Students record their tracks in state of the art music studio

On Thursday 15 July, 12 Year 10 Music pupils from Thistley Hough Academy were able to record their coursework piece in Newcastle-under-Lyme College’s (NULC) brand new £5.5 million Performing Arts Centre.

The pupils have to submit practical evidence of their singing or playing to the exam board and through a new link set up by Thistley Hough Academy and NULC Schools Liaison Team, they had the opportunity to do this in the college’s new recording studios.

Prior to the visit the students rehearsed their song so when they arrived they could go straight into the recording studio and get a perfect quality recording of their song. Some students opted to bring in their guitars but the college’s well stocked music store was available for students to use.

Assisting with the recording was Music Performance lecturers Paul Hill and Jon Emson who were on hand to show the pupils how the studio worked and what editing software is available in the new centre. Both Jon and Paul manned the sound decks as the Thistley Hough pupils performed in the individual sound booths.

The set list was an eclectic mix of very old classics like Every day by Slade to recent hits like  Long Distance by Bruno Mars and Too little, Too late by Jo Jo.

The students thoroughly enjoyed their day at NULC and appreciated the opportunity to record their coursework in the new recording studios.

Daisy Jay Lovell commented ‘I really enjoyed this experience as it showed us new technology and showed what the college had to offer’.

For Lucy Hemmings the visit was just what she is hoping to do to in the future, she beamed ‘Today felt like a dream to me because this is all I wanted to do’.

If you would like to enquire about experiencing a taster session in the new Performing Arts Centre, please contact the NULC School Liaison Team schools@nulc.ac.uk or call 01782 254347 and speak to Gareth or Tara.

NULC supports KMF Young Engineer of the Year final!

This year Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC) proudly sponsored Madeley High School’s ‘Team Geekki’ at the annual KMF Young Engineer of the Year (YEOTY) which was held at Britannia Stadium on June 18.

There were over 24 schools which took part and each school involved received a 3D printer to assist with making their gadget which the pupils had to design, pitch and print to the judging panel.

Team Geekki used their 3D printer to create a gadget that would locate missing keys and presented this to the judges on 12 March in a Dragon’s Den style pitch. The judges commented that they delivered a “great pitch” and had “excellent presenters” who were “very confident” and the team were awarded 100% in three of the judging categories.

This is the second year that NULC have supported the KMF event and in addition to sponsoring Madeley High School, NULC hosted a “Magic of Marketing” Event which included marketing and pitching skills for all of the pupils in January in preparation for the pitching event.

Event Organiser and Schools Relationship Manager Lucy Hancock at NULC, said: “As a sponsor we are very proud to be associated with and support the KMF YEOTY as we believe it is a very unique and pioneering competition which greatly benefits local school pupils.”

This year, Intro Personnel Director Stuart Nicholson was instrumental in providing business mentoring to the pupils at Madeley High School working alongside NULC to support the school teams.

Stuart commented: “The skills that the pupils have learned as part of the process puts them in excellent stead when they come to find employment.” To find out more about Intro Personnel please click here: www.intropersonnel.co.uk

Jason Bradbury from The Gadget Show attended the final round and provided an inspirational talk to all finalists and also presented the awards, a short video of the day can be watched here: http://bit.ly/1GpOhgZ

Madeley High School test their fitness levels in new taster session!

On Tuesday 19 May, 14 excited Year 10 pupils from Madeley High School took part in a Fitness Instructing taster session at Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC).

The visit was designed to give pupils a realistic idea of what the fitness industry is all about and what potential careers are available. Information was given to the group about NULC’s new fitness courses and the relevant entry requirements to gain a place.

The taster day was ran by NULC lecturer in Health, Exercise and Fitness Reza Gholamali who organised different activities for the pupils. The first activity was a fitness testing session where students were able to use specialist equipment to record their individual fitness levels.

Madeley High School P.E teacher Mr Edwards was very pleased by the fitness testing session, commented: "The Hi-tech equipment used was very useful to the pupils who haven’t seen or used them before."

The second part of the day included a talk from NULC Gordon Banks Sports Centre Duty Manager James Mountjoy, who was previously a professional fitness instructor on cruise ships. James talked to the pupils about what type of fitness programmes he provided for his clients on-board and what the typical daily schedule would include.

James then talked to the pupils about the realities of being a fitness instructor and what it is like working with different clients and their specific lifestyle needs for example: he would often start his day at 6:00am as many clients wanted to fit their exercise in very early in the morning.

James Adamson said: “I liked hearing about the daily schedule of a fitness instructor and what type of career opportunities would be available.”

Academy of Sport Manager Trevor Humphreys was on hand to talk to the pupils about the sporting opportunities at NULC, and which sporting teams we have such as netball, football, golf, basketball and more.

The final activity of the day was a practical fitness class which was organised by NULC BTEC Level 3 Sport & Exercise Science student Molly Line. Molly ran a circuit training session as part of her course that the students really enjoyed. This was a great opportunity for both Molly and the pupils to work together in the class as it gave Molly a chance to orchestrate her own fitness class and gain practical experience.
Tyler Beaver was very impressed with the practical session ran by Molly, he commented: "The variety of different exercises working on all the muscles made it challenging and fun."

There will be more Fitness Instruction tasters at NULC, if you are interested in finding out more, please contact either Gareth or Tara on 01782 254347 or e-mail schools@nulc.ac.uk

Maths May-hem!

On Friday 1 May excited pupils from Excel Academy, Biddulph High School, Clayton Hall Business & Language College, Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy and Madeley High School joined NULC for Maths May-hem challenges!

Maths May-hem was planned by a group of trainee teachers from Staffordshire University, who are currently studying for their Post Graduate Certificate in Education (Mathematics). The PGCE students designed a range of fun but challenging activities to enhance the pupil’s knowledge and interest in maths. Pupils were split into groups and the activities were put in different rooms. Each group then worked in competition to gain a maximum of 50 points per room.

The various activities included a ‘Problem Solving Room’, where pupils had to test their spatial awareness skills using coloured cubes to construct objects in a certain order. The ‘Statistics and Probability Room’ took pupils to a day at the races. Whilst there were no over-sized hats required, pupils were asked to use their maths knowledge to work out the different horse’s probabilities of winning.

The Year 9 and 10 pupils were surprised by how much fun the ‘Algebra Room’ was in which they took part in a fast-paced relay race that challenged their ideas and also taught them when certain equations may not be needed. The ‘Standard Challenge & Super Challenge Room’ was described by one pupil as: “fun and energetic!”. They were given the choice to stick at a standard challenge or gamble for a super challenge to gain more points.

All of the challenges were varied to strengthen pupils overall knowledge on maths. Abigail Hancock, a Year 10 pupil from Excel Academy, said: “There was a variety of fun puzzles and problems to solve in each session. It has been very interesting and I really enjoyed the competition.”

Everyone then gathered into the auditorium to a final maths based treasure hunt. The groups worked in competition and were given instructions to start on a certain problem. Once the team had solved the problem, the answer would then be a clue to find the next problem! Rebecca Massey, a pupil from Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy, enjoyed the afternoon: “It has been both challenging and fun, overall I’ve had a fantastic day.”

The winning teams, who came in joint first place, were Madeley High School and Clayton Hall Business and Language College. The schools look forward to retaining their title at next year’s event!

Ineke Drijfhout, a Year 10 pupil from Madeley High School, summed up her day; “The day was fun and enjoyable and the staff were all really nice, helpful and encouraging.”

If you would like to book a taster session, or be involved in our next school challenge, please contact Gareth & Tara on 01782 254 347 or email schools@nulc.ac.uk

 

On Thursday 2 April Newcastle-under-Lyme College’s Schools Liaison Team, Tara and Gareth, invited pupils from three local schools to experience a day in the life of a Construction worker.

 

Pupils from Birches Head Academy, NCHS - The Science College and Clayton Hall Business & Language College enjoyed tasters in Joinery, Electrical Installation, Painting & Decorating and Bricklaying.

In the Bricklaying taster Year 10 and 11 pupils learned the art of pointing and the importance of using a spirit level to build a secure structure. Megan Still, a Year 10 pupil from Birches Head Academy, said: “I really enjoyed Bricklaying, it was a new experience and I liked learning new skills.”

In the Joinery workshop pupils were introduced to different tools and learned new techniques to make a coat hook. Conair Bibby a Year 10 pupil from Birches Head Academy, said; “Joinery was awesome and I can’t wait to hang my coat hook on the back of my door.”

Dom Howard a year 10 pupil from Clayton Hall Business & Language College, also enjoyed the session; “Joinery was fun and I learned lots of great, new techniques. The whole day has been a fantastic experience!”

The Painting & Decorating taster brought an edge of competition to the day, with pupils using new techniques they had learned to show off their skills with a paint brush. Fabien Johns a Year 10 pupil from NCHS, stated that this session was his favourite; “I really enjoyed Painting & Decorating, I liked using different techniques and colours to paint our animals.”

Pupil’s knowledge was tested in the Electrical Installation workshop and, as one pupil commented, “Nobody got electrocuted!”. Joe Bennett a Year 10 pupil from NCHS, said; “I found it interesting to learn how electric works and I really enjoyed the whole experience of college.”

As well as enjoying a great dinner from the College’s food hall, all the pupils and staff had a fantastic experience of College life. Mr. Finnemore from NCHS, thought each session was great; “Visiting each department gave the opportunity to discuss the progress of former students.”

 

 

If you would like to bring a group of pupils to experience college life and learn about the success of previous students, please email Tara and Gareth at: schools@nulc.ac.uk

 

Beauty students highlight what make-up will be high fashion at this summer’s festivals

On Friday 27 March, a group of Year 11 pupils from Excel Academy took part in a Beauty taster at Newcastle-under-Lyme College (NULC).

 

The session was ran by NULC Beauty lecturer Gabrielle Whittaker and her BTEC Level 3 students in the college’s Transform Hair & Beauty salon.

 

The aim of the visit was to give pupils an insight into the college’s Beauty and Make-up Artistry courses and give the students an opportunity to have a go for themselves. The theme was festival style make-up, looking at popular designs from famous festivals such as Glastonbury and V festival.

 

NULC Beauty students were on hand to give a masterclass in make-up application and assisted the students in their own designs. The pupils were then allowed to design their own flower images before having their own design applied to their faces.

 

Excel Academy Performing Arts teacher Mrs Harvey was delighted with the taster session, commenting ‘All the girls performing the make-up on the students were polite and very friendly. They had obviously planned before we came, which was lovely’.

 

As part of the taster session, the pupils were taught about how to welcome a client into the salon, the importance of customer service and how to speak to clients during a treatment. Many of the pupils enjoyed learning about how important being friendly and polite was.

 

Danielle Hughes commented on the session ‘The students were really polite, I really enjoyed coming and would love to come again’.

 

Elizabeth Rogers felt the NULC students were great, commenting ‘Easy going and polite’ which is something that is vitally important for the course.

 

 

 

If you would like to book a Beauty or Make-up Artistry taster, please contact Gareth or Tara on 01782 254347 or e-mail schools@nulc.ac.uk

NULC invites leading Employers to its latest Open Event

On 12 March from 5:30-8:00pm, NULC will be hosting its latest open event for Year 11 pupils and their parents. Visitors are invited to speak to our dedicated staff about our huge range of A Levels, Vocational subjects and Apprenticeships.

At this event, visitors will have the opportunity to speak to a range of employers from a variety of employment sectors who will be on hand for advice and guidance in their areas, if you are interested in speaking to any of the employers at the event then please come along.

To pre-register, please follow this link http://www.nulc.ac.uk/about-us/events.html

Here a few examples of what companies we have attending the forthcoming open event at Newcastle under-Lyme College.

 

Orbital is a specialist gas engineering company based in Cold Meece near Stone. Orbital have great career opportunities on offer for future Engineers of various disciplines as well as installation technicians.

www.orbital-uk.com

 

Bee Active provide a range of services to support the physical development, well-being and health of children. Creating a buzz about sports and physical activity!

www.beeactive.co.uk/

Michelin’s mission is to enhance mobility by putting into practice its core values of respect for customers, respect for people, respect for shareholders, respect for the environment and respect for facts. Michelin holds forefront positions in every tyre market* as well as in travel-related services. By leveraging its technological leadership, capacity for innovation, high-quality products and services, and powerful brands, Michelin is able to pursue a global expansion strategy and improve efficiency in every aspect of its business.

www.michelin.co.uk/

Axia Solutions is an Ofsted Grade 1 training provider. Operating independently, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Newcastle-under-Lyme College, delivering a range of apprenticeships throughout the West Midlands.

http://www.axia-solutions.co.uk/

GUST Swim School Ltd is a Stone based Swim School teaching swimming lessons for children at venues across Staffordshire including Stone, Stafford, Abbots Bromley, Uttoxeter & Newcastle under Lyme.  We are also opening our very own 'Centre of Excellence' swimming pool early 2015 based in Stone that will be open all day, every day with a range of programmes for babies aged 3+ months, toddlers, children & adults. We specialise in teaching small groups and children are grouped with respect to their ability. At GUST we aim to make lessons enjoyable, motivational and exciting to ensure we get the best results.

www.swimteaching.co.uk/