College News

college

AUTUMN 2011

YOUR college. YOUR magazine.

news

University versus Employment

A Top Class College

Page 8

Work, Rest, Play Study

Page 2

Page 10

Students Flash on the Barbican Page 12

take a look inside!

YOURS. free.

Hello!

Contents

Welcome to the latest issue of College News, the magazine for students at City College Plymouth.

Message From the Principal

1

SU President’s Welcome

1

A Top Class College

2

Forthcoming Events

3

Well, it’s been full steam ahead at the College since the term began way back in September!

We have seen the launch of new facilities including, theworkspace and the refurbished gym, as well as the construction building and new training kitchens. We really hope that you’ll make use of everything that’s on offer at the College, as it’s all there to enhance your learning experience with us.

This magazine is for you, and I’d really like to encourage more students to write articles for it.

Articles can be on anything from issues affecting young people like finance and welfare, to reviews on local bands or your favourite pubs, clubs and restaurants!

You can win £20 of Love2Shop vouchers for telling us your opinion on the student magazine see page 6.

theworkspace - how it can help you 4 Get Fit!

5

Theatre for a Fiver

6

Win £20 of Love2Shop Vouchers!

6

How to Navigate UCAS

7

University Versus Employment

8

Work, Rest, Play, Study

10

Staying Safe in Winter

11

Student Voice

11

Students Flash on the Barbican

12

Equality and Diversity

13

Safeguarding

Back cover

I really hope that you enjoy reading this issue of College News and if you would like to contribute to the next issue, e-mail marketing@cityplym.ac.uk or phone 01752 305393.

Frances Allan Editor

HELLO/contents

If you would find it easier to read this magazine in a larger type or different format, please call 01752 305300 or e-mail info@cityplym.ac.uk.

Principal’s Announcement As you may have heard I will be leaving the College in December and I wanted to wish all students the very best for the future.

I hope that you are enjoying your studies here and are making the most of the opportunities that are open to you. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you how competitive the job market, and getting into higher education, is at the moment!

There have been many changes since I became Principal. We have invested in buildings and facilities, and worked more closely with employers to provide real opportunities for you to learn about the world of work. You have helped us to improve the College, through the Students’ Union, Student

Council, by being a Student Ambassador, and contributing to the ‘talkback’ system.

City College Plymouth is a very successful college.

Our achievement rates rank us as the fourth highest in the country. I hope that you feel as proud to be studying here as staff are of all your successes.

I feel confident that City College Plymouth, with your contributions, will continue to go from strength-tostrength and that you will leave here well-prepared for your chosen ‘next step’.

Regards,

Viv Gillespie, Principal

Students’ Union President’s Welcome HI THERE! Firstly, a warm welcome to all our new students, and welcome back to all returning students.

Hopefully you’ve all settled in by now and if you’re like me, you’ll realise that the year is passing by very quickly!

The Principal has announced that she is leaving the College and I look forward to welcoming a new Principal and their vision for taking the College forward.

Student Council will be taking place on Wednesday 14 December in the Student Centre at Kings Road, and our guest speaker will be Toni Pearce, who is Vice President of Further

Education at the NUS. All course reps should attend - it’s an ideal opportunity for you to raise any issues that your classmates have. Also, it’s a chance to find out about what’s going on with student funding and other issues facing us.

Since the start of term the Students’ Union has been busy electing new student reps - make sure you find out who your rep is and then go to them with any problems you have. Aside from this I have been busy fundraising for my gap year and for local and national charities, and was pleased to see so many students turn up to the Freshers’ Fair.

If you have any problems or issues then please speak to me or drop me an e-mail at president@ccpsu.org.uk.

See you around, Stephen Hockley

principal’s announcement/STUdents’ union president’s welcome 1

A Top Class College

By Liz Myles, Deputy Principal

The green bar shows where the College was positioned in 2009/10 and the red bar in 2010/11.

City College Plymouth is in the top 10% of further education colleges in the country for the results achieved by our students. As a student with us, and with your desire to succeed, you stand a very good chance of achieving your qualification and going on to higher education or finding employment! s O ur work-based learning courses, such as Apprenticeships, have continued to improve over the past three years. College success rates are 14% higher than the national average. s Our full-time further education courses, such as BTEC national diplomas, have continued to improve over the past four years.

The College success rates are 6% higher than the national average.

s W e offer the largest selection of A levels in Plymouth, and our results have continued to improve. Last year the College had a 97% pass rate, and in 2010 we were ranked 4th out of the 19 post-16 providers, excluding independent schools, in Plymouth*.

* The Department for Education publishes annual A level performance tables by local authority area.

The most recent tables cover the 2010 A level results.

2 A top class college

These improvements are the result of the dedication and commitment of your tutors and lecturers. The ongoing reviews they have with you on a one-to-one and group basis help to ensure you are kept on track. In addition there are specialist teams of support staff to help you with your studies and any personal issues that may be impacting on your learning, and to offer recreational and leisure activities.

To ensure that City College Plymouth remains a top class college, we are constantly looking at ways of enhancing your learning experience. We will be asking you for your views - the Student Voice. The Student Voice is a key part of our quality process, and will feed into any inspection by external organisations, such as Ofsted. Find out more about the Student Voice on page 11.

The College is due an inspection visit from Ofsted this year, and Ofsted will want to speak to you and

hear your views on your learning experience at City College Plymouth.

Did you know ‌ s C ollege students make a positive contribution to the local community in all kinds of ways. s Our Employer Endorsement Scheme ensures that our courses are relevant, and can offer you guest speakers, workplace visits and work experience opportunities. s The College has been awarded Healthy FE College status. s The College is one of the first in the country to be awarded an Association of Colleges International Charter. s The College’s higher education courses have been reviewed by an external government agency, which resulted in a very favourable report on our courses.

Forthcoming Events A Levels, Science, and Creative Arts Open Evening

Business Studies Open Evening

Hair and Beauty Open Evening

Hospitality and Catering Open Evening

Thursday 12 January, Thursday 12 January, Thursday 19 January, 6.00pm - 8.00pm 6.00pm - 8.00pm 6.00pm - 8.00pm Goschen Centre, Keyham Goschen Centre, Keyham Kings Road, Devonport

Thursday 26 January, 6.00pm - 8.00pm Kings Road, Devonport

A levels, science, media, Business studies. music, music technology, performing arts and dance.

Hospitality, catering and licensed trade.

Hairdressing, beauty therapy, nail technology, complementary and alternative therapies.

Tourism, Sport and Public Services Open Evening

Technology, Engineering and Construction Open Evening

Caring Professions Open Evening

Wednesday 1 February, 6.00pm - 8.00pm Kings Road, Devonport

Saturday 25 February, 10.00am - 1.00pm Kings Road, Devonport

Thursday 1 March, 6.00pm - 8.00pm Goschen Centre, Keyham

Leisure and tourism, sport and public services.

Courses and Apprenticeships in construction, engineering, computing and games studies.

Care, childcare, health and social care, and first aid.

Forthcoming Events 3

- how it can help you

By Sharron Robbie, Corporate Relations Manager We can arrange activities for groups and individuals and we are open during normal College hours. Some of the areas where we can support you include:

Hair and beauty students attending a seminar from a local employer

What is theworkspace?

The College’s employability centre, theworkspace, is a drop-in centre where you can gain help in accessing a range of activities and opportunities to help you gain the employability skills so desired by employers.

Want help getting that job?

City College Plymouth works closely with local, regional and national employers so that you have the opportunity to gain work experience and industry knowledge. New for 2011/12 is theworkspace, a dedicated service to support you in gaining the skills that employers want.

4 GET FIT!

s s s s s s s s s

Apprenticeships business incubation development of work related personal skills enterprise clubs European funding opportunities to support career development jobs fairs jobs search mentoring mock interviews

peer-to-peer support practical support for business start-up support with business plans support for self-employment support for projects/assignments talks from employers, social enterprises, professional institutions s volunteering s work experience. s s s s s s

What’s on offer?

In today’s competitive job market it is vital that you have the skills to stand out from the crowd - theworkspace can support you gain those extra employability skills, which could make the difference between you getting an interview or job over someone else. Our workshops can help you polish your CV and provide tips for interviews. We can also help you access volunteering placements and find work experience opportunities so that you gain a real understanding of the world of work.

If you have a great business idea or if the idea of working for yourself is something you would like to consider, come and see us in theworkspace and we will signpost you to organisations who can help with enterprise grants and financial support, including: s Outset Plymouth s Outset Finance s NGCE Make it Happen.

How to get in touch ...

If you are interested in any of the above or you would just like some help in getting that perfect job, you can contact us by:

2 d ropping in to see us -

theworkspace, main corridor, Kings Road

2 e -mail us:

theworkspace@cityplym.ac.uk

2 c all us:

01752 856825

2 v isit theworkspace page on the student intranet.

Get Fit! The new College gym was opened back in September by captain of the Plymouth Raiders, Anthony Rowe, and can be found in K015 next to the sports hall.

The gym has got lots of new equipment where you can get fit and healthy, including cross trainers, treadmills, free weights, weights machines and a vibration plate.

As well as being a fantastic place to work out, the gym is a chance for sport students to put their learning into practice. Kim Eschbaecher, Student Liaison Activities Coordinator says:

Research has shown that exercise helps to improve learning ability and brain capacity, as well as reduce stress and the effects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. So getting in the gym will not only make you look great but you’ll be able to study better too!

The gym will also allow us to offer employment opportunities to students who have the qualifications to work in a fitness environment, giving them valuable work experience.

For just £20 per year students can use the facility as many times as they want during our opening hours which are: Monday and Tuesday: 12.00 noon - 2.00pm and 4.00pm - 6.00pm Wednesday: 2.00pm - 6.00pm Thursday and Friday: 12.00 noon - 2.00pm

GET FIT! 5

Theatre for a Fiver!

The Theatre Royal Plymouth currently has a fantastic offer on for anyone aged under 26.

You can now see famous shows such as Oliver, Sister Act and the Rambert Dance Company for only £5.

The Friday Fiver scheme releases tickets every Friday - all you need to do is contact the theatre on the Friday you want to attend to book your tickets and pay. It’s as simple as that! Box Office staff may ask for some ID to prove your age, such as a bus pass, full or provisional driving licence or a passport.

In the next few months you could see the internationally renowned theatre company, Complicite, open their brand new show, spend a night at the opera or see the classic thriller ‘An Inspector Calls’ without breaking the bank!

And if you can’t make it on a Friday, the Theatre Royal Plymouth also offers student discounts for most shows throughout the week. For more information about what’s on and to book tickets, contact the Box Office on 01752 267222 or go to the website www.theatreroyal.com.

Win £20 of Love2Shop Vouchers!

Here at College News we are really interested in finding out what you think of the magazine, so we are offering you the chance to win £20 worth of Love2Shop vouchers, which can be spent in a range of shops.

Just complete a short questionnaire, which can be found on the student intranet. You can scan the

QR code on your smart phone to access the questionnaire whilst you’re out and about.

Complete the questionnaire by Friday 16 December to be in with a chance of winning. www.studentintranet. cityplym.ac.uk/survey.

6 Theatre for a Fiver!/win £20 love2shop vouchers

How to Navigate

By Eddie Beech, Careers Coordinator If you are applying to university in September 2012 then you should have already submitted your application to the College. Now, all you can do is wait to hear! It can be scary not knowing when they are going to contact you, and what they are going to say, but whatever happens there are a lot of options open to you.

It’s never too early to plan what you would like to do after you leave the College, and we recommend that you start thinking about your options early so you have time to fully explore them.

Sep

Oct

4 Identify possible courses using www.ucas.com.

4 Research your options, find out the entry requirements, get advice and speak to family and friends.

4 Upload your 4 Speak to your personal tutor about statement to the your expected UCAS website grades, get after getting help and advice it proofread from Student

by Student Services.

Services.

4 Once you have decided on your 4 Student Services will course(s) think check your form about contacting and send it back the university(s) to you if there to arrange to are errors. visit or attend an open day.

4 Complete all sections of the 4 Start your UCAS UCAS form application and ‘pay and online. send’ - let the 4 Produce your Help Desk know personal you have done statement and this and your make sure you reference will be gets lots of requested. people to read it.

Nov

If you do decide to apply to university, there are a number of people that can help you with your application - including your tutor, Student Services and your family and friends. To help you with this process you can follow this simple guide.

Dec - Mar

Mar - May

Aug

4 Keep checking on UCAS ‘Track’ for offers or invitations to interview.

4 Attend interviews and confirm choice(s).

4 Start your funding application online at www. studentfinance. direct.gov.uk.

4 Receive your results and then either confirm your place or look for other courses through Clearing.

Clearing lists are published in the national newspapers and online. It’s always a good idea to call your first choice and see if they will still accept you onto the course.

It’s a very busy period so it’s important to have an action plan, the College can help you with this.

Your tutor and the Student Services team are here to help you with your application. Please let us know when you have paid and sent your application - we are happy to proofread any personal statements.

Contact us on 01752 305803/305062 or e-mail studentservices@cityplym.ac.uk.

How to Navigate UCAS 7

University Versus Employment With the controversial rises in tuition fees, and the subsequent battle of the universities to provide the most attractive fee package, it’s no wonder that many students are unsure about what to do after they finish their course.

The pros and cons of going to university or straight into employment are endless. Here, we take a look at both options.

University - the benefits and the funding facts The rise in tuition fees will deter some people from attending university; with fewer people that would mean smaller class sizes, which benefits your learning experience. Additionally, fewer people with a university education could make a degree a more valuable asset.

Another benefit of gaining a degree is that the average graduate salary is much higher than of those without a degree. Research shows the average graduate starting salary is between £25,000 and £29,000 (depending on where you live). Based on these figures, repayment of a student loan would be between £30 and £60 per month.

When you’re applying for a job, a degree can help you differentiate yourself from other applicants.

Also, having a degree says a number of positive things about you. It tells employers that you have a set of transferable skills such as time management, the ability to work on large projects and prioritise tasks. A university-level education shows that you are able to achieve an advanced level of understanding, plus, if you go into a career that’s related to your degree it shows that you are committed and have knowledge about the industry.

8 University Versus Employment

There are more general benefits of going to university too. Not only is it a chance to move away from home, you will make new friends, learn how to cook for yourself, learn how to manage money, make contacts that could help you in the future and gain valuable work experience. It’s also a great chance for you to grow and develop into the person that you want to be, go out and have a lot of fun.

Sam Edmunds, 22, undertook a Foundation Degree in Hospitality Management at the College and did a top-up year at Plymouth University to gain an honours degree. He now works at Bovey Castle, Devon’s only five star hotel. Sam says:

Apart from being a great achievement, gaining a degree has given me the opportunity to build my understanding of the hospitality industry. Importantly, it creates the opportunity to experience education and work at the highest levels.

Importantly, you DO NOT have to pay any money upfront for your tuition fees. Most students will take out a student loan, which is provided by the government, and use this loan to pay fees to the university.

Universities will be offering more extensive bursary and financial support packages than before.

You earn

£25,000 £30,000 £35,000

Fees are decided by the university and can be a maximum of £9,000. If you decide to go to university in Scotland or Northern Ireland tuition fees will be different.

University Funding Facts

Once you have graduated you must earn over £21,000 before you start repaying your loan. If you don’t earn this much after you graduate, then you don’t pay the loan back.

If you haven’t paid off the whole amount after 30 years, what’s remaining will be written off by the government.

Once you start to earn over £21,000, 9% of your income that’s over that amount is used to pay back your student loan. So if you earn £25,000 you will pay back 9% of the £4,000 that you earn over the threshold, which is only £30 per month - about £1 per day!

Amount over the threshold

Monthly amount paid back

£4,000 £9,000 £14,000

£30 £67.50 £105

Employment - the benefits and facts Going straight into employment has many benefits. Not only do you get three or four years’ of work experience that people going to uni might not get, you will also avoid the student debt that can take years to pay off. You are also able to build-up contacts and show employers that you’re dedicated to progressing in your career. Another great thing about going directly into employment is that you can start earning money straight away!

Going straight into work aged 16 to 18 is great for employers as they can teach you a set of skills that are specific to your job. The employer can ‘mould’ you into their perfect employee by giving you on-the-job training and development. Brooke Johnston left the College and went straight into employment with Ryanair. Brooke says:

Since completing the travel and tourism course, I have become a member of cabin crew with Ryanair. My ambition is to progress up through the levels of cabin crew, and to travel the world, which is an experience you can get only by going straight into employment.

University Versus Employment 9

Work, rest, play, study!

Now you have started your course you should have a good idea of what will be required of you over the coming months.

Your learning won’t just take place in the classroom or the workshop; you need to set time aside outside of lessons to study and develop your knowledge.

Lynne Andrews, Tutorial Manager at the College, explains how to study successfully. s Manage your time Organise your time by putting together a plan of your week, draw up a basic timetable and write in your lessons, then your work. Just with these two elements your time will quickly be eaten up, so you will need to think carefully about your social life and study time.

If your lesson finishes half way through the day, stay an extra hour and go to the library to write up your notes and do some reading. You will find a range of books, journals and other resources related to your subject and the staff at the libraries are there to help you. s Take notes in lessons Always make sure you have paper and a pen in lessons. There are a number of ways you can take notes and you will need to find a way that suits you best; don’t expect to be able to write down everything your lecturers say but do write down key words and phrases. You can map these out on paper as a spidergram, write lists or divide up the page and write key points in sections. s Keep a notebook Carrying a small notebook with you can be really helpful for writing down ideas, questions, terminology and other information. If you have 10 Work, rest, play, study

a long journey to the College by bus or train you could make notes while you are travelling. s Use your eILP Use the ‘to do list’ button on your eILP to make a note of things you want to find out more about or don’t understand. In your next tutorial, your personal tutor can talk you through them. s Watch TV Find programmes that are relevant to your course, for example automotive students could watch Top Gear; construction students might find Grand Designs useful and catering students could be inspired by Masterchef! There are loads of programmes related to a whole range of subjects and this is an excellent way to learn more. s Know your deadlines Always be clear about the deadline for handing in work, try to complete your work at least a week before the deadline, it will make you feel really good! Working this way will give you time to speak to your teachers if you are stuck on something.

If you want a more in-depth guide to study you can find ‘The Study Skills Handbook’ by Stella Cottrell in the library.

Staying Safe in Winter Each winter, the Student Liaison team runs events to keep you safe when it’s dark and cold outside. Christmas Safety Fortnight will tell you everything you need to know about drugs and alcohol, as well as personal and sexual safety.

Christmas is a great time to have fun and the College’s winter safety campaign will teach you all about how to avoid being a victim of crime and stay safe.

With Christmas parties in full swing, it might be tempting to drink a little too much or to experiment with drugs. It’s really important that you take care of your own personal safety and watch out for your friends too. Make wise choices and try not to bow to peer pressure. The Christmas Safety Fortnight will be running from Monday 5 to Friday 16 December, with the focus on drugs and alcohol

in the first week and personal and sexual safety in the second.

The Student Liaison team will also hold their annual Winter Wonderland event. Winter Wonderland is where local businesses come into the College with lots of freebies and advice about staying safe. There will also be an early visit from Father Christmas, for all of the students that have been good this year! Winter Wonderland will be held on Wednesday 7 December at Kings Road and on Wednesday 14 December at Goschen.

‘Breaking News!’... College students can get 25% off ice skating at the city centre ice rink when they present their student ID. Keep an eye on the student intranet for more information.

Student Voice Student Voice, what is it? Why does it exist? How do I get involved? Questions many of you may be asking. James Rimmer, Student Liaison Assistant, explains all ...

Student Voice is the College’s way of finding out what it’s doing right as well as what it could be doing better. As the College provides a service to the students, we have to make sure we are responding to our students to ensure the College keeps improving.

Each tutor group elects a representative to be the voice of that group, so every student in the College is getting heard. Reps bring issues to Student Liaison and we help to find a resolution. Student Council is where staff ask the students for help and their opinions, and students are able to raise issues with staff about the College.

Student Voice deals with issues, such as the cuts to EMA and concerns over how students would travel to College. The College listened and put extra money into transport. Looking ahead, we have a really strong team of student reps and we believe that the Students’ Union is going to be better than ever.

If you have any thoughts or ideas on Student Voice, or would like to get involved, please e-mail me at jrimmer@cityplym.ac.uk. I can’t wait to hear from you all!

Staying Safe in Winter/student voice 11

Students Flash on the Barbican

The America’s Cup brought lots of extra visitors to Plymouth and students from the College’s PIPPA (Plymouth Institute for Production, Performance and Arts) team thought it would be a great idea to head down to the Barbican and entertain them! The second year students, who are studying acting and musical theatre, decided to perform a ‘flash mob’.

Flash mobs have grown in popularity over recent years. A flash mob takes place when lots of people start doing something spontaneously in a public place, stunning the bystanders and then just walking off like nothing happened! It could entail people doing a dance routine, having a pillow fight, or as our students did - a slow motion brawl!

Carl Maloney,one of the students who took part said: “One of the best things about being part of the flash mob is that there’s very little preparation involved and it changes each time you do it - ours was totally improvised.”

As a performer it feels really great to be part of a flash mob, especially in the few minutes before when you know what is coming but the people around you don’t! To see the public stop and watch in bemusement was great, and makes you feel like you’re doing a good job! The bystanders seemed to really enjoy it and all applauded when we had finished.”

With the tourists around Plymouth during the summer, it was a chance to show the residents of Plymouth what we can do! All in all I think we showed everyone that young people in Plymouth really do like to stand out from the crowd.”

‘Breaking News!’... PIPPA students will be performing their Christmas Variety Show on Wednesday 7 December, in the dance studio at Goschen. Watch out for ticket information.

12 Students Flash on the Barbican

Cité Restaurant and Brasserie hair & day spa

Great offers on hair and beauty treatments throughout the term.

Call 01752 856900 to book.

Check out the College website for the latest offers from the Cité Restaurant.

Visit the Brasserie for light lunches and cakes and find the Deli there too!

Book now for Christmas lunch, only £18.50 per person, and Christmas dinners for only £24.50 per person! For something more continental why not try the European Christmas Evening Dinners on Monday 5 and 12 December, two meals for only £24!

Call 01752 305777

to book your table in the Cité Restaurant.

Student Intranet - it’s there for you!

Log on to the student intranet from home to catch up on all the latest news and events from around the College, just search online for ‘student intranet City College Plymouth’.

Equality and Diversity

Access to Higher Education students in the chemistry labs.

At the College we have a vibrant and diverse community, with students coming from a wide range of backgrounds. Last year students ranged in age from 13 - 79 years! The student population was made up of 43% females and 57% males, and 24% of students had declared a disability or learning difficulty. The black and ethnic minority population was 11% of our students, and a growing number of international students contributed to promoting our cultural diversity and awareness. The College runs an Equality and Diversity Forum for students and staff to represent the different groups. Anyone can come along to discuss equality and diversity matters across the College, or you can contact Cathie Maddock by e-mail at cmaddock@cityplym.ac.uk. equality and diversity 13

CITY COLLEGE PLYMOUTH.

Safeguarding at the College Do you feel safe at the College?

If you feel that you are at risk from harm, or feel that another student is at risk please speak to your personal tutor, a member of Student Services or one of the safeguarding officers. You can call any of the officers directly, or e-mail: safeguarding@cityplym.ac.uk.

Meet your safeguarding officers:

SamPhil Starkey Smale

EditorKI102 Kings Road Room Tel: 305296

Mary Smith Room K012 Kings Road Tel: 305841

Sam Starkey Karen Kingdom

Bridgette Henry

EditorK025 Room Tel: 305363 Kings Road

Room KIB001 Kings Road Tel: 305757

Phil Davies Room K111 Kings Road Tel: 305124

Caroline Hewer Room 705 Kings Road Tel: 305798

Rachel Jones

Laura Killen Learning Warehouse Tel: 251866

Room GC019 Goschen Tel: 305286

Term Dates 2011/12 Spring term starts

Tuesday 3 January

Summer term starts Monday 16 April

Autumn term starts Monday 3 September

Study review week Monday 13 February

Study review week Monday 4 June

Study review week Monday 29 October

Spring term ends

Summer term ends Friday 20 July

Autumn term ends Friday 21 December

Friday 30 March

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