Uni Connect Inspires University Participation

Grimsby Institute is delighted to partner with the Uni Connect programme to support non-traditional progression to higher education.

A series of activities has been delivered to support learners like Alex, who has benefited from a range of events and engagement activities to support him to progress to higher education. Alex is in his second year of Level 3 study on a Criminology pathway, which includes A Level Psychology, A Level Sociology and a Level 3 Diploma in Criminology.

Alex was selected by the regional partnership HOP (Humber Outreach Programme) as part of the Uni Connect programme, due to data highlighting that he is from an area where there are low numbers of people who progress to university.

Over the last two years, he has participated in activities such as a forensic science workshop called Sherlock Bones, a trip to the National Crime Museum in Nottingham and an inspirational revision session held at a cinema in Leeds. He has had stress management sessions to support him with his studies and help with applying through UCAS, including writing personal statements and guidance on HE student finance.

Alex also was able to participate in a NEXT Steps transition support programme with the University of York and a capital trip to London. As part of his studies, he went on several relevant enrichment and trips so he had as much information and support possible before applying to University.

Alex said: “The support sessions have provided myself and my classmates with a sound understanding of how applying to university works, which a lot of class mates were unfamiliar with. Specifically, the student finance and personal statements sessions were very useful.

“Understanding how this works can be tricky with the percentages and loan repayment guidelines, however the sessions provided an easily accessible presentation which laid out the information well. Personal statements can be daunting to write as they’re one of the main factors which helps us get into the university of our choice.”

C4ME shortlisted for prestigious national award

Congratulations to our fantastic Centre for Maths Excellence (C4ME) team, who have been shortlisted for Provider of the Year at the Skills Awards 2020.

We are up against the likes of Leeds City College, Heart of England Training, Paragon Skills and Nelson and Colne College, with the winner set to be announced on March 10^th.

Our C4ME team is one of just 21 across England, acting as a hub for research, training, innovation and the sharing of successful practice across the FE sector.

They have been shortlisted for The Focused 15 project, which set out to identify topics that grade 4 maths students were competent with, but grade 3 students were not.

From there, 15 interconnected topics were identified. These vary in size and difficulty, but join together to give a good level of mathematical understanding for each student’s future.

The scheme has been praised by other providers, with the maths lead at Bishop Burton College commenting: “The approach provided and shared by the Grimsby Institute is fabulous. It has shown us the clear focus of topics that is needed for all students to pass. The clear topics are much easier to work with and allow for more structure.”

Emma Bell, C4ME lead and Maths Enhancement Manager at the Grimsby Institute, said: “I was shocked and delighted to find out we had been shortlisted for the award. It’s testament to the hard work of our fantastic team, who deserve every accolade that comes their way.”

Grimsby Institute is shortlisted for two prestigious national awards

We are delighted to announce we have been shortlisted in the Best Teaching and Learning Initiative and WorldSkills Unsung Hero categories at the 2020 Tes FE Awards.

The teaching and learning nomination is for our Media team’s Estuary Student TV (ESTV) curriculum model, which operates a student-led television production team run by a professional channel manager. Student crews are supervised on short notice location work which is typical of industry, learning in the workplace while on the job.

Clients include Grimsby Town FC, Cliftons Dance Academy and Associated British Ports, while recent graduates have gone on to work on projects such as Strictly Come Dancing, the Eurovision Song Contest and Glastonbury.

Emma Forrest-Leigh, Associate Principal for the Digital and Creative Industries faculty, said: “I feel delighted to see my wonderfully hard working, innovative, pioneering and talented team shortlisted for this award.

“The work we do at the Grimsby Institute changes lives. There could not be a prouder manager in the country than I am right now to see the achievements of our staff and student media crew gain such a bright national spotlight.”

Meanwhile, our Manufacturing Engineering team have been shortlisted for the WorldSkills Unsung Hero award. Recent successes include Refrigeration apprentice Orlando Rawlings, who was selected to represent Team UK at WorldSkills 2019 in Kazan and won a medal of excellence, and Fabrication and Welding apprentice Macaulay Reavill, who represented the nation at WorldSkills 2017 in Abu Dhabi.

Nick Marshall, Curriculum Manager for Manufacturing Engineering, said: “When I found out about the nomination I was genuinely excited and exceedingly proud of what the team has achieved.

“The team work tirelessly to promote skills development and are passionate about what they do. They deserve all their plaudits and as the manager of the department I recognise the commitment, desire and determination they show in the pursuit of excellence.

“They are a great team who work together and are unselfish with their time and energy, often going that extra mile to make a real difference.”

Tes FE Editor Stephen Exley said: “Excellent practice exists right across the further education sector, and those shortlisted for the Tes FE Awards are the cream of the crop. Our judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of entries. To be shortlisted is an extraordinary achievement.”

The winners will be revealed at a gala awards evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London on Friday 20 March 2020.

To see the full list of who is in the running, pick up a copy of this week’s Tes, or visit tesfeawards.co.uk

Superstar success coach braves the shave!

A huge well done to our superstar success coach Michelle Burton – who has braved the shave in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support!

Michelle attracted a huge crowd for the big event, which took place in main reception this afternoon. She is aiming to raise £2,000 for the worthy cause and, with her current total standing at just over £1,000, is appealing for help to hit her target.

She said: “I wanted to do something big and I can’t jump out of a plane due to medical reasons, so I thought I’d go with the safer option and brave the shave for Macmillan Cancer Support.

“It wasn’t for anyone in particular; everyone has been affected by cancer at some point in their lives. I’ve lost family members to cancer and also know people who have got through it, so it was really important to raise awareness.

“I particularly wanted to do it at college so the students could see it and understand why I was doing it. Doing good in the community is a big part of my heart, so it’s important we get that message across.”

Through both her work and personal life, Michelle is involved with local charitable organisations such as the NSPCC, Rotary Club of Cleethorpes, the Shoebox Appeal and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Speaking about the head shave, which was carried out by a member of Salon staff, Michelle added: “I’ve got plenty of hats – that was at the top of my Christmas list! I was a bit worried about the shape of my head, how much grey was coming through and the amount of people that would be there watching.

“I was most worried about making sure I raised enough money to be able to help someone out there though, so would appreciate any donations – no matter the amount.”

To donate to Michelle’s amazing cause, visit: http://bit.ly/2T013TQ