CELEBRATE

SUMMEREXHIBITION PAGE 3

The termly magazine of Richmond upon Thames College Summer 2014

FESTIVAL FEVER!

>WELCOME EVENT SIZZLES IN THE SUN

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+NEWSWIRE

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Oh, What a Lovely War!In June, first year BTEC level 3 performing arts students performed the Joan Littlewood classic, Oh, What a Lovely War! The production featured an impressive mix of music, comedy and audience participation, captivating all who attended across the four performances.

Seventeen year-old Benjamin Buckley was one of the performing arts students to appear in the musical. “Playing several different characters and switching between moods and accents was a difficult but exciting challenge,” he said. “The whole group performed their roles really well and the research and rehearsal hours we put in ensured that the audience enjoyed a great show.”

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It’s your future...Hollee Gould-PaineFormer A level student (2011-13)Hollee came to the college from Waldegrave School for Girls to study A levels in history, media, photography and French. After completing her studies, she began an apprenticeship with marketing company Innovation 1st and is currently studying for an NVQ level 3 in Business & Administration.

“I chose to study at Richmond upon Thames College as it was local to me and because it offered the courses I was interested in. I especially enjoyed photography and media as the teachers were great and the lessons allowed me to be creative and learn valuable skills. I didn’t realise at the time just how useful they’d be when I began working!

“I decided on following an apprenticeship route rather than go to university as I wanted a practical, workplace learning environment. Apprenticeships are such a great opportunity to start a career at a younger age and it’s nice to also earn money whilst continuing in education. With the help of Way to Work in Twickenham, I found an apprenticeship with Innovation 1st and haven’t looked back. Amongst other things, my job role includes assisting the creative team with newsletters and photographing promotional merchandise which is where I can really use my college training. I love it and feel incredibly lucky to be working with a great company and gaining a qualification at the same time.

“I made some amazing friends at Richmond College and really enjoyed my time there. The skills I learnt in the classroom have helped me hugely in the workplace and I’ll always be grateful to my fantastic teachers.”

Former students tell Celebrate how studying at Richmond upon Thames College helped shape their future.

Mencap Young AmbassadorsDuring the summer term, supported learning students Zoe Diprose, Leanne Francis, Ahmed Gowiely, Damien Jones, Ben Parsons, Jordan Shopland and Nathan Soetan-Williams become young ambassadors for Mencap - the UK’s leading learning disability charity.

Assisted by Roxanne Potts, Regional Youth Co-ordinator at Mencap, the students took part in a variety of community impact projects designed to raise awareness, inspire others and help make positive changes for people affected by learning disabilities.

The group helped to deliver learning disabilities awareness training, promoted Learning Disabilities Week at both The Galleria in Hatfield and Lewisham Shopping Centre, and took part in the launch of Mencap’s ‘Hear my voice’ campaign. They also assisted the Mencap Trust Company with their website content.

“It’s been a pleasure working with the Richmond upon Thames College students as each of them has thrived in the programme and have shown a real desire to take part in Mencap activities,” said Roxanne Potts. “They have brought some amazing insights into the role and have set a great example for other ambassadors to follow.”

Mencap’s Roxanne Potts (back row, third left) with Richmond upon Thames College’s Young Ambassadors

In June, the college showcased the work of its creative arts and media students with a spectacular end of year exhibition.

Attended by Councillor Jane Boulton, Mayor of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, the event exhibited the work of the college’s talented art, media, design and photography students and also included live music performances, a fashion show and a performance of Oh, What a Lovely War! by first year BTEC performing arts students.

Speaking after the event, Councillor Boulton praised the level of talent showcased at the evening. “The quality of work displayed by the students was fantastic,” she said. “The whole exhibition was full of countless examples of young people displaying creativity and talent beyond their years and was a real pleasure to attend.”

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Summer Exhibition

CoverStory

See highlights from all the shows and exhibitions atFacebook.com/RichmonduponThamesCollege

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Student spotlightRuTC students tell us something we don’t know!

Name: Kenneth NkwoInternational Baccalaureate student and Vice President of the Student Union.Why did you decide to get involved in the Student Union?“It’s important to make sure that students at the college are represented when it comes to changing things for the better. As VP, it’s nice to be in a position where I can listen to the students’ ideas and present them to the college’s executive staff.”

How are you enjoying your time at RuTC?“I really like studying the International Baccalaureate as it covers a wide range of subjects. The college is like a mini university as you meet lots of new faces from a variety of backgrounds. It’s a great place to study.”

What do you do when you’re not in college? I’m quite into exercise and like to keep fit. I play basketball three times a week and enjoy the gym too.”

Sounds tiring! What music keeps you going in the gym?“Ha! I listen to pretty much anything but I’m really into Led Zeppelin at the moment.”

Favourite TV show?“There’s quite a few but Mad Men, True Detective and Hannibal all stand out.”Finally, what’s the next step in your career?“Science really fascinates me as a subject and I hope to studymedicine at university.”

ECITB Awards Ceremony In June, the college held its annual ECITB Awards to reward apprenticeship students studying on the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board.

The twenty-four students received their certification having passed the course with outstanding results, with six other awards sponsored by various industry partners also presented.

Elizabeth Parsons won the Personal Achievement Award, sponsored by Jacobs UK, whilst Shane Collins was awarded Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Worley Parsons. The Supporting Engineering Construction Activities Award, sponsored this year by Mustang Engineering, was won by Tristram Pope whilst Oliver Trigg took home the award for Best Practical Work, sponsored by Foster Wheeler Energy. Richmond upon Thames College also presented special awards to Rebecca Trigg and Max Tyler for their efforts throughout the year.

“This has been another excellent year for the ECITB apprentices at Richmond upon Thames College,” said Dawn Thompson, Account Manager for ECITB. “With the number of learners having increased again from last year, it is fantastic to see that the standards achieved by the apprentices have remained consistently high, creating a real challenge when selecting the award winners. I would like to thank the college staff for their support of the learners and their continued collaboration with the employers and ECITB.”

Higher Education Fair In April, seventy five universities from across the UK attended the college’s annual Higher Education Fair. The fair, arranged by the college’s careers staff, gave students the chance to talk directly to the visiting universities about the degree courses on offer and also provided essential information to help with their future career paths.

Top Russell Group universities including Oxford and Cambridge were in attendance on the day, as were local universities Royal Holloway, Kingston, Roehampton, St Mary’s, and Brunel, which attracted many applications from RuTC due to the strength and diversity of their courses.

Performing arts student Christiana Tella was one of the hundreds of students to attend the event. “I really enjoyed today’s fair as I spoke to lots of universities about the different types of drama courses I could study when I finish at RuTC,” she said. “I was amazed that there were so many to choose from and am grateful to everyone I chatted with for giving me so much information.”

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Students will always have ParisLanguage students visited Paris in June as part of an educational study week. Based in halls of residence located in the heart of the French capital, the A level and International Baccalaureate French students immersed themselves in the city’s rich culture and practised their language skills in a variety of exciting locations.

Highlights of the trip included a guided tour of the Musée d’Orsay, a visit to Sainte Chapelle, Versailles and the Louvre and a relaxed afternoon on the Place des Vosges. As well as also enjoying a theatre visit and an evening boat trip on the river Seine, the students had the unique opportunity to watch a live court case in the Palais de Justice and went on the ‘Amelie’ trail in Montmartre.

Under bright sunshine throughout the week, the students also enjoyed classic French cuisine including a range of patisseries and even snails and frog legs. They left France with great memories and an increased confidence in their language skills.

Festival fun in the sunIn July, the college held a welcome event for school leavers due to start at RuTC in September. The Richmond Festival included live music, outdoor games, a BBQ and the chance for the students to make new friends and meet some of their teachers.

Over 240 applicants attended the Festival, enjoying free food and drinks as well as earning the chance to win an iPad mini and £50 of high street vouchers.

Elizabeth Greener, School Liaison & Events Officer at RuTC was delighted with the day. “It was fantastic to see our future students get a taste of the college and enjoy themselves after their exams,” she said. “The festival had a wonderful vibe to it and the students really embraced the games and interactive activities. We can’t wait to welcome them back as full time Richmond College students in September.”

In June, A level physics students headed to Geneva to visit the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Twenty students and staff spent two days in the Swiss city learning about particle acceleration, the Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs boson. The group travelled 105 metres underground to look at two of the largest particle detectors on Earth and were given an introductory talk explaining how the work carried out at CERN can be applied to medicine, computing and superconductivity.

The students, who stayed on site at the CERN hostel, also visited the Globe of Science and Innovation, Lake Geneva, the offices of the UN and several historical churches as part of their visit.

Science students visit CERN

See more photos of the Paris trip atFacebook.com/RichmonduponThamesCollege

New Principal for the collegeIn August, Robin Ghurbhurun joins Richmond upon Thames College as its new Principal. Robin, who began his career as a teacher, has over twenty years of experience within education and has previously worked at East Surrey College, Carshalton College, Lewisham College and City College Norwich. He leaves the role of deputy principal at Newcastle College to join RuTC.

NewsWire

Students perform miracle!

In June, A level photography students visited New York for a packed five days of sightseeing and snapping. Based in a hostel near the city’s famous Central Park, the thirty-five students visited and documented New York’s iconic landmarks including the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Brooklyn Bridge.

New York photography trip

In May, second year BTEC performing arts students performed the play The Miracle in the college’s Edmund Kean Theatre. The shows marked the final curtain for the talented group after two years of top drama performances.

Catering student Abbie Coggins competes at Salon Culinaire

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Ahmed named best learner In May, supported learning student Ahmed Gowiely attended the House of Lords where he was recognised as the college’s ‘Best Learner’ at the COSLP annual awards ceremony. “Ahmed has consistently been the hardest worker in his class and his positive attitude always helps to motivate and inspire others,” said his teacher, Katy Parnell.

Salon Culinaire successIn May, catering students received a silver medal, two bronze and two merits at the Wessex Salon Culinaire cookery competition - a record haul for the college! Abbie Coggins, Lea Joseph, Scott Tuckwell and Tilly Brown competed in both the live hot and cold culinary classes, whilst Amber Bates competed in the front of house competition.

Farm FundraiserIn April, students from the Skillwise group in the supported learning department raised £150 for the Heathrow Special Needs Farm by holding a raffle of unwanted Christmas gifts donated by college staff. The students work voluntarily at the farm every Tuesday, cleaning and grooming the animals and their habitats and working on the surrounding gardens.

Victory for volleyball teamIn April, Richmond upon Thames College’s women’s volleyball team won the British Colleges Sport (BCS) national cup competition. The talented team beat Middlesbrough College 2-0 in the grand final of the tournament, held at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering.

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Soccer stars!In June, supported learning students won the Brentford FC Community Football competition for the fifth year running. The young soccer stars, who take part in a monthly 7-a-side league at Goals football centre in Osterley, finished top of the league ahead of supported learning teams from West Thames College, Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College, Uxbridge College and Hounslow Warriors SEN. Richmond Special Olympics FC, who also play and train with the college team, finished in joint first.

A taste of Coca Cola In May and June, A Level product design students visited the Coca Cola bottling and distribution plant in Edmonton to taste life at one of the world’s most famous brands. The visit, based at the Coca Cola Education Centre, taught students about the brand’s history and how it developed into the iconic product it is today. They were also given a tour of the factory, giving the group a chance to see the bottle production, filling, testing and packaging processes.

Media students visit AUBIn June, first year creative media production students visited Arts University Bournemouth. The group attended the end of year shows of AUB’s Animation and Film & TV students and also attended workshops and screenings.

End of year dance showIn June, first year BTEC level 3 dance students performed their end of year show This is Us. The superb hour-long performance showcased a variety of dance styles including contemporary, tap, cabaret and ballet. Seventeen year-old dance student Chloe Stokes performed in the show. “It’s a real thrill performing in front of an audience as it brings out the best in me as a dancer,” she said. “I loved seeing people clapping and cheering along and was proud to be part of so many fantastic routines.”

Top solicitors talk shopIn June, Ian Powell, Business Development and Community Outreach Manager at Tuckers Solicitors, visited RuTC to deliver a guest talk to students as well as to give CV advice and promote Tuckers’ work placement scheme.

Primary school drama tourBTEC level 2 performing arts students completed an educational tour of primary schools across the local borough in May and June. The talented actors performed their self-written play The Magic Box to youngsters from Bishop Perrin Primary School, Darrell Primary School and Heathfield Junior School. The play, a mash-up of popular fairy tale Hansel and Gretel and Greek mythology’s fable Pandora’s Box, contained a scene written by each of the performing arts students and took over four months of planning and research.

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Richmond upon Thames College is one of London’s most successful colleges for 16-19 year olds and has a strong reputation for achieving excellent results whilst providing a friendly, supportive and secure environment. The curriculum offer includes AS/A2 levels, the International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Diplomas at different levels and a number of vocational courses and apprenticeships.

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