College News

This unique event, which is now in its fifth year, saw the students take key roles across the Hotel including front of house, catering and housekeeping.  Across the weekend, the students prepared and served nearly 1,750 covers, welcomed 520 guests and made over £38k revenue.

Students were praised for their efforts at an awards ceremony held at College on Monday 20 May.  Clint Marsh, the General Manager, said, “The students did so well. They were extremely professional and it was very difficult to tell them apart from the hotel staff. The guests didn’t realise that the takeover had taken place.”

The positions were advertised to the students who then had to complete an application and interview process organised by the College and Hotel management. In previous years staff have been on hand to support the students – this year the number of staff was dramatically reduced, leaving the students in control. The four-star Hotel is also home to an award winning 2 AA rosette restaurant, conference facilities, fitness centre and Innerspirit Spa. 

The students received high praise from a member of the public who enjoyed a meal in the Brasserie restaurant at The Langstone and was let in to the secret when she offered her praise to the Head Chef.

Lorraine High said, “I would like to congratulate the students at South Downs College for their incredible contribution to our weekend away. I was totally amazed at the standard of food that we were served. Every aspect of the meal was first class. The presentation, content and the service were of the highest level expected of fine dining. I had no idea that it was students who were responsible for such exceptionally high quality food and service. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of them for their contribution to a memorable meal and I wish them all the very best of luck for the future.”

South Downs College and The Langstone Hotel have developed a close working partnership over a number of years and the Takeover is just another example of how successful this relationship has been.  This partnership was recognised and praised when the project won the CATEY ‘Extra Mile’ award.

Not only does the takeover give students hands-on industry experience, a boost to the CV of any young person trying to make their way in the working world, but it has also led to employment opportunities for some of the top students.

Georgia Atkins took on the role of General Manager and is pictured with Clint Marsh, General Manager of the Langstone Hotel.

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'Sport Maker of the Month’ is a Sport Hampshire and Isle Of Wight initiative that recognises a person who has committed their time and effort to get people to be more active and to make sport happen in their community.
 
Elena helps out at Generation 2 Table Tennis Club in Fareham, encouraging the younger members to enjoy the sport and have fun. She believes in the importance of getting children involved in sport at a young age to try to encourage lifelong participation.

She also helps get people involved in Table Tennis at South Downs College, working with a broad range of ability levels from absolute beginners to regular participants. The sessions are relaxed with the emphasis on having fun and socialising rather than competition. She also helps out ad hoc on a range of other sporting activities locally to get people active.

Elena is keen to develop new skills as part of her Sport Maker journey and is currently trying to improve her golf swing!

South Downs College is one of only a few Further Education establishments to have a full time ‘College Sport Maker’ in post. Our Sport Maker, Matt Webber, is responsible for increasing opportunities for students to take part in sport, while linking to community projects.

Matt said, “I am really pleased that Ellie received this award. It is recognition for her work in sport and shows that there are young people out there who are willing to give up their own time to help others.

“My role at the College is to encourage and motivate students to take part in more activity and provide them with the tools to organise sport for themselves and their peers. The Sport Maker programme is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn life skills such as leadership, communication and organisation, while being active.

“Ellie has shown that the hard work pays off. Sport plays a vital role in students’ overall College experience. We have a really wide range and variety of sport and activity programmes on offer at South Downs College and it provides lots of opportunities for the students to play for fun, compete, socialise and lead their own sessions."

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The dance 'We Interrupt This Broadcast' is set in a zombie apocalyptic world where the zombies are a metaphor for the fall of culture. In this piece the zombies are unthinking creatures who stopped following the rules long ago and aim to create fear and chaos with what is left of the human race.

The competition took place at the Portsmouth Guildhall and our students were there from 8am. They didn't perform until 10.30pm but did have the opportunity to watch other performances - a very long day, but the students really enjoyed it.

BTEC Dance student Jordan Davidson said, "It was so exciting dancing to an audience of 2,000 people - I'm absolutely buzzing! What an incredible opportunity!"

The judges were very complementary of the performance, saying that the piece was of an outstanding professional level and that they can't wait to see it in the premier finals.

South Downs College has competed in this competition for many years and, due to the continued success of the College year on year, the team is now in the Premier League of the competition. This means that the students showcase their high standard of work to local schools before competing in the Premier competition which will be held on Friday 21 June.

Due to the continual success over the years, South Downs College is now in the premier league which means that we have to showcase our high standard of work to local schools before competing in the premier competition. The College is eligible to win awards for the showcase but not for a a final ranking.

If you would like to see our students perform, tickets for the Premier Final are available from the Portsmouth Guildhall website.

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The Guelph team were on tour in England for ten days completing a combination of cultural visits, training and playing matches against UK teams. They also attended a couple of Premier League games including Southampton v West Bromwich Albion and Reading v Queens Park Rangers.

Academy Reserves manager Ollie Jones said, “The visit from Guelph University has given our students a great opportunity to mix with students from other countries and be tested against new opposition. The students from Guelph are older and physically stronger so the game was a challenge for them.

“Quite a few of our students progress from the Football Academy to university in the USA where the training set up is much different to here. Meeting this Canadian team and seeing how they prepare for games and finding out about their fitness planning has given my team a good insight into what studying and playing football in the USA would be like.”

Reserves captain Josh Fry added, “This has been a really good experience for us. We are playing the game we all feel we know so well but there are lots of differences between how it is played here and in Canada. I am hoping to continue playing at university so this has given me a good idea of what the next stage will involve.”

The trip was organised by the Guelph University team manager Keith Mason. He explained that the team usually travel to Florida at this time of year to play US colleges but they decided to try coming to the UK. He said, “This trip has been a great experience. The team have really loved it and I hope that we will be able to come again. I am particularly pleased that we were able to see West Brom play as I am a lifelong fan!”

In the match, the team from Guelph University displayed their skills and really tested the Academy Reserves. In the end, their experience and strength won through as Guelph won 6-1.

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With the scores still locked at 1-1 after extra time, it was down to penalty kicks – with Matt Rowland coolly netting the winner in a memorable 5-4 triumph.

Assistant Manager Pete Joddrell and Academy Director Stu Page took the reins for the South Downs Hawks in the absence of Academy Team Manager Paul Barton, who has been forced to take a break due to serious illness for this tough encounter against the Academy of a full-time professional club Aldershot Town. Clearly the Hawks were the under-dogs going into the game but perhaps this gave them just the impetus they needed to more than compete with the Shots.

Both teams played some neat and tidy football in the opening 20 minutes, with the Hawks looking the more dangerous. Aldershot’s keeper Luke Williams proved his worth with a superb double save denying Curtis Thorn on 22 minutes. Although Aldershot had large periods of possession, the Hawks terrific discipline and shape continued to thwart any serious attacks and is wasn’t until the half hour that the visitors launched their first meaningful when Kofi Halliday’s low shot went wide. However, on 38 minutes the Shots broke the deadlock with their first significant effort on target. Against the run of play the Hawks failed to clear their lines and the ball fell kindly to Shot’s Elliott Blair who gave Hawks keeper Charlie Searle no chance as he powered home a shot from just inside the box.

Industrious work from Butwell almost paid off as the hosts began the second half in determined mood. But after wrestling the ball from a defender, he teed up Liam Bradbury one on one with the Shots keeper only for the winger’s shot to miss the target. As the Hawks grew in confidence their rivals applied pressure. However it was the Hawks who had the greater opportunities to score, notably when Josh Benfield stung Williams’ hands with a thunderous drive.

In the dying seconds and as the game looked to be going Aldershot’s way, Hawks keeper Charlie Searle sent one last punt up field. His kick was brilliantly helped on with a deft flick from Matt Rowland into the path of Josh Benfield who with some good fortune steered his shot just wide of the Shots keeper and off the post into the net to equalise. This sent the Hawks players and supporters delirious with delight and sent the game in to extra time.

Searle and Mitchell Frost snuffed out the best Aldershot could offer in the additional 30 minutes, while Casey Bartlett-Scott tried his luck from long range for the Hawks but in the end spot-kicks settled it. Aldershot elected to take the first penalty as both sides clinically scored their first 4 attempt. However Aldershot’s 5th penalty taker, No 8 Bobby Webbe, saw his attempt thunderously rebound off the Hawks crossbar. Hawks Matt Rowland calmly strolled up to his penalty and sent the Aldershot keeper the wrong way to send the Hawks players into a frenzy of delight and transfer the residency of the Hants Under 18 Cup from Aldershot’s to the South Downs Hawks Academy’s trophy cabinet.

Stu Page paid tribute to his opposite number and old friend at Aldershot - Terry Boyle, “I am so proud of the lads for what they achieved tonight. I also wish to thank Aldershot’s Academy Director Terry Boyle who, although disappointed genuinely congratulated me and my team on a great display of football.”

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The Havant Federation consists of nine schools in the Havant area, including Cowplain Community School, Hayling College, Park Community School, Purbrook Park School, Havant Academy, Oaklands Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Horndean Technology College, Prospect School and Warblington School.

All exhibitors provided hands-on activities for the students to take part in, giving them ideas and inspiration for their future career paths. Local colleges and universities provided subject information including South Downs College, Havant Sixth Form College, Chichester College, Highbury College, Fareham College, the University of Portsmouth and the University of Chichester.

Practical activities included steering Xyratex speedboat around a virtual harbour, mini makeovers performed by South Downs College Hair and Beauty students and Havant College’s exciting science experiment that sent plastic cups shooting up to the ceiling from a water bottle. There was also the chance to carry out soldering with Highbury College, removing wheel bolts with Chichester College and a sporty ping pong challenge with Fareham College.

Hilton Hotels encouraged students to consider what characteristics are required for different members of the team at the hotel while Churchers Solicitors had a range of case studies for the students to consider and decide on the appropriate verdict.

Chloe Giles, Schools Liaison Co-ordinator at South Downs College, supported the Federation by arranging the event. She said, “The event this year was a great success. We had five colleges at the event and, between us all, we represented the extensive range of subject areas that are on offer to these students when they progress to further education. We also had a number of local employers and training providers in attendance who all commented on how successful the event had been. We were able to build on the success of last year’s event at Havant Sixth Form College and provide an even wider range of opportunities for the students to explore.”

The Fair provides a fantastic opportunity for the students to discover the wide ranging career paths that are open to them when they complete their studies at school.

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Students received awards for excellent examination results, outstanding performance in work placements and impressive determination to succeed.

South Downs College enjoys close links with a large number of local employers and this is reflected in the number of awards that were sponsored by these companies. These companies offer a wide range of work experience opportunities for our students, enhancing CVs and helping them to progress on completion of their courses.

This has been a particularly successful year for the College with an A level pass rate of 99.7%. 790 students from A level and Vocational courses progressed to higher education in October 2012.

Award winners included:

Principal’s Awards for Excellence - Charlotte Uden and Lauren Jerome

Charlotte achieved A levels at A* for English Literature and Music, and an A grade in Mathematics. She commences studies at London School of Economics in October.

Lauren achieved A levels with A* grades in Classics, Mathematics, Psychology and an A in Biology. She is reading Psychology at the University of Bath.

Vice Principal’s Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement - Thomas Kelsey

Tom achieved three A* graded A levels in Spanish, Government & Politics, and History. He commences studies at London School of Economics in October.

Vice Principal’s Award for Adult and Continuing Education - Darren Ellis

Darren achieved the CYQ Level 2 Fitness Instructor qualification and has progressed to the VTCT Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy course.

Outstanding Vocational Achievement - India Clausen

India achieved Distinction*, Distinction*, Distinction* in the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production (Mixed/Print) and an A grade in AS level Photography. She is reading Visual Communications at the Arts University Bournemouth.

Outstanding Performance in the Workplace - Freddie Harper

Freddie progressed from Foundation to Level 1 Automotive Studies. Out of 4000 students nationwide on a BT work experience programme he was awarded ‘Student of the Year’.

Governors’ Award for Endeavour - Jessica Stuart

Jessica progressed from the National Diploma to HND Music. She became pregnant during her HND programme and returned to College to achieve a merit grade overall. She is now following her dream to work with young children in a nursery and taking the lead in music projects.

Exceptional Achievement Award for a First Year Student – Clair Scullion

Clair achieved nine distinctions for the Hairdressing City and Guilds Level 2 Diploma (VRQ). She has now progressed to Level 3 Hairdressing.

Apprentice of the Year – Bradley Hughes

Bradley completed a Senior Steward Apprenticeship at Southampton Football Club and progressed to a Learning and Development Apprenticeship which involves teaching in Further Education.

14-16 Student – James Clapson

James was awarded the NVQ1 Performing Engineering Operations qualification and has gained an engineering apprenticeship with ICEE Ltd.

A full list of award winners is available here

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Students who are currently studying for a Level 2 qualification in the catering department were invited to submit their menu suggestions for a three course meal that could be included on the County Caterers menu. These were considered by the Managing Director of County Caterers and the top three submissions progressed to the competition final, held on Wednesday 6 March 2013.

Finalists Mark Convoy, David Wiggins and Stuart Turner had to prepare and serve their menu using both the County Caterers main kitchen and then the kitchens on HMS Warrior. The meal was then served to the judging panel, consisting of celebrity chef Anna Hansen MBE, Rob McLeary, Head Chef at The Modern Pantry, Dave Humphreys, Managing Director of County Caterers, Captain Ken Jones and Carol Godsmark, Food Critic from The News.

The judges were incredibly impressed with all of the entries and named the following dishes as winners:

Starter – Mushroom Tart created by Stuart Turner

Main Course – Sea Bass served with Anna potatoes, baby leeks, asparagus, crab salsa and a pea foam created by David Wiggins

Dessert – Rhubarb, Cinnamon and Ginger Cheesecake created by Mark Convoy

Each finalist received a set of professional knives and a cookery book. The main reward, however, is the inclusion of the winning dishes in the County Caterers portfolio for the year 2013.

Competitions such as this help to broaden the horizons of our students, giving them ideas for progression after College and a chance to challenge their skills in a new setting. Many students progress from Catering courses each year directly into the industry.

A group of BTEC Level 3 Creative Media students filmed the competition final days. You can watch the video, filmed and edited by Brice Munn, Tim Wickens, Jade Hobman and Samual Pack below.

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The students started their challenge at Havant Leisure Centre, completing a swim of 1 mile (64 lengths). They then cycled from the Havant Leisure Centre to Fratton Park, a distance of 7 miles, and finished the challenge with a 7.5 mile run back to South Downs College where they were cheered across the finish line by friends, fellow students and lecturers.

The thirteen students, who are studying the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performance and Excellence, undertook the gruelling challenge alongside lecturers and support staff from the College.

As part of their course, the students need to plan, arrange and hold an event that promotes sporting activity. Lecturer Ollie Jones said, “This was a real test of the fitness levels and determination of the team. They all train regularly during the week but this kind of challenge is really tough. Their organisation skills were also challenged and they really excelled in this. They chose the Help for Heroes charity in memory of former student Richard Hollington. Richard was a member of the football team here at South Downs College as well as a public Services student. Richard sadly lost his life in Afghanistan and the students felt that this was a fitting tribute to a great athlete.”

Lucy Jeffs said, “The day was very successful and thankfully saw everyone cross the finish line. Whether focused on simply finishing or getting the best time possible it is fair to say that everyone played their part in raising awareness and money for both charities.”

Fellow student Louis Searle added, “Although the event was extremely hard at the time, when I look back on it now I am really happy that I put in the determination to complete it and feel that it was really worth the effort that everyone put into it, from start to finish.”

Richard’s former tutor Helen Hill said “The students decided to have a group photo taken by Richard’s memorial at the College – I think this was when it all became a reality for them. We do a lot of work at the College to celebrate Richard’s memory and this is just another example of how we remember him.”

Speaking to The News, Richard Hollington’s father Richard said, “‘We remain stunned by the constant events that people put on to raise funds. ‘I think South Downs College is just awesome. Bear in mind that none of the students at the College would know Richard now, he left in 2005.”

The student’s hard work paid off as they raised an impressive £1000 to be donated to Help for Heroes and the British Heart Foundation.

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The Academy is comprised of students from the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performance and Excellence course.

Pete Joddrell, Assistant 1st Team Manager, Lecturer and Senior Tutor for BTEC Sport praised his students, “For the team to reach the final for a second year running is an outstanding achievement. Most of the students will be playing against a professional academy team for the first time and I’m confident we will give a good account of ourselves. We lost in the final 3-1 last year; I’m hoping to better that this year.”

Student Mitchell Frost, 1st year academy student studying a BTEC Diploma in Sport, said, “This is probably the biggest game of my life. Last year I watched this game from the stands as a Year 11 student. This year I am playing in it – I’m very excited!”

The Hawks face professional club Aldershot Town FC’s Academy at West Leigh Park on Monday 29 April, kick off 8:00pm. Tickets are priced at £4.00 for adults and £1.00 for concessions. Under 10’s go free. Come along and support the South Downs Hawks!

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This year, they are planning to raise even more money for the charity and have got some local celebrities to design cards for the packs. These include Linvoy Primus, David James, graphic designer Kate Moross, local artists Barry Abrook and Mark Kellett and students from across the College from Level 1 to Level 3 Extended Diploma and Graphic Design apprentices.

The theme for the pack of cards this year is ‘heroes’ and designs include Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and Charles Dickens.

Paul Parsons, graphic design lecturer at the College who has been supporting the students in their designing, said, “Tom passed away when he was just 16. All of the students that have created the artwork are about the same age. I wanted everyone to be aware of this particular cancer and what it is all about. Life is so precious and we want to grab the moment.”

The cards will be on sale on Friday 19 April in the College and the students have arranged for some of the Portsmouth FC players to visit the College after their training session. The South Downs College Student Union are also arranging lots of other activities on the day including Blue Pool Tournaments, blue cakes and more.

The playing cards will then be on sale at Fratton Park on Saturday 20 April before Pompey’s home game against Sheffield United. The students hope to raise £3000 for the charity through this enterprising activity.

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Both pairs did extremely well, with one team being declared the winners and the second team gaining fourth place.

The winning team consisted of Tom Searson and Ruth Thackray who are both studying the City and Guilds Level 3 Diploma in Professional Cookery. Matt Essery and Kit Lauder also did extremely well for the College, achieving fourth place in the regional final.

Lecturer Sean Denny accompanied the students to the regional final. He said, “Both teams were excellent ambassadors for the College. I was extremely impressed with their professional attitude, mature outlook and behaviour and, most of all, the quality of their work.”

Described as a key industry contest that provides young chefs a chance to demonstrate their flair, understanding and skill using seafood from sustainable sources, it consists of four regional heats in total where two teams from each heat will go forward to the grand final at the Grimsby Institute on May 10.

The competition is for full-time and college-based modern apprentice chefs and is supported by some of the UK's finest chefs who recognise the importance of sustainable seafood. These include: Tom Aikens, Mitch Tonks, Franck Pontais, Valentina Harris and Atul Kochhar.

Colleges could enter as many teams as they wish but each team had to consist of two student chefs. Their challenge is to prepare, cook and present a three-course menu for six covers, one of which was presented to the judging panel for tasting, while four were served to invited VIP guests and one put on display.

The teams had to use specific seafood species and certain products. These included langoustines/live mussels as well as a product from Koppert Cress' range of micro cresses in the first course.

In the second course, they had to use traditional Grimsby smoked haddock to show their skills in using one species, and in the third course whole cod/whole turbot to demonstrate their filleting skills and techniques.

The top prize includes the coveted trophy, £1,000 of Russums vouchers for the winning college, £500 for each team member as well as many other prizes. We wish Tom and Ruth the best of luck for the grand final on Friday 10 May.

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The event was devised and organised by IBM apprentices including former South Downs College ICT student Lawrence Abde Amin (pictured). They were set the challenge of coming up with ideas to help a fictional retailer, Belle Modele, improve their business.

The students had to prepare questions to interview two of the organisation’s management team including the Chief Executive Officer, Marketing Director, Finance Director and Creative Director, as part of the role play. The groups had to present their ideas to a panel of judges and their peers.

The students did brilliantly in the task and our own A level ICT student, Jessica McKnight, was part of the winning team coming up with the most creative ideas within the budget allocated.

Students on the trip commented:

“This was great to do as it gave us a taster of what work would be like at IBM. The part of the trip that I enjoyed the most was creating ideas with my team. This was because it was challenging and I got to work with people I hadn't met before.”
 
“I particularly enjoyed the challenge of building the presentation with people I have never met before. I also enjoyed the opportunity to dismantle and have a look inside the servers. I gained an insight into what an apprentice does at IBM and the many different routes available inside IBM.”

“Taking a trip to IBM with South Downs was an exhilarating insight to the options and possibilities available to us as students for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to demonstrate my skills of working with a team and supporting others.”

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The school children were invited in to take part in the mini Olympics – a week-long programme of activity sessions designed and run by South Downs College students. The mini Olympics, which is now in its 15th year at the College, has seen the number of schools wanting to take part increase year after year. This year was no different with a record number of nine schools taking part,

Inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games, all of the visiting school children were enthusiastic about the activities and had a great time. Two of the visiting students were overheard to say, “This was the best day of my life,” and “I intend to join South Downs College when I am older.”

Students from across the Sport and Public Services curriculum lead the activity days with support from Health and Care students. Activities included the climbing wall, wheelchair basketball and challenge games that involved English and maths skills. Gold medals were awarded for those who put the maximum effort into their activities.

Yvonne Elliott, Head of Sport and Public Services, said, “We have been running the mini Olympics for fifteen years now. The week helps to develop our student’s coaching and leadership skills and also helps to get younger children interested in sport and fitness.”

The following junior schools took part in the mini Olympics: Upham, Durley, Meonstoke, Droxford Junior, Newtown and Soberton, Wickham, Riders, Morelands and Curdridge.

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Nadine Blake studied beauty therapy at South Downs whilst suffering from cystic fibrosis.  Sadly, Nadine lost her battle with cystic fibrosis just a week before our show.  It was Nadine’s wish that as much money as possible should be raised to help fund essential research into the condition as well as to promote the importance of organ donation. 

The event, which showcases work created by Level 2 and Level 3 students at the College, was held at the Langstone Hotel on Friday 8 March with three shows throughout the day. Staff, students and their families gathered to watch the show that displays skills and techniques developed throughout the year and the imaginative designs created by each student.

The evening show displayed work of Level 3 students studying for Diplomas in Hair and Production Arts Make-Up. Nadine’s former tutor said, “Nadine was a bubbly girl, always had a smile on her face even on the days when she wasn’t feeling her best.  She worked very hard to get through her treatments even though it took a lot out of her.  Nadine had a passion for nails and lashes and would make sure her lashes were reapplied after a facial, even if her make-up wasn’t!  Nadine was a pleasure to teach.”

Proceeds from sales of tickets as well as a huge raffle will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis charity at Southampton General Hospital.

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The trip, which involves activities that reflect the key aspects of the syllabus, involved a visit to an open air museum showing life in rural communities, an oyster producer, various food industries and the prehistoric site of Carnac.

The local newspaper featured the South Downs College students as they discovered the impact that the Second World War had on the area. The students visited museums that focused on the Resistance in Brittany and the progress of the war in the region. They learnt more about one Resistance group during a presentation by the local history group – learning about the lengths some people went to, some of whom were the same age as the participating students. This day of research reinforced their studies of “Au Revoir Les Enfants” a film based in 1944 France.

Saturday morning was a day of culinary exploration as the students learnt how to create the Breton gastronomic specialities, the Far Breton and galettes and crêpes. Added to all this were evening meals with invited guests who  shared their knowledge of Breton life, the current census taking place in France as well as tourism and perhaps, more importantly, what it means to live and be part of a region with such a strong cultural identity.

The trip concluded with a traditional Fest Noz – an evening of Breton music and dance - held at the Mill and enjoyed by all.

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Emily is currently studying for an Access to Higher Education qualification at South Downs College. When she told her tutors that she wanted to apply for Cambridge they shared her excitement and enthusiasm and supported her in writing her personal statement. Five drafts were completed and, with help from the Career Zone at the College, Emily submitted her application just before the UCAS deadline.

Only four colleges at University accept mature students and Emily has been successful in her application to Hughes Hall. She was invited for interview before Christmas and received support from the College to prepare for this. A visitor from Oxford visited South Downs College to complete mock interviews and Emily also watched YouTube videos and read books relevant to her study. She also received invaluable advice from her tutor – to breathe! Emily said, “This sounds silly but it is fairly vital! I think that I was as prepared as I could have been, but nerves always make it seem otherwise.”

“I would definitely recommend the Access course! I've enjoyed every lesson of it so far, the atmosphere is great and it's a brilliant way to get on the path to university. You do hit the ground running, but you're in a class of motivated students and the tutors are nothing but encouraging and supportive. “

Emily needs to achieved Distinction grades in all units of her course to meet the offer from Cambridge but is confident that she will be able to succeed. On completion of her Bachelor of Arts qualification, Emily hopes to progress to read Library Science at Masters Level. This will involve working with old texts and manuscripts and preserving and archiving old books and scripts.

If you want to find out more about Access to Higher Education courses, improving your English or maths skills or taking a part time course, come along to South Downs College on Thursday 21 March 5.30 – 7.30pm. There will be free careers advice and information on courses, costs and free courses.  You can also do a quick skills check to see what level you are working at, and find out how we can help you reach the next level.

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Staff and students in the Music Department got together to not only write and record the 30-second advert, but to mix it to radio standard. The jingle was written by Paul Loder, course manager for BTEC Extended Diploma in Music. He said: “I wanted something that sounded really catchy, a hook that would get stuck in your head. I provided a demo which the HND students re-recorded and engineered.”

This was then sent to Jon Callender, who taught recording across a number of courses in the Music Department. He worked with HND Music Production students, who recorded the vocals and engineered the final product.

Jon said: “This was a real-life commercial project which prepares the students for the type of work they can expect. They were, in effect, professional sound engineers and producers.”

Music student Guy Steffell-Flint said, “It took probably more than 40 hours to create the ad for a 29.9 second piece. It was very interesting learning different ways of recording, producing and creating the sounds, also working with new people. Working on a radio edit, rather than an EP for a band, needed very different techniques.”

Lewis Harry said, “I came up with the idea to include the South Downs slogan Inspire - Achieve - Succeed and when Paul Loder came in with the jingle, the room flooded with ideas. We all had a great time working on their radio project and, given the chance, I’m sure we’d all love to do it again. On everyone’s behalf, we’re all extremely proud of how it all turned out in the end.”

Voice-overs and vocals also came from the Music Department, including students Summer Jansen and Rob Robertson, Toby Turner and lecturer Damon Newton-Goode.

The result will be played across Heart, Capital and Jack FM in the run-up to the March 5 Open Evening.

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Drive time presenter Adam Inker and Emily Segal from the Capital Breakfast show spoke to students about what it's like to work in radio. They also showed them a video of all the different jobs available within a radio station. The main aim of the visit was to demonstrate to students how they can get into the media industry. Capital also offer internship, which is how many people in radio break into the industry.

Capital FM's target audience is college students and people in their early 20's and the station's parent company, Global Radio, is the largest Commercial Radio Organisation in the country; also owning the Heart brand, along with other stations including Gold, XFM, Choice and Classic FM.

Media Lecturer Louise Reed organised the visit as part of the Media Fair; Louise is also a broadcast journalist for Capital and Heart and said, "It was a really successful event, the students enjoyed meeting the people who they listen to on the radio every day. Media is a competitive area to break into, the jobs are there for those who want them though. A visit like this is incredibly encouraging for the students, they can see that if they work hard, they can achieve what they want to do in life".

The students asked lots of questions, and some had their pictures taken. Some also stayed behind to find out more about how they could apply for work experience and an internship.

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This year’s event saw 20 exhibitors, including Express FM, Pompey Study Centre, Solent Youth Action and Kings Theatre taking over the Career Zone and Reception area promoting many opportunities to not only our students, but staff as well!

The event, arranged by Laura Simons from Career Zone, was well attended by students from across the College. Many complete work experience as part of their course and are inspired by these short placements to work as a volunteer on a more permanent basis.

Sport Makers got our competitive students ‘shooting hoops’ with miniature basketball and competing in miniature table tennis. The Mary Rose brought along some of the museums exhibits, while Express FM were keeping us entertained with local and up and coming bands.

The day saw a steady flow of students and tutor groups exploring the different opportunities available to them and the benefits of volunteering. In particular, the care sector proved very popular with over 50 students making enquiries and signing up with either Brendon Care or Vitalise. 25 students signed up with Community First and The Mary Rose Trust had 8 applications made, while it seems Tall Ships was popular with the staff!

Karen Wood, a Public Services lecturer brought her tutor group to the event. Karen is a great supporter of volunteering opportunities and volunteers at Cosham Fire Station. She said, “The Service is like a family and as soon as I started working with the firefighters I found myself getting interested and involved in the huge spectrum of things they do; it’s no longer a volunteering role but a lifestyle.”

Students inspired by the event have been applying for the available opportunities ever since. Those that are successful will both boost their CV and Personal Statements for university but also develop essential life skills through the placements. The exhibitors all gave excellent feedback and are keen to be involved in future College events.

South Downs College

The Gold accreditation and Centre of Excellence status has been awarded by People 1st, the Catering industry’s sector skills council, after an in depth inspection by a team from the organisation assisted by an AA Hotel Services Inspector.

Only four other UK colleges have been successful in achieving Gold status of which three are Centres of Excellence. The Gold accreditation recognises ‘colleges and providers that achieve the best in their class and demonstrate a progressive and sustainable commitment to matching learners’ skills with employers’ needs.

In addition South Downs College has been accredited as a centre of excellence in Food Services “Excelling in the delivery of specific skills, increasing employers’ confidence that their needs will be met in specialist areas through clear development pathways and direct links to industry.”

Gerry Shurman, Head of Catering, Hospitality and Travel at the College, said, “The Gold accreditation is recognition of our outstanding achievement over the years during which we have become a leading centre for Catering and Hospitality education. This award has been a fantastic boost to our magnificent students who, supported by a committed teaching team and outstanding facilities, have achieved so much! The students are elated by the accolade which will result in a whole range of benefits and increased opportunities to progress their studies and careers in the Hospitality Industry.”

The Presentation of Certificates to mark accreditation will take place on Tuesday 12 March at the People 1st/PACE National conference in Nottingham in front of over 300 employers and representatives of Hospitality Education and Training centres.

For further information on the award, please visit www.restaurant.southdowns.ac.uk

South Downs College