Welcome to our staff Newsletter. This monthly e-Newsletter we hope will keep you up-to-date and informed about what is going on. We are such a busy college now that it is important that you know about the great work taking place and the positive difference you and your colleagues are making to the lives of our learners. I hope you enjoy the read and we welcome any feedback you may have on how we can improve this newsletter. Just pop me a message.

Larry

Learner Progress

Attendance

 

 Each month managers run reports from Databridge to see how many learner targets have been achieved. The tables below tell us by month how many targets learners have achieved in a particular category. The higher the line, the more targets that have been achieved. The lower the line the fewer targets have been achieved. When we look at each chart you can see what categories are improving and which ones need some attention.

Developing Independence

From the table above we can see that learners progress in these key areas is beginning to reduce, meaning learners are not achieving as they might. Please work with tutors to identify when learners have achieved their targets so that higher rates of achievement return and our learners experience multiple successes.

Personal and Social Development (PSD) and Independent Living is particularly worrying given the nature of this Pathway.

Please work with tutors to provide learners with as many opportunities to achieve their targets as possible.

Functional skill development has reduced since March, suggesting learners are not being given opportunities to practice these essential life skills. Remember to practice maths, English and ICT skills with learners wherever you can.

Employability

Achievement within Employability seems to have maintained levels, with little progress other than within Employability targets, which is only slight.

Learners Friends, Relationships and Community (Friends, R&C) are not improving and are essential in supporting the development of so many essential life skills.

Improvements in PSD and Independent Living is encouraging.

Improvements across the board, most notably in mathematics in recent months and the decline in English seems to be resolved. Care needs to be taken to ensure ICT skills are still developed, with April reporting a decline.

Learner Qualification Progress

The tables below tell us what percentage of qualifications we expect to be achieved by our learners going from their performance to date. The higher the dark blue bar, the higher the success rate and vice versa. If we are teaching or supporting learners who are following qualifications, we need to know who needs the most help to hopefully pass their qualifications. Ask the tutor if you would like to know what you can do to help.

Developing Independence

75% Pass rate

A lower success rate predicted than has been achieved in any year previously. Please let’s work together to improve this outcome, with extra focus on maths, English, SfWL and Employability portfolios and qualification preparation.

Employability

87% Pass rate

Whilst learners on the Employability Pathway are predicted to achieve an 87% pass rate, work is required to support learners following the Skills for Working Life (SfWL) portfolios, so please work together to gather the evidence.

New Developments

Landmarks continue to evolve and support more young adults with additional needs across the region to improve their independence or secure employment for the first time. In order that we do this to the best of our ability, I can announce that we will be moving into two new buildings to help raise the quality of accommodation and improve the breadth of the curriculum.

Lifelong Learning, Killamarsh

Exciting news, we are moving from the Littlemoor Business Centre to a purpose-built Lifelong Learning Centre in Killamarsh, Sheffield.

This space will be dedicated to our Lifelong learning provision and provide space for arts, crafts, sports of all sorts, gaming and enterprise.

The new centre also neighbours Killamarsh library, sports centre, two supermarkets and easy access to Rother Valley Country Park.

We hope to take up residence in time for the new academic year.

MyPlace, Rotherham

As our learner numbers grow in Rotherham, we have already had to use MyPlace to accommodate us.

However, in September 2021 Landmarks will hire the whole building for our ESFA and new Lifelong learning provision.

This exciting venue provides opportunities for:

  • A café
  • Theatre
  • Recording studio
  • ICT suite
  • Independence training
  • Cookery and catering

Sports and recreation in the neighbouring leisure centre

This news of moving to a new place isn’t for discussion with learners at the moment, lots of details have to be sorted.

Our Staffing Updates

Vacancies

We are currently recruiting for:

  • Personal Tutors
  • Learning Support Assistant
  • Curriculum Manager
  • Director of Curriculum
  • Learner Record Administrator

Staff

We currently have 113 staff at Landmarks.

Upcoming Training

  • Level 2 Preparing for Learning (LSA’s)
  • What learner levels mean (SI)
  • Insulin Training

New Hires

Staff Names Job Title
Jenna Barnes Learning Support Assistant
Kelsley Ashby Learning Support Assistant
Emily Crawshaw Learning Support Assistant
Ellen Kelly Learning Support Assistant
Janine Finn Access to Work and Finance Administrator

Turnover (from September 2020 to 30 April 2021)

  • 35 new starters

  • 23 leavers

Farm News

It’s been a busy few months at Apperknowle Farm, we have had lots of new arrivals with 13 lambs, 2 calves and numerous chicks born. Our latest arrival born on the 7th of May – photo below, is a female Soay lamb which has been left by Mum and it’s been bottle raised now by our learners through the day.
 
 
Learners are currently preparing for our next round of arrivals, as our Pigs are due to start giving birth from the middle of June, our first expecting mum is our large black sow who is listed as endangered.
 
 
In addition to the livestock tasks, our learners have been busy working on our horticulture area, planting vegetable plants for the Archer, refurbishing our duck pond, propagating plants in the polytunnels and maintaining our fences & hedges.
The farm has lots of hanging baskets for sale made by our learners if you would like to order one please email jountisz@landmarks.ac.uk
 

Updates from The Archer

During lockdown, the Archer has continued to offer takeaway to the local community and provide training opportunities for our learners. It is with the greatest of pleasures that I announce, along with all pubs, that we are now fully open offering a great menu of freshly prepared and cooked food.

Our links with Apperknowle Farm are literally growing and much of the fresh vegetables grown and eggs laid are used within our recipes, so you can be assured of the freshness!

Take a look at our new menu here, we’d love to see you.

Maintenance Work

During the upcoming half-term break we have building work going on at the farm. The mezzanine classroom and toilet ceilings are being sorted out.

The old suspended ceilings are coming down and insulation and plasterboard are going in their place, it should be considerably warmer up there this winter.

At Littlemoor house there is more matting going down on the grass for parking and the “hump” to get up there is being eased.

We are waiting for quotes to have two more heat exchange units fitted at Littlemoor House, one to cover the main reception and one for the art room.

Nottingham House has had a wooden picnic bench built and put outside so there is now somewhere to sit on nice days.

Nottingham’s new signage is all fixed and looking smart so it will be easier to find now.

During the break, the alarms at Milestone House are being overhauled and the portable appliance testing is being brought up to date.

That is about all for now but as always, if you see something hanging off don’t hesitate to contact us.

 Cheers Pete and Darren

WayFinder Performance

Read all about WayFinders latest success by visiting Share The Journey Magazine 

Share The Journey Magazine Explores all of our Supported Interns and Showcases Their Achievements. 

Staff Essentials

Staff Essentials will be used to introduce new starters to learners and to support learners when staff changes occur.

The information will be collected via MS forms and will be made accessible across all sites by the ALS Team.

Staff Essentials Form

Staff Rep

Just a quick reminder for you all that I am the Staff Representative reporting to the Board of Trustees on any relevant staff issues you may wish the Board to be aware of.  I am also a member of the Health & Wellbeing Committee for any issues you may wish me to raise within that forum and I am pleased to say that Dean Turner-Moss is joining me as an additional staff representative on that Committee.  Please don’t hesitate to contact either myself or Dean if you wish to discuss anything or raise any issues you would like to go forward to the Health & Wellbeing Committee. 

           

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be on 12th July and if anyone would like to raise any issues with me to take to the Board, please contact me at juliewilkes@landmarks.ac.uk or alternatively call into the Marketing & Recruitment Office (top floor Littlemoor Business Centre).  Always happy to help 😊

Thank You Fridays

Due to popular demand Thank You Friday is returning
 
TYF is an opportunity for colleagues to email the Principal and let him know of colleagues help, support or guidance that you have observed that you think warrants particular note and praise. 
 
The Principal will then email everyone on a Friday and share the many nominations with everyone, illustrating the many brilliant acts of kindness, support and camaraderie that takes place throughout the college.
 
So email Larry, let him know about the great work you’ve seen.