Prior Pursglove College is, once again, delighted to celebrate the achievements of our students as they received their A Level and Applied General Qualification results.
We have seen an increase in the number of high grades (A*-B) being achieved by our students this year across the full range of subjects allowing two thirds of the cohort to progress onto university including competitive courses such as Medicine, Law and to universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Durham. Our students have also been very successful in securing high quality apprenticeships in a range of fields such as Law, Accounting and Engineering with companies such as Cummins, Watson Woodhouse and Clive Owen Accountants.
Head of Centre, Olivia Wytcherley said, “I continue to be proud of the achievements of Prior Pursglove students not only in their academic studies but also for their willingness to engage in enrichment activities, volunteer work and playing an active role in their community. We celebrate success at every level and I would particularly like to acknowledge those students who have overcome personal challenges to achieve what they need for their next steps. Hard work and perseverance are the key to success, and we have seen staff and students demonstrate both this year to achieve these outcomes.”
Prior Plus+ is an esteemed award that is integrated into students bespoke and personalised study programme, giving them the chance to leave college with more skills and experiences than simply those gained through academic qualifications.
The award is split into 3 parts and this group of students has excelled in all three!
This culturally enriching and worthwhile scheme prepares students for adult life as well as developing their employability skills and making college a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience.
This can then all be showcased through any application, whether it is for UCAS, an Apprenticeship, or a job, making students highly employable.
This award is split into three parts, Pathway Support, Employability/Work Experience and Enrichment. There are also three levels of the award, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Pathway Support is a weekly session looking at attendance and academic progress, as well as discussing future progression and topics to equip students with the skills and knowledge to be a well rounded adult. There are also a series of E- learning activities and 1:1s with their Pathway Leader to help keep track of their progression through the awards.
Students also have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities beyond lessons. This Enrichment is designed to really capture their interests and enhance their life experiences. There are many exciting activities on offer. Some will be ‘one off’ opportunities such as foreign exchanges, work experience, charity events or competitions. Others will be ongoing weekly activities such as sport and societies or the Students’ Union, Pie & Cheese Club, learning a new language or driving theory support, the list goes on.
Also, whilst at college, students have the opportunity to attend many varied careers events. Some are organised through the Pathway programme, others are organised through the college careers team, we also promote and support work experience opportunities.
To achieve gold standard, students must have reached at least 98% attendance, set up and ran an Enrichment group that benefits the college or local community, attended all mandatory careers events, as well as at least 2 voluntary sessions and also completed an extended work experience.
Well done to all students who have accomplished this amazing standard, what a fantastic achievement, huge congratulations to you all!
More brilliant celebrations today here in college.
Chemistry teachers, James and Jo, held a ‘party’ for their A2 Chemists, not only to celebrate the end of the course but also to celebrate the fantastic achievements of all their students.
As well as making ice-cream with liquid nitrogen, awards were presented for achievements in The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, The Royal Society of Chemistry Schools Analyst Competition, and the Chemistry Olympiad Award.
There was even a visit from our good friend Manju, who retired from teaching last year but came in especially to see her students on their last day.
Great to see you Manju and very well done everyone, some fantastic achievements!
We recently ran a Student Photography competition here at Prior Pursglove, which was open to all students from every subject.
The theme of the competition was based around ‘Identity’, with students being able to submit images of themselves or their friends, family, favourite places or favourite things to do.
Collectively the images will make an exhibition called ‘We Prior’, celebrating the diverse and varied identities that make up our student cohort.
Our overall winner for this year, winning a cash prize, was Antoni Szatkowski with his shot of Saltburn Pier.
Antoni’s image was a fantastic composition, which he describes as one of the earliest shots he ever captured but which remains one of his best. It clearly evidences his technical skill with an ability to be in the right place, at the right time.
Every one of the judges was overwhelmed with the standard of the entries received and commented that it was very difficult to select a winner. Our thanks go to all who entered and took part.
Paul Sudlow, Deputy Faculty Manager and Photography Teacher said “It was a genuine pleasure to see such a high standard of image making, creativity and variety in response to the brief, from every area of the student cohort, not just the photography/art department”.
Highly commended entries and a special mention must go to the following students who all made the final shortlist and whose pictures you can see below:
Lydia Walker, Adam Derry, Nate Joy, Jazmin Ashley, Ellie Parker, Holly Griffin, and, Sebastian Hewison
Other notable entries making up this fantastic array of imagery includes:
We will soon be exhibiting a large selection of the entries around the college campus, please look out for them, they are stunning to look at!!
Well done again to every student who entered and thank you to all the staff who took time to judge.
We recently ran a story on social media about one of our wonderful students, Ellie Nichols.
Ellie, a student in our Endeavour faculty, is 17 years old and is a wheelchair user.
Ellie says she originally attended wheelchair skills training when she was aged just 4 years old and went for around two years before the class was finished due to a lack of funding.
Some years later she was introduced to Powerchair Football through her school, KTS Academy.
Ellie has recently taken on the challenge of raising funds for her beloved sport and hopes to be a journalist in the future, so here writes her own piece on the story so far.
Powerchair Fundraiser, by Ellie Nichols
On Thursday, the 2nd of May, Endeavour took part in a wheelchair football fundraising event for my football club (Middlesbrough Powerchair Football Club), which always needs money and equipment to stay open. It’s not a very well-known sport and it’s not televised either, so football clubs like mine really do struggle.
Within our faculty, all classes came together in the sports hall. My coaches and another member of the football club, and fellow student James Found, came along to answer questions and show the students some of our wheelchair skills within the sport.
Staff and students really loved asking questions about it and getting to know the game.
We also had a bake sale and face painting, both of which went down really well with staff and students alike.
There was also a competitive football match between students, and then to finish the afternoon we had a penalty shootout. We had cheerleaders on the side with pom-poms to cheer everybody on.
Overall, I can’t tell you what a difference this will make to the football club. We genuinely love the sport, but upkeep is just so expensive. In total, we raised £182.72.
Again, on behalf of the club, we are so grateful to everybody that signed the blind cards, anybody that contributed in any way at all.
Amazing student, Felicity Mitchell, has been awarded a fantastic opportunity!
She has just secured a place at the Italia Conti stage school to study Acting.
Felicity, who studies Performing Arts, Physical Education and History here at college has been performing from an early age, singing from the age of five and receiving her first acting training from the age of nine when she began ‘Stagecoach’ in Guisborough.
Since 2019, she has been training on the Young Musicians Programme at the Centre for Advanced Training (The Glasshouse International Centre for Music) in classical and musical theatre singing and has also received 1:1 acting tuition to work on monologues and acting through song.
Felicity applied to, and got offers from, four stage schools but chose Italia Conti as she loved the immediate sense of professionalism the school gave her. She says it was professional without being intimidating and encouraged auditionees to be themselves.
Felicity goes on to say that the students there on the day gave everyone auditioning advice and answered their questions before entering the audition room. They stressed the importance of using their own accents when delivering speeches and songs in the audition. They were told that the school believes in using students’ own accents as it gives auditions a more truthful, authentic and convincing performance.
Felicity says she sometimes feels like a minority of people with a northern/regional accent when she attends auditions so liked how this was actively celebrated at Italia Conti.
She says “all the staff and students there on the day were so welcoming and created such a comfortable and hard-working environment. Taking part in classes and panels for the entire day gave me the feeling that I was at a place with a strong work-ethic, where I would receive the high-quality training I needed to improve on my skills.”
Felicity says her years at Prior have greatly helped her to develop into the performer she is today. She played ‘Roxie Hart’ in the production of ‘Chicago’ in 2022 and also played ‘Carole King’ in the 2023 production of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’.
Of her performing arts teacher, Jacob Ditchburn, Felicity says “Jacob has been a massive help to me over my two years as my teacher and particularly during audition season. He gave up his own time to help me work on my audition monologues and songs and I will be forever grateful for all of his advice and everything he has taught me. I was able to apply his feedback to both my external auditions and my performances within the performing arts course at Prior”.
Congratulations Felicity, we’re all super proud of you and can’t wait to see what the future years will bring. Good luck in everything you do!
Meet Prior’s very own Queen of Speed, Aimee Frame.
Aimee has won a national scholarship to race cars in Atlanta, with the potential at the end of the week to win a paid contract!
Aimee says that she and her family have always followed motor sports, with her sister introducing her to go-karting when she was aged just 15 and she has been hooked ever since, always aspiring to get into car racing, moreover, motorsports.
She says she entered the on-line competition through SIM racing and was one of the top 50 quickest contestants. She then submitted an audition tape to get her through to the final 10, and then after a zoom call with the company, was offered her scholarship!
Aimee is one of 20 competitors from all over the world who have been selected for this amazing opportunity, and will be flying out to Atlanta on 11th May to compete in a series of challenges including gym training, reaction testing, media training, car control and psychological strength.
Throughout the week the group will be judged by professional drivers from Formula 4 and Indy Car, with the overall winner receiving a paid contract to race in the Radical SR1, which goes 0-60 in 3 seconds.
The aim of this competition is to uncover talent and overcome the financial barriers in motorsport.
Aimee is very excited about this chance and says “I have been given this amazing opportunity and to even get here is a huge achievement”.
It really is Aimee! You’re a winner already and we can’t wait to catch up with you again after the event.
Good luck from all of us here at Prior Pursglove College.
During March, students who attend Endeavour at Prior Pursglove College were selected to attend a 6 session course called Rugby Futures.
Rugby Futures is a programme facilitated by the Newcastle Falcons and funded and supported by Electricity North East as a further commitment to the development of the area in and around Teesworks, and working with the Teesworks Skills Academy to further support the communities alongside the growth of the area.
The aim of the programme was to build on the `Values needed for the world of work`.
The coaches facilitated sessions on how the values you use in sport can be linked with the values you need in work and equipped our students with essential personal characteristics that build relationships based on trust, self-awareness, communication, resilience, and emotional intelligence, all of which are crucial for success in any area of life.
These brilliant sessions were led by Olympian Chris Cook, Lysa Morrison and Jake Vandervelde and the positive impact on our students was phenomenal as you will see from the following video:
Big thanks to the Rugby Futures and everyone involved in making this a wonderful experience for our students.
Due to the success of this programme we hope to run a second round very shortly, watch this space…
Students from Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College have been taking part in a residential trip to Trinity College, Oxford University this week.
They had the chance to explore a number of colleges including Trinity and Christ Church.
They also had a Q&A session with two university students from the North East and were given advice from Lauren and Marcus on the application process, including writing their personal statements, admissions tests and interview. They learned about the different courses Lauren and Marcus study as well as what it is like to study at Oxford University.
Students have also had talks on applying to a competitive university, personal statements and admissions tests.
As part of British Science Week they have also got the chance to visit the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, where they took part in a lecture of on Evolution and Biodiversity.
They have learnt about the adaptations of different species including how and why taste receptors have changed in humans over millions of years, the adaptations barnacles make depending on where they live, why barn owls feathers are shaped the way they are, and how cockroaches live in two distinct groups, how they have become two different species and will eventually no longer be able to mate with each other.
To finish off their visit to Oxford, students have had the chance to explore the city and take part in a Treasure Hunt.
The students came in wearing traditional dress and celebrated all the different cultures from all over the world.
There was a student’s food market at break time and lunchtime which offered a Nigerian dish of jollof rice with fried chicken and meat, Armenian potatoes, lavash bread & bishi, Arabic basbousa as well as traditional British cakes, biscuits and scones.
We had tradition music, chosen by the students, in student central, with dancing and singing too!
There was also henna tattoos and face-painting and of course, polaroid pictures and a selfie station.
The day culminated in a ‘guess the flag’ competition with 30 flags being identified. Unbelievably there was 2 students who could name all 30 and went head to head on a tie-breaker round!, the winner being able to identify which country had the oldest flag as well as the date established! Well done, and big thanks to all the students for another wonderful day.
Last week we had the pleasure of hosting a small gathering for all our Oxbridge students and their families, along with our friends from the students’ secondary schools and Redcar & Cleveland’s Children’s Councillor, Bill Suthers.
The students were each presented with a book token for all their hard work and Principal, Asma Shaffi, shared a few words of appreciation for the families and secondary schools, all of whom instil aspirations from a very early age.
Councillor Bill Suthers also shared some words of support and encouragement with the students as well of a few anecdotes of his own.
It was lovely to get everyone together and congratulate the students for all their hard work, as well as hear about their hopes and wishes for the future.
Many thanks to everyone who attended, it was lovely to put faces to names at long last!
We look forward to catching up with everyone again in August.
(Many thanks to Brian Gleeson of the Darlington & Stockton Times for the permission granted to use the photos)
During February half term we took 30 students from both 1st and 2nd year to Rome, for 4 days/3 nights.
During the trip we visited the Colosseum and Roman forum on the Palatine and of course, the Vatican, with an opportunity to visit the Sistine chapel.
We also visited famous sites such as the Trevi Fountain and the Museum of the Ara Pacis.
Then, on the final day, we took a coach to visit Ostia and see the ruins of a full Roman town and port which includes some amazing remains and particular mosaic artworks.
Although the days were jam packed with a lot of walking and visits around Rome, on the evenings students had free time to explore Rome in small groups and find places to shop and eat and experience life in a major European city.
After their return we asked the students for their thoughts. Here are just a few of the comments that were made:
We asked “what was your favourite thing about the visit to Rome?”
Learning their culture, seeing how Ancient Rome has been incorporated into modern day Rome and their appreciation for their history.
I loved walking around all the historical sites seeing the Colosseum and exploring Augustus Mausoleum also taking pictures of everything also the Vatican was a great place to see. Exploring Italy in our free time with my friends eating the food and shopping around.
My favourite part of the visit was seeing the architecture in person. The sheer scale of many buildings and statues enhances their visual impact – they appear very different to how they look in photographs.
My favourite thing about the Rome visit was the opportunity to experience a different culture and explore the city.
The difference in everything, I adored getting to enjoy new experiences.
The Vatican city / The architecture of the city / Colosseum / Trevi Fountain or Connor Varley / statue of Marcus Agrippa.
And, “what do you think was the most useful thing about the visit to Rome?”
Being able to experience visiting such culturally significant buildings relevant to the course.
First foreign visit so opened my eyes to life and sights outside of England.
Being able to see real life versions of some of our set sources and being able to use what we saw to compare Ancient Rome to modern Rome.
Seeing the Ara Pacus and the Augustus Premia Porta as they both are a part of our case study for Imperial Image.
Looking at all the statues that aren’t in the prescribed sources.
Actually seeing the things we study in real life makes them seem much more real. Plus there’s more information that is relevant to the course around Rome.
Seeing all the cites we learn about, seeing them in real life and seeing what material they were build out of was useful towards my studies understanding everything better.
The places we went to, the forum was possibly the most informative.
Actually seeing some of sources we look at and being able to see them in person.
The most useful thing about the trip to Rome was visiting some of the sources we study as it helps develop a deeper understanding.
The visit helped to put certain statues and buildings into some form of context, helping to consolidate what we have learnt in the subject.
Walking around palatine hill, looking at the sources we study in lesson.
Lots of additional info about the Ara Pacis and the forums that’s harder to find online.
I got to see lots of the things we’re studying in classics.
It made me realise how close everything was like the forum bit.
Finally, “what would you say to any students who want to take part in the visit in the future?”
It’s an amazing opportunity, and definitely a life changing experience.
Definitely go; it’s an opportunity to not only expand your grasp of the classics subject with actual hands on exploration, but also to socialise and connect with classmates and teachers alike.
The food is amazing, bring sunglasses and take loads of pictures cause they’re worth it.
Go and have fun exploring the sites you will visit, and overall it was the best experience you get to take part in 🙂
Also there’s an aloe vera drink that’s really nice should definitely try that.
Absolutely recommend, was a great experience.
Do the trip it is an exciting experience and you can learn a lot from this seeing all the sites you learn about. Also you get to explore Rome – it’s a good experience for anyone in classics and you get to bond creating friendships.
Do it. You only live once, it’s a good experience, and a nice trip.
That it was amazing and really useful for the topic and I would wholeheartedly recommend it and would go again in the future.
It is a great experience that I would recommend to everyone who studies Classics.
It’s definitely worth going simply because Rome is a beautiful city.
Students who take classics should definitely go on the trip! Seeing pictures is way different from seeing the things we talk about in real life.
It can be stressful but the good/funny and or memorable moments make up for it
Prepare for intense days and a lot of working. It’s worth it tho!
Pupils and staff at Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College are celebrating after receiving a prestigious Artsmark Award on 11th January 2024.
Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools accredited by Arts Council England. It supports them to develop and celebrate arts and cultural education across the whole curriculum, bringing learning to life for children and young people.
In order to achieve their Artsmark Award, Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College had to demonstrate the positive and extensive impact of their arts and culture provision across the whole college, the students and the staff.
This was achieved over two years through many different arts and cultural initiatives, including the expansion of our enrichment programme. All students take part in an enrichment of their choice, from Creative writing or College Newspaper to the twice yearly Musical Production amongst many others.
Staff and students collaborated with Tees Valley Museums, including Kirkleatham Museum and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA), where students undertook work experience, with some of our Gold Arts Award students gaining employment opportunities through these ventures.
Students and staff visited local Primary schools with the arts enrichment students who then lead arts activities with the children there.
Arts and cultural events are celebrated on a regular basis at the college with many activities timetabled across the year to appeal to a wide range of interests. Examples include arts activities for black history month, a Ukrainian folk music performance and a talk about the war as well as national photography competitions.
The Arts Council’s Artsmark reviewers had this to say:
“We are delighted to inform you that your setting has been awarded an Artsmark Gold Award. Congratulations! Your Statement of Commitment and Statement of Impact have been assessed and we’re pleased to share this feedback from our assessors with you:
‘We were impressed by your commitment to the transformative power of the arts, which is having a measurable effect to teaching and learning across the school and beginning to impact other professionals within local primary schools. Creativity and arts are clearly referenced within the school planning documents. SLT, Governor support, and specialist teachers drive an established range of provision, underpinned by a credible qualification offer, including delivery of Gold Arts Award for some students with local arts organisations. It’s brilliant that Arts Award has led to positive progression into employment for two students. It’s also great to hear about students leading arts projects and extra-curricular activity…Your use of arts for mental health and wellbeing, and how you have started to embed cross-curricular work with Maths and History across a large, complex setting is to be commended”.
Celebrations are underway as Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College students achieve their best year ever for Oxbridge offers.
Students from across Teesside have received a massive 12 offers to study at Oxford and Cambridge this coming September.
For the past decade the number of offers made to Prior Pursglove students has been steadily increasing, with this year being the most successful to date and has been topped up by a tremendous success at Stockton Sixth Form. This is not only due to the students’ hard work and determination but also by the support and encouragement of staff in assisting them in the rigorous application process.
Vice Principal, Olivia Wytcherley, said “Helping students to prepare for and make a successful application to Oxford and Cambridge requires commitment and hard work from both our students and staff. During the college application and enrolment process we will discuss the possibility of making an Oxbridge application and will provide initial guidance to students of activities they may like to undertake to prepare for this.
Once at the college, students will attend sessions with our careers team and advisers from both universities to gain further insight into the application process and what makes a strong applicant. We encourage our students to take part in academic competitions, visits of interest, summer schools and subject specific masterclasses to broaden their understanding of their chosen subject beyond the curriculum, with many students also seeking out their own additional opportunities to do this. During the application process, students benefit from help with personal statements and admissions tests as well as a practice academic tutorial/supervision if they wish; our teachers are very generous with their time in helping students prepare.
Although it is a tricky logistical proposition to manage multiple online interviews during the 2/3 week period, it is lovely to hear about how the interviews went and how much they enjoyed taking part even though they may be challenging at times. The hardest part, for us at college, is the wait to find out the decisions at the beginning of January”.
The students, formerly of Laurence Jackson School, Outwood Academy Bydales, Freebrough Academy, Outwood Academy Acklam, Acklam Grange School, Teesside High School, Huntcliff School, Our Lady and St Bede, Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary School and Nunthorpe Academy are studying courses including Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Experimental Psychology, Law, Chemistry, History, Natural Sciences, Classics, Mathematics and Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
Jack, who is going on to study Law, said “Receiving an offer from Oxford is a significant achievement and a goal I’ve aspired to achieve since secondary school. Although this achievement wasn’t easy, it was most certainly worth the effort, and I am very excited to study there after the summer. My tutor made sure that I had all of the support I needed, helping massively in every stage of the application process, to ensure that I had the best chance of success.”
Another student, Jake, who is going to be studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics said “It’s quite surreal and surprising to be honest – it’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone, but personally I’m proper chuffed that there is starting to be more opportunities like this for people from the North East”
Principal, Asma Shaffi said, “We are celebrating a historic moment at Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College. By far this is the best outcome that our staff and students have yielded by securing twelve places at Oxbridge. The students’ tenaciousness and in-depth subject knowledge provided a strong foundation to get through a complex selection process.
We have quite a strong legacy in sending students to the most prestigious universities to read sciences, maths, engineering, classics, languages, law and social sciences. Our students are the most effective representatives and role models to influence the way the North East and Teesside is viewed by the whole country and their input in shaping its direction. Our staff quietly work away in the background in raising and sustaining high expectations across all sections of the community. I am indebted to the parents and local schools for sowing the seeds of high aspirations and hope from a very early age.”
Huge congratulations to all our students on this amazing achievement and if you would like to find out how you can be one of Prior’s successful students please see our website
You may remember that during the summer one of our Career Ready students, Libby Gordon, spent her internship with the Aircon Group and in particular with Erica Johnson-Trumper and Ross Cousin in the Sales and Marketing Department.
Libby, who studies Fine Art, Economics and Maths at college built up many skills during her placement, exploring the business in detail, learning about their marketing plan, looking at databases, excel and Chat GPT as well as building up some basic engineering knowledge amongst other things. Aware that Libby was studying Art, Erica asked Libby if she would like to design the company Christmas card and I’m sure you will agree with us that she has understood and represented the company and branding perfectly!
Libby says “As a part of the Career Ready Programme, I was offered an internship at Aircon Group to work alongside my mentor Erica.
I completed many day-to-day tasks within the office and learned how to use different types of software as well as attending a networking event with one of my colleagues where I worked on skills such as my confidence and communication.
Overall, I had a really great experience at the Aircon Group. Everyone was welcoming and supported me with any questions I had and all the tasks I needed to complete. This allowed me to become more confident in choosing my next steps for further education.”
Erica said: “Libby did her internship alongside another student from Middlesbrough College, we encouraged team working skills and to evaluate their work, not to just accept that it’s right first time. We asked Libby to design our Company Christmas Card, she set about creating three designs, all excellent quality so we put them to the vote and asked all the staff for their favourite, we then sent the design to our graphic designer so that it could be created into a card as you see in the picture. As a thank you for supporting us during the summer we run workshops on CV writing, LinkedIn and presentation skills, life skills we hope the students can use in the future. Libby is an absolute credit to Prior Pursglove.”
Well done Libby, what an amazing achievement and a fabulous addition to your CV.
Following on from the success of this placement, Erica didn’t hesitate when she saw a request on LinkedIn for another Prior Pursglove College student, Ruby Lambton, looking for work experience.
Ruby had asked her family and friends if they knew of anywhere that might offer work experience as she was undecided between two different vocations and thought some experience might help her decide where her true interests lie.
After seeing the shout-out posted by Ruby’s mum, Erica contacted Ruby and arranged a Teams chat to see if she might be able to support.
The call was very successful, and they agreed that Ruby could start shortly after.
Ruby says “Erica arranged a Teams meeting to discuss my interests and address any questions I had, as well as confirming my placement.
When I started, I was warmly welcomed by Ross, Erica’s colleague, and introduced to the entire team.
Most of my time was spent in Erica and Ross’ office, where I played a vital role in launching DocuSign, due to my interest in Law and contract law, as Erica had suggested.
My time there was always engaging, contributing significantly to my continuous learning and development. I not only learned how to use DocuSign but also gained insights into contract structures and their practical applications.
Erica effectively utilised my skills, ranging from English Literature for blogs and newsletters to facilitating collaboration within the team for contract ideas.
Throughout my experience I felt valued, respected, and truly integrated into the team. This opportunity has ultimately provided me with an understanding of workplace dynamics and responsibilities.”
Ruby’s placement lasted for three months, and she not only helped to get DocuSign up and running in the business but was also instrumental in helping Erica to train all the staff who were given a DocuSign account.
Erica described Ruby as a “little star” and said: “It is rare that we get young people with so much drive and determination to succeed, it was obvious from the outset that Ruby needed a real challenge so we gave her the DocuSign project. As a system it takes some setting up and Ruby was instrumental in this, creating accounts, formatting documents and dealing with the high demands of managers as they have high expectations of how they want their documents to look, and probably not the easiest to train as we are all stuck in our ways, but Ruby stayed calm, polite and supportive, resolving issues that arose along the way. Ruby is also a credit to Prior Pursglove going above and beyond as she came in to do additional hours during the half term holiday”.
Well done Ruby, this is a brilliant example of utilising your network, as well as gaining many other practical employability skills.
Thank you so much to Erica, Ross and the rest of the team at the Aircon Group for your generosity in the help and support afforded to our students, we are very grateful and look forward to working with you again in the future.
Students from Prior Pursglove College are celebrating fantastic results after taking part in the UKMT Senior Mathematical Challenge.
The UK Maths Trust is the leading charity that advances the education of young people in maths and has been inspiring a love of problem solving through maths challenges for over 20 years. Each year they coordinate national and international maths challenges for young people with over 700,000 taking part.
The Senior Mathematical Challenge is a 90-minute, 25 multiple choice question challenge aimed at students year 13 and below. The problems set are designed to make students think whilst being stimulating for both beginners and experienced problem-solvers.
The top-scoring 66% of participants receive Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates in the ratio 3:2:1.
This year Prior Pursglove College students achieved 10 GOLD awards, 14 SILVER awards and 22 BRONZE awards.
The 10 Students obtaining Gold have now qualified for The Andrew Jobbings Senior Kangaroo, which is a follow-on Round to the Senior Maths Challenge and is a 60 minute, 20 multiple choice challenge.
Well done to everyone who took part and good luck to those taking part in round 2!
Here at Prior Pursglove College we are thrilled to announce that one of our students, Hamza Arshad, has been announced as the winner of the ‘Young Achiever in the Community’ award at the Tees Valley BME Awards.
This award recognises a BME young person who has made extraordinary or significant achievements in their chosen field (Sports, Education, Arts etc) and demonstrated leadership or excellence.
The Tees Valley BME Achievement Awards not only raises awareness of BME communities in the Tees Valley, but also creates a platform to inspire and promote community cohesion.
This event brings together and honours a diverse range of individuals and groups, drawing attention to their outstanding achievements and successes, from those organisations working at the grass roots to well established members of the community, newly emerging stars and of course our dynamic young community members. It recognises the wealth of achievement, talent and contribution that BME individuals and groups are making in the community and captures the multicultural spirit of the Tees Valley.
Hamza was nominated for this award by his college Faculty Manager, Paul Grainger, for the outstanding contribution that he makes to both college and the local community:
“Hamza undertakes numerous volunteering work both inside and outside of college. He volunteers at James Cook Hospital in the Cardiology department helping patients with a whole host of conditions. Hamza has assisted in practical tasks such as observations, ECGs and assisting those who needed it as well as providing comfort for patients who are at end of life.
Hamza is the Student Union President, which involves representing students interests and dealing with key stakeholders to create an ever-improving college environment. He also takes a leadership role in his community by delivering and leading the Friday prayers for the Muslim community during college, which involves giving the Khutbah (Islamic sermon) and preparing spaces to pray for upwards of 30 people.
Hamza also volunteers in his local charity shop which has enabled him to communicate with people from all ages and backgrounds.
He has also been involved with the local charity ‘Halo’ to help them better support the local community.
He is a valued member of both the college and wider Tees Valley community and it is a pleasure to recommend him for this award.”
Another of our students, Blessing Mgbemere, was nominated for the same award.
Deputy Faculty Manager, Paul Sudlow says of Blessing:
“Blessing has a passion for helping the elderly or those with disabilities in her local community. She gives up her spare time to go to their homes to provide help and company when they may not have family locally. Blessing has shown commitment and selflessness in order to ensure the lives of those in need in the community are improved by holding conversations, shopping, cleaning and listening to the people she cares for. She is supportive and sympathetic, dedicated and trusted. Blessing goes the extra mile to ensure those people don’t feel lonely or go without. She does this alongside studying full time for her A Levels and sees caring for others as where her future career lies.
We can only admire Blessing’s dedication to make a difference.”
Prior Pursglove College is immensely proud of both of our students for their dedication and commitment, not only to their studies, but for the kindness and caring demonstrated within their wider communities.
Last week we held a Remembrance Service in College organised and hosted by our very own John Hart, formerly a member of the Green Howards and currently a Royal Marine Cadet instructor at the Guisborough Cadet Centre, joined by an army cadet from C Company Loftus detachment.
Our Principal, Asma Shaffi, opened the service with her own words of remembrance before passing over to John who talked to the gathering about the Korean War, the loss of life and the terrible conditions.
Three of our students then took centre stage with reading of their own choice.
Hamza Arshad read exerts from the diaries of two separate soldiers from the war. The first reading was written by a soldier from the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, the second was written by a soldier from the 2nd Battalion The Green Howards, who were first on the beach on the D-Day landings.
And here are the pieces he read: An area around a ridge overlooking the Imjin River known as ‘the Hook’ had been a focus for control and two battles had repulsed Chinese forces. In May 1953 it was successfully defended again, this time by The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment (West Riding).
Charlie Daynes, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment:
“On the night of 28th May 1953, I was selected to go out on patrol in no man’s land on a feature called Green Finger — one of the spurs leading from the Hook. We were in readiness to go out when Hell let loose and the third battle of the Hook had begun… Unfortunately, our patrol commander was killed instantly, so we took shelter in the nearest bunker.”
“Looking through the bunker aperture all we could see were soldiers clad in khaki suits and cloth caps firing burp guns. At this point another of our Corporals was killed when a grenade exploded in his face. This soldier is still missing presumed dead. What seemed like hours later, we were taken prisoner by Chinese soldiers. We were taken down in a trench covered in dead bodies, many of which were Chinese, to a tunnel leading down the side of the Hook. Once again, we were stepping over bodies and taken to another tunnel and this is when we were interrogated, and all personal possessions were taken from us. We were then marched to a small village where we stayed for a few days before moving on again…”
Ken Keld’s War
Ken Keld, 2nd Battalion Green Howards recalls digging new fighting pits, bunkers, and trenches.
“Sleep and ‘my time’ was minimal. Through time it got to a point where you could drop off to sleep standing up!… Unfortunately, bed was where we faced our second enemy — the rats. Like humans, rats feel the cold and seek warmth, especially where food is to be had… One particular time, I had two bars of chocolate and was eating one in the dark and the other bar had disappeared. I found rat nibbling it at the bottom of my so-called bed. When I threw my mess tin at the offender, it disappeared so I threw the bar of chocolate away. One of the lads, Ron Smailes, found it and simply broke off the nibbled bit and ate the rest. Fortunately, he lived to tell the tale!”
Lola Steinhauser Somers read a beautiful piece called ‘We Remember’ by Laura Mucha, a poem commissioned for Remembrance Day by the Royal British Legion which you can read here:
Then Emma Tennant followed up with a poignant poem that she had written herself.
The service, attended by more than 200 students and staff, culminated by collectively observing the Act of Remembrance from the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in the Albert Hall.
Thank you to everyone who took part in this very moving and wonderful service.
Prior Pursglove Vice Principal, Mike Mackin, has recently stumbled across a rare find that has left the college somewhat puzzled!
In 2017 Prior Pursglove College (formerly Guisborough Grammar School) merged with Stockton Sixth Form College (formerly Grangefield Grammar School). Many times, in the years before this, Grammar Schools and Colleges faced each other as rivals on the sports field and whilst moving to a new office at the Stockton site, a dusty and tarnished football trophy was found sitting on the very top of a tall bookshelf.
Now, being a keen Boro fan, any cup is a rare sight for the VP, so he took it down to study the engraving. To his surprise, the Cup proudly declared it belonged to Guisborough Grammar. The School V Old Boys Challenge Cup is dedicated to the memory Mr I Thomas, who was a School Master between September 1921 and December 1958.
An image of Mr Thomas (below) was then found in the college archives and now the college’s History Enrichment Group have been tasked with investigating more about the teaching career of Mr Thomas.
We are keen to find out more about the Cup and Mr Thomas and would love to hear from members of the public and former staff to help us solve the mystery of how it ended up at Stockton.
If you have any memories, please get in touch via ppc.enquiries@pursglove.ac.uk.
Over the summer our Career Ready students have been building their skills on their work placements via our Career Ready programme.
Career Ready is a national social mobility charity working with a network of educators and employers who all believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to kickstart a rewarding future. This years programme launched in December with a visit to CITI bank in London. Since then, we have had a series of masterclasses delivered by our team of employer volunteers, then over the summer the students went on their separate internship placements.
The feedback has been absolutely amazing! The students have completely embraced these opportunities and have grown in knowledge and confidence, returning to college with a new vigour for their studies.
Here are just a few snippets of their experiences:
MY INTERNSHIP WITH RCVDA, by Korben Simpson
My name is Korben Simpson. I am currently a college student at Prior Pursglove College. As part of my Career Ready Program I have completed a two week internship at RCVDA.
Throughout my time at RCVDA I have gained a wide range of skills and knowledge, benefitting me not only in future employment, but life itself. For instance on my first day I spent the morning learning what a hire agreement looks like, how to file one and the numerous uses of a printer. These may seem simple tasks but with no previous acknowledgment of hire agreements it was refreshing to learn something new. I then was thrown head first into compliance, which for some would be a nightmare, but for me was, although steep, a fascinating learning curve; it was here I became aware of the difference between an invoice and a bank statement and how to prepare such things for the accountants.
Alongside the practical skills, compliance also emphasised the importance of resilience and perseverance. This showed me that no matter how much I want to rush through something to get it done, by doing so I am guaranteed to miss something or make an error that with a little more patience I would have never encountered. Compliance also helped me improve my analysis skills, as I had to process large amounts of information and pick out key parts very quickly and accurately in order to be as efficient as possible in my work.
My next tasks revolved around DBS checks. Firstly, due to my little amount of experience with DBS, I simply did research on what it was. This included why we need it, how to keep it up to date, and where people can get one. Following this, my task was to access old DBS checks and organise them onto Google Sheets. Once again another learning experience as I have never used Sheets before. Luckily everyone was more than happy to help, so after a quick crash course, I was well on my way.
Afterwards was the Career’s Ready Presentation, my most nerve-racking project of the internship. Within the presentation I had to talk about what I was hoping to learn from my experience with RCVDA, what I had learned from RCVDA, and the projects that I had completed within my time with them, I had five minutes to do so. I will admit I did go over my timing, but to summarise all I had learned in the time would of been impossible. By doing this I further increased my confidence in communication, and my ability to present a presentation as a whole
Overall my time with RCVDA was an enlightening experience of how little I really know about the real world, due to being in full time education my entire life, I have never needed to know the things that I have learned on my internship. However I am exceptionally grateful to both RCVDA and Career Ready for giving me the opportunity to come and experience the world of work. My two weeks here have been much more rewarding than I could of imagined not only expanding my knowledge on the areas I do know, but also opening my eyes on the areas I don’t know and giving me the foundations I require to go on and build a wealth of knowledge in those areas, helping me prepare for the world outside of education.
I would like to end by saying a great big thank you to everyone at RCVDA for giving me this experience, and rekindling my love for our area. You were such a warm and welcoming group of people, and an absolute pleasure to work with.
Thank you to RCVDA for allowing us to share RCVDA website
The voluntary sector employs a workforce of just under a million people across the UK so having the support of Bupa Foundation UK to enable charities to take on Career Ready students from Prior Pursglove College and Stockton Sixth Form is vital for raising the profile of the sector. It encourages our students to find out more about the great work happening in the local area and helps build their skills for career success.
One of those charities is The Hope Foundation Middlesbrough doing great work across Tees Valley and giving the students an experience they’ll never forget. All have built valuable team working skills, learnt to adapt to their environment, networked at events and also grown in confidence after their placements. Thank you Sue Kearney and to our mentors Philip Campbell Matson and Carole Bond MCIPD.
Lily & Ali spent their internship with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. Supervisor Mike Oyston said “both students have been a pleasure to have with us in the office. They have been punctual, willing to learn, polite, intelligent and confident. They have embraced every task set for them and have undertaken it well, akin to what we might expect from an actual employee”
HSBC mentor Suzanne was able to witness first hand the power of an internship and said “Amazing to attend Lily’s presentation today, an increase in confidence & a wealth of skills learnt in such a short time – very proud mentor!”.
Rughiya spent her internship in the Finance Department at Steel Benders UK Ltd. She said “the internship has made my aspirations to work after college even higher, whether it’s through a degree apprenticeship or directly into work. I enjoyed the professional hands on environment while learning every day and the valuable guidance given from my employer.”
Huge thanks to Tania Cooper MBE and the team at SBUK
Libby Spent her intership with Aircon Group building up skills including marketing, engineering knowledge, use of databases, excel, chat gpt and much more. Not only has she grown in confidence but the work will continue to benefit the business which is a real legacy. Well done and thank you Erica Johnson-Trumper and Ross Cousin for the opportunity and support.
A huge thank you to all our employers for supporting Prior Pursglove College and Stockton Sixth Form College with their internships. We really value your support, along with that of all our volunteers, you help make this programme a truly remarkable experience.
Meet ex-student Emily Wade who studied with us at Prior Pursglove College from 2017-2019. She has just finished her Masters of Chiropractic, graduating with a First Class Honours at the University of South Wales and here she shares her journey with us.
Emily was inspired to study Chiropractic after visiting a local chiropractic clinic in Stockton for chronic neck pain that she had suffered with for some time. She says that after a few sessions of treatment she felt the best that she had in the previous 5 years and so asked if she could do some work shadowing.
As well as this Emily started doing some research into Universities that offered Chiropractic courses and found at that time that there were only three offering this choice in the UK.
The one which stood out to her was at the University of South Wales, also known as Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC). The course, Master of Chiropractic, entailed learning about in-depth anatomy, neuroanatomy, pathophysiology and various different conditions which can affect the human body, as well as the more social and professional side to the career.
In the 4th year of her degree, Emily completed a placement year at the onsite student clinic where she was one of the primary clinicians responsible for treating patients, most of whom were members of the public.
Emily describes her overall experience at university as ‘great and eye-opening into the world of private healthcare and how big an impact we can have on our local communities’.
Her plans for the future involve working full-time at the same clinic where she started out shadowing, Stockton Chiropractic Clinic, and says they are ‘an amazing team’.
She is also going to be involved with the Chiropractic student placements at Teesside University and hopes to become a member of their teaching staff in the future. On top of this, Emily also wants to promote Chiropractic as a career to college students.
Emily’s advice for any prospective students, regardless of career, would be to ‘do your research and make sure the course you’re thinking of is something you would enjoy studying. Without enjoyment it’s extremely difficult to motivate yourself to do the work and having the end goal of knowing you’re going into something you love makes the hard work so much more worthwhile’. She also adds ‘make sure you take the time to enjoy your time in education because it truly is an amazing experience where you get to meet people who will be in your life for a long time’.
Wise words Emily! We are super proud of you and your achievements and thank you for sharing your journey with us.
What a brilliant day we’ve just had at our annual Freshers Fayre!
Lots of local organisations came along to support our students and give them valuable information about their services.
Of course, we also had lots of freebies, sweets and crisps which were all very well received!
Many thanks to Arch Teesside, DWP, Cleveland Fire Brigade, The Road Safety Partnership Team, Impact on Teesside, Little Miss Belle’s Boutique, National Citizen Service, Cleveland Police, North East Regional Organised Crime Unit, Speakers for Schools, Teesside Hospice, HALO, Everyone Active and Youth Focus North East for supporting this event, we would love to see you all again next year!
Prior Pursglove College is absolutely delighted to share with you some of their highlights from this year’s results day celebrations.
Amongst the successes we have a total of nine students who have confirmed offers for Oxbridge, five for Oxford and four for Cambridge.
Principal, Asma Shaffi, said “We are absolutely amazed at how brilliant and hardworking our students are. Our students have been able to secure highly competitive destinations in both higher education and with employers alike.
The highlight for us is to have confirmation for nine (9) Oxbridge students, they have certainly put our college on the national map, and those who secured their grades to go the university and the higher apprenticeship of their choice. We are immensely proud of them”
The students holding offers for Oxford will be studying subjects including Engineering (3), Mathematics, French with beginner’s Russian.
Adam Tilling, ex Laurence Jackson student, secured 5A*s and will be studying Mathematics at St Anne’s College Oxford.
Twins Lauren, and Grace Hinton, ex Sacred Heart students, both with 4A*s,will be studying Engineering at Oxford. We also have a further student, formerly from Stokesley School, who secured 4A*s and will be studying Engineering at Oxford.
Francis Nozedar, ex Sacred Heart student, secured 2A* A and has been offered a place at Wadham College, Oxford to study French and Beginners Russian.
In addition, we have three students holding offers for Natural Sciences at Cambridge alongside one of our students from last year who received an unconditional offer for English Literature.
Our Natural Sciences students are:
Bradley Sills, 4A*, Arthur Leaper, 3A* A, and Alexander Evans 4A*s, all former Outwood Bydales students. Alex becameeligible for the summer pool and was offered his place on results day! Brilliant news for Alex, we are delighted for him!
Thomas Ewan Cornwall, previously of Stokesley School had taken aGAP year andwill now be studying English Literature at Cambridge .
Prior Pursglove College also has 6 students who have been offered places to study medicine, amongst them, Ethan Clifford, who achieved 3 As and will be going to Manchester.
Ethan says “I wanted to study medicine for as long as I can remember, and getting the A level grades was the easiest part. I did 9 months of volunteering, did the entrance exam and got a score in the top 2% of all applicants and then got interviews.”
However, Ethan’s was not an easy journey as after 4 interviews he was not offered a place and admits the rejections knocked his confidence.
He goes on to say “I was pretty set on taking a gap year, however literally on my train home from the first time I solo travelled (Croatia in July), Manchester University rang and said they had a single vacancy on their course, and of the 2000 other potential applicants they offered it to me. I managed to fulfil all academic and non academic criteria so my offer came through formally today (results day), and I’m now going there!!”
This is super news for Ethan and confirms that hard work, determination and resilience really do pay off.
Another of our students, Ella Winspear, achieved 2A* A and is going to Teesside University to study Biomedical Science.
She says “I initially wanted to do Medicine but wasn’t getting the grades needed in my first year at college so I decided to apply for biomedical science instead as it was also to do with disease/treatment etc. The content looked very interesting and heavily biology based which was my favourite subject in college. My advice would be don’t give up hope in first year as I managed to pull through and get the results I would have needed for medicine, it’s bittersweet but I’m happy going down the biomedical science path. And there is still opportunity for me to enter medicine if I don’t feel fulfilled with Biomed. It’s not the be all and end all! But I’m happy and looking forward to studying Biomed at Uni nevertheless.“
Daniel Bury and Molly Hewitson, both former ex Stokesley School students have secured Solicitor degree-apprenticeships with Watson Woodhouse Solicitors. This is a fantastic achievement for them both.
Lauren Kirwan, another of our success stories, is off to study Law at Sunderland University and then hopes to do a teaching qualification.
Lauren says “I knew from Y11 that I wanted to do Law but I didn’t know until a year or so ago that I actually wanted to teach Law – specifically at Prior!
The support that I’ve received from college as a student has honestly been unbelievable and massively appreciated. I absolutely cannot wait to hopefully return as a member of teaching staff and provide students with the same support I received as a student. My teachers are huge inspirations for me and I would not be here if it wasn’t for them. The advice I would give to future students is to honestly follow your heart. Use your passions and people/places that ground you to help direct you on what path to take. Use the supportive people you have around to help, it is not a sign of weakness!
Vice Principal, Olivia Wytcherley, says “We are very proud of Lauren, not only for her academic achievements allowing her to gain a place at university, but also of the progress she has made on a personal level. She has shown resilience and determination to overcome the challenges she has faced to achieve her goals and we look forward to seeing her embrace a bright future.”
Hugh congratulations to all our students on your amazing achievements. We are very proud of all of you and wish you the very best of luck in whatever your future endeavours may be.
Prior Pursglove College is celebrating results day as students collect the grades they need to progress successfully onto the next stage of their lives.
The majority of subjects achieved 100% pass rate with almost 250 students achieving A and A*.
Students undertaking sciences and maths have performed exceptionally well this year, securing destinations in highly prestigious Russell Group universities to study medicine, engineering, mathematics and similarly competitive subjects.
Principal, Asma Shaffi, said:
“We are absolutely amazed at how brilliant and hardworking our students are. We all have heard over the past few days that the results this summer were to be more comparable to 2019 – against all these odds our students have been able to secure highly competitive destinations in higher education and with employers.
The highlight for us is to have confirmation for eight (8) Oxbridge students who are residents of Redcar and Cleveland, they have certainly put our borough on the national map, and those who secured their grades to go the university and higher apprenticeship of their choice. We are immensely proud of them”
Student, Lucy McAuslan, talks to us about her experience of being a Police Cadet.
Lucy initially joined the cadets as she says she wanted to “raise awareness of our local community and how great it is!” and also says she “wanted to do something different and go out of my comfort zone”.
Although Lucy was initially nervous, she now says it was one of the best thing she has ever done, “Cadets increased my confidence and gave me transferable skills for life”.
Students are celebrating after being offered fantastic apprenticeship opportunities by leading businesses
Students at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough are celebrating after being offered fantastic apprenticeship opportunities by leading businesses.
The students have recently taken their A-level exams and are now relaxing in the knowledge that they are already on the ladder to an extraordinary future.
We caught up with them to bag some top tips for securing that dream apprenticeship.
Our top tips
Robbie Boocock, ex-Eskdale School student, has secured a position as a Trainee Accountant with M. Wasley Chapman & Co
Robbie said: “I’d advise you to go with the flow and work hard in lessons.
“I found the apprenticeship through my accounting teacher and only applied for this one as it is close to where I live.
“It took me a day to write up and send my CV before I was interviewed for it.
“I would advise other students to be patient as there are lots of opportunities – even now we are still receiving emails through college about possible opportunities.”
Daniel Bury and Molly Hewitson, both ex-Stokesley School students, have secured Solicitor degree apprenticeships with Watson Woodhouse Solicitors
Daniel said: “I’d advise getting relevant work experience with the environment you wish to gain a degree apprenticeship.
“This is essential to have a strong interview and stand out from the other candidates.
“Research the firm you wish to join. Your future career path and knowledge about the company will be questioned, so be ready.
“Appear smart and put the effort into your appearance – this shows your commitment to joining and will help you stand out.”
Molly said: “Gain some work experience in the field you are wanting to go into – ideally at the firm you are applying to.
“Research the company so you can show an interest in them and the work that they do.
“Show how passionate you are about that profession and what qualities you have that would make you the best candidate for that role.”
Ashton Dick, ex-Huntcliff School student, has gained a Mechanical Engineer apprenticeship with Primetals Technologies Ltd
Ashton said: “Try to be proactive and gain some work experience as it helps with the interview and gives you something to talk about. However, it isn’t the end of the world if you are unable to get some.
“Practise speaking into a computer with no one on the other side of the screen as it can be quite a shock if you haven’t done it before.
“Research the company and the role and check out their social media pages as they can have lots of information.
“If you are unsuccessful in one, don’t let it put you off another and try to get feedback on how you can improve.
“Make sure you have a Plan B, for example, going to university. Apply early and try not to leave it too late as you will have exams to prepare for.”
Sophie Gray, ex-Outwood Academy Bydales student, has secured a position with Atkins Ltd on a Civil Engineering degree apprenticeship
Sophie said: “Do your research on the job and the company beforehand, so you are well prepared.
“Gain some work experience in the field you’re applying for, but don’t worry too much if you are struggling to do so.
“There’s a lot of virtual work experience which you could complete instead which is easily accessible.
“Make sure your CV is up to date and stands out from the rest before you start applying for any apprenticeships.
“When preparing for an interview, practise and plan what you are going to say to the questions which they may possibly ask in the interview.
“Ask a lot of questions during your interview and come across as really keen.
“You may not hear back from the apprenticeship you have applied to for a while. Don’t panic. These things usually do take time.
Evie Martin, ex-Trinity Catholic College student, has secured a Business Admin apprenticeship with Veolia
Evie said: “When applying for an apprenticeship you want to produce a CV that stands out and to keep researching until you find a company that is right for you.
“Sustainable development and the future of the planet are important to me so I wanted to work within a company that supported my values and beliefs.”
Owen Waistle, ex-Unity City Academy student, has secured his dream position as a Nuclear Mechanical Engineering apprentice
Owen said: “Experience and enrichment are essential, start as soon as possible.
“Having clubs and experience to talk about made it much easier for me to convey my strengths and weaknesses.
“Challenge yourself. This could be anything from a difficult assignment to public speaking, getting out of your comfort zone allows you to show how you’ve grown and will continue to.
“Plan for the future. You don’t have to plan every part of your life, but having career or academic milestones in the future helped me explain the reasons why I wanted my apprenticeship and how it would help me progress my career.”
It’s not too late to apply
If you would like to become one of Prior’s successful students, don’t forget it’s not too late to apply for September 2023.
And if you’re a year 10 student thinking about coming to college next year, why not visit one of the college’s Open Events:
Wednesday, 18th October 2023, 5pm-8pm
Saturday, 9th December 2023, 10am – noon
Thursday, 8th February 2024, 5pm – 7.30pm
Tuesday, 26th March 2024, 5pm – 7pm
Find out more?
Discover more about Prior Pursglove College and the courses it offers at pursglove.ac.uk
ADVERTISING FEATURE FROM Tees Valley Collaborative Trust
By Paul Atkins, Commercial Content Writer, 14:53, 21 JUL 2023
Today, our Chemistry teachers Manju and James held a ‘party’ for their A2 Chemists, not only to celebrate the end of the course but also to celebrate the fantastic achievements of all their students.
As well as making ice-cream with liquid nitrogen, awards were presented for achievements in The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, The Royal Society of Chemistry Schools Analyst Competition, and the Chemistry Olympiad Award. Well done everyone!
SOME of Redcar and Cleveland’s most picturesque scenes have been captured by A Level photography students from Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough, in a competition to showcase what the borough has to offer.
Students from the first year A Level photography course took part in the competition recently with the final judging being made by multi-award winning photographer Stuart Boulton stuartboultonphotography.com/
First prize was awarded to Ella Ward for her picture of fishing boats stranded at low tide at Paddy’s Hole, South Gare, Redcar. The judges commented that it was a well-executed photograph with excellent composition and great use of the late afternoon light.
Ella, 17, from Guisborough, said she liked photography because it allows her to see the world from a different perspective. She said: “I was really shocked to hear that I was the winner of the competition.
“Paddy’s Hole is a place I have passed many times while walking my dog and I love to take pictures down there. This is why I chose the location for the competition.”
Second place went to Emily Farrell from Redcar for her black and white image of Saltburn viaduct. The judges commented on how well composed it was and how she used black and white to dramatic effect.
Third place went to Zack Rowland, from Redcar, for being in the right place at the right time when he snapped a seal pup having a rest on the steps on Redcar seafront.
The top three entrants win a three-hour masterclass with Stuart, which will provide them with the perfect opportunity to develop their photography skills further and capture what the area has to offer.
More than 90 images were received during the competition.
Prior Pursglove photo competition winners. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
Thank you to thisisRedcar&Cleveland | thecouncilmagazineforthelocalcommunity – Issue 52 | Summer 2023 for letting us share this story
Prior Pursglove and Stockton Sixth Form College students had a visit to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) at Billingham, as the first step of a new STEM Enrichment programme.
The students from both colleges who are currently studying Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Science based subjects, are part of a new initiative that aims to educate our young people on future technologies and the employability skills which are required to secure their future careers.
Working with Professor Raymond Oliver, a college Governor, and the team at FDB, we were treated to a full day visit with talks, tours and a fun activity.
The students learned about the values of FDB and how these values are embedded into their day-to-day workings. FDB representatives spoke about their processes from initial conception with their customers to patents, quality checks, audit trails and ultimately manufacturing the products.
The students heard about microbial development, cell cultures and cell line development and got to explore several labs and observe the technology in use. This was not only fascinating, but helped the students appreciate the importance of the work that is undertaken locally on this expanding site and the wealth of opportunities that will be available to them in the future.
FUIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies recently invested £400m into expanding its Billingham site and currently employs more than 1000 staff. This expansion is expected to create another 350 highly-skilled jobs once complete and judging by the reactions of our students yesterday, we look forward to seeing how many of them have been inspired to join them.
Many thanks to the team at FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies for hosting a brilliant day.
Ex Prior Pursglove College student, Cara A’Court, has had her first book published.
Three People, Three Countries, One Path is a spiritual fiction/visionary literature book and was initially written out of curiosity, but has now been picked up by Atmosphere Press and is due to be published on 8th June.
Cara, who studied at Prior Pursglove College from 2009-2011, struggled with health issues all through her education but says that her teachers inspired her not to give in. Cara’s English teacher made her ‘fall in love with English literature’, and gave her ‘a lot of support when things got tough’. Of another teacher Cara says ‘she was so supportive of me and always helped find a solution to any obstacle I was facing’….and also …’helped me several years later in leaving university the first time.’
After college Cara went on to Anglia Ruskin University to study Zoology and in the summer of first year went to Ecuador as a volunteer through VESA. It was at this point she realised that what she was doing in her life at the time wasn’t necessarily the right thing for her so made the decision to take some time out.
While volunteering at a spiritual shop she learnt Angelic Reiki which opened her up to a new venture and inspired her to start her own business, Earth Soul.
However, Cara realised something was still missing and in 2019 decided to return to education through The Open University to study her true passion of English Literature.
She has now realised her childhood dream of becoming an author and her book Three People, Three Countries, One Path is due to be published on 8th June.
Well done Cara, we’re all very proud of your achievement.
Do you think your path is decided for you?
Pinia thinks his monk life is it. Until a devastating event brings Loysin and Lakishma into his life. Travelling through India, Tibet, and China, the three become a family. Destined to face a terrible test to balance karma that is not their own, can they remain as one?
In Three People, Three Countries, One Path by Cara A’court, we experience a journey of mind, body, and soul for all involved, reminding us that the choices we make define who we are, not our fate.
Three People, Three Countries, One Path by Cara A’Court, is available to pre-order from Atmosphere Press.
Maxi’s Mates, a local rescue and rehoming centre for dogs, recently shared a post on social media asking for donations, as they were almost at capacity.
One of our students and dog lover, Katie Earl, saw the post and decided she wanted to do something to help, so set about raising awareness of the situation.
She worked with Emma, the college Enrichment Coordinator, to promote the cause amongst her peers, the teachers and wider student body and then began the task of raising goods and funds.
Katie, her friends and Emma even arranged for a little visit from Pixie, who came into college to meet the students and also went to say hello to the nursery children.
With the support from staff and students, everyone in the college came together in donating food, beds, bedding, towels and toys as well as collectively raising £83.81 in cash, which was gratefully received by Maxi’s Mates.
Big thanks to Katie for all your hard work in organising this fundraiser and to all that got involved in this worthy charity.
Previous Prior Pursglove students bring us up to date on their latest achievements
By Beth Harwood – Commercial Content Writer 17:19, 24 MAR 2023
STEM students go on to achieve great things at Prior Pursglove (Image: Prior Pursglove College)
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are collectively known as STEM subjects. With a high proportion of its students going on to study at Oxbridge universities, Prior Pursglove College prides itself on the number of opportunities it gives to all its students, particularly those interested in studying and starting a career in STEM.
Prior Pursglove always enjoys hearing from its former students and about what they have gone on to achieve in their lives after studying. The college has recently been in touch with students who studied one or more of the STEM subjects on offer, to find out what they have been up to.
Carl
Carl is a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography(Image: Prior Pursglove College)
Carl studied biology, geography and psychology at Prior Pursglove and after leaving the college in 2009, went on to study human geography at Northumbria University. After graduating from Northumbria in 2012, Carl continued his passion for Human Geography and finished his PhD in 2018, going on to work at the University of Oxford as a postdoctoral researcher, before getting his first permanent lectureship at the University of Brighton.
Speaking about his experience, he said: “I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography. At Brighton, I teach all different aspects of human geography, but I focus on inequality, power, violence and digital culture. I research issues to do with sexual violence and masculinity and how digital data transform everyday lives.
“Prior was a wonderful experience, I felt supported by the staff who were very caring and certainly helped me develop my potential. I learned so much at Prior and I began to think about the world in different ways, which helped me in my career as an academic.”
Lewis
Lewis is the founder of Geeky Medics(Image: Prior Pursglove College)
Having studied biology, chemistry and statistics at Prior Pursglove College, Lewis graduated in medicine from Newcastle University in 2012. Whilst a fourth-year student at the university, Lewis created a medical education website called Geeky Medics. After trying different medical roles, including working as an emergency doctor in Australia for a year, Lewis is now training in Newcastle to become a GP.
Talking about his current journey in medicine, Lewis said: “I decided to commit to training as a GP (in Newcastle), but part-time so that I could also continue to work on Geeky Medics too. I was also made an NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow at this point recognising the founding of Geeky Medics and its use by medical schools and medical students all over the world.
“In the next couple of years, I will be finishing off my GP training whilst continuing to work on Geeky Medics and tutoring at the medical school one day a week. Geeky Medics is a free online medical education platform that provides high-quality medical education resources and tools for medical students and other healthcare professionals. I have now been working on it for 12 years somehow! It has just surpassed a quarter of a billion views total, with over five million views a month from a global audience. We are also approaching 1 million YouTube subscribers!”
Rachel
After studying away, Rachel now lives back in the North East(Image: Prior Pursglove College)
At Prior Pursglove, Rachel studied biology, chemistry, maths and general studies. Having worked in A&E, Paediatrics, and Mental Health, she now works as a GP in North Yorkshire.
After attending medical school in Manchester, Rachel explained why she chose to move back home. She said: “The call of the North East was just too strong! I am now working as a GP in North Yorkshire, which allows me to spend my weekends with my husband, walking our dog Rosie on the moors and enjoying a Sunday dinner in a proper Yorkshire pub.
“I am so grateful for my time at Prior Pursglove and the opportunities it provided that have led me to where I am today.”
Lucy
Former student-turned-teacher, Lucy(Image: Prior Pursglove College)
Lucy studied chemistry, maths and physics at Prior Pursglove. Remembering her experience at the college, she said: “It was as a student at Prior Pursglove College that I first found my love of physics. I was inspired to therefore study physics at degree level and went on to gain my masters.
“While at university, I had a part-time job tutoring A-level physics students. It was this job that motivated me to pursue a career in teaching. Once I had completed the masters, I trained to teach and as luck would have it, a few years down the line I got a job teaching A-level physics at the very college I attended!”
Priya
Priya recalls how her teachers helped with her studies massively(Image: Prior Pursglove College)
During her time at Prior Pursglove College, Priya studied biology, chemistry and maths. Reflecting on her time as a student there, she said: “Initially college was quite a tough time for me because I studied in Tamil medium in Sri Lanka, whereas in the UK, I had to learn everything in English. However, my college teachers helped me through my studies in PPC. I will never forget that time in my life. My words cannot express my gratitude towards my teachers.
“I studied at Plovdiv Medical University in Bulgaria and completed my MD (masters in medicine), qualifying as a doctor. I am currently working with the British government in one of the British territories called Diego Garcia.”
More to explore at Prior Pursglove
For all its STEM students, Prior Pursglove College has dedicated support for those who are interested in carrying on to have a fulfilling career in the STEM industry.
The High Flyers Programme is just one example of how the college supports its STEM students. The programme aims to support students on their journey, by helping them take part in additional qualifications, gaining relevant work experience, and encouraging them to take part in activities that will enhance their application such as the Maths Challenge, Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad, Biology Olympiad, MediLink, STEM events and other enrichment activities.
The college is hosting an open event on Wednesday, March 29 from 5pm – 7pm. The open event is a brilliant opportunity to find out about the wide range of courses on offer, speak to staff for expert careers advice and guidance, as well as view the fantastic facilities and tour the campus.
To find out more about STEM subjects and to explore the open event details, visit the Prior Pursglove College website here.
We’re all very excited here in college to introduce you to ‘The Intern’.
The Intern is a newsletter written, edited and produced by Endeavour’s Supported Internship students.
Tutor, Jo Thompson, said “As one of the tutors for the Supported Interns we noticed that information about our course was sometimes missed due to placements, illness etc. so the decision was made to complete a newsletter to share both informative, and positive news.
As part of our tutorial sessions students are encouraged to share good news, however small, to start the day of in a positive fashion and the newsletter is an extension of that.
Students have taken ownership of the newsletter and it has proven very successful after only two issues and parents/carers are encouraged to read it too as it updates them on the course and future plans for the students”.
Mary, one of the students on the team said “The Intern is a newsletter for the Supported Internship group and their parents/carers. It contains lots of information about events and placements for the interns to read about. There is an option to read about the staff who help the interns and articles from the interns themselves, informing others what it’s like to be on the Internship. Term dates and college events are also in the newsletter, such as mental health talks and cake sales raising money for charities. It also includes an article featuring information that has been given to the group from a guest speaker, to inform those who were absent during the talk what useful information they have missed.
The purpose of The Intern is to keep the Supported Internship group connected with each other. It contains missed information for any interns who were absent from the session, and it also includes special points of interest such as jokes and movie reviews, which shows how the interns have their own individual interests.”
Jo said, “I am incredibly proud of the student’s achievements and can see this newsletter going from strength to strength and skills learnt being taken into the world of work”.
We’ve also really enjoyed reading The Intern and learning about what the group has been up to. There are some brilliant articles and lots of information as well as some light-hearted content too and we can’t wait to see the next edition.
This week we held our very first Culture Day here at college
Students were invited to come to college in cultural dress and bring in flags, share stories about their heritage and celebrate all our different cultures.
The canteen put on a selection of foods from different countries and the students also brought in traditional foods and held a market at break and lunch time.
There was traditional dances with music from around the world and the students encouraged their friends and peers to join in and learn the moves!
We had henna tattoos and face painting, live music, guided meditation, historical talks and even a selfie board with the old fashioned polaroid pictures.
We also had some help from our friends including Kirkleatham Museum who came with some ancient artefacts to talk about, the Wildlife Trust, Hart Gables LGBT service, TNT Fitness and Occasionally Everything who came to showcase dresses for the graduation ball. All this accompanied by cultural music on the sound system all day long!
Emma Watson-Keen, our Enrichment Coordinator and organiser of the event said “Culture Day was a huge success, there was a real energy and buzz around the college. It was great to see so many students engaging with the celebrations, whether it was wearing their cultural clothes, tasting new foods from different cultures, listening to music, dancing, singing or asking questions to gain a better understanding of the different cultures we have in the college. To see the students smiling, laughing and having a great day was a wonderful feeling.”
The students thoroughly embraced the day, Katie & Tia said “We both loved the day, it was a great experience and we both gained a better understanding of different cultures.”
Sarah said “I really enjoyed culture day because I got to share my culture’s food with other people and tried different foods myself. I would love to see this happen again next year.”
Anna said “It gave a sense of community and a chance to learn about different cultures. I really enjoyed the day”.
Sabeeh said “The day had a great energy and the whole college showed respect to all cultures.”
The students were so impressed with it that they’ve already started planning their next event!
As a college we would like to congratulate our students who have received offers to study at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge for the next academic year.
All the students who applied to these prestigious universities had to undergo a rigorous and challenging application process including submission of their application form for the early October deadline, preparing for and sitting admissions assessments and undertaking at least two virtual academic interviews in early December with academic tutors from their chosen courses. Then followed a nervous wait until January to find out the outcome.
Olivia Wytcherley, Assistant Principal, said “we are incredibly proud of the resilience and determination shown by the students who applied to Oxford and Cambridge this year. Making it to the interview stage is a real achievement and a fantastic opportunity to engage in academic discussion with prominent academics in their chosen field. The students prepared well, often collaborating with each other and teachers, to practise problem solving and critical analysis skills. Our teachers are always on hand to provide additional support through enrichment, offering academic competitions or putting students through their paces in a mock interview. We have now established a strong tradition in successfully preparing students to study at top universities.”
This year nine students have received offers: six offers from Oxford and three offers from Cambridge. The students holding offers for Oxford are hoping to study subjects including Engineering (3), Mathematics, Classics and French with beginner’s Russian. Two students have received offers from Trinity College, which, as our link college, have provided comprehensive support to all our applicants. In addition, we have two students holding offers for Natural Sciences at Cambridge alongside one of our students from last year who has received an unconditional offer for English Literature.
Twins Lauren and Grace Hinton, ex Sacred Heart students, have both received offers from Oxford to read Engineering, following in their father’s footsteps:
Lauren said “Thank you to all my teachers for helping me with the application process, especially in writing my personal statement”
Adam Tilling, ex Laurence Jackson student, has received an offer to read Mathematics at St Anne’s College Oxford, after completing both A level Maths and Further Maths in his first year at college:
Adam said “College has really helped me to be able to learn as much as I can whilst I am here and I am very grateful for the support you receive from all the people at Prior”.
Kaitlyn Easter-Bell, ex Sacred Heart, is the first student in the college’s recent history to receive an offer to read Classics at Trinity College Oxford:
Bradley Sills and Arthur Leaper, ex Outwood Bydales, have both received offers to read Natural Sciences at Cambridge:
Francis Nozedar, ex Sacred Heart student has been offered a place at Wadham College, Oxford to study French and Beginners Russian.
Francis said “’Studying at prior has really developed me academically and as a person”
Thomas Ewan Cornwall ex Stokesley School student has received an unconditional offer to study English Literature at Cambridge
Principal Asma Shaffi said “We are having tremendous success in securing offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. Prior Pursglove College has a long-standing history in sending students to Oxbridge to read from Science and Mathematics to Classics, Languages and Social Sciences. But recently we have seen a very positive increase in these numbers and of female students undertaking engineering and mathematics. We are incredibly proud of our students, and I have enormous respect and gratitude towards their previous schools and parents. These students really help to show their peers that such success is a reality in our area and strong work ethic pays credible dividends.”
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Head of Centre, Olivia Wytcherley said, “I continue to be proud of the achievements of Prior Pursglove students not only in their academic studies but also for their willingness to engage in enrichment activities, volunteer work and playing an active role in their community. We celebrate success at every level and I would particularly like to acknowledge those students who have overcome personal challenges to achieve what they need for their next steps. Hard work and perseverance are the key to success, and we have seen staff and students demonstrate both this year to achieve these outcomes.”
Felicity says her years at Prior have greatly helped her to develop into the performer she is today. She played ‘Roxie Hart’ in the production of ‘Chicago’ in 2022 and also played ‘Carole King’ in the 2023 production of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’.
The coaches facilitated sessions on how the values you use in sport can be linked with the values you need in work and equipped our students with essential personal characteristics that build relationships based on trust, self-awareness, communication, resilience, and emotional intelligence, all of which are crucial for success in any area of life.
The day culminated in a ‘guess the flag’ competition with 30 flags being identified. Unbelievably there was 2 students who could name all 30 and went head to head on a tie-breaker round!, the winner being able to identify which country had the oldest flag as well as the date established! Well done, and big thanks to all the students for another wonderful day.
You may remember that during the summer one of our Career Ready students, Libby Gordon, spent her internship with the Aircon Group and in particular with Erica Johnson-Trumper and Ross Cousin in the Sales and Marketing Department.
The service, attended by more than 200 students and staff, culminated by collectively observing the Act of Remembrance from the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in the Albert Hall.
Over the summer our Career Ready students have been building their skills on their work placements via our Career Ready programme.
Students at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough are celebrating after being offered fantastic apprenticeship opportunities by leading businesses.
