ASHTON SIXTH FORM COLLEGE Summer Newsletter
Welcome to our final newsletter of the academic year. As always, it has been a busy year and I know that both staff and students are ready for their summer break.
Well done to all our students who have completed their courses this summer. You have pulled out all the stops to submit final pieces of work to the highest standard and prepare for the summer series of examinations. Our sports hall build works have meant that we needed to re-route students into the sports hall via the GH building, but punctuality, readiness and conduct in the exams has been absolutely exemplary and deserves mentioning – we have been delighted with how the exams progressed and now look forward to seeing our completers receive their results in August.
It has been a fantastic year in terms of students participating in additional activities. It has been a record year (the highest numbers ever at ASFC) for participation in our Ashton Explore enrichment programme, attending Speaker of the Month, joining trips and visits, completing Duke of Edinburgh and taking on leadership roles. We remind students constantly that these opportunities are there for them and that they should squeeze every bit of value out of their time here, and I am very pleased that they are doing so. We are now one of the biggest sixth form providers of the Extended Project Qualification, with around four times the average number of entries at other similarly sized sixth form colleges. This means that many of our students (almost 200 each year) leave here with three and a half A Level equivalents, as well as developing a vast range of skills in the process. As an EPQ supervisor myself, I am wowed every year by the quality of students’ projects and I look forward to supporting my cohort next year.
The end of the academic year has been vibrant, with a leavers’ festival for our A2 completers where even the coolest of young people found themselves bouncing around on a range of inflatables on the back field. Our phenomenal Art show was opened by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Betty Affleck and it was especially great to see A1 students being inspired by the year above and for them to see what is possible. We held an A1 awards event to recognise the achievements of many first year students, and many more have been commended by their teachers, standing them in good stead for next year. The year ended with Be Ambitious Week, whereby over 400 students took part in work experience and over 600 engaged in workshops and employer-led tasks. We have had some superb feedback from employers and will hold an awards ceremony for stand-out work in the Autumn term. Our adult and HE completers are also, yet again, set for some fantastic results this summer, and it was lovely to see many of them at our Evening of Celebration at the start of July.
Sadly, in March, we lost a member of our college community. Paul Martin was a very gifted member of our MIS department who created many of the systems that make our college work as well as it does. Paul was ‘ASFC to the core’ and made a significant contribution to the college during his 13 years here. He is already missed both personally and professionally.
I’d like to finish by saying a huge ‘well done and thank you’ to all our students. They form the biggest part of our community and are the reason we’re all here. They all deserve a wonderful summer. I extend the thanks to college staff for another year’s hard work, commitment and professionalism; they are great! And thank you to parents and carers for their continued support of the college.
With my very best wishes for a safe and happy summer
Lisa
FOCUS ON: ART & DESIGN
Art Show - In the End
Our Art and Design department recently hosted their End of Year Art Show - In the End. In The End is a collection of our Art students’ final work as they come to the end of their studies at Ashton Sixth Form College.
The evening began with a welcome talk from our Centre Principal, Lisa Richards followed by The Worshipful the Civil Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Betty Affleck and her Consort Declan Fitzpatrick officially opening up the Art Show to guests!
The title of the exhibition comes from a song by the band Linkin Park which, on the surface suggests that what you do doesn’t really matter, but actually, it does and all we can hope and ask for, is that you always try your very best.
Malcolm Stanbra, Head of Art & Design, commented: “Well, our Art & Design students have certainly tried their very best this year and created a visual spectacle both wonderful and constructive and we
are very proud and amazed, once again, by their achievements and the dazzling display and dizzying array of creative talent we have had the pleasure to nurture and nourish over the past two years.
Well done to all our students and to the unwavering support and encouragement they receive both here at Ashton Sixth Form College and at home.”
Departmental Farewells
After a combined 47 years of outstanding service to Ashton Sixth Form College’s Art department we say a fond farewell to Malcolm Standbra, Helen Stubbs and Dan Riley.
Their superb work over the years has helped the department achieve outstanding results and student experience.
The students hold all three of you in the highest regard and appreciate how much time, effort, care and commitment you have devoted to each and every one of them. You will be missed by students and colleagues, thank you for everything you have done, and we wish you all the very best in your next adventures.
Ali Akbar
Nominated by Khadeja Ahmed & Anna Harvey
As I reflect on my first year of teaching, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to my head of department, Ali Akbar, for his unwavering support and guidance. His leadership has been instrumental in making my transition into this role. From the very beginning, I have felt welcomed and valued as part of the team, thanks to his warm and inclusive approach. His insights and advice have been invaluable, helping me to grow both professionally and personally. I truly appreciate the time he has taken to mentor me and provide feedback, always encouraging me to strive for excellence. It has been a pleasure working under his leadership, and I look forward to continuing to learn and develop in the coming years. I couldn’t have wished for a more perfect start to my teaching career. Thank you once again for all that you have done. Khadeja Ahmed
Ali has been of tremendous help in supporting both myself and the Senior Tutor team in communicating key/important messages with parents/guardians, especially where there was a language barrier. This included students who were on programmes of study outside of Ali’s department. That said, there was never a question about helping nor the repeated requests to contact/communicate with parents. Ali’s great help and support didn’t go unnoticed and for that reason I would like to nominate him for an Ashton Appreciates Award. Anna Harvey
Richard Allanson
Nominated by The Public Services Department
He has gone above and beyond to help the first year FT UPS students. He has worked hard with the department to make sure that all students are supported. Rick continues to be committed to making multiple phone calls to students and parents, meeting with teachers, parents and students. This has helped to change a challenging group into a cohesive and understanding class that are all working hard to be successful.
Rebecca Andrews
Nominated by Sarah Brown
I would like to nominate Rebecca Andrews for her enthusiasm and commitment to raising the profile of voting and voter registration for young people in the run up to both the local council elections and the general election. She has plastered the college in posters, run the ‘our generation, our vote’ initiative, held an election party for Politics students, organised talks with political figures, took part in vote counting and even got general election nail art! Her commitment to the teaching of Politics and inspiring a new generation of voters is admirable.
Khalid Ansari
Nominated by Maria Diez
Special Mention to Khalid for his continued positive attitude and efficiency as a member of the support team. He makes you feel welcome even when he is under pressure, and he prioritises my technical requests or those of my students to ensure a smooth delivery of lessons.
Nicola Barthorpe
Nominated by Gemma Riding
I would like to nominate Nicola Barthorpe for her support of our department this academic year. She has helped guide us through some very busy times, and has always been there to support us, such as helping out with Portal, coming along to team meetings, and coming up with ways to help us with managing workload. She even invigilated students’ Criminology fresh attempts! As well as covering lessons so we could moderate. Thanks so much for listening to our dept, and developing strategies to help us though a tough year and special thanks for all the cute pics of George (dog)!
Megan Birch
Nominated by Alex Noble
I’d like to nominate Megan Birch, not only for a being wonderful colleague throughout the year but especially during the build up to Be Ambitious. She has worked tirelessly to ensure things run as smoothly as possible and drop everything for any student that walks through the door. Megan has had some challenges along the way, but always has a smile on her face. Her hard work will never go unnoticed by us all; she so lovely and kind to staff, students, parents and employers and I’m grateful for her support. Despite Megan only starting this academic year, her and Jody are truly the Dream Team!!
Chris Burke Nominated by Angela McGibbon
For helping me get large video files to an external examiner for student assessment. Chris spent a long time trying to get my access to Edexcel SharePoint to work and when it just wouldn’t because of issues at their end, he was determined to find a way to get them there. Chris was like a dog with a bone in all the right ways. He pulled out all the stops and managed to get them to the moderator. She was delighted and couldn’t thank Chris enough, me too! Means I didn’t have to download them all to a pen drive and toddle off to the post office. Thank you Chris A superstar.
Marie Chesney
Nominated by Angela McGibbon & Sharron Galley
For always offering to help me out and her ‘yes, we can do that’ approach. For her energy and positivity. Angela McGibbon
Marie, always goes above and beyond to support the HE teaching team in every way she can. She has quickly got her head around all of our peculiarities and nothing fazes her at all! Marie is a true team player and we don’t know what we would do without her. Sharron Galley
Jody Cocking
Nominated by Alex Noble
I’d like to nominate Jody Cocking, not only for a being wonderful colleague throughout the year but especially during the build up to Be Ambitious. She has worked tirelessly to ensure things run as smoothly as possible and drop everything for any student that walks through the door. Jody has had some challenges along the way, but always has a smile on her face. Her hard work will never go unnoticed by us all; she so lovely and kind to staff, students, parents and employers and I’m grateful for her support. Despite Jody only starting this academic year, her and Megan are truly the Dream Team!!
Marie Crompton
Nominated by Rebecca Andrews
Going over and above in the Humanities department, ensuring our classrooms and office are always spick and span! Marie is always so cheery and helpful and we appreciate everything she does for our department.
Russell Fryer
Nominated by Karl Edwards
I would like to nominate Russell Fryer. He has worked tirelessly this year to support all students, often going above and beyond to ensure the job gets done. He has been a huge help to me personally, in supporting me with practical assessment and various moderation tasks. I see the work he has done to help the department work towards realising a culture of commitment and excellence within our young people. His work is greatly appreciated and I see it.
Jade Heathcote
Nominated by Gemma
Riding
She is always willing to go above and beyond when helping out our team, whether it be folder submissions, marking the (dreaded) controlled assessments or just helping support people who may need more guidance with the CA. She is such an asset to the team and we would be lost without our Criminology oracle! She is such a cheery person and always puts a positive view on everything, thank you so much Jade! Our spreadsheet queen.
Ash Jones
Nominated by
Maria Diez & Dan Pratt
Special Mention to Ash for his continued positive attitude and efficiency as a member of the support team. He makes you feel welcome even when he is under pressure, and he prioritises my technical requests or those of my students to ensure a smooth delivery of lessons. (Maria Diez)
An ongoing issue on my computer prevented me from doing a lot of work, but credit to Ash who sorted this problem out for good. Thank you to Ash for taking his time to sort it out for me, deserves recognition for his daily hard work he contributes to the college. (Dan Pratt)
Wendy Jones
Nominated by Greg Smith
For many years, Wendy was our cleaner in the IT building and her dedication to her job was outstanding. Rather than just pursuing a basic standard of cleanliness, her aim was to keep everything looking like new, not an easy task in a college, and she worked tirelessly polishing and deep cleaning everything. Wendy would always help with anything, and with a cheery smile no matter how unpleasant the problem may be! When the new Food Hall was built, she moved there with the same intention, to try and keep it looking like new. Her dedication and hard work over her many years at the college has certainly been appreciated by everyone, and we all wish her the best in her retirement.
Jane Lingard
Nominated by Sara Castle
Jane is not only our resident nurse on hand; aside of being our subject specialist our T-Level Health programme would not operate without her!! Jane is the unofficial lead for employer engagement, establishing and maintaining relationships with work placements in both hospitals and care facilities - this is in addition to teaching, as she has sole responsibility for assessing the students clinical knowledge in college. On top of her own workload, no matter how many times we approach her for curriculum guidance, research and advice, she always extends her support to develop our lack of clinical subject knowledge!! She is the shine and glitz to our health sparkle!!
Alex Noble
Nominated by Sophie Sparke
Alex is so hardworking and always goes above and beyond for her team and everyone else in the office. Even though I’m not in her direct team, I believe she deserves recognition for her work over the last few weeks in the lead up to Be Ambitious. She has worked extremely hard to get everything done for the students, making sure they get the best experience and outcome of the week. Live, laugh, love Alex Noble
Dan Pratt Nominated by
Rebecca Andrews, James Chadderton & Natalie Jones
For being so talented and creative, creating amazing displays for Humanities department, even with my rather eccentric request! He makes our classrooms look fabulous. My politics parties would not have the same effect without pin the tail on Larry! Rebecca Andrews
Dan has helped the art department and the college so much over the last year and is an exemplary member of staff and well worth our appreciation and gratitude. James Chadderton
I would like to nominate Dan Pratt from the print room. He has been a tremendous help to our team this year, assisting with alumni and community displays across the college. Dan always takes the time to listen, provide assistance, and offer his own creative ideas. Additionally, he has been instrumental in supporting our soft launch of the EmpowerU programme. Dan designed a logo for us with a quick turnaround and helped with posters and other materials. Dan is not only highly skilled at his work but also a wonderful person who is always willing to help with anything and contribute his own ideas and deserves recognition. Natalie Jones
Claire Pyatt
Nominated by Karl Edwards
I do not directly work with Claire on any aspect of curriculum delivery but it is difficult not to notice the value and impact she has with our young learners. She is always on hand to offer them guidance and support, with learners often coming to the office to ask for help outside of her contact time. She has worked hard to develop good behaviours for learning in our young people, which gives them a wonderful platform to move forward and grow. I think she has done some great work this year. I personally welcomed her support when we were both tasked with supporting the department through periods of staff sickness. This was a big help for me.
Dan Riley
Nominated byJames Chadderton
Dan has helped the art department and the college so much over the last year and is an exemplary member of staff and well worth our appreciation and gratitude.
Greg Smith
Nominated by Marie Chesney & Natalie Jones
We would like to nominate Greg Smith for his outstanding help and support with our Higher and Adult Education Awards Evening. Due to the elections taking place on the same day, our usual photographer couldn’t attend, so Greg kindly agreed to step in on short notice. The photos he took turned out brilliantly. Greg had only a week’s notice and graciously agreed to assist.
Helen Stubbs
Nominated by Dan Pratt
As Helen is leaving ASFC, I wanted to nominate her for an Ashton Appreciates award. I had the privilege of Helen teaching me graphics at A Level, where I learnt so much off her and I wouldn’t be in the role I am today if it wasn’t for her. Helen is always ready to offer her help and expertise, which has been seen in the work that her students have done over the years. A big thank you to Helen for everything, and good luck for whatever adventure is next!
Andrew Szthelo
Nominated by the Library Team
Andrew arranged a visit from a guest speaker Ram V.Ram was with us for a few hours, and throughout that time Andrew was a fabulous, attentive host and made our guest speaker feel very welcome. Andrew went to a lot of trouble to ensure every last detail was attended to. Ram contacted Andrew the following morning to thank him for his visit.
In the lecture theatre Andrew was taken by surprise when Ram said he preferred to do his speeches interview style, but Andrew stayed calm, thought on his feet, and everything ran smoothly.
Andrew is a fantastic leader, he really cares about his team, and really cares about the students. Every day, he makes time for all of us, nothing is ever too much trouble for him.
Andrew has a really good rapport with the students –this is visible in the library, through his study skills sessions and through the book club which he runs. When speaking to students he takes a lot of time to engage with them. Andrew is often seen having in depth 1-1’s with students. He really passes on his enthusiasm and students really benefit from his extensive knowledge of books and passion for reading.
Dana Walsh
Nominated by Geraldine Kirkup
She has helped me enormously as I have worked for my AAC/CPT3A qualification for exam access arrangements. Dana has shown such patience as I’ve interrupted her to ask questions and request some guidance. I couldn’t have done it without her! Thank you.
Brenda Warnock
Nominated by Rebecca Andrews & Sue Massey
An incredibly efficient superstar - I have never worked with anyone who is so speedy with their to-do list! I can always rely on Brenda and I love how passionate she is about politics – I love our political chats in the print room! Rebecca Andrews
She is the oil in the engine of ASFC and without her supreme efficiency, we would all be lost.What a machine, what a woman....thank you and please stay at ASFC forever (or at least as long as me!). Sue Massey
Kate Worthington
Nominated by Rebecca Andrews
For being so resilient during such a difficult time in the MIS department. Kate is always so helpful with any queries and always so positive and cheery despite everything that’s happened this year Also for being a great lunchtime walking buddy!
Leavers
Thank you to you all for your dedication and hard work over the many years you have all worked at Ashton Sixth Form College. We wish you well.
Wendy Jones - Date started: 10/09/1995
Helen Stubbs - Date started: 31/08/1999
Jean Hurlston - Date started: 30/10/2006
Daniel Riley - Date started: 11/06/2007
Peter Stiles - Date started: 24/08/2017
Malcolm Stanbra - Date started: 22/08/2019
Josie Cartwright - Date started: 26/08/2021
Kiran Shah - Date started: 25/08/2022
Linden Wade - Date started: 24/04/2023
Saif Alee Abdurraheem - Date started: 24/08/2023
Cameron Mack - Date started: 30/08/2023
XL Academy Success
Ashton Sixth Form College received the most Oxbridge offers in the borough!
Ashton Sixth Form College, which prides itself on its prestigious XL Academy for high achievers, received an amazing 8 confirmed offers to Oxford and Cambridge Universities this year, making us the college with the highest number of offers in Tameside.
Ashton Sixth Form College’s XL Academy is a well-established programme, with over 12 years’ experience in producing excellent outcomes for the college’s highest performing students. The programme ensures students can meet and surpass the demanding entry requirements of Oxbridge, Russell Group Universities and premium degree apprenticeships.
In keeping with the College’s long-standing history in the borough, The XL Academy (formerly known as the XL Programme) was established in 2011 with the aim of giving high achieving students a space to express themselves, share their thoughts and discuss their ambitions openly.
With 100 students in the very first cohort, the academy now enrols over 500 students each year, a testament to the specialist expertise of staff at the college.
Students with high prior attainment need specific support to enable them to stand out in the often highly competitive fields they wish to progress onto, whether this is university or a degree apprenticeship. With the number of students in the XL cohort expanding significantly over the last 4 years, the college want to do even more for them, which is why the provision has elevated from the XL tutorial programme to the full XL Academy.
One student who has received an offer to study at Oxford is Katy Hallas, who shared her feelings on the amazing achievement “Studying Medicine at Oxford has been an ambition of mine since GCSEs, and I was in shock after receiving an offer. After hours of dedication and consistent revision, this has been my proudest achievement. I’m hoping to pursue a career in academic medicine alongside practicing medicine and want to give a huge thanks to Ashton Sixth Form College for their support.”
Centre Principal, Lisa Richards said: “I am thrilled to see another year of excellent Oxbridge success across a range of courses. To stand out in such a competitive arena is very impressive indeed, so a massive congratulations
from me to these eight students who now go on to join the 30 ex-ASFC students currently studying at Oxford or Cambridge. University and apprenticeship offers are also flooding in for hundreds of other students across college, so an exciting time all-round and I am very proud of our students’ achievements. A big well done to them, and to our fantastic staff and wonderful families who are supporting them in taking these next steps.”
Head of The XL Academy, Damian Windle commented: “The 2023-34 academic year has already been a special year with the launch of The XL Academy and these eight Oxbridge offers represent a fantastic achievement and showcase the excellence that goes on. The subjects are for both the Arts and the Sciences underlining the depth and breadth of expertise that we have here at Ashton Sixth Form College. I am thrilled for these students as they have worked so hard and am so pleased for all the members of staff who have supported them on the way in helping gain a place at some of the best universities in the world.”
Head of XL Academy Damian Windle recieves PHD!
In March 2024, I successfully completed my Doctorate in Education with Sheffield Hallam University after 6 years of study. The thesis is entitled, ‘Understanding Experiences of High Achieving Sixth-form Students Through the Oxbridge Application Process.’ The thesis sought to understand the lived experiences and decision-making processes of high achieving students and how they went about the Oxbridge application process. The research has been immensely useful in understanding obscure areas of Oxbridge preparation and given real insight into student experience particularly around misconceptions around the interview system. This has dovetailed well with the work
that goes on within The XL Academy and will be tremendously useful as we launch our new Oxbridge Scholars Program in September 2024.
Oxbridge Scholars launch
As a result of the continued success of our XL Academy Programme and increased number of students progressing to Oxbridge, we are launching our new Oxbridge Scholars Programme.
Congratulations to Matthew Perris, our new Oxbridge Scholars Co-ordinator, and Andrew Gilday, Helen Norton and Sarah Brown for their new roles as Oxbridge Scholar mentors.
The programme intends to support our very best students and prepare them in every way for the rigours of an application and interview at Oxbridge. This will include a tailored reading programme and subsequent tutorials, mirroring the system at Oxbridge, and also social and cultural experiences designed to demystify these hallowed portals.
LIBRARY RECOMMENDATIONS
Andrew Sztehlo, Learning Resources Manager, gives us some book recommendations. All of these books are available from the college library, so stop by and borrow one of these fantastic books!
A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane
Lehane wrote the novels that Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River are based on, which already suggests that Lehane is a crime writer of unusual pedigree. A Drink Before the War, the first novel in his acclaimed PI series, is where it all starts. Boston-based PIs Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are tasked by a state senator to recover document stolen by a former cleaning lady, Jenna Angeline. While it starts relatively simple, Kenzie and Gennaro stumble on to a wide-ranging conspiracy that could erupt into violent, racialized gang warfare. Much more than a modernisation of the classic tropes of the detective genre, Lehane fills his work with realistic characters and starts, in effect, his lifelong chronicle of Boston. These are books deeply rooted in a specific time, place, and community, and I can’t imagine a better guide to the streets of Boston than Lehane.
The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
It may be an angrier novel than one expects from sci fi master Le Guin, but it’s one of her most human and moving. Earth has colonised the stars, and on the planet Athshe, Terrans (humans) are extracting the most rare resource – wood, from it’s humongous, planet-covering forests. The local Athsheans, a non-violent tribal people who can dream while awake, become at first indentured servants, and then slaves. After a surprise, brutal attack from the Athsheans, both Terran and Athshean anticipate an all-out war – but once the killing starts, when does it stop? And how will the ideals of Athshean culture change? Originally written to express Le Guin’s horror and grief over the Vietnam War, this novel remains incredibly vital as a portrayal of colonial warfare, and indeed captures the reality of several conflicts occurring today.
Aura by Carlos Fuentes
The fact that this book can be a bit hard to find (it’s not currently in print in an English translation – look on eBay or in some second hand bookshops) doesn’t diminish the power of this slim volume of Mexican magical realist gothic horror. Felipe Montero is a young, unemployed historian, who one day sees a poster advertising a position for a French speaking secretary. He turns up at the address listed – a crumbling mansion on the outskirts of an unnamed city - and meets the ancient matriarch Consuelo, his employer, who wishes him to translate the diaries of her deceased husband, General Llorente. He in turn meets Consuelo’s teenage niece, Aura, over whom Consuelo seems to exercise terrifying psychic control. Everything is not as it seems as Felipe decides to rescue Aura from Consuelo’s embrace, and thus begins a series of psycho-sexual mindgames that can only have one horrifying outcome…
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommended by Tony Payne
T.M. Logan’s “The Holiday” is a taut, suspenseful thriller that brilliantly captures the tension and secrets lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect vacation. When close friends and their families head to a luxurious villa in the south of France, the trip quickly unravels as Kate discovers a troubling text on her husband’s phone, suggesting an affair with one of her friends. Logan masterfully builds an atmosphere of distrust and paranoia, with each character harboring hidden motives and dark secrets. The idyllic setting contrasts sharply with the growing sense of unease, leading to a series of shocking revelations and a dramatic climax. “The Holiday” is a page-turner for sure that keeps readers guessing until the very end, expertly exploring the fragile facade of friendship and the devastating impact of betrayal.
TERM DATES 24/25
STUDENTS
TERM DATES 2024-2025
Autumn Term 2024 (Welcome days for new students 3rd or 4th September)
Thursday & Friday 22 & 23 August 2024 Enrolment - New Students
Thursday 05 September 2024
Summer Term 2025
ASHTON NEWS
National Apprenticeship Week 2024
In February, we celebrated National Apprenticeship Week 2024 with a range of activities happening throughout college. Our Employer Engagement and Partnerships Officer, Janet and the wider Careers & Employability team arranged a week full of opportunities for students.
We had a range of employers and apprenticeship providers in our careers department throughout the week. Students were able to meet with the employers and discuss potential apprenticeship opportunities:
• AJ Bell - Investment / Tech Degree apprenticeships
• GM Learning Provider NetworkApprenticeships in Greater Manchester
• CMS - Solicitor Degree apprenticeships
• MMU Degree apprenticeships
• The Apprentice Academy - Accounting, Business and Digital apprenticeships
• Moore and Smalley - Accounting apprenticeships
• NHS Pennine Care - Clinical, Technical and Business support apprenticeships
• The Growth Company - Various apprenticeships opportunities
We also welcomed various employers into college to conduct mock interviews with students. Mock interviews are an invaluable activity for ensuring students, who are applying for apprenticeships, employment and further education, are prepared for any future
Culture Day 2024
Ashton Sixth Form College’s successful Culture Day event has returned for another year!
The day, led by the student council, aims to celebrate the different cultures in the college community and within Tameside, allowing students to embrace their differences and learn from each other through clothes, dance, music,
interviews. A huge thank you to John Clark from Mercado and Governor of ASFC, Jane O’Connell from the Atlanta Group and Governor of ASFC, Paul Rippon from The Together Centre, Marcus Gill from Glossop Financial Services and trustee of Stamford Park Trust, Dawn Lee from Stamford Products Ltd and Umar Anwar from Brother UK for conducting these mock interviews.
The week’s activities were a great success, with many students taking advantage of the opportunities available to them. Employer, John Clark who participated in the mock interviews commented:
“I was genuinely impressed by the students’ approach and their eagerness to listen and learn. The team at Ashton should be massively proud of the young adults you are sending out into the future workplace.”
A huge thank you to all employers who visited us to work with and inspire our students!
language and food, showcasing their heritage and traditions.
Performances including traditional Indian and Afro-Caribbean dancing took place, with all students encouraged to participate and dance along. Everyone was encouraged to dress to represent their culture, filling the college full
of colour and demonstrating tradition from all around the world. The food was a great hit with everything to taste from Indian, Caribbean and Italian.
A map of the world highlighted the different countries from where students identified their cultural heritage and brought together the rich array of traditions across college.
Councillor Tafheen Sharif, Mayor of Tameside attended the event, speaking with students and inspiring them through sharing her story of being the first Muslim and ethnic minority woman to be appointed civic mayor of Tameside. As a huge advocate for diversity within the community, the Mayor was blown away by the commitment the college has to ensuring everyone is represented.
Lisa Richards Centre Principal said
“What a lovely event! Our college is wonderfully diverse so our annual Culture Day is a great
opportunity to recognise and celebrate this. Students arrived in their cultural dress, representing over 60 countries. The food, singing, dancing and fashion show were a joy to be part of, and I am so proud to have received lovely feedback from our guests including the Mayor of Tameside. This is a student-led event, so a huge well done to our very active Student Council for putting the day together.”
This event is part of the college’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The college are passionate about ensuring every student thrives, welcoming diversity, embracing difference and being intolerant or intolerance.
Ashton Sixth Form College forms part of Stamford Park Trust, a multi-academy trust in Tameside who aims to provide Excellence and Ambition for all.
A huge well done to the staff and student council at Ashton Sixth Form College for organising such a great event.
EPQ Poster Presentations 2024
In March, A2 students participating in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) presented their projects to staff, fellow students and parents.
The poster presentation event moved to the Sports Hall last year due to the record numbers of students participating on the EPQ programme!
The EPQ is an additional qualification that students can take alongside their studies. It is worth half an A-Level and allows students to develop their personal interests and create a project around a particular topic. Through taking part in the EPQ, students have gained key skills in time management, academic writing, researching and presenting.
A wide range of niche and interesting topic areas were explored by students, including:
• World War One Poetry
• Effects of Music Therapy on Neuroplasticity and emotional wellbeing
• Time as an illusion
• The French Revolution – was Louis XVI responsible?
• The Impact of Social Media on Society
• Factors Influencing Skyscraper Design
• Stockholm Syndrome
• Links between Populism and Hairstyles
• Affects of AI
• Pre-Ice Civilisation
• The importance of Sleep
• Alzheimer’s: Can you forget addiction?
Politics students take trip to London
A1 A Level Politics students recently visited London for the Politics Conference.
The conference included various guest speakers including:
• Wes Street Ingredients MP
• Lord Dubs
• Richard Tice, Leader of Reform UK
• Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader of the Green Party
• Sarah Onley MP
• Alastair Campbell
• Rory Stewart
There is a record number of students taking EPQ this year, highlighting the year on year growth of such a valuable qualification. EPQ Coordinator, Rachel Allen said:
“With 180 students presenting this year, the atmosphere was incredible! The students really embraced presenting their projects, and used this opportunity to demonstrate the hard work and effort they have put in throughout the duration of completing their EPQ. From research, academic writing, time management, referencing, their skills developed were clearly on show throughout the event, demonstrating what they are truly capable of. A huge WELL DONE to all the students, you were amazing!”
Speaking passionately about the EPQ programme, Dr Damian Windle, Head of The XL Academy at Ashton said:
“This was a phenomenal day and testament to all the hard work from the EPQ staff and students. As one of the biggest centres of EPQ in the country these presentations clearly put ASFC on the map in our bid to become an EPQ Centre of Excellence, Well Done to Rachel and her amazing team”
A huge well done to all students who participated in the poster presentations!
One student, Maisie even had the opportunity to ask Sarah Olney, Lid Dem MP a question. Maisie asked about whether three female PMs have helped or hindered the encouragement of women in politics.
Students had a fantastic time and were a credit to the college.
Concept 2050 Exhibition 2024
Concept 2050 has returned for another year. The exhibition is the culmination of work by 3D Design & Technology students who were tasked to reimagine and redesign the college campus to reflect how it would look in 2050.
The aim of this exhibition is to give students who are considering careers in architecture an introduction to the architecture pathway in 3D Design. It also gives an opportunity for all students to develop a good working understanding of CAD and its role in design and engineering.
There was a considerable amount of work and effort. Weeks of work and planning went in to the final designs presented by our very talented students.
Leading experts from construction and design companies, Balfour Beatty and Abodiology (Interior Design company) attended the event to judge the designs and talk to students about
progressing in to a career in architecture.
Four students were awarded certificates and gift vouchers from the judges:
• Martha Campbell won Best Architectural Model, awarded by William Bowers, Carbon Advisor at Balfour Beatty
• Jess McCabe won Best Exterior Design, awarded by Megan Profitt, Environmental Sustainability Graduate at Balfour Beatty
• Amanee Miah won Best Interior Design, awarded by Susanna Smith - owner of Abodiology
• Euan Wilkinson won Most Creative Response, awarded by Millie Bullock, Social Impact Apprentice at Balfour Beatty
A huge well done to all of the students who participated in Concept 2050 and particularly those who won an award for their design concepts.
Speaker of the MonthRichard McCann Speaker of the MonthRam V
This week, we welcomed our second Speaker of the Month for February, Richard McCann.
Richard is founder of the ‘iCan Academy’, and tours the country delivering motivational talks.
Richard builds on his own life experiences, including his mother being the first victim of notorious serial killer, Peter Sutcliffe.
Despite a hard childhood and past, Richard overcame his struggles and ultimately turned his life around.
Richard shared his story with students, exploring the ‘iCan’ approach and demonstrating what can be achieved with a growth mindset.
Students were left feeling inspired and motivated after Richard’s motivational talk. Thanks very much for visiting us Richard!
Our March speaker of the month was Ram V, originally from Mumbai and lived in Philadephia for many years whilst working as a chemical engineer. Though he had a successful career as an engineer, Ram’s passion was creative writing so he left his career to follow his dream.
Ram spoke to students about his successful journey as a writer. Since self-publishing his first book in 2016, his work has won multiple awards. As well as creating original work, Ram has also written for iconic characters and titles such as Detective Comics, Justice League Dark, Catwoman, Venom and many more for DC Comics and Marvel.
As well as delivering a talk to students, Ram also participated in workshop with our Art & Design students.
A huge thank you to Ram for visiting us and sharing your inspiring story with our students!
Holocaust survivor featured in recent blockbuster visits Ashton Sixth Form College
Ashton Sixth Form College was honored to welcome 94-year-old Holocaust Survivor Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines as their speaker of the month.
Lady Milena and her sister came to live in Ashton Under-Lyne after they were two of the 669 children saved by Sir Nicholas Winton who, arranged the Kinder Transport from Prague during the Second World War to bring them to safety in England in 1939- their story is now being portrayed in the film ‘One Life’ starring Anthony Hopkins.
It was the second time Lady Milena has returned to where she grew up, which was just around the corner from Ashton Sixth Form College, bringing back many memories of the area for her as a child.
During the talk to students, Lady Milena shared her inspiring story of fleeing her home country of Czechoslovakia during Nazi occupation, starting her life in a new country and being reunited with her parents years later. She showed students artifacts such as her evacuation certificate and name tag.
She also shared the extraordinary story of when over 40 years later, she discovered and met the man who saved her and her sister. The iconic clip was first featured on “That’s Life” in 1988 when Nicholas was reunited with many of the children he rescued. Now recreated in the 2023 film “One Life” starring Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter, Lady Milena features in both and remained friends with Nicholas Winton throughout his life.
She was also shown students artwork done as part of a National Lottery Funded project called “Life Through a lens” where students responded to photos from survivors and Kindertransport children.
Lady Milena commented how important it is to share her story in College to encourage young people to always be kind to each other and appreciate those they have in life. Quoting Sir
Nicholas Winton, she said “It’s not good to just not do bad things” She challenged all students to do just one good dead a day and see the difference they make.
Centre Principal Lisa Richards commented “We have run our Speaker of the Month initiative for almost two years, but I have never seen such a full house as Lady Milena’s talk.
And what a talk it was, truly bringing history to life with the very personal touch that comes from hearing - first hand - someone’s unique story. Students were in awe. Lady Milena’s profound take-away message, “If it is not impossible, it can be done” left our young people with both a new understanding of this significant part of history and inspiration to consider their role in shaping the present and the future”.
Lady Milena’s visit is a part of Ashton Sixth Form College’s Speaker of the Month Programme which is an excellent opportunity for students to immerse themselves in super curriculum enrichment. Each month the college sees a high-profile keynote speaker discussing different topics such as employability skills, philosophical debate, tips, advice and much more. The program is varied for all areas of the curriculum and links closely to the college’s priority of careers and employability. Previous speakers have included Alex Scott MBE, Actor Phil Mealy and Poet Tony Walsh.
The College would like to extend their thanks to Lady Milena for such an amazing and inspiring talk, leaving students and staff with such an important message.
Rugby players participate in Sale Sharks festival
Our Rugby players joined fellow players from The College of Rugby and Blackpool Sixth Form at Aldwinians Rugby Club to take part in a rugby festival set up to encourage young people to take part in the sport.
The event was set up in partnership with Sale Sharks with the aim of giving players the opportunity to play competitive rugby against other colleges and develop as players.
Staff and students at Ashton are very grateful of the partnership with Sale Sharks:
“We’re proud to be partnering with Sale Sharks, allowing us to provide high-level rugby coaching in our curriculum and enrichment. The partnership ensures we have the best provision possible at college, for students to join a rugby team, compete at all levels and be coached by ex-players.
To be able to bring together teams from colleges across the country was important to us
not only for students to be able to compete but to celebrate the sport too.
Thank you to all who got involve and to Mark and Sale Sharks for organising it.”
Graham Saffery, Head of Sport and Public Services at Ashton.
Mark Irvine from Sale Sharks added:
“Over the last few months I have been working with an amazing group of rugby players, who have worked hard on developing their rugby skills and knowledge. We have played a handful of fixtures and we have improved every time as a team and as individuals. Today was an opportunity to show everyone all the hard work we have been doing and I was proud of everyone who played at the event and the players supporting on the sideline.”
Our Rugby team look forward to future games and continue to with Sale Sharks.
Recognition and Awards ceremony for A1 students
We recently celebrated our A1 students as they are coming to the end of their first year studies. In the morning, staff hosted the A1 Recognition and Awards Ceremony for nominated students.
Our teaching staff had nominated students who have excelled academically and those who have showed outstanding Engagement and Contribution. Members from our cross college support staff, including our Inclusive Learning team, Senior Tutors and Ashton Explore (enrichment) nominated students who have stood out to them.
Hosting this event meant we could celebrate over 150 of our A1 students for their efforts and achievements throughout their first year. It was a lovely ceremony and we look forward to
seeing the students’ hard work continue into their final year at college!
Following the awards ceremony, students took part in a fun afternoon filled with a range of activities. We hope everyone had a fantastic time, it was great to see students celebrating each other.
Principal’s Recognition lunch 2024
The Principal’s recognition lunch is for students who have stood out and shown excellent participation and engagement in the classroom and throughout extra-curricular activities in college.
The final recognition lunch for this academic year was held in April and was for those students who have demonstrated outstanding
leadership qualities, making a valuable contribution to college life. These students included Academic Mentors, Student Ambassadors, Student Council members and others who have made contributions to the college community and local community.
A huge congratulations to all nominated students!
Business student secures degree apprenticeship with
KPMG
Nicole Gavaza, from Oldham Hulme Grammar School, has been offered a top degree apprenticeship with global accountancy firm, KPMG.
Nicole currently studies Business, Mathematics and Geography at Ashton Sixth Form College.
Back in October, Nicole participated in KPMG’s Discovery work experience programme, which allowed her to gain an insight into how KPMG work and enhance her future application to the company. After the Discovery programme, Nicole knew she wanted to begin her career with KPMG in a consulting role.
Once the companies apprenticeship applications opened in November, Nicole applied and completed the first two stages of the application process which included immersive and video assessments. She was then invited to the assessment centre in London, where she took part in a group interview and a one to one interview with a senior partner of the company.
Since the face to face interview, Nicole has received an offer to begin on their Level 7 Consulting Apprenticeship for post-college! Her role will include working closely with clients, whilst undertaking qualifications in level 4 junior management consulting and the ACA - the charted accountant qualification.
A huge well done to Nicole for her achievement!
Ashton Sixth Form College host multi-sports Panathlon event!
Panathlon is a national charity which gives young people with disabilities and special educational needs the opportunity to take part in competitive sport. Nine primary schools from the Tameside borough participated in the multi-sports event, with Ashton Sixth Form College students volunteering as the leaders of the event.
The schools who attended were, Canon Burrows C of E Primary School, Inspire Academy Ashton, Manchester Road Primary Academy, Micklehurst All Saints CE Primary School, Broadbent Fold Primary School, Yew Tree Primary School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Greswell Primary School and Greenside Primary School.
The day was a great success, with all students having the opportunity to get involved in various sports activities, make new friends with fellow primary schools and most importantly, have fun!
Everyone was awarded a medal and certificate for participating, and the winner of the day was Greenside Primary School who will now go on to represent Tameside in the Greater Manchester Panathlon event!
Sam Shepley, Sport and Public Services teacher commented:
“We are very proud of our Sport and Football students for volunteering yesterday. They did an excellent job! We are happy to have hosted the Panathlon are excited to be doing this again in the near future. Thanks to my team for all the support!”
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Inspires Students at Ashton Sixth Form College
In her first local engagement since being appointed Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner visited Ashton Sixth Form College to engage with students and share insights from her journey in politics. As the MP for Ashton-UnderLyne, Angela’s visit marks a significant occasion for the college and its students.
The Right Honourable Lady, who has been representing Ashton-Under-Lyne since 2015, recently returned to her roots to share her journey from growing up in Stockport to holding one of the highest offices in the UK government. During her visit, she engaged in discussions with past, present, and future politics students, offering them a unique opportunity to learn from a prominent political figure. Her key message emphasized that students can achieve their ambitions, regardless of their backgrounds.
Students eagerly participated in the session, asking Rayner challenging questions on various topics. Politics student Phoebe commented, “Having the opportunity to meet Angela Rayner was an amazing experience and it encouraged me to strive for my aspirations because if she can do it, so can I!”
The college is supporting the Sixth Form Association’s ‘Protect Student Choice’ campaign, which aims to ensure students have continued access to BTEC and other AGQ qualifications,. When students inquired about the future of these qualifications, the Deputy Prime Minister assured them that this issue is definitely on the radar.
Centre Principal at Ashton Sixth Form College, Lisa Richards said: “It was an absolute honour and a delight to have Angela in college today. As the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, she has long been a friend of the college and is hugely supportive of the work we do with young people and adult returners, so we were delighted when she chose to come here as one of her first postelection visits and as Deputy Prime Minister.
I think it is safe for me to say that the students were hugely inspired by Angela’s talk. One said to me on leaving: ‘it’s made me feel that anything is possible’! I am very proud of the intelligent and pertinent questions asked by students and pupils, on topics ranging from the future of BTECs to the role of social media in election campaigns. What a fabulous afternoon.”
As part of Stamford Park Trust, the college was also proud to invite budding politicians from partner schools Rayner Stephens High School and Longdendale High School, as well as Fairfield High School for Girls, which is set to join the trust next academic year.
Ashton Sixth Form College has a longstanding partnership with local MPs, including Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds, and Andrew Gwynne. Rayner praised the college, stating, “Ashton Sixth Form is a real asset to the community that I am proud to represent.”
The college extends its congratulations to the re-elected MPs and looks forward to continuing its fruitful partnerships.
Be Ambitious Week 2024
Following a successful launch in 2023, Be Ambitious week at Ashton Sixth Form College has returned for another year. The flagship Be Ambitious programme allows students to gain real-life experiences and develop their soft skills, which will aid them in the world of work.
The week, sponsored by Stamford Product Ltd, Project Opal and Carpenter, was full of enriching opportunities for A1 students. Students could choose from three strands - taking part in an employer-led project, completing a work placement or participating in a range of workshops.
Almost 470 students secured themselves a work placement for Be Ambitious week. Completing a work placement allowed the students to gain first-hand experience in a professional setting, whilst building on their transferable skills. Students underwent their work placements at lots of high profile organisations, including, Manchester United FC, Tameside Magistrates Court, Tameside Council and many more.
For those taking part in an employer-led project were welcomed by Centre Principal, Lisa Richards who spoke about the importance of the week and how to get everything out of the programmme. Students then heard from keynote speaker, Richard Bradley, Senior IT Director at Kellanova. Richard is a former Ashton Sixth Form College student, so is extremely passionate about the college as a whole and the opportunities we provide for
students. Richard discussed his own career journey since college and the significance of capitalising on opportunities and experiences they students are exposed to throughout the Be Ambitious programme.
Industry mentors from renowned companies, such as Bealfour Beatty, National Rail and BBC News set real-time briefs for students, who were then tasked to create a project following said brief.
Those students then spent the work working on their projects, having regular meeting with industry experts from companies such as Balfour Beatty, National Rail, BBC News and lots more renowned organisations. A total of 324 students participated in an employerled project this year compared to 275 last year, meaning more students had access to those meaningful work experiences with major employers.
As well as the work placements and employerled projects, workshops have taken place throughout the week for students. These workshops focused on a range of topics, including employability and mental health and wellbeing. Organisations including Project Charisma, who explored confidence in the work-place and public speaking with students, and Diamond Wellbeing Hypnotherapy who shared coping mechanisms and wellbeing tips with students.
The standard of work produced by students throughout the week has been highly praised by employers. Andrew McLaren, from Tameside Council commented: “What a great college, teachers and of course the fantastic students. I was genuinely agog at the knowledge and hard work from all students. I’m really proud that ASFC is in my ward - it’s a real jewel!”
Shannon Coulding from Reuben’s Retreat was extremely impressed with our students: “The students were all really engaged in the project and invested their time into researching about the charity and the work we do. Some of the students were nervous to present but they all came incredibly prepared and overcame any fears they had about presenting.”
It is clear to students enjoyed the week and found it very useful with developing their employability skills. One student mentioned that Be Ambitious week allowed them to “gain the skills of time management and independence, making me more confident in presenting my work.” Another students noted they have “developed communication skills, admin skills, a good work ethics and punctuality skills.” Rachel Smirke, Director of Curriculum and Progression said: “I was nervous going into our second year of Be Ambitious week as I didn’t think we could top last year. However, it has
been even bigger and better than last year with even more students engaged in activity. The gold standard is always to have students with an employer in the workplace for a full week and nearly 50% of students managed this. On top of that, the majority of remaining students were engaged with employers via a live project brief. I am so proud of all the students and the feedback we have received from the employers who worked with students. It has been a week of superb achievements, confidence and skill building as well as forming new contacts in the working world. We will continue to build on this for next year.”
A huge well done to all students for fully immersing themselves in the opportunities and experiences they’ve come across throughout Be Ambitious week! Also thank you to all employers for working with our students. We look forward to another successful Be Ambitious week in 2025!
Staff raised over £2000 for Cancer Research!
This term, a handful of staff completed the Pretty Muddy 5k at Heaton Park and raised a total of £2050 for Cancer Research!
In April, a very valued staff member Paul Martin suddenly passed away. When Paul was just 10 he was diagnosed with a brain tumour called a medulla blastoma. Paul underwent surgery at Booth Hall hospital and then underwent radiotherapy on his head and spine through Christies.
Paul went for a lunch time walk every day, so in his honour some of his colleagues took on the challenge of Pretty Muddy! Many of the staff also completed the 5k in honour of their family and friends who have been affected by cancer. A huge well done to all for their fundraising efforts!
