Summer
BUILDING FUTURES, ACHIEVING AMBITIONS
edition 2019
Celebrate The termly newsletter of Richmond upon Thames College
More inside Celebrating our new building at the Topping Out Ceremony page 3
—————————— Engineering Apprentices annual ECITB Awards page 4
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Committing to support students and staff with mental health and wellbeing page 5
—————————— BAFTA Award for A Level student Elizabeth Orji-Smith page 2
Diana Award for Bethannie York We are incredibly proud of our A Level student Bethannie who received a 2019 Diana Award for her outstanding social achievements in and outside of college. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award is the most prestigious and longest running accolade a young person aged between 9 and 25 years can receive for their social and humanitarian work. Due to her involvement in the Honeypot Children’s Charity, Bethannie recently had the opportunity to meet with former Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing Street. Honeypot works towards enhancing lives of young carers and vulnerable children. In addition, Bethannie supports the Hounslow Young Carers Project, which earned her The Diana Award nomination.
Message from our College Leadership Team Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) is a vibrant, diverse and friendly community with outstanding students and staff. We have a wide range of subjects and courses at different levels, a strong support team plus a range of facilities and enrichment activities that allow our students to fulfill their potential and achieve their ambitions. We are incredibly proud of the successes and achievements of our students and in this edition of our termly Celebrate newsletter, you can read about the wonderful and inspiring stories from the past few months.
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Collaborating with The Red Box Project to fight period poverty In April, The Red Box Project visited our college to provide students with one of their red boxes, containing free sanitary products. The Red Box Project is a national initiative, founded 2 years ago in Portsmouth. Today, it has distributed more than 3,750 red boxes in educational institutions and works with organisations such as ALWAYS and TAMPAX towards ending period poverty and empowering girls. Julia Clarke and Destiny Gomes, Early Years students, raised concerns through the college’s Student Voice Forum about the impact of period poverty and its effect on students. They found that, although sanitary vending machines are provided, sometimes girls can be caught off guard by their period and do not have the coins needed for the machines. Having the option to get free sanitary products from the red box will help students on these occasions. The red box is placed in room C15, RuTC’s Welfare Hub.
Engineering students at BMW and Power Plant In April, our Level 3 Electrical/ Electronic and Mechanical Engineering Diploma students took a trip to Dungeness Nuclear Power Plant in Kent, where they learnt about the processes and benefits of using nuclear power. On a seperate trip, our Level 2 Engineering students had the opportunity to see the entire assembly line and quality control of the BMW Car Plant in Oxford, where they learnt about car manufacturing process.
BAFTA Award for A Level student Elizabeth Orji-Smith In June, A Level student Elizabeth Orji-Smith attended the BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) award ceremony, where she won the Game Concept Award for 15-18 year olds. The ninth annual YGD competition celebrates and acknowledges the creativity that is required when designing games. It gives young people an understanding how rewarding a career within this industry can be. Elizabeth studies A Levels in Computer Science, Graphic Design and Maths at RuTC and commented how these courses have helped her to achieve her goal of becoming a games designer. Her submitted concept ‘Creatively Bankrupt’ is a role player game about a small, Robin Hood like heist group, that tries to unlock a vault that holds a creative treasure. About her BAFTA YGD win Elizabeth said, “It is exciting, surprising, and I’m ecstatic to be a BAFTA Young Game Designers winner. My game concept came from a lot of different sources including friends and podcasts and I had had the idea of a heist game in my mind for a while. Three days before the competition deadline I saw an advert for YGD and decided to go for it! For anyone who wants to enter next year I’d say come at it from the heart, understand what you love about games and spring ideas off other people as they can bring out the best in you. Just submitting an entry is so valuable. The whole experience has been such fun, making new friends, meeting amazing people from the industry and seeing what you can aim towards.”
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Celebrating our new building at the Topping Out Ceremony On Friday 24 May, staff and students from the college celebrated the Topping Out Ceremony of our new building, Richmond Building, with our construction partner ISG. Over 100 guests attended the event, including Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party and MP for Twickenham, Sir Vince Cable, the new Richmond Mayor, Nancy Baldwin, and staff from the many companies involved in the new campus project. Since breaking ground in June 2018, the site is unrecognisable with the building’s shell now complete, the Topping Out Ceremony marked this milestone. The ceremony was marked by the tightening of the last bolt, carried out by student Bethannie York. Bethannie studies A Levels at RuTC and was chosen for her incredible achievements both in and outside of college, which earned her the prestigious Diana Award. Sir Vince Cable said, “This building is the first step in realising Richmond upon Thames College’s vision to turn this college into a centre of excellence
This Girl Can: Roller Disco Fun We hosted a roller disco in the Sports Hall in May that was organised by AoC Sport (Association of Colleges) as part of the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign. Female students from Uxbridge College, St Dominic’s Sixth Form College, Sir George Monoux College and NewVIc took part in the two-hour roller skating disco, where quad roller skates and a DJ were provided. This event is one of many organised by AoC Sport for the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign, which aims to get more females involved in sport and physical activity.
for vocational and educational training and apprenticeships in the region. I am delighted that the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is hosting such a forward-thinking project.” Steven McGee, Managing Director of ISG’s UK Construction South division, said, “A great deal of hard work, creative thinking and collaboration has brought this project to this fantastic milestone. We are starting to see a truly world-class facility come to life.” The Richmond Building is on schedule for completion early 2020.
Annual Creative Art and Media Exhibition At the end of the academic year, our annual Creative Art and Media Exhibition took place. Students from all Art courses and levels displayed the artwork they created. The exhibition coincided with the college’s final open event of the year, so potential students were provided with the opportunity to see the fantastic range of creative opportunities on offer. Other visitors included RuTC alumni, students’ families and The Friends of Turner’s House.
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Engineering Apprentices annual ECITB Awards In June, our Engineering students were celebrated at the annual Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) Awards. Every year, this special award ceremony takes place to recognise the accomplishments of engineering apprentices during their first year. Major regional and national employers attended the event, held in the college’s training restaurant ‘Merits’, including Worley, Jacobs, Saipem, KBR and Tyco. Students who participated in SmartPlant Training received certificates for their achievements. In addition to the certificates, James Lockhart won the Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by Worley, and Spencer Boyce received the Higher National Certificate (HNC) Student of the Year Award, sponsored by KBR. Dawn Thompson, ECITB Senior Account Manager, said, “Another successful cohort has completed their first year of their respective apprenticeship programmes. Once
again the staff at Richmond upon Thames College have worked closely with employers and students to ensure that all students complete and are able to commence and deliver on projects upon their return to work. We look forward to September when a new cohort of apprentices will start at Richmond upon Thames College marking the 8th year of this successful partnership.” Diane Gregory, Curriculum Director at RuTC, said, “This event is a celebration of student success in the Engineering department. The college thanks all employers who have given their support and our engineering teachers who have worked with our students to achieve such fantastic results.”
Supporting #LoveOurColleges Week of Activity
Early Years students visit Hounslow Urban Farm
This year the AoC (Association of Colleges) launched the Love Our Colleges campaign to raise awareness of the important role colleges play in education. In May, we joined other colleges on social media to highlight the campaign’s statement how important college education is, also to the country’s economic growth. Colleges prepare young people for the work place and further study. Yearly, 2.2 million people receive education and training from colleges, so it is vital that the further education sector is properly recognised.
In May, Level 1 Caring for Children (Early Years) students visited Hounslow Urban Farm to learn about different ways to teach children. During the trip to the farm, students learnt about how they can make educational trips for young people and children a fun and interactive learning experience. Curriculum Manager, Toni Whitehouse said: “This is always a great learning experience for our students, it gets them out of the classroom and thinking about different ways that they can teach and support children.”
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Twickenham’s ‘Turner Prize’ for Art students In May, the Friends of Turner’s House in Twickenham visited our Art department to take on the role of judges for an Art and Design Extended Diploma Level 3 student project. The project’s theme was ‘Light’, highlighting the art of J.M.W. Turner through time-based media, such as animation, photography, installation and film. The students visited Turner’s House and got to know his artwork through own research, experiments and design processes. For the past four years, the Friends of Turner’s House have been awarding RuTC students with Twickenham’s ‘Turner Prize’. Judge and member of the Friends of Turner’s House, Lynne Reeves, commented: “Every year we are more and more impressed with the quality of the students’ artwork. Courses and projects like these will prepare them for their future career.”
‘Keeping It Wild Digital Stories’ Supported Learning students collaborated with Headliners for the joint project ‘Keeping It Wild Digital Stories’. Headliners works together with young vulnerable people. Through learning programmes which involve unique usage of multi-media they create publications which have been featured on BBC, SKY and ITV. Students worked with Headliners, Crane Park Island and photographers over 12 weeks to capture their experiences with nature. By creating digital stories, they faced the challenge of communicating their emotions about wildlife.
Committing to support students and staff with mental health and wellbeing During Mental Health Awareness Week, our college reaffirmed the commitment to staff and students by signing up to a brand new national mental health and wellbeing charter - created by the AoC (Association of Colleges) in conjunction with mental health experts. The 11-point document includes commitments to: • Promoting equality of opportunity and challenging mental health stigma • Providing appropriate mental health training for staff • Providing targeted individual mental health support where appropriate Every year, 1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem and 1 in 5 young people aged 16-24 experience a common mental illness such as anxiety or depression at any one time. Add to these facts, 75% of adults with a diagnosable mental health problem experience their first symptoms before the age of 24 which means our college plays a vital role in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of its students and staff. Sharon Cousins, Assistant Principal – Student Experience, said, “Every student and staff member deserves to work, study and train in an environment that supports them to be healthy, happy and secure. That is why I am proud to sign the AoC Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter on behalf of Richmond upon Thames College. We take our commitment seriously and whilst we have a great track record, we are always keen to do more.”
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Catering students continue to win gold and receive Jack Petchey Summer Term Award During May half term, Catering students competed at the 2019 Wessex Salon Culinaire competition and walked away with 4 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. After winning several categories at the national Salon Culinaire chef competition earlier this year in Birmingham, 9 students competed again in front of a live audience at Brockenhurst College. The annual competition, hosted by the Craft Guild of Chefs, is one of the UK’s most highly respected competitions for young chefs and attracts over 500 competitors. Amy Wait, Leise Meale and Oliver Brett, all 17 years old and studying NVQ Level 2 Professional Cookery Diploma, chose to compete in the Team Cook and Serve Challenge, one of the toughest events in the competition, and walked away with gold. In addition to her team win, Leise also won a bronze medal for her cocktail making skills. Teacher Neal Hook was invited to compete last minute in the Broil King BBQ event. Without time to practise and plan his dish he still received a silver medal. Level 3 Professional Cookery student Cara Burton was awarded gold for her cocktail inspired cupcake display, whilst Level 1 Professional Cookery students Ana Silva and Arany Yogeswaran won silver medals for their knife and butchery skills. In June, Arany was also chosen to receive the Jack Petchey Summer Term Award not only for her great achievements in catering, but also for her positive attitude, supporting others, commitment and being a great role model. According to her peers and teachers she still finds the time to make her classmates laugh, even under pressure.
Student Progression Days 2019 In June and July, students had the opportunity to meet many universities, employers and alumni to receive information for their future careers. Employers, including The British Army, Financial Times, chef Malcolm John, Orange Tree Theatre, Barclays and SupaNetwork, gave students an insight into their companies, recruiting processes and offered practical workshops. Austin Sharp, RuTC alumnus and founder of boiler, bathroom and kitchen specialist company WeFix in Teddington, talked to Business and Construction Crafts students about how his experiences at RuTC shaped his career and what it takes to start your own business. Other alumni offered catering workshops and training with Health & Social Care students. Livvy Jones, alumnus and former Student Award winner, talked about her journey from college to studying at Oxford University and now doing a Psychology PhD programme at King’s College London. Speakers from guest universities included St Mary’s University, who spoke about student life, University of West London, talking to Health & Social Care and Science students, University of Portsmouth, informing IT students about course and career options and The Open University giving information about Degree Apprenticeships. Royal Holloway University of London, which is part of the innovative storytelling project StoryFutures together with RuTC and others, hosted interactive virtual reality sessions with the students (see photo above). In addition to external speakers, RuTC’s internal services, including Training Solutions, Student Services and the Learning Resource Centre, informed students about ways to progress to university or their next step at RuTC.
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Best Learner Award for Art and Design student Ian Canlas
Sport students compete at Beach Rugby Tournament
Ian Canlas was awarded with the Best Learner Award at the House of Lords in May. Ian stood out among other students due to his impressive development. Although not being an English native speaker, he gained distinction grades in the Level 2 UAL Diploma in Art and Design course and progressed onto Level 3, gaining distinction grades again. About his win, Ian said, “Receiving the Best Learner Award is a great honour and I am really proud of this achievement. I am the first one in my family who can pursue a higher education and although it is hard work, I am thankful for Richmond upon Thames College’s support. I am now able to pursue my goals of high grades and to study architecture at the University of Kent.”
In June, Sport students took part in an annual Beach Rugby Tournament at West Wittering Beach in West Sussex. The college’s team competed in the tournament for the second time and will register again for next year. The event was organised by Chichester College in association with RFU Colleges and AoC Sport. The students competed against 15 other teams, some of them coming from as far as Birmingham. Mark Brough, Commercial Facilities Manager, said, “The tournament had a good natured and friendly atmosphere but teams were still eager to compete against each other. The location was fantastic, it was a good experience for our students and they were great ambassadors for our college.”
Four Performing Arts productions in four weeks On 8 May, final year UAL Level 3 Diploma in Performing and Production Arts Drama students performed their rendition of ‘Murder on the Orient Express. The play, based on Agatha Christie’s classic novel, was performed in front of a sold out audience. Students who will continue their Level 3 course next year took the audience on a unique journey. On 15 May, they performed Pulitzer Prize nominee Sarah Ruhl’s interpretation of the play ‘Eurydice’. Our UAL Level 3 Diploma Performing and Production Art Dance students showcased their incredible skills at the end of year VIBE dance show on 21 and 22 May. Teacher Hannah Fryer said, “VIBE was made up from a mixture of group numbers, which were designed to showcase the students’ technical progress. It was an opportunity for all students within the Dance
department to work together to create a professional and high level performance.” The final major project of the year took place on 5 June. UAL Level 3 Diploma in Performing and Production Arts Drama students performed Sarah Kane’s ‘4.48 Psychosis’. Teacher Jane Swift said, “This performance was a creative team work project; students performed, made the sound effects, designed the sets and costumes and marketed the play. I am very proud of the students’ extraordinary work.”
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We raised £1,295.38 for our partner charity This academic year we raised £1,295.38 to support Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, the leading children’s hospice charity, caring for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions. Supporting the charity over the last 3 years is important to RuTC, as it contributes to the commitment to provide care to children and their families. Supported Learning students hosted a Christmas bake sale, which raised £65.50, and a raffle raised another £157.87. In addition, the students collected the content of 5p bottles from all over the college throughout the year and raised £251.82. The college’s training restaurant Merits hosted 2 charity lunches, adding £517. Student Services contributed to activities around Christmas time, including a staff pop up choir and festive dress day, raising another £303.09.
Autumn Term 2019 Dates Enrolment starts Thursday 22 August 2019 Induction starts Monday 2 September 2019 Teaching starts Monday 9 September 2019
Know someone who wants to join RuTC? Apply now at www.rutc.ac.uk/apply or visit one of our Open Events: • • • • • • •
Saturday 12 October 2019, 10.00am - 2.00pm Wednesday 6 November 2019, 5.00pm - 8.00pm Tuesday 10 March 2020, 5.00pm - 8.00pm Saturday 21 March 2020, 10.00am - 2.00pm Wednesday 25 March 2020, 5.00pm - 8.00pm Wednesday 22 April 2020, 5.00pm - 8.00pm Tuesday 23 June 2020, 5.00pm - 8.00pm
Plumbing students and apprentices talk to Triton Showers and Vaillant In June, Triton Showers visited our Level 2, Level 3 and Apprentice Plumbing students. Steve Saunders, Senior Technical Manager at Triton Showers, presented the latest product developments and talked about how the company has grown since it was founded in 1975. He highlighted the various career paths at the company and students learnt a lot about technical data and gave Triton Showers feedback on how to support apprentices in their career development. Steve Saunders said, “It was fantastic to see the students really engage with the Triton training. We look forward to providing ongoing support to Richmond upon Thames College and the trainee plumbers now and throughout their future careers.” In July, Plumbing apprentices were offered the opportunity to train with industry experts from Vaillant, one of Europe’s biggest companies in the sector. Vaillant invited our students to spend the day at their state of the art Farnborough Centre of Excellence to learn about the latest innovations in heating technologies. Apprentices were able to train and get hands on experience carrying out diagnostic test on boilers and smart accessories. One of Vaillant’s key trainers gave professional advice and guidance throughout the entire day. Raj Johal, RuTC Plumbing teacher, said, “All apprentices unanimously agreed that the day was excellent and they all benefitted from this event. We are looking forward to future collaborations between Richmond upon Thames College and Vaillant.”
Know someone who wants to join RuTC? Apply now at www.rutc.ac.uk/apply