Vision, Mission and Strategy

The Board discharges its responsibility for setting the strategic direction of Colchester Institute by agreeing the Vision and Mission statements and the College's Strategic Plan.

All these statements are reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the developing needs of students and the changing educational and training requirements of the community. The current Strategic Plan, 'From Good to Outstanding, covers the three year timeframe 2007-08 to 2009-10. The Strategic Plan is updated annually.

The Vision Statement is
"Colchester Institute's aim is to be the first choice provider of top quality vocational education and training throughout the communities it serves"

The Mission Statement is
"Colchester Institute's purpose is to meet the needs of customers through effective learning, teaching and development of skills"

Five Key Themes linked to the Mission and Vision

(i) Putting better learning and teaching at the heart of what we do,

(ii) Creating a truly vocational college (FE and HE),

(iii) Getting better at "Putting Learners and Customers First",

(iv) Leading (leadership and management), and,

(v) Building the right facilities and human resources we need to do the teaching and learning better.

Aims and Values - the "Code of Conduct"

The Vision and Mission Statements, together with the key themes, seek to encapsulate the core purposes and aims of the College. The Board recognises it's obligations to all those with whom it has dealings: students, employees, local and national employers and industries, suppliers, other educational institutions and the local community. It also recognises that it has accountability to tax payers. Board members are committed to ensuring that they conduct their business in accordance with the highest ethical standards, to this end, every Board member signs a Code of Conduct. This is based upon the seven Principles of Public Service set out in the Nolan Report, these are:

• Selflessness
• Integrity
• Objectivity
• Accountability
• Openess
• Honesty
• Leadership

The Code sets out the ways in which members are expected to deal with their statutory accountability, how they exercise skill, care and due diligence, and the Board's powers, conflicts of interests, collective responsibility, openness and confidentiality, complaints, attendance and good governance.