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QUALIFICATIONS EXPLAINED
A Levels develop the knowledge, skills and study habits to excel at university, as well as the attributes recognised by employers.
Your academic studies will be complemented with enrichment opportunities such as trips, mentoring and work experience, providing the perfect springboard for your future career.
A Levels are assessed through exams at the end of two years of study. Most learners study three subjects - some choose four.
With an apprenticeship you’ll go straight into the workplace and be shown clear routes to progress straight into employment within a specific occupation. You can achieve nationally recognised qualifications, earn a wage, and gain skills that will see you get ahead. On average you will spend 20% of your learning time in the college and 80% within the workplace
Professional and technical qualifications are designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to gain employment within specific industries or occupations. They provide a balance between theory and practical skills development. They are suited to those who want to get hands-on experience within a particular vocational area. These programmes include work placements. Assessment is more varied and will include exams, coursework and practical work.
T Levels give you the chance to learn what a real career is like while you continue your studies. T Levels have been designed with leading businesses and employers to give you the knowledge and skills you need, including a minimum of 45 days on an industry placement – this means you will spend 80% of your learning time in College and 20% within the workplace.
LATEST NEWS
A Weston College sponsored racing driver, Roger Orgee Jr, has won a dramatic showdown in the final race of the 2016 Castle Combe Formula Ford Championship.
The race started well with Roger trailing rival Michael Moyers for the first lap until an accident caused a red flag race stoppage and the grid lined up for a restart. To win the championship, Roger needed to either win or finish just behind Michael.
At the restart the front row drivers both made poor starts and Roger was fourth and Michael directly behind in fifth.
Michael tried to pass Roger during the first lap, but misjudged his braking distance and crashed into the back of Roger’s car, spinning him round and damaging his own car so badly that he was out of the race.
Roger dived into the pits to have a damage check, the car was running but looked unsafe to continue when it was confirmed that Michael was out and Roger was champion.
Next year Roger is hoping to move up to racing sports cars, already having had the opportunity to test a works Porsche Carrera and a Ginetta GT4.
Weston College’s motorsport study programme provides students with the opportunity to work with Formula Ford race mechanics in the College workshops and trackside, and helps to get them involved with the local racing circuit.
In 2015, Roger Orgee Racing’s second car, a Van Diemen RF02, was repaired at the College’s South West Skills Campus following a collision at Silverstone race course.
Roger Orgee Racing can also offer our learners unique opportunities to attend racing events and meet industry professionals.
Local pork belly and crackling, Cheddar mash with Thatcher’s cider sauce; seared Brixham scallops with squid ink risotto and pea shoots – these are just a couple of the dishes invented by David Newman for Lasseter’s at the Winter Gardens Pavilion, which opened in September...
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“Great food is important to me,” he tells us as we sit in The Florentine Bistro, another new addition to the Winter Gardens complex.
“Good food makes people happy, and the key to good food in my opinion is making the dining experience special. A big part of this is the food, but there are other aspects that make a meal great.
“At Lasseter’s, we want the food to be accompanied with natural and memorable service, great views of Weston’s bay, and we want the food to tell a story. Another important factor is ensuring value for money.”
David grew up in the Weston-Super-Mare area and has fond memories of visiting the Winter Gardens as a child. It was at a young age that David developed a keen interest in food, inspired by his dad, a former RAF chef who has cooked for royalty.
At the age of 15, having completed work experience in a professional kitchen, David started working part-time jobs around his school work as a kitchen porter at Cabot and preparing vegetables at a local Hewish farm. As the years went by he completed an apprenticeship at the Summerhouse in Worle, then gained more experience at the Woolpack.
His first major job was sous chef at Mendip Spring Golf Club, and from here he went on to become a head chef at The Exchange in Bridgwater, where he cooked for high profile clients such as the BBC, and gained a mention in The Times.
After this he went from strength to strength, becoming catering manager at Bristol Water’s head office before returning to the kitchen as head chef at the Friends Life Centre in Bristol. Some highlights of his career around this time were cooking at places like Ascot Racecourse and the Olympics at the Olympic Park, London.
Most recently, he has been working as head chef for catering giant Chartwells at Millfield Senior School in Street, Somerset. At this exclusive school, David worked with top chefs Nick Dorber, Dean Parsons and Chartwells’ executive chef Andrew Walker. These chefs shared David’s love of food and inspired him to take on the opportunity at Lasseter’s at the Winter Gardens.
The restaurant itself follows a 1920s-inspired theme with a modern twist. The Winter Gardens’ iconic columns are painted with luxurious hues of navy and gold, and the bar is adorned with vintage mirrors and blue tiles. The split level layout means that diners at Lasseter’s get to admire the stunning views along the seafront, and there are plans to use the sheltered outdoor seating area on the seafront for barbeques and outdoor catering in the summer months.
The restaurant’s name is a nod to Dr Paul Lasseter Phillips CBE, Weston College’s Principal and Chief Executive, whose leadership of the College since 2001 has been the driving force behind its recent success, and has enabled it to purchase and restore this iconic seafront venue. This recognition is continued in some of the restaurant’s dishes, in particular the Dr 57 cocktail, one of Lasseter’s signature drinks.
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