For over 30 years, Paul French has been an integral part of the Weston College community, contributing his passion, expertise, and unwavering dedication to the success of both students and colleagues alike. We wanted to take a moment to reflect on his remarkable journey and the invaluable impact he has made.

Career journey: Paul's journey at Weston College began as a Photography and Print Technician, but his versatility has seen him transition into his current role as a Creative Arts Lecturer and Personal Tutor, embracing the diverse opportunities the College has offered him over the years.

Dedication and love for the job: What has kept Paul rooted at Weston College for so long? Paul tells us he thrives on the immense diversity of his role, the camaraderie with his colleagues, and the sheer inspiration drawn from the students who continually surprise and delight him. Despite the challenges, Paul finds every day to be a new adventure, never lacking in excitement.

Paul’s memorable moments: From daring abseiling stunts to unforgettable classroom antics, Paul's journey has been filled with memorable experiences. However, he told us his greatest source of pride lies in witnessing the success of Weston College's learners as they embark on their own journeys to greatness.

The culture: Paul describes Weston College as a place where a community is built on a shared belief in the success and well-being of others. Having experienced the College as a student himself, Paul is deeply influenced by the supportive culture that encourages both personal and professional growth.

A student-centric approach: At the heart of Paul's enjoyment lies the students, who are the driving force behind everything Weston College does. Their presence infuses purpose and meaning into Paul's work, making each day a rewarding experience filled with valuable lessons. 

What sets Weston College apart: For Paul it’s beyond its scenic coastal location, Weston College stands out for its culture of collaboration and support among staff members. Paul highlights the willingness of colleagues to go above and beyond to ensure student success, fostering an environment of continuous growth and development.

Paul’s words of wisdom: Reflecting on his journey, Paul offers invaluable advice to any new staff considering joining the College: expect the unexpected, embrace lifelong learning, maintain a sense of humour and patience, seek support during challenging times, and above all, approach teaching with the utmost care and dedication.

As we celebrate Paul's long-term service at Weston College, we extend our deepest gratitude for his unwavering commitment to excellence, his passion for education, and his profound impact on the lives of students and colleagues alike. Here's to many more years of inspiration and success Paul!

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.

As part of ‘Love our Colleges Week’, Weston College as the lead partner for the West of England Institute of Technology, showcased its state-of-the-art ‘Networking and Cyber’ Lab on Friday, allowing learners to practice networking, and to finesse their skills within cloud computing and virtualisation. The impressive hands-on digital facility, is based within the College’s University Centre Weston campus, (which was awarded TEF Gold status in 2023, placing it within the top 20% of degree provision in the UK - one of only six colleges nationally to achieve the status).

In line with industry, the Lab is Cyber Essentials Plus accredited, with its own independent line which has created an isolated network environment. Twenty four learners work within the Lab at any one time, and the development of this industry led space has enabled a highly immersive Networking and Cyber pathway for the College’s hugely successful Digital and Technology Solutions (DaTS) degree apprenticeship programme.

Employer partners who utilise the DaTS apprenticeship to boost their workforce pipelines include Airbus, the Ministry of Defence, MBDA, Babcock, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, EDF Energy, Synoptix, L3Harris, National Grid, and QinetiQ. The WEIoT will also be partnering with Boeing to deliver their future DaTS programmes - a solution to their workforce development requirements, ultimately boosting the pipeline of people working in science and technology jobs.

Seeing the Networking and Cyber’ Lab for the first time was Weston’s MP John Penrose, who added "It’s great to see how Weston College and its University Centre have developed such an impressive technology and digital facility, using Government funding from the West of England Institute of Technology. It’s the latest example of Weston College improving local skills so employers want to set up shop here, and students have a great choice of high-skill, high-paying careers too". 

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.

On Thursday 29th February, Weston College celebrated the incredible achievements of over 40 students at its annual Celebration of Success event. The event hosted at the Winter Gardens Pavilion, recognised the dedication and outstanding achievements of students from all ages and disciplines. 

The students were nominated by college staff and winners were selected by the College's Principal and Assistant Principals.  

Weston College teaches over 30,000 students a year across all levels from school leavers and a diverse range of courses for adults to re-train and upskill. 

As part of the evening, guests were treated to a delicious 3 course meal, made by the College’s Hospitality and Catering students as well as performances from University Centre Weston’s (UCW) BA (Hons) Musical Theatre students. 

With the prestigious ceremony underway, one-by-one, the winning students were announced and took to the stage with a resounding applause from family, friends, and special guests. They were presented with their award by Chair of Governors, Andrew Leighton-Price. 

With thanks to our sponsors Honeyfield Property Services, DPL Partnership, CJ Hole, Mindful Education, Pace Agency, Image Sign, Skylight Property and Uncle Paul’s Chilli Farm. 

As the main event sponsor Honeyfield Property Services’ Director, Jon Patch presented certificates to our Principal Gold Award Winners for Under 19 and Adult Student of the Year, to Baylee Burrows and Bosang Humphrey. 

Access to HE Student of the Year and Adult Student of the Year, Bosang Humphrey commented: 

"Winning this award is like a motivation, life is full of challenges and when you put in that effort and your effort is recognised, that's like a stepping stone and you realise yes I can do this. Just think about if somebody else can do it, then I can also do it. When you change one life, many lives are changed as a result, so I really appreciate this award” 

The evening continued with several awards to recognise the teams of Business learners that took part in the Weston Hospicecare Business Enterprise Challenge.  

This challenge saw local business mentors advising and investing in the young entrepreneurs to set up their own business ventures and to generate profits that were donated to Weston Hospicecare. The College presented Weston Hospicecare with a cheque for an amazing £ 6771.75, all of which was raised by the learners during this incredible challenge. 

As well as recognising students, six members of staff also picked up an award for their exceptional service through the Tony Suner and Heather Wood Memorial Awards. The recipients of these awards have collectively dedicated over 180 years of service to the College, embodying the spirit of commitment and making a lasting difference to the students and their colleagues that they have helped along the way. 

Weston College’s Interim Principal, Jacqui Ford commented:  

“Tonight, we gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our learners and the invaluable support they have received along their journey. Out of a cohort of 30,000 learners, reaching this stage is truly an impressive accomplishment.  

“The exceptional talent of our governors and staff, combined with the outstanding abilities of our learners, collectively radiates brilliance. Personally, witnessing the remarkable skills of both learners and staff fills me with immense pride, not only for their individual successes but also for the dynamic spirit of entrepreneurship embodied by every member across our organisation." 

A massive congratulations to all our winners! Take a look at our 2024 winners here 

A Levels Student of the Year - Keira Escott

Access to HE Student of the Year - Bosang Humphrey

Animal Management Student of the Year - Artemis Jones

Automotive Student of the Year - Alfie Rosser

Bootcamp Student of the Year - Ellie Adams

Computing and Digital Technologies Student of the Year - Luke Whiting

Construction Professions, Trades and Services Student of the Year - Benjamin Morgan

Counselling Student of the Year - Martin Smith

Creative Arts Student of the Year - Harry Carter

Early Years and Education Student of the Year - Rikki Dewhurst

Engineering Student of the Year - Solomon Bryant

English Progress Award - Baylee Burrows

Maths Progress Award - Megha Mathew

ESOL Progress Award - Dmytro Oliinyk

ESOL Progress Award - Muhammad Ali Shinwari

Hair and Beauty Student of the Year - Heather Wagg

Health and Social Care Student of the Year - Isabella Clark

Hospitality and Catering Student of the Year - Kian Gill

Professional Services Student of the Year - Halle Gordon-smith

Public Services Student of the Year - Kacper Sliwinski

Sports Student of the Year - Bethany Trounce

Sports Academy Student of the Year - Oscar Collins

The Jack Passarelli Award, Inclusive Practice Student of the Year - Jack Stevens

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.