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!

On Thursday 18th August, Weston College celebrated the success of the first ever Digital T Level cohort, with a lunch hosted in the Greenhouse.

Earlier in the day, we found out that there was a 100% pass rate, including some highly impressive results, with Distinctions and Distinction *’s, with one learner receiving a scholarship for his university course on the back of such fantastic grades.

The event was attended by learners, staff and employers, who all played a key role in making the first cohort of Digital T Levels a success. There was also a very special guest, with Steve Frampton from the Association of Colleges also in attendance.

Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive Sir Paul Phillips CBE opened the event, praising the learners for their hard work and dedication, as well as highlighting some of the amazing individual achievements.

Weston College Group Principal and Chief Executive Sir Paul Phillips CBE said: "I’m incredibly proud that our talented learners and my dedicated staff have surpassed national standards and worked so hard for the fantastic results they truly deserve.

“However, here at Weston College you’re not just taught how to pass an exam. Our focus looks not only on the present, but the future too with a key focus on kickstarting incredible careers. Our study programmes raise aspirations, and we work alongside industry to prepare students for their next step – whether that’s a Degree, Higher Apprenticeship or the world of work.

“A massive congratulations and thank-you to the cohort of 2022. I wish each learner every success in their onward journey.”

T Level learner, Alisha, was one of the learners that completed a Digital T Level, said: “I was thrilled with my result! It was the first real exam that I have ever done, so I was quite nervous. I am so proud of what I managed to achieve. I have been awarded a Distinction* (the top grade). The course has honestly been excellent, and I am so glad that I decided to go down the T Level route. It has helped me to develop a range of skills, from soft to hard skills – as well as developing my technical skills which I can already tell are going to benefit me in the future.

“I completed my placement at a company called Next Theme where I focussed on web development. I experienced creating a website for a company and used languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. I particularly enjoyed having the opportunity to put the theory I’d learnt in the classroom into practice, by experiencing a real working environment.”

We also caught up with two T Level learners, Brandon and Alex, to get their thoughts on T Levels, and what they’re going on to do next, you can watch the video here.

To find out more about T Levels, please click here.