You can’t stand still in the world of further education.

The environment is constantly evolving, with cuts to funding, changes in priorities and the introduction of new qualifications keeping us constantly on our toes.

At Weston College, we take great pride in our ability to stay ahead of the curve and innovate – making sure our learners benefit from the most up-to-date, learning environment and resources.

The growth of our sixth-form is a prime example.

In recent years Weston College sixth form has grown significantly in student numbers and stature, but we’re not standing still.

We’re incorporating three ground-breaking developments into our sixth-form provision, to increase the student places we currently offer, and equip learners with the skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace.

Firstly, we’ve been selected alongside 53 other providers across the UK to pilot the new T Level qualification.

T Levels focus on preparing young people for the workplace, and include a 45-day industry placement. Weston College will deliver the Digital (software applications design and development) ‘programme’ from September 2020 – two years before the full roll-out.

T Levels have been described as the biggest overhaul in post-school education for 70 years and, for us to be at the forefront of this roll-out represents a tremendous opportunity for school leavers in Weston and beyond.

Secondly, we recently became one of 22 providers to be awarded Career College status.

Career Colleges enable school leavers to combine academic studies with practical learning, and focus on providing skills for industry that have found it difficult to recruit.

‘Weston Career College’ is due to open in September 2019 and will focus on engineering and digital ‘pathways’. Courses will be Level 3 (the equivalent to and A Level) and could include a combination of A Levels and technical qualifications.

The exciting developments will enable the College to provide an extra 1,000 places for 16 to 19-year-olds.

The third significant development is the £13 million Health and Active Living Skills Centre, which will be based alongside the existing sixth form at the Loxton Road Campus.

This flagship training facility, due to be completed in spring 2019, will bring together our health and social care, sports therapy and active living curricula into one bespoke facility. A state-of-the-art resource that our Sixth Form learners will also benefit from.

The above investment has been made possible by the College match-funding a successful bid for funding from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Local Growth Fund, administered by the West of England Combined Authority.

Its superb facilities – including wet lab, dry lab and six-bed simulation ward – are tailor-made to provide workplace skills, as will the running external clinics, delivered with healthcare partners. It will also include a floodlit all-weather pitch, four-court multi-purpose sports hall and multi-gym, which will all be available to the community.

The College is already one of the most successful sixth forms in the UK, achieving a 99% A Level pass rate year after year, and providing the skills the young people need in the modern workplace. We offer learners a choice of over 30 A Levels subjects – from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths to Psychology, Philosophy and Photography – all taught by expert teachers at our lively and vibrant Loxton Campus.

The new developments will complement our existing high-quality sixth form provision and, we believe, will create one of the most sophisticated sixth form centres in the UK.

Weston College has been named ‘Provider of the Year’ at a national awards ceremony that celebrates outstanding achievement in developing English and maths skills.

Representatives of the College received the prestigious prize at The Skills Awards at Leicester City FC’s King Power Stadium.

The Provider of the Year award recognises “pioneering innovation, excellence and effectiveness” in the College’s English and maths teaching and outcomes.

The Skills Awards are hosted by BKSB, a company that develops interactive products to improve English, maths and ICT skills.

The awards are designed to reward the quality and diversity of educational delivery and achievement in the best educational establishments. They also recognise the most dedicated members of the teaching profession and their learners.

Dr Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Weston College Group, said: “We’re delighted that our English and maths provision has been recognised on the national stage.

“English and maths skills are vital to the prospects of all individuals for their education, career prospects and day-to-day living, and are quite rightly high at the Government’s agenda.

“This award highlights the priority we place on equipping learners with those skills, and also the quality of the tutors we're fortunate to have at the College.”

Hi, I’m Josh, and I recently won Bronze in the national BTEC Awards’ IT and Computing Student of the Year.

When I started the BTEC IT course, I was at a low point, having had an unsuccessful year of A Levels in my secondary school. I decided to change over to this course, as I have always been passionate about IT and it is a subject that I perform strongly in. It also allows me to make things happen and create solutions and make processes more efficient.

The BTEC course suited my learning style to a tee, as it doesn’t just teach you theory, it is very practical. This enabled me to gain a better understanding of subject areas such as Networks, Software Development and Security. I also developed my communication skills through units such as Project Management and Effective Communication – which is something that has helped me both academically and personally.

During my first year of the course, I completed over 50 hours of work experience at PureComms – a local Telecommunications firm. I highly enjoyed this experience as it gave me an understanding of the industry, and also opened my eyes to potential future career paths.

I have now completed my course, and chosen to go on and complete an apprenticeship to develop my industry knowledge. I have been fortunate enough to receive two exciting job offers from well-known brands within the industry – one in software development and the other in cyber security.

I really enjoyed this course and appreciate that Weston Colleges recognises my efforts by including me in the prospectus, on banners, and use my quotes across social media and the website. I am also a role model for people with disabilities, as I haven’t let my cerebral palsy hold me back. I have worked hard and my success proves this.

I would highly recommend this course if you are practical learner and love all things technology.

Josh Callicott

Tech Weston

With digital skills being fundamental to economic growth and recovery, Weston College continues to engage with and listen to employers ensuring we understand the support businesses need to thrive, whether it’s upskilling the existing workforce or accessing future talent. We have been working with leaders across the tech industry to evolve our offer to ensure Weston College is the training destination for tech talent.

We’ve developed and streamlined our website to make is easier for employers to understand and access the wealth of learning opportunities and expertise available. Discover the newly created TECH WESTON web page, and see the range of bespoke training, online courses, skill-specific bootcamps, apprenticeship programmes to industry placements: www.weston.ac.uk/techweston