THE L ATEST NEWS FROM AROUND YOUR COLLEGE
UPDATE JUNE 2017
Performing Arts and Production Arts students perform The Wizard of OZ. For more information go to page 03.
KEY DATES Bedford College Open Day Wednesday 21 June 2017 5.00pm-8.00pm Bedford College Staff Conference Thursday 6 July 2017 Shuttleworth College Bedford College Open Day Thursday 24 August 2017 2.00pm-7.00pm Bedford College 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 08
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Shuttleworth College Open Day Thursday 24 August 2017 2.00pm-7.00pm Shuttleworth College The Bedford Sixth Form GCSE Advice Day Thursday 24 August 2017 2.00pm-7.00pm The Bedford Sixth Form
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CORPORATION NEWS
The Corporation are continuing to work closely with the Executive to obtain the final assurances needed to support the merger of Bedford and Tresham colleges from 1 August 2017 with a board meeting planned on 7 June 2017. The Corporation have continued to scrutinise the performance of Bedford College through their cycle of committee meetings. Planning has also commenced for the next academic year and the Corporation are currently seeking applications for vacancies on the Board, reviewing interested applications from Tresham governors as well as continuing to seek external applicants. The Board is keen to reflect in its membership the community served by the College. All applications are welcome, particularly those from women and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. Applications are assessed against the skills requirement of the Corporation at any given time.
Roger Marriott
The Chair of the Corporation Linda Hockey, and Sarah Clough, currently cochairing the Resources Committee, are retiring this term after substantial service to the College. Their contribution will be celebrated at the annual corporation dinner on 22 June 2017, with their final meeting taking place on 11 July 2017. It is hoped that both will maintain contact with the College.
Sarah Clough
The Corporation has endorsed the appointment of Roger Marriott (the current Vice Chair of the Corporation) as the Chair from 1 August 2017 for a two year period. If you have any questions about the Corporation or any of the opportunities it provides please feel free to contact the Clerk to the Corporation; Rachel Nicol rnicol@ bedford.ac.uk (Tel. 01234 291003) or one of your staff governors, Jane Dudeney and Charlie Whewell. Linda Hockey
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BEDFORD & KEMPSTON CAMPUS NEWS Students in End of Year Dance Show
Preparing for great futures
Music students perform live
MEET THE INDUSTRY – THE ORIGINAL ‘SPEED DATING’
Music Technology students were also on hand to help out with the live sound engineering and lighting as part of their work experience.
April 2017 saw many different industry personnel descend on Travel & Tourism ready to meet and greet our students. For over an hour, students got a one to one insight into cabin crew, ground handling, VIP flight services, travel agencies, historic stately homes and many more.
END OF YEAR DANCE SHOW The Level 3 Dance students have just completed production of their end of year dance show. With a cast of 13, their numbers included commercial, jazz, musical theatre, classical, lyrical and Latin dances. The show started with the re-staging of the opening number of the hit Broadway musical Chicago, a number performed many times on the West End stage by their dance teacher, Adelle Moss. Numerous students are moving on, having secured placements in our HE partner college, Stella Mann College of Performing Arts. We wish them luck with their future careers and hope that we will see them on stage or screen in the future.
CHECKING IN SUCCESS! Travel & Tourism are proud to announce nine of our students are currently in training with Swissport ready to check you in for your summer holidays! Eight students from the full-time Level 3 study programme and one from the evening Aviation Ops course started training on Monday 15 May, followed by a week shadowing staff, then going live on their own at Luton Airport. Three students will be working as dispatch, so expect to see them at your boarding gate, whilst the others will be checking in flights for Ryanair, Thomson and First Choice amongst others. Good luck girls!
Feedback from employers was fantastic, with Swissport saying how impressed they were with our students’ behaviour. Signature Aviation were impressed with the level of confidence and customer service they saw and Just Travel praised their positivity and friendliness. These are all the skills we hope they will develop further ready for work when they leave us. Travel & Tourism students meet employers
The event was entirely organised by the Year Two Music Performance students and they raised an incredible £800 for the charity. We are very proud of our students and would like to thank them for their professionalism throughout the event. Many thanks to Lee Head for doing the live sound engineering for the main stage and to Damian Clark for engineering and assisting in Danny's Bar. This was a perfect end to the year for the students and gave them first hand industry experience of performing in a professional and renowned music venue.
WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD!
UPCOMING OSCARS Once again Travel & Tourism are gearing up for our annual awards evening. This year we are heading to the Park Inn for a three course meal, awards and of course some dodgy dancing – can’t wait to see Jonathan’s moves!
MUSIC PERFORMANCE AT ESQUIRES On Thursday 18 May, Years 1 and 2 Music Performance students descended upon Bedford’s Esquires music venue to hold a charity concert for the Sue Ryder Hospice in Moggerhanger. The students performed simultaneously in Danny's Bar downstairs with some eclectic acoustic performances and the upstairs main stage for full-on band sets.
Our Level 3 Performing Arts and Production Arts students put on three fantastic evening performances of The Wizard of Oz on 24, 25 and 26 May with a final sell out performance on the Friday night! The South Bank Theatre came alive with colourful costumes, singing dancing and acting. Toby Clark said: “The show provided a showcase of the real strengths of the performing arts department, a commitment to professional standards and to the provision of the specialist areas: acting, dance, musical theatre and production. Students were able to specialise and June 2017
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perform in their chosen area, all within the single show, with opportunities for learners to excel in each of the areas. The production values are extremely high and I was drawn into the experience by this and the performers’ talent and professionalism.”
ACCESS STUDENTS’ SUCCESS Access to Higher Education students will be celebrating a year of hard work and achievement on 16 July. Toby Clark (Director for the Arts) and Chris Wilde (Head of Department) will be presenting certificates, as well as awards and prizes for students who have made significant contributions on the course. Parents, friends and family will have the opportunity to see the culmination of a very challenging year and be thanked for all of their support. Bedford College are taking part in an exchange with teachers from Denmark and Finland over the next two years, as part of the Erasmus project through Bedford Borough Learning Exchange (BBLE). This exchange will involve members of staff from schools, the College, and the university in Bedford ‘exchanging’ with their counterparts in these countries. Natalie Morris will be visiting Finland in September, Denmark in November and our counterparts will be visiting the UK in June (13th). Part of this visit will include them visiting Bedford schools and the College. Part of the visit to the College will include a ‘meet and greet’ with the visiting teachers. If you would like to get involved please contact Natalie Morris nmorris@bedford.ac.uk
POSTER CONFERENCE Throughout last week Access to Higher Education students showcased their research projects in the form of a poster conference. This was the culmination of a year’s research project, summarised into a poster and their final assessment for this unit. Part of the assessment involved them explaining their research to third parties and receiving feedback. Posters were displayed on the third floor of the Tower Block at various times during the week. Students talking about their posters
TEACHER ED TO GIVE A TALK AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY Mark Brookes has been invited to Oxford University to talk to the National Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) about routes into FE teaching. Mark will form a panel with colleagues from University of Bedfordshire (Early Years), Oxford Brookes University (Primary) and Oxford University (Secondary) to inform the careers advisors of how graduates can get into teaching. The event will take place on Tuesday 6 June 2017 and will form part of a national ‘Routes into Teaching Roadshow’ for the AGCAS service.
SHUTTLEWORTH COLLEGE NEWS Students in Wales
WILD WELSH ADVENTURE This year Outdoor Adventure students had the opportunity to visit Wales for their annual expedition. The trip took place over two weeks with the first group visiting the Brecon Beacons and second group going to Snowdonia. Both groups had a tough and challenging week with some great individual and team achievements. The first group were split into three and each planned a walk and a wild camp or overnight stay in a ‘bothy’ (a small, basic shelter, usually left unlocked for people to use free of charge). The groups had to plan, organise and then carry out their expeditions with minimal supervision from Shuttleworth College staff. Group 1 chose to walk to a climbing crag on the first day, then stayed overnight in a bothy before walking out over Fan Y Big the next day. Their focus all week was on making the use of the climbing crags in the area. On their final day they spent time at Symonds Yat climbing the local crag. Group 2 had a challenging walk on the first day from Pencilli up to Fan Y Big then spent the night wild camping by a reservoir. The next day they took on the summit of Pen Y Fan, a significant challenge with full packs carrying all their overnight gear! On their final day they decided to spend time
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mountain biking the trails at the Forest of Dean where the students demonstrated some excellent mountain biking skills. The final group chose to walk from Pencilli, summit Fan Y Big, Cribyn and Pen Y Fan all on day one. This was a significant challenge for the group with cohesion and peer support a key factor in achieving this goal. The night was spent below Pen Y Fan wild camping, not your usual flat grass but a 5 star view. The next day they decided that doing just the height was not enough, so they set themselves a 23km walk back to Pencilli. This tested the group hugely but they overcame this with determination and perseverance (and maybe an ice-cream or two at Talybont-On-Usk). They decided that they would change up their final day activity to be on the water, canoeing to Symonds Yat and back to the campsite at Biblins. Putting their 2* and Foundation Safety and Rescue Training (FSRT) skills into practice.
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THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM NEWS
WORKSHOP WITH THE WI
STUDENT FUTURES
On 22 April 2017 A2 Art and Textile students had the opportunity to take part in a workshop with members of a local Women’s Institute (WI) Group. Nicola Mansell and Kate Tunami, Art & Design teachers at The Bedford Sixth Form, are completing their Masters degrees and take part in a group project called a ‘Service Design Brief’ which has to involve the community in some way.
A-Level exams are in full swing here at The Bedford Sixth Form. The students have worked so hard both throughout the year and in preparation for the exam season. We wish them all the best of luck and look forward to welcoming them all back in August for the much-anticipated results day! In the meantime, here are some of our A-Level students talking about their future plans…
Nicola and Kate chose to call their project ‘Creative Roots’ which represented their idea of promoting traditional creative techniques such as applique and patchwork in the classroom. The ethos behind their brief was to bring members of the older community to interact with students and show them skills that they can pass on to younger generations.
Amber –“ I am going on to the University of Birmingham to study Law & Criminology, which I feel combines everything I’ve learnt both here and at school. My ultimate aim is to become a barrister.” Amber
Suzanne Revell, Personal Tutor at The Bedford Sixth Form and member of the Wootton WI, arranged for two members of her group to come in for a two hour workshop with the A2 students. The students focused on applique and patchwork using materials the ladies from the WI had brought in with them.
Cashal
Cashal – “I love learning about space and am looking forward to going on to the University of Hertfordshire next year to study Aerospace Engineering.” Chloe – “I’m looking forward to going to the University of East Anglia to study Biological Sciences, although my time at The Bedford Sixth Form has gone too quickly. I want to go back and do it all over again!” Martha – “Once I finish my A-Levels I am taking a gap year to travel around South America and Asia. After that I have a place at Oxford Brookes to study Fine Art. “ Bethan – “I have a place at the University of Nottingham to study Sociology with Criminology.”
Abigail Lence, an A2 Art student who is going on to the University of Leeds to study Fine Art in September, enthused: “It was really enjoyable and not at all awkward. Despite the age difference the group all really clicked. I’d really like to try to improve these skills even more now.”
YOU ARE INVITED TO THE BEDFORD SIXTH FORM CREATIVE ARTS
SUMMER SHOW 8th June 2017 6pm - 8pm
The Bedford Sixth Form, Bromham Road, Bedford, Mk40 2BS Artwork by Emily Green
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BCS NEWS Cauldwell Street Sports Hall
THE VENUE HUB AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY
the Venue Hub is firmly establishing itself as a brand in the heart of the community.
It has been a busy start to 2017 for the Venue Hub – the commercial brand under which the College’s facilities are rented out. Over 60 College facilities have been hired out so far including performing arts spaces, sports halls, kitchens and student accommodation to name but a few!
As we progress towards summer, the Venue Hub is welcoming a whole host of interesting and creative groups on to College sites.
Spanning the Bromham Road, Cauldwell Street and Shuttleworth sites, local businesses, associations and leisure users are making the most of the first rate, competitively priced spaces. These bookings all generate revenue which goes directly back to the College. Sports and activity clubs such as Bedfordshire Cricket, Dance 2 and Bounce (trampoline fitness) are regular visitors and
New bookers include The White Studio (flexibility training with special Yogawheels in the Dance Studio), Bedford Creative Arts (theatrical collaboration in 25 Restaurant) and Mad Science (interactive science camps for primary aged children across College sites).
BCS would like to thank Bedford College staff for their support throughout the academic year and to remind them of the 20% discount for friends and family which is available on the hire of selected Venue Hub facilities, including The Grand Hall. For more information visit www.thevenuehub.com, email bookings@bedfordcollegeservices.co.uk or call 01234 291192.
Also returning will be the National Citizenship Service whose hundreds of young people enjoy their time at Bedford Sixth Form site in late July and early August.
munch & M O C H A
Daily Deals Breakfast
Lunch
Each item only 99p
Daily 99p meal of the day
Beans on Toast
Small Sausage Roll
1/2 Sausage Baguette
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Porridge
6x Chicken Nuggets
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CROSS-COLLEGE GROUPS The College has many cross-college groups meeting on a regular basis so there will now be an update from the groups after each meeting to pass on any relevant information. Current groups Achievements Ceremony Chair: Grace Kennedy Accommodation Chair: Pat Jones Advanced Engineering Centre Chair: Pat Jones Apprenticeships Chair: Debbie Houghton Customer Service Chair: Sarah Baxter Equality and Diversity Co-chairs: Ian Pryce and Elizabeth Nash Higher Education Chair: Georgina Ager Professional Development Chair: Fiona Jukes Open Days Chair: Dean Constant Safeguarding Chair: Em Lowe Safety Committee Chair: Elizabeth Nash Staff Development Days Chair: Fiona Jukes
ADVANCED ENGINEERING CENTRE
The purpose of the Steering Group is to ensure that all project plans for the new Advanced Engineering Centre run to plan, including finances and sponsorship where appropriate. The group is chaired by the Finance Director and has representatives from Estates, Engineering, the Executive, Marketing and Governors. The group meets once a month to discuss progress and set actions for the following month to ensure the project meets its deadlines. The group has recently been awarded a grant of £200,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation for the new building. For further information please contact Karen Rabjohn at krabjohn@bedford.ac.uk
APPRENTICESHIPS
This group is working to provide closer links between apprentice employers and the College. The group is currently assisting employers with the new apprenticeship levy that came into force in April 2017. They are also working on ways to give apprentices the opportunity to be involved in the whole student experience, giving them a more active role within the College’s student government and other student groups. The new chair of the group is Debbie Houghton, who has recently joined the College as Director of Apprenticeships. For more information please contact Debbie Houghton at dhoughton@bedford.ac.uk
CUSTOMER SERVICE
If you are a member of a group that is not listed, or would like to join one of the groups and don’t know who to contact, please let Trudie Tebbutt know at ttebbutt@bedford.ac.uk
The Customer Service group was established to assess and improve service around the College. Following their administration of staff, employer, HE and apprentice surveys the group has been working hard to implement suggested improvements across the sites for the benefit of all.
ACHIEVEMENTS CEREMONY
The group will next meet on 12 June to determine the plans for the next academic year. For more information please contact Trudie Tebbutt at ttebbutt@bedford.ac.uk
This group organises the Achievements Ceremony in November each year. For more information please contact Grace Kennedy at gkennedy@bedford.ac.uk
ACCOMMODATION
The Accommodation group deals with the updating and changes to the buildings on all sites. Following a recent meeting the group have proposed plans for upgrades of various areas and will be able to share the details in the next issue.
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY
The group is chaired by the Principal and includes members from across the College sites and functions. Meetings take place on a termly basis. The group advises the College Executive on the promotion of equality and diversity in the College, participates in the implementation of the Single Equality Scheme Action Plan and encourages positive action to address identified barriers and equality gaps. The
group members act as champions for inclusion and diversity in their area of work. Anastassia Parsons manages the Virtual staff focus group which was set up to assist the Equality and Diversity Group to engage with a broad range of staff on relevant topics, provide feedback via brief surveys, and help raise awareness of issues affecting staff and students in order to inform further engagement and proposals for change. The group does not meet in person and members are invited to complete a short online survey (anonymous) on a topic each term. The group membership is flexible and members can opt out of completing a specific survey. For more information or if you would like to join either group, please contact Anastassia Parsons anparsons@bedford.ac.uk
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
An open group to support non-teaching staff across all areas of the College. Some members of the group are currently working on the staff conference.
OPEN DAYS
The new format Open Days are working well and we are looking forward to the next Open Day on 21 June. Thank you to everyone for their continuing support. For more information please contact Dean Constant at dconstant@bedford.ac.uk
SAFETY COMMITTEE
We have an established Safety Committee which for many years has supported the College in the development of high standards of health, safety and welfare. This Committee’s membership reflects our diverse nature of learning and working environments. It is a legal body set up in line with requirements of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 forming an integral part of our effective management approach helping identify and control foreseeable hazards and risks to all. This group meets once a term, with the next meeting taking place on 7 June 2017. For more information please contact Emma Charnley at echarnley@bedford.ac.uk
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STAFF CONFERENCE WORKING GROUP
This group meets to come up with ideas for, and organise, the staff conference. They are currently extremely busy with the 6 July conference planning.
STAFF SOCIAL GROUP NEWS The SSG have been very busy booking events and activities for the rest of this year, even looking at some as far off as September 2018! Tickets to Wonderland at MK Theatre and Kaiser Chiefs in Bedford Park sold out very quickly and booking for the Christmas Lights in London has recently closed. Details of the coach transport to Great Yarmouth for a day at the sea in August will be available this month, as well as tickets for Grease and Blood Brothers at MK Theatre in the autumn. Please keep checking staffnet for news of upcoming events.
PEOPLE NEWS MARATHON RUNNING
On the 23 April Lindsay Edwards, the Placement Officer for Childcare, ran the London Marathon in memory of her aunt and uncle who recently passed away at Keech Hospice. According to Lindsay, “the atmosphere on the day of the marathon was incredible and I'm still on a high - despite the aching! I genuinely loved all 5 hours, 45 minutes and 17 seconds of it. So far, I have raised nearly £2,000 for Keech. By the time it’s all collected I will have raised £2,500. My JustGiving page is still open, if anyone would like to make a donation.” www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LindsayEdwards
CELEBRATE THE FESTIVAL OF LEARNING WITH BEDFORD COLLEGE! #lovetolearn
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STARTERS AND LEAVERS
Since we last reported there have been a number of changes in staff We have said goodbye to: Claire Baker Liz August Amrita Kaur Sarah Di Lorenzo Catherine Wharton Jane Mead Renata Boon Sharron Alexis Karen Dunville David Crawford Emefa Austin-Seade We are saying hello to: The Bedford Sixth Form Mel Bourke Construction Craig Love