#LongRoadLife Edition 9 - May 2021

#LONGROADLIFE Long Road Sixth Form College Applicant Newsletter

KEEP IN TOUCH

LIVING IN A DIGITAL WORLD Hello, from Long Road!

Today we're getting technical and looking at our Computing and IT courses you might already be a pro at using Teams and Zoom, but our courses will

Long Road Sixth Form

prepare you for a career in the rapidly growing IT industry!

College

@LR6FC

10th - 16th May 2021 is Mental Health Awareness Week; we've included a really interesting article on how nature is linked to mental health.

@lr6fc Remember to keep up-to-date with everything Long Road on our social media.

enquiries@longroad.ac.uk Keep smiling!

01223 631100

www.longroad.ac.uk

Long Road x

It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.

#MONDAYMOTIVATION

WELCOME DAYS

A LITTLE TREAT FROM US TO YOU!

23 / 24 / 25 JUNE 2021 We know that joining a new college

If you are a GCSE student you will

can be a little daunting, that’s why we

attend lessons for 3 of your chosen

are super excited to invite everyone

subjects, these will be automatically

who has accepted their offer of study

selected for you.

We are so excited to have Toni's Ices joining us for our Welcome Days this year!

to one of our Welcome Days!

If you are still interested in joining This year, our Welcome Days will be held on

Wednesday 23, Thursday 24

us as a new student in September 2021, please make sure that you

and Friday 25 June 2021.

accept your offer of study.

Our Welcome Days are created with

We can only invite applicants who have

you in mind, the aim is to make you feel

accepted their offer of study to our

as comfortable, prepared and excited

summer Welcome Days and we don’t

as possible to join us as a new student

want you to miss out on the opportunity

in September!

to get a taste of what life is like as a Long Road student!

You will spend the day trying out your chosen subjects, getting to know

Don’t forget, you can accept offers of

subject teachers, meeting other new

study from multiple post-16 education

students who share your academic

providers before making your final

interests and finding out what life is

decision on where you would like to

like as a Long Road student.

study after GCSE results day.

We'll be giving away

FREE

ICE CREAM vouchers as little sweet treats, from us to you, on our social media channels make sure to follow us to be in with a chance of winning!

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALTRUISM Mental Health Awareness Week 10 - 16 May 2021 Helping others feels good

and make you feel more positive. There

There is some evidence to suggest that

is some evidence that being aware of

when you help others, it can promote

your own acts of kindness, as well as

physiological changes in the brain

the things you are grateful for, can

linked with happiness.

increase feelings of happiness, optimism, and satisfaction. Doing good

It creates a sense of belonging and

may help you to have a more positive

reduces isolation

outlook about your own circumstances.

Volunteering and helping others can also help us feel a sense of belonging,

It helps make the world a happier

make new friends and connect with our

place - it's contagious

community. Face-to-face activities

Acts of kindness have the potential to

such as volunteering at a food bank

make the world a happier place. An

can help reduce loneliness and

act of kindness can improve feelings of

isolation.

confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism.

It helps keep things in perspective Many people don't realise the impact

The more you do for others, the more

that a different perspective can have

you do for yourself

on their outlook on life. Helping others,

The benefits of helping others can last

especially those who are less fortunate

long after the act itself, both for you

than yourself, can help to put things

and them!

into perspective

Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website

GRACE, LONG ROAD SCHOLAR MEET OUR LONG ROAD SCHOLAR AWARD STUDENTS Name: Grace Year Group: 1 Secondary School: Soham Village College Studies: Graphic Design, Film Studies, Drama & Theatre Progression Goals: Graphic Designer

LONG ROAD SCHOLARS' AWARD Do you feel inspired after meeting our Scholar today?

I chose to study at Long Road because

I would encourage Year 11s to apply to

of the wide range of courses and

Long Road because of the relaxed,

opportunities available, especially on

friendly atmosphere. As someone who

the Graphic Design course, which isn’t

isn’t sure exactly which route I want to

available at most other colleges. When

take after college, I think it’s really

I came to the open event, it felt like a

helpful to be able to discuss future

friendly and welcoming environment.

options with my progress coach so easily.

applied for the Scholars Award because I felt that it would be a great

I have really enjoyed how quickly I have

opportunity to be involved in the

felt comfortable and welcomed. So far,

college. I plan on using my scholarship

my favourite thing has been the

money to buy equipment and materials

freedom and independence I have

to help me with my Graphic Design

experienced at Long Road.

course.

I would encourage Year 11s to apply for the Scholars Award because it’s an opportunity to be involved at Long Road and it is a great addition to your CV.

Why not click here and meet the rest of our Long Road Scholar Award team!

"I came to Long Road because the courses were very appealing.

I have always had an interest in computers and how they work.

I enjoy having the freedom to program in my own way."

COMPUTING Level 3 Extended Certificate You will be investigating that Gaming

Highlights from this year’s celebration

and Cyber security industries providing

of educational products included…

an insight into two of the UKs high

ClassVR’s virtual and augmented

growth Tech industries. In the course

reality experiences which give students

you will develop your coding and

full control over the headsets and allow

logical thinking skills, study how

them to create their own content using

computer systems work, design and

a portal or access the company’s

develop a computer game, and

virtual worlds (including an immersive

investigate security systems and

Back to the Future creation).

encryption techniques.

Microsoft’s STEM experience allowed last academic year, we took our IT and

visitors to write code, create in 3D,

Computing students to Bett 2019 it was

build sensors and experience mixed

a very busy show with over 40,000

reality. Their AI juice bar used visitors’

people attending and over 500

reaction, gender, age and mood to

exhibitors. The event is extremely

customise the perfect juice. Course

relevant to the students as it not only

Team Leader, Richard Cowley, came

shows them new software and

out as an empowerer and was

hardware but allows them access to

rewarded with a mixed cocktail of

people who work in the IT industry.

apple and cucumber!

IT

Level 3 Extended Certificate Take an in-depth look at the IT that is

Josie Maisey, a former teacher of ICT

all around us. IT is at the heart of

and Computing at Long Road and now

everyday life, it has an ever increasing

an ICT moderator for OCR, and Colin

role at work, home and in our leisure

Maisey, ex Project manager for Digital

time. You will develop a theoretical

Healthcare, also attended.

background reinforced with practical skills that transfer into the modern

The event went well with 16 students

workplace, providing useful experience

being assessed by these industry

if you have an interest in an IT related

experts about their ideas. Each student

career.

was given both written and oral feedback about both their ideas and

Back in November, our IT students spent

their presentation skills which will help

the afternoon pitching their ideas for

them to improve both in the future.

the development of a new product to industry experts.

During discussion afterwards, Simon said that he wishes he had had

In attendance were Long Road Alumni

‘something like this’ when he was a

Simon Plant, Senior Director of

student at the College. Everyone

Production management at Bromium

agreed that this type of activity can

UK Ltd. and James Wright, VP of

help students develop vital

Engineering at Bromium UK Ltd.

communication skills.

"I wanted to come to Long Road because of the wide range of courses offered.

I found that the IT course this year has really given me an appreciation of IT in the workplace."

WHY NATURE IS THE THEME FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021 - MARK ROWLAND During long months of the pandemic,

that it’s almost impossible to realise

millions of us turned to nature. Our

good mental health for all without a

research on the mental health impacts

greater connection to the natural

of the pandemic showed going for

world. For most of human history, we

walks outside was one of our top

lived as part of nature. It is only in the

coping strategies and 45% of us

last five generations that so many of us

reported being in green spaces had

have lived and worked in a context

been vital for our mental health.

that is largely separated from nature.

Websites which showed footage from

And it is only since a 1960s study in the

webcams of wildlife saw hits increase

US found that patients who were

by over 2000%. Wider studies also

treated in hospitals with a view of

found that during lockdowns, people

nature recovered faster, that science

not only spent more time in nature but

has started to unpack the extraordinary

were noticing it more.

health benefits.

It was as if we were re-discovering at

It turns out that it is not just being in

our most fragile point our fundamental

nature but how we open ourselves up

human need to connect with nature.

and interact with nature that counts.

Nature is our great untapped resource

Nature is so central to our psychological and emotional health,

for a mentally healthy future.

Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website

WHY NATURE IS THE THEME FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021 - MARK ROWLAND

Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website

Despite this, many of us are not

2021 is going be a huge year for

accessing or benefitting from nature.

nature: a new Environment Bill will go

Teenagers in particular appear to be

through the UK Parliament which will

less connected with nature and around

shape the natural world for

13% of UK households have no access

generations to come; the UK will host

to a garden. We want to challenge the

the G7 nations where creating a

disparities in who is and who isn’t able

greener future will be a key priority and

to experience nature.

a historic international UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties

Nature is not a luxury. It is a resource

(COP26) will be hosted in Glasgow in

that must be available for everyone to

November.

enjoy - as basic as having access to clean water or a safe roof over our

There could not be a more important

heads. Local and national governments

time to understand the links between

need to consider their role in making

nature and mental health.

this a reality for everyone.

MAY 2021: EDITION 9

#LONGROADLIFE L O N G

R O A D

01223 631100

enquiries@longroad.ac.uk

www.longroad.ac.uk

S I X T H

F O R M

C O L L E G E

A P P L I C A N T

N E W S L E T T E R

Long Road Sixth Form College

@LR6FC

@lr6fc