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The five-day course was run virtually trough webinars. Each day covered different sectors:
Day 1: Commercial Day 2: Space & defence Day 3: Sustainability Day 4: An ‘Academic aircraft lesson’ Day 5: Recruitment process
Each day a practical assignment had to be submitted for evaluation.
I am considering becoming a pilot; there are many pathways to this role but I applied for this work experience programme to gain a wider insight into this extensive industry, and to be able to consider different potential career pathways and opportunities.
I enjoyed the work experience as it gave me an insight into the different sectors of the company, allowing me to gain a wellinformed first impression of the type of work they conduct. I found the webinars engaging, as I could apply my combined knowledge gained from the webinars, and my subjects that I am currently studying/ previously studied to the practical assignments I was set. Overall, the work experience helped develop my knowledge. To anyone considering this programme, apply for it, it’s a no-brainer! Before this programme, I knew a bare minimum about the practical applications of aerospace engineering since it wasn’t my greatest interest to pursue a practical engineering career path. In hindsight, I gained the knowledge I wanted surrounding the different sectors of this industry from Europe’s largest aircraft manufacturer.
The Speaker Programme
RSFC is committed to ensuring that our students achieve academically, but as Albert Einstein observed: ‘Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.’
Our students succeed because they are equipped to overcome the ever-changing challenges they face. RSFC students have the skills and understanding to shape their future career and understand the importance of, and have the skills needed to ensure they achieve, a work life balance.
Through the RSFC Speaker Programme the experiences of a wide range of speakers have offered an insight into their professional lives but also provided personal context to the challenges they have faced, both personally and professionally, along the way. There is no perfect career plan and through the speaker programme students understand better the twists and turns they may face once they leave RSFC.
Over the last year our keynote speakers have included: • Kate Bingham, former Chair of the UK
Government’s Vaccine Taskforce. • Alice Bromage, Ambassador for the Black Mambas, the world’s first all-female antipoaching group in
South Africa. • Perminder Mann, CEO of Bonnier Books (the sixth largest publisher in the UK, with sales of over £80m. She is recognised as one of the UK’s most powerful leaders and as a publishing innovator). • Scott Simmons, Bank of
England.
Trips and Activities
At Rochdale Sixth Form College, you will have the opportunity to take part in an exciting range of academic excursions and activities.
With every subject area committed to offering at least one trip during the two-year period of study, you will have a variety of opportunities to gain experience beyond the classroom. • Ski trip to Austria • Disneyland Paris • CERN Institute, Geneva • Sigmund Freud’s house, London • Alton Towers • Chester Zoo • University visits, including Oxford, Cambridge,
Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds.
NB: Trips and visits will be subject to COVID-19 safety guidelines.
The CERN trip to Geneva was a great success. The students were taken on a guided tour of some of the facilities surrounding the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and were able to apply their particle physics knowledge to the technical machinery that founded the discoveries. The students were also treated to a display of the hugely powerful magnets used to bend the particle beams inside the LHC. Students also enjoyed an interesting tour of the United Nations building in Geneva, a boat cruise on Lake Geneva and the Jet d’Eau.
Jen Coyle Subject leader of physics ski trip
london trip
iceland trip The students thoroughly enjoyed their time at Disneyland, and they were able to apply some of the key concepts and ideas that they had learnt in their coursework to real life. The trip allowed them to experience first-hand the key issues that service users within health and social care experience. As well as having lectures and seminars from leading health professionals, the students are also able to spend time in the parks.
Asma Ali-Rashid Subject leader of social sciences
Top-Class Facilities
Technology-rich facilities that are as cutting edge as you will find in any sixth form college in the country
It is difficult to do justice to the positive vibe and culture that has been created, together with our outstanding facilities. Open events will take place in October and November. Please check our website for further details.
Here at RSFC, we believe that people make a college, and the relationships between students and staff are highly positive. However, we cannot deny that the tens of millions of pounds invested in RSFC have ensured that our students benefit from cutting-edge, technologyrich facilities.
Your learning environment will be second to none, and facilities include: • 24-hour access to online learning materials • Two relaxed student areas with the
Forum and Faraday’s, including 80 computer terminals for independent study • A theatre to seat 140, with professional standard sound and lighting • Well-equipped IT suites • Wi-Fi access throughout the college • Professional standard art studio, incorporating a textiles studio, kiln room, CDT room, dark room and computer suites • Study areas on each floor, adjacent to teacher resource bases for one-to-one support • An extensive Achievement
Centre, with internet access and multimedia resources • State-of-the-art science labs, using cutting-edge equipment and technologies • A music recording studio, rehearsal rooms and an editing suite • A specialist performance studio • Lifts for disabled access across the college • Bright and light teaching classrooms, with outstanding learning resources
Individualised Support
Achievement Centre
Our Achievement Centre is a large study space that is open to all students to use in their
study periods. It’s even open before and after lessons and is staffed at all times throughout the day. It is a quiet space that allows students to complete independent study from their lesson content as well as engaging in wider reading and research. The learning support team are always on hand to help students with study skills, organisation and time management, to name just a few key skills. The Achievement Centre has computer stations and tables to allow students to work on all aspects of their subjects.
Some students will be referred to the Achievement Centre by their SPDL for a short ‘placement’. When on placement, a student receives support from the Learning Support team to help them work towards targets set by teachers.
Additional Learning Needs Support
We have a dedicated team of Learning Support Officers who, in addition to their work in the Achievement Centre, work with students with a range of additional learning needs and use specialist knowledge and equipment to ensure they are on a level playing field with all other students. This might mean working one-to-one with the students in the classroom, but also includes meeting with them outside of the classroom to keep track of their progress and help them towards success at RSFC.
Working with Parents
Students need to be given independence and responsibility for their own learning to prepare them for their next steps to university or employment. We provide this freedom in a very supportive context, with close monitoring and guidance. We believe it is essential that, as parents and carers, you should be kept fully informed and up to date about your son or daughter’s progress while at Rochdale Sixth Form College. We will keep you involved through a variety of methods, including Parents’ and Carers’ Evenings to discuss academic progress with subject teachers; action plans; newsletters and access to attendance data and current targets via our online portal, Cedar.
We ask that you keep in contact with your son or daughter’s Student Performance and Development Leader, telephone Student Administration in the case of absences and do not go on holiday in term time. We ask too that you support us to help your son or daughter find the right balance between their social life, paid work and study.
Questions?
I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE INTERVIEW - WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE?
The interview is very informal and enables you to ask any questions you may have. It provides an opportunity for the college to find out a little more about you and to ensure that your subject choices are right for you and your chosen future career. It isn’t anything to worry about!
WILL I GET HELP WITH THE UNIVERSITY APPLICATION PROCESS?
Yes. Your Student Performance and Development Leader will go over this with you during tutorial sessions, which you will have once a week.
CAN I ACCESS MY COLLEGE WORK FROM HOME?
Yes. You can log on remotely to the college network to gain 24-hour access to your documents and programmes.
WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE AT RSFC?
We recognise that self-expression is part of being an emerging adult; however, students are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to a purposeful and diverse sixth form college. Clothing bearing inappropriate language or images, or revealing items of clothing are not allowed.
WILL I GET SUPPORT FINDING A CAREER PLACEMENT?
Your Student Performance and Development Leader and the Employability Co-ordinator will work with you to plan your opportunities for progression and support you in finding relevant work experience. All students are able to request support with obtaining a career placement to assist with applications for further study and employment. NB: Career placements will be subject to COVID-19 safety guidelines.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Pick up a prospectus from your school, local careers office or contact the college and ask for one to be sent to your home. You can download the prospectus from our website and all of our subject guides can also be found there as well as being available at our open events.
Read the prospectus, look at the subject guides and start thinking carefully about the subjects you might want to study – you might want to speak to your subject teachers or careers adviser at school.
Complete an online application form on our website www.rochdalesfc.ac.uk
