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may2011
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may2011
3 Central Beds win the League
11 Type Can Speak exhibition
19 New part-time guide
4 Rawabit visit
12 Adult Learners Week
20 19+ Marketing campaign
5 Help for Heroes charity event
13 A Levels Sociology Conference
21 Awards Ceremony
6 Hair, Beauty and Sport Progression Day
14 A Levels AQA Baccalaureate
22 Next Open Day
7 AHT Award Winners
15 iPad Competition
22 Schools careers events
8 Central Beds student in council
16 Liz Leeson becomes a Hunter!
22 A Levels Taster Day
9 IT Services Update
17 Beauty students pampering
23 Creative Arts end of year show
10 Library Update
18 Leighton Buzzard market day
Central Beds win the league! An outstanding second half performance saw Central Bedfordshire College win their second successive league title 3-1 against Bedford College. Only victory in the last game of the season would have been good enough to secure a second league title for Central Beds and on the back of a terrible performance against second place Watford it didn’t look very likely. Football Development Manager Colin Sharpe commented “this is an excellent achievement for all the players, coaches and staff involved at the College. To win the league last year was great, but to be promoted and win it again is an even better achievement for all involved. I would like to think that the players have learnt a lot this year, as this is a massive step up in the standard of football. We play in the highest level of College football in the country. We play against Premiership, Football League and Conference College programmes such as Chelsea, Wycombe wanderers, Watford, Oxford United, Cambridge United to name a few. In our league we are the only stand alone college that is not linked with any semi of professional club and with more programmes setting up in the area, This just supports that fact that being linked to a professional club and all of its marketing ploys has no more impact than what we offer and have a proven track record of success on the field, and most importantly in the classroom with last 15 of our 17 Level 3 students headed off to their chosen universities, two of those receiving scholarships in California. Not forgetting our second team who also won their league in March. With our success this clearly put us at the forefront of College football in Bedfordshire and possible further afield�
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Rawabit visit to Central Beds College Central Bedfordshire College hosted three representatives from the Rawabit between 8th and 26th May. During their visit the representatives will be having meetings with various local representatives, including Andrew Selous, MP, the CEO and Chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council, the Town Clerk at Dunstable Town Council, and representatives from the University of Bedfordshire. During their stay they will also be attending various College events and meetings, to gain a better insight into how the College works within the British education system. The aim of the programme is to create a long lasting mutually beneficial relationship, that will support the strategic development of the technical and vocational education system in Iraq.
Central Bedfordshire College support Help for Heroes On Wednesday 18th May Central Bedfordshire College Public Service Students Took part in a gruelling endurance challenge to raise money for the Armed Forces Charity Help for Heroes. Three teams of students departed from the Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard campuses whilst carrying a stretcher with an “Injured” student on board. Groups of students accompanied those carrying the stretchers with collection tins accepting donations from the general public, students and staff in the areas surrounding the college campuses. The students worked incredibly hard on the day, covering a total of 12 miles. Martin Rawles said: “Following the very successful day raising money for Help for Heroes I am enormously proud of each and every one of the students not only for their hard work carrying stretchers many miles but also the way they presented themselves to the general public with dignity and pride”
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Hair, Beauty and Sport Progression Day A progression fair was held in May at the Houghton Regis Campus for Hair, Beauty and Sport students. Tutors from all three areas attended, to assist and offer general advice regarding the learners progression route. The afternoon provided an excellent opportunity for those learners who were undecided about their intended progression, enabling them to gain knowledge from all three areas to help with their next step in studies. On hand also, were staff from MIS and Student Services assisting learners with their enquires. The Progression Fair is now in its third year and continues to be a great success.
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AHT Award Winners Ali Hadawi met the Hairdressing students on 4 May following their recent successes both regionally and nationally at the AHT (Association of Hairdressers and Therapists (AHT) National UK Trainee Competition. It was an enjoyable chance to meet with the students to congratulate them personally on their tremendous achievements as well as talking to them about their experience of the College and plans for the future. Ali commented; “I am always keen to meet students to congratulate them personally for their achievements, whether this is winning awards and competitions or making a significant contribution to the College and local community by arranging fundraising events for charity.� Please let Ali know if you know of a student or group of students who have made a particular achievement as it is important to recognise and celebrate success.
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Central Bedfordshire student takes her seat on Luton Council Naseem Ayub teaches Beauty but has been studying on the University of Bedfordshire’s Cert.Ed/PGCE course at Central Bedfordshire College at the Kingsway site. Naseem has successfully completed Year One, and has virtually completed Year Two. She will graduate with her full teaching qualification on October 27th. Elections for Luton Borough Council took place on May 5th. Naseem and her husband Mohammad both became councillors for Biscot ward. Naseem and her husband have since taken their seats on the council.
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IT Services Update College reduces its carbon footprint! IT Services had long recognised the financial and environmental cost of providing high quality computing resources for our colleagues and students. With over 700 PCs the electricity consumption represents a significant cost and carbon footprint. We are always on the lookout for new and innovative ways of improving efficiency in our operation. After considering several options, we implemented a system in February that helps us reduce power consumption of computers. The system fully automates computer shutdown in classrooms every evening so no energy is wasted during the night. The “Idle Shutdown” facility ensures that any PCs are switched off after a suitable idle period, ensuring power is not wasted during the working day. With this new system we have achieved a drastic reduction in power usage across the student network and in certain areas up to 60 percent saving an estimated £800 to date! We aim to extend the system to our staff colleagues’ PCs in the new year.
Library Update Latest news for e-books: With almost 100,000 pages viewed on the e-books since September 2010, the college is regularly in the top ten of all colleges using this free service. The college has been No 1 user for similar sized colleges 3 times this year. Through Athens, you and your students now have access to an additional 60 titles, all recently published, including BTEC titles for IT L3, Public Services L3, Sport & Exercises L3, National Engineering, Travel & Tourism and Sport. Please contact the library for the full list or see the poster in the Staff Room. Library staff are happy to demonstrate this to you and your students at a convenient time. Quick Print computer: Please let students know that if they have work ready to print on their flash drive they can use the Library’s new Self Service Quick Print facility. Reading Lists: Please contact us if you have Reading Lists. We can add these to the library catalogue in a way that makes it easy for you and your students to check the books for availability. To see how this works visit the link below and then type 22551, click search then click on the details of any book to find further information, including summaries and Harvard Referencing. http://melvil.centralbeds.ac.uk/HeritageScripts/Hapi.dll/search1?SearchPage=srchgen.htm
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Type Can Speak Exhibition Central Bedfordshire College was proud to launch the “Type Can Speak” event in partnership with Xcaliba Limited on Thursday 5 May. The project started with a hugely successful exhibition evening, giving students the chance to showcase their work. Focusing on student graphic design work from the Higher Education courses at Central Bedfordshire College, the project culminates in a book on the design and use of typography from a student perspective of all three years of Higher Education Graphic Design at Central Bedfordshire College. Xcaliba Limited are a print management company, specialising in intelligent B2B print solutions. Martyn Dolbear, Sales Director at Xcaliba Limited, commented, “We are thrilled to be working with Central Bedfordshire College students on this project; as a company Xcaliba is committed to working within the community and helping the up and coming new talent. We have really enjoyed working with the students and have been pleasantly surprised by the high quality of work being produced”. Celeste Henney, Higher Education Tutor, added, “This is an ideal opportunity to showcase the talent we have at the College and to provide the students with real work experience, as well as a platform for building their own industry contacts”.
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Adult Learners Week 2011 Last week was Adult Learners Week and saw individuals and companies from the local community celebrated at the awards ceremony, and we also hosted an event in The Mall, Luton. The event was attended by seven different providers from the local area and was a great opportunity to talk to local people and promote the courses we have to offer. Many thanks to all the tutors and students who took the time to attend the event and promote their areas!
13 A Level Sociology Conference at University of Bedfordshire A Level Sociology students at Central Bedfordshire College enjoyed an engaging and informative day at the University of Bedfordshire on Saturday 2nd April. As part of the AQA syllabus, students were invited to participate in workshops and experience lectures on a variety of interesting topics such as; our obsession with crime, the CSI effect on juries, the criminal mind, how to decide if a defendant is insane or guilty; and why working class groups have been squeezed out of football fandom. Students participated in some very interesting and heated debates where they decided whether to ‘jail’ certain notorious defendants – who could have been mentally ill or sane and guilty. A variety of Tutors from the university and its feeder Colleges delivered the syllabus relevant workshops. The Sociology Tutor from Central Bedfordshire College delivered a workshop on the topic of “Unit 2- The Sociology of Education and Research Methods - How to answer Question 2!”. As all AQA students of Sociology know, question 2 is notoriously complex because it requires the learner to answer a question on an aspect of education; for example, the self fulfilling prophecy, but not in the standard way. The student must answer the question through the medium of research methods only. As Sociology and Criminology are two of the main subjects on offer at the Bedford Campus – interest in the CSI and criminal profiling workshops was very high – and many of our students changed their degree choices to Criminology and Sociology as a direct result of attending the Conference! Student, Ayesha Ajaz described the day as “fascinating and really enjoyable – I really feel that I have learned something”. Rebecca Mayfield and Maya Greenidge also said that they felt much more confident about the forthcoming coming A Level exams. Several other local schools and colleges attended the event and all of the students had the opportunity to mix with each other. Of course just spending the day at a university campus makes students’ aware of what university life is like and helps to remove some of the anxiety involved in making this important step onto adulthood.
14 Central Bedfordshire College launches new A Level AQA Baccalaureate From September 2011 A Level students at Central Bedfordshire College will be able to study for the AQA Baccalaureate. The AQA Bacc is a suite of qualifications that will enable students to stand out from the competition when applying for university and work. The AQA Bacc is a rigorous academic programme for A2 Level students. It adds value to their core programme because it is made up of 3 A Levels, AS Critical Thinking, an extended research project and 100 hours of work experience, which can be made up of community work, voluntary work, enrichment activities or paid work. These elements combine to encourage work related skills, such as initiative, community spirit and leadership, and it is these skills which will enable students completing this course to stand out from the competition. Afshah Khan, who is currently studying A level Sociology, English and Law commented, “I think the AQA Bacc is a great idea. I already teach Quaaranic Studies for 18 hours per week at the Rabia Girls school in Luton. The Bacc incorporates all of my voluntary work with my academic studies at college and will hopefully mean that I stand a good chance of entering a good university and eventually employment. A Level Maths, Business & Human Biology student, Mohammed Rahman, also commented, “I’m really excited about studying the Bacc. It’s very straightforward because I already work at B&Q 14 hours per week. I am hoping to add some voluntary work at the CAB to my portfolio. I feel the Bacc will open up more opportunities for me in the future and eventually help me to get into a career in Business and Finance”. Frances McErlane, Head of A Levels, added, “The College is delighted to be accepted to deliver the AQA Baccalaureate. This qualification has been a long time in coming – as it incorporates; academic study with research skills and work based learning. Both universities and employers alike recognise the merits in developing the learners’ ‘whole’ skills and abilities.”
Win an Apple iPad 2
Your students could win an Apple iPad 2, simply by telling the College what they consider to be the three major benefits of volunteering!
WIN an
The competition is open to all 14-18 year olds living in Bedfordshire and Luton. Click on the link below to find out more: http://www.centralbeds.ac.uk/web10/index.php/2011/05/win-an-apple-ipad/
with Central Bedfordshire College
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Liz becomes a Hunter! Liz Leeson became Liz Hunter on Saturday 7 May when she married Gareth. Congratulations!
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Hair and Beauty students Pamper Chaul End Centre Level 2 beauty students had the privilege of treating a group of clients with physical disabilities from the Chaul End Lane Day Centre in Luton on Thursday 19th May. The clients received Mini Facial, Manicures and Pedicures. The organiser and carer Theresa Barry commented that the welcome and treatments received by the students was amazing and the clients were buzzing about their afternoon all the way home. The group are due to visit again on the 9th June.
Leighton Buzzard Market Day On Saturday 14 May, staff and students from the Leighton Buzzard Campus attended a market day in the town centre. After the success of the 2010 market day, it was another brilliant opportunity to inform people in the town about the courses and services the campus has to offer. Many thanks to all the staff and the students who took part.
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New part-time guide To view the new online part-time prospectus, please click the link below. Printed copies will be available towards the end of this week in reception at the Dunstable Campus. http://www. centralbeds.ac.uk/ web10/index.php/parttime-courses/
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Carpenter
Marketing launch 19+ Destiny Campaign To address our 19+ provision, and to encourage more adults into education, we have launched a new campaign to run along side the main Destiny campaign. Many thanks to the seven students and their tutors - please visit the facebook group to find out more! June will also see the launch of an Apprenticeship specific campaign. If you have any students that are due to start an Apprenticeship, please let us know!
Name Age Town Course
Adam Tebbutt 26 Houghton Regis Carpentry Level 1 Progression on completion of course: Hopefully I will be promoted within the company I currently work Career Aspirations: beco a fully qualified carpenter, To become an building furniture designing and What has been your best experience whilst studying at the College: Developing ‘hands on skills’ Why would you recommend returning to study to other potential students: You can never know kn too much and knowledge is everything
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Awards Ceremony 2011 The annual College Awards Ceremony is going to take place on Wednesday 29 June. This year the event is being held in the Grove Theatre in Dunstable, with tea being served after the ceremony. Please ensure all of your students who have been put forward for an award have replied to the letter sent out earlier this month, so they can collect their prizes!
Awards Ceremony 2011
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Open Day on 18 June and careers events The next Central Bedfordshire College open day is coming up on Saturday 18 June. There are also a number of careers events happening in July in various school across the area, please email mvowles@centralbeds.ac.uk for more information if you would like to represent your area.
A Level Taster Day Central Bedfordshire College is hosting an A Level taster day on Tuesday 28 June. If you have already applied to start in September or you are interested in studying A Levels but have yet to decide where please register your interest in this event to find more details, and to find out how studying A Levels at Central Bedfordshire College can Change your Destiny. Our A Level tutors will also be in The Mall in Luton on Friday 20 May, 2.30 - 4pm outside Marks & Spencers if you would like to discuss your options with them. Please contact: Frances McErlane - 01582 477776
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Creative Arts End of Year Show Visit the 2011 End of Year Show to see the work of this year’s Creative Arts students. The show will take place in THE Store and across the Dunstable Campus Between 10th June and 10th August, with private viewings on: Thursday 9 June 6-8.30pm Dunstable Campus Thursday 23 June 6-8.30 THE Store