Weston College is proud to announce that Abbi Richards has been awarded the prestigious Centre of Excellence status by the Pearson National Teaching Awards judges, following her nomination for the Pearson Awards, in the SEND and Inclusive Practice category.

This national recognition celebrates Abbi’s outstanding commitment to inclusive education and her transformative work with learners with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Abbi has played a vital role in designing a creative, empowering curriculum that supports learners to develop communication, independence, and essential life skills.

Her work has had a profound impact not only on students, but on colleagues, families, and the wider sector.

Pat Jones, Principal and CEO at the Weston College Group, said: “We are incredibly proud of Abbi.

Her unwavering passion, creativity, and commitment to holistic, student-centred learning truly reflect the values we champion at Weston College.

The impact of Abbi’s work is clear in the heartfelt feedback we regularly receive. Parents often speak of her ‘infectious energy’ and her ability to genuinely understand each student, crediting her with helping even the most complex learners build confidence and independence.

Well done, Abbi!”

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 festival season kicks off, we wanted a shine a light on the incredible work that is taking part within our Career Excellence Hub in Creative Arts, for our music learners.

From working backstage at festivals to collaborating with media students on live recordings, the department's commitment to industry exposure is opening doors for learners far beyond the classroom.

We caught up with the music team, to hear all about the exciting array of real-world experiences that our students are involved in this summer:

We have another brilliant summer lined up. One of the main highlights is Minety Festival, where 25 students are currently set to take part—a number that could increase by 50% next year.

Students will also be supporting operations at the Godney Gathering, with up to ten roles available in the backstage area. These learners will play a key role in managing equipment, setting up stages, and supporting artist liaison—a truly immersive experience in live event production.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of the department’s approach. Recently, the Music and Media departments joined forces for live recording projects, producing promotional videos and live albums for performing artists. These experiences not only mimic real industry practice but also provide commercial outcomes, with students handling all aspects of production. Learners are credited in the final work, adding valuable, CV-worthy experience while building a professional portfolio.

These opportunities aren’t limited to in-house projects. External festival work provides learners with authentic industry exposure. Students have supported events at venues across the region, including Puxton Park, Watchet Festival, Godney Gathering, Minety Festival, and Sat in a field.

Each setting presents a unique challenge, helping learners to adapt, grow, and network with seasoned professionals.

Confidence is a key area of growth, but students also develop a wide range of technical skills and soft skills, including teamwork, problem-solving, and professional communication.

Many have had the chance to perform on professional stages and meet influential figures in the industry. One standout opportunity came through Tour Manager Iain Robertson—who has worked with the likes of Oasis, Duran Duran, and Gary Moore. He has championed Weston College’s learner bands, helping secure opening act spots alongside established artists.

The benefits of these experiences are tangible. Several learners have been headhunted by companies and artists directly as a result of their work placements.

The Music Department’s ethos centres on creating as many genuine industry opportunities as possible, with a strong understanding that the music industry heavily relies on freelancers. Establishing industry connections while still in education is not just beneficial, it’s essential.

With such a forward-thinking approach, Weston College is proving to be a launchpad for aspiring music professionals, equipping them with the tools, confidence, and connections needed to thrive in a competitive industry.

You can find out more about our music courses, by clicking here.

On 6th June, our Performing Arts students came together to perform Echoes of the Stage at The Playhouse Theatre, an original production that incorporated a range of legendary musicals theatre numbers from existing Broadway and West End shows across different eras.  

In this production, time had been shattered in a forgotten theatre and, in order to restore time and revive the theatre, six dreamers were summoned by the Clockmaker to journey through legendary musicals such as The Great Gatsby, Anything Goes, Mary Poppins, Cabaret, Les Misérables, and many more to piece time back together.  

The students from Level 2 and 3 Performing Arts worked together throughout the 12 weeks of rehearsals to create this incredible show! They worked extremely hard on learning the choreography, songs and scenes, as well as developing new roles, characters and embracing this new and exciting original production.

Throughout this production, students stepped out of their comfort zones and became more adaptable in a range of roles, characters and responsibilities. They developed their confidence on stage and perfected their techniques in a professional, real-life theatre environment which was excellent practice for future industry experience.  

The production celebrated a range of musicals throughout history, seeing the development of different songs and dances over time. This was a great way for the students to experience the progression of Musical Theatre and the impact these popular productions have had on today’s industry. 

The students took on a range of production roles to give them the opportunity to develop their skills, increase their employability, and provide them with a more holistic understanding of the theatre industry and its current requirements. This provides them with a variety of transferrable skills to give them a broader knowledge base, from helping with lights and sound, to assisting with the Marketing of the production.   

Not only this, Echoes of the Stage was also a celebration of inclusion and support, with all students getting the chance to sing, dance and act in the role that they desired. It was a fantastic way for everyone to flex their creativity and, due to the variety of musicals included, get the chance to be front and centre. They got to experience multiple quick changes and practice a range of different dances from across the decades.  

Witnessing the teamwork, collaboration and professionalism from all the students was fantastic. They successfully learnt and executed this production in a short amount of time and seamlessly adapted to the new approach of this musical. It was very different from anything Weston College Performing Arts had done before as it was an original concept and script written by the team.  

Joe Miller, one of our Performing Arts lecturers at Weston College, expressed how proud he was of the learners, saying, “The learners were stretched and challenged throughout the 12-week process, developing their skills in dance, acting, singing, planning, problem solving and performance, to name but a few!”   

“The final show in The Playhouse was a huge success and we are incredibly proud of the work our learners have achieved. The feedback and reviews about the production were amazing, saying how inclusive our show was, how professional it was and, above all, how incredibly entertaining they found it! Here's to next year’s show!”  

This original production was created by the Performing Arts lecturers, Joe Miller, Lisa Frost, and Fiona Philp, who worked hard to choreograph and direct this unique and uplifting musical. It wouldn’t have been possible without their hard work and dedication, and with the collaboration of the students, this production was a celebration of all things Musical Theatre.  

Well done to all the students who performed and helped, your efforts didn’t go unnoticed!  

If you are interested in applying to one of our Performance and Production courses, click here.  

This performance forms part of the Performing Arts and Production Careers Excellence Hub. Weston College's Career Excellence Hubs are designed to be the launching pad for our learners' careers. In a world where connections and relevant skills matter more than ever, these hubs offer a holistic approach that prepares learners to thrive in their chosen industries. With the support of these hubs, our learners are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their professional journeys.  

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.