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.

Students attend Clothes Roadshow

On Friday 5th December, students within the Faculty of Academic and Creative Studies attended the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham.

The day included a dedicated seat in the Fashion Theatre, a fashion career seminar along with the opportunity for students to speak to representatives from several Universities offering HE courses in Fashion and Textiles.

 

With opportunities to view the work of recent graduates on the small catwalks in the venue throughout the event.

The Clothes Show was a great chance to speak with industry experts, have a look at the latest trends and get a real insight into the world of fashion.

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

Students attend UCAS Design Future event

First and second year A Level Textile Design students attended the UCAS Design your Future event in Manchester on Tuesday 25^th November 2014.

Textile students accompanied fellow creative's from the Barton and Cliff House’s within the Faculty of Academic and Creative Studies on the day trip.  All of the students had the fantastic opportunity to talk to and receive advice from representatives from a wide range of art colleges and universities as part of the build-up to making their UCAS applications.  As well as being able to speak to course specialists, students were able to see work produced by undergraduates and attend workshops and presentations by experts.  The successful day trip was organised by Assistant Faculty Head Mike Kelly.

“Whilst in Manchester we also seized the opportunity to visit the Museum and Art Gallery where we experienced the work of media and textile artist Andrea Zapp and the 1950’s Cotton Couture exhibition.”

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

A-Level Accounting and Law Students Visit Warwick University

On November 5^th a group of 29 A-Level Accounting and Law students visited Warwick University for an insight into what a Russell Group University has to offer students who aspire to a career in the professional services industry.  Students were treated to a tour of Warwick’s beautiful campus facilities hosted by a team of Warwick’s student ambassadors who, representing the diversity of Warwick’s student body, came from countries as diverse as the UK, Latvia, Poland and Holland amongst others.

 

Students were also given the opportunity to get a feel for what being in the lecture hall is like for a Warwick undergraduate.  All students took part in Law sessions entitled “The Knives Act 1997 – An Introduction to Reading Statutes” led by Dr Stephen Connelly and another on “Defamation and Privacy” led by Dr Adam Slavny.  The legal aspects were mirrored by fascinating sessions on International Business led by Dr Michel Synnott.  NULC Accounting student Katie Wilton said, “I really enjoyed the taught sessions.  The academics really challenged us but in a fun way and we were really encouraged to get involved in the analysis and debates which I really liked”.

The day concluded with a keynote address by one of Warwick’s National Teaching Fellows, Dr Ashley Roberts.  He led students through a very engaging introduction to the theory of leadership and emphasised to students the need to develop a critical faculty when establishing the merit or otherwise of the various theories he presented.

Richard Simpson, NULC’s Head of A-Level Accounting said “Warwick University put on an incredible display of what a top class university has to offer.  The sessions perfectly communicated to our students the similarities between the ostensibly diverse disciplines of Accounting and Law and embedded this notion in a clear appreciation of the increasingly international nature of large professional services organisations who might one day employ some of our students.”

Emily Phillips, NULC’s Head of A-Level Law said, “I’m sure that what our students experienced at Warwick University will encourage them to really stretch themselves academically and will have had a very positive influence on their understanding of what might be possible for them in the future.”

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