The Rocket June 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 trust that this update finds everyone refreshed following our half term holiday and ready to finish off this academic year. We have asked for vocational courses to be completed during the week commencing 15th June and I would like to thank everyone for your efforts, as a student completing assignments or portfolios, or as a teacher in preparing our students to finish their courses and ensuring their work is available for internal verification and/or external verification.
concentration are key to success.
Our maths team are hosting revision workshops throughout this period, in addition to normal class schedules, so please remember ‘it is never too late to put in the extra work to secure a pass grade!’ For those already well prepared the key is still continued study to ensure you maximise your full potential on each day. Please make sure you take full advantage of these opportunities. The revision workshops are in We are in a strong position this Cluster 6 from 10am until 3pm on the following days: year to record successful outcomes for our students and 5th I know many will progress on to Friday the next stage of their learning, Tuesday 9th into employment or both. Exam Wednesday 10th time is upon us and the whole college team is determined to After another long year of support your efforts towards maths study, you now have a obtaining this key qualification. great opportunity to reach your The 3 exam dates are as full potential and secure a follows: qualification that will benefit you throughout your future Paper 1 Thursday 4th June – working careers. Ensure you all students please arrive for sleep well during the exam 8.30am latest (Cluster 6) period, eat healthily and Paper 2 Monday 8th June - all maximise all opportunities to students please arrive for 8.30 do the best you possibly can. latest (Cluster 6) Paper 3 Thursday 11th June – Good luck to you all! all students please arrive for As our staff colleagues know 1.00pm latest (Cluster 6) the College has recently conducted an Employee Clusters 6 & 7, plus the 9 Survey and I would like to rooms and exam areas will all thank those who took the time be annexed off during the to provide some feedback on exams. Can all students not key issues concerning the taking the exams please College. Your feedback is ensure good conduct and valuable and the survey results courtesy is afforded to your college friends and classmates will give us a benchmark on these days as focus and
against which we can judge future improvement. We have just received the results of the survey and these are currently being assessed in detail. I will share more information in due course but in the meantime I thought it would be good to highlight some emerging issues. Like all other FE colleges, we are working in very challenging circumstances with diminishing resources. Whilst there are clearly areas that will require improvement, I was encouraged to note that most colleagues consider their work to be varied, interesting and challenging and report that they enjoy the work they do. They get good support from their line managers who make them feel valued. They are also able to manage their work-life balance well, report that they are generally happy working at the College and would recommend it to others as a good place to work and learn. The following issues have been identified as significant and will require some further action to bring about improvement. Communications need to improve, particularly to ensure more effective communication between different departments. Good practice needs to be more effectively shared across the college and colleagues feel that they don’t receive enough information about why change needs to happen and that their views could be better considered. Some colleagues don’t feel confident to raise concerns and challenge when
Principal’s update Continued appropriate and whilst most colleagues take part in the College’s Performance Management Review process and discuss and agree their development needs, some colleagues felt that insufficient resources were committed to their development and their jobs provide insufficient opportunities to develop further. We are committed to ensuring that all colleagues have a strong voice and are actively involved in the development of the College and its services. We want to build and sustain positive relationships amongst all colleagues and look forward to working with you to develop workable solutions to the issues that the survey has identified.
We will also introduce a new mobile phone app in September called WAMedu, a private social network that will help with college life and studies, enabling staff and students to communicate about issues specific to their courses. This is an exciting time to study and to be a part of Stephenson College. I wish you well with the final chapter of this academic year and every success as we move forward. Kind regards, Nigel Leigh Principal
We are always looking for new ways to communicate effectively with our staff and students. To support students with their career progression during May Construction students visited the Precast 2015 exhibition held at the Leicester Tigers Stadium, Hair and Beauty students went to Southampton dock and experienced what it would be like working on a cruise ship and Sports students arranged a tour of Wembley Stadium. In addition guest speakers from Coventry University, the University of Wolverhampton, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Leicester visited the College. It is increasingly clear that social media is a very large part in the way we communicate with each other on a day-to-day basis and we, as a college would like to embrace this technology. In the coming months Stephenson College will be introducing the new ‘Stephenson College Class of 2015/16’ group on Facebook. The group will aim to encourage new students who will be joining us in the new academic year to get to know each other before they step through our doors in September in an attempt to help them make new friends early; turning what can be a daunting transition into something incredibly exciting.
Stephenson College welcomes new staff Andrew Bain Health & Safety Advisor
Tsveta Colwill Variable Hours Telesales Consultant
Started 11th June 2015
Started 14th June 2015
Dipesh Patel Part Time Lecturer Business Started 12th June 2015
Janine Abramson Variable Hours Lecturer - Distance Learning Started 21st June 2015
Elissa Park Variable Hours Telesale Consultant Started 14th June 2015
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Students at HMP Dovegate
Beauty students enjoy grand tour of luxury cruise liner “Explorer of the seas”
Last month a group of beauty therapy students from Stephenson College descended upon Southampton Port to spend a day on luxurious cruise liner the Explorer of the Seas to get a taste of what life would be like working on the seas as a beautician. Students Elizabeth Mellor, Sharn Passam, Lauren Perry, Cherie Bruce, Georga Kirkland-Bell, Morgan Connolly and Lauren Lee were all invited on to the ship thanks to the excellent relationship maintained between the college’s teaching staff and Steiner, the official provider of beauty treatments on board the ship. Not only were the girls shown around the salon, giving them an expert insight into what they could expect if they chose to live life on the seas, they were also treated to an access all areas tour of the cruise liner which had not long returned from the Caribbean. Beauty Therapy lecturer Claire Stocker, who accompanied the young beauticians alongside colleague Katie Allen said that the whole day was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.
“All in all it was a really exciting and informative day out, every single student who came along commented on how much they enjoyed themselves and how inspired they are to pursue a career within the beauty industry. “They were all in awe of how large the cruise liner was and taken aback upon seeing how glamorous everything was on the Explorer of the Seas. “We’re the only college in the area that offers the students such a unique experience and our students really do appreciate and benefit from trips such as this one. “In the past several of our students have gone on to enjoy successful careers on cruise liners including Maisie Fraser, Emily Ryder and Leanne Gilchrist to mention but a few. “It’s a trip we’d very much like to continue making with our students in the future.”
Nikki Palmer with Mark Walker
Tyler Bailey B & M Coalville
Nikki Palmer with Cheryl Duncan- Radcliff
Rail travel adviser Nikki named Stephenson College IT Apprentice of the Year
East Midlands Trains’ travel adviser Nikki Palmer has been named Stephenson College IT Apprentice of the Year 2014. Nikki, who is based in the booking office at Beeston Station, always wanted to progress in her rail career but had found changing shift patterns to be a barrier to learning. But, thanks to the rail industry IT apprenticeship scheme delivered by Stephenson College in partnership with railway unions at EMT, Nikki can now consider other career destinations. Nikki, who is 38 and lives in Cotgrave near Nottingham, has worked for EMT for 14 years – nine of them as an on- board customer host and five as a travel adviser in the booking office. She said: “I love my job and find dealing with the customers very interesting. I’ve always enjoyed technology too and wanted to keep up with IT, but going to college to study at a regular time each week wasn’t possible due to my shifts. “Thanks to the IT apprenticeship scheme though I’ve been able to learn in the workplace at a time that fits in with my working hours.” Before embarking on the programme in October 2013, Nikki had not been in a
classroom since leaving school at 16 with nine GCSEs. But her willingness to embrace a return to learning so impressed her assessor Cheryl Duncan-Ratcliff, that Cheryl nominated Nikki for the IT award. Cheryl and her colleagues regularly take trains across the Midlands to support their students; booking rooms at stations to provide flexible workshops where learners can drop in for advice and help with their studies. Cheryl added: “Nikki has developed her IT skills throughout the course and has grown in confidence. “She’s happy to work on her own initiative yet is not afraid to ask for guidance when necessary. “Nikki is conscientious, always cheerful and is a great role model for all rail industry IT apprentices. “It can be quite daunting for older learners to return to education but with our support, and that of the UnionLearn Midlands team with whom we’ve been working for around 10 years now, we’re seeing quite a few success stories like Nikki’s.” Cheryl’s sentiments are shared by Chris Nutty, the ASLEF education project worker instrumental in organising Nikki’s course.
He added: ““The UnionLearn team highlights models of best practice within lifelong learning. Its work helps us stay up to date with ever changing government initiatives so that we can continue to develop these invaluable learning opportunities for our members.” Nikki – who loves walking her six year old Labrador Sam in her free time – is delighted to have had the opportunity to take the apprenticeship. And she is now studying for her level 3 IT qualification just in case she wants to change jobs further down the line. She added: “Both Cheryl and Chris have been great and I really appreciate the time and effort they’ve put into helping me. “I’m not 100 per cent sure what I want to do next, although becoming a roster clerk is one possibility. I like what I’m doing now but having IT qualifications has given me options.”
Hairdressing students pink promotional push gives heads up on Lee Stafford Academy Open Day
Hairdressing students from Stephenson College took to the streets of Nottingham last month to ensure that the locals had the ‘heads up’ about the Lee Stafford Academy’s May open day. Their marketing campaign – which had a raspberry pink theme in keeping with the academy’s vibrant colour scheme – took in the whole of the city centre and saw students handing out hundreds of balloons, fliers and free cut and blow dry vouchers to members of the public.
from salons across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are training via the academy, with the college keen to find placements for more of its trainees. Among the young stylists to benefit from an apprenticeship with the college is Phoebe Gretton who was named Apprentice of the Year 2014 in the Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards.
Hairdressing lecturer Georgina Hunter said she was impressed with the effort made by students to make The open day event saw businesses sure the open event was a big success. visit the college giving the academy’s 40 students the chance to showcase their talents – and will She said: “The students all love being part of Lee Stafford Academy provide careers information for and wanted to do everything they people looking to enter the hairdressing profession or brush up could to spread the word.” on existing skills. If you would like to study at either the Lenton Lane Campus and Maid Visitors to the open day were also Marian Way our Open Day is able to meet celebrity hairdresser Monday 24th August. However your Lee Stafford, who was on hand to are more than welcome to call us for wax lyrical about hairdressing – as more information on any of the well as the chance to admire the fully functioning salon and meet the courses that we offer and to arrange a visit. college’s’ tutors and students. Hair stylists and barbers who run their own salons were also able to find out more about Lee Stafford Academy’s highly regarded apprenticeship programme. Currently around 30 apprentices
Lenton Lane Campus Call 0115 955 7673 Lee Stafford Academy Call 0115 9557670
A huge thank you to Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd
Stephenson College would like to extend a huge thank you to worldrenowned car manufacturers Toyota for kindly donating a host of car parts and components, including four vehicles which are set to be used as training aids by our students for forthcoming years. In total Toyota have donated four cars including one Hybrid, five petrol engines, five diesel engines, ten gearboxes, six brake calipers, seven brake discs, eight starter motors and two stereos. The donated vehicles and parts will be used by students on a variety of courses including those on Stephenson College’s NAMA courses. The course allows individuals to accurately appraise vehicles before they are sold on in auction houses up and down the United Kingdom. Without a check-up from a NAMA qualified mechanic vehicles cannot be sold on. The completion of the course takes only one day and involves health and safety awareness, checking for defects and a written exam and practical assessment.
Julie Langley from Toyota will be visiting the College shortly and we will be following up on this in the next edition of the Rocket. For more information on this course is 01530 519053.
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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