COLLEGE The latest news from Reaseheath College issue 16 Engineering Academy Opens Accolades for easeheath’s pioneering Apprentices Rengineering department is one of the first in the country to offer a specialist diploma in engineering to local secondary school pupils. Fifty 14 year-olds from Brine Leas High School, Malbank School, Sir William Stanier Community School and Shavington High School began studying for their qualification in September. They attend college for half a day a week to gain practical, workshop skills and continue classrooms sessions on engineering at school, alongside their conventional GCSEs. Hopefully the two year Josh Johnson and Kerrie Machin qualification will inspire pupils to enter the engineering industry, possibly continuing to Two young people who degree level. combine their jobs with college Our dedicated £1 million-plus training and excel at both have Joan Feenan tries out a fun buggy at Reaseheath’s new Engineering Skills Engineering Skills Academy has been crowned Reaseheath Academy, watched by Principal Meredydd David been fitted out with fun buggies, apprentices of the year for their ramps and specialist equipment to Opening the academy, Joan that on offer at Reaseheath. outstanding achievements. accommodate the pupils and new, Feenan, Director of Children’s The academy, with its world Bench joiner Josh Johnson specialist staff have been taken on. Services, Cheshire County class facilities, was the result and florist Kerrie Machin The academy is one of only Council, said that every young of an impressive partnership took top honours when we 40 projects in the country to be person should have the between the local authority, celebrated the graduation of funded through the Department opportunity to shine and that local high schools, central over 100 apprentices. for Children, Schools and this aspiration was coming government and the Learning See pages 9 - 11 for details of Families (DCSF). closer with schemes such as and Skills Council. our many successful students. Recordbreaking Effort to Support Abi Our big hearted students and staff raised a record breaking £10,116 for a local teenager paralysed by a brain haemorrhage. Funds raised through Reaseheath’s RAG (Raising And Giving) appeal went to Abi Davey, who has undergone emergency brain surgery. The money is being used to help Abi’s family care for her at home. The cash was raised by the Students Association, who produced stickers and urged fellow students, staff and the public to ‘Take Abi Round the World’ by being pictured with the sticker while travelling. Animal behaviour and welfare degree students were photographed in a South African game reserve and agriculture students took the stickers onto an ice lake in the US. Student Association Secretary Jennifer Kitchiner was determined that the 2008 appeal would break all previous records and was thrilled when the money came pouring in. She said: “This is a cause that we hold close to our hearts and everyone has worked really hard to make this year’s fundraising exceptional!” The total of funds raised by Reaseheath staff and students over the Jennifer Kitchiner hands over our cheque to Abi’s sister, Mica, watched by past 18 years is a massive £129,000 – all benefiting local charities. members of the Students Association www.reaseheath.ac.uk l 01270 625131 Maintaining Momentum, Pursuing Excellence By the time you have finished reading this university and industry partners is at the heart exactly what my colleagues and our students edition of Grass Roots, I’m sure you will of this success. deserve and I would like to thank them for agree that we are maintaining the great Reaseheath is a trailblazer and is accepted making all of this possible. momentum we have built up, and that we are as being one of, if not the, top specialist also rapidly achieving deserved recognition land-based college in the country. Having Thank You. for excellence in our work. read Grass Roots, that message comes Our hugely positive impact on communities, through loud and clear. Over the next two on businesses and on the thousands of years we will complete our £51M capital build students we work with each year is continually programme. This will match the Outstanding being recognised regionally and nationally. quality of our education and training with Our close relationships with our school, world class facilities and resources. This is Merdydd David World Class Facilities Open on Campus easeheath students are using our new IT centre, animal Renjoying newly opened, management teaching centre, world class facilities as part purpose built construction trades of our continuing £51 million workshop, two halls of residence capital investment programme. and our dedicated Engineering The latest buildings to be Skills Academy. completed include a £2.5 million Reaseheath’s farm is currently learning skills and student undergoing an extensive £2.5 services centre, providing a state- million upgrade which includes of-the-art library and study area, a newly opened milking parlour and an international standard providing industry standard indoor riding arena which is part teaching facilities and offering of a £2.3 million upgrade of our an enjoyable experience for both equine centre. cow and operator. Welcoming the handover of the Over £500,000 has also been Graham McNaugher latest facilities, Principal Meredydd invested in the college’s food milking in our new dairy David said: “This investment processing plant and licensed reflects Reaseheath’s continuing dairy factory. The facilities and success and growth and will on-site expertise are used by horticulture and sports turf of the students and the continue to maintain our position many blue chip multi-national departments are scheduled for professionalism of the staff. The as the premier specialist college companies for new product completion in 2010. deep involvement of the college in the country. The new build development projects. Minister for Further Education with industry, and the benefit of programme, which is college wide, Construction of a futuristic Sion Simon has toured some of our the knowledge exchange that will ensure that all students and Student Hub, offering dining new buildings. takes place between both sectors, staff enjoy 21st century technical facilities and leisure areas will Sion Simon said: “This has confirms the important role that and educational facilities.” begin soon, followed by the been a very informative visit. I colleges play in not just educating A total of eight major buildings building of a Farm Interpretation have been extremely impressed young people and adults but in have been completed in the past Centre. New facilities for with the world class facilities at helping industry to be competitive 12 months. Students are already adventure sports, countryside, Reaseheath, the enthusiasm in today’s difficult climate.” Karen Myatt, Learning Resources and Support Manager, celebrates the opening of our new learning resource centre Minister for Further Education Sion Simon meets Head of Engineering Melvin Johnson and plant mechanics Thomas Murphy, Simon Davidson and Liam Brown 2 COLLEGE Students take a MPs Applaud Reaseheath walk on the wildside easeheath’s efforts to help for Colleges’ Week Rrural industries become more competitive and efficient, particularly in the delivery of traceable, high quality food and energy crops, have been applauded by MPs. MP for Eddisbury, Stephen O’Brien, and Edward Timpson, who represents the Crewe and Nantwich constituency, discussed our commitment to driving forward the rural economy during a campus tour of new facilities. Degree students Holly Webb, Danielle The MPs visited our dairy Hudson, Karen Carrigy and Hayley parlour, animal management Percival construct a climbing frame for teaching centre and engineering our lemurs skills academy – all part of a £51 million capital investment Our animal management across campus (see page 2). students faced a tough challenge Our visitors also learned about as they made a new adventure our investment into our food play area for ring tailed lemurs, processing plant and licensed MPs Edward Timpson (centre) and Stephen O’Brien talk to Martyn East, porcupines and meerkats during Head of Agriculture dairy factory, ensuring facilities Colleges’ Week. reflect the best in the industry. Teams of students made feeders Stephen O’Brien, who is reputation for excellence. energy resource are top of the and hid them in the enclosures Shadow Minister for Health, “Reaseheath is training government’s agenda. There to encourage natural foraging commented: “The continuing students to the highest industry is increasing public demand behaviour. They built a climbing expansion at Reaseheath shows standards, giving them the for high quality food produced frame and hammock for the lemurs, the tremendous commitment the competitive edge and the skills- locally and it is essential that we constructed a tunnel and covered college has towards maintaining based learning to drive forward have skilled young people to take den for the porcupines and planted the high standard of its teaching the rural economy. As the local this forward. Reaseheath offers a shrubbery for the meerkats. and its partnerships with industry. MP, I shall continue to do all I wonderful support for anyone The skills challenge was part of The impressive number of can to support Reaseheath’s who wants to make their career in a new, national week celebrating employers and institutions which tremendous development.” agriculture