College Life - Winter 2019 Edition

college life WINTER ISSUE 2019

NEWS AND VIEWS ON ALL THINGS OAKLANDS

be our next cover star!

OS U

INTRODUCING YOUR OAKLANDS STUDENTS’ UNION

sport

MEET THE WBBL WOLFPACK!

campus

OAKLANDS OPENS IN BOREHAMWOOD

Jack Singleton Oaklands student makes World Cup Final #oaklandscollege

Support our student Performing Arts shows

Oaklands College open Borehamwood Campus!

Level 2 The Wizard of Oz - Monday 25th November at 7pm - Myriad Theatre

ZOE HANCOCK

PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME

W

elcome to the Winter Edition of College Life magazine.

This is a busy time at the College with new students beginning their Oaklands journey and returning students completing the final years of their studies.

Our new residential block, part of the exciting £62m college development at St Albans Campus, is beginning to take shape and is due for completion in June 2020. Phase two of the College development work is due to start in March 2020. I am very proud to share that Oaklands Borehamwood is now open, providing classroom and workshop space for a variety of subjects including Business and English as a Second Language.

I am delighted to share so many student success stories in this edition from across our different subject areas and sports academies. This includes celebrating talent at the annual Art, Fashion & Design show, our Higher Education graduation ceremony and sporting achievements from past and present students.

We look forward to sharing and celebrating continued success over the academic year.

Zoe Hancock Principal and Chief Executive, Oaklands College

we want your ideas!

Send your College Life suggestions to marketing@oaklands.ac.uk we’d love to hear what you want to read/see in the next edition!

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Winter Issue 2019

Oaklands Art students bring Hatfield walkways to life...

Oaklands College now offers college courses in Borehamwood. Courses include ESOL Skills for Life, Level 1 Certificate in Health, Social Care, Children & Young People’s Settings and Level 2 Diploma in Business to name a few. If you’d like to learn more about Oaklands Borehamwood please email info@oaklands.ac.uk

STRICTLY, ALEX! Oaklands College is incredibly proud of former student, Sports Studies teacher, Arsenal and England international footballer Alex Scott, for her outstanding performances on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing!

Art students from Oaklands College who took part in the Hatfield 2030+ project for the duration of the year were able to witness the eagerly anticipated unveiling of their artwork.

Pupils from Oaklands College created new art pieces which adorn three key walkways leading to White Lion Square in Hatfield.

Creating more opportunities for the display of public art is a key part of the Hatfield 2030+ vision for the town. The council worked with the schools and college to give them a brief based on three themes.

Head of Art, Fashion & Design Victoria Caulton said: “I am extremely proud of the high standard of work that our students have produced. Working with Hatfield Council on a live project has been an exciting experience for our students, one which they have thrived upon and also developed their skills as budding artists within the local community.”

For more information on Hatfield town centre regeneration, visit www.hatfield2030.co.uk

Level 3 Year 1 Theatre in Education Tour Wednesday 27th November at 7pm - Myriad Theatre Level 3 Year 2 Showcase - Monday 2nd December at 7pm - Myriad Theatre Do you enjoy the theatre, or just want to support your fellow students doing what they love?

Why not come down to one of the Performing Arts department’s shows this year and lend your support? Tickets for students are just £1, Adults £1 and other concessions are £2! Interested?

Contact Victoria Markham via Victoria.Markham@oaklands.ac.uk to reserve your tickets and learn more about future show information.

Horticulture students grow gigantic pumpkins to help the homeless Horticulture Coordinator Michael Steward has embarked on a community project close to his heart, with the help of students from across the college.

In May 2019, Michael teamed up with students from Carpentry & Joinery to create a pumpkin patch, ready to house three gigantic pumpkins weighing over 100kg each.

The harvest of the pumpkins was turned into delicious pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie by Hospitality & Catering students, with all proceeds going to aid local homelessness charity ‘Open Door St Albans’.

www.oaklands.ac.uk

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COVER STORY

JACK AND ENGLAND REACH WORLD CUP FINAL

Introducing Your 2019 Students’ Union

England Rugby head coach Eddie Jones named Jack Singleton in his 31-man squad to represent the famous red rose at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Applications for the 2019 Oaklands Student Union have been counted and the new Student Voice team are: SAC • Tinashe Mutanhu (Art & Design) - President • Katy Sheftali (Animal Care) - Vice President

Welwyn • Victoria Robertson (T&T) - President • Louis Melton (Employability) - Vice President The OSU play a crucial role in making sure student ideas, events and feedback are given a suitable platform to get heard and addressed.

Throughout the year the OSU run a series of campaigns highlighting key issues relating to students and work closely with the college’s management team to raise awareness.

The Students’ Union at Oaklands College offers a fantastic opportunity for students to take a pro-active approach to their learning and college experience. Students who sit on the Students Union board are encouraged to make positive change to the experience of their fellow students and learning environment.

O

aklands College Rugby Academy alumni Jack Singleton made history at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, reaching England’s first major World Cup final since tasting defeat to South Africa in 2007.

Unfortunately for Jack and the

England squad, history would repeat itself as South Africa again overcame adversity by beating favourites England to the famous Webb Ellis Cup. England were defeated 12-32 to South Africa, who had been the tournaments surprise story in a World Cup which encapsulated the

enthusiasm of sports fans across Japan.

Despite tasting defeat, the tournament represented a significant landmark in Jack’s young rugby career, with the new Saracens hooker appearing in his first World Cup and featuring in England’s 45-7 victory over the USA in the group stages.

Tinashe Mutanhu SAC

Katy Sheftali SAC

OSU members are expected to work with the college management to provide students’ views and ideas on all aspects of their experience to improve teaching and learning, facilities and services.

Throughout the years, students on the OSU have campaigned in aid of climate awareness, recycling, equality, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQ+, epilepsy awareness, knife crime, disability awareness and much more.

An OSU member is expected to attend regular team meetings, join in on social events, suggest and contribute to campaign ideas and activities, attend the “Student Voice Day” for useful training and a chance to give feedback as a group, attend “Voting Days” to vote on potential change and new ideas at Oaklands, attend focus groups with senior management staff to give feedback on facilities, IT, LRC, Student Advice and Enrichment, suggest new ideas, trips and activities and much more.

Victoria Robertson Welwyn

Louis Melton Welwyn

www.oaklands.ac.uk 4

Winter Issue 2019

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ST ALBANS CAMPUS REDEVELOPMENT 2020 The coming year will see the arrival of the brand new residential homestead, which will house a large number of students at Oaklands College’s St Albans Campus which is due for completion in June 2020, as part of the revolutionary £62m campus redevelopment.

Residential-Block-Future-Vision

“I continued my studies at Oaklands, completing a Higher National Certificate (HNC) which I was attending once a week and working at Willmott Dixon for the remaining four days.”

– SIMON RAMAGE

“I gained a great deal from both courses and the Welwyn Garden City campus was close to where I lived, so it made travelling to and from work easy and accessible.

From studying at Oaklands College, I have been able to gain industry standard qualifications relevant for my career progression.”

MAX HOWE

For a large number of the employers at Willmott Dixon, the project at Oaklands College is a significant one. This is because a large number of students have transitioned from education to industry-based employment with Willmott Dixon.

We sat down with some of former Oaklands College students who shared stories from their Oaklands journey.

HARRY PEARCE “I had always had an interest in the construction industry as members of my family have worked

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Winter Issue 2019

within it across different roles. I have studied at Oaklands College for 3 years now and I am currently in the second year of my HNC in Construction and the Built Environment and I absolutely love it! I am certainly not an academic person, but the course is perfect for me as there are a lot of practical elements to it. My favourite parts of the course are the practical sessions as you learn how to use professional equipment like the items on site. I was fortunate enough to be selected to join the Willmott Dixon Management Trainee Scheme in 2018 . When I have graduated from my HNC I will then go on to do a 3-year degree in Construction Management and then become an Assistant Building Manager.”

EUAN BEADDIE Euan Beaddie studied both a Level 3 Diploma and Higher National Certificate in Construction Management at Oaklands College and now works for contracting, residential development and property support business Willmott Dixon.

Euan, who studied at Oaklands College as part of his traineeship with Willmott Dixon between 2014-17, sat down with Oaklands to discuss his college journey.

Max’s journey into construction started at a young age, following his departure from Secondary School upon the completion of his GCSE’s.

Max left school and went straight into employment with a groundwork’s company based close to his home in St. Albans. The role involves general labouring tasks and assisting the site engineer with setting out activities.

It was Max’s experience within the company which convinced him that a career in the management side of the construction industry suited his skill-set.

“In order for me to be able to pursue a management career within the industry, I decided to undertake a Level 3 BTEC in Construction at Oaklands College. The course allowed me to gain an insight into some of the more technical aspects of the industry and also widen my perspective, in terms of the opportunities available to me within the construction sector.”

SIMON RAMAGE Simon always knew he wanted to work in the Construction Industry and was keen to become a carpenter until a chance meeting with a School Careers Advisor convinced him that he was better suited to the management side of the industry.

“I was fortunate to get on to the Management Training Scheme and I continued my studies at Oaklands, completing a Higher National Certificate (HNC). I attended once a week and working at Willmott Dixon for the remaining four days.”

Meet the new Employability Team!

There is now a dedicated team of Employability Mentors at both the Welwyn Garden City and St Albans campuses. The team work alongside the college to create and develop opportunities for students, providing them access to work experience, industry placements, and employability and wider skills development.

The Employability Mentors will give students the skills to achieve their future goals and aspirations.

Come and visit us at the new Careers and Advice Hub at St Albans and Welwyn Garden City, for all thing’s careers, personal development and work experience.

Jaime Construction, Motor Vehicle,

Alex Sports & Public Services, ESOL, Catering, A Level

Tahera Art, Business, Music, Media, Performing Arts, Travel Tourism

Sarah Engineering, IT, Science, Hair & Beauty

Kate Health & Social Care, Early Years, LBI (Landbased Industries)

www.oaklands.ac.uk

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St Albans Campus

Welwyn Garden City

Open Day

Open Evening

Hatfield Road, St Albans, Herts AL4 0XR

Sat 9th November

Open Evening Tues 4th February

Open Evening Wed 29th April

Open Evening Thurs 18th June

10am–2pm 5–8pm 5–7pm 5–7pm

The Campus, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 6AH

Tues12th November

Open Evening Wed 5th February

Open Evening

Tues 28th April

Open Evening

Thurs 18th June

5–8pm 5–8pm 5–7pm 5–7pm

www.oaklands.ac.uk 01727 737 000

HIGHER EDUCATION

CELEBRATING HIGHER EDUCATION GRADUATES 2019

O

aklands College held its annual Higher Education graduation ceremony on Thursday 19th September. The event celebrated the achievements of learners studying Modular Extended Degrees, HNCs, HNDs, Foundation Degrees and Level 5 Teaching Diplomas.

Over 70 learners were in attendance at the Welwyn Garden City campus, joined by their family and friends.

The evening began with a luxury food and drinks reception. Students were then welcomed to Oaklands College with celebratory speeches from Principal Zoe

Hancock, as well as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire Quintin McKellar and Director of Higher Education Stephen Fox. Principal Zoe Hancock said: “The evening offers us the opportunity to celebrate and recognise the success of our hard-working students.

For all of the students receiving their awards, the evening was culmination of many years of hard work and dedication to their studies, both from the students and their lecturers.

It is sharing in the success of our students that makes everything we do worthwhile.”

www.oaklands.ac.uk

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[ FASHION ]

Creativity takes courage!

Art, Fashion & Design students showcased their incredible portfolio of work at the annual end of year Fashion Show

T

he event portrayed important messages which were campaigned by students through their designs, showcasing the importance of sustainable fashion, including recycled plastics and other sustainable materials.

The collaborative exhibition of diverse work featured a variety of artistic disciplines including: Art, Fashion, Multimedia Design & Animation, Ceramics, Printmaking, Illustration, Graphic Design and more.

The event offered students a fantastic opportunity to showcase their innovation and creative commitment, within their chosen specialisms.

In attendance was the Oaklands College Principal Zoe Hancock, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Sarah Beazley, St Albans Mayor Janet Smith and a variety of VIP guests including students, parents, teachers, staff and local artists.

Head of Art, Fashion & Design Victoria Caulton said: “As I walk around classrooms and see the students ideas come to life, I realise how lucky we are to have such a talented team of lecturers influencing the next generation of budding artists. As Henry Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage” and I have seen an abundance of courage this year. I am extremely proud to be a part of the Art, Fashion & Design team.

serves two

Ewan’s top tips!

5 STEPS TO THE PERFECT NAIL PAINTING

Hair & Beauty Coordinator Shauna Sillery shows students five easy steps to perfecting the art of nail painting!

STEP 1 Remove all previous nail polish and oils from the nail plate with nail varnish remover.

Writing your personal statement for University STUDENT COOKBOOK

Sell yourself on actions, not words Try not to fill your application with too many buzz words like ‘hard worker’ or ‘passionate individual’ but instead list any achievements or experiences that you have completed and connect them back to why you want to join the course! For example, when applying for my media course, I explained how my previous work with clients was screened at a large film festival, so I already had good experience working to industry standards.

Talk about transferrable skills Another great external attribute you could write about is any skills you have learnt from other experiences or jobs.

These could come from anything, be

it a previous part-time job or a short course you completed, any real-world examples of you demonstrating a great work ethic will be what universities look for in your application!

Try not to oversell yourself Remember that while your personal statement should be filled with lots of information about you, keep it limited only to things that are relevant to the course that you are applying for. It can be easy to waffle on, but every time you detail a certain experience or attribute, think about how it relates to your chosen subject. If you can’t, it’s probably best to leave it out.

Sooner rather than later Personal statements can be very daunting, but if you get yourself

prepared and don’t leave it to the last minute, you’ll have a better chance of improving your statement with every new draft. Don’t be afraid to show it to teachers or tutors for feedback too, they will be able to help you make sure it sounds professional.

Make it personal!

Above all, remember that this is your personal statement, you should view it as your own opportunity to flourish and write about your experiences in whatever you’re applying for! Don’t be afraid to speak positively about yourself and really sell yourself as an individual. Remember that UCAS flags personal statements that show signs of plagiarism, which could affect your chances of being successful.

featured app GroFar

The GroFar app is the hub for all things Work Experience, students and employers will be able to access the GroFar app to keep track on their work placements and use the app as a digital logbook for their work experience.

The app will allow Oaklands College students and staff as well as placement specialists to manage work placements and track student progress, setting goals and targets, submitting feedback and log work experience hours.

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Winter Issue 2019

beauty tutorial

Bellissimo Spaghetti Bolognese!

INGREDIENTS • 1 small pack of dried spaghetti • Splash of virgin oil • 1 onion roughly chopped • 1 garlic clove roughly chopped • 1lb minced beef

• • • •

1 can of tomato soup 1 can of tomatoes Chopped mushrooms 2-4 table spoons of dried oregano • 1oz butter

METHOD 1. Put a large pan of water on for the spaghetti, don’t add spaghetti yet just get the water boiling whilst you do the rest!

2. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Try not to burn the garlic!

3. Add the mince and fry until browned.

4. Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato soup, and oregano and bring to the boil. When boiling turn down to a simmer, add mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper.

5. By now your water should be boiling. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10-12 minutes.

6. When spaghetti is ready, turn off the sauce and throw in the butter (if you decide to use it!)

7. Plate the spaghetti and pour over the sauce (once butter has melted in).

8. Done! Lip smacking spag bol, any leftovers can be frozen and used for lunch the next day!

Vegetarian or just feeling healthy?

Why not try substituting the minced beef for some vegan Quorn mince?

STEP 2 File all nails evenly and in to your desired shape. When complete wipe over with nail varnish remover to clean any filament away.

STEP 3 Apply a base coat to all nails, ensure you do not have too much product on your brush, start in the middle on the nail and gentle push polish towards the base of the nail, pull the polish back to the top of your nail, apply evenly across the nail plate in three strokes.

STEP 4 Apply two coats of coloured polish in the same way to all nails.

STEP 5 Apply a top coat to your finished paint, this will ensure nails are sealed and your paint will last longer, to make your shine last longer you can reapply the top coat throughout the week.

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Send in your attempts to our social media accounts by tagging us in your posts!

www.oaklands.ac.uk

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Saracens rugby star Joel Kpoku re-opens Sports Hall

WBBL

MEET THE WBBL WOLFPACK FOR 2019/20 SEASON! Oaklands Wolves Basketball Head Performance Coach Lee Ryan hopes the new faces at the college’s Women’s British Basketball League will make a big impact this season. So let’s meet them…

A round-up of all the latest news from Oaklands Sports Academy

Hungarian

To check match fixtures, dates and times, visit us online oaklands.ac.uk/wolves #Wolfpack

Oaklands College’s newly laid Sports Hall was re-opened by former Oaklands Wolves Rugby Academy star graduate Joel Kpoku.

Joel, who currently plays for current English Premiership champions Saracens, returned to Oaklands College where he flourished as a student rugby player, to open the newly refurbished Sports Hall floor which was damaged by the Discovery Centre fire in June 2019.

Deputy Principal Harpreet Nagra, who was in attendance said; “It was a pleasure to welcome back Joel, a fantastic role model and ambassador for Oaklands College, to open our newly refurbished Sports Hall. I am delighted to see the facilities return to fully functioning order for our students to utilise for the academic year.”

Oaklands launch Arsenal Women Football Academy Launched in agreement with the Oaklands Wolves, the Women’s Academy combines academic excellence and a bespoke coaching programme to develop talented young women aged between 16-19. Students will have the opportunity to study a wide variety of courses including A Level and vocational qualifications at Oaklands College.

Students will be coached by experienced Arsenal FA licensed coaches, working in conjunction with a successful Elite Women’s Super League club, as well as access to physiotherapy, sports therapy and strength and conditioning coaching, providing an all rounded development programme to support players achieve their potential.

In 2020, the official Arsenal Under 21 squad will use the

Kata Fulop

Winter Issue 2019

Khia Lee

(Forward)

Grace Ashton (Forward)

Elyse Kiploks

(Guard)

English

Jocie Leavold (Forward)

Australian

impressive facilities at Oaklands students an opportunity to College as their main training progress directly into the base, offering Oaklands official Arsenal Academy.

German

Anneke Schluter

(Guard)

English

(Forward)

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English

(Forward)

Claire Abbott (Guard)

English

Louise Rouse (Forward)

English

Lauren Milligan

Canadian

Hungarian

Dorka Boros (Guard)

English

Lizzy Harrison (Guard)

English

Fionnuala Wharton (Guard)

www.oaklands.ac.uk

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Inaugural Autumn Fair comes to Oaklands College IMAGES BY KATIE COTTENHAM, PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT

Oaklands College welcomed local families and friends to its St Albans campus to experience the newly renamed Apple Day, sponsored by Rothampstead Enterprises.

Last year’s successful Apple Day led to Oaklands College re-branding the event as Autumn Fair, due to the addition of some exciting new features. Autumn Fair is a smaller event in comparison to the popular Summer Fair, encompasses the autumnal activities of Oaklands College.

We welcomed guests to visit the on-site Habitat Centre, which houses exotic animals such as lemurs, meerkats, marmosets, iguanas and a large variety of fish, reptilians, amphibians and arachnids.

A small entry fee was required for visiting guests, of which the proceeds were donated to BIAZA (British & Irish Associations of Zoos & Aquariums); £740 was raised for the conservation.

Over 500 visitors attended the Habitat Centre and surrounding orchards, as well as visiting a variety of food and charitable stalls, as well as the St Albans Bee Keepers, who were present to sell fresh honey products.

Children and youngsters were able to enjoy Carpentry and Joinery Technician Peter Templeman’s famous wooden games, which have become a popular part of the college’s events over the years.