Maninder Padam

I have the experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to be highly successful in this role.
During my teaching career I have very much enjoyed playing an instrumental role in students’ creative development. I embrace the challenges of helping students meet their full potential, engaging in tasks that fall outside of their comfort zone and achieve sophisticated skills.
Having worked across FE in the Midlands, I have gained a wealth of experience, teaching across multiple levels and subjects with young people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and starting points, including those who have joined FE/HE with a lower grade profile. I
have overcome many challenges within my practice and been effective in raising achievement, raising retention rates, and enhance learner
experience.
In my role as course coordinator for Level 3 Diploma in Graphic Design, as well as teaching on HE
courses, HNC/HND in Graphic Design, Level 3/4 Art Foundation and the BA Hons Professional Creative Practice, I have successfully doubled student numbers on the Level 3 Graphic Design, making this the most popular course within the Arts Department. I have maintained
high standards and raised success rates, as well as establishing a good rapport with their parents and carers.
Leading courses such the UAL Level 3 Graphic Design, BTEC Level 3 Interactive Media, Photography and Graphic Design across institutions has required the management and selection of appropriate units for study. I have created schemes of work and assignment
briefs which allow students to work across a breadth of multimedia and build their practical skills in conjunction with critical and contextual
understanding, making it relevant to contemporary practice. I have also taught on Level 2 Photography as well as Level 1 Art and I am able to differentiate my teaching strategies to suit individual learners needs.
Project briefs have a clear structure and incorporate tasks that allow learners to follow the creative process and gain a broad range of skills to help them develop their own visual language and become independent learners; gaining self-efficacy when they apply for further level
including KS4/5 and HE courses or progress to industry.
I have taught across a range of specialisms including Photography, Fine Art, Games Design and Moving Image.
I have enabled students to take ownership of work experience briefs and successfully engaged with local communities to produce final outcomes of a high standard. I continue to liaise with existing practitioners, visiting lecturers and local employees to help grow the courses enrichment profile.

Within my own practice, I continue to build working relationships with local creatives and have collaborated with University Hospital Coventry
and Warwickshire (UHCW), Fargo Village and Holyhead Studios to organise the showcase of my work as well as taking part in print fairs. I have exhibited across various venues and continue to produce commissions.
I always endeavour to create a purposeful learning environment where students are encouraged to strive and reflect on their skill development. Student learning is built within a strong, well-planned structure where tasks are broken down into smaller components towards achieving a sophisticated, complex outcome.
I look for students’ individual strengths both in their analytical and reflective practice and enjoy questioning to challenge and stretch their thinking, observe with a critical eye, and look beyond their original ideas to consider new perspectives and different target audiences. They enjoy working with a range of media and are given the opportunity to problem solve, plan, and prepare towards creating a cohesive response.
This has been achieved through adopting teaching strategies that are student centred entailing thorough means of differentiation and ongoing assessment for learning. Regular personalised tutorials have been most effective for improving students’ critiquing skills to confidently move towards and beyond their set goals. This is particularly important so that students are appropriately equipped to progress onto HE or industry.
I set high standards within my teaching and expect the best from my students. As a result of my teaching and leading the following courses, the A-C pass rate within A Level Graphic Design increased during 2012/2016. The retention for the BTEC Interactive Media was increased
to 100%. While leading the A Level Photography course during at New College Telford, the pass rate increased by 15%.
As a personal tutor, I pride myself on knowing that students can gain strong pastoral support from myself and can trust their relationship with their tutor. They have stated that the classroom environment is lively yet structured making it an enjoyable and an inspirational place to
learn. They can trust that I can guide them in the right direction in their personal projects alongside providing support with UCAS and career
pathways.

I am sensitive towards the various types of learner’s additional needs and mentor learners to the correct type of support including Mental
and Physical Health and SEN support. Through delivering the Personal Professional Development programme, they are encouraged to take
part in extra-curricular enrichment activities to help build their self-esteem, enabling confidence with facing the world outside of college.

However, it is vital that they work in an environment which makes them feel welcome and safe and encourages and promotes the safeguarding and welfare of all students.


I am surrounded by a supportive network of family and friends who work in the
visual arts, music, and creative industries. Together with my own experience in education and the art world I have been well placed to draw upon this specialist knowledge and artistic sensibilities to enrich students learning and engagement but also support them towards becoming confident practitioners within the art and design world.