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The Learner Issue Six 2015

LearnerThe

LEADING TO SUCCESS

ISSUE SIX

The Learner Issue Six 2015 Page 3 The Learner Issue Six 2015

Welcome to the sixth edition of The

Learner. We continue to celebrate success after success at the College, not least the outstanding examination results achieved by the students in the summer of 2014. Success however, is not just measured by the number of A or A* grades achieved but also in many other ways.This edition looks at leadership and how leaders in all levels of College life strive to ensure the success of those they lead. It explores all the opportunities open to students to take the lead and how they are encouraged to develop their leadership skills and experience success both for themselves and for others.The amazing photograph on the front cover is of Georgie Dell in Year 10 who is pictured competing at the Horse of the Year Show at the NEC in Birmingham. She has been horse riding for over 11 years and has had some very memorable wins including reaching second place

at the Royal International Horse Show in London in 2013. Georgie puts success down to hard work and remaining motivated not to give up.The article ‘Leading to Success’ explores other opportunities students have to enjoy the experience of success outside of the classroom and ‘Developing Leaders’ looks at how our students are working in the local community on schemes designed to help them become successful leaders.

Finally, in this edition, we celebrate the fact that students at Newton Abbot College go on to face the next stage of their education at 16 not only equipped with the necessary qualifications but also as confident young people with skills which will enable them to be successful in whatever they may choose to do next.I hope that you find this edition of The Learner interesting and informative and welcome your feedback via our usual contacts. A huge thank you to all the contributors to this, and our previous editions.

Welcome from the Editor04 Foreword

04 Leading in Learning

08 Leading to Success

10 The Gallery

12 Leading by Example

14 Developing Leaders

16 Leading to your Future

18 Leading the Way

CONTENT

WITH THANKS TO ...Ivor AbiksBen BrookPaul Cornish Penny GaitHelen LockrenAlison McDermottIan PatchettJulia PayneLesley Ring

The Learner is designed by the Resources Department at Newton Abbot College and printed by Kingfisher Print, Totnes

Alison McDermott, Assistant PrincipalThe Editor

DISCLAIMERWhile every effort has been made to ensure that information is correct at the time of going to print, Newton Abbot College cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without prior written consent. © Newton Abbot College 2014

Page 1 The Learner Issue Six 2015

LearnerThe

LEADING TO SUCCESS

ISSUE SIX

At Innovate Services we pride ourselves on being part of the school food revolution. Since our conception, we have aimed to transform education catering. This means providing food that doesn’t just fill a hole at lunchtime, but fuels students’ minds and bodies throughout day, ensuring they have the energy they need to excel at everything they do.

How do we do this?

Keep it Fresh – We don’t believe in preparing

things weeks in advance or buying in sandwiches

and bakes. We even make our own gluten free

freshly, onsite that day. This means the food is

more nutritional and tastier too.

Travel the World – modern society is a wonderful treasure-trove of cultures and nationalities. This is great for our diet, as although we don’t forget the traditional favourites such as roast dinners, shepherds pie and of course a good pudding,we also take lots of influence from international cuisines to provide interesting and varied menus. From classic curries, to pasta and tagines, everyone has a chance to try something new.

Keep it interesting – they say variety is the spice of life and that’s what we live by. With meal deals, monthly specials and seasonal specials, our

course that’s on top of the usual range of food on

Panini, pasta pots, wraps and more!

To find out more about how we can transform your catering, call Stuart Lenton on 07964 918472 or e-mail [email protected]

Innovative FoodMade today; sold today

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Teppan Grill

DedicatedChef Manager

Hot Main Meals

Gluten-free

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cakes! Everything our customers buy is madePictured above: Charlotte Ball and Evie Bailey receiving their exam results

Front Cover: Georgie Dell pictured at the Horse of the Year Show


FOREWORD

It is a privilege to write the foreword for this sixth edition of the Learner magazine – my

first as Principal of Newton Abbot College. The theme of this edition is Leadership. How fitting then that my predecessor finished the foreword to the last edition with the challenge to us all to “continue to thrive and achieve our ambition of truly Leading in Learning”.

It is vital to recognise that this challenge was laid down to us all and not just to myself and the College Leadership Team. Our leadership of the College is perhaps most obvious and most visible, but a truly successful College is built on excellent leadership at all levels of the organisation.

For this reason we have already begun to enrich and extend the many opportunities for students to take on responsibility and develop their leadership skills. We expect every single student to take responsibility for their own learning and the learning of others around them, approaching every learning opportunity with commitment and focus both within and beyond the classroom. Our teachers plan lessons in a fashion that allows students to lead the learning process and students are encouraged to reflect on the learning that takes place and co-create future learning plans and activities. We have also developed more formal student responsibility posts with the introduction of Gold Star Prefects and House Sports Captains and Vice Captains.

As the new Principal of Newton Abbot College I am of course still learning. In fact, that is how I view my role: Lead Learner within a community of Learners.

By Paul Cornish, Principal

LEADING in Learning

It was John F Kennedy who said that “Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other”. At Newton Abbot College we believe that Leadership and Learning are like ‘sisters’ in the process of education: two sides of the same coin.

Students who are expected to be passive receivers of knowledge, no matter how skilled the person imparting the knowledge, will retain very little of the information and what they do recall they will have difficulty applying to new situations. Students who are actively engaged in shaping and leading the learning process will not only remember more – they will understand more. In turn, this understanding enables them to apply their learning in future similar situations: to analyse, interpret and evaluate and eventually to create ‘masterpieces’ of their own in whatever subject they are learning.

Leadership in any field, but especially educational leadership, is first and foremost about people. Of course there is an element of budget-management, premises management, procurement of services and resources, marketing…the list of jobs is endless. But leadership is about people. My aim as Lead Learner at Newton Abbot College is to ensure that every single member of our learning community wants the best for themselves, expects the best of themselves, achieves the best they can and finally becomes the best them that they can be.

So, a great deal of leadership is about setting standards and expectations for the organisation you are leading. Here at the College we set these standards and expectations extremely high. We hold very traditional values in terms of our expectations with regard to basics such as attendance, uniform, manners and behaviour. But leaders can only lead with credibility and integrity when setting these high standards for others if they set equally high standards and expectations of and for themselves.

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” Ray Kroc

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their

personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.”

Sam Walton

The standards, expectations and goals that the leaders of this College set for themselves could not be higher. We are developing a culture of excellence, stemming from our belief that nothing but the very best is good enough for our students. When setting numerical targets with the governors we only set targets that place us amongst the very best schools in the country. When it comes to inspection and external judgements made about us our intent could not be clearer: to be outstanding

in all that we do. These goals are not unrealistic, nor do we intend for them only to be achieved in the far off distant future. We are determined to deliver outstanding pastoral care and deliver outstanding academic outcomes in the here and now for each and every one of our current students. Our desire is for our young people to leave our College with the learning and the leadership skills required to maximise their life chances – to follow their dreams.

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used

to an environment where excellence is expected.”

Steve Jobs

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become

more, you are a leader.”John Quincy Adams


There is much written about leadership and leadership styles. There are various examples out there of excellent leaders, each of them with their own style and approach. One question that remains for all leaders to consider is: from where is it best to lead? Should a leader lead from the front or from behind? It could be argued that the best leaders are able to do both, knowing when they are required to lead with prominence, clarity and certainty…

…and when they are required to lead more subtly through delegation, facilitation and coaching of others. The ultimate aim of an outstanding leader is presumably to make themselves invisible and redundant. To empower the organisation and the people that she leads to thrive and succeed independently. Certainly the best leaders look out of the window when finding people to give credit and praise and in the mirror when placing blame. The best leaders make all those around them feel good, feel valued and feel successful.

In the busy and manic world of educational leadership we can too readily forget the easiest and smallest of gestures. One such gesture is to say thank you and well done. So, thank you all for such a warm welcome to my new post throughout the autumn term. And, well done to the staff and students for so many incredible achievements and successful events already in such a short space of time – I look forward to sharing and celebrating many, many more with you all.

GOVERNING BODY

Governors also have a responsibility to lead the college. In conjunction with the College Leadership Team and me, the Governing Body sets the vision and values that drive the College forward on its journey toward our strategic intent: to be outstanding in all we do. It is an exciting time to be a Governor of this College: examination results continue to improve; last year saw a very successful inspection and there are exciting future decisions to be made regarding partnerships and collaboration. As such we are looking to recruit new members to our team of hardworking and committed Governors. If you think you have, or know someone that has, the relevant knowledge and skills that could benefit the College by joining our team of Governors then please contact Ruth Bellas, Clerk to Governors.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the

way, and shows the way.” John C Maxwell

“A leader is best when people barely know he

exists, when his work is done, his aim is fulfilled, they will say: we did it

ourselves.”

Lao Tzu


Write an article on how we enable our students to experience success outside

the classroom: a simple enough brief you would have thought with plenty of examples of sporting triumphs and creative accomplishments to fill a page or two. Well, certainly there are from scaling the mist clad peaks of Dartmoor on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition to donning makeup and stepping out in front of hundreds for a College production. As adults looking back our fondest memories of school are often of these moments rather than those in the classroom. However, when I thought back to my own school days I struggled to conjure up the same images, not that there wasn’t a plethora of opportunities but that they did not usually lead to personal success or glory. Eventually being given a chance as goalkeeper only to concede a back pass from my own defender moments later, being given the only speaking part in the musical because I couldn’t sing. In fact the pinnacle of my success was being appointed vice-captain of the school road safety team; I find it hard to believe now that we had such a team never mind that it required a vice captain to ease the burden placed on the Captain. Perhaps it is, therefore, no surprise that one of my favourite tenets is that you don’t win or lose, you win or learn or, as Winston Churchill put it, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.”

The opportunities that we create for our students outside of the classroom are as much about enabling them to enjoy the experience of success as they are about building their confidence, resilience and self esteem by allowing them to experience failure and the even greater sense of fulfillment we all

get from then overcoming it. Taking calculated risks and coming up with creative solutions are key skills for life that most of us learn through failing but still trying again, as Chumbawamba so eloquently put it “I get knocked down but I get up again you’re never gonna keep me down.”

Our programme of extra-curricular activities is not just about enabling

students to enjoy success or learn from failure it also provides the opportunity for them to discover passions that many of them will take pleasure from for the rest of their lives. Be that learning the guitar or sidestepping the opposition as they fly down

the wing. All the activities involve creativity of one type or another, building understanding and skill and eventually, after plenty of hard work, the enjoyment of success. This process helps many believe that Samuel Goldwyn was right when he observed “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” That understanding not only serves students well in their academic studies but also builds the ethic that employers value so highly.

Seeing how this transforms the confidence of our students is reward enough for many as they wrap up against the cold to coach another training session on the field or wash out the thirtieth palette after leading the primary school Art workshop. The College’s staff are the everyday heroes who enable these opportunities by sharing their passion and interests with students. It does not take long, however, until students are coaching and leading others to success with their new found skills. This is when we know we have succeeded.

Leading to SUCCESS

“Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater

success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of

failing.”J K Rowling


The GalleryStudent Photography work has reached a new level of excellence.

Left: by Chloe Prabucki Year 13

Middle left top: by Beth Dubben Year 12

Middle left: by Jodie Grove Year 12

Middle left bottom: by Chloe Prabucki Year 13

Middle right top: by Ollie Endicott Year 12

Ollie’s photo was selected for the Royal Academy

summer exhibition 2014.

Top right: by Kadie GamblesYear 13

Middle right: by Harry Mayhew Year 13

Bottom right by Beth Dubben Year 12

Main background Picture: by Tom Dunn Year 12


Supporting the CommunityDuring the Autumn term students held a `Big Christmas Drop off’ to the New-ton Abbot and Teignbridge Food Bank. Members of the college community made the collection a heart-warming success as staff, students and members of the public made contributions. Anne Buttenshaw said on behalf of the Food Bank Committee: “We (the charity) are delighted by these generous dona-tions; they will make such a difference to many people’s lives this Christmas. It is encouraging to see how much young people care and have given their overwhelming support – this is Newton Abbot College at its best. Thank you to all the students, parents, staff and Governors.” A further collection will be made in Spring 2015.

Leading by EXAMPLE

Caring CommunityNewton Abbot College students work closely with the local community through volunteering and fundraising projects. Mapleton Community Care Centre is one of the local businesses that they work closely with and the links between the two are flourishing. Vocational students on the Health & Social Care and Beauty Therapy courses regularly visit the Centre to provide activities and companionship for the residents. Recently a group of Level 2 Beauty Therapy students spent a morning at the Centre providing simple beauty treatments for the residents.

Pat Blackman, Vocational Trainer, said: “It was incredibly moving to see our students who had so much compassion and were such a calming influence on the residents, some of whom are in the advanced stages of dementia.”

Dementia is a topic which is close to the heart of the College’s Beauty Therapy students. Last year they raised £350 for Dementia UK with their ‘Beauty of a Fundraising Day’, providing treatments for staff, students and members of the public in return for a donation.

Charity Fundraising gives students at Newton Abbot College the opportunity to engage with their local community, have fun and improve their leadership skills. Each year the students choose a local charity of their choice and arrange regular fundraising activities to support the charity. Last year the students raised £10,039 for Rowcroft Hospice, through a wide variety of events culminating in Year 11 sudents and 2 members of staff taking part in the 3 peaks challenge.

Students commit themselves to helping others and embrace each challenge with new enthusiasm. They actively seek out opportunities to help others and to contribute to the local community. This year they have chosen Devon Air Ambulance Trust as their `Charity of the Year’ and have a host of exciting fundraising opportunities planned. Their aim is to exceed last year’s total.

Devon Air AmbulanceDuring the Autumn term funds have been raised for the Devon Air Ambulance through non uniform days, selling second hand uniform and Christmas events, including the Charity Christmas Fayre which was a huge success raising over £400 for the charity. A number of further activities are planned throughout the year with friendly competitions betweenCollege Houses to see who can raise the most.

The College is very proud of its achievements to date and would like to thank everyone for the support towards

fundraising and look forward to continued support in the coming year.

At the end of the year a group of year 11 students will be taking part in a 24 hour London to Paris bike ride. This trip is a great opportunity for the students to do something challenging and fulfilling for a great cause! The students will be cycling through beautiful English villages and into stunning rural France passing historical landmarks and famous battlefields from World War I until they reach Paris, and finish under the Eiffel Tower.

“It was incredibly moving to see our students who had so

much compassion.”

Pat Blackman


Developing LEADERS

At Newton Abbot College we encourage students in all year groups to develop their leadership skills through the active leadership of activities and events throughout the College.

As part of the Local Schools Sports Partnership (SSP) the College works with six local Primary Schools combined through a central hub school. The Partnership aims to encourage a commitment to physical activity and a competitive community spirit. In combination with the partnership, the College holds a number of events throughout the year including two festivals where as many as 150 primary school pupils have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities such as handball, netball and athletics.

Mr Patchett, Teacher of PE at the College says “It is fantastic to see so many young students really enjoying themselves within an active, stimulating, challenging and fun environment.” It is quite clear to see the improvements that some of the students have made.” During the last academic year alone students from Newton Abbot College assisted and ran in excess of 20 sporting competitions and festivals – in turn accumulating

over 1,000 hours of collective sports leadership. During the last academic year students took part and led at a wide range of competitions to include: cycling, cross country, BOCCIA, rugby and netball. Many of the students cherish these unique opportunities developing key skills in leadership and creativity whilst promoting a positive attitude and fulfilling their ambitions.

The College also runs a Young Ambassadors Scheme where 6 Young Ambassadors work directly coaching other students. The aim of the scheme is to encourage leadership and increase the confidence and ability of all young people, enabling them to reach their full potential and ability in sports roles, whilst also assisting the students and primary school pupils, increasing their skills and range of talent.

The scheme has developed a strong leadership ethos in other aspects of the College; almost all of the College’s own extra-curricular clubs are now supported and assisted by Year 10 and Year 11 GCSE students who voluntarily give up their time to help support the already extensive extra-curricular timetable that students at the College receive.

College Leadership also promotes the opportunity to work with low ability students to increase their confidence and give them a well-rounded experience.

Sixth Form PE students work with local primary schools as Young Leaders and support a number of out of school events. They also run many of the College after school clubs such as Football, Cricket, Basketball and Badminton.

We recently took six of the very best young leaders from the College to the Regional Young Ambassadors Conference at Marjons University in Plymouth. The students were chosen because they have continually shown commitment and dedication to volunteering in and outside of school.

The day involved three workshops led by athletes and other leaders and was also supported by Craig Figes, who is the current GB water polo team captain. Craig gave an inspirational talk about his experiences in sport and how ‘not giving up’ and ‘believing in yourself’ is key to success.

The students really enjoyed their experience and are now looking forward to working alongside the SSP and their School Sports Coordinator to maximise the opportunities that are available to them.


Leading to yourFUTUREThe transition into Sixth Form is an exciting time for students offering increased independence and preparation for the world of work and higher education.

Our Sixth Form offers a wide range of opportunities for young people which broadens their horizons, challenges them as individuals

and encourages them to contribute to the College and wider community.

Do you have a passion for playing and coaching football? Do you want

to gain a career in Sport, Coaching and Football?

This exciting two year course will teach you the key elements of Community Sports Coaching & Development, with a particular focus on football (carried out in partnership with Arsenal Soccer Schools). You will study modules such as Multi-Sports Coaching, fundamentals of Sports Science and Physiology which will give you exposure to a broad range of practical skills and theoretical knowledge. This practical hands-on course will also equip you with the skills and knowledge required for future employment in the field of coaching, education and community work. Following successful completion you will be competitive in the job market. The BTEC allows each student to study with the right balance between acquiring knowledge and developing practical skills along with a good playing standard in the British Colleges Sport League. This qualification provides a progression route onto the BSc (Hons) Degree at your chosen University.Students will also get the chance to watch Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium each season.

Course details:Start Date: September 2015Duration: 2 YearsMode: Full TimeMatch Days: Wednesday Training Hours: 8 Hours Per WeekPhysiotherapy Access: Yes, Every Thursday

For more information on this please contact the College Tel: 01626 367335 email: [email protected]

BTEC Sport Football and

Coaching Academy

At Newton Abbot College we have expanded the range of Sixth Form courses on offer enhancing the options and opportunities available for our students.In line with this expansion we have received a record level of interest in the Sixth Form for entry in September 2015. Our Sixth Form offers students inspiring courses, a convenient location and a College with a fantastic reputation for supporting success. Lesley Ring, Assistant Principal in charge of Sixth Form, said “We believe our Sixth Form already offers the widest range of academic and vocational courses in a school Sixth Form in the South West, and we have expanded the choice even further with the introduction of several new courses including the Arsenal Football and Coaching Academy, Public Services, Media Studies and a broader range of Science subjects.”Every individual can succeed if they are on the right course, supported by an experienced Tutor and a rigorous monitoring system and taught by top quality trainers and teachers. At interview we discuss students’ aspirations and support them to choose the right course to get them there. We encourage students to aim high and we involve them in setting targets for themselves which are both motivational and challenging. By closely monitoring progress against these targets we support students to achieve outstanding results.We welcome students from other areas looking for a change in outlook and increased independence, and recently hosted an event for 130 students from Dawlish so that they could see the

range of courses on offer. Students are surprised by the opportunities available at the College, particularly the variety of vocational subjects including Childcare, Hair, Beauty, Automotive Maintenance, Professional Cookery and Construction. This, combined with small group sizes and the friendly environment at the College, is very attractive to them.As an independent Academy the College has the freedom and potential to expand and tailor courses according to demand. Paul Cornish, Principal, commented “Our strong Ofsted report, academic results and focus on traditional values is recognised locally and we value the trust that so many parents and young people place in us by choosing the College. We take this responsibility very seriously and are delighted that so many are choosing Newton Abbot College in both Year 7 and in our Sixth Form. We have always welcomed students into our Sixth Form from a wide area and this coming year looks set to continue the trend.”The deadline for 2015 admissions has now officially expired but there are still places available. Applications for popular subjects may be fully subscribed, however students can be placed on a waiting list. To find out more about the Sixth Form or to arrange a visit please contact us on 01626 367335. We welcome applications from all post 16 students and encourage students from other year groups to take a look at the facilities and courses on offer.

Our Sixth Form offers a wide range of opportunities

for young people which broadens their horizons,

challenges them as individuals and encourages

them to contribute to the College and wider

community.


Leading the WAY

Looking to hire high quality facilities in Newton Abbot?Then look no further.We offer:•Multi Sports Courts•Conference Training Rooms•Activity/Event Spaces

For more details and charges please contact: [email protected]: 01626 367335

Whilst many Headteachers are hopping mad, staff and students at Newton Abbot College are jumping for joy!The recent release of the Department for Education’s performance tables has caused much debate around Devon and beyond. There is a great deal of concern amongst schools and Headteachers; results across the country appear at face value to have dipped. Everyone is bemoaning the raising of expectations, the toughening nature of examinations and the ‘moving of the goalposts’.However, at Newton Abbot College there is only cause for celebration! Staff and students are elated that, for the seventh year running, results have improved yet again!Principal at Newton Abbot College, Paul

Performance tables show college to be amongst very best in County!

Cornish, said “I couldn’t be more proud of the students and staff of this College. They have extremely high expectations of themselves and everyone is so hardworking. The performance data is just confirmation of that which we already knew: Newton Abbot College is an excellent school, full of excellent people, achieving excellent results.”Whichever measure you use to assess the College’s performance you cannot fail to be impressed. Whether it is 5A*-C including English and Maths, progress in English, progress in Maths, Value Added…the College has performed incredibly well in comparison to other schools locally and nationally.Whilst it is true that it is difficult to make direct comparisons between the results of this year and last, it is also true that the rules changed for everyone and the rules were the same for everyone. With this in mind the performance tables remain

useful for parents when making direct comparisons between the performances of local schools.Chair of Governors, Steve Joint, said “As a Governing Body we are incredibly proud of the achievements of the staff and students at the College. As a parent of children at the school it is so reassuring to know that the education of my children is in incredibly safe hands.”One of the most pleasing aspects of the performance data for the College is that students of all ability levels made progress that was well above national average. Students labelled as low, middle and high ability by the government based on their ability on leaving primary school all performed exceptionally well. Paul Cornish commented further, “We are extremely proud of our inclusive culture and ethos. Parents of all children, from all backgrounds and of all abilities, can see from the performance data that their child is likely to make outstanding progress at our College. There is certainly no need to look further afield when choosing your child’s school. Even the highest ability students make similar progress at our College to that made at selective schools in the wider surrounding area.”

The Learner Issue Six 2015Newton Abbot Academy Trust. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, number 07717015. An exempt charity. Registered office: Old Exeter Road, Newton Abbot, Devon. TQ12 2NF.

Come and see us

[email protected] www.nacollege.devon.sch.ukhttp://twitter.com/NAbbotCollege

01626 367335

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