Weston College has a wide range of courses to suit all learning styles
Weston College is an award-winning college of further and higher education in Weston-super-Mare. It provides education and vocational training to nearly 30,000 learners across the country.
We put the learner first and are entrepreneurial in our approach and innovative in our thinking. As a college, we are ambitious and aspirational and are responsive to the needs of students, staff, businesses, and the community.
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There is always so much going on across our various campuses and courses. Stay up to date on our latest news.
Selected from thousands of nominations, Weston College’s Charmaine Hale-Lynch and the Welfare and Pastoral Support Services Team are two of just 65 winners who will be celebrated today on 22nd June - ‘Thank A Teacher Day’, as the national Teaching Awards marks its 20th year of celebrating excellence in education. Celebrations will take place in schools and colleges across England, Wales and Northern Ireland as the prestigious Silver Pearson Teaching Awards trophies are presented to outstanding teachers, teaching assistants, head teachers and lecturers.
The Pearson Teaching Awards are an annual celebration of exceptional teachers, founded in 1998 by Lord Puttnam to recognise the life-changing impact an inspirational teacher can have on the lives of the young people they teach.
Charmaine and the Welfare and Pastoral Support Services Team will now join fellow Silver Award winners, along with 3 Scottish Education Award winners and 3 winners of the Professional Teaching Awards Cymru, at the 20th UK Ceremony of the Pearson Teaching Awards, a glittering ceremony held in central London on 21st October. There they will find out which of them has won one of just 12 Gold Plato Awards, the UK’s “Oscars for Teachers”.
Charmaine Hale-Lynch, winner of the Silver ‘FE Lecturer of the Year’ Teaching Award said: “I feel very honoured to receive such an award and overwhelmed by the support from the staff and everyone who took part in the process and helped in this achievement”.
Also collecting their award for Silver ‘FE Team of the Year’ Teaching Award, Benjamin Cocks and Mandy Lee of the Student Welfare and Pastoral Support Services Team said this of their award: “We’re incredibly proud to receive this award which recognises the hard work and dedication of our team. We’re extremely grateful to have such wonderful learners, who provide the inspiration for everything that we do”.
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Weston College Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, has commended the consistently high standard of teaching and support staff at Weston College.
He said: “This award shows Weston College staff always go above and beyond for the wellbeing of our learners. They work incredibly hard to support every learner across the College and make sure they are achieving the very best they can.
“We are proud to be one of the top performing colleges in the country, and our continued successes are a promise that all existing and future learners will get the very best standard of education at Weston College.”
The October ceremony, titled “Britain’s Classroom Heroes”, will be filmed and broadcast by the BBC as a showcase of excellence in education. Previous award presenters have included former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair, acting legends Jenny Agutter, Alison Steadman and Sheila Hancock and sports and TV personalities including Shirley Ballas, Helen Glover, Brendan Cole and Nadiya Hussain.
On this special, celebratory day, the Teaching Awards is encouraging members of the public to say “thank you” to a teacher who has made a difference in their lives. Simply go to http://www.teachingawards.com/card, fill in a form online including a personal message and the teacher will receive a Thank You card in the post for free.
Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author and former Children’s laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, said: “The best we can do is to pass on to children all that we know and love and mean every word. I think above all else, a teacher should be a friend, and that’s not an easy thing to do when there are 35 children out there. With these awards we are shining a light on these inspirational individuals whose efforts and commitment so often go uncelebrated.”
Rod Bristow, President of Pearson UK, said: "A huge congratulations to all those receiving a silver trophy today. They should feel extremely proud of their achievements and join an inspirational group of Teaching Award winners from the past two decades. It’s an honour for Pearson to support these Awards each year - it’s so vital to recognise and celebrate those in the teaching profession, for their commitment to education and for the impact they have on young people's lives.“
The list of winners will be published on the Teaching Awards website at 5pm on Friday 22nd June.
Weston College has been awarded a Beacon Award for its work in improving functional, vocational and transferable skills among offenders in nine prisons across the South West of England and detainees at The Verne Immigration Removal Centre.
The College took home the Association of Colleges’ Beacon Award for Widening Participation in Learning, sponsored by Gateway Qualifications. This is the first time a Beacon Award has been won recognising excellence within offender and detainee learning services.
Judges highlighted the College’s inclusive approach to learning which reflects “the best in adult further education within the community” and “inspires the most educationally disadvantaged to engage, improve their skills, discover and fulfil their potential and increase their life and work opportunities on release or repatriation.”
Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of the Weston College Group, commended his staff and said: “This award shows that Weston College is leading the field when it comes to providing effective opportunities for some of the most disenfranchised learners in the country. Our Beacon Award’s success confirms the innovative and student-centred practice that permeates the whole of the Weston College Group.
“When it comes to offender and detainee learning, we provide the same award-winning level of teaching and support that we offer students across the College. Our approach is to put our learners first and to enable them to realise their full potential.
“This College-wide ethos is why learners in all aspects of Weston College’s provision can expect the same outstanding teaching standards, and the same dedication to providing an engaging and inclusive learning environment.”
This latest award follows national recognition of the College’s offender learning provision through successful inspections from Ofsted and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Prisons. In 2015, offender learning lecturer Jerry Nightingale became the first prison lecturer to be named Further Education Lecturer of the Year at the Pearson Teaching Awards for ‘Britain’s classroom heroes’.
A former Renault garage has been transformed into a state-of-the art education centre for Weston College Automotive students.
The £1 million refurbishment at the South West Skills Campus (SWSC) on Locking Road includes two large workshops, two computer suites and two hi-tech classrooms.
Applications have doubled for Automotive courses and now lecturers seek more employers to offer Apprenticeships and work experience.
Automotive Lecturer Ian Aldridge said: “Last year we had 60 full time students, this year we have over 120 training with us.
“Many want to be an Apprentice and are in desperate need of an employer to support their training.
“The Government wants to add work-based experience to full time education and we want more employers who need Level 3 students to help them access the working environment.
“Ideally employers would offer a learner an Apprenticeship or a week’s work experience placement, however, we can accommodate single days through our new Programmes of Study.”
Student Marc Bell, 32, of Mead Vale, is a mature Level 3 student.
He said: “I worked in security but with children I wanted a job where I am home at nights. I’ve really enjoyed the course and hope I can find work.”
The year-long courses on offer include Level 1, 2 and 3 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.
The refurbishment is part of ongoing £11 million works at the SWSC which includes the College's Business Enterprise Centre and Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence.
Other developments include plans to create an eco-house at the rear of SWSC, which can show students practical examples of green technology in action.
Weston College Principal and Chief Executive, Dr Paul Phillips OBE added: “This new automotive maintenance centre was built in response to demand for quality courses.
“Once the SWSC is complete we will have created the best engineering and construction environment in the UK.
“Weston College has been voted the best in the West for the second year running in Skills Funding Agency Poll.
“We have exceptional results in A levels, Higher Education and vocational qualifications. With 1,200 apprentices, we are the largest provider in the region from Gloucestershire to Cornwall.
“Despite the economic challenge we continue to invest heavily in buildings to meet the needs of 21st century students, offering them the best resources in the South West.”
CAREERS NOT COURSES
We know it’s not about the course you take, but the career you’ll start your journey towards. Your study programme is built from the ground up with your future in mind, focussing on employability and developing the skills you need to have a successful career within your chosen industry, making connections and gaining experiences through local and national employers we work with:
As a Weston College student, you will become part of one of our exciting new Career Excellence Hubs.
This means our courses aren't just courses... your study programme is built from the ground up with your future in mind, focussing on employability and developing the skills you need to have a successful career within your chosen industry...
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COURSES ENDORSED BY EMPLOYERS
INDUSTRY STANDARD FACILITIES
INCREDIBLE WORK-BASED OPPORTUNITIES
AMAZING GUEST LECTURES
COURSES ENDORSED BY EMPLOYERS
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"The college organised lots of amazing experiences for us with specialist guest lectures on sepsis, home care, nutrition and bee therapy"
Chloe
Health and Social Care, Level 2 & 3
