LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES
There is always so much going on across our various campuses and courses.
Stay up to date on our latest news here or check us out across social media.
Weston College is investing in its Education and Early Years provision due to the sector demand - it’s estimated that in 2020 over 143,000 under twos and 1,271,500 three to four-years olds benefitted from funded early education*, and this figure is set to grow.
Our brand new £600k Education and Early Years facility at the Knightstone Campus will be open this September to meet the growing demand from employers both locally and regionally to train potential staff to join the industry and develop existing employees.
This brand-new facility will include a:
- Community Room – to allow us to host stay and play and other community sessions.
- Child and Healthcare Room – a multi-functional space for food prep and mid-session naps.
- Primary School Room – an engaging environment full of multi-curricular activities.
- Creative and Exploratory Atelier – a non-traditional learning environment to host messy-play, science activities and more.
- Observation room – includes one-way mirrors so learners do not influence a child’s play.
Sandra Bull, Dean of the Faculty said: “It’s really important for us that all learners get real-life experience to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to get ahead in the modern jobs market. We work with a number of early education employers to ensure not only the course content includes insights of industry leaders, but also that the new facilities will be industry standard.”
The new facilities will be matched with an exciting portfolio of study programmes, for school leavers there will be college-based courses, apprenticeships plus the new flagship T Level – the gold-standard in qualifications where learners can follow a college-based programme and gain sector experience through an industry placement. Plus, a range of options for adults for those who would like to upskill or re-train as an early years practitioner or teaching assistant.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive, Weston College added: “To complement these exciting developments, we have launched an innovative ten-point Education and Early Years Career Excellence Hub Charter ensuring that the area is committed to aligning its curriculum to the needs of employers. This new facility is just one element of a College-wide initiative to ensure we are making aspirational careers a reality for all our learners regardless of their starting point in life.”
The build is co-funded by T Level Capital funding, awarded by the Department for Education.
Keep an eye on our social media for updates on the build as it progresses over the summer. There is still time to apply to join us this September:
- Courses for school leavers
- Courses for adults
*Source: December 2020.
All photos shown on the right are for illustration purposes, actual build may vary.
In 2019 the Independent reported that more than half of young people now go onto university. Do you feel like you have missed your chance - maybe you didn't get the necessary grades first time around, or maybe you feel it's too late? You can still go to university, at any age, by studying an Access to HE course.
What is an Access to Higher Education (HE) course?
It is a part-time course for adults to get the skills and qualifications to apply for university. Whether you are interested in health and social care, animal science, business, medical or social sciences, nursing and midwifery, policing and criminology, art and design we have a course for you.
It's never too late to go to university!
A degree can improve your employability and teach you a variety of skills that employers are looking for, such as analysis, research, managing time and budgets, networking and writing and communication skills. Having a degree also means you're more likely to get a higher-paid job.
If you are concerned about adding to loans and debt, don’t!
Student Finance England will ‘write off’ the loan you take to pay for an Access to HE course, provided you go on to successfully complete a university-level qualification. Plus, if you are looking at the getting a nursing qualification you can apply for a £5,000 a year maintenance grant/bursary.
Meet some of our students …
Cheyenne, battled numerous health problems and had a bitter experience at school, however since studying with us she has earnt a place studying a sociology degree at the University of the West of England.
“I can’t thank Weston College enough, I have exceeded everyone expectations including my own.
If the school system has failed you, don’t give up”
James returned to Collegeto get UCAS points and to get back into the academic writing, so he could complete the Operating Theatre Practitioners degree at the University of Gloucester to become a registered practitioner.
"At the age of 30 I found going back to college daunting and overwhelming
but the tutors put you at ease"
Charlotte praised the College for helping turn her life around. As a teenager, the combination of an unstable home life and poor attendance at school meant her education prospects looked bleak. Aged 15, Charlotte also gave birth to her son, Lee. But despite these obstacles, Charlotte was able to turn her life around with a level 3 health and social care course, an Access to HE course and progressed to the UWE Bristol, in the hope of becoming an FE teacher (after being inspired by the teaching and support she received at the College).
“The support from Weston College was tremendous,
they acknowledged and support you through everything”
William fulfilled his childhood dream and went onto serve nine years as a Royal Marines Commando after finishing school. Upon leaving the Marines, he became a Scuba Diving Instructor, despite this idyllic lifestyle, he had a deep-seated hunger to achieve a life-long goal to study law! William had no formal qualifications outside of the military, and therefore, to embark on this journey of academia he had to start from the very beginning; he had to sit my GCSE exams! William is now studying Law at the University of Bristol, and upon completion he intends to progress onto the postgraduate Bar Training Course in order to qualify as a barrister.
“If you have been considering retraining - do it!”
There is still time to apply now to start this September - don't delay! Read the above student stories in full and discover your perfect course here >>
Since April 2021, people aged 19+ have been able to access a number of Level 3 courses completely free of charge. Provided they live in the South West of England and do not already hold a Level 3 qualification, all associated examination fees have been removed for the students studying select evening classes.
This is due to the Prime Minister’s announcement that, as part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, £95 million of funding would be made available through the National Skills Fund from April 2021 to enable learners (aged 19+) to access their first full Level 3 qualification (equivalent to an A Level) for free. This fund provides access to qualifications that will help support people back into work, following the pandemic that has gripped our lives for the last 14 months.
We have also made our courses accessible to those outside of Weston by offering the option to study in Bristol at University of the West of England’s (UWE) Frenchay Campus.
FAQs, top-tips and more for school leavers 
Make sure you're following us over on Instagram (@westoncollege) to see all the great content from Meg, Georgia and Anna, as the School Liaison Team take over the official college account.
This comes just in time ahead of results week and the subsequent GCSE Guidance Surgeries where Year 11s can access support and guidance about their results. Click here to learn more about the surgeries.
Weston College has successfully managed to attract 323 apprenticeship opportunities in just 80 days!
With unemployment levels rising following the pandemic and youth unemployment rising by 13% in the last year, this campaign is seeking to create brighter futures for young people, adults, businesses, and the wider community, to help us build back better.
The campaign is proving popular, with employers across sectors, and all of all sizes, pledging their support to attract talent through apprenticeships.
Among the businesses that have pledged are Aardman Animation, Coombe Lodge, One Big Circle, Wessex Water, Cooke and Co Estate Agents, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, and Gas Safe.
Caroline Brittain, at Bosscut Barbers, who have hired an apprentice through the campaign, said: “The support we have received so far from the College has been second to none. We look forward to developing our apprentice and hopefully many more apprentices in the future.”
Jennifer Drew, Manager, at Ridgeway House, agreed, saying: “The whole apprenticeship process has been really easy, and our new apprentice has brought fresh ideas and energy to the team which has been really important in our business.”
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College, added: “I am delighted that we are bucking the national trend, and delivering apprenticeships that are impacting both learners and employers – something vital in the current climate.
“To hit 300 apprenticeships with 20 days to spare is incredible, so I’d like to thank our local business community who have got behind the campaign and pledged to support our community, by offering residents the opportunity to retrain, upskill or get their first taste of employment.
“Now is an even better time for organisations to pledge than usual too, with the government offering incentives of up to £4,000 per apprentice that employers decide to hire.”
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris, who leads the Combined Authority, said: “This is fantastic news for local people who are considering an apprenticeship.
"Congratulations to the team at Weston college for securing such excellent opportunities with some of the West of England's top businesses.
"I'm proud that the West of England Combined Authority which I lead works closely with Weston College, funding projects to develop training improve career opportunities. The construction and healthcare apprentices I met recently at the college were all bright and enthusiastic so it is wonderful to hear about the opportunities for the next group of people ready to gain new skills."
There is still time to get involved with the campaign, you can do so, here.
I moved to England at the start of 2020, having previously studied in Ireland, and wanted to start a career in industry, but wasn’t sure which route I wanted to take.
When I first arrived in England I knew I wanted to become an apprentice, but I wasn’t sure which industry I wanted to enter – I just knew that the more practical approach would suit me.
I was recommended to try out a Traineeship, as it gives you the opportunity to develop key skills, but also to test out which industry might suit me best.
I have to say that I was really impressed with the whole programme. I learnt so many different skills which have been so beneficial, such as: Microsoft Office, presentation skills, interview techniques, how to write job applications, communication skills, teamwork, I could go on!
I wasn’t just learning skills either, it was also really fun. The tutors are great to be around, they are so friendly, fun and helpful, that nothing seemed too much for them. I can honestly say, that I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.
My Traineeship also opened my eyes to a new industry, accounting. I have since started an apprenticeship in accounting, and now work 40 hours a week – so I have been able to achieve my aim and reach my goals, thanks to the Traineeship.
If you’re reading this and you’re not quite sure what to do next, then I highly recommend a Traineeship. It has allowed me to achieve so much in a short time, and it has also set me up on a new path that I hadn’t considered, but one I am enjoying. Traineeships are a great place to go.
I can promise you that if you’re not sure what you want to do, then studying a Traineeship will be a great experience and you will be so happy that you did it.
Kieran Sandrone
For this academic year, results can be accessed on:
10th August (Level 3 results day): A-Levels/AS-Levels, BTEC Nationals and Cambridge Technical
12th August (Level 1/2 result day): GCSEs, Technical Awards and First Diplomas
All results will be available from 9am on the morning of results day (as listed above) via your eILP. A copy of your printed results will also be sent out to your address within a week of results day. Please check your access to eILP prior to results day
Weston College are excited to launch a new range of courses for adults. Following requests from the community the College have developed a timetable of classes, which traditionally have only been available during the week.
There are lots of new courses available covering a range of subjects such as Counselling, English, Maths, Engineering, Welding, Electrical, Machining, Automotive, Plastering, Plumbing, Carpentry and more! These courses are designed to help people retrain to find jobs in more buoyant industries.
We’re hosting them on Saturdays to enable access to adults who struggle to study on a weekday due to prior commitments; all classes are based at South West Skills Campus and designed for adults to reconnect with learning, and benefit from a vibrant College campus experience with the potential of new friendships and access to welfare and learning support onsite to help them achieve their qualifications.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College said, “Weston College is delighted to be able to extend our adult offer to incorporate Saturday courses. The delivery of these programmes is particularly innovative and they have been designed to support adults to enter a new career on progress in their existing one whilst fitting it in around their busy lives.”
To see the full list of courses please visit weston.ac.uk/upskill-weston.
As lead partner of the West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) Weston College has created a WEIoT base in north Bristol’s aerospace and advanced engineering heartland through partnership working with GKN Aerospace.
The College will be opening its own Bristol WEIoT facility for delivery of Higher Education Engineering, within GKN Aerospace’s new flagship Global Technology Centre (GTC), located within the aerospace cluster that includes Rolls Royce, GKN Aerospace and Airbus north Bristol Filton sites.
Working in partnership with GKN Aerospace, the College will start teaching from the world-class Global Technology Centre from September 2021 providing an exciting and inspirational learning environment. Students will be immersed in the cutting-edge research facility and benefit from seeing modern engineering methods in operation in the same building.
The new teaching facility for Weston College will include a modular building that houses the majority of the teaching, together with use of additional training facilities, an auditorium and an Innovation Workshop.
Initially the provision will focus on second year Higher Education Engineering students, but Weston College aims to expand its provision responding to the opportunities that will emerge as a result of the College having this new Bristol location.
Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, Dr Paul Phillips CBE commented: “Our strategic partnership with GKN Aerospace at the GTC provides an exceptional industry-led environment where cutting-edge technologies and manufacturing techniques are being trialled and tested for industry application, which will provide a unique environment for our staff and learners, enabling the College to embed learners and staff in the latest digital and technological industry developments in the advanced engineering and manufacturing sectors.”
Dr Paul Phillips CBE continues: “Weston College’s location within the GTC means that we will be delivering learning programmes alongside world class industrial research and innovation partners also based in the GTC for the aerospace advanced manufacturing and engineering sector, cementing Weston College’s position as a leader and innovator in technical education and skills.”
Find out more about the WEIoT, here.
Marketing and Communications
The marketing department is responsible for promoting Weston College to the public, by promoting the Colleges courses, achievements and events.
Our aims are to attract learners to study within the Weston College Group, build and grow the College’s brand and highlight its reputation, and promote the College Group’s success, student progression and outstanding support for our learners.
The marketing department manages the College’s websites and official social media accounts, runs advertising campaigns, creates press releases, and manages many of the College Group’s events, such as Graduation, the Celebration of Success and the Business Awards.
We produce a wide range of publications including our full-time, Higher Education and part-time prospectuses, course leaflets and posters, and other documents such as the College’s annual report, magazines and newsletters, course brochures and the student handbook.
Weston College is committed to providing accurate and timely information for local, regional and national media, and the general public.
The marketing team is available between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays. You can get in touch with us by emailing marketing@weston.ac.uk.
All of our press releases are uploaded to the news section of our websites. News from the academies we sponsor, including the North Somerset Enterprise and Technology College, can be found on the news section of the Inspirational Futures Trust’s website. News pertaining to our Higher Education Provision can be found on www.ucw.ac.uk.
The marketing department produces most imagery and film in house, and keeps an extensive archive of the photographs it takes. If you would like a copy of an image featuring you or a member of your family, please contact us at photography@weston.ac.uk.
Our photos of graduation and many other events can be found on the College’s Facebook page. High quality images can be found on the College’s Flickr account.
Weston College is able to accommodate many requests to provide locations for film and photography. The College has a range of attractive, modern and adaptable facilities which can be viewed on our youtube channel.
We also are able to provide heritage facilities such as the Victorian Hans Price designed Conference Centre and, from September 2017, the 1927 Winter Gardens Pavilion.
For booking details, contact marketing@weston.ac.uk.
For enquiries about sponsoring key events such as Celebration of Success, Business Breakfast, Business Awards and Graduation, please contact the marketing team by email at marketing@weston.ac.uk.
