Accounting students compete in 2015 CIPFA Sixth Form Management Games

On 24 June seven aspiring  NULC (Newcastle-under-Lyme College) A Level accounting students took part in the 2015 CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) Sixth Form Management Games at Staffordshire University.

CIPFA is one of the leading professional accountancy bodies in the UK and the only one that specialises in the public sector.

The game involves the students adopting the various roles that make up the management team of a fictitious public body dealing with very real issues such as major cuts in funding whilst at the same time remaining accountable to the communities in which they operate. 

The day was an excellent introduction to the world of work and a way of developing and strengthening teamwork, leadership, management and organisational skills.  The introduction of new and unexpected challenges throughout the game also allowed students to develop the skills required to deal effectively with time pressure, strict deadlines and uncertain outcomes.

Richard Simpson, NULC’s Curriculum Leader for A Level Accounting said: “Our students were fantastic, they engaged with some very demanding problems in a really positive and collaborative way and achieved some very credible outcomes.  All the students found the day a challenging but very rewarding experience."

To find out more about our range of accounting courses, click here.

(Picture from L-R: Andrew Lewis, Stuart Leat, Kain Davies, Maddie Sykes, Elanor Baddeley, Chris Bowers and Amy Moriarty)

AS Theatre Studies programme

On Friday 1st May the AS Theatre students performed the first moderated work in the new Performing Arts Centre.  

The images show a performance of Matilda which was absolutely fantastic, the students attained 100% A-D grades with 61% attaining high grades (A-B) for the unit.  John Shortall our AQA moderator was very complimentary of our new facilities at the Performing Arts Centre and the superb acting ability of our cohort.  The unit is taught by Faye Matthews who has worked extremely hard with the learners to deliver a superb performance of the classic!

And on Friday 8th May A2 students will be moderated and we invite friends and family to watch a range of physical and creative adaption pieces which will start from 11am.

Thanks to Sue Bowdery who took some amazing pictures of one of the AS performances.

Oxford and Cambridge Student Conference

First year (AS) A Level students took a trip to a conference at Haydock Park to find out more about Oxford and Cambridge as potential university destinations.

The students all had very good GCSE results so NULC works with them to consider Sutton Trust and Oxbridge for the future.

 

Ski Trip Courmayeur 2015

Last week NULC Sixth Form students took to the slopes in Courmayeur, Italy, it was a week that gave the students opportunities to try a new activity and gain new experiences.

Becky Maxfield, a BTEC Sport student said: "The skiing trip to Italy was the best start to 2015 I've ever had - I've met people who I never would have met from just being in college and I've got along with them all really well, making friendships that made the trip worth it even more."

Students were given the opportunity before the trip to participate in extra skiing lessons, visiting the Chill Factor in Manchester to prepare themselves for the slopes of Italy.

Andy Pankiw, BTEC Construction student said: "I really enjoyed the college ski trip to Courmayeur because I’d never done anything like that before, I would like to go again, the staff on the trip were really nice, relaxed as well as controlled in marinating good behaviour. Overall brilliant!"

Joe Brisbourne, a BTEC Sport student said: "

I've never been skiing before but after the free lessons that the college put on and the trips to the chill factor Manchester, I have been able to develop a passion for skiing. Without this trip I wouldn't have got the opportunity to experience the life of skiing. If this opportunity arose again I'm sure I and many new beginners would grab it with two hands and go on the trip!"

 

 

This was the first year of the ski trip running and all students were great ambassadors for the college.

A Level Student Bethany Onions added: "Courmayeur 2015 was an amazing trip, everyone had a really good week and made some great memories. The trip was well organised and the après ski was great. Everyone made friends really easily which made the week so enjoyable."

The trip organised by lecturers David Sutton & Jenny Winch, proved to be a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by all the students that accompanied them.

To find out more about studying an  A-Levels & BTEC's at NULC contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 or email info@nulc.ac.uk.

Sociology Students Help the Hungry at Christmas

A Level sociology teacher Zoe Emery and personal tutor Clare Thornhill have been encouraging their students to donate food for the Newcastle-Staffs food bank, which is located in Silverdale.

Each table in Zoe’s classroom was given a list of foods suitable to bring, which included tinned fruit, soup, meat, vegetables, fish, rice pudding and sponge puddings, as well as dry foods such as pasta, biscuits, and breakfast cereals.

Zoe also put a link to the food bank on the sociology page on NULC’s intranet site, to give students additional information on food banks.

Zoe’s initiative came from ties to the subject she teaches. In sociology a large part of the topic looks at poverty and families in different groups in society who may not be as well off.

Zoe said, “It’s a chance to do something and know it’s helping, rather than just handing over money.” And this is a chance that a lot of sociology students took on board. On the first day of food collection there were already seven bags full of food in the classroom. One first year student and her mum planned a week’s worth of meals and then bought it all for the food bank.

On Thursday 18^th December all the food collected was taken to learner services, and from there to the food bank in Silverdale, where it is sorted and stored by volunteers into type and best before date. The food was then distributed over Christmas and the New Year because, as Zoe explained: “it’s a bleak time when people are most down.”

People are identified by care professionals, such as doctors, to decide if they are in crisis, and, if they are, they are issued with a food bank voucher. This voucher can be exchanged for three days’ worth of emergency food, which has been designed by dieticians to provide nutritionally balanced food.

However this is just a temporary solution and people in need are directed to agencies by the volunteers at the food bank, who can help to solve any long term problems.

Article written by Samantha Moulton

To find out more about studying an  A-Levels at NULC contact the Information Point on 01782 254254 or email info@nulc.ac.uk.