Digital marketing agency "Purplex Marketing" have planted two new trees in support of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative, supported by Weston College Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE.

Working with clients across the UK and Europe, Purplex Marketing is a powerful full-service PR and digital marketing agency that specialises in construction, building products, home improvements and professional services. Founded by entrepreneur Andrew Scott in 2004, Purplex provide ongoing support with advertising, banding, web design and many more services to enhance the growth of businesses across their ever-expanding portfolio.

Operating under the Ascot Group umbrella, Purplex recently celebrated the opening of their brand new state-of-the-art office building in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, where the trees were planted. Weston College sustainability governor Ian Porter visited the modern facility, joined by Ascot Group Founder and CEO Andrew Scott, to mark the planting of two apple trees to mark the Jubilee which now proudly stand outside the main entrance.

Andrew added: "Purplex's focus is all about growth and helping businesses upscale with the help form our expert digital marketing services. I can think of nothing more fitting than to have these trees growing outside our new building as we too grow and expand! Sustainability is a key ethos throughout The Ascot Group and we are proud to support the Queen's Green Canopy".

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a national campaign that was created to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. With a focus on reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability, the initiative encourages people from across the country to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. Once planted, the trees are then uploaded to the official QGC website and interactive map for all to see. Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE, has pioneered the support of the QGC by encouraging staff students and local businesses to “do their bit” by planting a tree in a space available to them.

Dr Phillips continues: "‘I am delighted to see Purplex support this great campaign. The Purplex trees are in addition to the QGC trees planted as part of the College’s wider sustainability initiatives at each campus. with trees at Loxton Campus, South West Skills Campus, the Puxton Park Animal Management Education Centre, and at Uncle Paul’s Chill Charity at Butcombe Farm.

The campaign, along with many upcoming green initiatives, falls under Weston College's new Sustainability and Social Action Framework which will soon be launched to promote sustainable practices and projects across the college and the wider community.

Visit www.queensgreencanopy.org to see who’s already planted in your area and how to pin your tree to the interactive Jubilee map, as well as to find out more information to engage with wider sustainability in support of Her Majesty the Queen. The best tree planting season restarts in October for the end of the year.

Two guest chefs made an appearance this March to teach our Hospitality and Catering learners a range of exciting and innovative new cooking skills. Linking up with people from industry is an important factor in our Hospitality Career Excellence Hub.

First up was Prayag Rajpura, head chef of Lympsham Pavilion. Prayag’s lesson focussed on demonstrating the use of spices, seeds, and herbs to create high protein, intensely flavoured dishes. These meals were also either vegetarian or vegan, a key demographic in today’s hospitality industry, for example the chickpea curry which was served with chutneys and pickles.

From the business side of hospitality, Prayag also taught about sourcing ingredients, costing products and how to make smart business decisions as a chef to ensure good revenue and profits.

Prayag has helmed several restaurants in Weston, including vegan pop-up restaurants and local community café the Stable, which provided thousands of free school meals to households in Weston during the first Covid lockdown.

The second guest chef to make an appearance was Dave Newman, the Patron chef of the Ginger Pig Kitchen who made a sticky toffee pudding blended with ‘porkcorn.’ Dave was able to demonstrate cooking technology to the learners when using his Thermomix to make the pudding element of the dish.

This recipe used gluten free flours since Dave has his kitchen aim to produce foods for all dietary requirements, highlighting that more customers can be reached, and a restaurant can gain higher customer satisfaction by replacing allergens.

Dave garnished the pudding with a popped pork fat known as pork corn to add flavour. Speaking about pairing flavours, he went on to add a rich butter scotch sauce and salted caramel ice cream to add a modern twist.

Dave has broad experience producing a uniformed product which can cater to most diets, having previously led his own course of a Brit awards banquet!

A big thanks to both of these chefs for coming and speaking to our learners, the skills they gain from this will be excellent.

If you want to find out more about our Hospitality and Catering courses, click here: Hospitality and Catering | Weston College

On 31st March, employers from across the region attended South West Skills Campus, for our HGV Skills Bootcamp Employer Day.

The Government announced the Skills Bootcamp in October, and it is part of the Skills for Life initiative, with the aim of training 5,000 (new and returning) people to become HGV drivers.

The Bootcamp has proved popular, as it offers participants free, flexible courses that last up to 16 weeks, with those that successfully complete the course being guaranteed a job interview.

Eight employers attended the event, to meet people completing training to gain licences for Cat C, Cat CE and upskilling with ADR (Hazfreight).

Employers in attendance, included:

• Muller
• 24/7 Recruitment
• Bradfords Builders Merchant
• Plantforce
• C&D South West
• BCA
• Kings Heavy Haulage
• RT Keedwell

HGV Skills Bootcamp participants heard from each of the employers, who told those in attendance about the jobs available in their organisation; including local drops for building merchants, heavy haulage and long distance driving.

Louise Greene, Business Growth and Employer Partnerships Manager at Weston College, said: “The HGV Skills Bootcamps have proved to be a fantastic initiative, with so many people signing up to become drivers.

“The Employer Day has been a success. Our participants have been engaged, asking lots of questions, and leaving a great impression on the employers – one employer handed out 20 application forms!”

You can find out more about our driver training offer, by clicking here.

Leila Morne is an Advanced Autism Practitioner and Lecturer in Autism at Weston College. Leila plays a key role in Weston College’s Centre for Excellence in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and explains how the college is supporting students with autism to transition into higher education.

The number of university students with autism is increasing every year, but we know some autistic students find aspects of the university experience challenging.

Not only can this have a negative impact on individual students, their studies and their quality of life, but also on wider society and the contributions of this type of neurodiversity. The world needs different types of thinkers!

Our programme therefore aims to prepare them for a successful transition, as there is more support that is needed beyond the academic preparation needed to secure a place in higher education.

A smoother transition

Leaving home, family and all that is familiar and safe can be daunting for most young people. However, for individuals on the autism spectrum, university entrance may seem like an impossible dream or a predictable nightmare.

At Weston College, we acknowledge that excellence in academia will not automatically mean success at university for students with autism. They may not even feel confident enough to apply in the first place.

The difficulties associated with an autism diagnosis can mean that accepting a place at university is often a highly anxious journey into the unknown. An effective means of reducing anxiety and ensuring success is through experiential learning.

An autism specific ‘dual curriculum’ can help students to gain the necessary skills and understanding for meaningful participation in university life.

Immersive learning experiences

The college has developed and invested in a new initiative that focuses on preparing learners with autism to successfully progress into higher education (HE). We provide an immersive experience where students can live in a HE halls of residence, alongside HE learners, as a transitional year.

Students engage in exciting opportunities to gain relevant, age appropriate, real-life experiences which stretch and challenge them. They are encouraged to develop the independence, social and communication skills needed.

The programme is largely experiential with students learning new skills by ‘doing’ tasks rather than listening to someone telling them how to do a task. Some of these include:

• Independence training: shopping, cooking, washing, ironing and cleaning
• Money management
• Study skills: use of library; organisational skills; VLE
• Digital technology: accessibility, chat bots and apps
• Social skills training: range of activities in the local and surrounding areas
• Visits to universities and cities
• Application process and UCAS
• Student finance application
• DSA/University disability teams
• Keeping safe socially, personally, and online
• Using public transport
• Driving lessons
• Employability training for part time / temp jobs whilst at university
• Individualised programmes

We make sure that programmes are tailored to the individual student’s needs - many involve new experiences and unfamiliar environments. Ensuring our staff have access to high quality training and SEND practices is so important in order to deliver tailored support programmes for our students. We support and provide staff with opportunities to gain relevant qualifications ranging from Level 2 to Masters Level. All Specialist Practitioners hold a relevant degree in their chosen specialism.

In most cases, these experiences are supported by young people trained as peer mentors by highly qualified Specialist Autism Practitioners. These experiences can include a range of different things from going out in the evening to pubs or clubs, joining sports’ clubs or gyms and accessing local community facilities. Students who find it challenging to cope with the social aspects of university life, are facilitated in doing so.

It is so important that these skills are taught to ensure successful transition to university, future employment and that individual aspirations are achieved. As I’ve seen for myself from our students, the results can be absolutely life changing!

A new tree now proudly stands outside the Animal Management Education Centre at North Somerset's popular tourist attraction: Puxton Park in support of the Queen's Green Canopy (QGP).

Sustainability Governor Ian Porter met with Puxton Park Managing Director Alistair Mead to mark the planting of the new apple tree. They were also joined by Animal Management learners and staff (as well as a few furry residents!) 

As well as being a popular tourist attraction, Puxton Park is where both Weston College and University Centre Weston Animal Management learners undertake their studies. Opening in 2019, The Animal Management Education Centre allows learners to get real experience in a public facing environment, working with a huge range of animals. 

Puxton Park is one of the College’s many business partners that Dr Paul Phillips CBE has been encouraging to take part in the national campaign to support the The QGC. This is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.

This tree is the latest of many with the first at the College’s South West Skills Campus on Locking Road, Weston-super-Mare, closely followed by two more trees at Loxton Campus as well as Uncle Paul’s Chilli Charity at Butcombe Farm. 

The College’s support in this campaign to celebrate the Jubilee, is very much led by the Principal Dr Paul Phillips CBE who added "this is just one of many of the College’s green initiatives which ties in to our wider sustainability and social action framework. It is great to see Puxton Park support the Queen’s Green Canopy and I am looking forward to seeing others in the area pin their trees to the map!"

Visit www.queensgreencanopy.org to see who’s already planted in your area and how to pin your tree to the interactive Jubilee map, as well as to find out more information to engage with wider sustainability in support of Her Majesty the Queen. The best tree planting season is till the end of March, and restarts in October for the end of the year.  

A new Employment Centre to give hundreds of jobseekers better access to employment skills and training programmes, has opened opposite College’s Knightstone Campus in central Weston.

The new site - Weston Employment Centre - has been delivered in collaboration with Weston College, and Seetec Pluss who are delivering the government’s Restart scheme to help long-term unemployed people to find new opportunities.

The Restart Scheme is helping people who have been out of work for nine months or longer to pick up the skills they need for the modern workforce and helping them with tailored support to find suitable, sustainable jobs.

John Penrose MP marked the launch of Weston Employment Centre in an official opening attended by guests and stakeholders.

Alongside John Penrose, they were shown around the new state-of-the-art Centre to discover more about its unique partnership and talked to some the participants already benefitting its employment support.

Drew Smith, Restart Scheme Operations Director commented: “Our Restart Scheme team in Weston is currently supporting 400 individuals on their journey back into employment which is really fantastic. Even better than that, we’re working with the College to develop bespoke courses specifically for our participants.”

He continued, “The South West is predominantly one of the lowest paid areas in the country and we feel that the skills side of things is a real opportunity for us to change some of that.”

A Seetec Pluss participant on the Restart Scheme, who is also benefitting from the collaboration with Weston College, attended the opening to share her story of how she was plummeted into unemployment as a result of the pandemic. 41-year-old Jenny from Milton shared, “I’ve been unemployed for around 18 months now. I had a good job in Project Co-ordination, and I was by all means like everybody else.

“Like many people during the pandemic, I lost my job as a result of childcare problems and the financial impact of that was massive and caused me to sell a lot of my things to keep my family going. As time went on, I was increasingly isolated, and it bedded a sense of hopelessness that destroys your hope for the future.

“Seetec Pluss were a breath of fresh air; they were so welcoming, friendly and they really understood me. One of the most significant things they were able to do for me was provide me with a laptop which allowed me to reconnect with employment opportunities and create a professional job application.

“They also encouraged me to enrol with Weston College,” she continued, “so I’m now doing a Leadership and Management course to upskill and hopefully find even better employment than I was in before.

“I’m truly grateful; thank you isn’t a word that even begins to explain how grateful I am for what they’ve been able to do for me.”

Jo Watson, Weston College Group Deputy Principal said: “Seetec Pluss is a leading provider of work and wellbeing services that inspires thousands of people to find and progress in work each year, so for us this is a perfect partner, as they align with the College’s mission to create brighter futures. I would really encourage anyone who has found themselves out of work, to come and visit the new Weston Employment Centre, where I have seen first-hand how it can help individuals boost their confidence, learn and develop skills and get people back into work.”

John Penrose MP added: “The whole reason why Seetec Pluss is here and why this partnership is so important is not just because we’re coming out of a pandemic, it’s because we’d still always want organisations like this in partnership with local colleges doing what is happening here.

“It’s absolutely essential for people’s self-respect, for our overall economy, but also for the success and long-term sustainability of a community like Weston-super-Mare, that we take people who through no fault of their own just got a bit far away from the employment market and need a couple of very practical things done with them in order to get that back. The people of Weston [super-Mare] are showing the way to the rest of the country about how it could be done and how it should be done.”

Seetec Pluss supports over 40,000 people every year with a wide range of barriers, disabilities and health conditions to move towards and into work. To find out more, visit Work, Wellbeing & Employment Services - Seetec Pluss

Thanks to industry connections, Ethan Shi (lecturer in A Level Media) invited Kenny Tran and Nour Abida to visit the first year Sixth Form class at Loxton Campus and give some valuable advice straight form their experiences in the world of work.

Kenny is currently a Director & Producer at national shopping channel QVC where he is in charge of the production team as well as managing budgets, freelancers and post-production ready for live TV output.

Freelancing for 3 years after graduating from University, Nour joined the BBC as an assistant producer before their permanent role as BBC World Service Journalist/Producer, producing a live radio programme.

The two special guests shared their past projects, gave insight into their portfolio of works, and spoke to the class about their experiences working in several roles in the creative industries.

The session enabled students to acknowledge functional skills gained whilst doing A Level Media such as learning pre-production scriptwriting, post-production editing and different directions needed for future industry placements, employment, or further study. The speakers emphasised the importance of grabbing every opportunity or production roles and learning to work your way up from the bottom. 

Learners were also tasked with pitching their unique ideas on emerging digital platforms. They then worked in groups to go out there to produce innovative content.

Guest lecture sessions such as these are examples of one of the many career-boosting benefits as part of the Sixth Form Career Excellence Hub. These innovative subject specific hubs allow for students at Weston College to have access to exclusive opportunities. Endorsed by employers from within the industry, this enables for better integration with the sector to make sure class content is relative and opens doors for learners, so they leave college with more than just a qualification. 

Ethan added: "Overall the interactive session raised their confidence and their ability to adapt to new challenges by sharing their strengths and weakness with each other. The students really valued the functioning skills needed for key industry practice and gained a lot from the session which could benefit their upcoming coursework component."

Many thanks to Kenny and Nour for sharing your knowledge and experiences to bring learning to life!

Click here to:

• Learn more about the Media A Level course
• Discover our Sixth Form and the 20+ A Levels available
• Read more about Career Excellence Hubs 

Student Welfare and Pastoral Support Services Manager, Mandy Lee, has won the Outstanding Contribution to Student Services award at the 2022 National Association for Managers of Student Services (NAMSS) Awards!  

Mandy joined Weston College in 2003 as an administrator for students at risk. In 2004 she became a welfare officer and remained the only welfare officer at the College until 2011. For a significant period, Mandy single-handedly played a significant role in the vital support required and then led the step-change required to build the Welfare Team and take the service to what it is in 2022.  

Mandy now leads a service that has over 20 staff, from welfare officers, counsellors, chaplain and wellbeing specialists across three large campuses. Mandy has made the service distinct in its approach in that it offers personalised inclusive support packages under its highly visible brand “Welfare: Here For You” designed to ensure the service is accessible, approachable and aspirational.  

Additionally, she was one of the key catalysts behind ‘Wellbeing@Weston’, a whole college approach that has seen wellbeing packages delivered in the curriculum and whole college theme weeks, as well as a whole term focused on ‘You Matter’. 

The service won the silver award at the Pearson Teaching awards 2018 for FE Team of the Year and is recognised by Ofsted as an example of best practice 

After being shortlisted, Mandy attended the NAMSS conference in Liverpool with Assistant Principal Ben Knocks where the awards were announced. 

Ben added: “Mandy leads her team by example and has made the service integral in supporting the College to achieve its vision of ‘Creating Brighter Futures’.” 

“The work that Mandy does on a one-to-one basis with both our students and her role as a staff mentor is second to none. Mandy is often seen in her office late into the evening supporting our students, and still makes time to support alumni.” 

To further recognise her outstanding commitment, Mandy was presented with a bottle of champagne from Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group. Dr Paul Philips CBE. Dr Paul commented: 

“To Mandy it is more than a job, it is about supporting and transforming lives. From everyone at Weston College, thank-you Mandy for the exceptional impact you continue to have on the lives of our learners. A well-deserved recognition of outstanding commitment!” 

Congratulations to Mandy, a well-deserved recognition for countless hours spent supporting young people over the last 17 years. 

Weston College are continuing to promote sustainability by supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy as two more trees are planted at Loxton Campus.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a national campaign that was created to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. With a focus on reducing carbon footprints and promoting sustainability, the initiative encourages people from across the country to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. Once planted, the trees are then uploaded to the official QGC website and interactive map for all to see.

Principal and Chief Executive Dr Paul Phillips CBE, has pioneered the support of the QGC by encouraging staff students and local businesses to “do their bit” by planting a tree in a space available to them.

As a result, two apple trees were planted on 24th March at the College’s Loxton Campus. Situated near Weston General Hospital, Loxton Campus is home to the College’s Sixth Form for A Levels, the bespoke Creative Arts department and start-of-the-art facilities for Sport and Health at the Health and Active Living Skills Centre.

Learners in Music, Media, Photography and Art joined Dr Paul Phillips and representatives from the College’s governing body, which included Chair of Governors Andrew Leighton-Price who placed the final soil over the freshly planted trees.

These trees mark just some of the trees planted as part of the College’s wider sustainability initiatives at each campus. with trees at South West Skills Campus and at Uncle Paul’s Chill Charity at Butcombe Farm as well as countless more planted by members of staff in their own gardens.

Dr Paul commented: “We’re putting North Somerset on the map! And I am delighted to continue supporting superb initiatives such as the Queen’s Green Canopy as part of our new sustainability framework. Seeing our learners enthused and engaged with sustainability gives me lots of hope as we strive to create brighter and greener futures.” Weston College is currently running a student and staff competition to encourage tree planting in support of this unique community initiative. Prizes of £100/£50 Amazon vouchers are on offer for first and second prizes for the best picture of people with their trees.

The campaign, along with many upcoming green initiatives, falls under Weston College's new Sustainability and Social Action Framework which will soon be launched to promote sustainable practices and projects across the college and the wider community. Visit www.queensgreencanopy.org to see who’s already planted in your area and how to pin your tree to the interactive Jubilee map, as well as to find out more information to engage with wider sustainability in support of Her Majesty the Queen. The best tree planting season is till the end of March, and restarts in October for the end of the year.