Three of our staff members have attended Royal Garden Parties after being recognised for their exceptional services to education, skills and local communities.
Director: Quality of Education Carol Layall, Head of Public Services at Leeds City College Tom Griffiths, and Progress and Attendance Mentor at Keighley College, Fiona Thompson BEM, were all invited to Buckingham Palace in May.
Carol and Tom attended an education and skills focused King’s Garden Party on 14 May, while Fiona attended a separate King’s Garden Party the following week. All three had been nominated for the honour due to their exceptional contributions to the communities they serve.
During their visits they each enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment, afternoon tea and a chance to mingle with members of the Royal Family – while also having a chance to meet and network with other celebrated individuals from across the country.
A privilege and an honour
Carol Layall, Director: Quality of Education
Carol was nominated for her leadership across the quality of education function, and a track record of providing exceptional support for students for more than 20 years.
She said: “It was a privilege to receive an invitation to such a special event. The garden party was amazing and it was lovely to see so many people getting recognition for their commitment to education and skills.”
Meeting other inspirational individuals
Keighley College’s Fiona Thompson BEM, with guest
Fiona is Chair of the Keighley Big Local, a National Lottery funded programme to improve the quality of life of local residents. She was recently awarded a British Empire Medal for establishing Cafe Eden, a monthly coffee morning and support group hosted at Keighley College for parents/carers of autistic children; a cause close to her heart as her son, Eden, was diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition when he was four.
Fiona was awarded the British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year’s Honours list in 2024 for services to the community of Keighley. She said: “The greatest honour for me was meeting so many inspiring individuals who dedicate themselves to supporting and transforming lives within their communities.”
‘FE through and through’
Tom Griffiths (right) with other guests
Tom has worked both in and outside the classroom to improve the life chances of vulnerable people within the community. Over the last five years he has established a partnership between Leeds City College and Harehills-based community centre CATCH, which is dedicated to improving opportunities for young people.
Tom has also been involved with the development of a study programme for FE learners with a passion for youth engagement and working within the community; and led on the setting up of an Emergency Food Support scheme for students during the cost of living crisis.
Leeds City College’s Public Service department has also worked with Leeds Learning Alliance to develop the Pathfinders Programme, aimed at developing future public service leaders.
In 2024 , Tom was shortlisted for the Association of Colleges’ Good for Me, Good for FE Award, in the Inspirational Role Model of the Year category, and has been described by colleagues as: “FE through and through…he understands its purpose and that it changes lives.”
The Labour government has made economic growth its top priority, but to drive this it will need to address skills shortages in the STEM sector which are holding us back to the tune of £1.5bn per year, writes Ann Marie Spry, our Vice Principal of Adults.
Colleges and higher education institutions like ours clearly play a vital role in addressing this problem – but not only through teaching the technical skills our learners need to succeed.
After analysing employer reports about recruitment in STEM fields a few years ago, what came over loud and clear was that while many of the students had the knowledge needed for the job, they didn’t have the necessary – and equally vital – behaviours.
So looking through a number of documents that mapped out the key characteristics that STEM employers were looking for, we whittled them down to create what we have called STEM 7. These are the attitudes and behaviours that underpin not just the science and tech industries but all kinds of jobs, from pastry chefs to fashion designers.
A skillset that transcends boundaries
STEM 7 consists of: creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaborative working, intellectual curiosity, flexibility and data-driven decision making. Just about all of those concepts are actually relevant regardless of the subject. Everybody these days has to use digital technology and maths in one way or another, and if you think of the design approach and problem-solving inherent to engineering, most jobs require creativity too.
Our challenge, as educators, is to ensure our curriculum provides opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zones and take on tasks in some of those STEM 7 areas they may struggle with. Engineers, for example, are known for having many important qualities – including problem-solving and, through their design approach, creativity. But they are not traditionally renowned for their collaborative approach or communication skills, both of which are invaluable in the workplace.
That’s something our approach can help students with before they join the world of work, by stretching and developing them to ensure they have some of those transferable skills that businesses of all types really value.
And we know it’s working. We included some of our partner employers, like tech consultancy BJSS, in the first discussions about our STEM 7 strategy to make sure they were on board, and they’ve been nothing but supportive.
Opening minds
Introducing this concept has meant challenging both ourselves and our students to broaden how we think about STEM. As someone with a science background I feel strongly that many people tend to have a fear of ‘science’ and the STEM subjects, but that’s something we can and will change because it’s all around us in everything we do daily.
One key way of doing so is through revising how we teach and moving away from the thoroughly unhelpful old perspective that saw technical and artistic courses as being entirely separate. Thankfully, there is an increasing awareness that both disciplines depend on each other and share many underlying principles, not least when it comes to creativity and intellectual curiosity.
The shorthand for this new perspective is STEAM (essentially, STEM plus the Arts) and Computer Game Design and Development is a classic example of STEAM in action. We teach the subject at Leeds City College as part of our very broad offering from the School of Creative Arts, at Quarry Hill campus – and it is the epitome of a field where technical know-how and creativity are equally important.
An immersive approach
Combined with this more open-minded perspective on what actually constitutes a STEM topic is the need to exploit emerging immersive technologies like AI and VR.
Such tools can offer great benefits to our students and the industries they want to enter. If you are studying healthcare, for example, you really want to learn on a hospital ward and we can offer that; indeed it will be one of the many new facilities that Harrogate College will provide following its £22m rebuild.
What VR does though, is give you so many additional options – in this case it allows you to change ward layouts, for example, and patient scenarios so that students are exposed to a wider set of challenges and leave college with a deeper understanding of what their jobs will entail.
We are already successfully using VR in welding at Keighley College, while across our group emerging technologies are helping us enhance the teaching of everything from science to electric vehicle infrastructure.
By combining these high-tech teaching aids with a STEM 7 approach, which also delivers those in-demand ‘softer skills’, we will start to plug those STEM-shaped holes in the country’s economy.
This thought leadership piece was recently published in FE Week.
West Yorkshire’s Mayor, Tracy Brabin, has praised new TV show Dreamers for shining a light on Leeds’ – and the region’s – vibrant performing arts scene.
The six part coming-of-age dance drama, which was filmed in and around the city, is being aired now on Channel 4.
The show follows the ups and downs of a group of dancers who are part of the ‘Chapeltown Collective’, with most of the cast coming from Leeds City College or Leeds Conservatoire.
Ms Brabin, who during her acting career starred in hit TV dramas including Eastenders and Coronation Street, said: “I’m thrilled to see these inspirational dance students starring in this new hit series from Leeds-based production company Duck Soup.
“They are the living proof that if you want to make it as a creative you can make it in West Yorkshire.”
For cast members like Mika Rowe-Bailey and Tyler Pickles, their involvement represents an exciting step into television – and their first brush with fame.
Tyler, a 23 year old Acting graduate from Leeds Conservatoire, plays Liam while Mika, who works and studies at Leeds City College, plays Zaki. They are joined on the show by Leeds City College students Princess Neila Mubaiwa, Demarkus Marks, Lewis Aird, Morgan Reynolds, Keldon Copeland and Luke Tyson.
Mika, 25, said: “Dreamers is a powerful representation of Leeds, particularly the vibrant dance scene in the North.
“It shines a light on the importance of community dance spaces, especially in areas like Chapeltown, and emphasises the strength of community and friendship. The show captures the raw energy and talent that thrives here.
“There’s a wealth of talent here, and Dreamers has also provided opportunities for local people to develop their skills in the film and TV industry. We’re often told to relocate to London or Manchester, but Leeds is a thriving hub for dance and the creative arts.”
Like many of the cast, Mika – who has a performance background in Bradford and Leeds – first got involved after spotting an audition poster, and was cast in 2023.
Tyler, meanwhile, from Pudsey, is a skilled actor, dancer and choreographer. He landed his role after being encouraged by friends and staff at the conservatoire to apply, eventually securing the part of Liam, who he sums up as ‘a bit of a rogue’.
Describing Dreamersas ‘This is England meets Fame’, Tyler said: “It’s something that we all definitely enjoyed being a part of.
“We’ve all kind of developed as a family, not a term I use lightly, because this was our first time doing this. So we were all in it together and went through the entire process together.
“We formed it through improvisation so it’s very much ours as much as it is the director’s.”
The Dreamers’ storylines are inspired by the real story of dance in Leeds – and specifically the example of RJC Dance, in Chapeltown.
As such, the show features lots of intricate dance routines based around the contemporary Afrobeat fusion style – arranged, in large part, by former professional dancer and choreographer Dawn Holgate.
Dawn, a Course Leader in HE Creative Arts at University Centre Leeds, said: “I had a wonderful experience working with the cast and crew. Part of my role was to bring together eleven cast members, most of whom were unfamiliar with each other, and create a sense of unity and camaraderie.
“Their on-screen presence needed to feel like a cohesive collective. It was exciting to experiment, workshop ideas, and play around.
“I’m so excited Dreamers is finally on our screens. It was an honour to be involved and to have played such a key role. Hopefully friends and colleagues will enjoy it.”
Ms Brabin, meanwhile, says West Yorkshire Combined Authority is taking steps to help others break into the performing arts. She said: “I want every creative to have the same opportunities that I had, which is why we’re stepping up with tangible support for freelancers and microbusinesses, and investing over £60 million to provide training opportunities to everyone who needs them.”
Leeds City College, Leeds Conservatoire and University Centre Leeds are all members of Luminate Education Group.
Maths is high on the current political agenda, with a focus on the young. But a lack of basic numeracy is blighting the lives of millions of adults, writes Ann Marie Spry, Vice Principal of Adults at Luminate Education Group.
Numeracy, the ability to understand how maths works in the real world, influences most aspects of our lives – from budgeting for shopping to mortgage choices.
Yet a shockingly high proportion of adults in the UK really struggle to deal with numbers – with a 2022 report finding that, in West Yorkshire, more than half – 52% – had numeracy skills at ‘entry level and below’.
This problem is limiting countless people’s lives, not least by closing off work opportunities across all kinds of sectors. Because a grasp of basic maths, as part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skill set, is vital to so many jobs – and not just the ‘usual suspects’ like finance, accountancy or computing.
Our numeracy woes are also causing real economic damage which, according to research by National Numeracy, could be costing the UK up to £25 billion a year. A new YouGov survey commissioned by the same charity found that there are currently 15 million people in the UK with ‘low skills or confidence’ in maths – with lower paid workers, the unemployed and part-time workers worst affected.
So how do we go about reaching, and helping, those who need it?
The benefits of a functional approach
That is a question that the government’s Multiply programme, which invests in courses for adults that focus on functional, rather than theoretical, maths was set up to help answer. The scheme involves working with educational and skills organisations, like ours, to boost people’s confidence with numbers and gain qualifications.
We were delighted earlier this year to be awarded nearly £480,000 for two of our group’s members, Leeds City College (which was awarded £434,000) and Keighley College (£45,500), to deliver Multiply training in West Yorkshire.
This funding is enabling us to put on new courses for adults that are tailored to fit around their busy lives, while training more staff to teach numeracy.
These sessions are concentrating on topics like banking, borrowing and interest levels to highlight the practical benefits of numerical skills, and targeting adults who don’t have a Level 2 qualification – roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 4, or the old C grade – in maths.
We hope that through delivering the programme we can help adults in all walks of life develop improved financial skills: from planning their meals, or creating shopping lists and budgets, to understanding taxes, pensions and interest rates. This should help them to feel more secure as they plan for the future by enabling them to feel more in control, and give them confidence to explore new challenges.
In a way our aim is to correct a historical wrong, as so many of our young people have left – and are still leaving – school feeling intimidated, and fearful, about numbers. That can have far-reaching, negative consequences throughout life: unless we reach out and try to remedy the problem.
Practical skills for the cost-of-living crisis
Our work is still at an early stage but we know, from other schemes around the country – including in Staffordshire – that Multiply courses are delivering very tangible benefits: not least by empowering individuals to cope with the many challenges that are being thrown up by the cost-of-living crisis, through managing their household budgets, bills and debts, better.
The government has been in the headlines this year for talking, as part of its wider push to update a whole raft of educational qualifications, about the importance of getting everyone to study maths until the age of 18. That idea was referenced again, as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposals for a new Advanced British Standard, in the November 2023 King’s Speech, which stated that the new qualification would ‘ensure every young person studies some form of English and maths to age 18, raising the floor of attainment’.
That idea, given the link between numeracy and future life prospects, certainly has real merit – though proper funding will be needed to recruit and retain the maths teachers required to deliver it.
But we also, as a nation, have to make sure we don’t forget about the millions of people who have already been through the school system and yet don’t have the skills needed to help them fulfil their potential.
That is why the Multiply scheme, and the work further education providers around the country are doing thanks to its funding, is so important. Too many of our citizens, for far too long, have had to struggle due to a lack of number skills and this is costing them, and our economy, dear.
Whichever way you look at it, that just doesn’t add up.
Luminate Education Group is celebrating a key milestone in the transformation of Mabgate Campus, as the £27 million development reaches its topping out stage.
Delivered in partnership with GMI Construction Group, the project is turning a once-derelict site into a flagship centre for adult education in the heart of Leeds. The new development will provide 70,000 sq.ft of high-quality, sustainable learning space and plays a vital role in Luminate’s mission to widen access to education, support progression, and regenerate local communities.
Mabgate Campus is already home to Leeds City College’s RE workshop and studios for Leeds Conservatoire. This next phase of development includes a five-storey campus for University Centre Leeds, a purpose-built space for Leeds City College’s adult learners, and a central atrium cafeteria linking new and existing facilities. The design prioritises sustainability, with low-carbon heating systems and energy-efficient features built in throughout.
The project also includes the sensitive restoration of Studio 24 – a much-loved former arts venue, preserving its character while integrating it into the campus’s future as a creative and inclusive learning environment.
David Warren, Group Vice Principal of Development at Luminate Education Group, said: “This milestone marks another step forward in our commitment to delivering high-quality learning environments. The new facilities will replace outdated buildings, providing cutting-edge spaces for University Centre Leeds and Leeds City College adult students. Thanks to funding from the Department for Education’s capital transformation programme, we are ensuring that more students and adult learners can access the education and training they need. It’s fantastic to see the project progressing so well.”
GMI Construction, a Leeds-headquartered company, began work on the site in 2023.
Ed Weston, Commercial Director for Yorkshire at GMI Construction, added: “Reaching the topping out stage at Mabgate is a key milestone in this landmark development. As a Leeds-based company, we are proud to contribute to the regeneration of this area while enhancing the facilities in this space. This investment will create outstanding opportunities for students and deliver lasting benefits to the region.”
The project forms a key part of Luminate Education Group’s wider strategy to invest in sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments across the region.
Two of our colleges have secured nearly £480,000 to boost adult numeracy skills in the region.
Leeds City College and Keighley College will receive just under £434,000 and £45,500 respectively via the Department for Education-led Multiply programme.
They will use the money to fund a multi-pronged push to raise standards among adults who don’t have a Level 2 qualification – roughly equivalent to a GCSE grade 4, or the old C grade – in maths.
The work will involve supporting learners through putting on new, flexible courses designed to fit around their lives, and training more staff to teach numeracy.
A practical focus
The focus will be on functional, rather than theoretical, maths to show how useful it can be in real-life situations ranging from budgeting for shopping to understanding borrowing, credit and interest.
Leeds City College’s Director of Adult Curriculum, Joanne Dye, said: “Everyone talks about how simple budgeting is, but many people find it hard even though it is an essential skill – and especially important now while we face a cost of living crisis.
“We are delighted to have secured funding to deliver this vital programme. We are committed to improving access to numeracy skills for adults in our region, and this programme is an important step in that direction.”
Addressing a costly skills gap
A 2022 report found that more than half – 52% – of adults in West Yorkshire were at ‘entry level and below’ in terms of numeracy. National Numeracy’s research, meanwhile, says low numeracy skills could be costing the UK up to £25 billion a year.
The Multiply programme – which is being funded over three years, with West Yorkshire Combined Authority distributing the finances – will seek to address the issue locally by reengaging adults with maths.
Leeds City College and Keighley College are already piloting a project that asks English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students to take on tasks like banking or supermarket shopping.
The programme will also open up new work and educational possibilities for participants, and take them a step closer to being able to benefit from further support such as the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.
Making maths accessible to all
Luminate Education Group Vice Principal Ann Marie Spry, said: “We need to support those who still need to get Levels 1 and 2 in maths, and have a fear of the subject, to thrive in their personal and professional lives.
“Offering bespoke support, this programme will also help English for Speakers of Other Languages students who struggle with language barriers.
“We hope that through delivering the programme we can help adults in all walks of life develop improved financial skills; from planning their meals, or creating shopping lists and budgets, to understanding taxes and pensions.
“This will enable them to create a system to feel more financially secure, now and in the future.”
Multiply’s aims are part of a wider push by the government to improve and extend maths skills across the country, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announcing his ambition to get everyone studying maths until the age of 18.
