#LONGROADLIFE Long Road Sixth Form College Applicant Newsletter
KEEP IN TOUCH
LIVING IN A DIGITAL WORLD Hello, from Long Road!
Today we're getting technical and looking at our Computing and IT courses you might already be a pro at using Teams and Zoom, but our courses will
Long Road Sixth Form
prepare you for a career in the rapidly growing IT industry!
College
@LR6FC
10th - 16th May 2021 is Mental Health Awareness Week; we've included a really interesting article on how nature is linked to mental health.
@lr6fc Remember to keep up-to-date with everything Long Road on our social media.
enquiries@longroad.ac.uk Keep smiling!
01223 631100
www.longroad.ac.uk
Long Road x
It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.
#MONDAYMOTIVATION
WELCOME DAYS
A LITTLE TREAT FROM US TO YOU!
23 / 24 / 25 JUNE 2021 We know that joining a new college
If you are a GCSE student you will
can be a little daunting, that’s why we
attend lessons for 3 of your chosen
are super excited to invite everyone
subjects, these will be automatically
who has accepted their offer of study
selected for you.
We are so excited to have Toni's Ices joining us for our Welcome Days this year!
to one of our Welcome Days!
If you are still interested in joining This year, our Welcome Days will be held on
Wednesday 23, Thursday 24
us as a new student in September 2021, please make sure that you
and Friday 25 June 2021.
accept your offer of study.
Our Welcome Days are created with
We can only invite applicants who have
you in mind, the aim is to make you feel
accepted their offer of study to our
as comfortable, prepared and excited
summer Welcome Days and we don’t
as possible to join us as a new student
want you to miss out on the opportunity
in September!
to get a taste of what life is like as a Long Road student!
You will spend the day trying out your chosen subjects, getting to know
Don’t forget, you can accept offers of
subject teachers, meeting other new
study from multiple post-16 education
students who share your academic
providers before making your final
interests and finding out what life is
decision on where you would like to
like as a Long Road student.
study after GCSE results day.
We'll be giving away
FREE
ICE CREAM vouchers as little sweet treats, from us to you, on our social media channels make sure to follow us to be in with a chance of winning!
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALTRUISM Mental Health Awareness Week 10 - 16 May 2021 Helping others feels good
and make you feel more positive. There
There is some evidence to suggest that
is some evidence that being aware of
when you help others, it can promote
your own acts of kindness, as well as
physiological changes in the brain
the things you are grateful for, can
linked with happiness.
increase feelings of happiness, optimism, and satisfaction. Doing good
It creates a sense of belonging and
may help you to have a more positive
reduces isolation
outlook about your own circumstances.
Volunteering and helping others can also help us feel a sense of belonging,
It helps make the world a happier
make new friends and connect with our
place - it's contagious
community. Face-to-face activities
Acts of kindness have the potential to
such as volunteering at a food bank
make the world a happier place. An
can help reduce loneliness and
act of kindness can improve feelings of
isolation.
confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism.
It helps keep things in perspective Many people don't realise the impact
The more you do for others, the more
that a different perspective can have
you do for yourself
on their outlook on life. Helping others,
The benefits of helping others can last
especially those who are less fortunate
long after the act itself, both for you
than yourself, can help to put things
and them!
into perspective
Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website
GRACE, LONG ROAD SCHOLAR MEET OUR LONG ROAD SCHOLAR AWARD STUDENTS Name: Grace Year Group: 1 Secondary School: Soham Village College Studies: Graphic Design, Film Studies, Drama & Theatre Progression Goals: Graphic Designer
LONG ROAD SCHOLARS' AWARD Do you feel inspired after meeting our Scholar today?
I chose to study at Long Road because
I would encourage Year 11s to apply to
of the wide range of courses and
Long Road because of the relaxed,
opportunities available, especially on
friendly atmosphere. As someone who
the Graphic Design course, which isn’t
isn’t sure exactly which route I want to
available at most other colleges. When
take after college, I think it’s really
I came to the open event, it felt like a
helpful to be able to discuss future
friendly and welcoming environment.
options with my progress coach so easily.
applied for the Scholars Award because I felt that it would be a great
I have really enjoyed how quickly I have
opportunity to be involved in the
felt comfortable and welcomed. So far,
college. I plan on using my scholarship
my favourite thing has been the
money to buy equipment and materials
freedom and independence I have
to help me with my Graphic Design
experienced at Long Road.
course.
I would encourage Year 11s to apply for the Scholars Award because it’s an opportunity to be involved at Long Road and it is a great addition to your CV.
Why not click here and meet the rest of our Long Road Scholar Award team!
"I came to Long Road because the courses were very appealing. I have always had an interest in computers and how they work. I enjoy having the freedom to program in my own way."
COMPUTING Level 3 Extended Certificate You will be investigating that Gaming
Highlights from this year’s celebration
and Cyber security industries providing
of educational products included…
an insight into two of the UKs high
ClassVR’s virtual and augmented
growth Tech industries. In the course
reality experiences which give students
you will develop your coding and
full control over the headsets and allow
logical thinking skills, study how
them to create their own content using
computer systems work, design and
a portal or access the company’s
develop a computer game, and
virtual worlds (including an immersive
investigate security systems and
Back to the Future creation).
encryption techniques. Microsoft’s STEM experience allowed last academic year, we took our IT and
visitors to write code, create in 3D,
Computing students to Bett 2019 it was
build sensors and experience mixed
a very busy show with over 40,000
reality. Their AI juice bar used visitors’
people attending and over 500
reaction, gender, age and mood to
exhibitors. The event is extremely
customise the perfect juice. Course
relevant to the students as it not only
Team Leader, Richard Cowley, came
shows them new software and
out as an empowerer and was
hardware but allows them access to
rewarded with a mixed cocktail of
people who work in the IT industry.
apple and cucumber!
IT
Level 3 Extended Certificate Take an in-depth look at the IT that is
Josie Maisey, a former teacher of ICT
all around us. IT is at the heart of
and Computing at Long Road and now
everyday life, it has an ever increasing
an ICT moderator for OCR, and Colin
role at work, home and in our leisure
Maisey, ex Project manager for Digital
time. You will develop a theoretical
Healthcare, also attended.
background reinforced with practical skills that transfer into the modern
The event went well with 16 students
workplace, providing useful experience
being assessed by these industry
if you have an interest in an IT related
experts about their ideas. Each student
career.
was given both written and oral feedback about both their ideas and
Back in November, our IT students spent
their presentation skills which will help
the afternoon pitching their ideas for
them to improve both in the future.
the development of a new product to industry experts.
During discussion afterwards, Simon said that he wishes he had had
In attendance were Long Road Alumni
‘something like this’ when he was a
Simon Plant, Senior Director of
student at the College. Everyone
Production management at Bromium
agreed that this type of activity can
UK Ltd. and James Wright, VP of
help students develop vital
Engineering at Bromium UK Ltd.
communication skills.
"I wanted to come to Long Road because of the wide range of courses offered. I found that the IT course this year has really given me an appreciation of IT in the workplace."
WHY NATURE IS THE THEME FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021 - MARK ROWLAND During long months of the pandemic,
that it’s almost impossible to realise
millions of us turned to nature. Our
good mental health for all without a
research on the mental health impacts
greater connection to the natural
of the pandemic showed going for
world. For most of human history, we
walks outside was one of our top
lived as part of nature. It is only in the
coping strategies and 45% of us
last five generations that so many of us
reported being in green spaces had
have lived and worked in a context
been vital for our mental health.
that is largely separated from nature.
Websites which showed footage from
And it is only since a 1960s study in the
webcams of wildlife saw hits increase
US found that patients who were
by over 2000%. Wider studies also
treated in hospitals with a view of
found that during lockdowns, people
nature recovered faster, that science
not only spent more time in nature but
has started to unpack the extraordinary
were noticing it more.
health benefits.
It was as if we were re-discovering at
It turns out that it is not just being in
our most fragile point our fundamental
nature but how we open ourselves up
human need to connect with nature.
and interact with nature that counts. Nature is our great untapped resource
Nature is so central to our psychological and emotional health,
for a mentally healthy future.
Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website
WHY NATURE IS THE THEME FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2021 - MARK ROWLAND
Click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation website
Despite this, many of us are not
2021 is going be a huge year for
accessing or benefitting from nature.
nature: a new Environment Bill will go
Teenagers in particular appear to be
through the UK Parliament which will
less connected with nature and around
shape the natural world for
13% of UK households have no access
generations to come; the UK will host
to a garden. We want to challenge the
the G7 nations where creating a
disparities in who is and who isn’t able
greener future will be a key priority and
to experience nature.
a historic international UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties
Nature is not a luxury. It is a resource
(COP26) will be hosted in Glasgow in
that must be available for everyone to
November.
enjoy - as basic as having access to clean water or a safe roof over our
There could not be a more important
heads. Local and national governments
time to understand the links between
need to consider their role in making
nature and mental health.
this a reality for everyone.
MAY 2021: EDITION 9
#LONGROADLIFE L O N G
R O A D
01223 631100
enquiries@longroad.ac.uk
www.longroad.ac.uk
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C O L L E G E
A P P L I C A N T
N E W S L E T T E R
Long Road Sixth Form College
@LR6FC
@lr6fc