Equality North East

Darlington College

Darlington College is a further and higher education learning provider. They offer a whole range of qualifications from entry level, including essential skills in literacy and numeracy, right through to degree level studies and professional management awards.

In March 2009, Darlington College achieved ‘Grade 1’ Ofsted highlighting the College as one of the best in the country. Inspectors reported that they have ‘Outstandingly effective equality, diversity and inclusion’.

The College works in partnership with Teesside University and Catterick Garrison, where it has purpose build centres. Catterick has a childcare centre used by army personnel, college staff and students. Through the army contract there has been an increase in BME learners particularly Fijians and Ghurkhas. Darlington developed a specific ESOL programme for Ghurkha’s wives to help their integration into the local community.

Darlington College have a strategic equality and diversity group which includes staff representatives from across the whole college, eight of which are equality and diversity champions, one of these being Muslim. The group is responsible for the development and reviewing of the equality and diversity policies and the Single Equality Scheme. When they are all agreed and input has been received from student groups these policies and schemes are rolled out across the college via the staff and student intranets and the College interactive information board. The College includes all six strands in their equality scheme.

In November, the College has an equality and diversity week which is called ‘Embracing Diversity’ and aims to bridge the gender stereotyping gap through various activities including female hair and beauty learners learning to play football or bricklaying and male bricklayers learning about hair and beauty. This gives students the opportunity to experience something different and learn a new skill that they would not normally have the opportunity to do.

An equality and diversity board in all sites and a section on the staff and student intranet sites displays information about equality and diversity such as religious and non-religious festivals or events and links them to the policies and procedures. A festival or event is agreed and information is displayed throughout the college as well as being mirrored in the college canteen. This gives staff and learners an idea about the diverse cultures they may meet.

Staff receive mandatory training in equality and diversity along with three dedicated CPD days throughout the year and two weeks during the summer.

There are a team of multi-faith chaplains available to talk to students on a one-to-one or group tutorial basis. Confidential counselling for staff is available to access externally whilst students can access it in-house.

There are student support advisors who are available on a one-to-one basis as mentors. Learner retention rate has increased by 4% from 95% for females and by 3% for males.

They have held ‘Taster Days’ for vocational areas to encourage participation from non-gender stereotypical areas such males in hairdressing and childcare, females in construction and engineering. There are positive staff role models in some of the areas above, i.e., a female construction tutor and a male hairdressing tutor. They have targeted marketing to bridge the gender gap which has resulted in success stories.

Darlington College

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