Published Fortnightly - Issue: 170 Edited by: James Searle, Helen Ward and Alan Goldsmith Friday 14 September 2012

college news | the latest stories | achievements | innovations | and more!

Chichester Matters

Some of this year’s successful A-level cohort with their results

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Great Results Again!

Chichester College has done it again! Our A-level results, released during the summer, show that the College has, for the fourth year in succession, produced an A-level pass rate of almost 100%.

This year pass rates rose to 98%, a 1% increase from last year’s results.

An impressive 23 A-level subjects had achievement rates of 100%; the remainder of the 31 subjects we offer had pass rates in excess of 90%.

Most importantly, the high grades achieved at A level this year have risen by a fantastic 3% compared to last year, with 75% of results being grade A*-C. 45% of all students achieved grades A*-B, results which equalled those of Havant College, exceeded those of Worthing College and many other other local sixth forms.Our students are now

starting their new courses at a wide range of universities whilst others have decided to continue their studies on alternative vocational courses or higher education courses. The remainder have moved into employment or taken up apprenticeships through the College.

Reflecting on the results, Vicki Illingworth, Assistant Principal said: “We are delighted to have improved our A Level results yet again and are extremely proud of our staff and students and the hard work they have put in to achieve such great success. We are very pleased for them and delighted that Chichester College continues to help students achieve their potential. We are the No 1 college in Sussex for our overall College success rates (2011) and are delighted that our A Level results make such an important contribution to this achievement.”

Deputy Principal, Sarah Stannard, said: “We are extremely proud of how well

our students have done. Teaching high quality A level courses is an extremely important part of the College’s role in preparing young people so they are ready to make the transition to university or work. We are delighted that Chichester College staff strive to ensure that students achieve successful results and that we can help our students to enter the universities and jobs of their choice.”

The A-Level team will be looking to build on this success under the guidance of new Academic Studies Manager, Suki Dhesi who we welcome to Chichester from Portsmouth College. Meanwhile Helen Loftus will be looking to transfer the success she has brought to A-Levels to her new role, as Assistant Principal for Adults and Enterprise.

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Here are just some examples of fantastic A-Level success:

Moira Masshardt Business A*, Psychology A*, Economics A, Accounting A. Going to City of London University to study Business.

Rebecca Chambers (ex The Regis School student) Law A, English Literature & Language B, Sociology A. Going to study Law at university.

Adam Ahmed (ex Havant College student) English Literature A, Law A, Sociology B, Psychology B. Going on to the University of Sussex to read Politics and International Relations.

Farzin Dardashi (ex Our Lady of Sion, Worthing student) Business A*, Economics A, Law B. Going to read Business at university.

Mai Ngoc Ha Bui (Vietnam) Physics A, Maths A, Further Maths A, Economics A. Studying Economics at the University of Bath

Verity Thurston (Brighton) Physics A Biology A*, Chemistry A*. Going on to study Veterinary Science at The Royal Veterinary College

Ross Lindgren (ex Westergate Community College student) Economics A, Law A, Business A*. Going to Kings College, London to study Business Management

Sabie Rainton (Worthing) Chemistry A, Maths A, Biology A*. Studying Medicine at UCL.

Sam Way (Hayling Island) Chemistry A, Biology A, Physics A. Going to work for a couple for years to earn money towards university fees. He currently has a job in insurance. Following this he plans to go onto a Science based degree at university.

Krishan Patel (Southsea) Maths A, Further Maths A, Chemistry B, Biology B. Currently playing cricket for Sussex but will be going on to study Medicine.

Congratulations to these and all of our other successful A-Level students!

Positive About FuturesAs well as welcoming new students this September, the College will also be welcoming a brand new impartial careers service, Positive About Futures. Based in the Student Centre, the newly formed team of five are responsible for running careers activities both in College and on site in local schools and other venues.

Positive About Futures offers a bright, fresh and contemporary service designed to inspire, motivate and inform young people about their career choices. Activities offered will help

work experience please contact one of the team (left to right):

Peter Houghton Job Shop Administrator

Marcus Cogger Student Experience Champion

Emily Gell Business Admin Apprentice

Darren Thompson Student Experience Champion

Martin Ford Student Experience Team Leader

TM

A student careers initiative from Chichester College

them develop the skills employers are looking for, prepare them for successful job interviews and to complete successful UCAS applications to help them get into the university for their chosen course and ultimate career goals.

Some of the services offered by the Positive About Futures team include:

Careers advice and guidance

Choosing the right career – using our new Career Coach software

CV writing and support with job applications

Details of job vacancies

Advice and support with university applications

Confidence building

Interview skills

Employability Skills

If you or your students want to know more about any aspect of the service and how we can support careers and

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Nunn betterAt the beginning of the summer break, Peter Jones Enterprise Academy (PJEA) graduate Rob Nunn, 18, was named National Entrepreneur of the Year. Rob fought off stiff competition from other PJEA students and impressed Peter Jones himself with his: “superb presence, outstanding commitment to the Academy and a driving ambition to succeed in his own entrepreneurial endeavours.”

Rob received the award during the PJEA Graduation Ceremony at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. His prize was a brand new Alfa Romeo and free car insurance for 12 months, plus driving lessons and a Samsung Galaxy 3S. Rob will also be spending this year working as an ambassador for the PJEA and will be speaking at the One Young World conference in Pittsburgh later this year.

During his time at College, Rob nurtured his own business, assisting young people to develop careers in aviation. Whilst studying on the PJEA, Rob impressed his lecturers by successfully securing mentoring and investment from local businesses to aid the launch of his Youth Aviation Fund. Tara Lovejoy, Course Leader for PJEA at Chichester said: “Rob is an exemplar young entrepreneur, who

Peter Jones (from BBC’s Dragons’ Den) with star PJEA student Rob Nunn

at the age of 18, has the drive, energy and passion to inspire those around him. He will undoubtedly be successful in his entrepreneurial aspirations through his strong business acumen and determination.”

Rob was delighted with his award and was quick to credit the PJEA: “The Academy is a fantastic base for young entrepreneurs to develop the skills and

attributes needed in order to run their own business or develop their careers. Being named National Entrepreneur of the Year was mind-blowing, absolutely unexpected but an amazing award to win.”

This year the PJEA welcomes another 14 budding entrepreneurs and Rob has already been in to meet with them during induction.

Summer SchoolIt may have been the wettest summer for nearly 100 years but that didn’t stop Summer School 2012 proving to be a great experience for all those who attended.

From the July 2 to August 17 the International Department welcomed 400 students onto the Summer School programme. The College became home to students from Madagascar, China, Holland, Taiwan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and a Bulgarian group amongst others.

Over the seven week program there were 26 classes in operation with seven levels of English being offered.

Mornings consisted of general English classes and the afternoon allowed students to choose a vocational or academic subject. This year options included, Business English, Walk and Talk, Art and Design, Sports and many more.

Regular trips were organised to key tourist attractions such as Stonehenge,

Salisbury, Bath, Oxford and Brighton. Karaoke nights, bowling competitions and barbecues ensured everybody had a great time in and out of the classroom.

Iain Tebb the Summer School coordinator thanked all the staff involved for their hard work and commitment which resulted in a very successful Summer School

programme being offered.

The International Department looks forward to Summer School 2013 proving that we are one of the largest FE colleges providing education to International students.

On behalf of International

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Olympic heroesAs most of us settled down at our desks or on the sofa this summer to enjoy the London Olympics, staff and students from College were busy ensuring the Games we were watching ran smoothly.

The volunteers gave up their holidays to be part of the Games with roles ranging from Hospitality students catering in the Olympic Village, to Jan Jordan (Travel & Tourism) welcoming athletes and visitors to Gatwick Airport, Dawn Kidman (Finance) working at the sailing in Weymouth and Alex Langrish (Sport) games making at the Olympic Park.

All were excellent Ambassadors for the College and we are extremely proud of their exploits.

Dawn Kidman in Weymouth with 4 x Olympic gold medalist, Ben Ainslie

Jan Jordan and her husband, Peter

Captions.....?????

Alex Langrish with Peter Wilson (shotgun gold medalist) and fellow games makersDawn’s eye view of the Olympic stadium

First ‘graduates’ leave for schoolIt was a sad but happy day for staff at First Steps in North Bersted when they said goodbye to Olivia Cogger and Fenn Chandler last week.

Olivia (from Aldwick) and Fenn (from Westergate) both joined the nursery as babies soon after First Steps first opened its doors in North Bersted in 2009. The cheeky pair were the nursery’s first ‘graduates’ when they left to start big school. Olivia started at Nyewood C of E Primary School in Bognor Regis this week and Fenn has started his school career at Aldingbourne Primary School.

The children have grown up at ‘Becky (Driscoll –Bennett, Childcare Manager) and Natalie’s (Smith, Senior Childcare officer) house’ as Olivia calls First Steps. They have grown from young babies to confident, happy children who have made the transition from nursery to school equipped with good communication and social skills, the

ability to count fluently, write their names and share, play and work with other children.

Olivia’s Mum, Nicky Cogger, says she can’t praise First Steps enough. “Olivia has been so well prepared for school, she has slipped in effortlessly and the

transition from nursery has been smooth and even fun for her.

She will miss First Steps and the staff there but is relishing the new friends and opportunities at school that the skills she has learned at First Steps have perfectly equipped her for.”

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Apprenticeship Awards 2012On July 6 2012 the College held their second annual Apprenticeships Celebration and Awards evening where both apprentices and employers were recognised for their hard work and commitment.

Employers attending the awards included; West Sussex County Council, Universal Race Technologies (URT), John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Willard Electrical, Facemedia Group and Lydd Childrens’ Centre. Vice Principal Sarah Stannard presented awards for two categories, Best Employer and Best Apprentice, with apprentices nominating their companies and vice versa.

The Employer of the Year was presented to Bognor Regis based URT and the award was collected by Technical and Training Director Kevin Emmett. URT were nominated by two of their current apprentices, Josh Cox and Dan Brock. Their nomination read:

“Our apprenticeship training has opened many doors for us with lots of opportunities to try out different jobs. The company have given us a comfortable and trusting place to work and have

changed our lives in so many ways, all for the good.”

Kevin was pleased to pick up the award and was quick to praise his apprentices:

“I’ve really got to congratulate my apprentices for this award. For the type of work we do, it is difficult to find the skilled labour we require. Therefore, we have always adopted a strategy of training our own so we can guarantee the quality is there. Without the apprentices, this would not be possible so my thanks should go to them.”

The Apprentice of the Year went to Kerri Stakim, 19, who was nominated by her employer Facemedia Group. Kerri was

their first apprentice and they found the experience so positive that they have taken on a further four apprentices who are starting this month.

Kerri says:

“Being an apprentice has been great because I’ve been learning whilst working and earning proper money. If it wasn’t for the skills I’ve learnt from my apprenticeship I wouldn’t be as confident as I am now.”

The evening was a celebration of the hard work that all parties put in and was a superb opportunity for the College to highlight instances of exceptional performance.

Fashion shootDuring the summer, Doug West, Course Leader for Graphics & Photography hosted two Photography Masterclasses for staff and students in the College’s new Creative Suite.

Lead by professional photographer Gareth Gatrell, the classes focussed on studio photography, lighting techniques, Photoshop skills and client interaction. Gareth’s expertise were of great benefit to all involved and his industry experience made the classes enjoyable and informative.

Doug West will continue to host the Masterclasses in the coming months with the next session on Saturday October 27.

For further details email: Douglas.West@Chichester.ac.uk

Chichester College apprentices; (from left to right) Julia Egleton, Rebecca Houghton, Kirsti Millard and Kyrie Holmes

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It’s a knockout successLast week the College welcomed new students to both Chichester and Brinsbury campuses for their Induction. Corridors and classrooms sprang back into action following the summer break and the hustle and bustle of College life was resumed.

All staff pulled together to ensure the smooth transition from school to College for our new starters. Despite the obvious stresses that this time of year can bring, College was blessed with an abundance of smiling faces.

Cheque out the ladies football!Chichester College have furthered their links with Chichester City Ladies FC for the coming season with an exciting sponsorship package. The female football team have seen great success over the past three years since cementing their links with the College.

The ladies first team has worked its way through the divisions and now play in the third tier of the English Football League. The link allows players from the College to train and play for the club side, and this link not only draws students into the College but it provides opportunities for female players once they have left education.

The club also links with Chichester University who provides fantastic academic routes for those involved. The money donated by the College helps the club to continue to run its community projects. These projects include the female footballers visiting local Primary Schools to provide free after school coaching sessions for girls aged between six and 11. The girls who attend these sessions can also play

at the Saturday Club held at Chichester College every week 10:00-11:30am.

With a new influx of College students arriving it is hoped that they can

progress onto club level football whilst representing Chichester College on the football pitch for mid-week fixtures.

Matt Wright - Lecturer in Physical Education

Julie Sleeman presents Matt Wright with a cheque for £750

Apprentices and Apprentice Liaison Officers enjoy their day

Rough & Tumble Sum o’ the Apprentices Jamie Bunce, monkey-ing around

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Hair & Beauty Careers / Trade FairA fabulous turnout for our first ever Hairdressing & Beauty Therapy Careers and Trade Fair which was held on Wednesday September 5.

Initially developed to add interest to our induction week for new learners, it swiftly grew into something for everyone. All second year returners, year 11’s from local schools and College staff were invited.

The event was officially opened by Shelagh who cut the ceremonial ribbon, and then she and Andy were given a guided tour of all of the events and demonstrations taking place.

Each salon was filled with eager students, who were able to watch demonstrations from former student James Budd and professional hair extensions company Balmain, and buy lots of additions to their kits from local hair and beauty suppliers.

Very quickly the queues started forming to have a go at the tanning booth and gel nail stands, and those students who had not had the opportunity to send off for their uniforms and footwear were able to try them on to ensure that they ordered the correct sizes.

There were employers present too. One of our biggest supporters, Ocean Spa at Butlins was present, as was Champneys and Steiner, and the Federation of Holistic Therapists were also on hand to discuss insurance, and offer special deals for students.

This event was designed to introduce students to the other career choices that they have at an early stage in their training.

The hairdressing and beauty therapy staff teams have worked tirelessly to bring in exhibitors and organise rooms, decorations, car parking and tea making.

Thank you to the staff who made it such a success and to the following attendees:

Willen Books, FHT, Ambassador supplies, Mavala, Mi Spa, College Kits direct, Oriflame, Forever living, Absolute aromas, Steiner, ATT virtual learning, La Beeby uniforms, Ocean Spa, Fake Bake, Balmain, Champneys, BABTAC, myhairdressers.com, Sally hair and beauty, James Budd, Emma Harvey photography, Charlotte reader, Emma Hancock and Kirsty Alderton.

June Brent - CTM for Hair & Beauty

Shelagh opens the event as staff and students look on

Demolition and new builds

The old G-Block bites the dust! The brand new and pristine Stockbridge Hall of Residence

The feedback from exhibitors was positive, including:

“It was a brilliant idea!”

“More colleges should be doing this sort of thing to introduce students to what is really out there.”

“The students were asking really intelligent questions about what qualifications and training is required to do your job.”

“Fabulous, great interest from the students in what we do!”

Chichester College | Westgate Fields | Chichester | West Sussex | PO19 1SB t: 01243 786321 f: 01243 539481 www.chichester.ac.uk

Dear Shelagh,A belated thank you for once again hosting our humble little bike show and helping to present the trophies to the happy owners. You will see from our certificate that we raised £71 1 . 15 for the Sussex Air Ambulance, an improvement on last year’s total, despite the bad weather. Next year’s show will be on Sunday June 23 2013. Thank you once again, Scottie.

ILT Tip of the WeekIf, at the last minute, you find yourself trying to find the agenda or other documents associated with a meeting you can save yourself that anxiety by simply adding them to the appointment in your Outlook calendar.

It’s easy to do, simply open the appointment, then drag in, and drop the document. Press Save and Close. Job done!

E-Safety Tip of the WeekI was recently in a restaurant and asked to leave my debit card behind the bar. Having attended far too many e-safety courses for my own good I was somewhat nervous of doing that, politely refused, and chose to pay by cash.

A few weeks later, Radio 4’s money programme ran a feature on the same subject but the danger wasn’t cloning, it was from the potential for your card number and the three digit security number (on the back) to be simply copied and purchases made online.

My first thoughts were that you would at least be covered by insurance – not so! If the number is stolen (because you placed the card behind the bar) or if you have voluntarily given out the security number you immediately invalidate the protection.

That’s because the security code is only to be used for transactions where you are not physically present, i.e. for transactions carried out over the internet or by telephone.

So, the next time you are asked to leave your card behind the bar, do think twice.

Bon appétit!

Suki Dhesi Academic Studies ManagerRebecca Knights Administrative AssistantDanielle Heath ApprenticeKathryn Brecht ApprenticeSusan Martin Associate Lecturer in Hospitality Catharina Axelsson Pine Associate Lecturer In Adult EducationEleanor Harris Childcare AssistantKimberley Madden Childcare AssistantLucy Clifford College Travel Supervisor/InstructorMelissa Warner Learning AssistantHeidi Mapston Learning Assistant

A Big ‘Bike Show’ Thank You!

Nuts ChallengeOn Saturday September 1, a team of four from Brinsbury’s Motor Vehicle department took part in The Nuts Challenge in Dorking. The team made up of Jason Knowles, Jason Foote, Anji Adsett and Alison Bell raised a fantastic £650 for St Wilfred’s Hospice.

Initially the team thought they were competing over a seven kilometre military assault course but later discovered the course was actually well over eight kilometres. Obstacles included wading through streams, mud, bogs and a lake as well as climbing over, under and through various obstacles. They successfully completed the course in 2 hours 50

minutes and had a lot of fun on the way round, only picking up a few injuries and bruises!

A big well done! - to all involved.

Alexander Weaver Learning AssistantRebecca Gray Learning AssistantMaria Pena-Bermejo Learning AssistantMarina Osman-Salleh Learning AssistantGraeme Elliott Lecturer In BiologyJohn Knight Lecturer In Computing & ITJulie Farnes Lecturer In MathematicsYvonne Wallace Lecturer In Sociology And Social CareEmma Keet Meals AssistantSusan Gunther Section Leader

Welcome to our New Starters

Vacancies

Fitness Centre InstructorClosing date:18th Sept

Associate Lecturer in PhysicsClosing date: 20th Sept

Project ManagerClosing date: 20th Sept

Curriculum Team Manager Animal ManagementClosing date: 21st Sept

Lecturer In GeographyClosing date: 4th Oct