Weston College learner, Gracie Donaghy, recently won the SPARKS Female Skills Competition 2025! This intense competition challenges participants to complete a live electrical installation from start to finish, testing their knowledge, accuracy, and time management under pressure.

Gracie is currently in her third year of an EAL Level 3 Diploma in Electrical Installation Apprenticeship with Wessex Water. This apprenticeship has allowed her to develop skills in installing and testing cabling systems, containment, and a range of electrical components.

Gracie secured her place in the final of the competition after impressing the judges during the South Regional Heats and achieving first-place. Her precision and skill were demonstrated throughout both competitions, gaining recognition from her peers and competitors as well as the judges for her excellent accuracy, time-management and attention to detail.

Having taken part in the competition last year, Gracie came into this year’s event with a clear goal to beat her previous performance. She dedicated time to practicing installations that she felt less confident with, including lighting circuits and unfamiliar wiring setups.

After winning the South Regional Heats and securing her place in the final, Gracie added, “During the competition, I felt very nervous as I wanted to do well and demonstrate my best work. After the competition, I felt very proud of the work I had completed. I performed better than I did last year and that was my main aim.”

Not only did Gracie show massive improvements from last year’s competition, but she also did herself and Weston College extremely proud. Gracie was stunned when she not only received the amazing title of SPARKS Female Skills Winner 2025, but she also got a range of tools and goodies and a fantastic cash prize to put towards her future.

The SPARKS Female Skills Competition is a great way for young females from all over the country to show their skills and compete with likeminded individuals. Competitions like these encourage future generations to take up trades courses and break down stereotypes in largely male-dominated subject areas.

Gracie also highlighted the fantastic benefits to the competition, saying, “it gives you a chance to meet others going through the same journey, and to push yourself to see what you can achieve under time constraints.”

Andy Fisher, one of our Electrotechnical Lecturers, has worked closely with Gracie throughout her time at Weston College, saying "Gracie is an exceptional student who works extremely hard in every task she completes. Her place in the final reflects the quality of work she produces. She is always millimetre perfect and very tidy with her installations and has always been such a pleasure to teach.

"As a lecturer, it’s an amazing competition to get the chance to attend with them and you can tell it means a lot to them too. Not only this, it’s also a phenomenal thing to put on their CV and Gracie has gone above and beyond with her achievement!"

Well done to all of the students who took part, and a massive well done to Gracie for this fantastic achievement and for representing the college with an amazing display of professionalism and maturity throughout both competitions!

If you would like to find out more about our Electrical Installation courses, click here.

If you are interested in apprenticeship opportunities, click here.

Last month, Year 12 students from our Sixth Form’s Biomedical Pathway achieved outstanding success in the prestigious British Biology Olympiad (BBO), an international competition designed to challenge and inspire post-16 students with a passion for biology.

This year’s BBO saw a total of 18,533 students from 1,053 schools across the world take part. Within them were 23 hard-working Year 12 students from Weston College, who competed as part of their enrichment within the Biomedical pathway. Despite only having studied approximately one-third of the A Level Biology course so far, these students showcased exceptional talent and resilience.

One standout achievement came from Olivia Hayes, who earned a silver medal, placing her in the top 15% of all participants worldwide. Two other students were awarded bronze medals, ranking them in the top 25%, while four others received ‘Highly Commended’ recognition, placing them in the top 45%. A further six students earned ‘Commended’ certificates for their strong performances.

The British Biology Olympiad consists of two 45-minute online multiple-choice papers, taken under supervised exam conditions. Students are required to engage with unfamiliar topics, using their prior knowledge and problem-solving abilities to navigate complex biological concepts and scenarios.

This competition not only challenges students academically, but it also offers valuable recognition through publicly awarded certificates. All participants also gain one year of BioNet membership with the Royal Society of Biology, offering continued opportunities for growth and engagement in the field.

A huge congratulations to all students who took part in this year's competition. Their efforts and achievements reflect the hard work of our Biomedical Pathway students.

This competition forms part of the Sixth Form 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.

Weston College’s Leadership and Management Team recently benefited from a dynamic and transformative training session with internationally respected leadership consultant and business psychologist, Sarah Rozenthuler. The session, grounded in Rozenthuler’s influential work Powered by Purpose: Energise Your People to Do Great Work, aimed to equip the College’s leaders with the mindset and tools to embed purpose at the heart of their work.

Sarah Rozenthuler’s research and training focus on cultivating purpose-led organisations that drive positive societal impact while also fostering employee engagement, innovation and resilience. The session with Weston College brought together key leaders and managers to reflect on the College’s mission, explore how to energise teams through shared purpose, and deepen their leadership capacity across both strategic planning and everyday practice.

Key areas explored included:

• Creating an inclusive and energised workplace culture
• Building psychological safety to empower team innovation
• Facilitating authentic dialogue across leadership groups
• Connecting personal and organisational purpose to unlock performance

Pat Jones, Principal and CEO of Weston College, commented:

“Investing in our people is one of the most powerful ways we can invest in our learners. This training with Sarah Rozenthuler is strengthening our leadership alignment, reconnecting us with our shared purpose, and has given us practical strategies to lead with clarity, compassion and confidence. When our staff are empowered, inspired and purpose-driven, the ripple effect positively impacts every student we serve.”

This training is part of Weston College’s ongoing commitment to staff development and to ensuring that its leadership is responsive to the complex challenges of today’s education landscape. As Rozenthuler notes in her work, “Purpose-led teams pull together to deliver sustainable value”, — and Weston College embodies that ethos, preparing learners for a brighter, more inclusive future.

If you would like to work for Weston College, you can find our latest vacancies, by clicking here.