New vision for the college of the future puts Further Education at the heart of investment and opportunity

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

A vision for the college of the future putting Further Education at the heart of investment and opportunity has been set out in a newly-published report.

The blueprint, published this week by the Independent Commission on the College of the Future, has been fully endorsed by Nelson and Colne College Group’s Principal and Chief Executive Amanda Melton, who sits on the Commission as representative of College Principals in England.

The report entitled ‘People, productivity and place: a new vision for colleges’ focuses on what the demands and needs will be of colleges in 10 years’ time and the changes that are needed in the sector in order to achieve this.

Issues the Commission has explored include demographic change, the climate crisis, technological revolution, and the changing demands of the labour market – and how colleges can be at the heart of meeting those challenges.

The report is accompanied by a collection of short essays from leading voices from across the education and skills system and case studies about the civic role of colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Commission, led by the UK’s National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond, believes the college of the future will be central to driving a fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous society:

● For people, colleges will be a touchpoint for everyone throughout their lives as the world changes.

● For productivity, colleges will provide strategic advice and support for employers to drive business change, innovation and future workforce planning.

● For place, colleges will have the resources and funding to play an even greater role in fostering healthy and connected communities.

Amanda Melton said: “For too long colleges in England have not had the recognition and investment that they deserve – representing a tremendous lost potential.

“The UK Government’s FE White Paper for England presents a critical opportunity for boldly affirming the role and mission of colleges, alongside universities, to meet the education, skills and training needs of everyone throughout their lives.

“The infrastructure and expertise are there, we just need to create systemic collaboration with employers and universities and provide colleges with a clearer role. Colleges should be home to training for young people and adults, offering IAG, business support and routes into work, and they must play their part in moulding the future workforce.

“The vision we have launched marks a moment when our sector is saying that, with investment and reform, we can together deliver more for people, productivity and place.”

The Commission is now taking feedback on its vision before publishing its final report in the autumn.

For more information about the Independent Commission on the College of the Future, visit the website at www.collegecommission.co.uk/

Nelson and Colne College Group is one of the leading College Groups nationally and consists of Nelson and Colne College, Accrington and Rossendale College and Lancashire Adult Learning, supporting 20,000 learners annually.

Applicants looking to apply to Nelson and Colne College or Accrington and Rossendale College for a September start still have the time. Visit www.nelson.ac.uk or www.accross.ac.uk or contact the Admissions Team on 01282 440272.

For Lancashire Adult Learning’s wide range of courses, visit the website at www.lal.ac.uk or call 0333 003 1717.

Reopening our doors is a momentous step in the right direction

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

This week was a momentous week for Nelson and Colne College Group as we reopened our doors at our Nelson campus for the first time since lockdown. This was to a very limited number of students who need essential support or who need to achieve their qualification without disadvantage, and while it was fantastic to see familiar faces in person for the first time in over three months, it was far from a return to normal as our campuses remain closed to the vast majority of students and staff.

It was an important and necessary step, but one taken very carefully after stringent risk assessments in line with the latest guidance. We as a College Group have had to implement strict measures in order for this to happen safely, including sanitising points and social distancing signage throughout the campus, as well as classrooms limited to a maximum of six students.

We are currently busy planning for the new academic year and we are looking to welcome all of our students back after the summer break, but I think it is important to note that students are almost certain to be doing some of their learning online for at least the first term from September onwards.

While this is not ideal and will continue to be a major adjustment to normal circumstances, I am comforted from the feedback and the experiences of our current students who have successfully continued their learning during this period. I am also reassured that our brilliant teaching team, who adapted so quickly after lockdown, have been able to smoothly transition to alternative online delivery platforms to continue providing fantastic teaching and support to our students.

On the theme of alternative delivery methods, staff across Nelson and Colne College Group have been very keen for students not to miss out on our annual New Student Days and the experience these provide our September new starters. We have been working hard to replicate this in an accessible online format, and I’m delighted that this will happen in early July, with students receiving a personalised invitation to attend by email.

To provide the most authentic experience possible, there will be a video welcome from me, an introduction from each student’s respective Head of Division, and a virtual tour of our Nelson and Colne College campus – with interactive campus maps and panoramic photography. Students can also look forward to an exclusive course taster with resources and interactive quizzes, information on our support services and extracurricular programme, a live Q&A chat with our Schools Liaison Team, and more.

I want to finish this month’s column with a thank you to our team at Lancashire Adult Learning, who, since the end of April, have been supporting adult learners across Lancashire with online resources through the website (www.lal.ac.uk) and with a great, wide-ranging series of learning video sessions via Facebook.

With my degree in languages, I’m naturally thrilled that modern foreign languages are now part of the online offer too. Many of us will be enjoying staycations this year, but now could be the perfect time to learn a little French, Spanish or Italian in readiness for the tantalising prospect of a European trip in the not-too-distant future as the lockdown restrictions continue to be eased.

Stay safe and healthy, and arrivederci from me for now. Amanda.

We’ll be a greener and cleaner College Group post-pandemic

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

One of the striking things about the lockdown period, apart from the magnificent Spring we have been blessed with, is the many things we used to do in daily life that would have had a negative impact on the environment, that we have proven we can do in cleaner and more efficient ways.

The adaptation to using Zoom or having meetings on Microsoft Teams has been a smooth one, and it has brought with it environmental benefits – no travelling across the county, or country, from meeting to meeting. It has also meant a reduction on printing as departments across College have adjusted to the digital sphere, and I have now gone almost three months without printing a document.

Outside of work, I, like many others, have reconnected with nature through walking and cycling, and with World Environment Day on the horizon next Friday, the future of how we operate as a College Group is something that is on my mind.

I recently attended a meeting of the college’s Sustainability Group and I’m delighted that there are some very passionate environmental champions within it. I know last summer, in part as a result of attending Glastonbury, I returned to College with a climate changing fervour. I feel that we have a role to create good citizens, and that means encouraging our young people to care about the planet.

The virus has probably done more to support that cause than anything we could possibly have anticipated. It will be interesting to see how much of our new, more sustainable, behaviour under lockdown can be translated to what happens next, but my fervour to see a greener operating College Group has returned, and I’m encouraging colleagues to preserve the best practices when returning to normal in order to reduce our waste and environmental impact.

During lockdown, we have agreed that as a College Group we will no longer be purchasing any single use plastic bottles of water or other drinks. We will invest in providing additional water refilling stations for our students and staff, and this is essential progress and an overdue step forward.

Additionally, at our Nelson and Accrington campuses, we are undertaking development of wild flower meadows. Students will be involved in creating and maintaining these spaces to encourage wildlife and improve our environmental contribution. We are also considering the procurement of organic cotton clothing for student polo shirts and hoodies to reduce our environmental impact.

I feel re-energised to demand that we consider our sustainability credentials alongside the many challenges we face, and to consider the impact of the decisions we make going forward.

For now, continue to stay safe. Until next month, Amanda.

College life in lockdown

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw


Since my last column, we all find ourselves in unprecedented times, facing challenges that we never planned for, and finding solutions we didn’t think we were capable of in such a short time. I am incredibly proud of the way the College has taken to its new virtual world. Credit has to be given to all staff for their flexibility, innovation and creative approaches to online teaching. 

My thanks also must go to our students, who continue to engage with learning despite the worries surrounding them. As well as those learning from home, right now, we have approximately 150 Apprentices working in care home settings Lancashire-wide, and we are enormously proud of the commitment and dedication they are showing to their future, developing skills and rising to the biggest challenge to face our nation since wartime. 


Many of our other students are taking part in virtual lessons – particularly important for those continuing with us next year – and this year’s leavers, despite their study being abruptly completed, are in touch, as we support them with their next steps after leaving us. Every year we see students progressing to some of the top universities across the country, progressing into employment aligned to their career aims, and taking on Apprenticeships, and while for many students the experience will be different this year, we are doing everything we can to ensure they are presented with the same opportunities.


On the topic of alumni, I have also read with admiration about some of our former Health and Social Work Professions students, who right now are using those skills they started developing at College to save lives on the front line. They truly are our heroes.
 

Of huge importance to us right now is making sure those young people leaving school and heading to college are being well supported and making important and informed decisions about their future studies. We very much remain ‘open’, taking applications, conducting telephone interviews, and supporting our applicants and feeder schools to prepare them for College life as best we can, through regular communication. We are also looking at delivering a virtual New Student Day – more details of which will be shared soon. If you require any information on applying to College, please contact our Admissions Team by emailing admissions@nelson.ac.uk or contacting 01282 440272.

Lastly from me, we are continuing to ensure there are learning opportunities for those looking to develop skills from home and improve their health and wellbeing during this time. For our adult learners, this includes a Business HNC, which can be started immediately – there’s 50% off until September – and a wide range of programmes across Lancashire Adult Learning, more details of which can be found in the accompanying news article.


For now, continue to stay safe. We are all in this together. Until next time, Amanda.

Nelson and Colne College wins Skills Award for its outstanding GCSE resit provision

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

Nelson and Colne College has been named as Provider of the Year in the Skills Awards 2020 for its outstanding GCSE resit provision.

The college, which is first and third nationally in performance tables for the progress students make in Mathematics and English GCSE resits, has been announced as the coveted category winner of the Skills Awards 2020.

Judges found that the college displayed excellence and effectiveness in Mathematics and English learning outcomes, in deciding on the winning nomination.

Nelson and Colne College has consistently been the leading college in the country for GCSE Mathematics progress for three consecutive years, and in that time has always been in the top three places nationally for GCSE English progress too.

In 2018, Nelson and Colne College was named as a Maths Centre for Excellence to support improvement in the college sector. The college has also been approached to support English and Mathematics improvement with Newcastle Colleges Group, and speak on the topic of GCSE provision at the Association of Colleges’ Annual Conference.

Assistant Principal for Academic Curriculum at Nelson and Colne College, Fionnuala Swann, said: “I’m thrilled that we have won this award for our GCSE provision. While we are well-known for our outstanding A Level, vocational and Apprenticeship provision, we also offer exceptional GCSE resit provision and support for those students who do not quite achieve their target first time around.

“The sustained success in GCSE resits is a result of a whole-college approach to improving Mathematics and English, combined with a range of other factors including exceptional teaching, engaging lessons, rigorous monitoring and assessment of student progress and innovative collaboration work with secondary schools in Pendle.

“By recruiting and developing a passionate, knowledgeable and enthusiastic English and Mathematics teaching team who are committed to improving teaching and learning, we really are best placed to kick start a student’s progression onto a high quality, career aligned study programme at College, and then onto university, an Apprenticeship or employment.”

Nelson and Colne College is the number one FE college in the country for A Level progress, and is number one in Lancashire for 16-18 Advanced Apprenticeship timely completion. In addition, the College is also number one in the country for student satisfaction, based on the latest FE Choices Learner Survey.

Applicants looking to apply to Nelson and Colne College still have the time. If you would like to apply to study at Nelson and Colne College, contact 01282 440272 or visit www.nelson.ac.uk

If you are looking for a career at Nelson and Colne College Group, please visit the college’s designated careers website at careers.nelson.ac.uk/

Highly successful Burnley FC programme to launch at Accrington and Rossendale College

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

The highly successful Burnley FC Shadow Youth Team programme that mixes football skills and academic study is coming to Accrington and Rossendale College from September.

Benefiting both male and female footballers aiming for a career in the industry or wider sports coaching and performance sector, the programme’s launch is part of a campaign to bring the extraordinary to Accrington and Rossendale College, after its merger with Nelson and Colne College – one of the leading colleges in the country across a range of academic measures.

Since the BFC Shadow Youth Team launched with Nelson and Colne College in 2015, 408 young people have completed the programme, with a further 32 completing the female equivalent, the Girls’ Post-16 Academy.

Last season, 117 students studied on the programme, and alongside their BTEC qualification, 28 Shadow Youth Team graduates secured their FA Level 1 Football Coaching award. Players have progressed onto impressive destinations both in the UK and overseas including university, employment, Apprenticeships, semi-professional and professional football.

The launch also comes at a time where the campus at Accrington and Rossendale College is undergoing £4 million of improvements, to ensure students have access to the best industry standard facilities to help them develop vital skills for their future.

Steven Buckley, Head of Division for Sport at Nelson and Colne College Group, said: “I’m delighted at this development, and it brings a high-quality, established programme with a track record of positive results to strengthen the vocational offer at Accrington and Rossendale College.

“The practical element of this full-time programme is delivered by an experienced team of UEFA licensed coaches, while the academic element is delivered by our brilliant teaching team within the Nelson and Colne College Group.

“As a student on the Burnley FC Shadow Youth Team – male or female – you can not only expect the highest quality of training from industry experts, but also a wide range of fantastic opportunities to enhance your learning, leading on to exciting futures.”

Olivia Riley, 17, is one of the existing female Girls Post-16 Academy players on the Burnley FC programme. She said: “I’ve played football from the age of 10, and this programme is absolutely perfect for me. As well as training and playing competitive football games, it is supporting my career aspirations of becoming a physiotherapist or a coach.

“In the classroom I’m learning a range of areas including anatomy, psychology and conditioning and fitness. On the pitch, female football is growing all the time, and the standard is improving with it. We’ve played and beaten Manchester City and Everton’s teams this year, so it is going really well.”

Harry Richardson, 19, was last year’s star award winner for the Burnley FC Shadow Youth Team, progressing on to Leeds Beckett University, where he now studies Science of Sport Performance.

Harry said: “The BFC Shadow Youth Team programme was definitely the best route for me. I love football and I always knew I wanted to work in sport, whether it was coaching, teaching, or in strength and conditioning. The fact I could study a BTEC and train and play football under high quality coaches was a win, win.

“In the classroom, the teaching was very good, and it really supported me to achieve my Triple Distinction* grade at the end of the course. Now I’m at university, I’m building on the knowledge I gained during my BTEC at College. Because I was from out of the immediate area when I went to College and didn’t know anybody, the progression to university has been quite simple for me as I had the confidence from doing it all before.”

Included within the £4million of improvements at Accrington and Rossendale College are brand new industry-standard Hair and Beauty salons, innovative study spaces, and a revamped specialist Learning Resource Centre.

There are also dedicated Learner Services and Careers areas and a remodelled and modern student Refectory. Coming soon is the redevelopment of the Construction and Automotive building and transformational green space creation to enhance the campus environment.

Applicants looking to apply to Accrington and Rossendale College still have the time. If you would like to apply to study at Accrington and Rossendale College, contact 01282 440272 or visit www.accross.ac.uk

Nelson and Colne College maintains place as one of country’s leading colleges

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

Nelson and Colne College has maintained its place as one of the leading colleges in the country, across a range of academic measures.

This year, Nelson and Colne College placed as the number one FE college in the country for A Level progress, and the leading college nationally for GCSE Mathematics progress, and third in the country for GCSE English progress. This indicates that our learners achieve better results based on their GCSE grades than they would do in any other college in the country.

Now the college has been named as number one in Lancashire for 16-18 Advanced Apprenticeships and is placed second in Lancashire for 16-18 classroom achievement in the newly published National Achievement Rate Tables. These new results are all the more exceptional as they now combine Nelson and Colne College and Accrington and Rossendale College results, following their successful merger in November 2018. The performance at the Nelson campus exceeds that of the group overall.

The publication of the Government data confirms what has been another excellent year of academic performance at Nelson and Colne College, which saw it achieve a stunning rise in the highest A*-A grades at A Level in 2019, and a five percentage point rise in the number of students achieving coveted A*-B grades.

Record numbers of A Level students progressed on to Russell Group and other leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, from Nelson and Colne College in 2019. The figure could be higher in 2020, with an even greater number of A Level and vocational students receiving conditional offers from Russell Group and leading universities, including Oxbridge.

Students who enter the college without a high grade in Mathematics or English GCSE will resit those qualifications. The success of those students in achieving these essential qualifications for university entrance or to get a good job is more than twice the national average, unlocking many higher level opportunities throughout life. The college has been shortlisted for a national award for its outstanding GCSE resit provision and the announcement is due in October.

Principal Amanda Melton said: “When you look at what Nelson and Colne College has achieved over the last 12 months, it’s absolutely outstanding. We have consistently been at the top end of the National Achievement Rate Tables for classroom achievement and Apprenticeships for several years, and we have never been higher in the performance tables with our A Level and GCSE progress.

“The consistent high-quality standard of education we are renowned for has been successfully sustained during a period of significant change for the college too with our merger with Accrington and Rossendale College just over 12 months ago, which makes our achievements even more impressive.

“Our continued success is testament to a whole college effort, and in particular our phenomenal teaching team who truly are the very best in their field. They ensure that students who attend Nelson and Colne College exceed their potential year in, year out.”

As well as academic measures, Nelson and Colne College is also the number one college in the country for student satisfaction, according to the latest FE Choices Learner Survey.

Michael Bromilow, 18, formerly of Park High School, is studying Computer Science, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics. He said: “I have offers from Bath, Edinburgh, Lancaster, and York and I’m looking at going to study Natural Sciences or Maths and Physics.

“Computer Science is probably the subject that comes to me most naturally, but there is something about Maths and Physics that I really enjoy – they are the foundations of everything.

“I’ve loved my time at College – the teaching is excellent, I find the resources very good, there are places to study or socialise, and I’ve made some really good friends. The extracurricular offer is great too. I found the robotics good for my learning and I’ve really taken to archery, which is something I’ve never had the opportunity to try before.”

Marium Shafique, 21, began her journey at College on an ESOL course in 2015, before progressing to Level 1 Business and then straight to Level 3 when her tutor saw her potential. She now has offers to study at Lancaster, Liverpool and York universities.

Marium said: “When my family first moved to the area, Nelson and Colne College was recommended to us as the number one college. I have loved my time here and I have progressed so much in that time.

“I will miss it greatly when I go to university. I’ve loved the course content in Business, my teachers are brilliant and I never thought when I started I would gain offers to study at some leading business schools in the country.”

Applicants looking to apply to Nelson and Colne College or Accrington and Rossendale College still have the time. Contact 01282 440272 or visit www.nelson.ac.uk or www.accross.ac.uk to apply.

Accrington and Rossendale College goes from strength to strength as it celebrates rise in National Achievement Rate Tables

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

Accrington and Rossendale College is continuing to go from strength to strength – boosting its position in the newly published National Achievement Rate Tables following its successful merger with Nelson and Colne College.

Within 18 months of the merger, the shared benefits of joining forces with a leading College Group are coming to the fore, as Accrington and Rossendale College now sits with its partner as number one in Lancashire for 16-18 Advanced Apprenticeships.

For classroom achievement, at all ages and levels, Accrington and Rossendale College now places in the top five colleges nationally, building further on the dramatic improvements the college made in the 2019 tables.

The higher placings come soon after Accrington and Rossendale College achieved significant progress in the three main areas of inspection during a monitoring visit by Ofsted in October last year – a requirement of the merger – and at a time when a £4million transformation of the college campus enters its final phase.

Included within the redevelopment are brand new industry-standard Hair and Beauty salons, innovative study spaces, and a revamped specialist Learning Resource Centre. There are also dedicated Learner Services and Careers areas and a remodelled and modern student Refectory.

Coming soon is the redevelopment of the Construction and Automotive building and transformational green space creation to enhance the campus environment.

Principal of Nelson and Colne College Group Amanda Melton said: “This time last year, I said there was further ground that Accrington and Rossendale College could gain following the merger with Nelson and Colne College, and I think we have achieved that in a range of areas in the intervening 12 months.

“Whether it is in classroom learning, Apprenticeship achievement, significant progress with Ofsted or the complete modernisation of the Accrington and Rossendale College estate, the whole College Group has pulled together during a period of significant change to deliver the required positive improvements, and I’m very proud of this achievement.

“Our job now is to continue improving and to bring the extraordinary to Accrington, one of the many shared benefits of being in a leading College Group led by Nelson and Colne College.”

Kian Wilding, 18, has risen up through the levels in Carpentry and Joinery and is now a Level 3 Advanced Apprentice at Frank Anthony Kitchens in Blackburn. Kian, formerly of Hyndburn Academy, said: “I’ve always been hands on and Carpentry and Joinery is perfect for me – it’s a passion and I love it.

“I fit kitchens, work on bespoke jobs, and I enjoy developing my skills. There’s nothing better than completing a quality piece of work for a happy customer. I work with some amazing colleagues and a good employer and if there is anything I need at work then help is there.

“When I’m in College, I find the facilities are very good, my tutors are experienced and supportive, and they are also organised. I feel like I’m always on track and progressing in the right direction. I would definitely recommend Accrington and Rossendale College.”

Former St Augustine’s RC High School student Molly Simmonds, 18, who is studying Level 3 Health and Social Work Professions at Accrington and Rossendale College, said: “I really like the idea of working with elderly people as I think it is a very rewarding career.

“Accrington and Rossendale College has been great as the course content has been ideal, and I’ve had excellent careers advice. I’ve also had two work placements – one in a care home and one in an elderly ward at hospital – and these have really helped shape my career goal. My next step is to progress to the University of York to study Social Work.”

Applicants looking to apply to Accrington and Rossendale College still have the time. If you would like to apply to study at Accrington and Rossendale College, contact 01282 440272 or visit www.accross.ac.uk

Students: work hard, but remember you are more than an exam

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

They say a week is a long time in politics, and the same can be said in education too. I write this column during unprecedented times, and today’s publication marks two weeks since we at Nelson and Colne College Group took the extraordinary decision to mobilise our curriculum teams to entirely deliver teaching and learning online as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

The week of the switch from classroom to virtual delivery was extremely challenging, emotional and stressful for colleagues in all departments across College. Though our day to day lives have been turned upside down, it was an overhaul borne out of necessity, and an unwavering commitment to the education of our students and the community that we serve.

Uncertainty around exams and the award of qualifications followed, but we now have more clarity on this. The overall message is that students’ results are going to be largely based on teacher assessment. Students at College should be reassured that these decisions will fall to our phenomenal teachers, who are the best placed professionals to make such assessment on ability. They have a wealth of assessment information upon which to make an accurate judgement, and I’m reassured that the grades awarded will be a fair reflection.

Of course, exams and assessments are one measure of a student’s ability, and we have been encouraging students to continue to work hard in their studies to give a good account of themselves and ensure that any further progress achieved between now and the normal exam period is considered.

But we know that College students here at Nelson and Colne College Group are much more than a set of exam results. We develop well-rounded individuals that are ready for their next step in their careers. I want all of our students to remember this, especially those concerned about their immediate futures.

We create good citizens, with compassion, a willingness to help, and an understanding of the community around them. And it is a time to demonstrate just how good we are as citizens right now by supporting one another through this crisis.

We are in the middle of a national lockdown to protect the most vulnerable in society, and to allow our valuable NHS – of which many of our students will know through work placements with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust – with the space it needs to support those suffering greatest with coronavirus.

Be good citizens, help those in the community who need it most, and above all, take care, stay safe, and stay at home if you can. Together we will weather this storm.

Until next month, best wishes. Amanda.

Students – Carry on studying.

Posted on by Gabriella Shaw

I write this column during unprecedented times, and today’s publication marks two weeks since Nelson and Colne College Group, along with all schools and colleges nationally, mobilised our curriculum teams to entirely deliver teaching and learning online as a result of the national lockdown.

The week of the switch from classroom to online delivery was extremely challenging and emotional for colleagues and students in all departments across College. In many cases, this was our last few days with students heading to universities or jobs this autumn, and we felt we didn’t really have chance to properly say goodbye. I think our hopes to be back after the Easter holidays were unrealistic, though we remain optimistic that we can get back to our normal working practices soon. I’m sure we will be able to celebrate the achievement of this year’s departing students once this situation is behind us.

Though our day to day lives have been turned upside down, it was an overhaul borne out of necessity, and an unwavering commitment to the education of our students and the community that we serve. I’m really pleased that we managed to get our systems up and running to enable students, teachers and our support staff to operate remotely. I’m grateful to those very few staff members who continue to deliver our essential business continuity, so that we can all learn or work at home, be paid and pay our suppliers, and look after our premises in readiness for our return. 

A degree of uncertainty remains about summer exams. We expect more clarity in the coming days on how students will receive their grades, probably in July. The overall message is that students’ qualifications will be awarded based on how well they have performed and continue to perform outside of formal exams. In all cases we have encouraged those students due to complete at College this summer to continue to study, in order improve their skills and knowledge, and be in the best possible position to progress to university or into an Apprenticeship once this crisis has abated.

Our students typically make great progress in this final term, as they practice what they have learned, and consolidate their knowledge. We are doing everything we can to ensure that this progress is not lost. Our teaching teams are continuing to teach online, and all students know where they need to go to participate in learning and access learning and assessment materials. Our expectation is that all our students continue to engage with College, and we will make contact where that’s not happening.

In many cases we have had to address the needs of students who don’t have internet access at home, and in some cases provide a computer they can use during the day while parents are also working remotely.

We are in the middle of a national lockdown to protect the most vulnerable in society, and to protect our valuable NHS so that it can cope with the volume of patients needing treatment. I call on our students to abide by the guidance offered. Take daily exercise alongside your studies, but above all, stay at home to protect the NHS.

I wish you all good health in the weeks ahead.

Amanda

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