The Rocket July 2015
Coalville Campus Thornborough Road Coalville Leicestershire LE67 3TN Tel: 01530 836136
Nottingham Campus Oak House 8 Easter Park Lenton Lane, Notts Tel: 0115 955 7670
Lee Stafford Academy 16-18 Maid Marian Way Nottingham NG1 6HS Tel: 0115 955 7673
An ‘Ofsted’ Graded Good College “All staff support learners well and they provide an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere. Learners enjoy their time in college.” Ofsted 2013
Principal’s update I would like to begin my final update of the academic year 2014/2015 by congratulating everyone on your successes this year and to thank our students, staff, stakeholders and governors for your hard work and commitment to Stephenson College. I would particularly like to thank everyone involved in representing our college at recent events in and around the areas our college serves in an attempt to generate interest in our college open evening held on the 1st July.
and Costains and add to those of employers such as Volvo, BAM Nuttall, Ryder, Cummins and Petit Forestier.
Further Education plays a vital role in addressing the skills needs of employers and in responding to skills shortages identified in localities across the UK. Our college is an outstanding example of how a further education college fulfils these roles. However, the “territory” in which further education currently operates is increasingly challenging. The attached newspaper article Among the most important illustrates how funding for things that all colleges need to demonstrate is how we achieve elements of work in which our sector engages has been improvements in student reduced. These reductions put success rates and prudence in acute pressure on the finances managing our finances. of some colleges particularly Through everyone’s hard work where their students are we have achieved student predominantly over 25 years of successes this year while maintaining our financial health. age. We do not face these difficulties to the extent of others Well done! but colleges are being As our attention turns to the encouraged by the FE academic year 2015/2016 I am Commissioner to seek partners pleased to be able to inform you to help manage their reducing of the rise in the number of size, as illustrated by the letter employers engaging with our available via this link. In college and how this is helping addition many local authorities to increase our apprenticeship are developing plans to become recruitment. For the first time combined authorities and will next year our Maid Marian hope to influence spending on campus in Nottingham will be skills in ways that have been the venue from which we deliver traditionally the domain of some of our higher colleges. apprenticeships as a part of national programmes on behalf A recent paper produced by Professor Alison Wolf entitled of a number of large Heading for the Precipice talks construction companies. This improves the use of our facilities of the disparities between sectors of education and how and enables our work in key education policy needs greater government priority areas to integration. Clearly action is grow. You will soon see logos displayed at our campuses that required, however, in the meantime, our best strategy is reflect our engagement with to continue to improve our Renault, Siemens, Interserve
quality and develop our relationships with employers. The reductions in funding we have experienced for next year will regrettably result in some of our colleagues not returning in September. On behalf of us all I would like to thank them for their contribution to Stephenson College and to wish them well for the future. There remain a number of things for a small number of students to complete before our term ends on 17th July. I would ask that you ensure your teachers are satisfied that you have completed all elements of your programme before you commence a well deserved summer vacation. You may observe that my title will change from next week as I have recently completed a university doctorate. To achieve this award I undertook research into the use of Skills Competitions as a means to enhance vocational education. I hope to use my findings to support our efforts to improve our college. As my course is now complete I am looking forward to regaining some free time during my weekends! Finally, I would like to wish colleagues, students, governors and other members of our Stephenson community a happy and safe summer vacation and look forward to continuing the progress of our college next year. Kind regards Nigel Leigh Principal/Chief Executive
Cory’s winning website
Cory and Francesco receiving their prizes by Nigel Leigh and Anita Beeby
IT student wins £100 Building a website for a new interior design business has earned Stephenson College IT student Cory Brown a £100 prize as well as wide recognition of his web development talents. Cory, who is the second year of a level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in IT, created and built the site for start-up company Neet Chic after owner Anita Beeby contacted the Coalville college for assistance. Working to Anita’s exact specifications, Cory designed a fully-functional e-commerce site from which customers can order as well as view Neet Chic’s extensive range of home-made products. http://neetchic.co.uk/index.html Anita said: “I’ve always been interested in sewing, fabric and furniture so decided to turn my love of interior design into my own business, working from home.
“I even had a go at using templates to build one myself but it just didn’t look right.
“My brother is letting me build him a website now I’ve done this one.”
“Fortunately a lady I met at a craft fair suggested I contact the IT faculty at Stephenson College for help and that’s how the student competition to build my site came about.
Competition runner up 19-yearold Francesco Vincitore from Whitwick received a £30 prize. Francesco, who is in the first year of the diploma course, particularly liked the research element of the assignment.
“Cory’s done a fabulous job. To have a website this good built professionally would have cost me anywhere from £800 to £1000.”
He added: “I liked having to figure things out. It was like a puzzle. I’m definitely interested in web development as a career.”
Cory, along with three other members of the IT course, met Anita to talk through her design brief before setting to work on their ideas.
IT lecturer Mark Goodwin is proud of what the students had achieved.
Cory, who is 18 and from Moira, said: “It’s taken quite a few months to complete as we’ve been doing it in our own time, but I’m pleased with the end result.
He said: “It’s not just the technical knowledge that counts. This competition has given students direct contact with a real customer. Learning to interpret a customer’s needs and work to client specifications is also very important.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever built a “I set up a Facebook page for website and I found I enjoyed “They’ve done well. It’s been Neet Chic and obviously needed the coding of it best. great experience for them and it a website as well, but the cost of will look good on their CVs.” having one built professionally was just too expensive.
Carpentry & Joinery apprentices give back to local community
Carpentry and joinery apprentices from Stephenson College’s Lenton Lane campus put their skills to good use recently after they travelled to Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Campus to help construct decking for a local charities eco-friendly flower pod. The students volunteered to construct decking on behalf of the Southwell Care Project, a charity whose mission is to support Adults with Learning Disabilities to achieve and sustain the best possible quality of life within their local community across Nottinghamshire. The eco-friendly project, constructed on Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences campus includes a timber-framed straw bale building - complete with classroom and workshop – as well as two
polytunnels which will be used to cultivate specific species of flowers. Those who make use of Southwell Care Project’s flower pod will be growing flowers from seeds, cultivating them and selling them to florists, markets and supermarkets in the Newark, Southwell and Nottingham area with all proceeds going back into the charity to be used to fund projects such as cookery, baking, dancing, drama and arts and crafts sessions for adults with learning disabilities. Richard Holmes, lecturer in Carpentry and Joinery hailed the project a real success saying: “Everyone enjoyed taking part in the construction of the new decking, it’s fantastic that the students and the college could give back to the local community.”
Stephenson College welcomes new staff Jeannette Wilson Learner Support Assistant (Nottingham)
Thomas Robinson Deputy Faculty Head (Construction)
Started 15th June 2015
Started 26th June 2015
Stephen Cross Student Transport Team (Nottingham)
Helen Keast Marketing and Communications Manager
Started 1st June 2015
Started 22nd June 2015
Setting up Coalville Market - 19th June
Very busy at the Swadlincote Jobs Fair - 25th June
College students busy painting nails
Carolyn Haines, Deputy Faculty Head of Construction learning how to put in hair feathers by Jane Harwood-Scott, Beauty therapy Lecturer
Claire Stocker, Beauty therapy Lecturer putting in Hair Feathers for students of Burton College
Busy at the Summer Fest, at Coalville Town Centre - 27th June
Stephenson College’s Summer Roadshow Throughout the month of June enthusiastic members of college staff and students were out and about attending various community events across Leicestershire.
for career opportunities and seeking advice on how to up-skill.
marketing activities. All staff and students were on hand to promote their courses and provide a wide range of “have a go” activities.
The roadshow continued with three of North West Leicestershire’s flagship summer The College is attending further events in July and August so events, The Heart of the Forest Over the course of three weeks why not come and visit us? Festival in Measham, one of the Stephenson College’s Summer Roadshow saw members of staff largest festivals of its kind in the from multiple departments travel East Midlands, the very first Summer Fest at Coalville Town If we didn’t see you and you to popular community hotspots have course please visit the Centre and this year’s Picnic in and day-events around North College in either Coalville, the Park located in Coalville West Leicestershire, the Lenton Lane, Nottingham or Park. college’s prime catchment area the Lee Stafford Hairdressing for its Coalville campus. All three summer events were a Academy on Maid Marian Way, resounding success with crowds Nottingham. The Coalville Market was the first stop off on the tour with staff flocking to Stephenson College’s stands and attractions to get a and students from the beauty feel for what we have to offer. therapy department on hand to provide free nail art and The event organiser spoke of temporary glitter tattoos to how well the Summer Roadshow passing shoppers and children. went, she said: “Staff had an Also on show was the college’s absolutely fantastic time recognisable branded kit-car which, as always, proved to be a attending the various events throughout June and our big hit. presence at all of the events was The opening event was followed really felt. one week later by a stand in the “Members of the public were foyer of Morrisons supermarket on Whitwick Road, staff were interested in on hand to provide advice and what we had to guidance to members of the offer and the public on any queries regarding FREE activities the numerous courses that are that we had available at Stephenson available” 7th July 16th July College’s Coalville Campus. On 1st July the Nottingham Hair & Beauty Careers The next event the College Coalville Emmanuel School Evening, Coalville attended was the Swadlincote Campus had its and Bigwood School Campus Jobs Fair that took place at the Open Evening, 9th July Greenbank Leisure Centre. This visitors attended 17th July event began as a careers fair for from initially Ellis Guilford School Swadlincote schools including seeing us at the and Emmanuel School Nottingham Jobs Fair (Hucknall/Ashfield) Pingle School, Eureka Junior summer events School, Belmont School and in June and also 14th July 30th July William Allitt School. The event from other Nottingham Jobs Fair Nottingham Post Jobs continued with visitors looking methods of (Beeston/Broxtowe) Fair (Rushcliffe)
Stephenson College July Events so far
Level 3 Motor Vehicle Apprentices
from left Graham Hill, Mike Harvey and Julie Langley
Toyota staff visit college following generous donation As the only UK college to deliver accredited appraiser courses on behalf of NAMA, the National Association of Motor Auctions, Stephenson College needs good cars for course members to practise on.
situ and meet some of the students who will be working on them.
Graham Hill, the college’s business development manager and Mike Harvey, the motor vehicle lecturer who delivers the The college also requires a wide NAMA courses, showed the range of different car makes and guests around the purpose built models when training our fullworkshops and explained how time motor vehicle students in the cars will be used. all aspects of diagnostics, maintenance and repair. Mike said: “We set up faults on the air bag system, for example, So, the gift of four used mark so our advanced technicians on two Toyota Auris cars – level 3 courses can diagnose including a much coveted hybrid them. model from Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) – has been “The vehicles will also be used warmly received by students to train candidates on the NAMA and lecturers alike. accredited senior appraiser course. This latest delivery of the two and three year old cars – as well “NAMA established its own as 10 Toyota gearboxes, 10 vehicle grading system but we engines and a whole range of wrote the course content and other spare parts – has further devised its delivery. Having an strengthened the great industry recognised relationship between the college standardised grading system and the Burnaston-based enables sellers to identify the manufacturer. specific condition of each vehicle before sale. It also Toyota donated two of its allows motorist to buy with unwanted mark one Auris cars confidence when purchasing to the college about five years cars online. ” ago and the motor vehicle faculty is now equally delighted “We were approached to run the to take possession of four newer courses nationally after working models. with Fleet Auction Group in Coalville and we’re now training And to show its appreciation, the hundreds of motor auction car appraisers every year.” college recently invited members of the Toyota external Julie Langley of Toyota Motor affairs team to see the cars in
Manufacturing UK said she was pleased that the redundant cars were being put to such good use. She added: “We often donate cars to colleges and other training providers when we no longer need them and it’s great to see them in the workshop. “We’re particularly pleased to supply the college with a hybrid vehicle, as they’re in great demand. “Before we can release a hybrid car though we have to ensure that the college trainers have been through our own specific hybrid training first. “The hybrid model features a 650 vault battery so there are certain safety concerns we have to address before these models can safely be donated for training purposes.” The college’s motor vehicle department has a wide range of old cars for students to practise on including Fiat, Renault and Citroen models but the Toyota is its first hybrid.
FOLLOW LIKE TEXT CALL EMAIL course info to 88020
Coalville Campus 01530 836136 services@stephensoncoll.ac.uk Nottingham Campus 0115 955 7670 studentservicesnotts@stephensoncoll.ac.uk Lee Stafford Academy 0116 9557673 lsa@stephensoncoll.ac.uk