A college shaped by service to its community
Walsall College supports people in the West Midlands to build skills, confidence and momentum, whether they are starting out, changing direction, or stepping up into a new role. Each year, more than 11,000 people study with the college through vocational and technical programmes, apprenticeships and higher education, alongside training designed with employers.
As an ETF Partner, with 100 ETF Members committed this year, Walsall has made staff development a top priority across the organisation, backed by a clear structure and shared professional expectations.
Watch the case study here:
When pressure makes improvement even harder
Leading and teaching in Further Education means navigating policy shifts and budget cuts, understanding evolving learner needs, and fulfilling the day-to-day demands of delivery. This reality makes it hard to protect time for development, even when everyone agrees it matters.
Jatinder is clear about the reality facing leaders. “I’ve realised how difficult the role is and how complex leadership is,” he says.
And that complexity doesn’t only sit at the top. Much of it lands with the leaders who translate strategy into practice, keep teams aligned, and solve problems in real time.
“We’ve all been the jam in the sandwich at some point,” Jatinder says, “and I think the jam in the sandwich is the toughest role in a college.”
Walsall’s response has been to protect time for leaders and educators keep developing together.
Values that guide growth and everyday decisions
As the college has evolved, commitment to their values has provided a consistent thread. This has helped leaders and teams make clear choices, even as priorities have shifted and new colleagues have joined. For Walsall, a central principle has been listening carefully to what the community needs and shaping provision around that.
Jatinder links this values-led approach to how the college has navigated difficult moments and continued to move forward.
“This is the time of austerity,” he reflects. “We stood up for the premise of giving the community what they want. And that has allowed us to be really successful and grow our student body.”
Creating time to learn across the workforce
One of Walsall’s clearest decisions has been to make professional learning part of the working week. Instead of relying on goodwill or rushed moments between classes and meetings, the college has protected time for staff to develop, share practice, and build capability together.
That matters because when time is built in, learning stops being an extra and becomes part of the rhythm of the organisation. Jatinder describes what this has looked like in practice: “We’ve allowed a couple of afternoons every week, set aside for training of all staff. People are enjoying the space and time that they’ve got to do that.”
ETF Partnership as part of “how we do development here”
ETF Partnership gives Walsall College a cohesive structure for development: a shared framework, practical tools and resources, recognition routes, and connection to a wider professional community. That combination helps leaders back professional learning consistently, with clear pathways and a shared language for improvement.
Backing middle leaders with time and structure
Walsall’s approach includes recognising that middle-tier leaders are mission-critical. They turn strategy into reality, keep standards consistent, and support teams through the daily decisions that shape learner experience.
Jatinder’s “jam in the sandwich” metaphor captures why this matters. It’s a role that carries pressure from every direction, and it’s where leadership support has the biggest ripple effect.
That’s why Walsall’s approach includes clear structure and protected time for leaders as well as teachers. The aim is simple: equip middle leaders with the confidence, tools and space to lead well, so staff feel supported and learners experience high-quality practice wherever they are learning.
“Creating the space and structure for our middle leaders has already had, and continues to have, a positive impact — not just on their own teams, but across the wider organisation,” says Sarah Cattell, Workforce Development and Innovation Manager. “It’s helping us build a genuine one‑team approach. By investing in middle leadership, we strengthen the whole system and ensure excellence wherever learning takes place.”
Senior leadership development that reinforces “space to learn”
Walsall has also invested in senior leadership development through ETF’s CEO and Prep CEO programmes. For Jatinder, as a participant, he valued the protected time to step back, think clearly, and learn with peers in a trusted space. It strengthened his leadership and reinforced a principle he now prioritises in the college: leaders need space to learn, not just space to deliver.
“It gave me an enormous reflective space, an opportunity to talk to my peers in a safe environment,” Jatinder says. “I took away the need to create space to learn and that stayed with me.”
Professionalism in practice: inclusion, voice and confidence
Walsall College has developed a learning culture that shows up where learners feel it most, in the classroom and the workshops. Staff describe professional practice as reflective, inclusive, and focused on helping learners move forward from wherever they start.
Recognition and reflection that build confidence and inclusivity
Alongside everyday development, Walsall has used structured professional recognition to deepen reflection and strengthen teaching practice. Through routes like Advanced Teacher Status (ATS), the college encourages staff to look closely at impact, gather feedback, and use that insight to keep improving.
Vicki Banks, Quality Development Coach, achieved her ATS observes the link between creating the space for professional growth and better learner outcomes.
“Inclusive teaching grows from supported, reflective educators. By strengthening my own practice and empowering colleagues to develop theirs, we raise expectations and open doors. Creating inclusive classrooms that shape better futures is what drives me.”
Learners shine when professional development becomes everyday
When professional learning becomes part of the routine, learners experience the difference. They encounter staff who are confident to adapt, reflect, and keep improving. Over time, that consistency builds trust and aspiration.
Walsall College discovered something powerful: creating space to learn, creates space to lead. Every moment staff spend reflecting on their practice, developing pedagogy, embracing new ed‑tech, or learning from peer coaching is an investment that echoes far beyond the classroom.
“When we grow, our students grow,” shares Kelly Bunce, Quality Development Coach. “By giving ourselves permission to pause, reflect, and improve, we build stronger leaders, stronger teams, and most importantly stronger outcomes for our students. The more we learn, the brighter our students to shine.”
Discover Leadership development at ETF
Built with the sector, for the sector, our programmes grow confident leaders, collaborative teams, and robust succession pipelines.
Contact us
Complete the form to book a meeting with a member of our team to discuss your organisation's leadership development needs.
CEO and executive leaders
For today’s and tomorrow’s CEOs and system leaders. Executive Development to protect space and build impact.
Aspiring to senior leaders
A clear development pathway for leaders of all levels to grow confidence, continue creating networks and build skills on the ETF Leadership Pathway.