News and events

In September, our Year 1 students visited Wimbleball Lake Exmoor, to take part in a range of activities including high ropes and canoeing.  

These types of adventurous activities are a pivotal part to all our courses, as they promote the development of confidence, teamwork and vocational skills e.g. working at heights. 

Students experienced a busy, but exhilarating day followed by a barbecue. This trip was a great opportunity for students to meet other students and staff across the whole provision. 

This past week we had over 30 different students engage with the Esports Academy with trials that we ran in 3 different games to determine which students would be involved with the British Esports Student Championships (BESC). Every student showed excellent professionalism and “good manners” to each other whilst competing for places with each student commenting on how much they enjoyed themselves and wanting to do it again!

On Tuesday we did our first set of try outs on Overwatch and had 12 students join in for 3 hours! Every single person played their very best and impressed with excellent displays of skill and high levels of communication. It was so difficult to make a final decision on the final team of 5 starters and 2 substitute players. In the end we decided to shortlist some candidates that we wanted to have another look at and give the other 4 players, who were unable to show up for the day, a fair chance to show off their skills. Roll on Thursday 29th for round 2!!

On Wednesday we had Valorant and an incredible 17 students showed up to try out! We split the students up into 3 teams as they all had two rounds against each other. Over the course of the 3 hours+ try out, the students gave us the opportunity to assess their skills, communication and teamwork. All of the students were impressive, and the games were highly entertaining, with our final game where we mixed the teams up for a second time being an extremely close match!

We had the difficult task again of choosing 5 starters and 3 substitutes and on Friday we announced our decisions after some considered assessments and consultation with each other. It wasn’t easy letting 9 students know that they hadn’t made it, but we anticipate that they will be back after the Winter split ends. The Valorant team has already spent 2 evenings training with each other and getting to know each other better, their passion and determination to improve and perform well in the BESC is inspiring to see.

Thursday was Rocket League day! We had another 7 students show up and try out for the team. The games were very exciting to watch with each player showing why they should be on the team. We spent a little over an hour and a half putting the students through their paces and eventually we managed to have a decision on the 5 students who would be representing us for the Winter split.

We are excited to see our Valorant and Rocket League teams in action this Wednesday within the BESC first round of the Swiss stage and we’re looking forward to the second round of trials for Overwatch on Thursday to determine the team that will be competing for us in our pursuit to get to Nationals in the spring, and hopefully the in person (LAN) Grand Finals at the British Esports Performance Center in June!

My name is Beth, and I completed the ILM Leadership and Management Diploma course through the partnership of Weston College and the University of the West of England (UWE).

I had been looking at courses to support progression, and decided a leadership/management course could help me achieve that, and gain the knowledge and confidence to begin applying for a management role. I researched many different courses and colleges, but finding an Instagram advert for Weston College was ultimately what led me to choose them.

Working with Weston College and UWE was ideal due to both being known for their wonderful teaching and facilities, plus studying at UWE was very convenient due to the close proximity to where I live. This partnership is so great, as it provides more accessibility to the course, as it is held across both sites, maximising the facilities and teaching that are available.

My favourite part of how the course is run was the mix of face-to-face and online. I really enjoyed the face-to-face lessons as it gave me the opportunity to meet other people, and for us to share and discuss elements of the topics being taught. On the other hand, some being held online made it easier to fit into work and life schedules.

My advice to someone considering the course is to do it! It's perfect if you’re aiming to build confidence and develop skills surrounding management, it will provide you with the tools, techniques and skills. You will need to carefully manage your time as there are lots of assignments, but the support you’ll receive from tutors is unmatched!

Completing this course allowed me to secure a senior role within my team, and given me the skills and knowledge to confidently run the project team. The course enabled me to approach tasks with more structure and organisation. I was also able to apply this logic to my assignments and personal life too, which has helped me out loads. My goal now is to step into a management role.

Overall, the support I received, particularly from my tutor, was second to none. I couldn’t have stepped into the senior role I’m in now without the confidence that completing this course gave me!

Beth, Senior Operations Administrator, Atomos

The course that Beth studied is part of the National Skills Fund, which provides learners aged 19+ an opportunity 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.

If you are interested in studying with Weston College and UWE, view the courses available, here!