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Welcome to Wakefield College’s Annual Report for 2010/11 a year which saw the College continue to make significant improvements in its achievements thanks to fantastic results from our students across all levels of our provision.I hope that, in addition to the financial information you would expect to find in an Annual Report, this document will give you an overview of the excellent work the College does in the region and an idea of the breadth and richness of our provision.
This year has been one of change for the College. I was proud to be appointed Principal in March and I have witnessed a tremendous spirit in the organisation which has been instrumental in helping the College to continue to deliver success in the face of significant change in the education landscape and of impending cuts in our funding.
There has been a significant amount of change in the College’s public face too with the extensive refurbishment of our city centre campus beginning this year and due for completion in September 2012.
The multi-phase project will ensure that the College continues to offer the high standard of facilities which are so richly deserved by the people of the district.
One aspect of our College that hasn’t changed is the success of our students. This year our A Level students achieved a pass rate of over 95% for the seventh year in succession, and while we take pride in their achievements and those of all our students who continue to improve the success rate of the College, we remain determined to continue these successes in 2012 and beyond.
Sam Wright, Principal
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It is important that Wakefield has a successful College which matches and raises the aspirations of the District. While I have been Chair of Governors of the College I have seen a steady and continued improvement in the College’s academic record, in its relationships and partnerships with business and in its innovation and ability to meet the challenge of ongoing changes in the funding of the education sector.Each member of the Board of Governors is proud of the College’s achievements and of our students’ examination successes. Seeing the delight of our students at the College Awards and Graduation ceremonies is a huge boost to everyone in attendance and encourages our Governors to redouble their efforts to assist the College in its quest to improve the lives of everyone it touches.
The year 2010/11 is my final year as Chair of Governors and I reflect warmly on the
developments that have happened during my association with the College, from the fantastic skillsXchange building and the ongoing developments at Margaret Street to the growing apprenticeship programmes, our excellent vocational courses and our superb sixth form and higher education provision.
It has been a great pleasure to have led Wakefield College’s governing body these past six years, but it is now time for change, something we have been planning for these past two years. I will be forever grateful to each Governor, as well as to the three Principals with whom I’ve worked and the staff who serve the College so diligently and provide an excellent student experience.
For now, I wish Kevin Henry every success in his role of Chair of Governors. Under his leadership, the Governors now look forward to the College going from strength to strength through 2011/12 and beyond, continuing to bring success and high achievement to everyone it works with.
Cath Orange,
Chair of Governors -
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Partnership agreement boosts local education in healthcare
In September 2010 Julia Squire, Chief Executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, and Sue Griffiths, then Principal of Wakefield College, signed a five-year partnership agreement to help develop local education in healthcare.
The agreement formally recognised continued joint working between the two organisations, helping to ensure the existence of a highly skilled local healthcare workforce offering the best possible patient care both now and in the future.
Speaking about the agreement, Julia said: “Learning and development in healthcare is continually developing. By building on our partnership with Wakefield College, we can help to ensure that our staff and local students have access to the latest in healthcare knowledge.
I’m really pleased about this partnership agreement. It is part of providing the best possible care for our patients as well as attracting the best staff to Mid Yorkshire. Our aim is to be a first-class location for learning and development.”
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College’s International work continues to thrive...
A group of Sports students from the College spent time in Sweden on work experience as part of the Europass Mobility project, delivering sports sessions in colleges, and providing swimming lessons, and pool and slide maintenance at a leisure park.
Commenting on the visit to Sweden, Sports lecturer Nick Young said: “The students thoroughly enjoyed their placements and returned to College feeling more independent and confident; they feel that having the Europass Mobility Document will give them a competitive edge when they apply to further their education or to enter employment.”
Meanwhile, the student exchange project organised by staff at Wakefield College enabled a group of students from Sweden to experience life in Wakefield by spending two weeks in the City on a work placement. The visit is part of a growing number of initiatives the College is working on to help students broaden their horizons.
The Swedish students worked in primary schools in Castleford and Walton, giving them a unique insight into the UK’s primary education system, and lived with host families for the duration of the visit.
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College Restaurant named Wakefield’s Finest...
Gaskell’s Restaurant, Wakefield College’s training restaurant, was nominated the best restaurant in Wakefield by the Civic Society.
Laurent Berges, Head of Hospitality, Catering, Travel and Tourism at the College, said: “This is a tremendous honour. We are really proud of this achievement which means that Wakefield College trains future chefs and front of house specialists in the best restaurant in Wakefield! I have seen training restaurants with accolades before, but never one that was voted Best Restaurant by a recognised Dining Club.”
Members of the Civic Society Dining Club sampled a different restaurant each month from February to December 2010 and chose the winning restaurant by rating each establishment they ate at.
Society President, Kevin Trickett, said: “By asking our Dining Club members to score their experience of each restaurant they tried, we built up a good picture of the best places to eat in Wakefield. Congratulations to Gaskell’s for being the first winner of our Restaurant of the Year award”.
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We are the champions...
Wakefield College’s Rugby League team can now rightly claim to be the best team in the country after triumphing in the College’s Rugby League final in May 2011. The team, which had previously been crowned Yorkshire champions, ran out worthy winners after a hard fought 20-14 win over holders Hopwood Hall College from Rochdale.
With five minutes remaining of a tight game the scores were tied at 14 all and both sides were looking as if the tension was getting to them until Ryan Parker found himself two metres out, in front of the posts, and crossed the line to score. Hopwood Hall pressed hard but Wakefield stood firm and kept their composure for the remaining minutes.
Commenting on the win, Athlete Development Centre coordinator Mark Helme said: “To be crowned the best college rugby team in the whole country is a fantastic accolade. The coaching staff and I are delighted with the way the team has performed over the entire season and this hard-fought success was the icing on the cake.”
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Wakefield man highly commended in regional learning awards...
A Wakefield College student, who came to the UK from the Gambia less than seven years ago, was highly commended in the 2011 Adult Learners’ Week Awards – a national week-long initiative that aims to promote adult learning.
Bruno Toupan, 32, made a life changing decision to go back into the classroom studying Adult Literacy and Numeracy along with GCSEs in Science and Sociology in preparation for further education. To further enhance his skills, Bruno worked as a volunteer at a local care home and hospital to gain valuable experience within the caring profession.
In August 2010 Bruno was accepted onto the Access to Higher Education course at Wakefield College, on the Nursing and Midwifery pathway. He knew that this would be extremely hard work, but was another step closer to his dream of becoming a nurse. Bruno continued with both his voluntary jobs and his paid employment while studying full time on the Access course.
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College students run Wakefield’s first ever luxury travel show...
Travel and Tourism students at Wakefield College organised a Luxury Travel Show at the Margaret Street Campus where local people were offered an array of one-off holiday deals.
More than 20 major tour operators were in attendance including Sandals, Silversea Cruises, Leger Holidays, Fred Olsen Cruises, First Class Holidays, Hurtigruten, Grand Pineapple Resorts, Etihad Airways and Village Hotels.
Frank Fallows, College lecturer and manager of Gaskell’s Travel, said: “We decided it would be a good opportunity to host a Luxury Travel Show and approached leading tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and several contacts in the trade. The interest from all sides was really positive and our Travel and Tourism students have been heavily involved in the planning and running of the Show, giving them real hands-on experience in promoting and marketing a tourism event.”
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Wakefield College graduate wins AoC Gold Award
Online entrepreneur and 21st Century matchmaker Adeem Younis won an Association of Colleges’ Gold Award after being nominated by Wakefield College.
Adeem, 30, graduated from Wakefield College with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design in 1999. He was presented with his award by Lord Willis of Knaresborough, President of the AoC Charitable Trust, at a ceremony at the House of Commons on 8 June 2011.
The AoC Charitable Trust presents the Gold Awards to a select number of former college students each year in recognition of the vital role further education plays in the careers of high achievers.
Sam Wright, Principal of Wakefield College, said: “We are delighted that Adeem has won the AoC Gold Award through his learning and development at Wakefield College. Adeem has shown determination to succeed in his many ventures and his accomplishments highlight the benefits of further education for individuals in their working lives.”
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Double joy for College at West Yorkshire awards ceremony
Higher Education students from Wakefield College won two awards at the annual West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning Network (WYLLN) awards in June 2011. John Heaton, 39, won the Learner Award in the category of Culture, Media and the Arts, and Rebecca Mallinder, 20, picked up the Learner Award in the category of Leadership, Management, Innovation and Enterprise.
Rebecca used the knowledge she gained on the course to help her to secure two promotions at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and she hopes to progress to a degree in Business and Management.
John Heaton was studying the Foundation Degree in Sports Performance Coaching at the Thornes Park Campus whilst employed by the Batley Bulldogs Rugby League team as strength and conditioning coach. He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder who has won many awards, including the 2010 UIBBN World Championships.
The WYLLN Awards recognise inspirational learners from across West Yorkshire who have gained a positive or life changing experience through higher education or have gained new skills which will improve their career prospects and the performance of the company they work for.
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College announces major new green strategy
Wakefield College is going green thanks to a major new sustainability strategy announced in the summer of 2011.
The ‘go-green with Wakefield College’ scheme, announced by Principal Sam Wright, launched a number of eco-friendly initiatives including a commitment to work with the Carbon Trust to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% within the next four years.
The new strategy commits the College to green policies in various areas including energy management, building energy consumption, rationalisation of property use, travel planning, waste management, recycling, procurement and technology.
The College also launched a ‘Green Champions Network’ which includes staff representatives from all areas within the organisation. The Network oversees the work and devises innovative ways to reduce waste and increase sustainability.
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