Report for the Student Committee of Governors May 2014

Student Association

• QE went ‘pink’ for one Friday to promote awareness of breast cancer and to raise funds for charity. Breast cancer can affect the lives of many and money was raised for ‘Breast Cancer Care’, a charity for anyone affected by breast cancer which provides information and support. A proportion of the money raised also went to the plastic and reconstructive surgery fund at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary to assist with giving support and information to women in the region undergoing breast reconstruction. Students and staff dressed in pink for the day and even students volunteering in Ethiopia on the day wore pink in support! Activities included everything from a cake sale and competitions, to an awareness raising question and answer session with a member of staff with personal experience of reducing cancer risk. Jane Boyd, a teacher at QE who has undergone treatment at the RVI, says: ‘It was a very positive and fun day with serious messages of advice and support. I am extremely proud of the Student Association for all of their hard work and commitment to raising both funds and awareness. Students and staff have been so supportive.’

• Students entered into the spirit of Christmas early this year by participating in Convoy Aid Romania’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal. This Stockton based charity sends shoe boxes, full of gifts, to children and adults who are in need in Romania. It’s a great charity and the Student Association and QE get involved every year. This could be the only Christmas present these children and adults get – so it makes it all the more special, and important for us to continue to be involved. Tutor groups were asked to donate Christmas presents and the

gifts were then wrapped in Christmas themed boxes. Gifts were collected enthusiastically and included items of clothing, toiletries, stationery, sweets, tinned food and toys. All of the boxes arrived in Romania before Christmas and were handed out to the adults and children.

• Students and staff celebrated Christmas whilst also raising money for charity by participating in QE’s Christmas Jumper Day where they donned their festive tops to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Donations for the charity were generously given and, with the selling of candy canes, £400 was raised for the Trust.

• The final of QE’s annual Battle of the Bands was a resounding success. Organised by the Student Association Executive, it began with two heats at the Forum in Darlington where 12 bands battled it out for a place in the final showdown at QE. The event was a sell out with students filling the Hall to see which band would be crowned Battle of the Bands’ winner. The event kicked off with the staff band, quite wittily named DED ZEPPELIN, who got the crowd in the mood for the music- filled afternoon. First up were HIGH BRIDGE STREET, followed by CAPTURE, ATLAS WYND, PHOENIX ROW and HYDE. It was great to have so many students come to each heat and the final to support their favourite QE bands and to show such enthusiasm for the talent on offer. Student Association President, Thomas Johnston, acted as compere in the final and last year’s winners, Costa Del Soul, made a special guest appearance. The winning band was Hyde who won the Liam Harker Trophy and £200 of studio time at the Forum.

• The Student Association celebrated Valentine’s Day with a twist. Following last year’s success, the students decided to celebrate Equal Love Day along with Valentine’s Day. The Equal Love Campaign promotes awareness of equality and same sex marriages and, to achieve this, the Student Association invited Gay Advice Darlington (GAD) to work alongside QE’s REACT group – a group of students who meet weekly to debate local, national and global issues and who participate in human rights campaigns. The REACT group and GAD had a stall to raise awareness of key issues and handed out sweets and gifts to celebrate the day; the College’s Amnesty group was also involved. To raise funds for the students’ charity of the year, Teenage Cancer Trust, the Student Association sold rose and had a cake sale selling love-themed cakes, biscuits, sweets and chocolates. They also set up ‘The Sign of Love’ campaign and online petitions to increase awareness of Russia’s current legislation. The day and the fundraising tied in well with QE’s celebration of LGBT month.

• Students at QE recently held elections for a new President and Vice President of their Student Association for the next academic year. This year’s election saw four candidates competing for the prestigious position of Student Association President and student interest was phenomenal, with more than 1400 students exercising their right to vote. All candidates created their own promotional campaigns and presented their views in speeches in a packed-out Student Common Room. They also produced short videos to highlight their ideas. All the candidates did superbly well, proposing changes and policies to enhance the student experience. The new President of the Student Association is Esther Farnell. Esther is from Darlington and previously attended Hummersknott School. She is currently studying AS Levels in Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Esther’s ambition is to go to university to study Engineering. Esther states ‘Running for Student Association presidency was a great experience, and one that really pushed me out of my comfort zone. However knowing that I have gained the support of students at QE has given me confidence. I look forward to working alongside Sarah and other SA members to make positive changes at QE next year’. QE’s new Vice President is Sarah Sanderson from Richmond. Sarah is taking AS Levels in Law, Biology, Chemistry and English Language, and is hoping to take a gap year and hopefully study Dentistry at University. Sarah adds: 'Running for presidency was one of the most nerve wracking things I've ever done, but something that has evidently paid off and knowing that I have the support of both students and staff has given me a lot of confidence. I'm looking forward to working alongside Esther and can't wait to get started.' The President and Vice President of the Student Association become Governors of the College, meet regularly with the Principal and senior staff and, along with their Executive team, organise social and charity fundraising events throughout the year. Their leadership skills are vital in representing the views of the student body and affecting change. Next year promises to be really exciting. Esther and Sarah are really passionate students who are dynamic and determined to make a difference.

The Arts

• In November, AS and A2 Film students took part in a trip to the Aesthetica Film Festival in York. They took part in a Question and Answer session with established actor/screenwriter Alice Lowe; attended screenings of short films designed to reflect diverse cultural practices and experimental approaches to style and narrative, and concluded with a masterclass given by a producer at Warp Films. The day inspired those interested in writing and producing in the Film Industry and also provided a really pragmatic sense of what is required to succeed in this field.

• A group of students spent two days in London furthering their A Level studies in Media and Film. The days were packed with exciting activities and visits that inspired the students and enhanced their learning. The students visited the Film Museum looking at original costumes, props and screenplays from an array of films both historical and contemporary. They went on to tour the BBC studios to learn about radio broadcasting and created and presented their own radio drama. They also had the opportunity to look at and experience behind the scenes production for weather and news presenting. Visiting the Warner Brothers Studios to see the sets of the Harry Potter films was another highlight along with a screening of the British Classic, ‘The Innocents.’ The trip was excellent and very educational. It gave the students great insight into the numerous job roles within the media and film industry and, more specifically, the detailed and intrinsic work that goes on behind the scenes such as pre- production planning and camera work. The students gained an understanding about the skills required for film production, set design, script writing and presenting. The visit was well received by students with demand for it to run again.

• In November, A2 Drama & Theatre Studies students performed Federico Garcia Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding’ to enthusiastic audiences at QE. A cast of 15 and crew of 4 spent 3 months preparing this very challenging play using influences from rural Spain and classical flamenco music and dance. The students’ commitment to the work and the skill and talent on display made for an exciting and thought provoking theatrical event. Amy Southam who played The Bride says, “Bringing this play from the page to the stage has really given me a good insight into the process an actress has to go through in order to create a believable and sympathetic character”

• AS Textile students visited the national textile “Knitting & Stitching show 2014” , in Harrogate in November.

• In December, Rachel Rissetto an ex- student came to talk to Art Foundation & Textile students about her experiences on a BA Hons Fashion degree at the University of Westminster.

• 40 students from Art Foundation, Textiles, Fine Art, Graphics and Photography took part in a study visit to Venice in February, luckily managing to avoid the annual floods. The group had the opportunity to record the city through photography and sketching, which they could use on their return to inspire their own work. The group stayed in a converted 16 th Century monastery in a less commercial area of Venice around the Piazzale Roma. The students visited many famous historic sites such as the Doges Palace, St Mark’s Square and The Basilica San Marco. They also visited a variety of

art galleries including the Galleria Dell’ Accademia, Peggy Guggenheim Museum, Ca Pesaro Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna and Palazzo Mocenigo, to gain an awareness of historical, cultural and contemporary artwork. The group spent an atmospheric day travelling across the Lido, though the mist, on a vaporetto, past Cemetery Island where Venetians are laid to rest, in order to reach the islands of Murano (famous for its glass blowing history) and Burano (famous for its lace making). One of the students Alice Wiper says “As well as visiting the art galleries, I found just walking around the streets of Venice just as interesting and it has enabled me to use this in my work.” Sarah Shepherd adds “I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Venice. I found the visits to galleries and the feel of the city to be inspirational for my final major project.” In addition , Harriet Fawcett states “I discovered a love of Italian food. The lemon ice cream and the spinach and ricotta pizza was to die for. Everything I ate was gorgeous!” The students were exceptionally well behaved and were very enthusiastic despite the long coach journey there and back. The experience was very memorable for all concerned.

Enrichment

• In January, AS Citizenship students helped to organise a commemoration of the Holocaust as part of Holocaust Memorial Day. Students and staff attended a thought-provoking and moving event in the Main Hall where Citizenship students read survivors’ stories and produced displays about different aspects of the Holocaust and other genocides across the world.

Humanities

• In February, thirty one Religious Studies students attended an Ethics Conference. The lectures were very stimulating and covered topics such as War and Peace, Meta Ethics, Natural Law and Virtue Ethics. The students had the opportunity of receiving university style lectures from Dr Peter Vardy and Charlotte Vardy, and also participated in group discussions and public speaking opportunities. They met with other A Level students in the region, developed their subject knowledge and also received an Ethics Matters revision guide.

• Professor Rob MacDonald came to College to talk to our students in December. His research at Teesside University is called ‘Hunting yetis and shooting zombies’. It is a critical exploration of the existence of an underclass in Britain – focusing on government policies that aim to tackle this ‘underclass’ and the impact that it is having on Britain’s poor. This is very topical given the latest

discussions about the Channel four fly on the wall documentary ‘Benefits street’. 70 AS/A2 Sociology, Citizenship and Geography students enjoyed his presentation. 45 Psychology and Sociology students had the opportunity to attend a full day conference entitled “Life behind bars” held at Durham Town Hall in November This one day conference was all about life within a world that is, for most of us, a mystery. As crime continues to be a high profile issue with over 84,000 prisoners behind bars, students, through discussion and interaction with the speakers developed a deeper understanding of the Penal System and questioned “Does Prison work and what happens after prisoners are released back into society?” During the morning session, students initially discussed whether prisons are places for punishment, retribution or rehabilitation. They were asked to consider their ideal prison setting and how prisoners should be treated, i.e. would they provide offending behaviour courses, education, televisions in their cells, recreational facilities and visits with their family? Students then heard from released prisoners that had served sentences ranging from four to twenty-four years behind bars. Speakers talked about their individual experiences of prison life, their crimes and the psychological effects of labelling. The released prisoners are all from different social backgrounds and had committed various crimes. During the afternoon session students were divided into groups allowing them the opportunity to discuss issues in more depth with the speakers in a more informal setting. Students asked specific questions on the effectiveness of prison as a punishment, the limitations and advantages of offender treatment programmes and what are the psychological effects of being contained within a prison setting? Students who attended this conference found the discussions powerful and enriching, challenging their thoughts and stereotypes. They were excellent ambassadors for the college asking very perceptive questions and maturely discussing sensitive issues within the penal system. The members of staff who accompanied them were very proud of their attitude and enthusiasm throughout the day.

• In November 16 AS History students attended a History taster day at Leeds University. The students took part in lectures and met Leeds university undergraduates.

• Four QE students (Josie Eldridge, Emma Lowson, Jenny Sparrow and Sarah Stollery) went to Auschwitz in November as part of the Lessons from Auschwitz Project. The students also delivered a presentation on their experiences at a College History Club in January.

• The History Christmas Quiz was a great success with thirty-two teams of four taking part in this year’s quiz. There were prizes for the winning three teams.

• Forty three QE History students and five staff visited Rome in February. It’s the third time the department has visited Rome and each time the programme is tailored to appeal to both Modern and Tudor History students. The students stayed in the heart of the old city in the Hotel Pomezia and were within walking distance of the Campo d’Fiori (Piazza of Flowers) and the renaissance

square, the Piazza Navona. They ate in local restaurants each evening and had a number of walking tours in the evenings visiting the Trevi fountain, Spanish Steps and an ice cream parlour which boasted over a hundred different varieties of ‘gelati’. All students visited the Vatican (with a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel), the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the cliff top monastery at Monte Cassino (one hour south of Rome by coach). Monte Cassino has a sixth century Benedictine monastery and is the site of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. At other times the students broke up into two groups with the Modern students visiting Mussolini’s villa, the Museum for the Liberation of Rome and the EUR district of Rome which features a number of examples of Fascist architecture. The Tudor students visited Il Jesu church (the original Jesuit church), the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Capitoline Museum. The whole trip was a resounding success and the students will look back with fondness on a wonderful experience in a magical and historic city.

• History Club has met every month this year and has been very well attended with about 20 students at each talk. Topics covered have included the Lindisfarne Gospels, which involved a visit by a member of Durham University museum staff who showed students a replica of the Gospels; the Opium Wars in China; QE’s links with St. Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington and the First World War battlefields.

• In January and February, Health and Social Care students benefited from the visits of two guest speakers - Julie Veitch, the College’s Nurse, to discuss stop smoking campaigns and Helen Playdell (Contraception and Sexual Health Nurse) to discuss STI s and preventative measures. The talks were well-received by the students and were directly linked to their syllabus.

• Once again, second year Politics students from QE joined students from Shrewsbury Sixth Form College and jetted off to the United States. Their destination was the capital, Washington D.C. and their aim was to gain an intimate view of the American political landscape they are studying for A Level. The sites visited included the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Lincoln Memorial. Students also met and asked questions of those involved in Washington politics on a daily basis. Amongst them were the Senator for Vermont, Bernie Sanders and speakers from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and the National Abortion Federation. The group also attended a debate between representatives of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association. The trip was a huge success with students from both colleges mixing well, many staying in touch beyond the flight home. Student, Malcolm Glennie, concludes: “The trip was a fantastic experience which gave us the chance to see what we’d learned about in the classroom first hand and to meet new people. Special thanks from participants go to QE’s Head of Politics , Gary Hogg and to Shrewsbury’s Head of Politics, Dave Charlton who was primarily responsible for organising the visit.’’

Languages and Literature

• QE has great links with other schools in the town, including primary schools. Gurney Pease Academy and Mount Pleasant Primary are the latest schools to work with QE and embarked on a mini Shakespeare project. Year 6 pupils from Gurney Pease and Mount Pleasant Primary spent three Wednesday mornings in College in November. The first part of each morning saw the pupils in the newly built Dance studio bringing the play ‘Hamlet’ to life, followed by research activities in the College’s library and creative writing tasks. The children were very excited about coming to QE and they couldn’t wait to get ‘stuck in’ to Shakespeare!’ Julie Ashmore, QE’s Head of English Literature, worked closely with Simon Heritage, Deputy Head at Gurney Pease and Rob Goffee, Head of Key Stage 2 at Mount Pleasant, to ensure that the activities helped to prepare the pupils for their approaching SATS exams whilst encouraging widening participation and enjoyment of Shakespeare. A Level English Literature students Joe Catterson, Georgia Turnbull and Paige Excell also volunteered to help with the sessions which were really enjoyed by all.

• Talented QE students participated in a pioneering national contest to encourage students at schools and colleges in England to learn and recite poems by heart. Eight students took part in an evening of recitation to decide who would progress to the Durham and Teesside round of the competition in Stockton-On-Tees. The students recited two poems each from the 200 available in the online anthology at www.poetrybyheart.org.uk which supports the competition. The students’ choices of poems were ambitious and their recitals showed a heartfelt and textured understanding of the poetry. The worthy winner was Georgia Turnbull whose recitation of ‘Judith’ by Vicky Feaver was electrifying. The runner-up was Alice Morley who put real passion into her rendition of ‘The Rights of Women’ by Anna Laetitia Barbauld. They were judged by a panel comprising Peter Barron, Editor of the Northern Echo, Pat Haworth, Principal of Hummersknott Academy and two former Heads of English Language at QE, Joan Petrie and Kath Lee. All were impressed with the commitment of the students and the quality of the performances they watched. Kath has been working with the co-founders of Poetry By Heart, Julie Blake and the former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion, on the running of the competition nationally and was delighted to be invited back to watch a great College competition; she will be reporting back on the success of the night. The audience

enjoyed seeing the students engaging with poetry so enthusiastically outside the classroom. They all performed to a very high standard and clearly moved and entertained the audience. Winner, Georgia Turnbull, says, ‘It was an absolute honour to take part in QE’s second Poetry by Heart Competition with my fellow competitors, all of whom deserved to win! I am very grateful to Julie Ashmore (Course Leader for English Literature) for being so inspirational, helping us prepare and organising what was a fantastic evening. I am so happy and pleased to have won the People’s Prize as well as the First Prize – a fabulous early 18 th birthday present.’

• In April a group of QE students performed their version of “Macbeth” and also, due to a collection from the audience and cast and crew members, presented a cheque for £300 to St Teresa’s Hospice. This money was raised from an extraordinary achievement: with very little acting experience, minimal teacher input and a budget of £30 they staged a student production of Macbeth that was described by members of a packed audience as “magical” and “spellbinding”. Undaunted by the prospect of performing one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest and most famous tragedies, they created a truly chilling theatrical event without a set or elaborate costumes, relying purely on lighting and the power of their voices. Staff coordinator Cressida Eastwell has already been inundated with requests from excited first year students wanting to be part of a similar Shakespeare project next year, so she was proud to announce that Student Shakespeare for St Teresa’s is going to be an annual event from now on.

• 45 English Language AS and A2 students visited Newcastle University in April to attend a series of lectures. Textbook authors and examiners delivered a variety of lectures on language matters – children’s language acquisition, features of 18th and 19th century English, contemporary language change, language in the media and the skills required to deconstruct texts in the exam. This was a very successful event from which students benefitted hugely. Many of the issues have been followed up in lessons and the resources integrated into the curriculum. The visit also gave students the opportunity to discover more about the university and life as an undergraduate as well as giving an insight into studying English at a higher education level.

• In November 18 second year French students ran a speaking class workshop at Hummersknott school, working with 2 Year 11 groups.

• In March, 34 French students went to Northern France and Belgium for a week, where they lived with families and experienced French life first hand. The students spent two days in a French school and also visited the beautiful cities of Lille and Bruges, famous for their stylish Flemish architecture and vibrant city life. They also had a thought provoking trip around First World War battlefields and

cemeteries, which were still very moving 100 years after the outbreak of war. As a result the students made excellent progress with their language skills and started to think and even dream in French!

• In order to help AS French students with their oral preparation, they have been given an A2 buddy, with whom they practise at a mutually convenient time. This ensures that first years get as much experience as possible at speaking French!

• This year the French Literature course has been offered to two groups (allowing them to gain a full level 3 Certificate in Language skills) and has proven very popular with A2 students with many students saying it is their favourite lesson of the week – they like the fact that it is something totally different and is a real enriching experience!

• In March, staff and 4 A2 students held a successful Masterclass in Reading French. Year 11 students attended from DSMS and Hummersknott and some very positive feedback was received.

• Nine students studying A Level German at QE spent a week long exchange visit with students in Neustadt near Coburg, a small town in Franconia close to the border of Thuringia.The first day was spent visiting Coburg, formerly the capital of the Duchy of Saxe- Coburg and Gotha that gave its name to the English royal family after the marriage of Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. Some students were most impressed by the fortress where Martin Luther spent half a year, others ranked Coburg Bratwurst more highly. All, however, enjoyed ice skating in the afternoon with their German hosts. The following day the QE students accompanied their partners to school at Arnold Gymnasium where they participated in a wide range of subjects. The rest of the week was packed with activities that included a visit to the former East German border and to the medieval town of Bamberg. There was, of course, more school and all sorts of socialising amongst the English and German students, who got on famously. Roswitha Wagenknecht, Head of German at QE, accompanied the students and was pleased with how the students developed their German language skills. All coped well with living in Germany for a week, all were impressed by the hospitality of the families and all had a great time – Facebook is busy ! The German department is hoping to continue the exchange next year.

Maths, Business and Computing

• Each year the UK Mathematics Trust holds the Senior Team Maths Challenge which tests mathematical dexterity, team working, and communication skills. It gives talented maths students the opportunity to compete against students from other schools and colleges in their

region. Each school or college is invited to enter a team of four students in a regional final. This year QE entered the Durham and Tees Valley competition at Teesside University. The team was made up of first year students, Wesley Chow and Joe Wall, along with second year students Ben Donaldson and Cameron Grove. Prior to the competition the students got together at lunchtimes to work through practice materials and decide how best to work as a team in the competition. Teams from twenty-one schools and colleges in our region competed against each other. The QE team performed extremely well and scored highly in each of the three rounds which included a group competition, cross-number and a mathematical relay race. At the end of the competition the team was absolutely delighted when it was announced that they had won first place. Wes, Joe, Ben and Cameron were presented with winners’ certificates but the real thrill was knowing that they had secured a place in the National Final which took place at the Camden Centre in London in February. In the Final, Wes, Joe, Ben and Cameron competed against 59 other teams from all over the UK, each of which had won one of the other Regional Finals and included many teams from prestigious public schools such as Eton and Harrow. The Finalists’ challenges included answering ten difficult questions as a group, completing a mathematical crossnumber working in pairs and a mathematical relay race against the clock. The QE team managed to achieve an extremely impressive 14 th place, having scored highly in all three rounds. All four students are talented mathematicians who enjoy stretching their minds with difficult mathematical problems. Cameron and Ben have both been accepted by Cambridge University to study natural sciences and mathematics respectively. Wes is hoping to apply to Cambridge next year to read mathematics, whilst Joe is planning to apply to university to study engineering or physics. All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the trip to London and performed brilliantly in the National Final. It was a great experience for them and they did QE proud. To finish in the top 25% was a tremendous achievement.

• This year sixty-nine of QE’s keenest mathematicians entered the annual UK Mathematics Trust Senior Maths Challenge, more than ever before and it is no surprise then that they achieved QE’s best results to date. They gained a total of seven gold, sixteen silver and twenty-four bronze certificates. The students awarded a gold certificate are first year students Wesley Chow, Joe Wall, Niall Garner, Qun Zhang and Josh Clark and second years Ben Donaldson and Cameron Grove. Wesley Chow also achieved one of the top scores in the UK and was awarded the opportunity to take part in the British Mathematical Olympiad, a further, more difficult maths challenge. Students who enjoy maths really relish the challenge of testing themselves on their ability to tackle tricky problems. This competition gives them an opportunity to do just that and potentially receive a nationally recognized award for their achievements.

• QE is proud of its links with local businesses, links which enhance the curriculum and give students insight into the world of work. International IT company Atos works very closely with QE and opens up many opportunities to students. Fourteen A Level Applied ICT students visited Atos and heard from Stuart Nicoll, Head of LDC Darlington, about the work the company does and about the role of a software developer and engineer.

He told them about how Atos had sent the world’s first text message in December 1992 ,compiles the fixture list for the Premier League and delivered the Olympic Games results across the globe in under 0.3 seconds. The students also enjoyed a presentation from Matt Purcell, Microsoft Developer at Atos, who himself was a former A Level Computing student at QE. After QE, Matt gained a first class honours degree in Computer Science at Teesside University and then secured a prestigious graduate job with the company. He was able to demonstrate the world class tools and techniques that he and his colleague, Mike Ambrose, use to build large enterprise solutions at Atos. The students were given a demonstration of code development, standards and source control and the large number of software tools such as Java/ Microsoft.NET technologies that software developers use. A great deal was gained from the visit as student, Daniel Cheyne, comments: “The visit gave me different options to consider in later life, including higher level apprenticeships.”

• Twelve Business and Economic students took part in the Regional Heats of BASE (Business, Accounting and Skills Education) Competition held in March at Teesside University. A national competition, it is run by ICAEW which is a professional membership organisation, supporting over 140,000 chartered accountants around the world. Students were split into teams of six and they spent the day simulating working in the finance department of a leading catering company. Their tasks included undertaking a SWOT Analysis on the company to inform the judging panel of their recommendations. Students were asked to consider whether to tender for a contract at an independent school by reviewing a consultant evaluation report produced on behalf of one of their clients. They had to evaluate how it was completed and each team then had to present its findings to a judging panel made up of ICAEW Members. The two QE team competed with 10 other teams from Sixth Forms around the North East. One of our teams was runners up winning a coveted trophy. A good day was had by all the students who took part and we will definitely be participating in the competition next year. Winning team members were: Sarah Bell, Ross Townsend, David Colledge, Roxanna Arif, Alex Sowerby and James Yarle.

• In April, 100 AS and A2 Business students took part in a Revision Day at the Metro Centre to focus on exam technique for Unit 2 and 4 exams. Students participated in interactive revision sessions that helped to build the key skills needed for success in the examination.

Science, Sport and Leisure

• Five A2 Chemists attended a careers event in February hosted by the TTE Technical Training Group, Johnson Matthey and Teesside University to launch its 2014 Young Scientist Sponsored Undergraduate Programme. The visit included a tour of the on-site laboratories, a chance to meet the experts and the opportunity to apply to become part of the programme. The Young Scientist

Sponsored Undergraduate Programme will combine theoretical learning with structured training and assessment on the chemicals company premises to provide a well-rounded programme.

• In February, Dan Barton completed round 1 of the 2014 Chemistry Olympiad attaining a very commendable silver certificate.

• All first year Geographers enjoyed a half-day visit to Middlesbrough by coach to observe urban social areas (deprived and prosperous) and also regeneration sites. This was as revision for part of their Urban Geography module.

• The 2013 excursion to the European Alps comprised two, one week long trips and was attended by 50 students and 9 members of staff. The groups were based in Argentiere, at the head of the Chamonix Valley, France but they also visited the Swiss and Italian sides of the range. The Alps were created by the collision of the European and African continental plates between and 30 and 8 million years ago and are the highest mountains in Western Europe. Such provinces are an integral part of the A level Geology course and several questions in the exam require students to discuss aspects of the geology, evolution and glaciation of mountain ranges. The highlights of the trip included trekking 1000 metres up to the famous icefall on Glacier d’ Argentiere and travelling on the Aiguille de Midi cable car to enjoy stunning views of the Mont Blanc massif.

• Travel and Tourism students organised the annual Carol Service that takes place in the College. The students provided food, and arranged for children from Dunn Street Primary school to attend. The children from the school performed a short play about the true meaning of Christmas and sang a number of carols. Customers from Age Concern joined the service, and were presented with a small Christmas gift of homemade biscuits made by the travel department. A wonderful way to start the Christmas season.

• As part of the Travel course there is a unit which requires the students to plan an event. The event this year was an Indian day with a local primary school. The students started by learning a Bollywood routine, which they then taught to 36 primary school children, all of whom enjoyed the dancing. This was followed by collage making, where the Travel students encouraged the younger children to make a collage of a peacock, the national bird of India. Real peacock feathers contributed to some lovely collages being produced. After lunch the primary school children enjoyed a food tasting, where they tried traditional food and spices from India, and were taught about their use and origin. The whole event was extremely well planned and went without any problems; the Travel students were a credit to the College, and produced an event that many adults would have been proud to have organised.

• Travel and Tourism students braved the stormy weather and delayed trains to enjoy the Christmas delights that Newcastle had to offer. First the students were transported to Newcastle of the past when they visited the Discovery Museum. While there they also investigated the excellent provision for visitors with specific needs. Next they started to get into the Christmas spirit by visiting the Christmas markets in Grey Street. After lunch the students then participated in a traditional pantomime at Theatre Royal. Along with a sell-out crowd they cheered and jeered at the heroes and villains of Jack & the Bean Stalk.

• Travel and Tourism students visited Belfast to help in the completion of an element of their course on marketing. For the unit, students had to investigate how a business applies the marketing mix to their organisation. The students took part in a guided tour of the city, its attractions and parks and included a visit to see the peace wall and the murals. Following on from this they visited the newly developed Titanic Quarter of the city, seeing the famous cranes that moved the Titanic, and learning more about the history of this infamous ship. The students really enjoyed their visit commenting that Belfast was a great city with something for everyone. It was a great opportunity to see somewhere new, and see many aspect of the industry they want to work in. Belfast is a new destination for the College and for some of the students it was their first chance to fly.

• As part of the Leisure course the students are required to organise an event. The students this year undertook the task of running the Christmas party for the children of staff members. The theme of this year’s party was Winter Wonderland, with Christmas trees and a huge sledge full of presents taking centre stage. A range of party games was organised, along with a traditional party tea. Santa then made his entrance giving each child a gift. The students worked really well as a team, and it was an excellent start to Christmas.

• Leisure Studies student visited St James’ Park early in 2014. The purpose of the visit was to look at the health and safety procedures that such a large sports venue had in place. The students enjoyed a tour of the ground, from the top of the stands down to the pitch and the players’ changing rooms. A very informative and passionate talk was delivered providing much valuable information.

• The A2 Sport and Leisure students organised an Easter themed sports activity day for a local primary school. The purpose of the day was to inspire the children to think about progression into college and then possibly university. The day started with a tour of the college and an introduction to college life by the QE students. The group then enjoyed a packed lunch together followed by an afternoon of fun challenges – both sport and brain based.

• As part of the A2 sport and Leisure course, the students set about fundraising for Sport Relief. A whole week of events was organised starting with Head tennis; a game very much like volleyball, except that you are not allowed to use your hands. A competitive game took place between the staff and students with a one all draw as a

result. Wacky Wednesday produced activities such as how many marshmallows you can get into your mouth; putting on as many t-shirts as you can in one minute and the ping pong ball challenge. Thursday saw Swedish long ball, and this time the staff were victorious, if only by a small margin and a little cheating. The week was rounded of with the sport relief mile, organised b y the Community Sports Leadership Award group. In total, £439.00 was raised.

• AS Sport and Leisure students challenged themselves by taking part in an outdoor activity day at Beamish Wild in County Durham. Beamish Wild provides a range of activities to challenge students to overcome fears and anxieties and develop new skills. The students were involved in a range of team building activities including aerial ropes courses and trust activities. The purpose of the visit was to complete the outdoor activities element of the course, and saw the students completing an aerial ropes course, camp craft activities along with archery and a range of team work tasks. Beamish is a superb facility, with staff providing a range of activities that truly challenge students.

• A group of 45 Sport and Leisure students have recently experienced full time work for the first time. The group has undertaken a week of work placement in local sport and leisure facilities across the region. Work experience is an excellent opportunity for the students to put what they have learnt into real live situations. The College is lucky in the support we get from local businesses without whom we could not offer this opportunity to the students. Alex Mason says,“ I’ve had an excellent week, I’ve found out how the industry really works and collected relevant information for my next piece of course work. I would recommend it to anyone.”

• Sport and Leisure students had the opportunity to go paintballing when they visited Pointblank Paintball in Croft, on the outskirts of Darlington. Although wet and muddy, the weather did little to dampen the competitiveness of the students who were happy to crawl through mud and puddles in order to win. The visit gave the students an understanding of how a private sector leisure and sport facility operated, along with the different human resource requirements. A fun if muddy day was had by all.

• Two students travelled down to St George’s Park, the training ground of England’s finest football players. Daneille Murdock and Hannah Mattinson are part of the Student Sport Management Team (SSMT) at QE but it was the presentation stage not the pitch that beckoned the pair! The girls, with Head of Sport, Mark Scott, were invited to St George’s Park to attend the launch of a new website and initiative which colleges across the country can access: the ‘Football Development Quality Framework’. As part of this, QE was chosen as a pioneering establishment for leadership and volunteering through sport as it is the work that the girls and a number of other dedicated students do, that makes QE stand out. In front of a packed conference room containing influential people from the FA, British Colleges’ Sport, English Colleges’

Football Association and Heads of Sport from other colleges, Hannah and Daneille explained how the work of the Student Sport Management Team at QE impacts on their experience of college. They also outlined some of the work they do which, most recently, has included running a posture and balance workshop in Darlington’s town centre as part of Age Awareness Day and orchestrating a futsal league in partner secondary schools. Their delivery of the presentation received high praise from their audience. Hannah explains: “Both myself and Daneille were so excited to be given this opportunity. I had never before presented in front of an audience so large, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I gained a lot from the day and feel it has inspired us further in the work we do.” Daneille further adds: “It was a privilege to be able to present our work to such prestigious people and I can safely say both Hannah and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. It was a great life experience and we intend to build on the work we are doing. ”

• The Sport Management Team at QE continues to work within the College, schools and the community. The team who Karl Lines, the Chief Executive Officer of English Colleges’ Football Association, recently described as ‘pioneers’ for their work aim to involve school age pupils in sport management activity through their Future Leaders scheme. The team organised a training workshop with enthusiastic pupils from Hummersknott and Longfield schools, where the participants learnt how to create their own Sport Management Team, set up a promotional Twitter page and delegated jobs within their teams. Both groups of pupils have received support from project leader, Maddy Wood, along with other members of QE’s Sports Management Team as they move forward with the project. Maddy speaks about the links that have been made: “These links are fantastic, not only for the schools, but for us as well. We have been given the opportunity to complete genuine real life work and the schools have been really enthusiastic, following through with the aims of the project. I have really enjoyed seeing the work of the SSMT in action in the schools.”

• St Francis Xavier and Sedgefield schools have been the next to be involved in the Future Leaders’ Project organised by the College’s Student Sport Management Team. Thirty-six Year 9 and Year 10 pupils from St Francis Xavier, Richmond and Sedgefield Community College attended a training day at QE to assist the schools in setting up their own Sport

Management Teams. The training involved the pupils gaining experience in running a mini futsal event, promoting it, creating fixtures and a results system. The QE students were able share their experience of setting up their Student Sport Management Team and grasped the opportunity to demonstrate further skills. Tom Urwin, PE teacher at Sedgefield Community College, comments: “We had a fantastic time and our Year 9s and 10s all said how impressed they were with the QE students. We look forward to taking the Project forward at school.” If you would like any more information about the Team, mail [email protected] or follow them on Twitter @qestudentsport.

• QE’s Student Sport Management Team has also delivered and hosted a Leadership Day involving 18 first year students from the College. The day was aimed at encouraging more first years to get involved in leadership within sport. Lauren Jordinson, Head of Leadership, comments: “We chose to host the event on a non- teaching day to indicate which students were committed and who could potentially continue our legacy. We included a range of theory based and practical workshops linked to the experiences of our members.” The workshops included: coaching, refereeing and media training with presentations from inspirational guest speakers. The students keenly listened to presentations from two former students Hannah Marshall and Matt Gatiss, Kieran Laverick, a representative from Durham FA, and Tamara Taylor an England Rugby international. First year student, Lily Campbell, says: “The presentations were inspirational, encouraging and motivational. I now fully intend to be more involved with leadership in the College and hope to continue the Student Sport Management Team legacy next year.’ Hannah Mattinson, Secretary of the SSMT, adds: “We hope the students were inspired and that they will follow in our footsteps as the next generation of the SSMT. The Leadership Day was beneficial for all concerned and we will continue working with the first years.”

• Connor Smith and Maddy Wood have been selected to be members of the English Colleges’ FA National Management Team which promotes participation in college football. Maddy and Connor are both passionate about football and are delighted to have won this national accolade. Their main focus is Team 19, a student-led initiative, which aims to increase levels of football amongst 16-19 year olds for leisure purposes. Maddy says: “To be selected as part of the team was an absolute honour. So far it has been an amazing opportunity that I have thoroughly enjoyed and is an opportunity I would encourage other football lovers to get involved with.” Both Connor and Maddy have attended a number of meetings one of which was at St George’s Park, the England National Football Team’s Training HQ. Connor adds: “Being able to walk around the same grounds as the England Football Team was amazing! Being selected for the Management Team and

being recognised on a national scale is an unbelievable success for both Maddy and I. We look forward to what the year has to offer.’’ Connor and Maddy are now heavily engaged with planning proposals for a national football event at the end of the college year.

• Erin Alexander has been accepted onto the British Colleges Sport National Youth Council. This involves the students discussing and implementing strategies to make college sport the best that it can be, whilst raising the profile of BCS. Erin has now attended two meetings one of which involved media training in Nottingham. Erin comments, “I thoroughly enjoyed the media training workshop as it has helped to develop my presentational and interviewing skills”. Erin was particularly excited with regards to the annual BCS event, Lead Further week, which took place from the 3 rd to the 7 th of February and involved each participant engaging their college by organising fundraising events in order to raise money for the Lead Further charity. The BCS NYC also helped to organise the National Championships, held at the University of Bath in April, which brought together the top athletes across the UK to compete at a national level across a variety of sports. Erin further says, “At the end of this academic year, there is also an opportunity to visit Singapore, coaching street children and working in an International school. This is an opportunity which would not have been available to me if it were not for the National Youth Council, and one which I hope to take part in.”

• In October, QE students participated in the newly launched College Games which previously had only been open to schools. Six colleges from the Tees Valley attended, and the event consisted of a variety of sports open to both genders including football, touch rugby, dodgeball and badminton. North East Olympian, Chris Tomlinson opened the day with an inspirational and motivating speech. The Middlesbrough born athlete spoke about his journey from his teenage years to his successful achievements of holding the British record for outdoor and indoor long jump. This was followed by performances from Hartlepool’s dance group, Ruff Diamond, which was a fantastic way to get the participants raring to begin the competitions. The aim of the event was to increase participation by allowing people to take part in sports they may not usually play. In order to achieve their aim, the colleges were prompted not to bring their first teams, but to bring those that would not normally be involved in those particular sports. Another way of encouraging participation was through mixing the rugby and dodgeball teams. The day was a success with the participants finding it very enjoyable, and spirits were high after some very exceptional results, including first place for QE’s dodgeball A team. The rugby and football teams were close behind with great results. The College is hoping to take another group of students to participate in the event next year.

• QE was well represented at the 36th National British Colleges Sport National Championships, held at Bath University. Fifteen sporting students have been successful in securing a place representing the North East of England across three sports: Netball, Cross Country and Swimming. The prestigious event happens each year with various colleges representing the 10 regions of the UK. Each event held regional qualifiers in which the students represented the College to achieve success in qualifying for national finals. The event took place over three days and began with an opening ceremony on the Friday where over 2,500 students from 14 different sports all came together. Competitions commenced on Friday morning and ran through until the Sunday afternoon where the event was then rounded off with a Closing Ceremony where successful athletes were awarded with their medals. Students from QE who qualified included the Girls Netball Team of Beth Squire, Emily Hedley, Ellie

Montgomery, Rosie Ratcliffe, Alice Kilday, Laura Johnson, Daneille Murdock, Emily Knaggs, Emma Carvey, Hannah Lindsay and Erin Fleming. Cross Country was represented by Luke Hewitson, Joe Rawlinson and Sam Lorimer , whilst the North-East Swimming team included Helen Murray and Lucy Proctor. This swimming team finished in a creditable 6th place and all of the students from the College gained respectable positions, doing themselves and the College proud. Everyone enjoyed the weekend, learnt a lot and gained so much from such a valuable experience. The staff who accompanied the students were proud of them, with not only their sporting ability but also their behaviour, enthusiasm and sense of teamwork shining through. They were a pleasure to work with and to take to National Finals.

• Girls’ rugby at QE has been revived, with coaching from England player Tamara Taylor. Tamara is coaching weekly sessions for both 1st and 2 nd year girls who want to get involved. Student, Erin Alexander, says: “Girls’ rugby has successfully increased participation in sport in College and has given girls the opportunity to try a sport which they may not have had chance to do otherwise. Although the sessions are aimed at gaining new skills, they are always great fun, especially when it’s muddy!” The girls had the opportunity to train with Darlington Mowden Park Sharks before watching their premiership women’s game against Saracens. The morning training session involved working with members of the women’s team, many of whom also play for England, to improve technique and gain valuable advice on the game. Daneille Murdock really enjoyed training with the Sharks and comments: “I have only recently taken an interest in rugby. Having the opportunity to be coached by Tamara who has been so successful in women’s rugby has definitely made me want to continue playing as she is a great role model and has inspired me.”QE has strong links with Darlington Mowden Park and girls’ rugby will continue to develop as female interest in the sport grows within the College.

• 7 QE Students have recently been selected to represent the County Durham U-18’s Rugby Union Squad. Sam Lorimer, Sam Bell, Costner Brown, Elliot Wanless, John Payne, Danny Souter and Ollie Cooper were nominated by QE Rugby Coach, John Zissler as well as their club, Mowden Park RUFC. The 7 have done really well to be selected for County Honours, they are all part of a very talented and committed group of players that are in College at the moment and they are really developing through both College and the Mowden training and games they are playing.”All of the students are currently first year students at College where they are progressing well with their studies alongside their sport.

Miscellaneous

• QE enjoyed an extremely successful evening at the prestigious Best of Darlington Awards, with students nominated by the College being shortlisted and winning in a number of categories.

In the Young Person’s Contribution to the Community , all 3 nominees were from QE. Ben Edkins was shortlisted for his voluntary work. Ben is a young coach who works with Darlington Spraire Lads and Lasses FC. He has worked his way up from being an assistant coach with the U-8’s working particularly with young goalkeepers to running his own U-10 team as well as continuing his work with the U-8’s. He is FA accredited which is evidence of his passion and drive to improve his skills in developing the talents of the young people he coaches. Ben goes out coaching in all weathers giving up his time on an evening and at weekends to coach and help the young players. He acts as a very positive role model and he is very well-liked due to his outgoing, positive and pleasant personality. Danny Stevens, who left College last August, was also shortlisted. Danny is committed to the importance of volunteering and has made regular and highly effective contributions. He has been a frequent volunteer at St. Teresa’s Hospice where his contributions, ranging from making and serving food to chatting to patients and visitors, have been highly valued and members of staff speak very warmly about him. To raise money for St.Teresa’s Danny was sponsored to shave all of his hair off. He maximised publicity to get as much money as possible and, supported and cheered on by fellow students and members of staff at College, the head shave last December raised over £3000; a tremendous achievement. Danny’s hair was also used by a charity supporting children with cancer. As well as raising money, Danny’s act also raised the profile of volunteering and inspired many others to commit their time and energies to community projects. Danny also regularly volunteered at the Education Centre for Children with Down’s Syndrome and helped to develop their social skills and educational progress. Again, his help was greatly appreciated by all who came into contact with him. An unfailingly positive and cheerful person, Danny champions volunteering and modestly says “I gain so much personally from volunteering, receiving more than I give.” Currently studying medicine at university, Danny is committed to helping improve the lives of others.

The deserving winner of this category was QE’s Student Sports Management Team. The Team makes a massive contribution to the development of sport in College and the community including in local schools. The team supports College sports staff in promoting sports events and helping to coach in schools and at college sports sessions. They help to officiate and run leagues and events such as the recent National Women’s Football Week Futsal Taster session that was organised by the students for the girls. One main project the SSMT are working on is the “Future Leaders” project where they are working in partnership with some of the College’s partner schools, starting with Longfield,

Hummersknott, Sedgefield and St.Francis Xavier in Richmond to help them to set up Sport Management Teams. They have completed training evenings and various events with the school sport management teams to help them lead sport in their schools. As part of College open evenings and careers events at local partner schools, the management team has also promoted sport and helped stage sports events such as a Rugby masterclass, Futsal Coaching and a Netball session as well as displays and talks to promote sport at QE. They have also organised exercise sessions for the public in Darlington’s marketplace as part of the Older People’s Day celebrations. The students have also planned events in College such as a Conga/Cha cha Slide Dance event for Children in Need and a Total Wipeout fun games session for College Health week, all to encourage students to take part in sport and stay active. The group have regular meetings and are taking on new tasks and challenges on a daily basis. They have shared their thoughts and ideas about improving the delivery of sport even further with the College’s Senior Management, and Board of Governors. To celebrate their achievements and to share their work with other colleges across the country, two members of the student management team were asked to speak at the British Colleges Sport/England Colleges Football Association National Quality Framework Conference at St George’s Park. They spoke about Sports Leadership at QE and how we are a leading pioneer in Sports Leadership for our students. The students were commended by all for the excellent work they are doing and how it is helping them all to develop and excel as young people. The team thoroughly deserves this recognition of the great work they do and the massive impact they are making with college sport on a local and national level.

The Academic Excellence category also saw all three shortlisted nominees coming from QE. Erin Watson was nominated as she is an academically gifted student, clearly illustrated by her extremely strong AS Level results in her first year at QE. She achieved the top “A” grade in all 4 of her AS Levels – Biology; Chemistry; French and History – and her module scores placed her as one of the two top performing students in the whole College. In Biology, Erin achieved full marks in one of her units (90 out of 90) and in History she was awarded full marks (100 out of 100) in one module and, overall, she only dropped 2 marks scoring 198 out of 200; truly magnificent achievements. If that wasn’t all, alongside her AS Levels, Erin also gained an A* in

GCSE General Studies scoring full marks in both units to achieve 200 out of 200. Erin is applying to study Biological Sciences including at Oxford University, and we have every confidence in her success. Indeed, her exemplary work ethic and obvious academic abilities are clearly recognised by her teachers who have all predicted her to achieve A* grades in her A Levels. Erin’s drive and determination to be successful in her university applications can also be seen by her active involvement in extra-curricular opportunities. She secured valuable work experience at Durham Wildlife Trust and attended a Biology Summer School at Leeds University. She was also a member of QE’s winning team in the Schools’ Analyst Chemistry competition where they became the North-East champions. Erin also undertakes regular volunteering with the British Heart Foundation. In the future, Erin wants to work in ecological projects overseas. Tom Wilson, who left QE last summer, was also shortlisted as his academic abilities are truly outstanding. He achieved two of the top A* grades in his A Levels in Maths and Extended Project and his AS and A Level results in all of his subjects were of “A” grade standard; a phenomenal achievement. In addition, Tom achieved full marks in both modules of his AS Government and Politics exams (200 out of 200); full marks in one of his English Literature modules; full marks in one of his History units and full marks in one of his Maths modules. As can be seen, Tom is gifted in a range of subjects and the term “polymath” is entirely appropriate for him. Tom’s academic excellence was also recognised by Cambridge University and, after a rigorous application process including challenging interviews, he was accepted to study Social and Political Science at this very prestigious institution. Tom is an avid campaigner and wants to create real political change in order to improve the country. To fulfil his career aspirations, he has campaigned in several elections including in Carlisle and Bradford. He has also organised shadowing opportunities with local councillors and regional MPs, and has participated in local campaigns. At College, he was a member of the Debating Matters team which won the regional finals of the competition.

The winner of this award was Dominic Birch who also left QE last summer. Dominic is an exceptionally gifted student and his academic excellence is clearly demonstrated by his achievement of 5 A* grades in his A Levels; a truly outstanding performance which makes him one of the most qualified young people in the country. Dominic’s 5 A*s were in English Literature, History, Maths, Further Maths and Extended Project and he also achieved A grades in his AS Levels of Chemistry and General Studies ( A* grades are not available at AS Level). Dominic never scored lower than an A grade in all 25 of his subject units and, in English Literature, he achieved full marks in two of his four units. He also scored full marks in two of his Maths modules. His results reflect Dominic’s outstanding ability, and his determination and drive to secure the highest grades possible. Dominic is now an undergraduate on Durham University’s highly competitive and prestigious History and English degree course, and we are confident that he will achieve a first class honours degree. Indeed, his teachers have no trouble in envisaging Dominic becoming one of the country’s leading academics in his field.

QE also provided all 3 of the finalists in the Exceptional Student category. Amy Weatherburn was shortlisted as she is a student who really amazes all who know her for her strong, warm and friendly attitude whilst coping with the demands of home and college life, as well as the battles with her own health. Amy suffers from Crohns disease and has extensive clinical support to help manage her condition, including attending a number of appointments and following a particular diet regime. Alongside this, Amy has been a young carer for her mum who had Multiple Sclerosis and her dad who suffers from Epilepsy. Unfortunately, Amy’s mother died very recently. A typical day in the household involved Amy cooking, washing, cleaning, getting mum ready, being supportive towards dad, and then

22 going to College. After coping with the demands of A-level study, she then went back home and continued with chores and finding time for homework or coursework. This routine and way of life became the “normal” thing to do and Amy is truly an exceptional and amazing student to continue doing so well with her studies and to balance this alongside managing her home life and personal health demands. Amy has also been keen to raise money for MS and has been baking and participating in various charitable events. Amy is now keen to work with the young carers support team to help other young carers. Amy has decided to take a gap year before pursuing a career in Primary Teaching. She truly is an admirable role model and inspiration for her peers and for others. Kiera Prior was also deservedly shortlisted. Kiera has been suffering with ME since the age of 10 causing tiredness and fatigue. Throughout her secondary education she was only able to manage a part time timetable, however she arrived at College with outstanding GCSE results including 3 A*s, 3 As,3 Bs and two Cs. She is now undertaking a rigorous timetable including A levels in Business Studies, Philosophy and Law, having achieved AS grades of A,A,B and Kiera is predicted to perform very well this year. Despite finding it difficult to get up and come into College, and feeling extremely fatigued, Kiera has demonstrated outstanding commitment to her studies, having managed 100% attendance this year. This is testament to her sheer determination to not let her illness affect her education. Kiera has worked closely with College to manage her timetable so that some days she can come in later; however she has still had to meet the same deadlines as other students and manage her condition in order to do so well. Kiera’s career aim is to progress to university to study Business Management and to eventually manage a hotel. Kiera is under no illusions about the difficulties this may present as it is a career which will require shift work and very unsociable hours but this does not deter her. Although Kiera is not advised to take on additional activities outside of College work she has spent some time working with her local church to fundraise for the Association of Young People with ME. She has also helped to fundraise for a charity “Rebuild Mexico” which has enabled her brother to do some building work there. She would have loved to have taken part herself but was unable to do so; and the fact that she still tirelessly raised funds demonstrates her totally selfless attitude towards helping others and worthy causes. Kiera’s determination to be successful and her positive attitude, even in the face of challenging circumstances, make her an exceptional student.

The winner of this category was Fred Millman. Fred’s academic achievement since he came to College has been outstanding, so much so that he is predicted to get at least 4 As in his final A level exams in Computing. ICT, Maths and Graphics. Fred’s achievement is all the more noteworthy in that he is profoundly deaf and relies on hearing aids and a Learning Support Assistant to take notes in all his lessons. This has meant that he has had to work very hard and concentrate carefully in order to fulfil his academic potential. He meets every deadline and shows a real enthusiasm and enjoyment of every task that he is set. His intention is to pursue his study of Computing at University. Fred benefited greatly when he was younger from attending a Summer School set up by DELTA(Deaf Education through Listening and Talking). He now volunteers at this Summer School to help younger children have the same encouraging and confidence-building experience that he had. Fred’s computer skills have also enabled him to work part-time managing databases , designing websites and writing travel blogs alongside his studies. Fred’s commitment to pursuing excellence in everything he does is an inspiration to other students. His cheerful attitude, lively sense of humour and persevering approach have made him popular with both staff and students. He is a very deserving recipient of this award.

As if these accolades weren’t enough to be proud of, the evening was then capped by the extremely prestigious award of Young Citizen of the Year being awarded to Danny Stevens to recognise all of his voluntary work. In his typically self-effacing way, Danny then made an extremely eloquent and inspiring speech when asked to comment upon his award by Peter Barron who acted as compere for the evening. Danny’s award comes a year after James Charlton, another current QE student, was honoured with the same title at the previous ceremony. The evening ended with a wonderful performance by QE band The Curators consisting of Rich Hodgson, Dan Wood, Daniel Smith, Kate Swainston, Abbie Finn, Nathan Waterhouse, Scarlett Fletcher and Tom Currie.

The evening was certainly one to remember and the College is extremely proud of all of the students who were deservedly recognised and honoured.

• More current and ex-students were honoured by receiving awards at the Vibe Awards, held at the Civic Theatre. In the Contribution to Sport category Holly Fielding, a former student, was a winner due to being selected for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) to help her further excel in her sport. Holly, who represents Great Britain and England in Elite Level Judo, will now benefit from a tailored package worth up to £3,500 a year which includes coaching, physiotherapy sessions, strength and conditioning training, plus educational and medical support. The TASS Scheme supports Holly and enables her to train and compete in top condition alongside supporting her in her education and allowing her to progress. She is really pleased and privileged to be part of this scheme. Sportsmen and women in higher or further education are nominated for the scholarships by their national governing body. Holly has done really well to be selected for this programme and is still representing Great Britain and hoping to qualify for future international competition such as commonwealth and Olympic squads. She now combines her training with full time employment. Her considerable ability and success, and her drive and determination combine to make her a worthy winner of this award.

Erin Alexander was also a winner in the Sport category as one of the Student Leaders of our Sport Management Team at QE. She has displayed lots of maturity and skill and development in this role and really worked well alongside sports staff and senior management to help to improve sport for students in college. Following this work Erin has been appointed to the British Colleges Sport National Youth Council. This council is a group of 13 students from all over the country who give the students a voice in terms of what they would like to see for sport in colleges. Competition for a place on the Council was very fierce so Erin has done exceptionally well to be selected. The young people on the Council are also given opportunities to work with the National Governing Body of sport and with college heads and decision makers. Erin takes along to this meeting the voice of QE and sports students in Darlington and North East Colleges. This really is an achievement for Erin as she is representing the college and town at national level for sport leadership. This really gives her the opportunity to develop her skills, her ability to work with other students and staff from all over the country and helps to put Sports Leadership at QE and Darlington on the map. Erin’s role in QE’s Sport Management team is to co-ordinate and chair regular meetings whilst taking on new tasks and challenges on a daily basis. Erin is part of the leadership team that have shared their thoughts and ideas with the College’s senior management and Board of Governors. She is a wonderful ambassador for sport and the town, and is a very worthy winner of this award.

Fiona Dewar, a second year student at QE, also won an award due to her remarkable netball season. Fiona, who represents QE’s A Team and Oaksway Netball Club, has recently been selected as part of the 20 strong British Colleges’ Sport Elite Netball Squad. To gain her place in the Elite Squad, Fiona attended and was successful at North East, Northern Trials and a final overall National Trial. She is now a fully-fledged member of the British Colleges’ Sport Squad that played matches against college teams from other nations, university teams and went on an end of season European tour in the summer of 2013. Fiona is absolutely over the moon to have won a place in the Elite Squad. It was a long trialing process and it is good to be rewarded. The standard is very high and she is pleased that her hard work has paid off. She is also well on the way to being selected for the 2014 squad having successfully come through the first trialing stage this season. Fiona has had a great year, progressing from College and Club Netball through to the National Colleges’ Squad. She is a credit to QE, her family and herself, and is a very deserving winner of this award.

Hannah Lindsay was also recognized in this category due to winning a place at Newcastle Eagles’ School of Excellence; an incredible achievement. Basketball is in her family and Hannah took up the sport after supporting her brothers who play in national leagues. Hannah has always been athletic and plays cricket and hockey for the town but didn’t expect to get this chance of being coached by the Eagles and playing for them at Under 18 level. She is still very new to the game but her outstanding talent clearly impressed. She is still in shock at being selected as it is such a great achievement. At QE Hannah is studying Law, Politics, English Language and Citizenship, and hopes to go on to university to read Law and Criminology. Hannah is an all round sportswoman who has played football and hockey for the College alongside her basketball.

Maddy Wood also won due to her work as a young coach/sports leader who works with pupils in local schools. As a young coach Maddy has gained lots of experience and has contributed to the increase in numbers of female players at Hummersknott. Maddy is also part of QE’s Sport Management Team and is responsible for leading a project to set up Sport Management Teams in local partner schools. Following her work with schools and within College Maddy has successfully applied to be part of the national England Colleges Football Association TEAM 19 Management Team. This is a participation programme that runs in the FE sector where football sessions are planned for and delivered by the students for other students across the country. Maddy takes an active role within this programme and is taking college ideas to a national level and sharing good practice with other young sports leaders. Maddy’s positive attitude, energy and total commitment to developing the sporting skills of others make her an inspiration and worthy winner of this award.

Sam Read was another winner due to his work as part of QE’s student management team for sport where his focus has been on participation and school liaison work. Sam works alongside other students and runs the TEAM 19 Futsal Leagues in college on Monday and Tuesday lunchtimes – generating fixtures and league tables on a weekly basis. He works closely with 2 other students to ensure these leagues run successfully. Alongside his work in College Sam has also helped to develop a student management team for sport at Longfield School and has also delivered Futsal sessions in the school where he has coached Y11 students. Sam has also represented QE at the Rotary Young Leaders Camp this year where he won a place on an outward bound week. He met a host of new people and worked successfully as part of a team as well as on his own in a variety of tasks. He then, alongside another student, reported back on his week and what he had learnt to the Darlington Rotarians at

their Friday lunch meeting by giving a presentation and talking about his experiences. Sam is passionate about developing the sporting skills of others and his award is very well-deserved.

Ben Edkins and the Student Sport Management Team, mentioned above in the Best of Darlington ceremony, also deservedly won Vibe Awards for their Contribution to Sport.

In the Contribution to the Arts section, Kate Willson received a Vibe Award for winning a major prize in a national design competition for Tigerprint who design exclusively for Marks and Spencer. Tigerprint is part of the Hall Mark Cards Group and their competitions are particularly aimed at designers and undergraduates. Out of thousands of entries, Kate came second which is an outstanding achievement, and Tigerprint is now going to use her winning design for M&S cards, wrapping paper and gift tags. The theme of the competition was “shapes as pattern” and Kate’s winning entry was a black and white linear design. Kate is very excited about seeing her design in the stores. At QE, Kate is on the Foundation Art Course and plans to study Fashion promotion at university. Kate is a wonderful designer and clearly has a glittering future ahead of her. She deserves to have her considerable talent recognized in this way.

Fred Millman and Amy Weatherburn, whose achievements were noted at the Best of Darlington awards, were winners in the Achievement Against the Odds category. Amy was given the additional honour of being judged to be the overall winner in this section.

Apart from the winners, the incredible talent at QE was also seen via a very well-received performance by one of the College’s bands; Crash the Car Mum.

• A group of 15 students from QE travelled to Ethiopia where they were involved in voluntary work in the community. This was no ordinary visit. The students fundraised to get there and helped to build a classroom in a primary school in Gondar. One of their key tasks was to put in the foundations and a concrete floor to allow a classroom to become functional. To help the students gain the necessary skills, a local builder was employed and although he was a non-English speaker, actions spoke louder than words! Other local people were also employed, ensuring any money spent went directly to benefit the local community. In addition the students taught English to the children, organized sporting activities and distributed toys and educational materials that they had brought from England. The project was successfully completed with a classroom being handed over. The students learned so much. They saw for themselves local living conditions with little or no sanitation, and had to go without a wash themselves for some 9 days. They slept in tents, food was cooked over open fires and toilets were a hole in the ground. The students recognized how lucky they were purely by where they had been born. They were an absolute credit to themselves, the College and Darlington. Before the students

went to Ethiopia, one of the party Andrew Robinson visited Northwood Primary School in Darlington to collect some friends to take to Africa. Andrew picked up Theresa Tiger, Ruby Rabbit and Floppy Dog from the foundation classes and the toy animals journeyed around Ethiopia with Andrew and the other QE students. Whilst in Ethiopia, photos of the mascots were sent back to Northwood to keep the children informed of their progress. The QE students wanted to share their experiences with the younger children and hoped their voluntary work would inspire the Northwood children and give them the travelling bug.

• A group of eighteen students and two staff are travelling to Nepal in the Autumn of 2014 to help those communities less fortunate. Whilst in Nepal they will be taking part in a trek up Pooh Hill, however the biggest part of the project will be spending 10 days helping the local communities through the building of a classroom or toilet block In a local orphanage, and anything else they can do to help. The group has been busy raising funds through various activities such as cake sales, ice cream sales, bag packing, bungee jumping and much more including a Fundraising Ball in March at Headlam Hall Hotel. The ball included a sumptuous four course meal, traditional Nepalese Dancing, a live singer, along with a giant raffle and an auction of promises. The auction was kindly conducted by Mr Maurice Scott of Hawes Auction mart who encouraged the ball guests to part with large sums of money for items such as a dinner party in your own home, original art work and a homemade basket of cakes and treats. The evening was rounded off with a thank you from the students. A total of £3000 was raised on the night. One of the students, Evie Rogers said “ It was a great night, everyone really enjoyed it and we certainly raised a lot of money which we will put to good use in Nepal; everyone left smiling so I think they all enjoyed it.” The students worked extremely hard to produce a very professional and enjoyable event. They worked well as a team throughout the planning stages and everyone attending had a great night. In order to be physically fit for the Nepal trip in October, the students have started their fitness regime early. A high impact term of metafit has been closely followed up with a running club to get the students to think about their levels of fitness. The challenge they will face when overseas is not only having to carry everything they need in their rucksack, but also being able to do this at altitude, which itself throws up challenges. The students have turned out in rain, hail and shine and a definite improvement can be seen in fitness levels.

• Ten students have won places at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The students are elated, but their entry to these top universities is dependent on attaining the highest results in their final A Level exams in the summer. They and their teachers are confident they can do it and their conditional offers are spurring the students on to work harder than ever. Competition for Oxbridge places is intense and only the highest achieving students gain offers after undergoing challenging interviews. Six of the QE students have offers from Cambridge University and 4 have places at Oxford.

Suzanne Goulder, Aaron Hetherington, Sophie Foggin, Ben Donaldson, Cameron Grove and Thomas Parsons-Munn are Cambridge bound. Suzanne will study Engineering; Aaron will study Law, whilst Sophie and Cameron have offers for Natural Sciences. Ben’s subject is Maths and Thomas‘s degree will be in History. Malcolm Glennie, Matthew Kirtley, Aidan Marshall and Kat Wingate’s offers are from Oxford. Malcolm will read History, Matthew‘s studies will be in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Aidan’s subject is Chemistry, whilst Kat will study for a degree in English and French. To have ten students with Oxbridge offers is tremendous and testament to the high calibre of the students and the outstanding support of their teachers. This support included a programme designed by Simon Nicholson who co-ordinates QE’s Oxbridge applications, and interview practice offered by a range of people including the College’s Senior Management, Governors and local professionals. The College is delighted with this year’s phenomenal success which is one of the best ever performances by the College. The students were fantastic, supporting each other and showing tremendous commitment. They really deserve their places and will flourish at Oxford and Cambridge.

• To raise awareness about Oxford and Cambridge Universities, 40 AS students attended an Oxbridge Conference in Newcastle in March. In addition, a large number of students and parents attended an Oxbridge information meeting in the Main Hall. Whilst parents listened to a very informative presentation from the School Liaison Officer from King’s College Cambridge, students participated in workshops with King’s College undergraduates and ex-QE students who are currently studying at either Oxford or Cambridge. The evening was, as usual, very successful and it is always a pleasure to welcome back our ex-students who can empathise with our current students.

• During the Year 1 Parents’ Evening in February, the College held its Higher Education Convention in the Main Hall. Fourteen local and national universities sent representatives with information stands. The event was well attended and proved extremely popular with both parents and students who gained general information about higher education as well as specific advice from the universities in attendance,

• Over 300 first year students attended a presentation by Teesside University on its Passport Scheme which is designed to support students through the university application process including invitations to events and opportunities to try out courses on its “Discovery Days”.

• In February over 200 first year students attended a college presentation on university summer school residential and university taster days as well as gaining information on a range of activities and special events designed to give students the opportunity to find out what studying at university is really like and also to increase their knowledge and understanding of how to stand out when applying for competitive courses. Information was also provided regarding paid work experience opportunities for budding scientists and engineers wishing to experience working on a range of cutting edge technology, science and engineering projects including the Year in Industry. Students have taken advantage of the wide range of opportunities on offer including making applications for workshop conferences for Law and Medicine as well as summer schools funded by the charitable organisation, the Sutton Trust.

• Students due to begin university in September attended a series of talks from Teesside University Student Finance Services about applying for financial support. Application clinics for assistance with the application process followed up these talks.

• In March, the College’s highly successful annual Employment and Gap year Fair was once again held in the Main Hall. Sixteen employers and training providers including the Army, Navy and RAF were invited to speak to our students on a one to one basis about their career plans and employment and apprenticeship opportunities. All students are encouraged to attend this event and many first years came along to make contact and network with employers and apprenticeship providers they may consider in the future. Over 100 second year students received individual invitations about the fair as they have decided that employment and apprenticeships are their first choice when they leave college this summer. Shepherd Construction and Engineering who have won the Hitachi contract recently in Newton Aycliffe attended the Employment and Gap Year Fair for the first time. Four of their staff kindly gave up their time to talk to students in depth about the range of employment opportunities available at Shepherd. (One of these was an ex QE student) They were extremely impressed with the high calibre of our students and are committed to developing links with QE. EE (Everything Everywhere) who have their Head Office in Darlington also came for the first time. Despite efforts to invite them in the past and not being successful, Cathy Hodgson decided to contact an ex-student Rebecca Aiken who she had helped to secure an excellent apprenticeship there this summer in the personnel department. Rebecca was able to provide details of the best person to contact and they were delighted to attend. They were so impressed with our students they definitely want to return to College and continue working with our students. One student was lucky enough to be head hunted by EE and encouraged to apply; he has recently passed his first interview in the recruitment process. Will from EE said he was prepared to offer him an apprenticeship as a result of meeting him at the Employment Fair. Atos, a global IT company based in Faverdale, Darlington informed the College that they had four Higher Apprenticeships vacancies and they met a number of potential applicants at the Fair and encouraged them to apply. Feedback about the event from both employers and students has been extremely positive and the College is determined to keep expanding this annual event for the benefit of our students.

• Higher Apprenticeships have been launched at the College. They are a new progression route for students after completing A Levels and the initiative is in conjunction with the National Apprenticeship Service and other northern sixth form colleges. Higher Apprenticeships are a pathway

to professional and managerial posts straight from college. Higher Apprenticeships were launched in September 2013 with A Level students in mind. They are in 41 occupational areas ranging from Environmental Engineering Technologies to IT, Web and Telecom Professionals. An apprenticeship is a job with an employer allowing apprentices to earn while they learn and, for the first time, gain higher education qualifications ranging from foundation degree (Level 4) to master’s degree (Level 7). Students need A Levels to do Higher Apprenticeships, A Levels being recognised nationally and globally as the gold standard qualification. Higher Apprenticeships are a key part of the government’s plans to deliver the advanced skills required to support economic growth in British businesses. Talented A Level students from QE are now part of this exciting new initiative which opens up a myriad of opportunities. Already 100 of our students have signed up for the scheme. We are delighted to be involved.

• QE has developed strong links with international IT company Atos. This year the company recruited four students from QE on to its advanced and higher apprenticeship schemes. The students, Amy Brown, Claire Nelson, Adam Bowman and Daniel Robinson were attracted by the fact that Atos is a global company that won the Investors in People Newcomer Employer of the Year Award at the National Apprenticeships Awards 2013. This was awarded in recognition of the company’s successful apprenticeship scheme and their policy of recruiting and progressing talent in the North East and Darlington area. Adam Bowman says: ‘The higher apprenticeship that I have at Atos gives me great opportunities to advance the skills that I learnt at College. After A Levels, I knew that university wasn’t for me and so started looking for an apprenticeship to further my education. QE assisted a lot during this process and helped me find the apprenticeship that I now have. I think it’s a good scheme because I will learn a lot from the courses on offer whilst finding out what it’s like to be in a working environment. At the end of the course, I will gain a foundation degree and be on the same salary as the current graduates. I’ll then have the opportunity to move almost anywhere in the world with Atos, as they are a worldwide company.’

• As part of the Future Engineers Scheme, the College held its first Engineering Careers Event which was supported by a range of local and national employers, universities and training organisations. The event was an opportunity for students both from the College and local schools to speak to the various organisations to find out about routes into engineering, the very varied job roles as well as the exciting work which is being done in the North-East. It

was also an excellent opportunity for students to make links with employers to gain valuable work experience and to find out about future internships and job opportunities. Darren Ward, a graduate engineer from Johnson Matthey, says: “It was great to give both students and parents advice and to see so many people interested in engineering. It was also good for us to spread the word about our company which a lot of people haven’t heard of or don’t know about the work we do – so thank you for the opportunity.” It was wonderful to get such positive feedback from all of the representatives, as well as the event being a success for our students. It definitely gave students a much better awareness of how vast an area engineering is and what excellent prospects it offers as a career.

• A group of first and second year A Level students on QE’s Future Engineers’ Scheme enjoyed a visit to SABIC on Teesside, one of the world’s top six petrochemical companies and the major producer of plastics and chemicals in Europe. The students were given an insight into the company both in the UK and abroad, the entry routes as a graduate or as an apprentice and what the company looks for in a prospective employee. They also found out more about the varied engineering disciplines offered by SABIC whilst touring the 2,000 acre site which hosts other chemical companies. The students were impressed by the sheer scale of the operation, including how chemicals are transported safely, how engineers are involved in health and safety aspects of the plant’s operation and the huge costs involved to meet environmental standards. Student, Matthew Brown, comments: “The trip was very insightful – it gave me a good idea of what actually happens on such a large scale and the excellent prospects that are available to engineers.” Rachel Harrington adds: “It was useful to hear about how SABIC recruits their workers and the different entry routes into engineering and how they support their employees once in the role.” This was an excellent visit. It highlighted to the students what is happening regarding engineering in the North East, and gave first- hand knowledge of how an international chemical company operates as well as the employment opportunities both as a graduate or as a higher apprentice. As a result of the visit, the College has been offered a summer placement for one of our prospective engineers.

• Second year students on QE’s engineering scheme were able to prepare for their university interviews by having some mock interview practice from leading employers including Stephen Heath of SABIC and Peter Heaton of Glaxo Smith Kline. Students were put through their paces and given problem solving exercises similar to what is asked by the universities. They were given feedback on their technique as Jake McAleer who has applied to do mechanical engineering comments, “The interview practice was really useful, it has definitely helped me to prepare for the real thing and being shown how to “think outside the box” to solve an engineering problem has made me feel more confident about tackling this on the day.”

• In March, QE’s first year engineering students got a taste of what it would be like studying engineering at university. Teesside University organised an interactive engineering event where students were able to try out various branches of engineering including mechanical, aerospace, civil, chemical and electrical/electronic. Abby Hodgson, who attended the civil engineering workshop had to use CAD to design and build a bridge – she says “It was interesting to see how you have to make

sure you choose the right materials to withstand stresses and strain and how important it is to make sure you liaise closely with other professionals such as the architects and the planners – it has definitely made me more certain that civil engineering is what I want to study at university”. The chemical engineers were involved in measuring flow rates of water at different levels. Rory Varley comments “It gave me a clearer idea of what might be involved in a chemical engineering course and it was good to have a go at a practical activity”. The students were also given an overview of all the courses as well as information on Teesside’s engineering history.

• In April, Mr. Bob Greener an ex Director of Amec came into college and gave a presentation to our future engineers on “A Life Enhancing Career in Professional Engineering”. Students were given an insight into Mr. Greener’s career in the oil and gas industries from the 1970’s to the present and the opportunities and cultural experiences he has gained from living and working overseas on major projects. His experiences as a professional engineer later led to him working for the UK’s trade and industry department as an independent consultant. He demonstrated to students how his engineering background, skills and knowledge had enabled him to work closely and successfully with people from many different cultures. Student, David Pauli comments “It was an extremely informative talk as it opened my eyes to the wealth of opportunities engineering provides.” Esther Farnell adds, “Mr Greener’s talk was really interesting, and gave us a good idea of the wide variety of different pathways engineering can lead you down, and the career opportunities that can arise from being a professional engineer.”Mr. Greener contacted the College following media coverage of our Future Engineers Scheme. He volunteered his time and support because, in his words, “Engineering has given me endless opportunities, challenges and fulfilment and I would like to give something back”. His talk certainly demonstrated that he has had a very rewarding career as a professional engineer.

• QE’s annual Engineering Challenge Day was a great success, made even more memorable by the presence of HRH the Duke of York. The Challenge Day sees around 100 Year 9 and Year 10 pupils from Darlington schools visit QE with a brief to design and build a working hovercraft capable of racing and carrying a pilot. It’s a fun, educational day organised by QE with the support of the University of Bradford and Darlington’s Foundation for Jobs. The aim is to get the pupils working in teams to problem solve, engage with engineering and use their maths and science in a real life way. QE’s Future Engineer students, members of staff and professors from the University of Bradford assisted the Year 9s and 10s. It’s always a great event but the visit of Prince Andrew added to the excitement of this year’s challenge. The Duke of York asked to come along and really joined in the spirit of it all. He talked to the teams, asked questions about their experiences and started off the race between the hovercrafts of Carmel and Hurworth schools. He also presented a trophy to Hurworth who won this part of the competition. After the Duke of York left, there were further races with Darlington School of Maths and Science being the victors of the Great Race Off.

• Edward John, a second year student, has been awarded a place on Darlington’s Encouraging Engineering project, an initiative to attract young talent into professional engineering. The scheme has been developed in conjuction with Darlington Borough Council and five Darlington engineering companies including MTE, Henry Williams, Tracerco, Cummins and Deep Ocean. The project is funded by the British American Tobacco legacy and supports a four year programme of study for a mechanical engineering degree. Edward will benefit from paid work experience in a variety of commercial, technical and manufacturing roles together with a financial bursary during his course at university. Edward comments, “This is a fantastic opportunity providing me with work experience in prestigious local engineering companies. This will be extremely helpful when looking for graduate employment and will complement my academic studies.” The scheme will be excellent in giving Edward an insight into some of the fantastic projects our local companies are working on and well as developing work related skills which are essential for graduate employment.

• QE Future Engineers have benefitted from some great work experience placements since the launch of the scheme. Employers have offered placements ranging from aircraft engineering to sub-sea, mechanical, chemical and energy engineering. William Hughill ,who has applied to do aeronautical engineering at university ,spent a week at Bagby Airfield and comments,“ With Graham Fox Aircraft Engineering, I greatly improved my understanding of aeronautical engineering through both theorectical and practical experience. This involved studying concepts such as aerodynamics as well as “hands on” practices involving the disassembly, refurbishment and reassembly of key aircraft components on light fixed wing aircraft including the Cessna 150. The Future Engineer’s Scheme has enabled me to gain a valuable understanding of what being an aeronautical engineer entails and has confirmed my passion for a career in this area.”

• Euan Berry, a first year student on the Future Engineers Scheme, was successful in gaining a place at Loughborough University’s “Experience Engineering” residential over the Easter holidays. Euan spent four days in various engineering departments at the university and was given an insight into the cutting edge research the university is carrying out. The residential attracted over 700 applications from all over the country for only 50 places. Euan comments, “I am so pleased to have been offered a place, Loughborough is one of the top universities in the country for engineering and this gave me excellent first hand experience of what it might be like to study there as an undergraduate.”

• Over the Easter holidays, first year student Carrie Noble went to Alstom Power; Emma King and Dan Barton spent time at Johnson Matthey looking at chemical processes whilst Euan Berry gained an exciting work experience placement at Gatwick Airport. Many other of our future engineers will be commencing similar placements during the summer holidays in order to support their university applications at the start of their second year. The Future Engineers Scheme, along with the resources it provides is perfect for those wishing to differentiate themselves and their university application from other candidates.

• In April, a group of first year students, who intend to apply for Medicine, went to an information session at Durham Johnston School . They heard about first hand experiences from a panel of current Medical students – a 2nd year & 4th year from Newcastle University & a 2nd year from Leicester University. Brenda Stephenson, a local independent professional Careers Adviser, explained how to

choose 4 Medical Schools for their UCAS application & representatives from Durham School of Medicine talked about the use of UKCAT results in admissions. The last session was presented by QE’s Stella Barnes who advised students to adopt a “smart strategy” to maximise their chances of acceptance. She was asked to cover this topic as Q.E. has an excellent record of supporting students who are applying for Medicine with many applicants receiving more than 2 offers. This is the fourth year that students have gone to this event and they have always found it very useful.

• 12 first year students have been successful in gaining places on Durham University’s Supported Progression Scheme, a scheme designed to widen participation and attract talented students who have the potential to study at Durham. The university received over five hundred applications and competition for places was extremely competitive. The successful students will benefit from a two year structured programme of events including the opportunity to take part in a summer school residential studying a subject of their choice. The following students who will be taking part are:- Penelope Hindle, Computer Science; Kathryn Elwell, Chemistry; Kieren Latcham, Law; James Simpson, Physics; Josh Cowley, Computer Science; Jonathan Richmond, Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Kieran Thompson, Economics; Emma Crampton, Physics; Lindsay Pearson, Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Victoria Gerlach, primary teaching; Caitlin Hindle, Anthropology; and Rachel Harrington, Physics.

• In December the College hosted a Community Christmas service, led by the College Chaplain Lynda Gough. QE students took on a variety of roles including performing excellent music, reading moving poetry and serving fantastic refreshments. Tutor groups donated a sum of money to provide something special for families needing to visit the Women’s Refuge in Darlington. The selected gift and monetary donation was placed on the Giving Tree and over £520 was gratefully received by the manager of the refuge, Susan Degnan. Staff, students and visitors including customers from Age Concern enjoyed singing carols and listening to songs and drama performances from Dunn Street Primary School.

• LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) History Month was celebrated in February with a poster campaign of famous people and role models from the LGBT community. A competition was held based on the profiles which a large number of students entered. Postcards and information were also displayed in tutor rooms. The Equal Love Day, organized by the Student Association, proved very popular.

• In March, the College’s “Make a Difference Week” occurred, where staff and students were encouraged to consider how we can make a difference to our health, the community, our career prospects and to others. Free fruit was provided and National No Smoking Day was marked with displays, advice from Health professionals and more healthy alternatives to cigarettes being provided. There was also a Health Roadshow in the Student Common Room during the week when members of the College community could check out our health and fitness, find out about volunteering opportunities and get some tips from a wide range of external agencies including the Sexual Health team; Family Help; SWITCH team which educates and offers support regarding drugs and alcohol

issues; St.Teresa’s Hospice; the Samaritans; Dolphin Centre; the College’s Sports Maker and others. This followed on from a similar Health Roadshow in November. The College’s annual “Make a Difference Day” was held in the Main Hall to celebrate equality and diversity in the local community and to promote the benefits of volunteering. A number of different groups attended including Friends of the Earth, eVOLution; First Stop; the Gideons; Darlington Town Mission; Darlington Community Carnival; Gay Advice Darlington and Durham; the Sophie Lancaster foundation; National Citizenship Service and the Darlington and Teesdale Naturalist Field Club. AS Citizenship students also used the event as an opportunity to campaign on local and national issues that they feel strongly about e.g. increased support nationally for people with mental health issues, the future of Durham Tees Valley Airport , the pressure put on young people by constant changes in the academic curriculum. We were delighted to have the Mayor of Darlington and the Lady Mayoress to open the event and, as always, it was well-attended. The “Make a Difference Week” continued with a range of sports for students to try including Dodgeball and, in the Common Room, instant ping or Just Dance! The final event was the annual and very successful Employment and Gap Year Fair.

• QE students raised more than £200 for victims of the Philippines disaster by holding a cake sale in the Student Common Room. Anganile Mwanjoka and Kasia Polkoszek were touched by the plight of victims of Typhoon Haiyan and, along with their fellow students, teachers and member of their Church, the Darlington Seventh Day Adventists, baked cakes to sell in College. They also had backing from Sainsbury’s who donated 60 doughnuts to the cause. Kasia says: ‘The support we had from everybody was great and we were delighted that we were able to raise £212. This will go to the Adventist Development and Relief Agency which is working with the people of the Philippines. Thank you to everybody who baked and donated cakes and to all who bought them.’

• Between January- March, some of QE’s students participated in a six week programme of Peer Mentoring in Science and Maths with Year 9 pupils from St Aidan’s Academy which was set up with help from the teachers at the school. Thirteen Year 12 students went to St. Aidan’s for five weeks and worked with individuals and small groups to help with research and skill development in Maths and Science. For the sixth week of this programme, nineteen St. Aidan’s students were invited to QE for a tour of the College and taster sessions in these subjects. They met with the mentors they had been working with for the past few weeks and worked in teams to complete a treasure-hunt around QE. The pupils and their mentors then went to the science lab where they carried out a chemistry experiment making slime and finished the session with a maths investigation where they had to compare the probabilities of winning different games. For our students the programme provided an excellent opportunity to develop and pass on their skills and gain experience of working with young people. For the St Aidan’s pupils it helped them to build their knowledge and confidence as well as giving them a taste of life at QE and an insight into the option of studying for A levels when they leave school. The Year 9 students enjoyed their visit to QE so much that a follow-up session at QE is planned for the summer term.

• In partnership with Darlington Cares, second year students who are not applying to university but instead are looking for an apprenticeship or employment route, participated in a four week scheme between February to April to work with a mentor in order to improve their employability skills. Mentors were from local and successful large organisations such as Student Loans Company, Cummins, Darlington Borough Council and Sainsbury’s.

• As part of the town’s Busy Reader Scheme under the auspices of Darlington Cares, students from QE have volunteered to help pupils at Reid Street Primary school improve their reading skills. Students from the College have undertaken extensive training and DBS checks before volunteering for one day per week to help develop the literacy skills and reading ability of young pupils, as well as to build their confidence and social skills.

• In March, QE students went along to Education Village for an after school “eat, meet and greet QE” session in order to raise aspirations of students in Years 9 – 11. This session provided the EV students with an opportunity to meet current QE students and to learn more about the expectations and opportunities of college life. This was for students who need support to help them aspire to excel in education, stay motivated and learn about exciting options for life after they leave school.

• QE student, Lydia Dunn, has won a place in the area finals of the TeenStar Competition 2014. TeenStar is the biggest teen singing competition in the country and Lydia wowed the judges at the auditions in Newcastle singing Emeli Sande’s ‘Clown’. She will now go on to the Area Finals in Huddersfield in May and, hopefully, will win through to the National Finals at the NEC in Birmingham. Lydia is thrilled with her success, saying: ‘I’ve only been singing for a year and didn’t expect to do so well. I used to dance but, due to an injury, had to give it up and started singing instead. It’s all been unexpected, nerve-wracking but enjoyable. If I do manage to win there will be a recording contract, £5000 prize money and contacts with the music industry. It’s all very exciting!’ At QE Lydia is studying Law, History and Psychology and plans to eventually become a psychologist.

• 3 students have been awarded places on the Rotary Club Youth Leadership Course for the summer of 2014. The Rotary Club asks for students to be nominated for the highly competitive, prestigious scheme which involves a week’s residential in Haydon Bridge, Northumberland during the first week of August, with outward bound and team building activities. Shannon Campbell, Lily Campbell and Lauren Baillie are the 3 students from QE who have won places and are looking forward to taking part in the activities offered by Rotary which are designed to develop

leadership skills. Activities will include– climbing, problem solving, abseiling and a really testing survival night. The girls will develop their confidence and their skills by working independently and as part of teams to solve problems and make a contribution to the situations they find themselves in. The week will be a really valuable learning experience for all of them. Prior to going to the Rotary Activity week the 3 girls will meet their fellow nominees at an event in June and will then attend an awards ceremony in September. They will also be invited to attend the Rotarians lunch in the Autumn to tell the Darlington Rotary Club about what they have learnt, the experiences they have gained and to thank the Rotarians for the opportunity given to them. At QE the 3 students are all studying AS- Levels in their first year of College and intend to progress onto A-Levels before hopefully going on to University in 2015.

Laurence Job