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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
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.”
This month (April 2024) we opened our newly refurbished library at Loxton Campus, marking a significant enhancement aimed at enriching the learning environment for our students.
The ambitious redesign was driven by feedback gathered from a series of student surveys and numerous discussions involving both students and faculties based at Loxton Campus.
This collaborative effort ensured that the refurbishment was not only about aesthetic upgrades but also about making the library more beneficial to the educational needs and comfort of its learners.
Claire Moore, Head of Learning Centres at Weston College, said: “Understanding what our students and staff wanted from our library was crucial. Feedback was an essential part of this project, allowing us to tailor the space to better suit their academic and personal growth.”
The redesigned space now boasts increased study areas, modernised resources, and technology-equipped zones designed to support both individual and group learning.
Claire added: “Libraries are an important part of the student journey at Weston College, and we are really excited to be providing this new facility for our learners.”
The reopening of the Loxton Campus library is a testament to Weston College's commitment to providing top-tier educational facilities that help students reach their potential.
The feedback from learners has been overwhelmingly positive too, Marvellous who is an A Level student, commented: “It is a really pretty space, and there is a lot of space for group study which is great!” Sirona, an Art and Design student, added: “The area has been improved and suits different study styles. There are great options for studying independently and also as a group.”
This significant investment in campus infrastructure underscores the college’s dedication to creating an environment where learners can succeed and flourish.
You can view some pictures of the new space, below.
This month (April 2024) we opened our newly refurbished library at Loxton Campus, marking a significant enhancement aimed at enriching the learning environment for our students.
WHICH LEVEL IS RIGHT FOR ME?
