college life SUMMER ISSUE 2020
NEWS AND VIEWS ON ALL THINGS OAKLANDS
Win a pair of Apple AirPods!
LAMBING
Lambing proceeds as virus halts community weekend plans
ATHLETICS
Wolfpack athletes dominate at track and field championships
Ex-student tours with Billie Eilish Performing Arts alumni JGrrey speaks to Oaklands about her recent tour in Prague #oaklandscollege
Lambing continues as virus halts community event ZOE HANCOCK
PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME
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elcome to the Summer edition of College Life magazine. I speak for everyone at the college when I say how proud I am of both our students and staff, for their determined attitudes and innovative ideas towards remote learning. It has been a joy to witness the wonderful work of our students, who have not only remained dedicated and committed to their studies but have also taken time to help make positive change within their local communities. Some examples of this include our fantastic Engineering staff members who worked in conjunction with the ‘3D Crowd’ initiative, helping to create over 39,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers on the front line. In addition to this, students studying on our LIFE Employability Skills programme helped to design and create over 50 washbags, to be donated to local NHS Trusts, providing staff with safe access to clean uniform. Both amazing ways our students and staff have gone above and beyond during these difficult times. I have some good news to share regarding the first phase of our redevelopment project. Our new Residential Homestead will be ready and open for new students in September and the next phase of new classroom facilities is underway. We also have our brand new 3G pitch finished and ready for students to enjoy. We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back to the college and introducing our facilities to students joining us in September. Please stay safe and well and we look forward to seeing all of our students soon. Zoe Hancock Principal and Chief Executive, Oaklands College
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Despite cancelling the tenth annual Lambing Weekend due to the unprecedented situation surrounding COVID-19, students worked closely with the college to provide daily #LambCam updates online from around the farm, sharing stories and fun facts about the new additions. See pages 8-9 for the full coverage.
Performing Arts students get stage combat masterclass Performing Arts students studying at Oaklands College’s Welwyn Garden City campus were given a stage and film combat masterclass recently. A close contact of the Performing Arts Department; stage combat expert Dan Johnson, visited the Welwyn Garden City campus to deliver a number of masterclass sessions for Performing Arts students. Students learnt stage fighting techniques, including swordplay practice for their performance of Macbeth on the 13th February 2020.
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Groundwork East mark grand opening of new Oaklands College sensory gardens
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ebruary welcomed participants from community charity Groundwork East, who along with the “Green Team”, made up of Oaklands students and local volunteers, embarked on a 14-week employment and skills programme to transform the grassland outside of the Discovery Centre into a stunning sensory garden, for the college’s supported learning students. Principal Zoe Hancock said: “It was a real pleasure to see our Springfield students enjoying the great work by the Groundwork East team, whose efforts have further enhanced the learning experience of our students.”
Matt Sutcliffe, Senior Employment Project Tutor for Groundwork said: “It has been great to run a Green Team project based at Oaklands College. The team have loved being in a learning environment and seeing the Springfield students use the new area that they have created. The team have delivered a fantastic project, congratulations Green Team!”
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[ COVER STORY ]
“I had a drama teacher called Lee he was pretty gnarly and understood me entirely”
JGrrey a
– JGrrey
TOURS WITH BILLIE EILISH
Former Oaklands College Performing Arts student “JGrrey” sat down to speak about her incredible journey which has taken her from Oaklands College to touring with Billie Eilish. Tell us about your time at Oaklands, what led you to study here and what did you enjoy? I remembered when I was younger, I enjoyed studying performing arts, nothing else was working out for me and then when I came to an Open Day it just felt exciting to be there. Tell us about your tutors during your time at Oaklands, who inspired you to pursue your dream and helped you achieve it? All of the tutors really, they all had a real dedication to wanting to help people individually, I knew that if I ever needed help, I had it – I had a drama teacher called Lee, he was pretty gnarly and understood me entirely. Describe what it was like to tour with Billie Eilish? How did the opportunity come about? The most amazing time of my life, we have the same booking agent and she randomly followed me and messaged me, next thing you know I’m hanging out with her in catering at her backstage arena tour, crazy!
Did Billie offer you any advice to take with you into the music industry? Not really, but she emits this laid-back energy, not trying to force too much and that’s stayed with me. Tell us more about your style of music, who are your influencers, some of your tracks have a similar style to Lily Allen and Jorja Smith, are they people you look up to? Jorja and Lily are actually friends of mine! Lily saw my ‘Colours’ music video and invited me to her recording studio to write some songs with her! Me and Jorja have a lot of mutual friends and always bump into each other, we work with the same producers a lot and also share the same engineer. I’m pretty certain we’ll end up working together soon – Both of those ladies have inspired me massively, as well as Mahalia, Sol Galeano, Celeste, Billie Eilish, Zilo and Tungz – I hold them all in high regard and look up to them. Finally, if you had any advice for current Oaklands students, what would it be? You know what you’re capable of! Grow, make yourself better at what you do and allow the universe to conspire in your favour! Jorja Smith / Lily Allen – © by Justin Higuchi under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license (source Wikipedia).
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Summer Issue 2020
OAKLANDS COLLEGE
EGGCELENT CREATIONS!
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
During the unprecedented situation surrounding coronavirus, Oaklands College worked together with its students and staff to create a positive impact on the local community.
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aklands College was proud to witness the determination, enthusiasm and continued development of its students and staff, throughout difficult and challenging times. As a community college, Oaklands aimed to continue supporting its local community where it could, through donating vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to local NHS Trusts and care homes and ensuring students were supported throughout their continued studies. Both our Engineering and Beauty departments were busy providing vital PPE for frontline staff, using the
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3D printing facilities at our Welwyn Garden City campus and donating Beauty resources and PPE to Peel Court nursing homes. “In addition to this, students on the Learning for Independence and Future Employment programme worked alongside their tutor; Anne Julier, to design and create vital wash bags to enable NHS and front-line staff to effectively and safely was their uniforms, whilst preventing any potential spread of the virus. Students wrote inspirational messages of thanks to recipients, demonstrating their appreciation during unprecedented and challenging times.”
STUDENTS ADAPT TO NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Oaklands College students studying Business and Travel and Tourism courses developed innovative new ways of sharing and completing their coursework with their tutors during lockdown. As students got used to learning from home during the nationwide isolation measures, Oaklands College students displayed their fantastic initiative and self-motivation to ensure their studies were not affected. Level 3 Business student Estera was tasked with creating a story board for
an idea for a sandwich shop advertisement for her Unit 9 Creative Product Promotion, Estera worked really hard and produced an actual video advert, going over and beyond what was asked of her. Level 3 Travel and Tourism student Brayan (inset below) demonstrated his ability to adapt to change, by delivering part of his assessment as an online video presentation. Brayan recorded the delivery of his planned welcome meeting, coupled with his PowerPoint presentation, to welcome prospective tourists to the
St. Regis Mardavall Resort in Mallorca to be used as evidence towards completing Unit 15, where he worked as a holiday representative. The pieces of work were a fantastic reflection of the hard work and dedication of Oaklands College students, who had adapted brilliantly to new ways of learning during challenging times.
This month, students studying the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Graphics Design were inspired by sustainability, entering an eco-friendly Easter competition. Easter is a time of year that generates a large amount of single-use plastic waste. In a more environmentally aware society, students were tasked with ensuring the seasonal event continued without making a negative impact on the planet. Students were given carton board as the single material to be used. The design had to have a secondary usage, to which students chose game designs. Megan Rixon came up with the idea of packaging containing chocolate eggs in 9 smaller boxes that you could play tic tac toe (noughts & crosses) with. The winner each time gets to open a box and eat the egg. Mackenzie Taylor developed the idea of producing a chocolate counter version of the game ‘Connect 4’, called ‘Connect 3’. The packaging forms into a vertical grid to which the counters are dropped into. The object of the game is to get 3 in a row. The counters can still be used once the chocolate content has been eaten.
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LAMBING
Lambing season hits Oaklands
Despite halting Lambing Weekend, work at Oaklands College’s on-site lambing barns continued through to the end of April, with farm students delivering over 130 adorable new lambs.
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aklands College were unable to welcome thousands of the local community to their tenth annual Lambing Weekend, due to the fast-moving situation surrounding COVID-19. Agriculture students and staff, who usually prepare to welcome over 5,000 guests across the weekend, had been working around the clock to improve the visitor experience by hand-rearing pigs, cows, goats and chicks as well as cockerels to accompany the new-born lambs, and also creating bespoke pathways around the farm to improve accessibility. However, the college made the most of the unprecedented situation by creating online vlogs and giving updates from the farm through their
social and web-channels, where students and staff were on-hand to deliver a daily “Lamb Cam”. Oaklands College Principal Zoe Hancock said; “It was a real shame that the college could not welcome the local community to our tenth annual Lambing Weekend, an event which plays a significant role in the wider community offering at the college. The safety of staff, students and the community was paramount in our decision to cancel this year’s event, though we look forward to welcoming the community to our future events.”
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Lambing weekend was a great success, despite the restrictions.
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Summer Issue 2020
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STUDENT COOKBOOK
Immune-Boosting Blueberry Smoothie
Ben’s top tips!
INGREDIENTS • 1 cup blueberries • 2 tbsp walnuts • 1 cup almond milk • 1 tsp maple syrup • 1 tsp cinnamon • 2 tsp chia seeds • 1/2 cup ice cubes
5 tips for starting your new course Ask people you may know who have already made the jump to college.
Make sure you buy anything you will need to complete the course before you begin.
Before starting your course, you may want to talk to other people about their experiences at college, such as friends, brothers, sisters etc. This will allow you to have a conversation about what college life is like as well as putting you in an easier position to ask any questions you may have about starting a new phase of education.
Some courses may require you to purchase certain equipment or materials before you start your course. I would recommend doing this before you start and not waiting until you begin college as you may need them from day 1 and could miss out on activities or fall behind.
Try having a look at the course syllabus. All courses should have a syllabus. It is very easy to find one for your course on google or simply email the college and ask for a copy. Reading through this briefly prior to starting will help you gain a better understanding of what you will be doing throughout your course so you know what to expect when you start.
Have a chat, make friends! The jump from school to college can be a big one for many people. Don’t forget that many of your classmates are in the same boat! Challenge yourself to talk to new people and to get to know your classmates, it may make settling into college easier and quicker. This will also help when given a group task as you will already be familiar with some people.
Oaklands Student App – Coming Summer 2020!
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Challenge yourself to talk to new people and to get to know your classmates, it may make settling into college easier and quicker. Get to know your personal tutor. Each class at Oaklands has a personal tutor. They will hold 1-1 meetings with you and be your main port of call for connections across the college, such as other members of staff, student advice and the careers hub. You should get to know your personal tutor as they will be able to assist your needs in and around college as well as answering your questions, giving you information and helping you find relevant and useful work experience.
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RELAXING HAND MASSAGE
You will need; A small rolled up towel for your client to rest their hand (if performing on someone else) Massage Cream – body cream/oil will be affective for this, remember it needs to have good glide and a thicker consistency Remove all jewellery. STEP 1 Take the hand, palm facing upwards, in your left hand and massage the whole hand and forearm with gentle pressure movements. Use the palm of your hand as well as your fingertips, repeat the procedure on the other side. STEP 2 Open the palm and massage in circular movements with your thumbs, starting the middle and working your way towards the sides of the palm. STEP 3 Now turn the hand and with your fingertips and thumbs rub two fingers at a time, starting from the nail and moving towards the back of the hand. STEP 4 Spread the fingers carefully and perform circular motions.
featured app
Oaklands College is determined to make student life easier and work more accessible and so have begun developing an easy to use mobile and tablet app for its students, to be ready for Summer 2020. A central hub for all students, the app will house the GroFar, ProPortal, and
METHOD In a large cup (if using an immersion blender) or a blender, combine ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more almond milk if necessary, to reach desired consistency. Serve immediately.
beauty tutorial
Canvas programmes that students use on a daily basis. In addition to this, the app will also host live feeds for bus and train timetables, campus maps, student services, health information and much more. Keep an eye out for our new app this Summer!
STEP 5 Finish off with long, soft and relaxing movements over hands and arms towards the heart.
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Send in your attempts to our social media accounts by tagging us in your posts!
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OAKLANDS COLLEGE CELEBRATES
International Women’s Day
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Emmeline Pankhurst
An equal world is an enabled world - Such was the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day. We sat down with Director of Commercial & Resources Laina Baftjari to discuss the importance of leading the initiative for an equal and balanced world.
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aklands College is proud to have formed an inclusive workplace, encouraging women of all backgrounds to be innovative, to lead and to uplift other colleagues to a more equal, diverse and inclusive workplace. Laina has worked at Oaklands College since 2004, during this time she has been fortunate enough to work in a number of different areas. Laina spent eight years as a Co-ordinator in the Supportive Learning department, where she worked with young adults with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, before moving on to become Head of Quality. Speaking about her current role, Laina said: “I am passionate about the student experience. In my current role of Director of Commercial and Resources, I am really enjoying working with some fantastic colleagues across a number of different teams, who all share the same passion.” We sat down with Laina to discuss the importance of equality in the workplace and discussed the missions of this year’s International Women’s Day. What does this year’s International Women’s Day slogan #EachforEqual mean to you in the workplace? This year’s International Women’s day slogan #EachforEqual is a powerful reminder to us all that our individual actionsthe things we do and say, and how we treat other people- have a
huge impact on equality in society as a whole- and this extends to the workplace too. We each can make a difference and contribute to a fairer, more equal world where women have the same rights,
I am really enjoying working with some fantastic colleagues across a number of different teams, who all share the same passion opportunities and access as men. As a working mother, I am very fortunate to work for an organisation that values the contribution of women in the workplace and has family friendly work policies in place that enable working mothers to hold senior leadership roles while balancing other commitments outside of work. How important do you feel it is that the College embraces this year’s #EachforEqual theme and how has this already been achieved? I’m incredibly proud to work for an organisation like Oaklands College. Oaklands is committed to ensuring that there is equality of opportunity for all. The Equality and Diversity committee meet regularly to discuss, review and implement initiatives to ensure that staff and students are treated equally and with respect. Issues related to equality
While many disagree with her methods, there’s no doubting that she played a hugely important role in women winning the right to vote
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and diversity are promoted through teaching, learning and assessment activities and there is significant focus on identifying and reducing achievement gaps where they exist. It is also an environment which raises aspiration and provides an opportunity for everyone to achieve.
Hedy Lamarr
Summer Issue 2020
Hedy helped design a frequency hopping radio guidance system during World War 2 and developed techniques that are now used in modern day Bluetooth devices
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If you had one piece of advice to female students/staff what would it be? I’ve been very fortunate and growing up I never felt that I couldn’t do something or be anything I wanted to be just because I was a girl. The one piece of advice I would give to female students and staff is this- never feel that you can’t achieve something because of your gender.
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Malala Yousafzai
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Which other women inspire you most and why? There are many great women and men who have led the way in terms of creating a more equal world for women and girls. Some have worked individually (often in very difficult circumstances), and some as part of larger groups of people, such as employment unions, to challenge stereotypes and to create more equality in the workplace in terms of pay, employment rights and access to the same opportunities that men have. As its International Women’s Day, I’ll focus just on the women who have most inspired me throughout history for the various roles that they have played in overcoming stereotypes and forging a more equal world.
At great personal cost, Malala reminded the world that girls have a right to receive the same education that boys have access to and continues to inspire girls and women around the world
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Serena Williams A fierce advocate for women’s rights and a long-time advocate for equality in the world of sport
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Michelle Obama Former first lady, law graduate, author and powerful advocate for women’s rights and equality- There is a lot to admire about Michelle Obama 4
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LAINA’S INSPIRATIONAL
All images from Wikipedia. Emmeline Pankhurst (1913) Public domain in the United States. Hedy Lamarr: Public domain in the United States. Malala Yousafzai: Claude Truong-Ngoc / Wikimedia Commons. Serena Williams: Emmett Anderson. Michelle Obama: DFID - UK Department for International Development.
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OAKLANDS WOLVES
To check match fixtures and latest news and updates, visit us online via www.oaklands.ac.uk/wolves A round-up of all the latest news from Oaklands Sports Academy
#Wolfpack
3G Pitch Update This Spring, Oaklands College commissioned sports facility construction contractors Blackdown Sport & Play, to create a state-of-the-art 3G pitch for our Sports Academies. The fully floodlit pitch will be available for usage by the Oaklands Wolves Sports Academies, providing another professional facility to further enhance the development of its academy students. The multi-functioning pitch will accommodate 11-, 9-, 7- and 5-a-side football and will be situated on the expansive acreage of our grounds.
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ATHLETICS ACADEMY EXCEL AT ENGLAND INDOOR T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS
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aklands Wolves Athletics Academy students represented Oaklands College in February at the Indoor Track and Field Championships. Having witnessed the academy success at the Dubai World Athletics Champions in November 2019, it was the turn of the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow to show what they could do on the national stage. As is tradition at the Indoor T&F Championships, the opening day excitement was centered around the 60m sprint, of which three Oaklands College students made the final, claiming 3rd, 4th and 5th place. First year residential student Jeriel Quainoo set a lifetime best of 6.79 to claim bronze, just 0.02 seconds short of the winning race time. Jeriel’s impressive performance moved him up to 2nd in the world at Under 18’s level and 5th in the United Kingdom at Under 20’s level. In addition, Sports student James Hanson won in both
“Jeriel Quainoo set an impressive lifetime best of 6.79 to claim bronze, just 0.02 seconds short of the winning race time” the heat and semi-finals, before setting a personal best in the final. The results demonstrated his impressive rise, having already been shortlisted for Team GB’s 200m squad for the World Junior Championships. The academy would continue to shine on
the second day of the championships, with Joe Harding winning the 60m hurdles and claiming the national gold medal, and Under 20’s Long Jump athlete Brad Davis Pugh also making the final and moving into the World Under 18’s top ten.
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RESIDENTIAL UPDATE
As part of our ÂŁ62million redevelopment of the St. Albans campus, the brand-new Residential Homestead is the first of four phases to be completed this year.
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he homestead will provide residential accommodation for up to 80 students and two on-site wardens. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms and the development will also have four disabled-accessible rooms. Located on the west side of the campus, this phase of the development includes a large car park adjacent to the homestead for students and staff. The homestead also boasts two large communal areas, two shared kitchens and underfloor heating throughout. Access to the building will be secure, with swipe-card entry systems in place to keep students safe. Finally, there will be a dedicated recreational area with a basketball court at the rear of the building for residents to enjoy. As part of our eco-friendly commitment, the building uses natural ventilation alongside our sustainable underfloor heating, which uses a ground source heat pump. The homestead is due for completion by Summer 2020, ready to welcome new and existing students back to Oaklands College for a new academic year.
ABOVE
Work on the brand new Residential Homestead continued through lockdown and remains on course to be open to new and existing students this Summer!