New Classrooms

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

What makes a good college?

Good teachers? Definitely! Good pastoral support? For sure! What about the environment that students learn in? We think that's important too, which is why we have been refurbishing some of the classrooms at college.

The Sixth Form College, Solihull opened in 1974 and the building that we now call Hampton building was part of the College then. Refurbishments and developments have happened over the years, but not for a while, which is why we are doing this work now. Hampton is a large building, so the work is being done in stages to reduce the disruption to teaching.

Phase 1 has just come to an end and one end of the building has been refurbished. This means that the classrooms have new windows, new ceilings, new lighting, new carpets, new furniture and it's been repainted too. In putting in new windows, the building also has new insulation, which will improve energy efficiency and make the rooms warmer in the summer and cooler in the summer.

Below are some photos of the new classrooms. They are minus display boards, of course, but once the teachers and students get in there, they will start to look more "lived in".
We're pleased with how the work has gone so far. The environment we provide for our students is important and conducive to positive learning.

We are into phase 2 of the project now and another section of the building will be refurbished soon (hopefully by January), with the final section getting its turn in the Spring. All this means that for those students applying to start their studies with us in September 2014, they will be able to benefit from new and comfortable facilities.

Look out for more news about the building work as it progresses during this academic year.

Open Day 2013

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

The College opened its doors to prospective students and parents on Saturday as we staged our annual Open Day and it was great to see so many people there.

We had students from more than 90 different schools visit us on Saturday! Hard to believe there are that many schools in the region! They were all present to see what we can offer to young people in the way of post-16 education.

We had teachers available in all curriculum areas and they all reported a busy day, answering questions from our visitors. Thank goodness for our current students, who helped out on the day. Not only were they dotted around the campus to help people find their way around, but they were also in subject areas to help teachers answer questions when there were more visitors than teachers available to speak to them! We are so grateful to our wonderful students. They tell us how much they enjoy their studies at the College and it’s that enthusiasm which encourages the next cohort of students to apply to the College.

We’re also very grateful to Centro and to the four universities who attended Open Day. Representatives from Aston, Birmingham, Leicester and Warwick were all there and they were kept busy all day talking to parents and students. In particular, they were able to advise young people what subjects they need to study at A level with a particular career or university course in mind, which makes it easier for them to know what courses they should apply for at college too.

Thankfully, the rain held off for most of the day and it was quite warm for October. Nevertheless, special thanks must go to the hardy students and staff who worked outside on Open Day. One of the biggest challenges we face on a day such as this is to avoid traffic and parking problems, but thanks to the dedication and hard work of our staff and students traffic kept flowing and parking was managed well.

We know that not everyone who is considering applying to the College was able to make it to Open Day on Saturday and that’s why we have more events coming up:

Open Evening
Thursday 14 November
5.00-8.00pm (last entry at 7.30pm)

Information Evening
Thursday 14 November
5.00-8.00pm (last entry at 7.30pm)

Open Evening in November is much like this recent Open Day, in that the whole campus is open. However, the Information Evening in February is a smaller scale event.

Pre-registration for the November event is open now at http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/87538UWJDV.

EXPAND YOUR PROSPECTUS

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

This year, the prospectus for The Sixth Form College, Solihull includes the tagline 'Expand Your Potential'. One of the ways we are asking prospective students to do this is to expand their prospectus by use of something called Augmented Reality.

So, what's augmented reality? It's an app that can be downloaded onto compatible smart phones or tablets and used to bring printed materials to life. We are using an app called Aurasma, which is available free of charge on Apple and Android smart phones and tablets. When downloaded, the app will allow the user to scan trigger icons throughout the prospectus to access videos, podcasts, photos, additional text and web links. We are using it to link to student testimony, parental testimony, information from the Principal and much more.

Why are we using augmented reality? We want to utilise new media as much as possible to deliver information in new and exciting ways. There is still a place for a printed prospectus, but there is so more information about the College available online and by using this app, we can link directly to this information, making it easier than ever to find out all that a prospective student needs to know before they make an application. It means that students can read up on all our courses, pre-register for Open Day and make an application, all from their smart phone.

Any prospective student or parent who wants to try out this app needs to get a copy of our prospectus. They will be handed out to all visitors at our Open Day on Saturday 19 October (open 9.30 am - 3.30pm, last entry at 2.30pm). They will also be available at Open Evening on Thursday 14 November (open 5.00pm - 8.00pm, last entry at 7.30pm). They are also available by post by telephoning 0121 709 7803.

Instructions of how to download the app are on page 2 of the prospectus. Users must download the app, follow the College's Aurasma channel and then it is ready to use.

For a demonstration of how the app works, check out our new YouTube video at http://youtu.be/_uqvjGovqz0.

To pre-register for Open Day to visit the College, talk to teachers, see our facilities and pick up a copy of the prospectus go to http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/87538UWJDV.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS FULFILLED!

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

BTEC Performing Arts students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull put on their final production at the College this week, when they staged ‘Great Expectations’. I was one of the lucky members of the audience and what I treat I had!

Most of us know the plot to this Charles Dickens’ classic. If you don’t, here it is: It’s a coming-of-age story, about an orphan named Pip, set in the 1800s. It is a graphic story, depicting poverty, prison ships and fights to the death. The plot starts with the terrifying encounter between Pip and the escaped convict, Abel Magwitch. What follows are intriguing and unexpected twists and turns, with Pip encountering a wealthy spinster called Miss Havisham and a blacksmith called Joe Gargery, not to mention the cold and beautiful Estella.

Although set such a long time ago, the students used some rather modern techniques to get the message of this production across. The dialogue was all appropriate to the time, as was costume and set, but the students also incorporated lots of physical theatre in the production. There was some song and dance, where appropriate, and while these modern twists can sometimes ruin a classic text, these did not. Case in point was the scene in which Pip fell out of a boat; through physical theatre, the students managed to show Pip’s struggle underwater to very good effect.

That’s just one example of why this production was so good. All the performances were excellent, with some outstanding acting skills on display. There were some laughs in there, with funny one-liners, which were very well delivered. In addition, the key roles of Pip and Miss Havisham were played with enormous emotion and as an audience member I empathised with both, which is what you need in all good story telling.

I personally enjoyed the production enormously and everyone else I have spoken to has praised if too, commenting how professional and slick it was in particular. However, perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that the students took on so much to make this production a success. They don’t just learn their lines and act, they take responsibility for all aspects of the production, helping to choreograph the physical theatre, involving themselves in all backstage aspects, including costume, make-up, set, lighting and sound, and taking on a central role in promoting the play and selling tickets. That is a massive amount of work! Staff in the Performing Arts department also deserve a huge amount of credit.

It’s the end of their two years on the BTEC Performing Arts course here at the College and what a way to end. We will be sorry to lose them, but they are all moving onto new challenges and we wish them well, with a confidence that they will achieve success. All we ask is that they don’t forget us when they’re famous!

 

To see photos from this production, see the album on our Facebookpage.

Is university the way to go?

This posting was written by student Alysha Kotadia.

Going to university in September? Or considering it in the future? Why go to university instead of taking a school leaver programme? After the government’s recent announcement of the rise in tuition fees to £9,000, application figures up to the 15th January 2013 deadline, show an increase of 2.8% on last year for applicants from the UK for undergraduate courses. An overall increase of 3.5% was boosted by a recovery in overseas students.

There were differences in applications within the UK - there were increases of 7% in Northern Ireland, 3% in England, 2% in Scotland and a fall of 2% in Wales. However, despite the increase, many students still prefer to take the school leaver route as supposed to going for the more academic route. The number of UK 18 year olds applying to university has also risen slightly, 0.8% compared to 2011. Earlier this term I spoke to someY 13 students, some of whom are going to university and some who have decided to either take a gap year or the school leaver route, to find out what their views on it are.

Year 13 student Humma Mouzam thinks that students who want to achieve academically and be successful must go to university and that students shouldn’t worry about the rise in tuition fees because the debts after studying for 4 or 5 years about university will only be paid back if students are earning over £21,000.

On the other hand Niki Ford thinks university can be quite expensive, especially when you are very unsure about what it is exactly you want to study. She would rather go for an apprenticeship, because she feels as though there is more scope and it also offers the opportunity to excel into higher job roles. More importantly, Niki also emphasised her opinion on degrees, saying she feels as though employers look for initiative and experience rather than a degree itself. There’s always the option of going to university later once you know what exactly it is you wish to study further.

Academic Coach Sonia Millership also feels as though the increase in tuition fees has had an impact on the amount of students who decide to go on to university compared to those who might take a gap year. Sonia says there has been an increasing trend in the amount of students who have decided to take a gap year in 2013/14 because they want to fully decide if university really is what they want to do. Reasons for taking a gap year included wanting to earn money in order to finance themselves for university as well as using a gap year as an opportunity to reflect on whether university is really the right choice for them. However, some students take their gap year as an opportunity to do something useful such as fundraising for charity.

Sonia emphasised the point that students who go to university have firm reasons for doing so, such as the idea that the career they are interested in requires them to go on to university in order to gain specific qualifications. University is vital for students wanting to go into careers such as teaching and Medicine.

Meanwhile, in previous years, statistics show that the overall majority of students who leave college do go straight on to university. Although, a small minority do decide to go on to university after their gap year, because they have find the right career for them.

LAW TRIP TO ASTON UNIVERSITY

Posting by Law student Christopher Gray

The Law trip to Aston University was both an educational and informative one, as well as giving us a chance to improve team working skills.

On our first trip to Aston University we were given an introduction about Aston University itself. We were told about what University provided, with a variety of different courses, and were given more information about the university itself such as: student life, accommodation, groups students can join and finally what students should consider if they are going to apply to Aston University.

After this Introduction to Aston University we were briefed about the case study on contract law, which we would be answering questions about, and were given the option to take part in this activity. This was seen as both a challenge and a good reference for UCAS forms.  Following this we were given a tour of the university, by a student currently studying there; here we were shown the different areas such as the gym, fitness areas, library and various other resources and recreational activities.

Furthermore we were shown what student accommodation was like, in campus buildings, helping us to get a real feel for student life. Moreover we were given information about what type of activities students can do, and what students night life is like, helping us to get a real feel for the social side of university life and what it would be like moving away from home.

After this informative tour of the campus we were escorted back to a lecture room. Here, we were given information about how to contact the university with any questions and were given the new university prospectus, providing all the information about each of the courses. This is where we finished and we would return with our finished presentations.

During the month we had to prepare our answers, we were communicating in our groups to produce a collective presentation, which we would present to a panel of lecturers, we would be working independently on our question. Using a variety of resources such as the Brighlinks site, which allowed us to contact students from the university if we needed help, and used a variety of law books to help us find the relevant information relating to our questions. During this we each produced a presentation, with the facts of what we had found about each question, and were ready to present it to the panel when the time came. Activities such as these help to encourage team work and independent working, really helping us to get a feel to what it would be like to study a law degree at University.

Finally, the date arrived for us to present our presentations to the panel. Once we had met up with one another in reception, we were escorted to a lecture room. Once we were organised, we were welcomed back to Aston University, where we were given a description of what was happening for the afternoon, then it was time to present.

After a quick coin toss to decide who would go first, my group were the unfortunate few. We presented to the panel in a formal manner, explaining in-depth the different aspects of each question, evaluating and analysing each question, as well as applying it to the scenario. Being confident and informative, we presented the presentation in a fun and informative presentation. The panel of lecturers gave feedback on our findings and gave positive comments. This was also the case with the other group, who presented their presentation with lots of informative facts, and they were able to both add points and reinforce points. The main aim of the presentations was to see if we were able to work independently and in a team and this activity really showed this.

Finally we were given a presentation by a trainee solicitor, named Sally. Sally provided us with lots of information about the different courses which universities do and the best way to get into law and she talked about what would be beneficial if any student would like to study law or pursue it as a career. These included things such as work experience and activities such as the law presentation, and gave us a talk on the different aspects of law which we could do. Ending on this we were thanked by the panel of lecturers at Aston University for taking part in the presentation, which helped us to get a real insight of university life and what it would be like to study law at university level.

COLLEGE PHOTO SHOOT

Posting by Bev Bishop, Marketing Co-ordinator

A photo shoot! Doesn’t that sound glamorous? The College had a photo shoot on Wednesday 1 May, as a professional photographer came to College to take photos for the new College prospectus. So, did we all feel like Hollywood movie stars as a result? Well, as someone behind the scenes, probably not!

 

The reality of a photo shoot like this is that it’s quite hard work. We hope the resulting photos will look fantastic and make all that hard work worthwhile, but the organisation needed to get it done is very high.

The type of photo we were after for the prospectus were very “real”, authentic action photos, so we were not asking students to strike a pose, but instead act naturally and try to pretend the photographer was not there (easier said than done!). The photographer who undertook this work was called Tim and the College has worked with him before. He’s a very talented photographer and a master at making people feel at ease, which I think helped the students get on with something that actually feels quite unnatural.

We had more than 40 students volunteer to be in these photos. A big thanks goes to them for their wonderful, supportive attitude towards the College. We managed to involve them in such a way that they were each detained for just a short period of time (a maximum of 30 minutes each) and we did not impinge on their lesson time. That in itself is quite a difficult thing to organise, because every student has a different timetable and we needed to get photos in so many different locations around College in just one day. Our efforts were not helped by a fire alarm mid-morning, which put us slightly behind schedule for the rest of the day, but students were very understanding of this minor delay.

We visited the Refectory, Costa, Internet Café, Library and Learning Resource Centre, Art and Graphics studios, Biology and Chemistry labs, Modern Foreign Language multimedia labs, Dance Studio, Music recording studio, Fitness Suite and IT classrooms – all in one day! No wonder, we were exhausted at the end of the day.

We have not yet had the chance to go through the photos yet. Our Marketing Agency Box Clever Marketing – who we must thank for directing the photo shoot – will go through them all and pick out the best for use in the prospectus. All I have seen so far are a handful on the camera itself and what I’ve seen looks really good, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in print in September.

For now, I just have to again pass on my thanks to everyone who was involved (students and staff) and ask you to watch this space…

For now, here are some behind the scenes shots to keep you a flavour of the shoot.