Freedom of Information (Policies)

  1. Who we are and what we do
  2. What we spend and how we spend it
  3. What our priorities are and how we are doing
  4. How we make decisions
  5. Our policies and procedures
  6. Lists and registers
  7. The services we offer

The college’s criteria for confidentiality are:

  • Personal information relating to an individual.
  • Information provided in confidence by a third party who has not authorised its disclosure.
  • Financial or other information relating to procurement decisions, including, during the course of negotiations, information relating to the college’s negotiating position.
  • Information relating to the negotiation position of the college in industrial relations matters.
  • Information relating to the financial position of the college where disclosure might harm the college or its competitive position, as determined by the Governing Body.
  • Legal advice received from or instructions given to the college’s legal advisors.
  • Information planned in advance for publication.

                      1. Who we are and what we do

                      Organisational Information, structure, locations and contacts

                      1.1 Legal Framework

                      Plumpton College is a statutory body incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992.  It is an exempt charity and is regulated by the SFA and EFA.

                      Legal Status – conferred by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

                      Charitable Status – The College is an exempt charity under the powers conferred by the Further Education and Higher Education Act 1992.

                      Instrument and Articles of Government 

                      Financial Memorandum- Available on request 

                      1.2 How Plumpton College is organised
                      1.3 Information relating to partnership organisations

                      Sussex Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs

                      FE Sussex

                      Landex

                      AoC

                      East Sussex Proficiency tests Committee

                      Email: esptc@plumpton.ac.uk

                      Tel: 01273 892084

                      1.4 Location and contact details

                      Plumpton College at Stanmer Park

                      One Garden Brighton (Stanmer Campus)
                      Stanmer Park, Lewes Road, Brighton
                      BN1 9SE

                      Tel: 01273 892034
                      Email: hello@onegardenbrighton.com 
                      Web: onegardenbrighton.com

                      Plumpton College
                      Ditchling Road, Lewes
                      BN7 3AE

                      Tel: 01273 890454
                      Email: enquiries@plumpton.ac.uk

                      1.5 Student Activities

                      The college Student Union and the Student Services Department is responsible for putting together a full and varied social calendar for students. We also have varied sports academies. More can be found in the Student Handbook and on our website here

                      2. What we spend and how we spend it

                      Financial Information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.

                      2.1 Funding income

                      Financial Statements - hard copy available on request. Fee £10. For an electronic copy please see 2.2.

                      2.2 Budgetary and account information
                      2.3 Capital programme

                      Capital Programme: Available on request

                      2.4 Financial regulations and procedures
                      2.5 Register of suppliers

                      3. What our priorities are and how we are doing

                      Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews. 

                      3.1 Corporate and business plans & academic quality and standards

                      Plumpton College produced its most recent Strategic Plan for 2022 as a result of an eighteen month consultation with its staff, students and many stakeholders. The Strategic Plan clearly sets out its core strategic priorities, organisational values and its ambitious vision for the next five years until 2027.

                      The College’s progress against the objectives in the strategy is monitored through the periodic review of its Operational Development Plan by governors, leaders and staff throughout each year. An Annual Showcase and Strategic Review affords further opportunities to share progress and milestones with a wider audience of stakeholders, staff and students.

                      College Strategic Plan 2022 - 2027

                      Self Assessment Report - available on request

                      Quality Improvement Handbook - available on request

                      Accountability Agreement Document

                      3.2 External review information

                      OFSTED Report: Residential provision

                      OFSTED Report

                      3.3 Legal Framework

                      Plumpton College is a statutory body incorporated under the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992.  It is an exempt charity and is regulated by the SFA and EFA.

                      Legal Status – conferred by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

                      Charitable Status – The College is an exempt charity under the powers conferred by the Further Education and Higher Education Act 1992.

                      Instrument and Articles of Government

                      Financial Memorandum- Available on request 

                      4. How we make decisions

                      Decision making processes and records of decisions. 

                      4.1 Minutes from governing body, council, academic boards and steering groups

                      Minutes and papers of Corporation and Committee meetings, excluding confidential matters. Available on request.

                      Non-confidential Committee Meeting papers - available on request. 

                      4.2 Appointment committees and procedures

                      5. Our policies and procedures

                      Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.

                      5.3 Procedures and policies relating to student services
                      5.5 Procedures and policies relating to human resources

                      HR Policies - available on request. Fee £10

                      5.6 Procedures and policies relating to recruitment
                      5.8 Equality and diversity
                      5.9 Health & safety
                      5.10 Environmental Sustainability Policy
                      5.12 Records management and personal data policies
                      5.13 Charging regimes and policies
                      5.14 Gender Pay Gap

                      Gender pay gap at December 2023

                      The College employs more women than men, with fluctuations between years mainly driven by changes in staff recruitment. 

                      Mean hourly pay gap  

                      • The mean pay gap has increased from 8.9% in 2022 to 10.1% in 2023. 
                      • This is within the range of previous years returns.  The College employs more women than men, with fluctuations between years mainly driven by changes in staff recruitment. 
                      • College position is better than the land based average of 13.1% for all employees, reported in 2022. 

                      Median hourly pay gap  

                      • The median pay gap has reduced from 7.1% in 2022 to 6.6% in 2023. 
                      • College position is better than the national average of 14.9% for all employees, reported in 2022. 

                      2020

                      2021

                      2022

                      2023

                       

                      13.2%

                      13.4%

                      8.9%

                      10.1%

                      Comparing mean average hourly rate of pay

                      4.9%

                      5.7%

                      7.1%

                      6.6%

                      Comparing median hourly rate of pay

                      48.6%

                      51.4%

                      46.8%

                      51.2% 

                      Proportion of women in top quarter (highest paid)

                      62.5%

                      60.6%

                      55.0%

                      59.5%

                      Proportion of women in upper middle quarter

                      58.3%

                      55.7%

                      51.9%

                      50.6% 

                      Proportion of women in lower middle quarter

                      67.1%

                      66.2%

                      60.0%

                      70.2%

                      Proportion of women in lower quarter (lowest paid)

                      5.15 Admissions and Procedure Policy

                      6. Lists and registers

                      Current maintained lists and registers.

                      6.1 Information the College is legally required to hold in publically available registers

                      Register of Interests of Corporation members - available on request (view in office hours)

                      6.2 Asset Registers
                      6.3 Disclosure logs

                      7. The services we offer

                      Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters. 

                      7.1 Information on the services offered by the College

                      Student Life section of website

                      Well being, student accommodation, travel, foot & diet, funding & loans, student activities, Plumpton online (VLE), careers and term times. 

                      7.2 Prospectus and course content

                      8. OfS Transparency Information

                      Transparency Information 2022

                      Download the full Transparency Data document.

                      The information published here shows:

                      • The number of students who attained a particular degree or other academic award, or a particular level of such an award, on completion of their course with us.

                      It shows these numbers by reference to: 

                      • The gender of the individuals to which they relate - Their ethnicity
                      • Their socioeconomic background.

                      Transparency 2021 information: Attainment of 2019-20 qualifiers

                      Provider: Plumpton College

                      UKPRN: 10005124

                      Transparency 2021 information: Rounding and suppression

                      The data contained in the tables in this workbook have been rounded and suppressed as follows:
                      Numerators and denominators have been rounded to the nearest 10. Where the numerator or denominator rounds to 20 or less, the data are suppressed with an "N".
                      Percentages are rounded according to the smallest, unsuppressed denominator in a given mode and characteristic. If the denominator rounds to:

                      • 50 or less: percentages are rounded to 5%
                      • 1000 or less: percentages are rounded to 1%
                      • More than 1000: percentages are rounded to 0.1%

                      "N/A" is displayed where there is no provision in a given mode or level.

                      "DP" indicates suppression for data protection reasons. This is applied where the numerator is two or less, or differs from the denominator by no more than two students.

                      Table 1a: Percentage of classified first degrees at grade 2:1 or above by characteristic for 2019-20 qualifiers.

                      Characteristic Characteristic split Percentage
                      Ethnicity BAME N
                      White 75%
                      EIMD 2019 quintile 1 and 2 N
                      3 to 5 N
                      Gender Female N
                      Male N
                        Other N

                      Table 1b: Detailed information on attainment for 2019-20 qualifiers

                      Mode of Study Characteristic Characteristic Split Headcount of classified First Degrees awarded Percentage of classified First Degrees awarded as first class Percentage of classified First Degrees awarded as upper second class Percentage of classified First Degrees awarded as lower second class Percentage of classified First Degrees awarded as third class / pass Headcount of unclassified First Degrees awarded Headcount of other undergraduate awards
                      Full-time Ethnicity Asian N N N N N N/A N
                      Black N N N N N N/A N
                      Mixed N N N N N N/A N
                      Other N N N N N N/A N
                      White 30 35% 35% 25% DP N/A N
                      Unknown N N N N N N/A N
                      EIMD 2019 quintile 1 N N N N N N/A N
                      2 N N N N N N/A N
                      3 N N N N N N/A N
                      4 N N N N N N/A N
                      5 N N N N N N/A N
                      N/A N N N N N N/A N
                      Unknown N N N N N N/A N
                      Gender Female N N N N N N/A N
                      Male N N N N N N/A N
                      Other N N N N N N/A N
                      Part-time Ethnicity Asian N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Black N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Mixed N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Other N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      White N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Unknown N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      EIMD 2019 quintile 1 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      2 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      3 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      4 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      5 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Unknown N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Gender Female N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Male N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Other N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N
                      Transparency Information 2023

                       

                      The tables published below shows the percentage of classified first degrees at grade 2:1 or above by characteristics for 2021-22 qualifiers.

                      It shows these percentages by:

                      • Ethnicity
                      • English Indices of Multiple Deprivation (EIMD) 2019 quintile
                      • Sex

                      We review disparities in student outcomes across demographic characteristics on a regular basis and this informs our approach to delivering on our Access and Participation Plan.

                      Detailed information is found in Table 1b below

                      Download the full Transparency Data document.

                      Summary data

                      Attainment of 2021-22 qualifiers

                      Table 1a: Percentage of first degrees at grade 2:1 or above by characteristic for 2021-22 qualifiers.

                      Characteristic

                      Characteristic split

                      Percentage

                      Ethnicity

                      Ethnic minorities

                      N

                      Ethnicity

                      White

                      65%

                      EIMD 2019 quintile

                      1 and 2

                      N

                      EIMD 2019 quintile

                      3 to 5

                      65%

                      Sex

                      Female

                      N

                      Sex

                      Male

                      N

                      Sex

                      Other

                      N

                      Rounding and suppression

                      Numerators and denominators have been rounded to the nearest 10. Where the numerator or denominator rounds to 20 or less, the data are suppressed with an "N".

                      Percentages are rounded according to the smallest, unsuppressed denominator in a given mode and characteristic. If the denominator rounds to:

                      • 50 or less: percentages are rounded to 5%
                      • 1000 or less: percentages are rounded to 1%
                      • More than 1000: percentages are rounded to 0.1%

                      'N/A' is displayed where there is no provision in a given mode or level.

                      'DP' indicates suppression for data protection reasons. This is applied where the numerator is two or less, or differs from the denominator by no more than two students.