Creating brighter futures

With the Christmas holiday here, we have put together a handbook full of tips and advice, for managing your wellbeing. 

Please stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

You can read the Welfare blog, by clicking here.

Level 3 Uniformed Protective Service students braved the wintery conditions of the Bristol Estuary this December for an unforgettable day of coasteering. This adrenaline-fueled activity saw students swimming to cliffs, scaling rugged rock faces, and leaping into the icy waters below—all in the name of teamwork, resilience, and personal growth. 

The activity, which challenges participants both physically and mentally, is a key part of the Protective Service curriculum. It calls for determination and collaboration—qualities essential for success in uniformed service careers. Despite the cold, the students demonstrated exceptional courage and camaraderie, making the most of this thrilling experience. 

David Usher, Protective Service Lecturer, reflected on the day: “It was a fantastic day, topped off with a McDonald’s stop on the way back!” 

Weston College’s Protective Service provision equips students with the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to thrive in careers such as the police, fire service, armed forces, and more. Through dynamic activities like coasteering, students learn to overcome challenges and push their limits. 

This trip forms part of the Protective Services Careers Excellence Hub. The College has fourteen sector-specific Career Excellence Hubs, which evidence our dedication to supporting both employers and learners in achieving their future goals. By creating a seamless connection between industry and education, we enable learners to acquire not only the essential skills and knowledge but also the professional networks necessary to excel in their chosen fields.  

Want to join the adventure? Explore Weston College’s Protective Service courses and take the first step towards an exciting future. 

If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College here. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career. 

Tyntesfield National Trust has been brought to life this festive season with a stunning collaborative display that celebrates history, community, and creativity. The ‘Christmas Past’ display includes nine unique Christmas trees designed and crafted by our Level 3 Art and Fashion learners as part of the "Re-imagining Christmas" project. This initiative is a multidisciplinary effort showcasing the talents of artists and communities across North Somerset, supported by the National Trust and Super Culture. 

The ‘Christmas Past’ display at Tyntesfield reflects the estate’s historical richness, blending modern artistic interpretations with the stories of the Gibbs family and the estate’s beautiful gardens. Over 250 participants, many visiting Tyntesfield for the first time, have contributed to this creative display, making it a true community effort. 

Our students embraced the challenge, drawing inspiration from their visit to the estate where they explored the house and gardens, soaking in the intricate details of objects, artifacts, and landscapes. Once they were back in the studio, they worked collaboratively in groups to translate their inspiration into a forest of imaginative trees. Each tree reflects the estate’s natural beauty and Victorian heritage, while also addressing deeper themes of Christmas like celebration and solitude. 

Sustainability also played a key role in the project with the students using reclaimed materials to construct their trees, decorating them with thoughtful details like paper ornaments, embroidery, collages, spray-painted accents, and fake snow. This eco-conscious approach not only highlights the importance of reducing waste during the festive season but also adds a unique handcrafted charm to the display. 

This project was supported by the National Trust and Super Culture, with the students' work being part of a bigger body of artwork created by diverse community groups from Weston, including Alliance Homes, Weston Adults Affected by Addiction, Children of Weston Southward, and Friends of Grove Park. This project was also put in motion and assisted by one of our Art and Design lecturers, Ronnie Houselander-Cook, who assisted the learners with every step of this project and made it all possible.

This year’s Christmas display at Tyntesfield celebrates creativity, sustainability, and collaboration, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a thoughtfully reimagined holiday experience. The students’ trees represent community and bring history and tradition into a modern, meaningful context. 

Thank you to Tyntesfield National Trust and Super Culture for making this event possible and giving our learners a chance, but also well done to our learners for taking this project in stride and creating a Christmas display to be proud of. 

If you are interested in applying to one of our Art and Fashion courses next September, click here.