to participate fully
• Be a fully adapted College in which areas are completely accessible to all and which is capable of responding rapidly to changing circumstances
• Have an environment that is bright, attractive, functional, inspiring and celebratory of students’ diversity, success and achievement
• Have appropriate well-resourced facilities where all members of our communities can work and learn together and which promote equality of learning and support and facilitate the mingling of all members of the College community
• Provide an environment that enables learners to explore new interests, take on new roles and develop self-reliance and self-esteem
• Work with partners to seek to ensure off-site provision is of at least a standard comparable to that found on College sites

STAFF AND THEIR EXPERIENCE AT THE COLLEGE

Our staff will:

• Have experience, skills and qualifications to enable them to excel at their job
• Reflect the diversity of our local communities ?? Be dedicated to the participation, development, achievement, progression and success of all learners
• Take responsibility for their continued professional development to enable them to adapt and change with the changing college context and to reach excellence in all aspects of their work
• Feel valued, rewarded and supported and will enjoy opportunities for personal and professional development
• Be professional, forward-looking, open to innovation, welcome challenges and be passionate about their work
• Be empowered to express and embody the College ethos and to lead by example
• Have their contribution, performance and service recognised as a major factor to the success of the College

COLLEGE SYSTEMS

We will:

• Have a culture in which the justification and evaluation of systems, processes and procedures is the extent to which they support the core business of teaching and learning
• Meet the needs of internal and external stakeholders through transparent systems with clear lines of responsibility and accountability
• Achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness through simple, robust, energy efficient and timely systems and procedures and the optimum use of resources
• Have integrated information systems and procedures that actively support decision-making
• Identify and rectify system/procedural failure at an early stage through effective monitoring and review arrangements

How can we help you?!

As your International Educational Advisors we want to provide the best service and support possible for our international students. We want to support you in any way that we can and make your transition and stay in UK as smooth and seamless as possible.

We can help with academic questions about: Course and program planning, registration, policies and more. As well as non-academic support: Study permit, Work permit, Temporary Resident Visas and more.

You’re welcome to come see us for an appointment, a drop-in, email or call us!