Where Walsall College’s Vision Meets Future Flames
This session outlines how Future Flames Productions aligns with Walsall College’s core vision to transform lives and communities through learning. It explores how the enterprise grew from a single idea into something now threaded throughout college life, transforming student outcomes and driving new forms of collaboration.
The session was led by Mark Pemberton (Director of Faculty, Technical Curriculum, Walsall College).
Walsall College’s vision is “transforming lives and communities through learning”. Its purpose is “to deliver excellent, inclusive learning which empowers students with skills and confidence to thrive in work and in life”. Mark Pemberton outlines how Future Flames embodies both:
- From classroom to the real world: Future Flames deliberately moves students away from classroom-based learning towards practical activities – turning taught skills into real-world skills.
- Student destinations: Evidence of Future Flames’ impact is most visible via student destinations. Students leave the college in a fundamentally different position to where they started, including with the confidence to work as freelancers.
- Alignment with organisational values: Running directly through Future Flames Productions are Walsall College’s ICARE values (Inclusive, Collaborative, Accountable, Resilient, Enterprising). Future Flames is particularly effective at engaging hard-to-reach students, creating opportunities for those who might not otherwise access them.