Website brought to you by Natspec: The voice of specialist further education

The Power of Specialist Further Education

The power of specialist further education

Toolkit

For Colleges: Get Involved in The Power of Specialist FE

It’s great to have you on board!

As a college, your involvement is key to making The Power of Specialist FE a success. This national campaign is all about celebrating specialist further education and the life-changing impact it has on learners, families and communities.

We’re encouraging all colleges, both specialist and general FE colleges with specialist provision, to engage actively with local stakeholders, decision-makers and media. We want you to shine a light on the vital work you do every day. In particular, we are aiming to get as many MPs or MS’s as possible to visit colleges during the awareness week (1 – 5 December) to see the provision in action and meet the learners who are benefiting from it.

Below you’ll find a range of tools to help you take part. This section will be continually updated in the lead-up to the campaign, so that you have everything you need to engage with the campaign and celebrate The Power of Specialist FE.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with natspec@plmr.co.uk and we will be on hand to support.

What’s in the toolkit

Resources to help colleges engage with the campaign include:

  • A template letter to inform your college’s constituency MP or MS about the campaign and invite them to visit your college (versions available for specialist colleges and general FE colleges)
  • A set of template social media graphics which can be used by colleges, staff and learners.
  • A template press release for you to tailor and share with your local media outlets
  • A graphic you and your colleagues can use in your email signature to highlight your participation in the campaign.
  • A logo and branding designed for the campaign, which you can use in any activities or communications or apply to any items you wish to create such as tote bags, badges or mugs. You are welcome to co-brand with your own college logo. 
Download the full toolkit of resources.

Below, you will find some practical guidance on how to use each of these resources. 

How to use the toolkit

1.

Getting in contact with your MP or MS – priority action

The first step is to contact your local MP or MS. 

This can be done by: 

  • Downloading the stakeholder invitation letter – choose either the specialist college version or the general FE college version.
  • Adapting the letter to include your college’s name and a short introduction or example relevant to your setting. You should also sign the letter off from a named representative for the college – for example, the college principal.
  • Finding your MP’s email contact details using www.theyworkforyou.com. (You can also find their details on the UK Parliament website, or the Welsh Senedd website)
  • Sending the letter as soon as possible, offering to host a visit during the awareness week so your MP or MS can meet learners and staff.
  • Following up within 3–4 days if you haven’t received a response.

2.

2. Hosting MP or MS visits 

If your MP or MS agrees to visit, feel free to contact the campaign team at PLMR so we can support you with briefing materials and setting up media opportunities.

Take a look at this guidance on setting up an MP visit to achieve maximum impact.

As we progress through the campaign, we will also provide further details on how to follow up engagement with your MP or MS and other key political stakeholders.

3.

3. Engaging with local media

Your local press are always keen to celebrate local success stories. Use the template press release to share your involvement in the campaign.

You should update the template press release with some stories about your learners, any activities planned throughout the campaign week and a quote from your college’s principal.

Once you have tailored your press release, you can share this via email with your key local newspaper, radio and TV stations – for example, if you are based in Nottingham, you can share this with the Nottingham Post, BBC Radio Nottingham and ITV Central.

It’s important to include photos with this email to press, as local news outlets are motivated by strong visuals that can best illustrate the story.

4.

4. Sharing your story online

Use the social media post templates to share your campaign activity across your channels throughout the week.

  • You can use the social media graphics to create your own posts to coincide with the campaign, highlighting your learners’ successes and sharing what your college does best.
  • Tag Natspec’s accounts and use the hashtags provided in the social media guidance, so we can amplify your posts.
  • Consider recording and posting short video clips from learners or staff to personalise your content.

5.

5. Keeping updated

  • We’ll be sharing updates, new resources and highlights throughout the campaign. Natspec members and affiliates will automatically receive this information. If you would like to be added to our campaign mailing list, please send us your contact details.
  • Using the graphics provided in the PowerPoint, insert your own learner photos to personalise their stories.
  • If you have any questions, you can reach out directly to the PLMR team who are supporting with the coordination of the campaign.

MP Visit Guidance

In order to make the visit a success for your college and the campaign more broadly, we suggest that you: 

  1. Plan a short tour (no more than 20-30mins) highlighting key areas of your provision (e.g. preparation for employment or interdisciplinary approaches) and giving you an opportunity to reference some of the challenges you face (e.g. lack of  access to capital funding to develop or improve your facilities)
  2. The visit will have the most impact if you can involve learners directly – sharing their stories helps bring to life the difference your college makes. Ensure you have some keen learners who would be happy to speak with the MP – for instance, student council representatives, or learners who have been particularly impacted by their time at the college.
  3. Capture photos or videos (with consent) for social media and local press.
  4. Consider inviting local authority SEND leads, employers, or community partners to attend. 

 

While the PLMR/Natspec team will support with drafting a follow-up after your meeting, it can be helpful to suggest specific actions for the MP to consider as part of your discussion. These next steps can help maintain momentum and turn your conversation into impactful parliamentary activity to support the wider aims of the campaign.  

At the end of your meeting, you may wish to ask the MP if they would be willing to consider one or more of the following: 

  • Submit a written parliamentary question on the issues discussed
  • Submit a question for Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs)
  • Submit an oral question to the Secretary of State for Education
  • Table a debate (e.g. Westminster Hall or adjournment debate)
  • Table an Early Day Motion (EDM)

Further education providers are participating in a national awareness campaign this week, The Power of Specialist FE, which aims to highlight the vital provision being offered to learners with more complex needs across the country.

Preferred questions: 

  • What steps is the Government taking to ensure specialist further education is recognised as an essential part of the education and skills system? 
  • How does the Government intend to support and resource collaboration between specialist and general FE colleges to strengthen inclusion across the sector? 
  • Will the Government commit to giving access to capital funding to specialist colleges, which are currently excluded from the FE capital transformation fund? 
  • What plans are in place to give equal access to transport support for 16 – 19 year olds with SEND so that travel is not a barrier to participation in further education? 
  • What plans does the Government have to expand existing post-16 outcomes measures so they more meaningfully reflect the broad range of achievements of learners with SEND, including those with more complex needs? 

If you are interested in asking any questions in Parliament, please contact Natspec@PLMR.co.uk for further information or additional suggestions

The Power of Specialist FE
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.