Issue 3 | 24 April 2019 Table tennis champions take three national titles Grantham College Table Tennis academy Gavin Evans said of the triumph: “I can’t stress are overjoyed with the victory of becoming how massive this is for the college and the staff national champions in the ESTTA Schools team who have worked tirelessly to get the National Finals in Hinckley. players in shape. The academy competed and successfully “The students conducted themselves impeccably. brought home trophies for the under-19 Girl’s I am very proud of them.” and Boy’s categories. Working alongside the Charles Read Academy, our partner school The achievement is even more special as the with the David Ross Education Trust enabled World Schools Championships are being held in us to successfully also win the under-16 Girl’s China in April 2020 and we now have the right to category. go and compete in this. All the teams who competed were unbeaten This will be the first and only multi-sport event throughout the whole season. highlighting the World School Championships. China have agreed incredible strength and depth of the squad, as to pay 80% of our air fare and we will be looking well as marking a great victory for the Table for sponsors to pay for the remaining 20%. Tennis Academy. The next steps for the Table Tennis Academy For the winners, Sophie Barlow said: “It was a are individual National competitions this May. struggle at times, but we fought hard and had Congratulations to all that competed for us. a good rapport. If you would like to offer support to the academy, “When we lost the doubles, we forgot about please call the college’s reception on 01476 it and picked ourselves up for the remaining 400200. matches.” Media students jet off to Tenerife with Erasmus+ For two weeks in February, our Media students Magazine ‘Bara Bara Comuncacion’ where they embarked on a trip where they gained industry were tasked with taking imagery around the experience at a number of different places Island such as the art, graffiti and architecture such as a Magazine and a Television Studio. for the magazine. The students also had chance to explore the different culture and cuisines in Tenerife. During their free time, the students visited the little town of Garachico. Graphic Designer, Students started off their first day by attending Chelsea Toulson who accompanied the the Instituto La Guancha school to meet students said “Garachico is one of the most Arancha who organises the placements pristine landscapes with such a rustic feel. There for the students. Whilst at the school they are so many historical buildings, narrow streets learned about the history of the village and and it’s positioned amongst soaring volcanic school from the Headmaster and were took rocks and has naturally designed sea pools.” for a tour around the school. The students saw all the Sound proof rooms for music, the During the middle of the trip, the students photography suite, and watched projection also took a much deserved day off from their art for DJ sets. The students also enjoyed placements to visit the beach and meet up at some lunch with the school and played some the local salt pools in Puerto De La Crux to relax basketball. and enjoy the sun. As they were given their placements, students working for the Village Hall were given their first brief and had to create an animation piece for the school’s local museum ‘Taller De Artesania La Guancha’. Students at the TV Studio placement were given a tour and got to experience a live TV show being filmed whilst the remaining students who were at the Joshua Oates takes Children of Courage prize The aim of the annual awards is to showcase in college and his local community. Josh never inspirational young people who have been complains or even mentions his disability, he is nominated by their school or college. a strong believer in trying everything and never giving up. This year’s awards were held at the Urban Hotel in Grantham on March 13, where the nominees “His English and Maths are progressing really and their families were all treated to a lunch well at college, where he’s also had new books and met by special guest Paralympic track and with magnified print ordered just for him. His field athlete Sam Ruddock. behaviour at the College is an example to us all. He has such a great sense of humour and is Joshua Oates, who is studying Skills for Work, hugely popular in his class. was nominated by learning support assistant Lisa Gerassimov, who said: “Joshua has been “Josh is also a valued member of the Grantham with Grantham College for over 3 years now. Youth Bowling Club and the Lincoln Disability He is such a hardworking, polite and active Football Club, he never lets his impaired vision young man but he has always found education get the better of him. to be an uphill struggle. “He is such a keen sportsman and such an “Along with mild learning difficulties, he also enthusiastic cook - he is so at home with an registered blind as the birth marks behind his apron on and saucepan in his hand. eyes cause severe impairment so he now only has 5% sight. “Josh has been nominated not only be me but the whole of the Learning Development team “Josh often finds it quite tricky to keep up with for not ever allowing his lifelong progressive his peers, simple things like reading a book, condition to dominate his life and prove to us sitting an exam, writing and even getting all that whatever life throws at us not to moan around the college can be a challenge.” about it but make the best of it. “However, despite his ongoing health “He is truly a shining example and a lesson for conditions, Josh continues to participate fully all of us.” Ex-student Joshua bags three national table tennis titles Former Grantham College student and table Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games tennis ace Joshua Stacey has come home on the Gold Coast in Australia, securing the from the sport’s national championship with bronze medal in his division. three titles. Gavin Evans, who trained Joshua in his time Joshua, 19, took the prize in the class 9 at Grantham College, was delighted with his division, as well as the Open Standing singles former student’s progress. and doubles crowns, at the British Para Table Tennis nationals in Grantham. He said: “Joshua has faced adversity and fought through his disability, which has made him an Having left the college last year, Joshua has even stronger player.” spent his time since training full-time at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. Joshua said of the tournament: “I played some of my best stuff throughout the weekend and just to have won my class singles would have been satisfying. I would have been content with the weekend. “Then me and Billy Shilton managed to win the doubles against two pairings that were stronger on paper. I played my best table tennis.” Joshua studied Sport at Grantham College for two years alongside his training. He represented Where to? Careers Fair Success Wednesday 6 March saw the bi-annual careers including promoting our own HE courses and fair at Grantham College titled Where to? in our University Centre. The event had a really partnership with LincHigher. vibrant atmosphere, and the students got a lot out of it.” For the morning more than 40 employers and Universities were invited into our sports hall to The day was also filmed by Lincolnshire help guide our students towards their future local filming company Brightspark Studios to prospectus. In attendance, of course was showcase the different activities and different Grantham College’s Apprenticeship and Higher employers that attended the event. With lunch Education team along with the University of also provided by Grantham company the Lunch Lincoln, University Arts London, Salted Orange Box Company – all the employers and workshop Co., Woodhead Construction and Engineered leaders were also treated to a day where they in Grantham to name a few. could network and get to meet our students. Students were also greeted with smoothie bikes Marketing Manager, Jaz Abeysekera who where they could make their own smoothie to organised the day alongside Advice and promote healthy eating throughout the college Guidance Coordinator Amy Goswell and and of course for a little indulgence we had a Marketing & Communications Assistant candy floss machine and chocolate fountain. Hannah Ryan said of the day; “We wanted to widen students’ knowledge on future careers Morning workshops were also organised for and opportunities, we achieved this by having students to take part in, where they could get over 40 employers exhibiting at our careers to grips on a range of different things including fair and we also held workshops by the likes of Interview Techniques run by the Rotary Club, Princes Trust, XMA, the Rotary Club and CVS Social Media and LinkedIn workshops run by Volunteering.” Ben Brown from XMA, setting up a business run by Princes Trust, Volunteering run by CVS, “Students and staff seemed to get a lot out of the Cover Letter writing run by internal staff member day, taking a lot of new information away from Carol Dyer and a Mental Health and Wellbeing it and hopefully lots of ideas about their future workshop run by internal staff member Lorna career paths too. We hope they’ve learnt about Hollands. careers that hadn’t heard of or thought about and that the day broadened their horizons” The aim of the day was to show our students the different opportunities that are out there for “We’d like to thanks all the employers that took them and also how they can take advantage of time of out of their busy schedules to provide these opportunities and be prepared for their our students with valuable information and their future.