Bede Newsletter Spring 2019

Spring 2019

Above: Our student ambassadors

I’m very pleased to introduce you to our first SRC Bede Sixth Form newsletter. It’s been a very busy academic year so far with many group and individual successes for our students. It’s a fantastic time to be at Bede Sixth Form, and to prospective students currently in Year 11 there are many exciting new things for you in 2019-20, including programmes to enhance progression for aspiring engineers, a bespoke programme for high achievers to ensure the very best chances of progression to the best universities, our new Girls’ Football Academy with Durham Women FC, talented athlete support, and so much more. In addition, we have made substantial investment in our Learning Resource Centre (LRC) and learning areas. Alongside this there has also been significant investment made in equipment for the fitness suite in the Sports Centre.

If I have spoken with you already you will know that my main priority as Principal of SRC Bede Sixth Form is to encourage our students to be highly aspirational and truly competitive in attaining the destinations they desire. This is about providing an outstanding curriculum and achievement rates, but also the whole college experience including well-being and personal development, that truly allows young people to excel, fulfil their potential and be confident in taking their next steps. I very much hope you enjoy reading about some of the developments and activity our students have been involved in this term and look forward to welcoming you to Bede in the very near future, and don’t forget to save the date of our Preview Days, 4th and 5th July.

Best wishes!

Ben Robinson, Principal

Girls' Football Academy SRC Bede is teaming up with Durham Women FC to help kick-start exciting careers in sport

We have teamed up with Durham Women Football Club to enable up and coming players the chance to shine, both in their education and on the pitch.

Our new Girls’ Football Academy will give aspiring footballers aged 16 to 19 the chance to combine football with studying A level or vocational qualifications.

The players will get the chance to compete against some of the best young players in the country as they represent Durham Women FC in both the National Football Youth League and North East Colleges’ League.

Our Campus Principal, Ben Robinson, said: “This is a great opportunity for young female players in the Tees Valley area to enter a

programme with recognised pathways to the professional game whilst continuing their education in a dual-career ethos.”

Academy players may even get to represent Durham Women FC as part of one of their squads which will compete in the FA Women’s National League or FA Women’s Championship in 2019/20.

Durham Women FC general manager, Lee Sanders, said: “It’s a big part of our development as a club that we are able to offer players from all over the North East the opportunity of a dual-career pathway, which is essentially studying while playing football.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what the partnership will deliver for the players.”

Elliot was inspired by Classics It’s clear when speaking with our former student Elliot that he is passionate about his subject.

He was so inspired by the Classical Civilisation course at SRC Bede that he has gone on to pursue Classical Studies at the University of Lincoln. He said: “I initially chose a history degree, but changed after the first year. My heart is really in Classics.”

Elliot works as a student ambassador for the University, blogging regularly for his department and helping at events like open days and school visits. He has also started a Classics Society at the University.

He said: “The course is great! It’s difficult at times but the content is so interesting – it’s a great option to learn more about both ancient Greece and Rome.”

When asked if there was anything he learnt at SRC Bede that he particularly uses now during his degree, Elliot said: “The things I learnt whilst studying at Bede come up a lot during my degree – I’m able to take pretty much everything that I learned at College and run with it. We look at skills like critical thinking and historians craft (how to analyse sources) on the course, but I’ve definitely got a good base knowledge in those areas from College.”

Elliot looks back fondly on his time at SRC Bede, and explained that his degree is expanding on everything he was taught by Anne (our teacher in Classical Civilisation), and that his “inspiration ultimately comes from what [he] learnt at College, for instance I frequently write about both the Augustan Age and Roman imperial period.”

With plans to go on to complete a Masters’

and PhD and pursue a career in teaching, Elliot said that his time at SRC Bede has set him up for success: “The teaching at Bede as a whole is superb, and Anne is definitely one of the best teachers I’ve met. The support at Bede is also great – all the staff are really nice and are keen to help with each student’s personal development as well as their academic work.

I had a really good time here.”

“My advice to anyone considering studying at SRC Bede, particularly Classics, is to go for it and to take every opportunity that they come across. The only thing I’d do differently is to complete the EPQ as well while I was there and gain those extra skills – otherwise I’d do it all again.”

TASS accreditation SRC Bede receives the national stamp of approval for its commitment to supporting athletes in education SRC Bede Sixth Form has been recognised for the support we provide to up and coming sporting talent by being awarded Dual Career Accredited College status by the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme (TASS).

TASS is a Sport England-backed programme that works in partnership with education institutions, to support talented young athletes to pursue their education alongside their sporting aspirations without having to choose between the two.

Our Campus Principal, Ben said: “We recognise the pressures that young athletes face and the impact that this can have on academic progress and mental wellbeing.

We have the infrastructure to fully support young athletes and have strategies in place to ensure they can make progress in both their education and sporting goals.”

As part of the Dual Career Accreditation Scheme, SRC Bede will offer its young athletes on the talent pathway the chance to develop their skills at a range of dual career workshops.

Athletes will also be able to access expert coaching, sports therapy, strength and conditioning support services, nutrition, physiotherapy and psychology support.

Ben said: “This is a great opportunity for both our current students and young talented sports performers across the whole of the Tees Valley considering their next move after leaving school.”

He said: “Young athletes can often feel they are being dragged in two different directions, having to decide whether they pursue their sporting ambition or academic success. By adopting a dual career ethos we can offer the chance to do both.”

With a place on the TASS National Management Group, this is a message that Ben is keen to share with those young people with sporting talent.

As a Dual Career Accredited Site, SRC Bede Sixth Form is now an important extension of the network of universities that already partner with TASS, delivering core support services to more than 600 student athletes across the UK each year.

Outstanding teaching Congratulations and well done!

Staff commended for outstanding teaching Great examples of teaching, learning and assessment from across the SRC Group were commended with Outstanding teaching awards.

The group of 10 teaching staff were presented with gold Outstanding badges as a symbol of their standout efforts in the classroom, and amongst them were our very own Stephen Cross (left), Andrew Feathersone (second left), and Peter Rowlands (second right).

Presenting the accolades, Executive Director for Quality and Standards Mick Hickey said: “It is the College’s objective to be an Outstanding institution. We pride and value instances where people demonstrate outstanding teaching and learning. I would like to congratulate all of you for the work you have done and the example you set.”

Inspiring young engineers Aspiring young engineers will be able to get a taste of real life in the workshop thanks to an exciting new venture by SRC Bede Sixth Form and NETA Training We are working together with NETA Training to offer students the chance to have a go at some real hands-on engineering training alongside their academic subjects.

New for September 2019, the Aspiring Young Engineers programme will see SRC Bede joining forces with NETA Training to offer a unique enrichment opportunity to those SRC Bede students studying STEM-related A level subjects and considering future careers in engineering.

Our Principal, Ben said: “The programme will give aspiring young engineers a real insight into the industry that will help shape and define their progress.

“By being involved directly with employers and people who have had highly successful careers in a range of engineering disciplines, alongside guest lectures from prestigious universities, students will gain a competitive edge when looking at their next steps.”

NETA Training delivers fulltime engineering courses and apprenticeships at its two purposebuilt facilities in Stockton, as well as offering specialist and bespoke commercial training to those working in industry.

NETA’s Managing Director, Phil Blewitt, said: “This will support SRC Bede Sixth Form students who aspire to study engineering at university by giving them a wide range of hands-on practical skills.

“The programme is aimed at linking the theoretical knowledge gained during their A levels to real life engineering applications.

Our aim is to better prepare these students for a career in engineering whilst meeting the needs of local employers.”

Running alongside students’ first year of study, those taking part in the scheme will undertake eight dedicated sessions at NETA’s new £1.4m Lustrum training facility covering subjects such as mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems, renewable energy and health and safety. They will also take part in industry visits and master classes, as well as carry out an engineering project.

Up and coming young engineers have already had a chance to see how the joint initiative will work, as Year 10 and 11 engineering pupils from Ian Ramsey CE Academy took part in a dedicated Aspiring Young Engineers Day. The event saw the young visitors getting involved in a range of practical and informative sessions, including electrical and mechanical workshops, power/electricity generation and identifying components in a wind turbine nacelle.

Ian Ramsey’s design and technology teacher Maria Barnfather said: “Engineering is such a popular course at the school. We are from an area where engineering is in our blood. The event at SRC Bede and NETA was a really positive day. Being able to have a go at the practical side of engineering is something that really inspires young people. The pupils came back really positive talking about the opportunities available to them.”

Lessons from Auschwitz A student guest piece Here at SRC Bede Sixth Form we aim to give our students as many extra-curricular opportunities as possible. Two of our students, Tegan and Thomas, took part in the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust. Since 1999, over 37,000 students and teachers have taken part in the project, and just two students from each of the selected post-16 education organisations are able to attend each year.

had a family, a home, a life before said historical events happened. Each person that went through the Holocaust has a story to tell, one that needs to be shared and not forgotten. Testimonies are a way to ensure that those who were persecuted during the Holocaust are not forgotten along with their memories.

As well as the visit to Poland, the trip includes seminars where participants examine pre-war Jewish life, hear first-hand testimony from a Holocaust survivor and consider the contemporary relevance of the Holocaust, amongst other topics.

Tegan, who studies Art & Design, Media Studies and Classical Civilisation here at SRC Bede, wrote up her reflection on the visit…

others on what I had learnt. This however changed after listening to Eva’s talk about what her mother, family and friends went through during the Holocaust. This was what pushed me to think about the scale of the Holocaust in terms of individual experience’s and testimonies. Eva’s talk was particularly striking because although she discussed some awful things her family went through, she emphasised that it was now our turn to share her and her mother’s story and to make sure that the stories of those who went through the Holocaust are never forgotten.

Before our trip we were encouraged to look at specific stories of families that were affected in Europe during the activities. The phrase “we learn from history that we do

“Statistics, something that many are taught from a young age, are viewed as one of the most important things when documenting and teaching history. However, when in the classroom, something often overlooked is the individual stories. Each statistic is a human who lived through that ordeal; they

My initial motivations for participating in the LFA project was to further my knowledge about the Holocaust and to then educate

not learn from history” by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel affected my approach to this by encouraging me to help remember the stories of survivors and make sure they are not forgotten.

My trip to Oświęcim put into perspective how the Holocaust effected the lives of many Jewish communities. The once thriving community of both Jewish and non-Jewish people had been forever disrupted and altered leading to the end of a Jewish community living in Oświęcim. Our trip to Auschwitz 1 truly puts into perspective the impact on Jewish people and those who were prosecuted during the Holocaust.

The hair, gas containers, gas chambers, hall of shoes, bags, prosthetic limbs and photographs displayed all pushed me to think about how people were dehumanised during the Holocaust, and that we need to re-humanise them again to ensure that their stories are told.I found that immediately after my return from Oświęcim I felt overwhelmed by emotion and that I needed to discuss what I had seen with someone. However, I felt it was extremely difficult to put into words what I had seen and felt during the trip. With the other person who went from my College we created an information board in a public space to allow people to read and understand for themselves how the Holocaust affected people who had stories.”

Tamara, who teaches history at SRC Bede and coordinated the students’ trip with the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “The Lessons from Auschwitz project presents a unique opportunity for students to learn about the Holocaust and to realise the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.

Tegan and Thomas will play a vital role in ensuring that the lessons learned are spread through the wider College community. We are very proud of our students for taking part in the project and sharing their experience with us.”

Tegan has now completed her Next Steps work following the trip, making her one of the latest Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors – well done, Tegan.

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Hannah's time at SRC Bede gave her the skills for the job Hannah describes coming to SRC Bede as “one of the best experiences of her life” While she was at school Hannah relied on her friends for confidence, but she made the decision to come to join the Public Services course at SRC Bede despite most of her friends going elsewhere, and she’s never looked back.

She said: “Studying at Bede really helped build my confidence.

Garreth is a great tutor, and he and the other staff taught me to have more faith and trust in myself.”

With a few colleges in the area to choose from, Hannah settled on SRC Bede after coming to visit and feeling right at home straight away.

Now working at Robinwood in Alston, Hannah admits that working at the outdoor activity centre wasn’t part of her original plans. She said: “I wouldn’t have thought of this career path before – I originally wanted to go into the Navy or one of the armed forces, but that didn’t work out. This was almost like a backup plan for me, but I enjoy

it so much that it’s now my main plan. I would never have had the confidence to go into this type of work if I hadn’t done the course at Bede, and I’m absolutely loving it.”

With plans to travel and take her work overseas in the future, Hannah credits the Public Services course at SRC Bede with giving her a lot of the skills required for her job and teaching her not to give up when faced with more challenging tasks. She said: “I wouldn’t have come as far as I have if I hadn’t studied at Bede. For instance, the expedition to Scafell and Cat Bells that we took part in was really challenging for me. I didn’t think I could do it but I did, and the teamwork and determination we learnt has stuck with me. Students get as many opportunities as possible, and all of the things we learned on the course have helped in some way.”

“Garreth has two phrases from the armed forces that he uses a lot: “Cheerfulness in the face of adversity”, and “Improvise, adapt, overcome”. I use those all the time.”

Bede students help keep GNAAS flying Our Public Services students received a commemorative cheque to mark their fundraising efforts Our Level 2 and Level 3 students took part in a sponsored walk and overnight camp, all to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

They walked a testing 14km from Osmotherley to Carlton whilst carrying all of their supplies with them in packs. The group then camped overnight, waking up in the morning to a thick frost on the ground!

Garreth Evans, course leader for Public Services, said: “It was a great team effort from everyone – they were helping each other with carrying packs and sharing their supplies. The students were totally self-sufficient for the whole trip, carrying everything they had with them the whole time.”

Tracy Bowstead, Public Liaison Assistant for GNAAS, came to SRC Bede to present a commemorative cheque to our students. She said: “We are very grateful to the students for their fundraising efforts as we rely entirely on charitable donations to survive. Last year we needed to raise £5.1 million to keep our helicopters flying, so we really appreciate their contribution.”

Garreth said he was very proud of all the students had achieved.

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