Staff Profile: Amy Langford

Q: How long have you worked at Milton Keynes College Group?

A: I’ve been at MK College for 20 years and have been in my current role for almost two years. I started as an ‘Enabler,’ working with students who needed extra help, for example a student in a wheelchair who was injured in the Navy and another student with physical disabilities that I helped with typing. I then specialised in Autism, and then later became a Programme Manager in Additional Learning Support later the Head of Learning Support and SENCo.

Q: What are the main responsibilities of your role?

A: In essence, my job is to oversee all the student support services across the college. This includes Additional Learning Support (ALS), Wellbeing, Positive Behaviour, Student Voice and Personal Development. I make sure we offer any support that helps students access and manage their time at college successfully. I am also the Senior Mental Health Lead and the Safeguarding and Prevent Lead for the College.

Q: How does MK College support students?

A: If we talk about our commitment to Building Fairer Futures; most students will face some kind of challenge or barrier that can make it hard for them to engage with their studies at some point in their journey with us. We advocate for students to help them stay in college, offering direct support and creating a safe environment for everyone. We also listen to student feedback, which is crucial to creating a positive student experience. We recently achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating for our provision for students with High Needs from Ofsted which is testament to the fantastic work of the wider teams and our Inclusive Learning department.

Q: What new initiatives or partnerships have you implemented to support students?

A: We’ve changed a lot in the past five years, especially since Covid. We are responsive to the needs of our students and wider community and have added more roles, such as our Positive Behaviour team and Campus Managers. Our support services are growing ever stronger and we work closely with the Arthur Ellis Mental Health foundation to provide therapeutic mentoring for our students.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I’m probably most proud of our connections with local organisations and the Council, especially for our SEND provision. We’re providing transformative experiences for young people who might otherwise be NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).

Our college is deeply rooted in the Milton Keynes community, and we work hard to understand and meet the needs of our students.

Q: What are your current priorities and plans?

A: We are working closely with colleagues at the council to ensure our curriculum remains fit for purpose and to identify opportunities for growth. It is critical that we understand the local profile of young people and adults in terms of additional needs, mental health, and safeguarding and that we work across the city to provide educational opportunities. We’ve introduced Campus Managers to work collaboratively with teams and students across the college to keep our two campuses at Chaffron Way and Bletchley running smoothly.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at the College?

A: I absolutely love working with a diverse range of people and bringing their skills together to provide the best for our young people. Having been here for so long, it’s rewarding to see the progress that we have made and the direct impact of our work. I just love it!