item-03.-bolton-college.-initial-concerns-about-the-art-and-design-course.-00.09.09

Dear Maureen

BTEC NAT.CERT. ART & DESIGN (19+). 2009-2010

I am now becoming extremely concerned about the possibilities for student
progress on the above course. This is because there do not appear to be any
Schemes of Work either at individual or departmental level which demonstrate a
stepped progression in skill levels and which incorporate the assessment criteria
of the public examiner. This apparent vacuum has in turn raised questions about
the status and destination of work produced in class and the process undergone
(including storage and retrieval) by work produced outside the classroom and
handed to tutors.

On two occasions, once last Spring with Pat Fleming and once yesterday with
Dolores Logan, attempts to raise these issues have resulted in an overtly hostile
response and an actual withdrawal of labour on the part of these two tutors. In
the former case actual damage was done to my health, and in the latter case the
College has been placed by the tutor concerned in breach of contract. This
replicated phenomenon is leading me to the supposition that the
disproportionate response to my legitimate enquiries is as a result of a work-
avoidance strategy on the part of departmental staff. (Ie. Schemes of Work, if
they existed, would have to be produced outside of student-contact time and the
status of all work would have to be signalled to students.)

It may be that I am mistaken about the existence or not of Schemes of Work. I
hope that I am mistaken. This is because after a protracted absence last year
precipitated by Pat Fleming’s conduct, and Dolores Logan’s current withdrawal
of labour, I need to assess for myself how I might repair some of the damage to
my studies by looking at the Schemes of Work for the final two modules of last
year.

I am therefore asking you to send me by post copies of Schemes of Work for
these two modules at your earliest convenience. Meanwhile I have suggested to
Dolores in an as yet unanswered e-mail one way in which my confidence might
restored in this course.

Yours sincerely

Phillip Vere

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