Student Voice and Engagement

At Peterborough College, we aim for students to feel empowered, valued, and actively involved in shaping their learning experience.

Students have plenty of ways to get involved in decisions that impact the college community, whether it’s through formal governing bodies, surveys, focus groups, or joining social clubs and peer support groups. They also have opportunities to collaborate with external organisations and take on roles that help shape the curriculum and policies.

See below, or select from the side menu to see the full list of opportunities available with Peterborough College.

Student Voice Opportunities

• College-wide student satisfaction surveys (induction, mid-year, end of year) 
• “Have Your Say” weeks (questionnaires, stands, PDP session)
• Student Conferences
• Student Union 
• Student Reps 
• Dedicated focus groups for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Mental Heath 
• Focus groups with curriculum area Head of Faculty 
• Focus groups with key managers such as the the Estates team, IT services and food outlets

Inspire Education Group also runs two significant campaigns throughout the year:

• ‘It’s not banter’—focuses on removing discriminatory bullying and harassment.
• ‘We will Listen’—an opportunity for students to share feedback about any services we offer, including safeguarding, at any point throughout the year.

What’s On

We have a weekly schedule of engagement opportunities, alongside a monthly “What’s On” feature which highlights national campaigns and invites guest speakers to raise awareness of key campaigns and issues.

Students actively participate in a variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities, providing more opportunities to get involved in all aspects of college life.

• Join one of our social groups like LGBTQ+ or Young Carers, where you’ll find support and meet like-minded students. 
• Take part in community sports, including football and table tennis.
• Challenge your friends with our game nights: whether you like consoles, card games, or board games, there’s something for everyone.
• Wind down or take a breather with our Faith and Relaxation paces.
• Chat and socialise at our Chaplaincy coffee mornings.
• Our monthly events and guest speakers are a great way to learn new things, boost your skills, and even help with your future career.

Young Carers

We know that the transition from school to col­lege can be both exciting and chal­leng­ing. We also recog­nise that young car­ers face their own issues with this change and require differ­ent lev­els of sup­port.

The Wellbeing and Engagement team are here to sup­port young carers. Led by you, the team can work with your Stu­dent Men­tor and your lec­tur­ers to ensure that they are sen­si­tive to your individual needs. They can also refer and work with local organisations (such as Centre 33) to provide additional resource as needed.

LGBTQ+

Peterborough Col­lege offers a range of sup­port for our LGBTQ+ stu­dents. We pro­vide Wellbeing sup­port, non-gen­dered toi­lets and also run a regular LGBTQ+ group that aims to:

• pro­vide a safe and sup­port­ive envi­ron­ment for LGBTQ+ stu­dents and those ques­tion­ing their sexuality
• offer sup­port to LGBTQ+ individuals
• rep­re­sent the views of the LGBTQ+ group to the Stu­dents’ Union
• raise aware­ness of LGBTQ+ through col­lege campaigns
• pro­mote links with oth­er sim­i­lar groups and organ­i­sa­tions, with­in the local com­mu­ni­ty, region­al area and nationally
• ensure equal oppor­tu­ni­ties and promotion of the ‘It’s not banter’ campaign 

For more infor­ma­tion about our LGBTQ+ Sup­port at Col­lege con­tact the Engage­ment Team

Student Representation

Student Governors

Peterborough College’s Student Governors represent students in important decisions, sitting on the governing body and helping shape policies, budget, and strategy. They gather feedback from fellow students and bring it to the board to improve the student experience. Student Governors work with college leaders to promote student involvement and make sure student needs are heard.

Student Representatives

Student Reps are elected by fellow students, representing their course to share the views of their peers around the wider college. They are also invited to attend termly student conferences. 

Student Union

All students who enrol at Peterborough Col­lege are auto­mat­i­cal­ly become members of the Stu­dent Union (SU). The SU Committee consists of elected student representatives who work for the college’s community of students. Student Union-led activities are driven around five key pillars that underpin the core values of  the IEG community. These are: 

• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Sustainability
• Fundraising
• Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Community Partnership.

The Student Union and Student Representatives are given access to further training and development to equip them with the confidence and skills to become responsible, respectful and active citizens who can contribute positively to Peterborough College and the wider community. This includes: 

• Initial training by Peterborough Citizens and regular meetings supported  by the Student Engagement and Wellbeing teams
• Team building opportunities and activities for leading and participating in the college and local community
• Role descriptions and ID badges 

If you’d like further information, or want to know how to get involved in any of these opportunities, please enquire below.

Contact Student Engagement