Alumni Newsletter Winter 2019

Term 1: September - December 2019

LONG ROAD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE Alumni Newsletter

LongRoadSixthFormCollege @LR6FC @lr6fc

www.longroad.ac.uk 01223 631100 enquiries@longroad.ac.uk

WELCOME We have had an action packed 1st term here at

We have tried to narrow down our favourite

Long Road Sixth Form College; welcoming our

events that have happened over the last term

new Year 1 students to the college and catching

to share with you; but remember you can keep

up with our Year 2 students after a relaxing

up with everything that has been going on by

summer holiday break.

checking out our website noticeboard www.longroad.ac.uk/noticeboard.

Our staff and students have been busy getting involved in a wide range of different events, both on an off campus, and listening to lectures from experts both inside and outside the classtoom.

CONTENTS Page 3: Exam Results 2019 Page 5: Careers & Progression Update Page 6: Highlighting Exceptional Students Page 7: Long Road Scholars Award 2019/2020 Page 9: Well-being Fair Page 10: Sports Student Mentors Page 11: A Level Photography residential Paris trip Page 12: Volunteering Club help raise £1225 for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association Page 13: Children in Need 2019 Page 14: Educational Trips and Visits Page 15: Forthcoming Events

A LEVEL RESULTS CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR STUDENTS We are so proud of all our hard-

Across our rich curriculum, A level

pass rates across many courses too

working students and our dedicated

Art, Graphics, Textiles, Biology,

including Applied Science, with 93%

teachers who collectively have

History, Film, Further Maths,

of students achieving the highest

achieved a wonderful set of results this

Photography, Religious Studies

Distinction star (D*) grade and

year.Whether in the arts or the

and Spanish have all achieved a

Business with 85%. Our Criminology

sciences, our students have achieved

very impressive 100% pass rate, to

course continues to excel into its

exceptionally well. Biology sustained

name a few. We are pleased that

second year, with a 99% pass rate

excellent performance with a 100%

we have continued to maintain

and 35% of students achieving the

pass rate and 37 % high grades A*-B,

our overall A level pass rate at

highest A*- B grades. Other courses

putting their performance in the top

97% despite the very significant

with excellent results were Art &

25% of the country. A level 3D Design

challenges of the reformed two

Design, Health and Social Care, ICT,

and Painting wowed with a stunning

year linear A levels. Our Level 3

Graphics, Musical Theatre,

75% high grades A*-B, as did English

Applied Diploma students also

Photography, Sport and Media;

Language and Literature with 40% high

achieved some outstanding

whose excellent performance placed

grades A*-B.

successes with 100%

them in the top 5% nationally.

Smiles all round at Long Road as future Doctors, Engineers, Film Producers and Politicians collect their results Congratulations to all our wonderful students who received their results this summer. We invited some of our lovely, talented students in to college to collect and celebrate their results with us. Our students were greeted with tea, coffee, fresh pastries and a Long Road goodie bag as a congratulations gift from all the Long Road staff who are so proud of their achievements.

A LEVEL RESULTS: CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR STUDENTS Dahna Nugumanova D* Business D* Graphic Design B Psychology

Studying Psychology at the University of Newcastle

Beth Wildman D* Photography D* Media D* ICT

Applying for BBC Apprenticeship in Film Production

Oliver Nunn

Hayden Wong

A English Literature

A Chemistry

A History A Politics

A Physics A Maths A Further Maths

Studying a History

Aeronautical

Degree at the

Engineering at

University of Sheffield

Loughborough University

Izabella Bonifacio

Noah Reyes

A Biology

A Biology

A Chemistry

A Chemistry

B Psychology

A Maths

Applying for

Studying Medicine at

Biochemistry and

Plymouth University

Pharmacology degrees

Jacob Pybus A Biology A English Lit & Lang

Sophie Forbes A Chemistry A Psychology B Biology

A Sociology B Media

Gap year with Cambridge University Vet School then

Studying Media at the University of Leeds

studying Veterinary Medicine

Sophie Kerridge

Jess Dixon

A Religious Studies

A Criminology

A Sociology

A Geography

B History

A Sociology

Studying American

Gap year with a Law

Studies at Sussex

firm then studying Law

University

at Bristol University

CAREERS AND PROGRESSION UPDATES Higher Education Month - October 2019 Throughout October, a different university visited the college each day setting up a stand in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC). Both our Year 1 and Year 2 students were encouraged by their teachers and Progress Coaches to approach the university whilst they were on campus to find out more about a specific university, specific courses or ask general questions on topics such as UCAS applications and student finance. Feedback from students told us that they like the organisation of having just 1 university per day visit the college as it gives them the opportunity to meet a range of universities in an environment that is familiar and less intimidating than large higher education exhibitions and career fairs. The list of universities who took part in our Higher Education Month 2019 is as follows:

Anglia Ruskin University

University of East Anglia

University of Suffolk

University of Bedfordshire

Dundee University

Leeds Beckett University

De Montfort University

University of Lincoln

University of Brighton

University of Plymouth

University of Hertforsdshire

Coventry University

University of Essex

Pathway CTM In October the college welcomed Pathway CTM onto campus to talk to students about different progression routes and what support and help they can offer. In the morning, representatives from Pathway CTM spent time in the LRC holding 1-to-1 drop in sessions with students before giving a formal talk in the afternoon to interested students on their options after Long Road. The talk also included information on how Pathway CTM can assist students as they progress onto their next steps after Long Road, including information on their telephone mentoring service.

Health and Social Care Careers Event Our annual Health and Social Care Careers Event took place on the 28th November 2019, with all students studying Health and Social Care taking part in the event. Students were split into two groups by their class teachers, while the day was split into two sessions; a Careers Carousel in the Student Centre and specific classroom workshops, with the groups of students alternating between each area.

At the Careers Carousel students had short 15 minute talks from different organisations including; Addenbrookes Hospital, Bright Horizons Nurseries, Cambridge Regional College, NHS Foundation Trust Cambridge & Peterborough and Steadfast Vocational Training. Students were able to find out from professionals what their work involves and how to start carers in these industries.

In the classroom workshops students attended an apprenticeship talk from Form the Future, had an Interview and Application Skills talk from Kameo Recruitment and took part in mock interviews with a range of industry professionals, after which each student was given written feedback. Feedback from visitors was very positive commenting that students were engaging, interested, taking notes and asking good, thoughtful questions.

HIGHLIGHTING EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS Charlotte Elliott A huge congratulations to Charlotte Elliott who has won a place and a financial aid package to study at a top US university after participating in the Sutton Trust US Programme, run in partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission. Charlotte, will take up their place at Whitman College, Washington, to study Liberal Arts majoring in Politics this autumn. Charlotte is one of 75 teenagers from the 2018-19 cohort to have won a place at a top US university.

Charlotte said, “When I found out I had been accepted to Whitman, I was so happy and a little bit surprised. Applying to American colleges is so competitive and I was so grateful that my hard work with the Sutton Trust and Fulbright Commission had paid off! I decided studying in the US was a good fit for me when I visited American colleges on the Sutton Trust US programme. I favoured the liberal approach to higher level studying which allows you to take a broad range of classes before deciding which subject is the best for you. The Fulbright team encouraged us to apply for colleges that were a good fit for us rather than focusing on name-brand universities. Whitman College ticked so many of my boxes and, after discussions with the Fulbright team, it was a no-brainer to apply there.”

Student Success at Cambridge Water Young Innovators' Panel Congratulations to Year 2 students Casey Lambert, Daniel Davey, Matt Brown and Myles Wilson for their success in the Cambridge Water Young Innovators’ Programme! Casey, Daniel, Matt and Myles were each awarded one of just 20 places on the Cambridge Water Young Innovators’ Panel.

During the summer, students spent a day at the Eddington development site in Cambridge learning about Cambridge Water and the challenges the company faces. At the end of the day, Senior Managers set a real-life task of developing a plan to encourage people to use less water. The students were split into teams, working hard over the summer to prepare a presentation for the Senior Managers at Cambridge Water where they would pitch their ideas on how to reduce water consumption.

On Friday 13th September the students returned to the Eddington development in Cambridge to present their ideas to Cambridge Water. We are pleased to announce that of the competing teams Myles Wilson’s team was award first place; Myles received

£100

for taking part in the project and an additional

£100

Amazon voucher for winning the competition.

Casey Lambert’s and Daniel Davey’s teams came joint second, each awarded

£100

for taking part and a further

£50

in

Amazon vouchers for coming second place. All the students who took part will also receive a reference from Cambridge Water that they can use in their university and/or apprenticeship applications.

LONG ROAD SCHOLARS AWARD 2019/2020

Congratulations to our 2nd year of Long Road Scholars’ who were presented their awards in November at a special lunch event with our Principal, Yolanda Botham.

Year 2 Scholars’, Martin, Alana, Jj, Dale and Millie all returned for the lunch event to receive the second instalment of their award, and to meet the new Year 1 Scholars’; Owen, Robyn, Abigail, Joely, Vicky, Amalie and Pheobe. The Scholars’ enjoyed lunch with the Principal in her office, where they discussed what they planned to use their Scholars’ Award for and what they have been enjoying about their time at Long Road thus far.

The Long Road Scholars' Award gives exceptional students with outstanding GCSE grades the opportunity to be awarded a

£500

scholarship from the college to use for 'super-curricular' activities that will help them excel in their subjects and aspire

to the highest possible achievement in their study programmes. In return, Long Road Scholars' volunteer at college events, such as Open Evenings, and attend half-termly focus group meetings with the Principal.

LONG ROAD SCHOLARS AWARD 2019/2020

Millie Fisher Studies: Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Physics What has been my favourite thing about Long Road? I admire and appreciate the extra effort my teachers put in to help me. Since we started looking at careers before the summer, I’ve had a lot of guidance and resources thrown my way to make sure I’m really considering my options. I am now hoping to go to university in September 2020, and with the help of my teachers, I will go to my first choice. I have used 16% of my scholar money on learning resources such as revision flash-cards that have been written by past examiners. For now, I will save the rest of my money, however, I have been contemplating putting it towards buying a new laptop for university.

Vicky Ginn Studies: Criminology, Geography, Psychology I chose to study at Long Road because for me to get the best out of education, I need an atmosphere that’s relaxed and friendly.

I felt that Long is a really well-rounded and comfortable place for me to fit in and study what I want to, including the criminology course that isn’t offered at many other 6th forms. I applied for the Scholars’ Award because it gave me a great goal to aim to achieve throughout my GCSEs and despite not thinking it possible, if I got it, it would look great on a CV. My career goal is to be in the uniformed services, either in the dog handling unit in the police force or join the military police for the army. I will be using my scholar money to pay for travel and any equipment I require at Long Road, like textbooks and revision guides in preparation for my exams.

Martin Attmore Studies: Film, Media Life at Long Road has been great. Whatever you want, you have the opportunity to make it happen: I wanted to set up Cinema Club, and I did. I wanted to achieve high grades, and I am. With the Scholar’s Award money I will make a film. Work took priority so I didn’t use any of the first-year money but I wrote a script and I planned the film. At the start of second year, I was asked to lead the Filmmakers Collective at the college, and suddenly I found another reason to make the film. My crew is coming together and I aim to have the film made to a high standard. I want the film to be good enough to enter into next year’s Cambridge Film Festival.”

Owen Shield Studies: Chemistry, Design Technology, Politics I chose to study at Long because I thought it would be the best place to further my interests in metalwork. The DT department looked great on the open evening and the course is interesting and fun. As well as that, the atmosphere at Long Road is so positive and really encourages your independence.I applied for the Scholar’s Award to fund the purchase of more materials and tools to work with, and it also gave me extra motivation to work hard at GCSEs. It feels great knowing that all the effort you put in gets recognised.

Jj Greene Studies: Biology, Chemistry, Maths My favourite thing about Long Road is the lovely, friendly atmosphere within the college. Instead of dreading going to school I look forward to it because everyone’s smiley and it’s not a dreary atmosphere at all. My career goal is to be a vet so I am really hoping to go to the Royal Veterinary College in London to study veterinary medicine so I can become a veterinary surgeon in the future.I saved most of my money to go towards university next year but some of it that I didn’t save I spent mainly on textbooks and revision guides that I know I’ll need for this next year.

WELL-BEING FAIR 2019 We had an AMAZING time back in October at what was our busiest Well-being Fair to date. From Yoga and TableTennis to Arts and Crafts, and of course our favourite therapy dogs, there was so much to get involved with to help you look after your mental health and well-being! We’ve outline each area of the Well-being Fair below to highlight the different ways you can look after yourself and remind you of the different techniques and activities you can use to relax. Before you read any further we’d love to give a huge shout out to Joe Macdonald for taking these wonderful photos, and to Hobby Craft and The Co-Op for providing us with lots of arts and crafts supplies and fresh fruit!

Keep Learning Learning new skills doesn’t just mean getting more qualifications or boosting your CV with extra-curricular activities, but research shows that it also improves your mental health! There are lots of ways to bring learning into your life – why not try the LRC 6 book challenge?

Connect We all know that asking for help is the first step to getting and staying well, but it can often be the hardest step to take. Knowing where to start and having someone to turn to can make it easier to reach out. Try visiting our Student Welfare Team in the Academic Support area down lower C corridor for a friendly face to talk to – they can also put you in touch with local organisations who are there to help.

Be Present It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to pay attention to your own thoughts, feelings, or the world around you! Stopping for a moment to focus on the present moment can improve your mental well-being. Take some time for a mindfulness session, try out some Yoga, write down some positive messages or play with some therapy animals.

Be Active Keeping active isn’t only great for your physical health but also your mental health! There are loads of ways to stay fit at Long Road – whether you join our gym, take part in team sports or just play for fun there is something you can get involved in. Head over to our Sports Centre to find out what sports and fitness activities you can take part in.

Give Small (or large!) acts of kindness, such as volunteering in your local community, can give you a sense of purpose, make you feel happier and more satisfied with life! Get in touch with Sam Plant to find out about the Long Road Volunteering Club or visit the Volunteering Page on our website to see what current activities you can get involved in.

SPORT STUDENT MENTORS This term, 8 of our Year 2 Level 3 Sports Diploma students have been taking part in a Student Mentor initiative. Students Emily, Katie, Olivia, Maddie, Carrie, Richie, Scott and Jack are being placed as Student Mentors, performing teaching assistant roles, across Year 1 Level 3 Sports Diploma classes. Each student has chosen a unit of study that they feel was a strength during their own Year 1 study to focus on as a Student Mentor. Their role as a Student Mentor will see them working in lessons with Year 1 students who would like some peer support; not only will they be discussing the unit of study and specific tasks but they will also talk about wider issues such as progression.

Students Emily and Richie have helped Year 1 students updated their training diaries; delivering Training Logbook guidance on SMART Targets and session plans. Emily and Richie sat with students on a one to one basis for 10 minutes each, seeing a total of 10 students each during the lesson, using their own Year 1 Training and Fitness work folders as a reference point to offer advice and guidance. Emily and Richie then worked together to conclude with 5 main feedback points for all students, based on the work they had seen, which were then delivered to the class at the end of the lesson. Ben Hudson, Course Team Leader, said Emily and Richie were both highly professional and a credit to themselves; both Ben and his students are looking forward to Emily and Richie returning to the same lesson next week.

Students Maddie and Olivia have also helped assist a Business unit lesson, while Katie, Carrie, Scott and Jack have been placed in classes covering topics such as Coaching and Analysis of Sports Performance. Feedback from staff and students has been universally and overwhelmingly positive, with teachers across the PE and Sports department greatly appreciating the extra support and guidance our Student Mentors have provided their Year 1 students so far.

PHOTOGRAPHY RESIDENTIAL PARIS TRIP

Our A Level Photography residential trip to Paris was a great success again this year; with the autumn light being perfect for taking atmospheric photographs. When we first arrived, the students were keen to spend the afternoon exploring nearby Montmartre, photographing the sun setting over the city from the steps of Sacre Coeur.

The next morning we were treated to a fabulous exhibition at the Museum of European Photography. We had a guide to show us work by Moroccan photographer Hassan Hajjij. His highly decorative portraits were innovative, reflecting a strong cultural identity. The guide gave our students valuable insights into the practical and photographic influences on his images.

The afternoons were spent taking photographs at a variety of exciting locations, including the picturesque Jardin du Luxembourg, the bustling Rue Daguerre and a section of the extraordinary abandoned railway that encircles the city, the 'Petite Ceinture'. In the evenings the students discussed their work and voted on the best shots of the day. Well done to Amy, Zoe and Amia who were winners!

On Thursday we went to the Photo Festival held annually at the magnificent Grand Palais. The students agreed it was an inspirational experience as they saw such a range of iconic and contemporary photographs.

The students said the highlights of the trip were "Having the opportunity to shoot in unfamiliar locations", "Experiencing Paris culture and food", “Making new friends” and especially “The boat trip along the Seine at night”.

VOLUNTEERING CLUB HELP RAISE £ 1225 FOR GUIDE DOGS ASSOCIATION

We’d like to say a huge congratulations to the Long Road Volunteering Club who helped raise a massive

£1225

for the

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in November at their Christmas Charity Bazaar!

Students Oliwia Sutowska, Anna McPherson, Eddie Carrington, Zainab Stockton and Weronika Wedrychowwicz have each been giving up 2 hours of their time every week since May to help the Christmas Charity Bazaar organiser, Marion Mansfield, plan the event. Student Weronika told us “we were fundraising money for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and Fight Against Blindness to help individuals that struggle with daily life and activities due to blindness and other issues. The money raised will be used for training, activities and resources for new guide dogs that will eventually become qualified to aid blind people and improve their quality of life, general well-being and confidence. Also, some of the money will go into research for understanding the needs of users and care of dogs”. Student Oliwia encouraged other students to get involved with Volunteering Club because “not only can they be helping others, they can learn new things from people who are different from the. By learning more about different things in life, it makes us richer in knowledge”.

The group spent their Saturday at St John the Evangelist Church, helping Marion to set up the event and running their own stall where they raised

£200

in just 2 hours! Weronika said she really enjoyed the event and that “the atmosphere was very

cheerful and it was great to see so many new people smiling, laughing and contributing to the charity meanwhile enjoying their time are the fair.” Sam Plant, organiser of the Long Road Volunteering Club, also attended the event with the students and told us that “our students were a credit to themselves and this college.. they were exceptional!”. Event organiser Marion got in touch with Sam and the students after the event to say “What a fantastic event and so many people supporting the event, I think events like this bring the local community together. It never ceases to amaze me how generous and kind people are and we raised a fantastic

£1225.

I anticipate the final figure will increase so will keep you posted.As

you have all experienced there is a huge amount of behind the scenes work to make these events successful. Planning, delegating and coordination plus communication skills are essential and I hope you have all learnt from the experience so in the future you will all have some understanding of how to run an event. You all did amazingly well with your stall on the day and selling tickets, cake baking, selling merchandise and clearing away.”

CHILDREN IN NEED 2019

A huge well done to Head of Studies, Tim Whittaker, and student Richie who managed to raise a MASSIVE

£400

for

Children in Need today by shaving their heads!All week Sports Services Manager, Matt Payne, has been collecting donations from Long Road students and staff after Tim promised that if

£200

was raised for Children in Need by

Friday morning then he would shave his head at Friday lunchtime. After hearing about Tim’s brave promise, student Richie also got involved to boost donations All our staff and students got behind Tim and Richie, managing to raise a total of

£400!

At 12:30pm a nervous Tim and Richie entered the Sports Centre where they found a large group of staff and students ready to cheer them on! Tim went first, letting Progress Coach Lisa make the first shave! After that the hair come off thick and fast, by 1pm both Tim and Richie were rocking their new looks. Well done to everyone involved and thank you for everyone who has contributed.

EDUCATIONAL TRIPS AND VISITS Our students have taken part in the usual wide range of trips, visits and visiting speakers this term, a list of which can be found detailed below. You can also keep up-to-date and find out more about a range of college activities on our website noticeboard -

www.longroad.ac.uk/noticeboard

Date

Department

Event

07 October 2019

Photography

Visiting speaker: K Hacker, ARU Progression

08 October 2019

Health & Social Care

Burwell drop-in

08 October 2019

Physics

Camb Physics Centre Lecture Programme 19/20 Cavendish Laboratories

08 October 2019

Physics

ESS Launch Programme, Uni of Cambs Department of Engineering

09 October 2019

Photography

Visiting speaker, K Hacker ARU Progression

09 & 11 October 2019

Business

Apocalypse Paintball

14 October 2019

Sport

Combat Paintball, student organised event

15 October 2019

Business

5 a-side Football tournament, student organised event

16 October 2019

Photography

Contact sheet workshop with Ben Bradish-Ellames

16 October 2019

Economics

Festival of Ideas workshop

18 October 2019

Sport

Lee Valley White Water Centre

18 October 2019

Business

Thorpe Park, student organised event

26 October 2019

Sport

Match day experience, West Ham United Football Club

29 October 2019

Performing Arts

Musical Theatre and auditions workshop

30 October 2019

Film Studies

Visiting speaker, Sarah barrow & Tanya Horeck

01 & 05 November 2019 Art

Botanical Gardens

05 November 2019

Photography

Paris residential trip, Grand Hotel de Turin

06 November 2019

Sport

Anglia Ruskin University progression planning for university

19 November 2019

Media

Light Cinema screening 'The Hate U Give'

19 November 2019

Film Studies

Visiting speaker, Simon Hall ex BBC journalist

19 November 2019

Business

Cambridge University Press employability skills workshop

20 November 2019

Art

Visiting speakers from Kettles Yard

20 November 2019

Physics

Visit by French Lycee students

21 November 2019

Art

Tate Modern & Borough Market observational drawing & photography

21 November 2019

Computing

WorldSkills UK Live

28 November 2019

Performing Arts

Milton Keynes Theatre 'Six'

28 November 2019

Health and Social Care

Health and Social Care Careers Event

06 December 2019

Politics

Parliament tour, Westminister

10 December 2019

Performing Arts

Kings College Chapel Christmas Carol Service

11 December 2019

Performing Arts

Christmas Concert

16 December 2019

Performing Arts

'Into The Woods' student performance

FORTHCOMING EVENTS We have exciting range of trips, workshops, visiting speakers and college events coming up next term, a provisional list of which can be found detailed below. Make sure your child talks to their subject teachers or Progress Coach if they want more information on any of our forthcoming events. You can also keep up-to-date on a range of forthcoming events our website noticeboard -

www.longroad.ac.uk/noticeboard/events

Date

Department

Event

08 January 2020

Criminology

Life Behind Bars Criminology Conference

08 January 2020

Media

Norwich University of the Arts

15 January 2020

Criminology

Border Force, Stansted Airport

18 January 2020

Art

New York City

20 January 2020

Biology

Young Pharmas masterclass

23 January 2020

Photography

National Portrait Gallery

23 January 2020

Applied Science

Sizewell B Power station

30 January 2020

English

The Arts Theatre 'Othello'

27 February 2020

Performing Arts

The Arts Theatre 'The Woman in Black'

04 March 2020

Psychology

Krakow

30 March 2020

Media

New York City

05 April 2020

English

Cambridge Ice Arena

Spring Term Dates 2020 06 January 2020

Start of Term

31 January 2020

Admissions Day - college closed to students

13 February 2020

Admissions Day - college closed to students

14 February 2020

Staff Training Day - college closed to students

17 - 21 February 2020

Half Term

03 April 2020

End of Term

06 - 17 April 2020

Easter Holiday

Term 1: September - December 2019

LONG ROAD SIXTH FORM C OLLEGE

LongRoadSixthFormCollege @LR6FC @lr6fc

www.longroad.ac.uk 01223 631100 enquiries@longroad.ac.uk