Governance & Policies - Orbital South Colleges University Centre

Welcome to the Orbital South Colleges Governance web page. Here you can find out about the Corporation and its duties and responsibilities.

On 1 February 2019, the merger between East Surrey College incorporating the Reigate School of Art, and John Ruskin College took place as planned under the group name of Orbital South Colleges. Our merger presents an exciting opportunity for the future, building on the very many strengths of our Colleges to create a high-quality, sustainable learning community, whilst still very much retaining the identity of each organisation.

What is the Corporation of the College?

This is the Governing Body of the College which was established as an independent Further Education Corporation on 1 April 1993 under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. The Corporation exists to provide Further and Higher Education and is also allowed to supply goods and services in connection with its provision of education. The Corporation’s Instrument and Articles of Government provide the legal basis on which it operates, specifying the composition of the Corporation, the way in which it must conduct its business, its duties and responsibilities and its role as an employer, with regard to students and with regard to the discharge of its financial responsibilities.

What does the Corporation do?

The Corporation’s function is to decide on strategic policy and the overall direction of the College, as well as monitoring the performance of the most senior managers in the College. Collectively, the members of the Corporation must ensure that they operate within the legal framework of the College and must observe the duties which are set out for them within these documents.

Regulatory Information

Higher Education Access & Participation

East Surrey College states its mission as being “To provide inspirational, high quality education and training that meets the needs of individuals, employers and our local and wider communities”.

The College has a strong record of providing fair access to all higher education students and is aware of areas where performance has the potential to be enhanced, namely attracting (1) more POLAR3 Quintile 1 students (ie from the 20% of postcodes where the fewest people progress to Higher Education), and (2) more part-time students with declared disabilities.

This is within the context of the local population (in terms of the Travel to Work area) generally not living in areas with indicators of multiple deprivation. 53% of the full-time HE student population and 26% of the part-time HE student population reside in this area (43% overall). Consequently, the College has a relatively low number of POLAR3 Quintiles 1 and 2 students (14%). However, a feature of the local demographic is that smaller pockets of deprivation are present (as measured by the National IMD), and the College attracts 20% of its HE students from Quintiles 1 and 2 of these areas.

Although the immediate area is not especially ethnically diverse, the College is pleased to draw significantly from the BME communities in and around Crawley and Croydon with 13% of its HE students declaring their ethnicity as Black, Asian or Other. The Surrey average is 9.6% non-white residents (2011 Census).

The College’s HE population shows a 55/45% split between males and females. Males tend to dominate the part-time provision in Construction and Engineering, whilst Theatrical Make-Up and Early Years tend to boost female numbers in full-time HE. Arts and Business-related subjects tend to be less gendered.

18% of full-time HE students declare a disability, which is higher than the Surrey average of 13.5% (2011 Census). However, part-time employer-sponsored HE students in Construction and Engineering do not tend to declare a disability.

The College is deliberately inclusive in its entry requirements for HE with 67% of students being accepted as non- or low-tariff applicants. This is in part a reflection of the age of the College’s HE students, with only 50% of the population being under 21 on entry, demonstrating how the College’s HE provision serves a very broad age demographic effectively. The fact that its HE students achieve similarly well to those who go to universities illustrates the high levels of support for this “learning gain” at the College.

The College’s strategic approach to its HE is intended to support and promote progression to its courses both by internal FE students, and by the wider community and employers.

Lindsay Pamphilon
Chief Executive Officer & Principal

Access and Participation Plan 2025-26 to 2028-29

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Summary of Access and Participation Plan

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Student Protection Plan

To ensure we support students and protect their interests during the course of their study, we are required to publish our Student Protection Plan.

The Student Protection Plan ensures that you are given accurate information prior to application and outlines the College’s responsibilities during your study.