East Durham College Curriculum, Quality and Standards Committee 4th June 2026
Present:
S Laverick (Chair) M Anderson, A Brennan, E Farajpour Javazavi (Teams), S Bullock, T Brown (Staff Governor)
In Attendance:
C Briggs (Vice Principal)
J Lanagan (Assistant Principal)
A Grainger (Director of Quality)
S Pritchard (Clerk to the Corporation)
V Parkin (Committee Secretary)
Apologies for absence
Apologies received from H Driscoll, C Cowan.
Conflicts of Interest
No conflicts of interest were declared.
Minutes of meeting held on 12th March 2026
The minutes were accepted as a correct record.
Matters Arising
The Vice Principal Curriculum and Performance confirmed the AI Training for governors will take place on 2 July before Full Board.
Outcomes of Internal and External Peer Review Activities
The Director of Quality presented the report updating the committee and providing assurance on the internal and external quality assurance activity which have taken place across the first half of the year within various aspects of college provision.
The Chair noted that there were a number of positive aspects within the report and acknowledged the progress being made in several areas.
ACTION: The Chair requested a three-year trend analysis of predicted achievement data to better understand progress within future reports.
The Committee noted the report.
Progress Report on Quality Improvement Plan 2025/26
The Vice Principal presented the report summarising the progress made towards the 2025/26 Quality Improvement Plan at the May monitoring point. It was confirmed that RAG ratings have been added to the report and include an indication of whether actions are expected to progress to Green.
The Committee noted the report.
Curriculum Key Performance Indicators
The Vice Principal presented the report updating the committee on the key performance indicators and the actions being taken to improve academic performance.
The Committee noted the update
Curriculum Offer 2026/27
The Assistant Principal updated the committee on the proposed curriculum offer for 2026/27. It was noted that the 16–18 student allocation stands at 2,263, with current activity at 2,375.
ACTION: Committee members agreed that reports should more clearly demonstrate how employer engagement informs curriculum design, both internally and externally, to provide assurance to Governors.
The Committee noted the update.
Higher Education Update
The Committee received the Higher Education (HE) minutes for information and noted the positive relationship between the University of Sunderland (UoS) and East Durham College. It was highlighted that whilst HE delivery is supported by college staff, they are not direct university employees, although appropriate links and contact with the university are in place.
The Chair referenced the importance of resilience and performance within HE provisions. The Vice Principal confirmed that a joint half-day session has taken place with UoS and the College Leadership Group (CLG) to strengthen collaboration and partnership working.
The Committee noted the Minutes.
Any Other Business
Discussion took place regarding the accuracy of NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) figures.
The Chair reinforced the importance of developing approaches to support NEET learners and ensuring that provision is both sustainable and impactful.
The Committee noted the discussion.
