Priestley donates to local charities

The proceeds of a fund raising initiative at Priestley have been donated to two good causes.

Every year the College holds a Scrooge appeal, which staff are asked to sign up to instead of sending traditional Christmas cards around campus.

The net results this year saw close to £450 being raised which was then split evenly between Warrington Grassroots and The Downs Syndrome Education Fund.

Marissa Hankinson who represents the Grassroots initiative recently visited the College to receive the all important cheque which will now be used by the programme to aid local voluntary, community and faith groups.

Meanwhile the other money raised will be put to good use by the Downs Syndrome Education Fund in their range on on-going programmes.

Commenting on the fund raising, Bev Devlin from Priestley, said, "We were delighted to take in as much money as we did during the Scrooge Appeal and it's always great to hand over the funds to two such worthwhile causes. We hope our small contribution can help in some way to support the on-going work of both organisations."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Students answer the Haitian call

Just weeks after the devastating earthquake in Haiti which reportedly claimed 230,000 lives, the College community at Priestley united to do all they could to raise money for the relief effort.

A cross campus fund raising drive lasted over a week and began with a wear red day, in which everybody was urged wear some form of red clothing to highlight the appeal and contribute to bucket collections which saw over £600 raised from phase one.

The initiative then moved on to a day of events and activities as first year students from the Society, Health and Development Diploma programme, took over the College's Wicked Cafe.

Here they held a tombola, setup a cake stall, and ran a karaoke competition whilst everybody who entered the Cafe was charged £1 and given a ticket for a draw with prizes donated from local businesses such at Boots, Lush and Starbucks.

At the completion of the events, the final total raised was £1,100, and was a great effort from all concerned as tutor, Rachel Walsh highlighted, "I'm sure we've all seen the scenes of devastation on our television screens recently and it was only natural that our students wanted to do all they could to help."

Adding, "The fund raising drive went as well as we had planned, and we hope that in our own small way we have been able to make an impact on what is a tragic situation in Haiti."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Chris and Jack have got the talent

A student double act at Priestley took their peers and a panel of judges, made up of senior tutors, by storm when they were crowned the winners of Priestley's Got Talent.

17-year-old Chris Manning (guitar) and 16-year-old Jack Campbell (vocalist) gave a stunning rendition of Hero by Enrique in the Live Grand Final of the event which saw student acts take their place on stage to showcase their particular talent.

After a keenly fought final which included performances from the surreal to the bizarre, the on-looking crowd voted Chris and Jack as their favourites whilst also venting their frustrations towards the opinionated judges in a scene right out of a Saturday night primetime show.

The students who only came together for the competition are now considering putting their prize money to a recording CD, such was the standard of their performance.

Commenting on the success, Chris said, "Priestley's Got Talent gave us the opportunity to show our abilities on stage in front of an audience, made up from fellow students and we were obviously very pleased with the result."

Marketing Officer, Nat Ashurst, added, "It was great to see all the acts give it a real good go on the stage, the standard was excellent and I'm sure Chris and Jack may be able to use it as a springboard for future success."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Jack and the John for chop

Two caring students who will soon visit Mozambique to help in an aid mission with fellow teenagers from Priestley have gone that extra mile in their fund raising attempts.

19-year-old Jack Duggan and 17-year-old Jonathan Speed offered to have their heads shaved for charity and in the process raised over £1500.

Whilst such a sacrifice may not be classed as much for most people, that was certainly not the case for the duo whose flowing locks have been growing for a considerable period of time. In Jack's case it was his first trim in eight years.

Despite the length, it took literally seconds for it to be gone, but their loss will certainly be welcomed by the Habitat for Humanity Charity.

Priestley College have joined forces with the organisation and this summer will travel to the South East African country to help build homes for children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

"We really wanted to make a difference and this was a fun way of doing it" commented Jack.

Adding, "In the build up to the Mozambique trip we have learnt a great deal about the country and its chequered past from civil wars to natural disasters. It's when you learn about these things, that it’s only natural to try and do something positive to help."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Megan supports local charity

A talented graphic design student at Priestley has lended her creative abilities to a charitable project aimed at backing a range of local initiatives.

17-year-old, Megan Connolly, was asked to get involved with the Fairview Foundation, the new charitable arm of local business Fairview Windows which is being funded by the Grassroots Scheme.

The foundation will support community groups within the Warrington and Halton areas on the back of the Grassroots investment, a government funded scheme run by Warrington CVS who are responsible for providing small grants to local voluntary, community and faith groups.

Megan, who is currently in the second year of her BTEC National Graphic Design course is also studying advanced level Multimedia and used her skills to produce a logo for the new foundation.

Commenting on the project, Megan said, "I wanted to get involved with the Fairview Foundation because the brief allowed me a great deal of creative freedom to experiment with a wide variety of ideas."

Adding, "It was a privilege to create this logo because of the great work the Foundation plans to do in helping and supporting the local community."

At the end of her course at Priestley, Megan will be going to University to continue her Graphic Design studies and in the future wishes to teach the subject.

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Priestley welcomes education chief

Priestley welcomed William Lewis to campus, the Head of Innovation at the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.

The service is a sector owned body that aims to accelerate the drive for excellence in the learning and skills sector and has been responsible for the direct funding of numerous innovation projects at Priestley, in line with the College’s Beacon status.

Mr Lewis had chance to tour the campus before meeting staff and students who have worked on a Closing the Gender Gap project aimed at inspiring young minds to excel.

After taking lunch with members of the College Council, he met with those who have been involved in Priestley’s Opening Doors in Science and Maths project and then members of staff who have worked on the Mentoring for Excellence programme, aimed at supporting and sharing best practice amongst teachers.

"I was really impressed to meet a bright, confident and articulate collection of young people, who were fully appreciative of the ways Priestley is helping them to learn effectively" said Mr Lewis.

"I found Priestley to be a very interconnected College community, with excellent work and much good practice taking place to support effective and efficient learning both internally and externally."

Priestley Principal, Mike Southworth, added, "It was my pleasure to welcome William to campus, he enjoyed his visit a great deal and was given an opportunity to see a small snapshot of the many innovative projects that are currently running within our College community."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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Elite sports students thrive

Students who are looking to pursue careers at an elite level in professional sport are being backed and supported in their quest by a new course at Priestley.

Launched at the start of the academic year, the BTEC National in Sport (Performance and Excellence) course can be studied at either diploma or certificate level and had pre-entry requirements for students, in that they had to be performing at academy, county, district or national level in their specialism.

A snapshot of students who opted to join the programme included athlete Abigayle Fitzpatrick, who has realistic ambitions of becoming an Olympian in the 400metres hurdles, Michael Gregg who aspires to become a professional cyclist, potential professional footballer Jamie Brown, Great Britain judo squad member Dan Lyon, Jamie reed who referees at semi-pro and professional rugby league matches and current England fell runner Rachel Jefferson.

The course is aimed at supporting the students to perform to their maximum come "game day", whilst providing them with a well respected and recognised academic qualification. It includes modules such a sports psychology, the body in action and exercise and fitness testing.

Warrington Wolves Coach Richard Marshall, a former tutor on the course, recently returned to campus to see how the students were progressing and to give the College’s newly refurbished gym, which has been used extensively by the group, the seal of approval.

Richard, commented, "The introduction of this BTEC course is a great way for the students to focus on their long term goals of becoming professional sportsmen and women, whilst at the same time allowing them to gain an academic qualification."

Adding, "Courses such as this, really give talented athletes the best of both worlds, the studies they undertake are broad and varied and easily transferable to a range of other vocations. I'm sure it won't be too long into the future when I'll be watching some of these students on my television screen."

Nige Howells, Curriculum manager for Sport, added "The course is unique in that it offers a definite career pathway for potential sports performers, coaches and officials. Richard did an exceptional job passing on his expertise to these young people before joining the coaching staff at the Wolves and we wish him and the club every success this season."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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The key to saving a life

Students studying Children's Care, Learning and Development courses at Priestley took time out of their scheduled lessons to take part in a highly important First Aid workshop.

Visiting Health Practitioner Geoff Wareing who is currently employed in a club welfare role at Preston North End football club put the students through their paces in relation to administrating life saving treatments.

Many of the students who were present will be embarking on careers in fields relating to the early years and caring industries meaning that such experiences are critical.

The students looked at the correct way in which to put people in the recovery position, how to check for signs of life, the manner of giving the kiss of life and the way in which to administer chest compressions without causing further injury. Upon completion they were all awarded certificates.

Speaking with regard to the day, College Tutor Rachel Walsh, commented, "It was great to welcome Geoff to campus, he is a regular visitor and is always able to engage students and pass on these key pieces of information."

Adding, "Such workshops give our students the confidence and ability to become key members of our society and put themselves in a position of responsibility should they encounter a life or death situation."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst

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World school status for Priestley

Priestley has had its status as a World School confirmed by the IBO in Geneva, Switzerland. The decision will allow the Loushers Lane College to teach the International Baccalaureate, from September 2010.

Priestley went through a rigorous assessment before being given the green light to offer the long established programme which is respected throughout the world. It is also one of the fastest growing qualifications in the United Kingdom and Priestley will be one of the first providers in the North West to offer it.

The IB is a genuine alternative to traditional A-Levels and offers both breadth and depth through the study of six subjects, and a core which encourages independent thinking, social awareness and responsibility. All elements of the IB have an international perspective.

Students with an IB qualification are extremely well placed when applying to universities, which respect and appreciate the balance in subject knowledge, the academic maturity of the learners and the skills IB students develop for life as an undergraduate.

Carol Mtitimila, IB Coordinator, said "We are delighted and proud to be a World School. We are looking forward to teaching this exciting programme and welcoming our first cohort of IB students in September. As globalisation increases, it is important that our learners have a world class and world recognised qualification to meet the challenges of tomorrow."

Words and Picture by Nat Ashurst