the waltham forest college student blog:

Five star job offer for winning student Stephanie

2010-10-05T11:36:00.003+01:00

The impressive cooking skills displayed by Waltham Forest College students Stephanie Gioia and Mark Martin have won them top prize in a cookery competition.
The two combined their culinary ability to serve up a sumptuous feast of paupiettes of lemon sole, pork and lamb Wellington, and three berry tart.
Working together, they won the North London College Cup beating pairs of catering students from Southgate College, College of North West London, and Barnet College.
For Stephanie, a final year student, there was an additional surprise. She so impressed one judge that he offered to secure a commis chef position for her at a five-star hotel in London.
Judges singled out the cooking duo’s knife skills and presentation skills for particular praise, and described their desert as “outstanding”.
The two represented the College’s Service Industries Catering and Hospitality department. They had previously won a “Ready, Steady Cook” competition staged for all the College’s full time catering students in May.
Stephanie is currently completing her Level 2 (GCSE equivalent) VRQ in Professional Cookery and Mark is completing his Level 1 qualification.
Mark, who plans to progress to Level 2 at Waltham Forest College next year, said: “I have never won anything like this before I am so proud of my achievement. Stephanie was great to work with.”
The pair were assisted at the competition by Daniel Tilley who was the food service waiter who presented and served their meals to the judges.
Peter Stone, the College’s catering operations manager, said: “The students worked hard under the direction of chef lecturer Philip Wright to present the winning dishes.
“This is a truly proud moment for the college as this is the first time in many years that the college has achieved first place in this type of competition.”
Waltham Forest College now holds the trophy for 12 months and this was presented to the students at the annual prize giving evening held on July 7 2010

Hats Off To Waltham Forest College Graduates

2010-07-15T14:55:00.003+01:00

Students celebrated academic achievements at a higher education graduation ceremony held in the main hall at Waltham Forest College. Over 250 students were recognised for successfully completing their studies in a wide range of Higher National Diploma (HND), Higher National Certificate and Access to University courses.

Dressed in the traditional ceremonial cap and gown, Higher Education students took the stage to collect their scrolls of achievement in front of an audience filled with parents, friends and specially invited guests including the Deputy Mayor of Waltham Forest, Councillor Geoff Walker and Deputy Mayoress Mrs Patricia Arnold.

David Pendle, Chair of the College Corporation, commended students for their accomplishments and noted that this was in its seventh year. He said ‘You should regard today as the beginning of your life long learning experience’.

Robin Jones, Principal of Waltham Forest College quoted the inspirational Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind, ‘We can do anything we want to, if we stick at it long enough’.

The majority of Access students go to university following successful completion of their courses. One outstanding student, Ilknur Posluoglu, who gained distinctions on her Access to Higher Education course, has secured a place at Queen Mary College, University of London. She said ‘I am really surprised at my achievement and completing this course together with the support of my lectures has given me the confidence to further my studies’.

Figures for student success rates at Waltham Forest College are as high as 95% on some courses. This year the College has received a record number of applications for students wishing to enrol on access to higher education programmes.

Grandmother Goes To Uni

2010-07-15T14:46:00.001+01:00

Annie Warner is testimony to the fact that age is no barrier to learning. At 66, she is off to university to study for a degree in fine art.

The grandmother is the oldest among 26 students at Waltham Forest College who are about to complete a one year foundation course in art and design. This intensive course equips them to apply for a BA degree, a foundation degree, or a higher national diploma (HND) in art related subjects.

Annie’s portfolio, which won her an unconditional offer to study at the University of East London (UEL), is on display at an art exhibition held at the college’s main campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

A stunning collection of drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics and prints produced by more than 100 art and design students at the college are included in the exhibition, with many available for sale. Annie, from Leyton, produced a stunning montage illustrating her life story, from how she was born by the roadside into a gypsy family who dealt in horses and later went to work at Billy Smarts Circus.

She said she has travelled all over the world, but her mother did not value education and she never went to school. It was not until she was 50 that she caught the learning bug.

She has been married four times and has four sons and ten grandchildren. She said it was her fourth, and current, husband who encouraged her to pursue her dreams in education. “As soon as I got the chance to get an education, I grabbed it,” she added. “I have been collecting qualifications ever since and now have enough to paper my walls with.”

She plans to start the degree course at UEL in September which will add to her collection of degrees. She already has an HNC qualification in project management and a BA degree in social enterprise.

The exhibition also features work from students on BTEC first diploma courses which are GCSE equivalent, national diploma course which are A Level equivalent, and NOCN diploma courses for beginners.

Sue Royle, the curriculum manager for art and design, said: “Our courses are designed to prepare our students for a whole host of careers, including product design, fashion, photography, and graphic design. They receive a high level of tuition from practicing artists and the majority of our students go onto university.”

Flaire Maitland, 19, produced a series of Perspex hexagonal sculptures for the exhibition. She has an offer to study architecture at Greenwich University. She said: “This course is suitable for everybody who wants to do something creative but doesn’t know what they want to specialise in, whether it be architecture, photography or fashion.”

Fern Green has a place at the London College of Fashion to study fashion illustration. She said: “This last year has been a voyage of self discovery. The variety of tasks I have performed have given me the experiences that have helped me learn about myself, my interest, my skills and ultimately the direction I want to take.”

Fashion Show with an International Flavour

2010-07-14T14:36:00.004+01:00

Students drew inspiration from a world cup of nations when designing garments for a spectacular fashion show staged at Waltham Forest College. The rich cultures of India, the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire, the traditional costumes of Japan, and the colours of Colombia, were among the influences that inspired the students’ designs. Models strutted the catwalk in outfits ranging from pompom decorated cotton tops and shorts to menswear inspired by gladiators and Roman uniforms.

Radua Jassin, in the second year of her BTEC national diploma course, produced a bejewelled evening wear collection that drew upon Egypt and its rich ancient history for her designs. Pamela Muchenje, a higher national diploma student, was inspired by Africa, the continent of the moment where the football World Cup is being held, for her collection. Pupils from Buxton School, Leytonstone, who spend one day a week at the College to study for a diploma in fashion and clothing, created textile pieces influenced by the patterns and colours of Mexico’s Aztec empire.

The fashion show provides students with the opportunity to showcase their talents before embarking on the next stage of their career development.

Radua, 19, is moving on to study for a degree in fashion design with business. “I have wanted to be a fashion designer since I was very young,” she said. “Fashion is a very competitive business and you have to be really strong to get somewhere. Most designers are inspired by each other, so to be successful you have to be different and stand out.” Her collection was adorned with hoods and collars containing colourful stones, influenced by her visits to Egypt where she has family. “The culture and the pyramids were a real inspiration for my designs,” she explained.

Zahide Bozdag, 21, and Shereena Ghaffor, 22, are combining their talents to set up in business together designing and making women’s lingerie, lounge wear, and dresses. They are about to complete the second year of a higher national diploma course and first met at the College four years ago when they began studying for their BTEC diploma.

Zahide designed a thoroughly modern ensemble of six evening gowns with a vintage feel, using peacock feathers as embellishment. She said: “We want to set up our own label and we are drawing up a business plan. This course has taught us a lot of the technical skills we need, but there are also units on marketing, business, and computer skills which will be invaluable to us.”

Shereena said: “We have different strengths which complement each other. We plan to start off selling our designs on-line and in markets.” Her collection drew inspiration from the strong shapes found in armour and architecture, using colour to outline detail and to create additional interest.

Three of the seven pupils from Buxton School, formerly Tom Hood, plan to study fashion full time at the College next year. Ayo Ayinde, 16, modelled her own Aztec inspired design. She said: “Fashion is my passion and I want to make clothes and have retail stores all over Europe. This course is helping me to achieve my ambition.”

Samantha Smith, 15, has decided to study A’ levels in academic subjects including politics and law next year. “I have really enjoyed coming to college to study fashion,” she said. “I wanted to design and model clothes and see what it is like.”

Waltham Forest’s Mayor, Councillor Masood Ahmad, had a front row seat at the show held at the College’s campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow. He said: “I really enjoyed the show and in order to give the students encouragement I would like to invite a group of them to tea in my chambers.”

Models from the I Feel Experience agency modelled some of the garments at the show held over two nights, while some designs were modelled by friends or relatives or the students themselves.

The biggest cheers of the night were reserved for special needs students learning independent living skills at the College. They paraded the catwalk with gusto to show their collection of formal and day wear.

Benita Odogwu-Atkinson, the College’s curriculum manager for fashion, textiles and media, said the College has become renowned for its fashion courses and most of its BTEC diploma students progress to university and degree courses. “Our students go onto UCA Rochester, University of East London, and Middlesex and Hertfordshire Universities,” she added. “Five students on our HND course are going on to convert their qualification into a full honours degree. We have students of all ages, from school pupils on diploma course, to mature students studying part time.”

Students Prepare Pre-Ascot Breakfast for Children's Hopsice

2010-06-21T12:27:00.005+01:00

A party of 20 women was treated to a mouth watering breakfast before setting off to enjoy the first day's racing at Royal Ascot on Tuesday 15 June 2010. This annual high-profile event is on the social calendar of many celebrities and dignitaries including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The party’s pre-Ascot indulgence was prepared and served by students studying for their VRQ Level 2 in Professional Cookery at Waltham Forest College. It took place in a marquee on the grounds of the Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford. The scrumptious menu included: sparkling wine, smoked salmon with scrabbled eggs, bagels and Danish pastries.

Catering student, Frazer Connelly said: ‘I really look forward to taking part in these events as each one is different and you don’t know what to expect’.

This fund raising event was organised by two community fundraisers, who work for the Hospice, Haley Bridge and Penny Sturdy. Penny praised the catering students commenting: ‘They worked really hard and produced a lovely breakfast which we all enjoyed’. Haven House Children’s Hospice provides short term respite care and end of life care, for children aged 0-19 years with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition.

June Harrison from Beechoak Farm Montessori, Pre-School said: ‘The breakfast was a lovely way to start celebrating my birthday and at the same time help this worthy charity’.

Sally Allen, Senior Catering Supervisor and Philip Wright, Lecturer, oversaw the event. They said they were proud of their students, commenting, ‘We’ve had some lovely comments about our students.’

Fashion Student's Winning T-Shirt Design On Sale In H&M Stores

2010-05-10T11:54:00.005+01:00

Luqman Ali, a budding fashion & design student from Waltham Forest College is aspiring to become the next new label on the High Street. Luqman, otherwise known as Luke, was awarded first prize for his t-shirt design, as part of Project Blackbook for H&M. The design is on sale in every H&M store throughout the UK. He said, “Techno print is quite a common technique now in this industry – and as one of my portfolio pictures was very innovative, I decided it would work – I was confident it would win!”

Luke studied GCSE Textiles at school and then progressed to Waltham Forest College to study a BTEC National Diploma in Fashion and Clothing. Before Luke came to the College he was unsure about his future career. Luke comments “I came to enrolment week at Waltham Forest College and looked around and thought I would give it a chance. Now I love it because I can carry on with my progression and interest in Fashion.”

Luke has taken part in numerous fashion events such as the London Fashion Week, The Colleges Fashion Show, Alternative Fashion Week at Old Spitalfields Market, Fashion Ryot, and many more. These events together with his course, will take Luke to new heights. Luke added, “I love design and business studies because I feel these are my strongest skills and provide me with a firm understanding and knowledge of the industry.”

Luke is inspired by famous designers like Vivienne Westwood. He says, “She is amazing, she started the whole Check and Punk thing. I also really like Julian MacDonald for glamour and Christian Dior for the classic and sophisticated look. Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto is very intelligent and portrays this in his design. I like the way he incorporates his culture into his designs.”

Luke’s experience at the College has been positive and helped him achieve his goals and aspire to strive for more. Luke says, “I have learned a lot and I feel like I have grown into a better person and more confident.”

Luke will move on to study a BA Hons in Fashion at Rochester University for the Creative Arts and eventually sees himself working for a small brand to establish and gain experience along the way. Ultimately he would like to have his own label.

College Fashion Students ‘Sock it to Me’ at Altenative Fashion Week

2010-05-05T10:33:00.004+01:00

The creative work of fashion students from Waltham Forest College in North East London, was amongst those taking the catwalk on Friday 23rd April at Alternative Fashion Week 2010. The College’s students took centre stage, showcasing their designs in front of the world’s press and key figures in the fashion industry.

The work of 10 students, on the BTEC National Diploma in Fashion and Clothing, made up this year’s collection themed ‘Sock it to Me (Make Do & Mend)’. Students presented a stunning range of shift dresses created by using recycled socks.

Amber Zakrzewski, one of the students whose work was displayed at the event, said: ‘It was really great to see my work being modelled at such a prestigious event and in front of so many people.’

Melanie Boraster, Curriculum Manager at Waltham Forest College, said: ‘This is the 14th year our students’ work has been selected to show at Alternative Fashion Week. It’s a great opportunity to show off the high standard of work produced by our students.’

Seventy of the most original collections, out of hundreds of applications, were selected to show at Alternative Fashion Week, which took place at Spitalfields Traders Market in East London, 19 - 23 April 2010.

Alternative Fashion Week has become a major event on the fashion show calendar, as this is the place where all the best new designers are to be discovered. It provides a genuine alternative for them to present their work directly to the national and international press, the public and the fashion industry. Designers come from all over the UK and this year from Italy, Croatia, Sweden, Finland and the USA as well.

The students’ work featured in the show were Luqman Ali, Shumaila Aslam, Lara Boourchier-Lee, Radua Jassin, Saidah Kitimbo, Femida Mahmood, Niya Mignott-Brock, Sahra Moalim, Sarah Yombo-Djema, Amber Zakrzewski.

The College runs a range of fashion courses to suit people at all levels. The majority of students progress to university or straight into employment, following the successful completion of their courses. For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College please phone 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk or visit www.waltham.ac.uk

Butchers get into top gear at Waltham Forest College

2010-04-20T10:02:00.011+01:00

Butchers are getting to know all the best cuts at Waltham Forest College where they are learning to bring back traditional butchery skills to a supermarket chain’s meat counters.

Morrisons is on a mission to have its meat counters staffed by “real butchers who are properly trained and who know all the cuts”.

The store chain has chosen the College in Walthamstow, North East London, to help them deliver pledges made in its television advertisement featuring Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.

It is sending 43 of its apprentice butchers to the College’s Smithfield Unit to learn how to provide the “right cut at the right price” for their customers in the first year of a training programme.

Two lecturers, Ian Wood and Ray Hum who have nearly 90 years experience in the meat trade between them, have designed and are delivering the training.

The College has been teaching butchery for more than 20 years following the closure of Smithfield College, which was situated next to Smithfield meat market in central London.

Ian said: “There has been a national decline in the number of retail butchers and as a result many of the traditional skills of butchery were beginning to die out. Morrisons promotes the family butcher approach to cutting and preparing meat in-store rather than having it come in pre-packed from central processing plants. We are providing the young apprentices with the traditional skills they need to deliver that. They learn how to utilise the whole carcass as well as how to cure bacon and make sausages and faggots. What makes Morrisons different to other supermarkets is that it is providing training that leads to a national qualification, an NVQ level two, rather than an in-house training course.”

In a fully equipped classroom complete with cold store, butchers’ blocks, knives, mincing machines and display cabinets, Ian expertly demonstrates how to de-bone and truss a shoulder of lamb ready for roasting. One class of ten apprentices dressed in red and white striped aprons and straw boaters watch intently before attempting the skill themselves.

The apprentices are from all over south and southwest England and spend four weeks at the College, one week at a time, during their 32 week training programme. As well as health and safety, hygiene, and quality control they are learning to de-bone, trim, package, label, and display meat. They are also being trained to advise customers on the right cut of meat for the right cooking process, such as brisket for pot roast and braising steak for stews, and to dispense cooking advice.

Ray, 64, who had his own butchers’ shop and sausage factory in Chingford for 25 years, explained the importance of reviving these skills. "When I opened my shop in 1975 there were ten butchers’ shops within half a mile,” he said. When I sold out nine years ago I was the last one standing. The traditional butcher was becoming extinct.”

Ryan Lawrence, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, is one apprentice who hopes to keep the traditional butcher alive. He left university in June with a degree in business and media planning to go into advertising.

“I worked at Morrisons part time while at university and butchery began to appeal to me,” he explained. “It’s a good skill to have. I am learning new skills every day and it is not as easy as a lot of people think. I am still glad I went to university. I am sure I will be able to apply my business and media skills further in my career.”

Nathan Kenward, from Beccles, Suffolk, was a head chef in a hotel but could take no more of the long unsocial hours. “I switched to butchery because it is a dying art and up-and-coming butchers are hard to come by. It will give me a good knowledge of the whole process of meat production, from field to fork.”

MaryJo Hoyne, Head of School, commented: ‘A skills led curriculum, where learners acquire specialist techniques, creates enhanced employment opportunities. Hospitality and Catering students who have a bank of skills are highly sought after in the Industry.’

The butchery apprenticeship is the third embarked on by Marc Crisp, 23, from Verwood, Dorset. “I studied catering first, then completed a carpentry apprenticeship but my employer couldn’t afford to keep me on,” he said. “I was working as a meat packer in Morrisons when I was offered this opportunity. Butchery is one of those trades you don’t want to see die out and I am happy to be helping to keep it alive.”

Students at Waltham Forest College achieve the Jack Petchey Award

2010-04-19T15:31:00.001+01:00

Waltham Forest Collegeis proud to award six of their most committed students, Ashley-Kate Hobbs (Diploma in Introduction to Professional Cookery), Jardine Dacosta, (Professional Cookery) Michael Marques (Skills For Working Life), Mohamed Conteh (National Certificate in ICT), Shaina Bibi Auzine (BTEC National Diploma in Travel and Tourism), and Sadir Hassan (BTEC National Certificate in Public Services), the Jack Petchey Award.

These students have proved both their commitment and hard work by applying themselves to improving their skills and abilities at College whilst making a positive contribution to the wider College community.

The Jack Petchey Foundation gives grants to programmes and projects that benefit young people aged 11-25. It rewards their efforts in areas such as improving attainment, developing skills and contributing to society.

Jonathan Constable, Enrichment Manager, who coordinates the Jack Petchey programme at the College, says,
“This is a great scheme where staff recognize the outstanding contributions students make towards College life. This motivates students because it gives the recognition and rewards for their efforts in going that extra mile.”

An event took place in the Mallinson Suite at the College where students were awarded certificates and £200 for a project of their choice. Two members of staff, Tom Vittles and David Sears also received recognition for their dedication and contribution to working with young people at the College.

Tom and David have dedicated themselves, using their own time, to developing and establishing an extensive programme of extra curricular activities designed to stimulate, motivate and elevate learners to new heights.

David Sears’s remarks,
“I am absolutely delighted to receive a Jack Petchey award, but it is all about learners to see them learn grow and develop new and varied skills for their chosen career.”

Students sparkle on night of hair spray, lip gloss and eye shadow

2010-03-30T16:21:00.002+01:00

With her silver streaked curls carefully crafted into a flamboyant crown, the Snow Queen had judges shivering with delight at a hair and beauty show at Waltham Forest College on Wednesday.

Student Argentina Pavlou stunned the audience by adorning her model in a variety of shades of white, silver and pale grey to represent the winter season.

Not only did Argentina, 33, design the hair style herself, she also applied the make up and even hand stitched the intricate patterns to the white silk dress worn by her model, Luba Rasintova.

The skills she used in straightening, teasing and spraying her model’s hair into shape won her first prize in the adult hairdressing section of the show in which the four seasons was one of the themes.

“I have been up until the early hours every night for the past month working to perfect my Snow Queen look,” she said. “I am delighted it paid off for me.”

Luba said: “I am amazed with what Argentina achieved. This is all my own hair, no extensions or anything.”

Argentina is studying for a NVQ Level 2 qualification hairdressing, at the College in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

She had already studied make-up as part of a qualification in beauty therapy she achieved before taking this course. Now she has ambitions to become a hair and make up artist for stage and film.

“I have been working in the beauty business but I wanted to learn hairdressing because I enjoy providing a total look. Being able to do hair gives me a different vision to create.”

She was one of eight prize winners on the night in which students brought a touch of Hollywood and Bollywood glamour to the catwalk with strikingly bold displays of their make up and hairdressing skills.

A movie theme for the Level 2 Beauty Therapy prize allowed students to run riot with lip gloss, mascara, eye shadow and glitter.

They made up their models to look like a succession of movie characters including Bond girl Pussy Galore, Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, and several Bollywood princesses.

A Marilyn Monroe styled model even met Danny la Rue look-alikes on the night, as Drag Queens was another theme for level 2 hairdressing students.

Gods and Goddesses, Moulin Rouge, the 1980s, and Fairies completed the series of themes that allowed students to test their talents in designing a total look for their models.

Prizes were presented by the Mayor, Cllr Anna Mbachu, who was so impressed by the skills on show that she is planning to book hair and beauty treatments at the college’s four training salons which are open to the public.

She arrived wearing an outfit in an African print made for her by fashion design students at the college. “I attended the college’s fashion show last year and was so impressed by their ability I wanted the students to make something for me.

“Now I want them to do my hair and make up as well so I can be a walking advert for their talents. What I have seen tonight is wonderful.”

Head Hair Judge, Cheryl Tunca of the Phase II Hair Design Group commented:
“As usual the Annual Total Look Hair and Beauty Show hosted by Waltham Forest College was a huge success. Each year to see these fantastic looks being created by such young talent, still manages to amaze and inspire me.
The immagination, hard work and commitment of these students really showed in the creativity of the hair and make-up on display on the Cat Walk.”
Charmaigne Krokou, the College’s acting Head of School for Vocational Care which includes hairdressing and beauty therapy, said the judges included representatives from the industry.

“We had local salon owners among the twelve judges and this was an excellent opportunity for the students to showcase the skills they have acquired.”

Hairdressing and beauty therapy courses are continuing to expand at the College. Claire Shire, the College’s Director of Young People’s Learning, said: “We have growing numbers of part-time students who are trying to improve themselves in these tough economic times.

“We also offer a range of full and part time courses from Level 1 (Entry Level) to Level 3 (A-level equivalent) as well as offering apprenticeships to young learners.

“From September we will be offering the new diploma course to pupils aged 14 to 16. Local schools value this opportunity for their learners to follow this vocational route.”
She said the courses offer a variety of opportunities for students to progress into a wide range of careers. “Most of our students go into the industry but we do have some who go to university to study salon management,” she added.

WALTHAM FOREST COLLEGE STUDENTS IMPRESS TOP CATERING PROFESSIONALS

2010-03-18T10:13:00.005Z

Hotelympia 2010 was a source of inspiration for students at Waltham Forest College. This prestigious catering event held on 28 February to 4 March, takes place once every two years, and is attended by some of the most famous celebrity chefs, Head Chef at Bohemia Bar & Restaurant, Michael Godfrey, Executive Head Chef at Bekynton, Eton College and Tim Payne, Head Chef at The Paradise By Way of Kensal Green, Proprietor and Executive Chef of the Café Spice Namasté, Cyrus Todiwala, and major international suppliers for the industry.

The College’s hospitality and catering students worked alongside the House of Commons Culinary Team, at the Dudson Restaurant, as part of a competition hosted by Hotelympia, called the La Parade des Chefs, which provided a fine dining experience for those who attended the event. During this five-day exhibition these students were given the opportunity to demonstrate their hospitality skills, and impress some of the top names in the industry, by staffing the Dudson restaurant filled with a hundred diners, from Lexington Catering Ltd.

Waltham Forest College were very proud to be one of only two colleges in the country to help host these restaurant events, along with Westminster Kingsway.

Peter Stone, Catering and Operations Manager commented, “The College’s hospitality and catering students this year gained three Gold and one Silver medal, which is a fantastic achievement. The School of Service Industries gained fantastic feedback on our students’ service this year. There were many great comments by organisers and diners such as: “These students are a real credit to you,” “The best students we have had at Hotelympia.”, “They are so friendly and helpful.”

The students had a great experience and one which they will remember for many years to come. This will be something they will proudly include on their CVs. Learners will now all be issued with a certificate, which will be presented at the annual awards for Service Industries evening in May/ June 2010.

MaryJo Hoyne Head of School for Service Industries, said, 'WFC was delighted to support one of the hospitality industries largest exhibition events, the catering and hospitality students delivered an excellent service for the event.'

Sebnemmarasali, hospitality and catering Student Level 1 said, “It was a really good opportunity to practice my customer service skills in a top class restaurant setting.”

28/02/10

The Olympic dream gets closer for Waltham Forest College students

2010-03-03T16:04:00.010Z

Lee Mathurin

A student at Waltham Forest College who has high hopes of taking part in the Olympic Games got a close up view of the arena where he aims to be competing in two years time.

Lee Mathurin was among a group of 26 students from the college who were taken on a tour of the Olympic site in Stratford to witness the progress being made in building the Games venues.

Lee, 20, is studying business at the college, but at evenings and weekends he is training hard to pursue his dream as an athlete.

He is a promising discus thrower, with his national ranking reaching as high as second in the country at junior level.

Lee took up the sport while a student at Woodbridge High School in Woodford Green. “In a games lesson I picked up a discus one day and the PE teacher was impressed with how far I threw it,” he said.

“He told me I should take it up competitively and encouraged me to join the Woodford Green with Essex Ladies athletics club.

“I have represented England at junior level and have been ranked in the top ten in the country every year since I started competing.

“I have also appeared on a prediction list of athletes who will compete at the Olympics in 2012, so I do believe I have a chance. To appear in an Olympic Games on my home turf would be the biggest achievement of my life.”

This will be his first year competing at senior level and he hopes to improve on his personal best throw of 48 metres in competition, though he said he has thrown 52 metres in training.

“The qualifying distance for 2012 is likely to be around 65 metres, but I believe I can achieve that if I train hard,” he added.

If he does achieve his goal he will have Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes, to thank. Lee, from Navestock Crescent, Woodford Green, explained: “He was a coach at the club and he helped me out a lot.

“My mum had just been made redundant and he helped me out with funding so I was able to buy shoes and other equipment. Without his support I don’t reckon I would have got as far as I have.”

Meanwhile he is working hard to pass his Advanced National Diploma (equivalent to three A-levels) in business to enable him to achieve his other dream of going to university to study to be an architect.

Lee joined a group of mostly travel and tourism students and teachers who were taken on a guided tour of the Olympic site which is expected to attract up to 800,000 visitors each day of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They were shown the progress being made on the construction of the main arenas and the Olympic village which will house 15,000 athletes from 205 nations.

Students going on the Olympic site tour

Dulux Decorator Centre's Search For ‘Apprentice Of The Year’

2010-03-02T09:13:00.003Z

The search is on once again to find Dulux Decorator Centres’ Apprentice of the Year 2010, and the national competition, will be making a stop at Waltham Forest College, on 25th March 2010.

The Dulux Decorator Centres’ Apprentice of the Year competition is in its third year and the 2010 competition is expected to be bigger and better, especially as it has become a recognised and permanent feature in the painting & decorating industry’s calendar. The competition aims to reward the skills and creativity of talented apprentices and is calling for painting & decorating companies and colleges across East London to put forward their top students.

The Dulux Decorator Centres’ Apprentice of the Year 2010 competition is open to apprentices aged between 17 and 24 years of age on a recognised painting and decorating course and studying an NVQ or SVQ level two or three, alongside working in the industry.

Kerrilee Jay store manager of the East London Dulux Decorator Centre on Thornham Grove, commented: “We are really looking forward to the 2010 Apprentice of the Year competition to start. Last year was a huge success and we really want to have a record number of entries this year. The competition is a great opportunity for apprentices to showcase their skills and raise their profile within the industry, and what’s more the prize will also help to establish the winners’ career, so I would recommend colleges and painting & decorating companies put forward their top apprentices.”

The competition aims to provide painting and decorating students with a challenging, but fun and practical competition. Each student will be tasked with a series of practical applications, comprising various elements of painting and decorating, covering wallpapering, stencilling, waterborne glosses, and special effects.
The winner of the East London heat will go on to compete against eight other regional winners in the national final, which will take place at Leeds College on the 17th June 2010, where the overall winner will be crowned ‘Dulux Decorator Centres’ Apprentice of the Year 2010’ at an awards presentation.

The winner will receive £1,000 cash and a variety of other prizes, including a Red Letter Day, Nectar points and Dulux training and a host of prizes for their college for all painting and decorating students to use. There will also be runners up prizes of £500 and £250, plus £100 worth of Dulux Decorator Centres vouchers each, for those finishing in overall second and third place. Individual regional heat winners will win £100 each, a certificate and a Dulux Decorator Centre goody bag packed with fantastic products donated by Dulux Decorator Centre’s suppliers.

The deadline for entries into the regional heats is Friday 26th February and all applicants should contact their lecturer and register through their painting and decorating college.

For further information visit http://www.duluxdecoratorcentre.co.uk/ or for regular updates join the Facebook group - Dulux Decorator Centres or follow on Twitter at DuluxDecCentre.

Hideously diverse Britain: the college where histories collide

2010-02-03T16:27:00.007Z

Taken from The Guardian, Friday 29 January 2010.
By Hugh Muir.

1940 RAF Cadets on the steps

2010 WFC Students on the steps

It was 1940 and the 200 students of South West Essex Technical College posed ramrod straight on the sharply inclined steps; ties stiff, uniforms crisp. They were RAF cadets learning science and engineering at the place that was dubbed the People's University. Unsurprisingly, those pictured were all white.

The place is called Waltham Forest College nowadays and the grand steps remain imposing. The porticos, by sculptor Eric Gill, have been lovingly preserved.

But last week, when the east London college recreated that recently discovered archive photograph, everything else was different. The formation was identical to that created with military precision all those years ago, but lining the steps were 200 students from another generation, another century. White Britons, black Britons, teenagers of Asian and African and Mediterranean and Eastern European descent. A student body with links to every continent on the planet. Speakers of 76 different languages. Each standing out in the cold to make a statement. "I told them it was their job to represent their era, just as the cadets in 1940 were symbolic of that time," said lecturer Gaverne Bennett. "They bought into it."

At the front stood a young Muslim woman, her dark blue coat tightly buttoned, her headscarf electric green. In the third row of four there were black girls shivering in their blue beauticians' uniforms. In the next, boys from Asia and the Middle East, easily visible in white catering garb with conical hats to match.

The English as a second language students (ESOL) were the hardest to organise into place, but once the camera shutter had clicked, they were as exuberant as the others. "One day my family will see it and know that I was part of something," Glori Mutshipayi, 19, from Congo, told me; flanked by his associates, two Poles and a Pakistani.

It's not Nirvana. It's a 21st-century college where cultures meet, histories collide. But it works. They live, they learn. Stella Fleming, head of ESOL, recalls worrying about a class containing Bosnians and Croatians, but says she quickly realised it wasn't going to be a problem. "Being away from that situation, their view was that 'we've all lost'. They just wanted to learn the language more than anything else."

Students at Waltham Forest College help support World Aids Day

2010-01-26T09:39:00.001Z

01/12/09

On Tuesday 1 December 2009, the School of Vocational Care at Walthamstow Forest College hosted their first fund-raising event in support of World Aids Day. World Aids Day has helped raise awareness and support the 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS today.

Students studying Childcare, Hospitality & Catering and Hair & Beauty hosted this event in the student common room. Their enthusiasm for this cause was demonstrated by the highly organised display of products available for purchase on their stalls.

Russell Joseph – Head of School for Vocational Care said, “The event has worked well for both students and staff who have helped put together today. The students raised a fantastic £277!”

Each department showed a high-level of creativity in designing, preparing and selling Christmas gifts which included Clarins beauty products, handmade satin Christmas socks, hand-crafted candles and donations of clothes all in the colour red, the official World Aids Day colour. Other stalls included nail art and hair styling.

Ruma Aktar, Entry Level Student, Certificate for Preparation for Working with Children, organised one of the stalls, selling small chocolate gift sets. Ruma said, “I feel great about the event because it is for charity and a good cause. It is exciting to be taking part and I have found the whole experience really interesting. I am grateful to be given the chance to take part.”

Members of staff from the Terence Higgins Trust (THT) were present at the event to help support the students throughout the day. Seminars were hosted to build awareness about sexually transmitted diseases and the reality of AIDS today. This was a great opportunity for the students at Waltham Forest College to access information about sexually transmitted diseases, which they may not otherwise be aware of.

Michelle Harewood, a representative from the Terence Higgins Trust, said, ‘As someone who works closely with people living with HIV, it is refreshing to see so many young people coming together to help a worthy cause”.

Waltham Forest College student Ayrton Shaka Sukul reaches regional final of Future Chef competition

2010-01-26T09:33:00.002Z

02/12/09

A schoolboy is making his mark as a budding chef after reaching the regional finals of a competition.

Fourteen-year-old Ayrton Shaka Sukul served up pan fried pollock and tarte tatin in the local finals of the Future Chef 2010 competition, and his dishes came out top in the taste test.

He now goes onto the regional finals of the cooking contest in which thousands of pupils from more than 700 schools throughout the UK are taking part.

The teenager attends Frederick Bremer School in Siddeley Road, Walthamstow, and spends a day and a half a week at Waltham Forest College in Forest Road, Walthamstow, where he is studying for a diploma in hospitality.

He said: “I am a big fan of Gino D’Acampo and I love watching him cooking on television. He is my inspiration and I want to go all the way in this competition so I can follow in his footsteps.

“I would like to own my own restaurant. I love cooking and always cook at home with my family.”

Mary Jo Hoyne, head of school for hospitality, travel and tourism at Waltham Forest College, said: “His success in this competition will allow him to explore many other aspects of the hospitality industry.”

The local finals were the second stage of the four stage competition organised by the national youth charity Springboard.

The four finalists had to prepare a hot main course and hot or cold dessert for two people, with a budget of £6.

Ayrton is one of nine pupils from four secondary schools studying for a higher level diploma in hospitality, which is the equivalent of seven GCSEs.

Pupils from Tom Hood, Kelmscott, and Rushcroft schools in Waltham Forest, as well as Frederick Bremer School, are studying for the diploma at the college.

In addition to cooking, the course covers business, kitchen design, and front of house operations.

Axed pool could re-open

2010-01-26T09:27:00.004Z

The borough's axed premiere training pool may re-open in January, it has been confirmed.

The pool, at Waltham Forest College, in Forest Road, Walthamstow, was closed in September as operator Greenwich Leisure Ltd was not prepared to fund it any longer and the college is unable to divert cash needed for teaching.

But another company, Active Leisure Management (ALM), is now in talks with the college and the Friends of the Pool (FOTP) about re-opening the facility in January.

ALM believes it can keep costs down by opening the pool for six to eight hours and charging groups including FOTP and Walthamstow Tritons to use it.

John Allan, ALM director, says it would be too costly to open it to the general public, but swimmers could join the groups to use the pool.

He said: “ I had a look at it and it is a quality building, the pool is fit for use, everything is ready to go. It is such shame it is not being used. We are trying our best to come up with a plan, we don't need to make a lot of money from it because we don't have shareholders.”

FOTP, which has been paying £300 a month for the maintenance of the chemicals in the pool, says the facility is unique in Waltham Forest in offering unrestricted lane swimming.

Nick Wadham-Smith, FOTP member, said, “The college has been supportive and we are delighted that the hard work of a community group and a college may have a fantastic result for the community.”

Peter Glasgow, Waltham Forest College vice-principal, said he was “pretty confident” the pool will re-open soon. He said, “We see it as a community resource. We were not happy about it closing and if we can bring other people in to work with them to get the pool used that is great.”

The college intended to close the pool two years ago but a council-brokered, part-subsidised deal with Greenwich Leisure Ltd, which expired in June, gave it a reprieve.

An expected redevelopment of the college, which would have seen the pool demolished, did not happen for financial reasons.

Council leader Chris Robbins has ruled out any further subsidy from the taxpayer.

Waltham Forest College supports Colleges' Week

2010-01-26T09:10:00.008Z

09/11/09

Waltham Forest College offers free pamper sessions to Support Colleges Week

Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy students from Waltham Forest College provided free pamper sessions during Colleges Week. Approximately 30 employees at the Haven House Children's Hospice had the opportunity to enjoy facials, manicures and pedicures over the course of the week.

Staff and volunteers at the Hospice, located in East London, care for children and young people between the ages of 0 to 19 who have life-limiting conditions and who are unlikely to reach adulthood.

Alex Le-Vey, Assistant to the Chief Excutive at the Hospice, said: 'The College is doing a really good thing, I don’t know of anything like this taking place since I've worked here. It's good that our staff and volunteers are being given a chance to relax when you think of all the good work they do day in day out.'

Roohi Mirza, Salon Operations Manager at the College said: 'We often provide this kind of service to the local community and our students really find it rewarding.'

Jane Waller, a student on the Fast Track Beauty Therapy Programme said, 'I am really pleased that our group was chosen to offer these treatments because we will be able to do something worthwhile as well as gain experience at the same time.'

Waltham Forest College Hosts Diploma Exhibition

Waltham Forest College hosted an exhibition to showcase the New Diplomas, on Monday 9 November from 2.00 pm - 5.30pm. The event was organised in conjunction with the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

The Borough’s Year 9 pupils and their parents had the opportunity to obtain information about the teaching and learning involved in these innovative new programmes. They were able to speak to teaching staff and watch practical demonstrations.

Young Nate joins students to celebrate Black History Month

2009-11-06T12:52:00.011Z

Left to Right: Marya Sheik, Fatima Abas, Maryam Hajinoor, Fadumo Ali, Danielle and Franklin Dos Santos

Energy, vibrant costumes, dance, and song were in abundance when the Students' Union at Waltham Forest College staged a culture and music show in celebration of Black History Month.

A fashion parade of students wearing the national costumes of Somalia, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo and Brazil set the tone for the performances.

Fatima Abas, a health and social care student, wore Somalian costume and also sang a duet with Joselyn Meade, who is studying on the same course.

A highlight of the show was an energetic display of Brazilian dance by Franklin and Danielle Dos Santos, a brother and sister act who perform together professionally. They danced the samba and the capoeira.

Franklin, a former catering student at the college, explained that both dances have their roots in Africa and were brought to Brazil by the slave trade.

There were no Mixed Messages when emerging urban music star Young Nate topped the bill. The teenager from North London has a new single called Be the One which is due to be released next month.

Students danced and screamed as he performed some of the songs that have had listeners to Kiss FM and MTV Base compare him to R&B superstar Usher, including I Wonder and Mixed Messages.

The show, held in the Student Common Room at the college’s main campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow, is one of a series of events held throughout October to celebrate Black History Month.

Young Nate turned up with chart artist and producer Sound Bwoy, now his manager, and they performed some songs together.

He said he likes to support events in colleges that are putting out positive messages to young people, like anti-gun and knife crime campaigns and Black History Month promotions.

“It is very important for me to be here showing love to the people that have shown love to us,” he added.

“It means a lot to me as a young black person to do something positive with the talents that I have and to show that discipline and hard work can take you to where you want to be in life.”

Sound Bwoy, who went to school in Walthamstow, explained that his protégé had got up from his sick bed to perform at the event. He told the students: “Even if you are sick, go to college. It is important.”

Sisters Marvi and Naylor Moshwe and their cousin Nzambi Mossanka, who are all studying health and social care at the College, performed a traditional Congolese dance called Techno Malewi.

Deji Odenunmi, studying business, wrote lyrics called Dear Mum about a difficult time in his life which he performed as a mixture of rap and song with his friend Kenan Nderede, who is studying sport.

Kenan said: “I was born in Uganda and Deji is from Nigeria. There are a lot of mixed backgrounds at this College and it is important we understand each other’s cultures.”

Black history goes back a long way in Walthamstow

2009-11-06T12:34:00.003Z

Students who took part in a black history walk around Walthamstow learnt that black people have been living in the area for hundreds of years.

Records kept at the Vestry House Museum and St Mary’s Church in Walthamstow show that black people were buried in the churchyard as long ago as 1693.

Peter Ashan, the museum’s learning and outreach officer who conducted the tour, said that 17th and 18th century burial records show that several people were buried with the name Blackman and Blackmore.

“This was a common surname given to black people who lived in the workhouses of Walthamstow at that time,” he added.

He explained that Walthamstow was then home to the very rich, including bankers, merchants and even slave traders, some who would have had black people as servants.

“Baptism records from the 1730s also show there was a family, Hugh Blackmore and his wife Annie, who lived in Chingford as free people,” he said.

The walk was one of a series of cultural events organised by Waltham Forest College in October to celebrate Black History Month.

When Nana Mensah, studying IT and life skills, was asked when he thought black people first settled in Walthamstow his answer was 1947.

“It has given me an understanding that there have been people of different cultures living here for a lot longer than I thought,” he said.

Seven students with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities were among those who took part in the tour.

Their teacher Rosita Matyniowna said: “This walk has enabled us to develop links for students within the community that are going to help to enrich their college programme.”

Students turn plastic into something fantastic

2009-10-20T12:25:00.009+01:00

Plastic shopping bags are recognised worldwide as an environmental hazard, but fashion students at Waltham Forest College have found a fascinating way to recycle them.

They have turned the throwaway items into fantastic dresses and gowns in a design project based on recyclable materials.

The bags were ironed, steamed, knitted, stapled, pinned, sewn and crunched into shape to make a collection of stunning creations, some outrageous and others the brave might dare to wear.

“I laughed when we were given this project,” student Sahra Moalim said. “I first thought, making dresses out of plastic bags, no way. But I was wrong.

“I learned that you can make anything glamorous and different. It works if you try hard to think of the design and forget about the material you are working with.”

Sahra, 20, is in her second year of a two year course leading to a BTEC National Diploma in fashion, a qualification equivalent to three A Levels, and plans to study design at university.

Her team used a variety of techniques, including adding sequins, to create a yellow and black gown from Morrisons bags.

Fashion tutor Melanie Boraster said students were split into teams of three, each consisting of a first year, a second year, and a fashion pathway student, to produce a garment.

“We visited the Fashion and Textile Museum and the Tate Modern to get ideas and inspiration for their designs,” she said.

Annie Sophocleous, 18, said: “I was inspired by the exhibition of corsets at the Fashion and Textiles Museum. I chose to knit a waist band with Morrisons plastic bags to get a tight waist effect with a puffy, girly-look skirt.”

Grace Crathern, 17, said it was her uncle who is a window dresser in Paris who inspired her to choose a career in fashion. She said: “My group really loved the bright yellow colour of the Budgens plastic bags. It was seeing a picture of a bra in a museum's leaflet that gave me the idea for the design of this dress.”

Mature student Femida Mahmood said her team’s design made from Waitrose bags was inspired by a 19th century “umbrella dress” seen at the fashion museum. The 53-year-old said: “I have five children aged between 10 and 19 and have a workshop at home where I make clothes for all the family and our friends.”

Radna Jassin admitted that she regarded her team’s design made from Asda bags more as “a piece of art” rather than a wearable outfit. “It’s punky and funky and you might get away with it around Camden Town,” she added.

However Niya Mignott said his team had deliberately set out to produce a wearable creation using Sainsbury’s bags. “We had a discussion and decided we wanted to design something that somebody might want to wear to a club.

“This project has taught me how to be creative, work as a team, how to use different ideas, and also how to compromise.”

Sarah Yombo said her team drew on the 1970s for inspiration for her beachwear outfit of knitted bra and matching skirt. “I had just been taught how to knit so I thought of incorporating knitting into the design,” she explained.

The conical bra worn by Madonna was the inspiration behind the outfit which featured a multi-coned bra designed by Luqman Ali’s team. He said: “You can do a lot of things with plastic that you can’t do with other fabrics, like burning it to make it tighter and crunchier.”

Shumaila Aslam said her team’s red, white and blue creation made from Tesco bags was designed to resemble a 19th century promenade dress with elaborate hat that elegant ladies might wear on their walks in the park. “We ironed and cut and steamed the bags and painted some of them to create the effect,” she added.

Saidah Kitimbo wants to continue her studies at the London School of Fashion when she completes her BTEC course and believes the skills she learned on the project will help her get there. “It was a fun to experiment and it proved that you can make anything out of plastic bags by using different techniques.”

The College runs a range of fashion courses to suit people at all levels. The majority of students progress to university or straight into employment, following the successful completion of their courses. For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College please phone 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk

Free training scheme helps the jobless get back to work

2009-09-07T16:17:00.003+01:00

Jobless people who have been out of work for six months or more are queuing up to take advantage of free training on offer at Waltham Forest College. The scheme being launched this month provides skills training to help people find work in business administration, caring, hospitality and catering.

Units are offered in subjects including: computer skills, developing customer handling and general administration skills, working in the early learning sector, food preparation and cooking, and food and drinks service.

The Challenge Unemployment programme provides courses to improve the employability skills of the long term unemployed.

Waltham Forest College is one of eight colleges in London to benefit from a £100 million funding boost, the cash coming from the government and the European Social Fund. Iain Elliott, the college’s director of business, said: “Our experienced staff aim to build the self confidence of people who are out of work and to help them cope with the challenges they face.

“We want to help them identify their personal goals and improve their personal presentation skills so they can move from the benefit system into paid employment. Our specifically trained staff will identify an individual’s skills gaps and enable them to obtain nationally recognised qualifications.”

Programmes can be tailor made to each person’s needs and can either be college or home based learning as appropriate.

The Flexible Employability Training Framework offers support to people from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances including lone parents, those not fluent in English, individuals with no or few qualifications, and mature learners. It also provides support for people with health conditions and those with additional learning needs.

Within the framework, help with literacy and numeracy is provided and the courses aim to improve communication skills by providing courses in How to Write Effectively, interview skills and workplace numeracy skills. If you would like to obtain further information about this free training programme or other College courses please call 020 8501 8501, or email info@waltham.ac.uk

Learning to take the fast track to success

2009-09-07T15:39:00.008+01:00

WFC students achieve their Uni dream

Daniel Tran wants to be a Formula One engineer, fine tuning racing cars in the pit lanes of the world’s Grand Prix circuits. Now the 18-year-old has the chequered flag in his sights after earning a distinction in the engineering diploma he studied at Waltham Forest College.

Daniel has won a place at City University in London where he will study for a degree in Automotive and Motor Sports Engineering, a four year course in which he will spend one year working in the motor industry. The ambitious teenager is one of more than 1,000 students from Waltham Forest College who are taking the vocational route rather than the academic route to achieving their goals.

Rather than stay on at school to study A Levels, Daniel chose to go to Waltham Forest College to study for a BTEC National Diploma in Engineering. The qualification is worth three A Levels. Daniel obtained a distinction and two merits in his diploma which earned him 280 UCAS points, the equivalent of two grade B passes and one grade C pass at A Level.

“I am really excited that I have a confirmed place at university,” he said. “It has been really hard work but it has paid off in the end. “The course has been fantastic and will help me achieve my ambitions in Formula One. The teachers have helped me a lot. They give up so much of their own time to give us extra support.”

More than 300 students will be heading off to university in the coming weeks after celebrating their success in vocational courses they have taken at the college. Many more have secured jobs in their chosen fields, and will continue their learning while they are earning.

Victoria pursues her passion for fashion

Fashion student Victoria Akinte is celebrating after securing a place at university where she will learn how best to design her own collection and market her own label.

Her success in the BTEC National Diploma in Fashion Design she took at Waltham Forest College has won her a place at Birmingham City University to study Fashion Promotion. She heard of the college’s outstanding reputation for teaching fashion design and decided to travel 30 miles a day from her home in Kent to study at the college’s campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

“I would recommend anyone with an interest in fashion as a career to study at Waltham Forest College,” the 22-year-old said. “I have gained an insight into aspects of fashion that I didn’t even know about before.” As the daughter of a dress designer, it was perhaps inevitable that she would develop a passion for fashion. She already has a diploma in media which should also help her in university course.

“I was working in a bride and groom salon when I decided I wanted a career in fashion,” she added. “I gained experience and confidence in design but decided I needed formal qualifications to progress. A friend in the business who has his own label told me how good the course is at Waltham Forest College, which is why I decided it was worth making the long journey every day.

“The course I did at college taught us not only design and garment making skills, but it also taught us the business skills we will need and I found I was quite good at that. As I want to have my own collection it is important to have marketing, promotion and business skills, which is why I chose to study fashion promotion at university.

“I would definitely recommend anyone who wants to study fashion to do so at Waltham Forest College. The staff are very patient and very positive. It was a beautiful and wonderful experience.”

The practical alternative to A Levels

2009-09-07T15:31:00.002+01:00

From as nearby as the University of East London to as far away as the University of Cumbria, students from Waltham Forest College are choosing universities across the country to continue their studies.

School leavers are discovering that A Levels are not the only route to achieving success in their career goals. A variety of alternative vocational qualifications are offered by Waltham Forest College that enable young people to achieve their ambitions.

In addition to BTEC Nationals in engineering and fashion, they are also available in subjects including public services, travel and tourism, health and social care, sport studies, business and computing.

Other qualifications include the Cache diplomas in subjects such as childcare and education, OCR qualifications in business and computing subjects, and the AAT in Accounting.

Students showcase sartorial talent

2009-07-03T09:12:00.008+01:00

(The following piece appeared in the Waltham Forest Guardian, Tuesday 30th June 2009)

WALTHAM Forest College was given a taste of the catwalk as fashion students staged their end-of-year show.

Flounces, frills and old socks all made appearances as models strutted their stuff on the runway on June 25.

With inspirations as diverse as Country Life magazine and the African savannah, the show ran the sartorial gamut, from street chic to evening wear.

In the “Make Do and Mend” category, first year fashion students stitched together old socks to create a range of shift dresses.

They also drew inspiration from TV series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, based on the novel by Alexander McCall Smith. The result was a collection of multi-coloured leather waistcoats, worn over blouses, skirts and shorts in African-style prints.

Benita Odogwu-Atkinson, the college’s curriculum manager for fashion, textiles and media, said: “Each year we look at different cultures for our inspiration and this year I wanted to focus on the British culture. We aimed to produce the Burberry look, with a collection of outfits in tweed and woollen fabrics.”

Models from the I Feel Experience agency showed off the students' work, as well as friends, family, other students, and in some cases, the designers themselves.

First-year BTEC student Luqman Ali, 17, said he spent 12 hours making a dress from old socks.
“I have always had a passion for clothes,” he said. "When I was younger I used to watch my mother sew and it stemmed from that.”

Taking a two-year course in fashion and clothing, Luqman hopes to go to university to study design and plans to become a designer and model.

The show was staged at the college in Forest Road, Walthamstow on June 25, featuring from students from a variety of courses.

Students complete mentoring scheme

2009-06-29T11:12:00.008+01:00

(The following piece appeared in the Waltham Forest Guardian, Thursday 11th June 2009)

STUDENTS from Waltham Forest College have successfully completed a mentoring scheme set up by a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) lawyer.

A total of nine students took part in the scheme, called Aiming Higher, which was set up by Waltham Forest prosecutor Pauline Curtis. It was set up with the aim of “empowering young people to make positive life choices”.

Ms Curtis ran the scheme alongside seven other prosecutors from around London, including the Borough's crown prosecutor Antony Salmon.

Lasting five months, the nine students, aged 18 and 19, were linked with a role model or mentor, spending four hours a month together.

During this time, they took part in career planning and goal setting exercises and were also allowed to spend time in their mentors' workplaces.

Pauline Curtis said: “I first had experience of a mentor in 2004 and it changed my whole life. Most importantly, the mentor gave me confidence and I want to give young people the same opportunity to succeed.

“The scheme has drawn attention and we are hoping to expand to include more students at Waltham Forest College and to launch the initiative at Greenwich University in the autumn."

THE WALTHAM FOREST COLLEGE ART EXHIBITION 2009

2009-06-24T09:33:00.009+01:00

Waltham Forest College hosted a reception evening to launch this year’s annual end of year art exhibition on Tuesday 9 June at its Forest Road site.

The exhibition, which closed on Friday 12 June, featured an incredible collection of artistic talent reflecting the diverse ethnicity of students who attend the College. Many of the artworks on display were based on their own personal experiences and family history.

Students worked with an array of media, including photography, sculpture, painting and appliqué to produce a wonderful visitor experience.

Exhibits included major projects produced by final year BTEC National Diploma students (equivalent to 3 A-levels) who have all secured university places. They will progress onto a range of degree courses such as architecture, textiles, fashion design and photography, graphics and the fine arts.

Peter Glasgow, Vice Principal at Waltham Forest College, said: “Some of our students exhibiting have overcome barriers to the exploration of and the fulfilment of their artistic potential; these barriers included disability, financial restraints and family commitments. Our students have devoted real energy to their work and this has resulted in some outstanding displays”
Sue Royle, Curriculum Manager, said: “I am really proud of the way in which all students have contributed to organizing this year’s exhibition. I would also like to thank our sponsors the Star of India for providing the buffet served during the opening reception”.

Mayor of Waltham Forest, Councillor Anna Mbachu, commented: “The Exhibition was brilliant and the work was very creative. These students are not only imaginative; they must also be very focused to produce such marvellous exhibits”.

Chris Kiernan, Executive Director of Children and Young People Services for the London Borough of Waltham Forest, commented on the extremely high standard of work at Waltham Forest College particularly at level 3, i.e. equivalent to A levels. He also felt that the work exhibited very much reflected the diversity of the learners at the College.

Art student, Courtney Joseph said “I came to the College three years ago as a BTEC First Diploma student and I now have a place at university. I would encourage anyone to come here because of the help and encouragement you get from all the staff including the technicians”.

Award Ceremony Celebrates Students Achievements

2009-06-03T09:55:00.004+01:00

Waltham Forest College’s School of Service Industries held its annual awards presentation ceremony on Wednesday 27th May 2009. Certificates, trophies and cash prizes were presented to 32 students.

Held in the College’s Mallinson Restaurant, the presentation evening was hosted by Claire Shire, the College’s Director of Young People’s Learning. There was an atmosphere of great excitement as staff and guests celebrated the achievements of students who had completed courses in Travel & Tourism, Hospitality & Catering and Public Services. The awards were presented to students to recognise their commitment, hard work and outstanding achievements on their programme of study.

NVQ Level 2 Catering student Jade Combrinck commented: "I'm really pleased my team won the Mallinson’s Trust Prize. It was a great experience to organise a charity event for the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a charity close to my heart. I really enjoyed working as part of a team; we had a good team spirit and worked hard to achieve our goals."

This event was sponsored by several high profile organisations which included: Aramark, a world leader in professional services; Metropolitan Police, Swiftpack, Russus, Andaz Hotel, Queen Mary University and Anglia Ruskin University, and The Mallinson Trust.

Robin Jones, Principal and Chief Executive at the College said: “I would like to congratulate our students on their achievements. This ceremony highlights the excellent progress they have made. Many of our award winners are moving on to jobs or university where they will use the skills they have gained.”

Award recipients
Hospitality & Catering: Scott Hunt-McDonnell, John Modeste, Anna Powell, Shinder Singh, Bernadette Forde, Marcin Gronwald, Frazer Connelly, Clair Marie Suragh, Peter Phelan, Billy Best, Linsey Satnarine, Stephanie Giola, Ida Amegby, Jade Combrinck, Jade Modeste, Diasy Morgan, Jono Stephens, Anna Szarek, Carrie Veitch.

Travel & Tourism: Mohamed Hanafi, Paulina Kuskky, Cornely Mulumba, James Kennedy, Maria Stanczykiewicz, Gloria Mbuyi Kabengele.

Public Services: Anisa Aga, Adam Vandepeer, Kirstie Gifford-Pitcher, Sarah Ann Gills.

Charity Bike Ride by Staff Waltham Forest College

2009-06-03T09:40:00.007+01:00

On Sunday 6th May eight members of staff at Waltham Forest College took part in a 20 mile fundraising bike ride. Braving the inclement weather conditions, they raised in excess of £200 which will be donated to Essex based The Little Haven Children’s Hospice.

The hospice aims to provide support and care for children and their families who are affected by life-threatening illnesses. The hospice offers short-term respite care and specialist terminal care when the need arises, to children from Essex and outer London boroughs.

The team are now gearing up to take part in the National 60 mile London to Cambridge charity bike ride which will be taking place on Sunday 26 July. Funds raised will be donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the UK's leading breast cancer charity.

This event will give participants the opportunity to cycle through beautiful countryside from Pickett's Lock, Lea Valley to the finish at Midsummer Common in Cambridge - a perfect place for friends and family to cheer you over the finish line. The route is fully signed with comfort breaks and marshalled to help you on your way.

Training sessions take place each Sunday so if you would like to take part in this event or simply wish to have some fun whilst getting fit contact Debbie Dennis 0208 601 8259.

Well done and Congratulations to all 20 mile bikers!!

Waltham Forest College Has Got Talent

2009-06-03T09:26:00.004+01:00

The Waltham Forest College Has Got Talent Show brought together an array of artistry including singing, rapping, beatboxing and comedy. Auditions were held prior to the main showcase which took place in May. 17 students attempted to wow a panel of judges who would decide whether they had the talent to perform.

An audience of over 150 waited for the 8 finalists. The student common room was filled with energy and more importantly talent. The level of audience appreciation was used to judge each performance as the artists displayed their skills with enthusiasm and emotion.

BTEC National Certificate student Aroda Ryan was delighted and proud to be named Waltham Forest College Has Got Talent Winner. Aroda’s rendition of ‘Ready for Love’ by India Arie, with accompaniment by Engineering BTEC National Diploma Student Ade Damilola on guitar, won the hearts of the audience. Aroda was presented with a trophy, £100 and a voucher to the Waltham Forest College Hair and Beauty Salon for a pamper day. Second place and third place went to Tanika Richards, an RnB singer and Sara Hassan, a pop singer. The 7 runners up were Shannyce Oswald, Kevin Obrefo, Erik Obot, Mrinal Madub, Sid Zenaf, Zino Bouakaz and Ashley Cooper Clarke.

Aroda said “I’m thrilled to have won. I love singing but maybe lack the confidence to sing more in public. After this, I feel able to perform in front of crowds and I look forward to my next performance. I would like to thank Ade for accompanying me and also the WFC crowd for choosing me as the winner.”

Student Union President Batula Sharif added “the talent surpassed last year’s because of the diversity. Waltham Forest College really does have talent.”

The event was organised by the College’s Student Union who will now be putting their efforts into organising the End of year Student Ball.

Adult Learner of the Year announced at Waltham Forest College

2009-05-19T16:03:00.004+01:00

College Principal Robin Jones presenting Les Fewings with his award.

Waltham Forest College, which has about 7,000 adult learners, kicked off Adult Learners' Week, by celebrating the achievements of adult learners at an awards presentation ceremony held at the Mallinson Restaurant at its campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

12 adult students were nominated by their lecturers to receive an award for the outstanding progress and commitment shown during their time at the college and all received Adult Learners’ Awards certificates.

Awards were presented by the college’s principal Robin Jones who said: “It was really hard to select the winner from the nominees as all students had worked exceptionally hard on their course in spite of having to deal with other issues such as health and maintaining a family. I believe all the award winners demonstrate that it is never too late to be what you want to be.”
The ‘Adult Learner of the Year’ award went to Les Fewings, who deals with challenging health problems daily, having been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, which amongst other things, left him profoundly deaf.

Les is studying for the IMI Level 1 Technical Award in Motorcycle Studies. Chris Roper Curriculum Manager Automotive Technology said: “Despite his challenges Les has made marvellous progress on his course and deserves to be recognised in this way. He works hard, progresses well with his studies, and is a pleasure to teach. He is always polite and pleasant to both teaching and support staff, and to his fellow students.”

Award winners were Kellie Fielder (Hairdressing), Ruvinia Callender (Food Studies), Simon Schendel (Learning for Success), Trea Brown (Beauty Therapy), Angela Sandford (Access to Law), Les Fewings (Motorcycle Studies), Shanthy Moothathamby (Health and Social Care), Stewart Bartholomew (StudyLink Plus) Ardjoun Nouredine (Motor Vehicle Studies), Malcolm Parker (Access to Law), Sharon-Marie Williams (Beauty Therapy), Tiffany Antonio (ICT).

For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College, please phone 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk or visit http://www.waltham.ac.uk/

Proving that it’s never too late to become what you want to be

2009-05-19T09:34:00.007+01:00

A mother of three who has been out of work for two years and a woman who has two degrees but is only able to find part time work were among those who attended Adult Learners’ Week workshops at Waltham Forest College.

The college staged four workshops over two days at its Uplands House Training Centre, Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, where staff supplied details of full and part-time courses offered advice about the type of financial support available.

“I came because I wanted to find help for me to come to some sort of decision about what I want to do next,” said Gina, 46. “I was made redundant two years ago and being out of work lowers your confidence, your skills and your self esteem.” Her last job was an administrative post for the NHS where she had worked for 17 years. “I would like to do something completely different,” she added. “I want to be skilled at something and do something for myself. I don’t want to be in a situation where I wake up in the morning and think I don’t want to go to work today.”

Becki, in her late 20s, has a master’s degree in scriptwriting and a bachelor’s degree in economics, but says that her work opportunities are sporadic. She said there are often long gaps between the scriptwriting she does for television programmes. “I do some exam invigilating at the University of East London and I am interested in finding additional work in teaching support, perhaps as a scribe for students with special needs. I came to the workshop to find out what training the college could offer.”

Tutors and students on Access to Higher Education courses at the college were on hand to supply visitors with the advice they needed.

Adult Learners’ Week is an annual national campaign which inspires thousands of adults, whatever their age or background to pursue learning opportunities. They may be interested in learning for pleasure, catching up on skills missed out on at school or getting that new job or promotion. People are also able to access information and guidance that can help them finance their studies.

The College continually tries to remove the barriers to learning for people who have difficulty juggling home, family and even working life. It has developed a range of flexible and highly effective programmes to accommodate their learning needs.

For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College please phone 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk or visit www.waltham.ac.uk

Improving Your Career Opportunities

2009-05-12T14:41:00.005+01:00

Patrick Williams who trained as a chef at Waltham Forest College.

The economic downturn will affect many of us but it is a fact that those with a good skills base are more likely to improve their career opportunities. As a result, greater numbers of people are acquiring new skills through retraining.

It was watching ‘The Galloping Gourmet’ programme on TV that inspired Patrick Williams to train as a chef, at Waltham Forest College.

Patrick worked his way up in the kitchens of some of the most prestigious (and demanding) names in British cooking. Today he is a celebrity Chef appearing on TV programmes and owner of The Terrace In The Fields, a gourmet restaurant in a unique setting in the centre of London’s Lincoln’s Inn Fields.

Robin Jones, Principal and Chief Executive at Waltham Forest College says: “People have difficulties juggling home, family and even working life. In order to help them overcome these conflicting barriers to learning, the College has developed a range of highly effective flexible programmes. Many of our part-time courses have variable start dates and times in order to meet adult learning needs at all levels”.

The College will be holding an Open Evening on Tuesday 19 May, 4.30pm to 7.30pm. Visitors will be able to meet advisors and lecturers, discuss training options and find out how to finance their studies. To obtain information about the Open Day or courses available at Waltham Forest College call 020 8501 8501, email info@waltham.ac.uk , visit http://www.waltham.ac.uk/ or drop into Forest Road, Walthamstow, London E17 4JB.

Summer University 2008 Certificate Presentation Evening

2009-04-24T09:22:00.017+01:00

Students with their certificates and Peter Bendon, 31/03/09

Waltham Forest College and the London Borough of Waltham Forest (LBWF) Youth Support Service teamed up to celebrate the success of students who attended the Summer University in 2008. An awards presentation ceremony was held in the College’s Mallinson Restaurant on Tuesday 31 March.

48 young people attended accompanied by their family and friends. A total of 92 students were awarded National Open College Network’s (NOCN) nationally recognised qualifications. Guests were treated to a delicious buffet which was prepared and served by the College’s Catering and Hospitality students

Young people had successfully completed a range of courses which included: Hairdressing, Beauty Make-up, Computer Animation, Web Page Design, Magazine Journalism, Catering and Fashion. These courses ran over two weeks in July and August 2008.

Lecturers from Waltham Forest College presented the certificates to their students and careers advisers from LBWF Youth Support Service were on hand to offer advice about progression opportunities to courses starting in September 2009.

Peter Glasgow, Vice Principal at Waltham Forest College said that "The Media often provide us with negative reports about young people and this is not the whole story. All the young people here had voluntarily taken time out of their summer holidays to study and this is to be commended. Currently 8 out of every 10 students who attend this College succeed and it is dedicated students such as yourselves that are helping this College to move from good to outstanding.”

Peter Bendon, Lecturer and Co-ordinator of the Summer University said "I am really pleased with the energy and positive attitude displayed by students who attend this programme. All participants felt that the Summer University had been a worthwhile experience and a number of students indicated that the taster course they had selected had helped them to decide on their future career."

Phil Slaney, Lead Careers Adviser, LBWF Youth Support Service, said "Several students have applied for full-time courses or apprenticeship programmes and others were already enrolled at the College. The Summer University is in its third year and the progress made by these young people demonstrates the benefits of trying these ‘taster’ courses held over the course of a week."

Geron Gittens, who studied Animation and Web Design, said "I saw a leaftlet advertising the Summer University at the Connexions Centre and thought I would try two courses to see what they would be like. I really enjoyed them both so I decided to study full-time at Waltham Forest College. I am currently studying for a BTEC First Diploma in Media and intend to go on to take the BTEC National Diploma next year."

The College and LBWF are already planning another Summer University in 2009 based on last year’s success and hope to offer an even wider selection of courses leading to nationally recognised qualifications. If you would like to obtain further information about the Summer University or other College courses please call 020 8501 8501.

Judges Wowed by College Total Look Hair and Beauty Competition

2009-03-31T12:13:00.007+01:00

Simone Ricketts, Kamola Jones and Waltham Forest’s Mayor, Councillor Sheila Smith-Pryor, 25/03/2009

The zebra look wowed judges at a hair and beauty show staged by students at Waltham Forest College on Wednesday 25 March 2009.

Student Simone Ricketts drew gasps of appreciation from the audience when she strutted the catwalk with her hair platted into a black and white mane. Elaborate black and white striped make-up adorned her face and body to complete the resemblance to the animal which runs wild on the African savannas. Her appearance won first prize for the hairdressing student who meticulously crafted it, Kamola Jones.

Kamola, 28, was placed top in the hairdressing level 2 adult category, in which students styled their models on an animal theme. She said: “I can’t believe I won. Simone who modelled for me is a health and social care student at the College and she helped me devise the zebra look.”

Kamola said she plans to take a course in beauty therapy at the college next year so she can achieve her ambition of becoming a personal stylist providing a total hair and beauty service to her clients.

She was one of around 60 hairdressing and beauty therapy students who took part in the Total Look competition held at the College’s main campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow.

Prizes were presented by Waltham Forest’s Mayor, Councillor Sheila Smith-Pryor, in seven different categories covering a range of hair and beauty courses from level 1, beginners, to level 3, which is A-level equivalent. She said: “What an absolutely splendid show. The students were brilliant, creative, and just fantastic. I am very proud of what takes place in this college because it reflects the achievements of people in this borough.”

The audience comprised family and friends as well as specially invited guests, including Mary Vine Morris, Area Director, Learning Skills Council (LSC) London North, Sarah Carrick, Partnership Director, LSC London North and Councillor Terry Wheeler.

Each prize category featured different themes, which included fairies, carnival, futuristic and horror.

Sabrina Hussein, 16, won first prize in the level 1 hairdressing competition, based on a punk theme. She is a full time student but works one day a week at the Walthamstow salon Talking Heads where her model, Nadine Mahon, works Saturdays. “In the long term I want to be a celebrity stylist,” Sabrina said. “I want to finish studying after completing a level 3 course, then work in a salon and make a name for myself. I will do whatever it takes to get to the top.”

Daljinder Riyat, 21, won the top prize in the level 3 hairdressing competition with her sister Pavan modelling for her. “My ambition is to be a stylist in theatre production,” she said.

Barbara Robinson took part in the Avant Garde show opening prom, which was not judged. The youthful looking 40-year-old has more than 20 years experience as a hairdresser, but is taking a level 3 course at the college so she can become a teacher and assessor. She styled her model, her niece Antoinette, in a punk-rock look featuring a colourful array of pinks, purples, blues and white. “I like wacky styles,” she said.

Salon owner and trainer Patricia Hope was one of the judges. She said: “The students were very creative, especially with some of the hand made costumes. “The judgements were made on how they interpreted the theme they were given on a combination of factors, not just testing their hairdressing skills but make up, costume, even down to the choice of model.”

The hair and beauty show has become an annual event on the College’s calendar and has been running for more than ten years.

Ruth Bennett, a lecturer in beauty therapy, said: “We have more than 100 students on full and part time hair and beauty courses. This show gives them the opportunity to showcase their work in front of an audience of their family, friends, and important people in the industry. They get a lot of enjoyment out of it, practise their skills, and they can use it towards their assessment.”

Claire Shire, the College’s Director of Young People’s Learning, said: “This show is another step on our way to becoming an outstanding college. It provides young people with the opportunity to develop all round skills such as presentation and allows the industry specialist to see the high standards of work they produce.

“It is about team work and allows young people to gain experience working with adults in its production and planning. Lots of students put in hours over and above their usual course hours. They research the themes thoroughly and present them in an innovative way.”

For information about courses available at Waltham Forest College call 0208 501 8501

Comic Relief Fun Run at Waltham Forest College

2009-03-19T14:45:00.000Z

Staff and students representing many departments from Waltham Forest College took part in a range of activities to raise money for Comic Relief on Red Nose Day, Friday March 13.

The 20-strong group of fundraisers set off from the College steps at 11:30, they ran, jogged and walked the 1 mile distance to the College’s Café Horizon located in Lloyd Park. The main hall was a hive of cash-generating activities which included ‘Beat the Goalie’, ‘Rowing Challenge’ and ‘Have a Bash at Drumming’. Delicious Red nose cakes were baked by catering students and students with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Jonathan Constable, the College Enrichment Manager, who led the team responsible for co-ordinating the event, said ‘It’s great to see so many students and members of staff taking part in these fundraising activities’. The College expects the amount raised by the end of the day to exceed £400.

College Students Support Fairtrade Fortnight

2009-03-09T09:57:00.002Z

The Forest Café held a Fairtrade Coffee Morning on Thursday 26 February in support of Fairtrade Fortnight. This annual national event takes place this year between 23 February and 8 March 2009. Organisations and community groups are staging a variety of activities to encourage people to switch to Fairtrade products.

Throughout the fortnight Hospitality and Catering students at Waltham Forest College are preparing a host of goodies using Fairtrade ingredients. Competitively priced homemade muffins, banana cakes and other items are on sale in the College cafes.

Fukiya Abioye, a first year Hospitality and Catering student, said “I think it’s a good idea to buy Fair Trade products even if they cost a little more. It’s really good to know you are buying something for a good cause.”

Sally Allen, Senior Catering Supervisor at the College said “For the past four years the College has ensured that Fairtrade products are always available in its cafes.

“However, Fairtrade Fortnight is a great opportunity to alert students, staff and the general public to the importance of buying these products.”

Products that are Fairtrade certified carry the FAIRTRADE mark. This means that people from developing countries involved in the production process work under decent conditions and are paid a fair wage.

The Forest Café at Waltham Forest College is open to the public Monday to Friday 9:30am -11:30am and 12noon - 2:15pm.

2009-02-23T12:06:00.015Z

The Students’ Union of Waltham Forest College would like to thank all who attended the Motivational Seminar on Thursday 12th February given by Andrae Palmer of Ground Up Development Limited, the young leader of a small business, from Lambeth. The event was a success and it received good feedback from students. Andrae is willing to come back to provide further help and support for students and staff who would like to venture into social enterprise.

As well as offering team building workshops and motivation speaking Ground Up Development Offers:

Lambeth Youth Bank
The Lambeth Youth Bank (LYB) is a new grant making initiative run by young people and for young people. With thousands of £'s to give away we want to hear young people’s (11-25 yr-olds) project ideas. Our young panel members decide who gets the money and how much.

Hidden Histories Project
The Hidden Histories project has been a revelation. Covering black history in Britain over the last (at least!) 2000 years, the project and its facilitators strive to raise the aspirations and self-esteem of its participants, as well as developing an appreciation of the power of history. Avoiding the common trap of focusing exclusively on slavery and the slave trade, the project covers both negative and positive aspects of African and Caribbean people’s experiences, over the centuries, of living in the UK.

Fathers Matter Too (FM²)
Fathers Mater Too (FM²) is an expectant fathers training course scheduled for 2010. The 6 week course was designed to provide an inclusive and supportive setting in which young, first time dads and fathers-to-be can receive essential information on the birth and the early stages of a new-born baby’s development. It deals with practical skills, why fathers are important, the impact of becoming a father on other relationships and the role of the health service and key professionals. This will work precisely to help and enable young / new fathers to be more involved in the upbringing of their child. Lambeth has an exceptionally high rate of teenage pregnancy (see Public Health Directorate, Lambeth PCT: April 2006) with very little support for young or first time dads. Evidence shows this support is necessary in order to benefit the well-being and upbringing of children born to young parents, the programme also aims to support young men in their role as fathers.

http://www.groundupdevelopment.org/

BLIND-DATE Students pick their Valentine!

2009-02-20T12:57:00.009Z

Love was in the air when students at Waltham Forest College turned back time to stage a “blind date” game show to celebrate St Valentine’s Day.

Reviving memories of Cilla Black’s TV matchmaking programme, four students set out on a quest to find their perfect partner.

Reshawn Davis, a 19-year-old studying for a BTEC national diploma in public services, had to pick from travel and tourism student Naomi, hairdressing student Honey, and student leader Hannah.

Naomi was the nickname used by Marsha Daley, Honey was Laura Popo’s pseudonym, and Batula Sharif was Hannah.

He asked the girls “if you could pick a song to describe yourself, what would it be?” and “where would you take me on our first date?”

Reshawn said: “I am doing it for fun but who knows what might happen. I’m hoping it might lead to romance.”

He said he was a big fan of the TV show which ran for 18 years until Cilla bowed out in 2003. “I used to watch it and thought I would like to be a contestant one day. This was my chance,” he added.

He turned down Naomi who said she would take him to KFC on her first date because that was all she could afford, and he said “no, no, no” to Honey who revealed that the record that best described her was Amy Winehouse’s Rehab.

He chose Hannah, and their prize was a meal for two at the Mallinson Restaurant at the college’s campus in Forest Road, Walthamstow, where catering students demonstrate their cooking and serving skills.

Student union president Batula Sharif, who organised the St Valentine’s Party with enrichment manager Jonathan Constable, said the blind date show was the latest students have held on a TV theme.

“We had a W Factor contest last year, and we have a Waltham Forest’s Got Talent show planned for next month,” she added.

The Valentine’s Party was held in the Student Common Room, decorated with heart-shape balloons, low lighting and soft music to set the tone for romance.

College hits back at fashion teaching criticism

2009-02-09T14:56:00.011Z

FASHION teachers and students in Waltham Forest have hit back at criticism that colleges are failing to teach young people the practical skills needed to succeed in the tough industry.
Skillfast, the skills council for the fashion industry, says young people are unable to find work because practical skills, including pattern-cutting, sample-making and machining, are being left out of college courses in favour of fashion design.
Research by Skillfast has also shown that five per cent of the workforce, about 17,000 people, have stayed on beyond retirement age because employers cannot find skilled younger replacements

Skillfast chief executive Linda Florance said: "The UK model for competitiveness requires highly skilled people with a broad range of practical talents, but the education and training system just is not delivering enough of them."
But modern college courses have been vigorously defended by Penny Holden, Head of the School of Arts at Waltham Forest College.
She said that all fashion courses at the college, in Forest Road, include pattern cutting and sewing.
She said "We have a history of producing students with very good technical skills that goes back 40 years. Our teachers have industry experience and are practitioners who work outside and for the most part do their teaching on a part-time basis."

Ms Holden said nine in 10 Waltham Forest College fashion students go on to university while the others find work in the industry.
She added that the college aims to create an "industry-style" environment to replicate a real sample room.
The college's methods were also defended by former student Alison Donohue, who now works for top designers Pascale Smets and Jaeger.
She said "I gained invaluable technical skills from my course at the college. I now work for a number of well-known companies as a sample garments technician responsible for making prototypes for their collections."
Skillfast has launched a campaign, called Behind the Seams, calling on politicians to support more workplace-based training in the industry.

Check out the latest show of the students creations below!

Duke of Edinburgh Weekend

2008-06-04T21:38:00.054+01:00

The BTEC National certificate Public Services (Uniformed) course recently underwent a practice expedition run at Suntrap education centre in High Beech, Epping Forest.

The students, who are working towards their bronze award practised how to put up tents, cook using minimal resources, orienteer and practise map reading skills whilst also doing a brisk 4 hour walk through the forest in the rain.

The next challenge is to plan, prepare and undertake a 3 day, 2 night venture in the Gower, Wales at the end of June.

There is also to be at least 6 hours of planned activity each day.

Well done all, and good luck!

Gastronomic Tour

2008-05-01T16:37:00.004+01:00

A number of the staff managed to slip away from the college with a collection of NVQ Level 2 students.

They ended up on a foodie version of a pub crawl, in London's West End.

First stop was Le Gavroche restaurant at 44 Upper Brook Street.

Here they met Michael Roux the Head Chef / Owner and were given a talk regarding the Industry and a tour of the kitchens.

Next stop was the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London W2.

They kindly gave the students a tour of the hotel showing Banqueting Halls and kitchens.

It is the third largest banqueting hotel in London.

Their final stop was Galvins at 66 Baker Street, London.

Here they met the owner / Head Chef Jeff Galvin who proved it was the most up and coming restaurant in London.

It was an enjoyable day with students able to see various form of catering outlets from large to small.

In the Army now...

2008-04-01T12:56:00.000+01:00

Here you can see the NVQ 1 Catering Students showing off the Army officers they 'captured' - well, on film at least!

It was during a day visit to Aldershot, when they enjoyed a tour around the kitchens.

The day included the opportunity to produce lunch under canvas - in the rain - a very welcome warm up for a cold day.

We Focus on the BBC

2008-03-26T10:10:00.005Z

Recently six students from Focus 12 (one of the college’s under 16 provisions) went on a visit to BBC Broadcasting House.

The students, who have been making their own radio shows in the college (Focus FM), were invited by a producer to see behind-the-scenes at a live broadcast.

After a tour around the building the student’s were allowed to practice their skills on a mixing desk before watching a live broadcast of Radio 4’s “You and Yours” where Lord Coe was fielding questions about the 2012 Olympics.

Finally two of the students were interviewed for a future broadcast before being treated to a dinner in the infamous BBC Canteen. The students thoroughly enjoyed the trip and really benefited from seeing a professional radio show in action. Michael Thompson said “The highlight for me was getting to use their studio” while Ibrahim Ilham said “It was amazing to what goes on at a real radio station”.

The student’s continue to work on improving their radio shows and have been invited to the 1extra studios next year.

We seen the Screen

2008-03-14T13:18:00.003Z

Recently 14 first year student representatives from the school of Business and Computing visited SCREEN UK at Milton Keynes.

SCREEN UK is one of leading providers of digital printing technologies to the printing industry and has close working relationship with HP, Tesco and others.

We all met in the college and used the college minibus to get to Milton Keynes. The journey took around 90 minutes travelling across four counties, (Essex, Herts., Beds. and Bucks.). To stop boredom setting in, we played a ‘Blockbuster’ game during the journey which worked out quiet well (the sweets went down nicely too) – it would have been even better had the laptop battery been charged and able to keep up with our pace.

At SCREEN UK, we were shown a brief history of the printing company and the role of computers and IT in modern printing before going on to see a demonstration of how text and images are transferred onto paper and printed in a form of a poster or magazine. We then split into two groups and were shown the operation of two digital printing machines, each worth around £250,000, in turn.

The students represented the college like true professionals, asking the right questions and showing interest during the events. Well done all.

We finished our tour around 12.30, and after thanking the organisers, headed back to the college.

No fog on the Tyne

2008-03-10T12:29:00.005Z

Amongst those fortunate enough to be invited aboard HMS Tyne during her four day visit to London, were some Waltham Forest College students who are studying Tourism and the Public Services.

HMS Tyne is a River Class offshore patrol vessel currently carrying out fishery protection duties and she and her crew enjoyed a well earned rest in the Capital after four busy weeks’ duty up to 300 miles off Lands End.

Lieutenant Chris Benarr (pictured below) the ship’s Operations officer welcomed the students and led a tour to every part of the ship, which is home to some 30 officers and crew, explaining in detail their important role in the Royal Navy and life aboard and ashore.

The students were able to take their places on the bridge, try out the 20mm cannon (fortunately not loaded), were given a demonstration on the finer points of fire fighting and Lt. Benarr outlined the purpose of the function of the boarding of fishing vessels to carry out routine inspections and enforcing UK and EU fisheries legislation.
During these operations two man teams from the ship conduct boardings of fishing vessels inspecting net sizes, weight of catches, fish sizes, composure of catches and the vessel's logbook and licence.

Palma Paella

2008-03-03T11:46:00.006Z

Where's the best place to go to try Paella?

We think it might be Palma Majorca.

Paella is just one thing we tried when BTEC National Diploma Travel and Tourism Year One went on a fact finding mission.

The main objective was to reseach and understand the marketing activities and and customer service provisions of a number of different travel and tourism organisations.

However, we admit that we did get time to visit the aquarium and to check out the beach at Can Pastilla.

Waltham Tritons & Forest Swim School

2008-02-25T16:53:00.003Z

Lessons and coached sessions:

Non-swimmers to competitive standard.

3 year olds to adult with specific sessions available for 11+ years.

Fees from £52 for a 13 week term.

Waltham Forest College pool and Ilford County High School. Monday, Wednesday and Sunday evenings.

Contact Karen 020 8521 7192 or Jackie 07930 752 223 or info@forestswimschool.co.uk

Valentine's Message:

2008-02-14T13:24:00.000Z

This was sent to your Student Blog by a certain Retail student.

Is it for you??????

Another message:

2008-02-14T10:21:00.000Z

Belfast under the microscope

2008-02-04T09:51:00.000Z

The BTEC National Certificate Public Services (uniformed) year 1 students took an investigative journey to Belfast recently.

Whilst there we went on an open top bus tour of the city.

We travelled along the Shankill Road in West Belfast. Throughout the city there are murals depicting local para-military groups such as the UVF, UDA and UFF. Our guide explained some of the intricacies of this delicate situation.

We passed the Belfast Peace Line or Peace Wall, and drove through the Peace Gates in Townsend Street, a physical barrier for vehicles separating the Shankill Road and Falls Road. Staying in West Belfast, we drove along the predominantly Irish Republican or Catholic Falls Road. Here we saw murals showing allegiance with other groups from around the world. We also passed the Sinn Fein Headquarters and the famous Bobby Sands mural at Sevastapol Street.

On the second day we were picked up by police minibuses and driven to the PSNI training centre (Police Service of Northern Ireland) Lisnasharragh complex where we were met by Chief Inspector Kevin Smith (Head of combined operational training). Scones, tea and coffee were laid on and we started our day at police training college.

Chief Inspector Arthur Davidson facilitated an informative session on operational emergency planning which included topics such as the roles of the police, ambulance, fire services and local authorities in major incident emergency planning.

Arthur explained the bronze operational, silver tactical and gold strategic chain of command. Arthur also focused on the importance of teamwork in emergency planning and interagency cooperation.

He gave practical examples of joint emergency planning, training and exercising within the Northern Ireland public services. Arthur also focused on the challenges of emergency planning and focused on the Whiterock 2005 public disorder and the Omagh bombing as real life examples.

We had a delicious lunch buffet courtesy of the PSNI and in the afternoon Constable Michael Hutchinson (Firearms and tactical trainer) facilitated a theoretical and practical session in which he prepared a tabletop scenario of a major incident where a lorry had Just driven into a Fridge Plant room and caused structural damage as well as breaking some pipe work to a Liquid Ammonia Storage System releasing Ammonia gas into the surrounding area.

The students were split into groups representing different uniformed and non-uniformed public services e.g. fire, police, local authorities and NHS. The students role played a major incident table top scenario where they had to cooperate, coordinate and communicate with each other as how to best contain and deal with the emergency. The exercise was well planned and delievered by Michael and Kevin and the students thoroughly enjoyed participating in it as well as covering assessment criteria for their planning for and management of major incidents unit.

We also were introduced to Tom Johnson Sergeant Press officer at the Lisnasharragh police headquarters and he explained how in an emergency incident his department works with the world's press to cover relevant stories.

We were taken back to George Best International Airport in the police minibuses after a very informative, educational and enlightening day.

The staff and students on the Public Services (uniformed) course thank all the staff at PSNI for their hospitality on a very educational and enjoyable day.

Kurvil cooks the policy makers' books

2007-10-15T13:42:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Kurvil Alleyne, an NVQ Level 3 Pastry student who has been selected as a member of the National Learner Panel for 2007/08.

Kurvil went through a rigorous selection process and will be joining 17 other successful applicants from across England to work alongside Government ministers and other key Further Education policymakers over the course of the year.

The National Learner Panel (NLP) is a high profile group whose role is to influence and steer the direction of DIUS (Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills) post-16 policy by ensuring that the learner perspective is included in the policy-making process.

Kurvil's membership of this Panel is something that the College is extremely proud of and we wish him all the best over the coming year.

A Common place

2007-10-08T00:23:00.000+01:00

(press the > arrow button above to play the video, and turn your speakers up!)

A load of students spend their 'down time' trying to find places to hang. The Cafeteria's an answer. The majestic front steps of the college are an answer. Even corridors and the reception area will do.

But, the real place to hang is the Student Common Room. It's part of the Lowery Building, next to engineering on the ground floor. And, guess what? Yep, those folk in the Creative Media Resources department have made a video about it. This walks you round what's in the common room so's you can then just turn up and hang there looking like you've been to the place hundreds of times!

Another brick in the wall

2007-10-01T13:56:00.000+01:00

In the first of this term's trips, it was the turn of the BTEC National Certificate Public Services Uniformed Year 2 to go to the wall. The Berlin Wall.

Not only was the wall a focal point, but we were able look around the whole of Berlin itself.

We checked out Checkpoint Charlie, which, although now purely a tourist attraction, used to be the famous crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.

The Public Services teaching team joined us 11 students as we researched more into the history of World War Two and looked at how a modern unified Germany was building its tourist and leisure industry.

Fashion, turn to the left, Fashion, turn to the right

2007-09-24T09:58:00.000+01:00

(press the > arrow above to play the video, and turn your speakers up)

A highlight of the college year is the Annual Fashion Show. Some say 2007 was the best yet. The college's Creative Media Resources department were there with three professional cameras capturing the event, relaying it onto the big screen, and recording everything. They hope to bring a full video out soon.

Meanwhile, here's a quickfire collection of shots from the days on the catwalk for you to enjoy.

Introducing Student Services

2007-09-17T23:42:00.000+01:00

(press the > arrow above to play the video, and turn your speakers up!)

If you're not sure what's what and who's who, the college's Creative Media Resources department have been putting together videos where different departments introduce themselves.

Here's a very useful one for starters, from the Student Services department, the first point of contact for all student information and guidance.

A warm welcome

2007-09-10T16:46:00.000+01:00

The Blog polled a number of potential new students a few days ago during the first Enrolment week.

Remember - Enrolment continues this week, even though it's also Induction Week and a few courses have already started. (So, it's not too late to sign-up and join us!)

Anyway, we spoke to Akli who will be joining us as part of the ESOL New Start course. We wanted to know how he rated the Enrolment experience.

"Very good, Very quick," he told your Blog.

You can see him working with Adrian from Student Services in the Mallinson to prepare his ID card.

The Mallinson restaurant is only used during Enrolment week to help ease congestion for the large number of potential students coming into the college. From this week, everything will revert to being managed from within Student Services (right next to Reception).

Back in the main Student Services office we found Sopia signing up for an International Business course. She commented that her experience had been "Very Good." She also told us, "I've found everybody so helpful and the students handbook very informative."

Let's hope they have the best of success on their courses and enjoy their time here at the college.

How was Enrolment for you? We'd love to read your comments. Just click on the 'comments' link below and let us know...

Roll-up Roll-up and Enrol

2007-09-03T00:50:00.000+01:00

Welcome back to the official student blog of Waltham Forest College. We are here blogging again for the new Academic Year of 2007 to 2008.

Although the college's Enrolment officially commenced on Saturday, staff have had the pleasure of meeting potential new students for a while, as they started coming in during the middle of last week.

Compared to previous years, the college has altered the layout with Course Tutors and information being dealt with in the hall, and then funding and other registration issues being dealt with in both the main Student Services office and also the Mallinson restaurant.

For newbies the college can seem a bit confusing, especially as the prestigious and historic steps in the front bring people into the Main Reception area on the second floor, not the ground floor! When you want to leave you have to remember to head for the second floor.

However, finding a room is quite easy with following tips from old timers:-

Firstly, rooms are numbered with three digits, like, for example, room 123. The first digit, in this case the '1', indicates the floor you need to be on, the first floor (It's '0' for the ground floor).

Then, it helps to know that rooms are numbered in such a way that if you walk down a corridor, as you pass the rooms on your left, they will always be going up in number. The rooms on your right will always be going down in number. Confused? No, honestly, it does make sense once you've sussed it. Just keep walking down the corridor counting the room numbers steadily going up (to your left) or going down (to your right) until you get to the room number you want.

Anyway, hopefully not too many potential students will be lost forever in the maze, and we can look forward to seeing them as fellow students from next week.

A prize evening for all

2007-05-18T10:14:00.000+01:00

Wednesday evening saw a packed Mallinson Restaurant as the School of Service Industries put on the Hospitality and Tourism Prize Giving Evening.

Everything was organised very professionally, with 'meeting and greeting' in the reception area, and friends and relatives of those attending being shown the way to the Mallinson.

The event started with the presentations, and ended with canapes.

Here's the 'rolecall': (if we miss anybody out, apologies, let us know)

NVQ Catering Full Time - Chef of the Year 1

MARTIN DONNELLY

NVQ Catering Full Time - Chef of the Year 2

EURELL WATT

NVQ Part Time Catering Students' Award

ABIR HAMMOUD

Smithfield Student of the Year

CHRIS PHIPPS

Smithfield Most Improved Student

CHRIS HUSSEY

The Restaurant Association Merit Awards for Organisational Skills in Food Service & Food Preparation

LEON WILLIAMS & EURELL WATT

Ready, Steady Cook! Competition winners

MARTIN DONNELLY & MICHAEL POOLEY;

JACQUELINE CANE & JESSICA

KELLY;

LEON WILLIAMS & NATASHA HUCKFIELD-HOUGHTON

The OCN Pathway Awards Catering and T.H.L.

JACQUELINE CANE, HECTOR RODRIGUEZ & ACLIMA RUSMAULLY

Travel & Tourism Awards -BTEC 1st Dip.

DAVE ONAWELO

BTEC National T &T Yr 1

SANDRA ASAMOAH

BTEC National T & T Yr 2

SHERBANO JOOMUNNVQ

Best Work-based Student of the Year

MONICA CHARLES

BTEC National Public Services Students of the Year

Year 1 -

STEPHEN DARLOW

Year 2 -

NASEER ABBAS

BTEC 1st Diploma in Sport -

KULATEN SAID

BTEC National, Sports Development & Fitness Students of the Year

LISIMBA WELCH & THEOPHANIS GEORGIOU

HND Special Award for Peer Support -

MELEK OZDEMIR (pictured with her basket of fruit)

HND - Best Work Experience Student

GINA NDOMBE

HND - BEST GRADES - 2006

ANDREZA GONCALVES (pictured with her certificate)

Andreza told us, "I just wanted to let you know that I have applied to the Hilton Elevator General Manager programme and I've made it through all four stages! I was one of 6 chosen out of 3500 applicants! I will be starting in September with a 9 month placement in the UK and thereafter, a 9 month placement abroad. I am so excited."

Emergency in the corridor

2007-05-16T15:33:00.000+01:00

Shock news reached the blog this week about an epidemic that we think was covered up! Or maybe the college is sitting on the news for now!

(We bring you the unembroidered truth as only a blog can.)

During the Easter holiday what looks like a triage centre had to be set up on the first floor of the main building.

The outbreak was so widespread that stretchers and treatment beds spilled out into the corridor to hold the poor patients in a depressingly familiar Accident and Emergency line waiting for treatment.

As far as the eye could see, waiting for a bit of loving care and attention, their used and abused legs in the air, there was an entire flock of very unwell chairs.

For some, the wheel had finally come off, for others the bottoms of students and staff had been just too much to bear.

It was a sight so shocking that these secretly taken pictures were smuggled out of the college and into the hands of your blog.

No official mention has been made anywhere of the condition of the chairs today, but the corridors were empty when all returned to normal after the Easter break.

If you have any information as to how the chairs might be today, then please let us know by adding your 'comment' below.

I say chaps, this really is Cricket

2007-05-14T13:38:00.000+01:00

It's time for another healthy story here on your blog. This time it's cricket. Here you can see some of our players in the nets getting a good practice in.

But, the WFC Cricket team are still looking for players!!!!

Howzat?

Well, if you're interested in cricket and learning how not to get your leg before wicket, why not make your way down to the Peter May Sports Centre in Wadham Road. We're there on Wednesday evenings between 6pm and 7pm. It only costs £2 per session, just make sure you bring a white top, trainers and your ID badge. All other equipment is provided.

Here's a picture of the team that needs you! Come join us?

Therapy is child's play

2007-05-11T11:31:00.000+01:00

Level 2 and 3 NVQ candidates in Children's Care Learning and Development met up with the full-time DDC Year 2 students at Uplands House for a special guest presenter.

Ros Kane is a child-centred play therapist. She is one of few British therapists who practises this type of therapy, and runs Carefree Kids. That's her own organisation in the Borough set-up to support children through child-centred therapy in schools. Carefree Kids has a converted playbus if the schools cannot provide a room for the children.

Ros has also written a book called To Have An Only Child. (ISBN 0-9548934-0-9). (The book will be available from the Library, 4th floor in the Main Building)

We had an introduction followed by a DVD presentation of a therapy session.

This included all the 8 steps and full guidelines.

After the presentation we had a question and answer session with volunteers from Carefree Kids. They were also on hand to support students and discuss things further.

Spot the ball?

2007-05-09T15:26:00.000+01:00

Hey, look at the way the ball leaves the Wing Attack's hands (above)!

Or, more importantly, could we enter this picture on the left into a 'Spot the Ball' competition?

I mean, right, if we can see it why couldn't they, eh? Only kidding!

Anyway, it's a good opportunity to remind everybody about the WFC Netball Course. Would you like to have a go?

Anyone who is interested in coming along having fun and keeping fit please contact Mark Jarvis on 020 8501 8173 or Jenny on poolside (the Swimming Pool, ground floor main building) or call 020 8501 8300.

Or, why not just turn up? We're over the road at Holy Family School every Wednesday evening from 6:00pm until 7:30pm.

You will need to bring £2 per session and wear comfortable clothing/footwear.

Our team shines in tournament

2007-05-04T14:21:00.000+01:00

Eight students represented WFC in the annual basketball tournament hosted by Enfield College.

Leading up to the event we had held trials at Forest Road YMCA and were, to be perfectly honest, rather disappointed with the turn out. Fortunately, of those who did attend, we had a rich mix of talent and were reasonably confident of making a good showing of ourselves.

The format for the tournament meant that the nine Colleges present were pooled into three groups of three. The league phase was played over 1 period of 10mins, rolling clock.

Our first game was against B6 Brookhouse who play out of Hackney. The early exchanges were, as expected, fraught with turnovers and missed opportunities as both sides tried to settle. B6 were first to get into their rhythm and took up a 9-2 lead on 5mins.

However we didn’t panic and with some good accurate passing from Michael and Andrius and some excellent aggressive defence from Mamomi (“Golde”), we cut into the deficit and with 1min of the game left trailed by 15-12.

Iain then picked up the ball on halfway and we all felt assured that we could keep our hopes alive, even though time was running out. But as he made a desperate attempt to drive towards the basketball he was alleged to have fouled the opposition centre and we turned the ball over with only 15secs remaining on the clock.

Playing a full court press, all players dug in, to deny Brookhouse time and space. Under this pressure their number 10 misplaced an easy lay-up and Seb Pardo rebounded the ball deep in his own half. Dribbling up to just in side halfway and, with the clock showing 1sec, Seb released a shot which flew straight into the basket for three miraculous points………..UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

After some celebration involving the majority of those present we went into 1min of overtime and managed to hold off Brookhouse, finally winning the game 17pts to 15pts. A very enjoyable and some would say memorable game.

Our second contest was against Carshalton College and it was clear from the “tip” that we had the upper hand on offence and defence. Michael used his physical attributes to dominate the boards and collect a nine point personal tally.

Javin, Malik and Jeffrey also had strong contributions and we ended the game victorious wining 17pts to 10pts.

Two from two and we were through to the semi finals against Sir George Monoux College.

The last four matches were scheduled for two 7min periods but as the tournament had overrun officials were forced to reduce game times down to a one period of eight minutes.

SGM had been the form side of the tournament showing fluid and well drilled patterns of play during their two qualifying games. We were not intimidated with what we had seen and started confidently matching scores early on. But as the game developed their experience showed and we ended up going down 20pts – 12pts.
A very promising start for WFC Basketball Team, well done lads.

The players:
Andrius and Iain (ESOL New Start), Javin and Malik (Intermediate Business + ICT), Jeffrey (Btec National Sports), Michael (Btec 1st Diploma Sport) and Captain Mamomi (Access to Buisness).

If you are interested in playing competitive basketball for the College please contact Mark Jarvis – Sports & Student Activities Manager: mjarvis@waltham.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8501 8173

Passing out as they pass out

2007-05-02T00:36:00.000+01:00

It was a very hot and sticky day back in 2006 when the annual Graduation Ceremony took place. The evening started with a procession of the Principalship and her Curriculum staff along with the Mayor of Waltham Forest and the Corporation that runs the college. All were dressed in their academic robes.

They reached the stage and took their seats whilst the opening speeches were made.

Then each 'graduate' was called one by one to the stage in order to receive their certificates and a warm congratulation handshake from Carol Gibson, our Principal.

The whole ceremony was captured on video and has now been made available on DVD. (Copies can be purchased from the Library on the 4th floor of the Main building)

We've managed to get hold of a streaming version! It was filmed by two high quality video cameras that were also providing 'live' pictures to a large screen on the day. The DVD starts with highlights from the speeches, and then shows every single student walking up to the stage. It concludes with the tradition of those wearing mortarboard hats throwing them into the air.

The streaming version is lower quality than the DVD of course, but it captures the heat of the moment - and it certainly was a very hot evening as you'll see from the number of people fanning themselves.

Can we do you now?

2007-04-30T15:00:00.000+01:00

Hi from the Hair and Beauty salon in the Forest Road building. We're constantly on the look-out for victims - sorry that should read, "clients" who want a free or reduced rate hair cut or treatment.

At certain times of the day volunteers are needed as models for us to practice on or to work on as part of exams and assessment.

Here in the foreground you can see Hannah and Jasmine.

Hannah from Level 2 Hairdressing says, "I have always been interested in hairdressing since my first ever trip to a hairdressers at the age of 12. I find the hairdressing industry is vast and opportunities are always at hand depending on how creative and dedicated one is."

Hannah continues, "The course I am currently taking is a 12 month course and I'm guaranteed a qualification at the end as long as I work hard. It is very convenient if you want to qualify quickly. And I am really enjoying my course too!"

Jasmine (pictured next to Hannah) is also spending 3 days a week on the Adult Intensive course and is proud to say that she came 4th in the recent Hair and Beauty Total Look competition for her model's 'Weather' look.

The Hair and Beauty Salon can be reached on 8501 8212 or you can pop in anytime to room 130.

Mysterious ray zaps students at airport

2007-04-27T14:52:00.000+01:00

Could it be that what you are seeing is the final moments before students were zapped by a death ray?

Or is it before they were dematerialised by some transporter beam?

Nope.

It's just the BTEC First Diploma travel and tourism students wearing extremely flattering refective jackets.

We recently visited London City Airport, and were able to see airport and airline operations in action.

We had the opportunity to go both landside and air side (for which normal access is for departing and arriving air passengers only).

It was a very enjoyable and informative trip and one which lots of information could be gathered so as to complete many courseworks.

Want to edit this blog?

2007-04-25T15:50:00.000+01:00

We're looking for students (none of those staff folk) to help run this blog.

Is that you or you and your mate?

If you have a little bit of time and fancy taking charge of what appears here, then get in touch.

You don't have to know how to put it together technically, but the blog needs people who are interested in deciding which articles should go on it.

You can get as involved as you like, helping out a bit, or helping out a lot. It's up to you.

Maybe you want to go round taking pictures and getting stories together for the blog. Maybe you want to just be an 'editor' of the stories that come in. Whatever.

We do need your help.

Why not chat to us about this? Text us or email us and we'll get back to you asap.

Welcome back: Happy St George's Day!

2007-04-23T20:37:00.000+01:00

Some folk want today, St George's Day, to become a national holiday for all of us that live in England, just like other countries have their national day off! (And why do Scotland get an extra day over Christmas / New Year compared to us lot?)

Anyways. It's not a day off, but the first day of the last term of 2007 here at WFC.

Now, for a lot of us that means exams. Yeah exams happen all year round, but maybe this term is a bit heavier than others. But please, don't panic.

Now then. If there's anything you'd like to see recorded forever on your WFC Student Blog you need to make contact asap.

It doesn't need to be about exams, but about anything you are up to. Have a read through our archives and you'll see how anything and everything can make it here! It's up to you.

If you've got pictures, maybe on your mobile, then that's even better. All we need is a few facts about your good news, and we can write the story. Or, we'll print everything exactly as you write it. It's up to you.

We try not to include too much about the staff since this is supposed to be a Student Blog, but from time to time stories about them are good too. It's up to you.

Got stuff you want to pass on to 'your place for stuff about your place'?

Email us at blog@waltham.ac.uk or text us your pics to 07737 239 334

If you're not sure about how to pass things on to us, no problem, just make contact and we'll sort it. Importantly, if you've got no pictures, and you've got no time to write anything, still get in contact. We'll write stuff for you, and take some pictures if you want us to! All we need is 3 minutes of your time to get an idea of what your good news is. We'll then write it and put it straight on the blog.

Finally, and most importantly, we wish you loads of luck for this Summer term. Enjoy.

That's it: Happy Easter

2007-03-30T16:31:00.000+01:00

We've come to the end of term. Hey, it's Easter!!

Don't forget that next term starts on

April 23rd,

which is when we'll be back with more blogging, hopefully three times a week.

If you have any stories you want included in this student blog just let us know anytime.

Look over there for ways to make contact - - - - - - ->

Meanwhile, a very Happy Easter.

Have a good break.

Later.

Entwined in Fashion

2007-03-28T13:53:00.000+01:00

Waltham Forest College was last but not least at the Alternative Fashion Show in London's Spitalfields Market.

As the very last exhibitors we tried to give those who were braving the freezing cold winds a show to remember.

This is Katie just one of the ten models showing off the 'Entwined' collection created by the BTEC National Diploma fashion students.

Anyway, when we first got there we were put through our paces and at first were terrified (erm, as you can see below) but it all worked out brilliantly in the end.

Students were given a basic foundation shape from which they were asked to be as creative as possible.

The entwining of various metallic coloured fabrics resulted in visually beautiful evening dresses capturing varying shades of gold and silver, as you can see.

Phew!

Hair we go again

2007-03-26T11:13:00.000+01:00

Scary or what?

But, here's a winning horror creation from Millicent.

It was a 'Total Look' that made this year's Hair and Beauty show the best ever.

Students from the Hair salon and the Beauty salon had to make stunning creations out of their models and get them to walk down a special catwalk.

As the models walked down, the students would stand at the back waiting.

Blinding lights and loud music accompanied the show which was split into different themes and had video cameras showing everything on a large screen.

Everybody's names were read out by the announcer as first the beauty and then the hair themes paraded.

The Restoration Period, the Weather, and of course Bridal all featured as well as Horror.

At the end there was a really long wait whilst the judges picked their winners, but we really enjoyed the evening completely.

Netball - One for you Ladies?

2007-03-23T15:29:00.000Z

The guy holding his ball in both hands is Mark Jarvis. He's the Sports & Student Activities Manager.

He's standing next to Michelle Cox. She's a Business and ICT Lecturer, and knows a heck of a lot about Netball.

They are working in partnership with Netball England to organise a Netball course next term. The course is open to all ages and abilities and all those who show particular interest may well go forward to playing competitively for club/College.

Michelle has a wealth of experience in coaching netball locally and has offered her time to help increase opportunities for female students to “step in to sport”.

Could she help you?

For more information please contact Mark on 020 8501 8173 or email mjarvis@waltham.ac.uk

A new kind of high

2007-03-21T14:40:00.000Z

It's Official.

Vision 12 students have their head in the clouds.

Geddit?

Ok, then, here's what we've been up to.

As part of our outdoor pursuits we have been going to an outdoor activity centre called Stubbers.

For six weeks we have been going there learning and practicing land-boarding.

We’ve learned different tricks, techniques and safety which we have all put into use to avoid death! Only kidding, it's not quite death, as it's safe but you have to do it right and not mess about or you can get hurt, trust.

So, today the Vision 12 students went out for the day land-boarding at an amazing track on the South Downs called Haredown.

It was a great day out with many injuries by the end of it (and no death - see, the training had come in useful).

Anyway, everybody had a good day on the long runs, jumps and ramps, and all we're wondering is if we can borrow some wheels off some buggies to make our own land-boards.

The Double-M team get the cream

2007-03-19T13:37:00.000Z

You're looking at a winning dish! Well, the food sitting on the dishes was a winner. It was prepared and cooked by Martin and Michael, and it was placed as the number one meal above all others by the judges in the Final of the Ready Steady Cook competition. The competition focused on Healthy Eating Options.

Coming in second were Jessica and Jacqueline, whilst Leon and Natasha were third.

Once again it was great fun for everybody cooking against the clock, apart from the fact that those that were knocked out of the first round of the competition had to constantly come round and judge us for preparation and hygiene. We were marked down if we didn't respect the 'law of the kitchen', and they were watching us very closely.

Anyway, here are the lucky winners, and they'll be the first names on a trophy that will be added to year after year as the competition becomes an annual event, and will be attending a special evening prize giving ceremony with their family and friends.

Vision 12 girls give Vice Principal a red nose

2007-03-16T08:40:00.000Z

(Click for larger picture)

Any rumours that these three had to bribe a Vice Principal to wear a silly nose are unfounded, honest. What you actually see in his right hand is just some of the money that they managed to raise for Red Nose Day.

Inspired by Vision 12’s Charity Week project, Ashley, Kelly and Rebecca from the programme, took it upon themselves to raise money for Comic Relief!

They donned their pyjamas for the day and took to the college collecting as much money as they could for this worthy cause.

By the end of the day through their superb efforts they managed to raise in excess of £170!

Ready Steady Cook (round one)

2007-03-14T18:21:00.000Z

Hello from the mega-hot training kitchens down on the Ground Floor.

We're the 'Ready Steady Cook' team!

We've recipes fit for a king.

Well, with no king available we've had to try to please one of the Assistant Principals and Vice Principals alongside our Chefs.

It started by us working against the clock.

We had exactly one hour to produce from scratch a dish that would be judged on taste and presentation.

We were split into teams of two and straight away we started feeling the pressure.

There was a constant reminder from Chef as to just how long we had to go as the minutes ticked away.

We had to keep our heads and work together as a team in order to make sure we didn't finish too early (and let the food get cold) or too late (and leave the plates empty).

When the final whistle blew and Chef rather bluntly turned off the gas, we were thrown out of the kitchen!

It was at this point that the team of judges armed with clipboards took their forks and spoons from dish to dish, and did a lot of 'ums' and 'ahs'.

They had to decide what tasted good and what didn't.

(Here's a picture of one of them taking a mouthful - Dennis, one of our Assistant Principals - he doesn't look too scared, and we hope he didn't drop anything on his tie!)

In the end, we were all shuffled back into the kitchen to be told the results.

Chef called out:

Jackie and Jess (OCN)
Buyo and Oliver (OCN)
Leon and Natasha (Level 2)
Rebecca and Rhiannon (Level 1)
Karl and Eurell (Level 2)
Courtney and Kurvil (Level 2)
Michael and Martin (Level 1)

But is that the end of it? No. These teams have to cook-off against each other next week, to be judged by those whose dishes didn't get through this time. Ouch!

Well, we'll tell you how it concludes next week, here exclusively on the blog.

Working at this experience

2007-03-12T22:47:00.000Z

When students spent a few hours of work experience within the college they discovered just how complex the inner workings of the college's Learning Support services are. Amina told us, "Today I have been showed how to work in Reprographics and the Media. And then I got to work in the library to help students, finding books, check IDs and how to search for books on their tracks."

But it was working in Media Resources that was the real eye-opener for Amina.

The small Media Resources team of incredibly handsome men and stunningly beautiful women has a confusingly wide range of responsibilities, and Amina was amazed that one moment they were sitting down trying to creatively edit video to produce DVDs, design posters, prepare music and lighting plans for an event in the main hall, whilst dubbing and preparing streaming video files for staff, and then suddenly the next minute they would be running to classrooms to assist worried tutors who needed help using the data projectors or other equipment.

She certainly marvelled at these college super-heroes when she realised that they also dealt with loaning out equipment on demand such as TVs, cameras, CD players, laptops and DVD players, as well as maintaining and teaching people how to use a radio studio, a video filming and photography stage and this very well put together completely unbiased student blog.

International Women's Day

2007-03-09T09:02:00.000Z

We celebrated International Women's Day this year with a number of events across the college.

First up, on Wednesday the films shown as part of our regular weekly Enrichment Activity were Nikita and Jackie Brown, keeping 'Women on Screen'.

Then when it came to Thursday, International Women's Day there were a whole host of activities to check out.

There were separate displays all around the college. Some in the corridors were put together by ESOL, Early Years, and Health and Social Care, and there was a multi-media presentation in the Library.

All were highlighting the life stories of famous women from history.

The Women's Royal Signals Squadron were invited to talk about careers in the military service, including the T. A. - they even pitched a tent up in room 318, and brought extremely heavy looking equipment along for us to try on!

Meanwhile, it was half-price day in the Hair and Beauty Salon.

This meant students were working hard to provide manicures and conditioning treatments.

Everybody proudly wore their International Women's Day ribbons.

(Here, in the picture you can see one of us re-attaching a toe that had accidentally fallen off a client's foot)

During the afternoon, the Mallinsons was the base for the displaying of all the entries into the 'WFC Woman of the Moment' competition.

This competition was the one where you could take a photo of a female student and nominate them by writing a paragraph or two on anything they've achieved.

(Hey, that's a bit like what this lovely Student Blog is all about as well, innit! Don't forget to use us to celebrate your achievements, too.)

The winner of the WFC Woman of the Moment competition will get a prize of a dinner for two, and will be announced soon.

On a serious note, the police came in to assist students with their enquiries.

This was all about personal safety, and a female police officer was accompanied by a female police support officer ready to give advice and guidance.

We learnt that most of our safety on the street and in public places is down to common sense - including not being pre-occupied when texting or talking, or listening to mp3s so we can see and hear who's around us and be 'streetwise'.

A Doodle earns a dongle

2007-03-07T12:40:00.000Z

This is the doodle that won Jacobe his dongle, memory stick, pen, or whatever it's called!

To mark National Doodle Day, a small competition gave us the opportunity to doodle a design for a logo for this very blog.

Determined not to lose, Jacobe put pens to paper and out came a whole stream of highly creative examples of his ability.

He said, "I join the blog contest of logo making to contribute art in my college and I want to share my art skills to others."

Below you can see him surrounded by his numerous entries, still finding the inspiration for yet more!

When he's not doodling, he's concentrating hard on his OCN Care Pathway course.

Over the coming weeks you'll see examples of his art appearing right here on your blog.

We'll also be starting a little bit of a publicity campaign using the winning doodle on posters and hand-outs.

Thanks to everybody who entered, and once again well done to Jacobe for penning the winning entry.

And finally, hey Jacobe, when's your first illustrations for a comic book coming out?! We think you're brilliant.

A lifesaving lift to safety

2007-03-05T12:54:00.000Z

For Alexandra's suspected spinal injury, the team training as pool lifeguards had to work very carefully together to get her out of the water. Almal, Anthony, Carrie-Ann, Danielle, Jamie and Joe all know that a false move could paralyse her for life.

Fortunately, Alexandra was only involved in roleplay as part of our 12 week intensive RLSS National Pool Lifeguard Award Seventh Edition course.

With instruction in both the classroom and the college swimming pool, the course is preparing us for every eventuality, and we each take it in turns to be the 'victim', trusting the others to 'save' us under the careful eye and instruction of our tutor.

Alexandra says, "This course is fun because we get to do a lot of swimming and learning First Aid isn't as hard as it looks!"

Brought to Book

2007-03-02T08:43:00.000Z

World Book Day was celebrated by the Uplands based students of the Children's Care Learning and Development NVQ Level 2 course (pictured above - click on the picture to see a bigger one!).

The day was dedicated to first discussing the different types of books that can be used - including braile and different textures for sensory exploration - and then demonstrating and practising how to read to children using a number of different methods.

We added our own hand made games and other activities all designed to encourage language and participation.

Faith and Our Generation

2007-02-28T16:05:00.000Z

Wednesday lunchtime saw the main hall packed with over 150 students and staff listening to the powerful message of ex-WFC student Dez Brown.

The multi-media "Faith and Our Generation" presentation started with an extract from Keeping It Real, a video showing in a humorous way how we are all wearing masks.

Then it was the turn of Ace to spit some inspirational lyrics, before Dez Brown took to the floor.

Dez described in a very passionate way how he had previously fallen into a life of crime and self-centred activities. He graphically explained how this had led to him being convicted of killing somebody.

He explained how he had destroyed not only the lives of the victim's family but also those of his own mother and father, his brothers and his girlfriend.

He underlined the point that a person's actions can be far reaching, and appealed to those who might think gang, gun and knife culture was cool to not be scared to think again.

Dez explained that, bizarre as it might seem, it was whilst he was out on bail that he had a dramatic encounter with God.

It was this that radically changed him and put him on a path of helping the youth. He believes they should not fear seeking the right path. A path away from the lifestyle he once chose.

Dez Brown is the author of the book "Convicted or Condemned" which is available from Amazon.

The Truth about Islam

2007-02-26T13:41:00.000Z

Monday saw the first event from the College's Waltham Forest Islamic Society designed to reveal the real truth about Islam.

During a short presentation before answering questions from the audience of about 40, each member of the WFIS spoke of important and influential Muslims from history.

Anwar (pictured on the left) celebrated the life of Malcolm X.

The origins of Islam were discussed, and strong points were made about how the media are to blame for the bad way some Muslims are presented in the UK.

After a few questions from the audience, Hasib (the Chair of the WFIS) thanked everybody for coming and invited those who were interested to stay for refreshments and less formal conversation.

The WFIS hold Friday Prayers in the Multi-Faith Prayer rooms, and welcome any enquiries about their activities.

If you wish to know more about the WFIS they welcome email to hasib13uk@hotmail.com.

A hair raising experience

2007-02-23T11:28:00.000Z

For Nikki studying her Hairdressing Level 2 NVQ, there is one day she can never forget.

It was the day that one of the fussiest and most self-conscious members of staff asked her to cut his hair.

"He hasn't been here before. He seems very worried." admitted Nikki before approaching the unnamed member of staff with her clippers.

Despite his high pitched screams echoing down the first floor corridor and constant demands to stop so that he could look at himself in the mirror, Nikki managed to get to within a metre of his head.

An hour of talking him down from his hyper-sensitive state finally gave Nikki the opportunity to get the job done. Exhausted, Nikki told us, "I think he was fine with the end result".

If you recognise the back of the head of this difficult customer and can put a name to him or can provide any other details, just add your comments here.

The Referee's a what?

2007-02-21T16:22:00.000Z

We started training together on a Tuesday after college.

At first it was like a little get together of the Project 100 / Vision 12 group. Then we started preparing together to make an 11-a-side football team of all the under-16s of WFC.

We entered our first 6-a-side tournament on Thursday (15th). We had two Project 100 teams entering the tournament, one in black and one in yellow. Both Project 100 teams were in the same league and even had to play against each other.

We battled to the end of the game and drew 1 - 1.

Both teams played 8 games each, with Project 100 Yellow's results: Lost = 3, Drew = 1, Won = 3, and Project 100 Black's results: Lost = 3, Drew = 3, Won = 2.

Both Black and Yellow played to the best of their ability and worked together as a team. Unfortunately we didn't qualify for the next round, but we're still working really hard to improve.

KGB and cakes

2007-02-19T11:39:00.000Z

In the name of research, sub-zero temperatures of minus 10C were endured by the Travel and Tourism National Diploma Year 1 group.

That was the only down side when we visited Vilnius in Lithuania. We were out in Lithuania investigating tourism development in this evolving country, which is currently a case study in college coursework.
After settling in to our 3 star hotel we went exploring the sites.

We ate a traditional Lithuanian meal which consisted of Potato, Pork and Pancakes.

The next day we went on a sightseeing tour of the city and we were informed of the history and we managed to gather together many facts needed for the unit assignment.

We also got to visit the KGB museum which told the history of this former Russian state.

Some of us managed to get some shopping in as well. For 5 Litas to the Pound we made up the following list:

Soup 3,90

Chicken breast, chanterelle suace, carrot and cabbage salad 13,50

Cake of the day 4,50
Fresh made juice 5,00
Cocktails 8,50 - 10,50
Glass of wine 4,90
Pint of beer 5 - 6

(that's a quid!!!)

Ploughing through the snow

2007-02-09T21:50:00.000Z

Whilst the gritter lorries and snow ploughs had to crawl out to try to get the UK on the move, it was down to the staff in the college to clear a path in time for what students were able to get in.

The overnight snowfall had even started to bury the college's own 'plough' as part of the 'whiteout' that we woke to yesterday.

For some people the snow can be very picturesque and artistic, even calming and peaceful. These pictures were taken at first light before work commenced on making the college grounds safe by clearing the snow away and scattering salt.

Proudly, the college grounds were cleared and ready long before anything was done for the early morning traffic on the Forest Road outside which had no option but to crawl and slide slowly along.(A sultry figure uses the showfall as an opportunity to bury someone she's just hit over the head with a shovel)

Lochness Monster scared by WFC students

2007-02-07T21:12:00.000Z

Nessie, the Lochness Monster, decided to avoid students from Waltham Forest College despite us searching for her. We popped in to look for her during our trip to Inverness, but nothing.

We went to Inverness to undertake research for the BTEC 1st Diploma Travel and Tourism course.

We visited the Inverness College where the travel and tourism students did a presentation on the Highlands and Invernesshire.

Then it was our turn and we did a presentation on London and England as a tourist destination.

Afterwards we were served up Venison, Haggis and Shortcake in the form of a traditional Scottish meal.

It was served to us by the catering and hospitality students of Inverness college.

Then, before coming back to England, we managed to see more of the sights and take in a little of the evening life.

An Italian rival for the Mallinson

2007-02-05T22:15:00.000Z

Can you believe it? Is this really a rival to the Mallinson Restaurant?

Well, it's very similar, just nearly two thousand kilometres away in Italy.

We discovered it when the BTEC 1st Diploma Travel and Tourism class recently paid a visit to Ancona, Italy. We went over to visit a college in Senigallia, a seaside resort, in the North of Ancona.

The college specialises in catering, hospitality and tourism.
When we first arrived we were introduced to the Principal of the college and the two Head Tourism teachers.

We did presentations on English food, lifestyle, culture and tourism issues and then the Italian students also did their presentations on similar matters.

After the presentations the catering students at the Instituto Panzini served us freshly cooked Italian food in their catering training restaurant - the one that looks a bit like the Mallinson.

We learnt a lot about Italian education systems and made some very good friends as well as getting to experience first hand, the Italian food and culture. All of this gave us some invaluable material for our assignments too.

Chocolate Frenzy

2007-02-02T08:36:00.000Z

All too often we've suffered the greeny yellow haze. All too often we have to answer the call of chocolate. Today was no exception so, having read all about it on this very student blog, we headed down to the College Shop in room 034 to see what would satisfy our calling.

Students were working hard in the shop, but we interrupted them to see if they were enjoying themselves. Sian told us she was "Enjoying working on the till", whilst Hashim added that he, "Likes putting prices on items." They all enjoyed doing the books, and definitely liked communicating with customers.

Most importantly, your blog reporter was able to walk away with a bag of crisps and a couple of bars of chocolate to deal with that craving! Yum!

So, give the College Shop a visit any Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, between 12noon and 2pm.

The Dignity of Difference

2007-01-31T18:14:00.000Z

Holocaust Memorial Day was marked within the college by a thought provoking movie and a speech from a Holocaust Survivor.

Gavin, our current Student Union President, introduced the proceedings by explaining how for today's young people the actual reality of the Holocaust or even the Second World War is so far in the past it's almost impossible to fully understand.

However, a short film about the Dignity of Difference (the main theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day) had some very thought provoking content, talking about how the Jews were not alone in their suffering.

In fact, Gypsies, disabled people, lesbian and gay, and black people all suffered because of their differences when the Nazis implemented their theories of racial purity.

After the film, the guest speaker, Martha Blend described the build up to the Holocaust. She explained that she was only 8 years old in 1939, and remembers being separated from her school chums because she was a Jew. Despite having top marks and grades, she was put into a part of the school reserved for 'second class citizens'.

She spoke of how she was eventually evacuated to England - the country that took far more evacuees than any other - remembering her sad farewell to her mother. Only children were evacuated, not adults, so families were split apart.

Only rumours of the horrors of the concentration camps and the mass murder followed.

Martha never actually saw her parents alive again.

Here to serve you munchies and more

2007-01-29T15:19:00.000Z

Hello from the College Shop!

We need your custom!

We're not the canteen, but a small and really cheap retail outlet on the ground floor of the main building.

We are in room 034 and you can find us every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 12noon and 2pm.

If you like crisps or chocolate or other goodies, snax and refreshments, or are looking for stationary such as pens, highlighters, files, box files or other items, then you need to visit us.

We will meet and greet you and try to do whatever we can to help make your shopping experience a good one.

We need customers so that we can gain vital retail experience and learn what it's like working in a real shop, so please come down and buy something from us as soon as possible.

A while ago we were interviewed for a short video you can watch right now if you click on the Play button on the square below. It explains a bit more about why we need your support. Please enjoy the video, but note that our opening times are NOT what's said in the video, they've now changed to:

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

12noon - 2pm

Room 034 - The College Shop

We hope to see you very soon. Thank you.

To the Haggis!

2007-01-26T11:12:00.000Z

Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, was born on January 25, 1759. His birth is traditionally celebrated with a Burns Night Supper.

That's exactly what took place in the Mallinson's restaurant this week.

This celebration of Burns Night by 60 diners enjoying a six course traditional Burns Supper, gave HND Hospitality Management student Azim an opportunity to chat to Scottish piper Ian.(Were they comparing sporrans? Is this an opportunity for another caption competition?)

Anyway, the Waitrose sponsored evening also had another purpose beyond feeding the guests. It was a charity fund raising event.

A total of £200 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support (http://www.macmillan.org.uk).

Students from the NVQ Level 3 Food Preparation and Cooking course were responsible for all the kitchen duties.

Akua, Dalbert, Abir, Maria, Anita, Natalie, Patricia, and Gil weren't just confined to the kitchen. They made an entrance and were welcomed by the diners.

There was even a piping-in of the Haggis in good Scottish tradition, with glasses being raised to "The Haggis".

It was a long evening of eating and drinking before it was finally time for a chorus of "Auld Lang Syne" and for the tables to be cleared for another year!

Lockerbie: A Special Report

2007-01-24T11:56:00.000Z

Year 1 BTEC National Certificate Uniformed Public Services students got a rare opportunity to visit Lockerbie last weekend. This is where, in December 1988, Pan Am flight 103 was destroyed in flight by a bomb on board. 259 people on board were killed, and 11 people were killed in their homes when pieces of the plane crashed down in a fiery explosion.

We drove to Dryfesdale cemetery and were shown around the national memorial site for all those who perished in the disaster.

We then went to a small village 5 miles outside of Lockerbie called Tundergarth which is where the cockpit of the aircraft was found (most used image by the media) and which is 100 metres away from a church, where they built a rememberance room which contains a visitor book and an autobiography of each passenger on the aircraft.
Tom Gordon from the local police kindly escorted us around the crash sites.

We then went to Sherwood Crescent and Rosebank which are literally two streets of houses. We drove through where three houses were totally destroyed and where the 11 people on the ground died.

Strangely, it is now like any other residential street and we could see the residents through their front windows watching Neighbours.

After the quick tour of the areas we drove to our accommodation in Newton Stewart (25 miles from Stranraer) and had a pleasant evening where we ate our home made meal (Spaghetti Bolognese).

Friday Morning at 7.00am we left for our drive to Dumfires, where we were meeting Tom Gordon and the guest speakers at Dumfries and Galloway Police headquarters. The Chief Constable David J R Strang introduced himself to us and thanked us for coming up.

We were given a background and Response to the Lockerbie air disaster, an overview of the investigation, a background on the trial and a talk on emergency procedures used nowadays. We listened to guest speakers from the Police, Local Authority and Fire and Rescue services.

The students were also given the opportunity to see the emergency control call centre. The Police Service provided us with scones, coffee and tea for the first break and then put on a full buffet for lunch and afternoon refreshments also.

The trip was very informative and all aspects of the Major Incidents Unit were covered in detail by the guest speakers.

The students asked many questions and were able to get a complete understanding of the disaster, how the emergency services responded, the aftermath, and how things have changed since.

The Work of the Workshops

2007-01-22T09:58:00.000Z

"It wasn't long enough!" complained Geraldine about the first of the Wednesday Open Workshops for 2007.

Based in the Library and listed over there on the right--->
the weekly Workshops cover a whole range of items from how to use equipment through to short-cuts and tips for users of Word, Powerpoint or Excel.

Pete told us that the workshop he'd just attended was on how to use the 2Learn Centre resources including the photocopier, the scanner, cd writer and binder.

"I am really enjoying doing this workshop, I have learned a lot," said Khin.

Nabugore added, "It will be really useful for me."

The Weekly Workshops are open to anybody and are completely FREE! For more details of what's happening and when, pop along to the main Information desk at any time and ask for Jason or Viv, and put your name down to attend the next one.

Hey! You even get a certificate for attending!

Thursday's Terrible Tree Theft

2007-01-19T13:20:00.000Z

While students slaved away inside the college on Thursday, something a little more sinister was happening outside.

Yes, tree thieves were hard at work.

We were able to capture them on camera red-handed as they were about to make off with their ill-gotten gains.

Although no faces can actually be seen on the picture, we think we recognise some of the bodies of those involved. If you have any information leading to a full and proper identification, then please add your thoughts via the Comments link at the end of the article.

Ok, we're only kidding. What this picture is really about is those high winds that lashed the UK on Thursday causing mayhem. Yep, the college had its problems too, as it was battered by the 70 mile an hour gusts.

One of the young trees adjacent to the front west car-park was blown over, as you can see, torn at the roots. Fortunately nobody was hurt, but a couple of cars (one you can see on the inset picture) were slightly bruised when it fell.

Praise has to be given to all the folk, that's students and staff, who worked together to move the tree from the area it was blocking, and away from the cars it had got up close and personal with.