UPDATE

On Tuesday the 2nd of May, I met with 2 members of staff along with a class mate and one of our tutors to discuss the issues raised in this petition. I would like to say that they apologised for the upset caused by the removal of our spaces, and explained that they did not intend for the upset to happen. We were told that there had been some safeguarding issues that had arisen because, for the protection of both students and teachers, the classrooms must be visible at all times from the corridor which is why there are large windows in the doors and walls (so that anyone in the hallways can see in). Because the boards in our room were so tall it meant that some of the classroom was obstructed which I can completely understand. The staff came to the line manager of our department and explained these issues to her so that she was aware and could discuss about how to fix the problem. However, our line manager was taking leave at the time due to personal reasons and so because there wasn't enough time to properly sort out the safeguarding issues it was her decision to take down the boards a few weeks earlier than scheduled; it was the plan to take them down to prepare for the summer show and exhibition which we were fully aware and understanding of. The staff members that I met with apologised saying that they take full responsibility for the lack of communication with students and did not intend in any way to cause any discomfort. They explained that the personal spaces were not gone forever and that students would be involved in the conversation in solving the safeguarding issues so that, hopefully, the boards would be able to put back without problem. An idea that came out of the meeting was that on the induction/welcome day, that Weston College puts on every summer for its students attending in the upcoming year, it would be an activity for pupils that they would be able to build and personalise their own studio spaces. I think this is a terrific idea as I explained that even though the boards were only there so we could pin up work they had come to mean a lot more to us overtime. So I think giving future students the opportunity to customise their own working space was a fantastic idea and I do hope it's something they decide to implement into the day. Weston college is a terrific college and this is the only negative incident that has happened in my year of being here. Choosing Weston was one of the best decisions I have ever made; all the campuses are beautiful and state of the art, the tutors and the staff are amazing and the welfare team have given me some of the best support I have ever received. Me and my classmate were told that they were glad we had made this petition as they want to hear and listen what the students have to say; each class has student reps that feedback to the tutors any problems or concerns we have. I am so pleased with how well the staff at Weston College handled this issue and below is a copy of a letter that will be sent out to all creative art students. IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION TO ALL STUDENTS: Re: Boards in studios As you may be aware some students have raised concerns over the large boards being removed from some of our art studios. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding there may have been. We have always given each member of staff the option to provide large boards to students. These are intended to supplement a working area and provide additional space for the documentation of project work, not necessarily to define a working space. Where boards are used in studio spaces there are always elements that we, the College, need to consider. They are: • Learners need to be visible from the corridor at all times, hence windows in the walls and doors to safeguard both staff and learners. • Staff should be easily able to access all learners and learning spaces, in order to monitor and develop progress. Where these considerations were not met in one or two rooms, prompt action was taken to remove the boards in order to immediately safeguard the students. This action was taken a week and a half ahead of the normal schedule, where ALL boards from ALL rooms are removed in preparation for the Summer Show. We do however appreciate that clearer communication could have been given to you, the students, at this point and we apologise for any upset this may have caused. Moving forward our focus is on the Summer Show and ensuring rooms are fit for purpose. We will also use this time to reflect and outline an action plan on the future use of boards in classrooms/studio spaces, so that we can meet the above standards. We will ensure that Learner Voice, provided through the accepted channels at Weston College, will be a part of this process. Clear communication will be given to all students at the start of next academic year on the outcome.