News Archives - 2006

Totton 1st team this week took on local rivals Brockenhurst in the Cup. Going into the game both teams had been playing well with Totton unbeaten and Brockenhurst 4th in the league.

The New Forest Business Partnership held its first awards evening for 'Brilliance in Business' at the Rhinefield House Hotel on Tuesday, 28 November 2006. Mark Bramwell, Totton College Principal, in his speech to the awards evening, with 120 guests from Business, congratulated the New Forest Business Partnership for its work in spreading good practice. He also emphasised how important it was for Totton College to continue to meet the workforce development needs of local employers in order for the College to continue to be successful itself.

Totton College is currently providing education and training to all the young, professional footballers of The Saints. The College is delivering sports studies courses to the young apprentices. The majority of the teaching is at The Saints Marchwood Training Centre. The Football League have identified colleges in each region of the country to prepare football professionals with BTEC sports qualifications for their career after their playing days are over.

Totton College is to be the first centre in the region to offer a full time course in football for the post-16 students.

The English Football League has asked Totton College to provide education and training to all the young, professional footballers of The Saints.

Health and Social Care student Sophie Edwards has been awarded a coveted Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Award; to celebrate her volunteer work as a member of the College 'Buddy' scheme that involves being trained to mentor students who have a learning disability.

Totton College is extremely proud to have been awarded two Centres' of Vocational Excellence by the Learning and Skills Council. One recognises our ground breaking work with employers working in the field of Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Education and Care. This builds on our success with a previous CoVE in delivering specialist courses and programmes of study to people working with ICT.

Students at Totton College have now enrolled on the Young Enterprise - Company Scheme which is a new enhancement course enabling students to set up and run their own company for a year. The course is being run as part of the Humanities programme at Totton College with Rod Penny as the Head of Humanities and Ivan Tomb in the role of link-teacher for the Young Enterprise course.

Totton College is delighted to announce its selection as a main training provider for the Learning and Skills Councils new "Train to Gain" initiative. Train to Gain will provide billions of pounds to provide training to people in work through their employers. It is one of the most significant government education initiatives of recent times.

In the College Academy for Gifted and Talented Students, the outcomes in this summer's A Level examinations were stunning. Every student passed every course with 45% of passes at Grade A! An incredible 92% were high grade passes. Ninety per cent of the students gained at least four A Levels.

Catherine Rolfe (4 A grades at 'A' Level) led the way by winning a place at Oriel College, University of Oxford, to read Law. However, all Totton College students who applied will be going to a university of their choice. In each of the last three years the proportion of Totton College students progressing to university has increased significantly.

Over 900 students from Year 11 in schools have applied so far for a place at Totton College in September 2006. This is 5% up on last year, despite smaller numbers in some local schools, and the highest number of applications ever.

For the second year in succession, Totton College students have achieved an outstanding 99% pass rate in Vocational A Level course results. Two thirds of students achieved a high grade pass. 100% of students passed the course in Art and Design; Information & Communication Technology and Travel & Tourism as well as Health & Social Care. All students on the Travel & Tourism Course passed with high grades.

Totton College is celebrating a 97% pass rate at A Level. High grade passes at A Level have increased by 4.8%. The pass rate at AS Level has been increased to 91% with a 2% increase in high grade passes. The Vocational A Level pass rate has increased to 99%. Twenty-six subjects at A Level achieved a 100% pass rate. Twenty-six students achieved a maximum mark in at least one subject (i.e. 120 out of 120 at A Level). At BTEC National Diploma there was a 100% pass rate.

Totton College is not only keen to encourage academic education, yet also emphasise the importance of leisure and recreational industries to potential students, this is why it was fitting for the College to host a Sports convention, in order to increase the awareness of the vocational courses that Totton College has to offer. 'It is the first of a series leading up to the London Olympics' Mark Bramwell Principal of Totton College explained to me. He clarified that the day was organised 'in order to raise awareness of employability in sporting industries, and to understand that colleges and employers are integrating allowing recreational industries to become more accessible.'

The Centre was officially opened today by Bill Rammell MP, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education. He is the Labour Member of Parliament for the Harlow constituency and has been in the post as Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education for a year and two months.

Totton College's English Department guides student success again! Sean Whitfield has won the Edyth Jeffery Shakespeare prize. Studying A levels in English Literature, Psychology, Religious Studies and Drama & Theatre Studies and working under the pseudonym 'Jacob Noir', Sean's essay is about the ways in which Shakespeare presents the character of Othello.

Four students at Totton College have been accepted as full members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth. The National Academy was established by the Prime Minister in 2002. Its role is to improve the education for the talented and gifted in schools and colleges across England. To qualify for entry students have to be in at least the top 5% academically and be given a strong testimonial from their school or college.

Totton College has recently passed the annual Ofsted inspection with flying colours. The colleges facilities for Sport and Performing Arts were singled out and described as outstanding. Teaching standards and results, already judged as good, have got even better since the last full inspection. Totton College is still judged outstanding in its response to education and to social inclusion. Only nine other sixth form colleges in England have been given this grading.

Tracie Currie is the Programmes Development Coordinator at the Forest First Children's Centre. With her help this excellent new Centre is providing support to families on the Waterside. As recognition of her success after retraining as an adult she has been short listed for a prestigious award from the 'National Institute of Adult Continuing Education'.

Forest First Children Centre, formally Blackfield and Calshot Surestart project is proud to be announced as the first designated children centre in the New Forest.

50 Sixth-form students representing teams from the South showed their solutions to real companies' engineering problems recently at HMS Collingwood. Teams of engineering experts assessed the students' ideas at the Engineering Education Scheme's annual 'Celebration and Assessment Day' and certificates were presented by Commander Lewis.

Local retailers attended a 'Know Your Banknotes' seminar held by the Bank of England at Bartley Lodge Hotel, Cadnam. The Bank of England chose Totton College's Services to Business to manage the event. Businesses learnt more about counterfeit notes and the precautions that retailers can take in order to counteract the problem.

Nikki Walton was having a difficult time at school. Things turned around when she was offered the opportunity to take a day a week from school and attend Totton College. Here she looked to the future and gained a vocational insight into her chosen career. Now she is studying hard for her exams and she hopes to achieve a CACHE Foundation Award in Caring for Children alongside her GSCE's.

The Pathway students at Totton College all have difficulties related to Autistic Spectrum Disorder, as well as moderate learning difficulties. The course they are on is designed to provide a structured first year at the college for these students, most of whom have come from small special schools.

Totton College is proud to have achieved 'Outstanding' for the promotion of equality and diversity in its last inspection. The College commitment to the promotion of equality has been reinforced by staff from the Equality and Diversity Team being the first in College to successfully complete the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Equality and Diversity. The staff were supported through the programme by the Equality and Diversity Coordinator.

Whether you're looking to change your career, further your existing qualifications or simply make the most of your spare time, Totton College has something to suit your requirements.

The Junction Road Centre will be officially opened on Friday 26 May at 12.00 noon. A special feature of the event will be the ribbon cutting by Principal; Mark Bramwell and the new leader of Totton and Eling Town Council; Councillor David Harrison.

2006 marks the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Marchwood Orchestra invites you to their celebratory concert at Hanger Farm Arts Centre. The performance will feature some of Mozart's best loved music, conducted by Tony Kitcherside

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service marked the launch of their Integrated Risk Management Plan at Totton College. Firefighters attended an engagement day as part of Totton College's Easter programme of events for its special needs and learning difficulty students. The students programme was broadened to include sessions with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service as part of their wider plan to save lives and property across the county.

Totton U3A was formed nearly 12 months ago with the help and support of Totton College when Sheila Webb, Adult & Part time Course Co-ordinator organised an 'interest' meeting at Hanger Farm Arts Centre when about 50 people attended. As well as celebrating their first anniversary in May, the group, which currently has 76 members, can now celebrate a successful Lottery bid which was supported by College Principal Mark Bramwell.

Current and Prospective students living on the Waterside and in parts of Central Southampton are set to benefit from an exciting new partnership between the college and Solent Blue Line to commence in September 2006. Following the successful Wilts and Dorset Bus Company scheme introduced last year that allows our Wiltshire based students free travel on the company's public services as well as the dedicated Totton College morning and afternoon service, a similar scheme has been negotiated with Solent Blue Line.

Totton College has an extensive Gifted and Talented Student Programme. This provides specialist mentoring, visits, Oxbridge Preparation, AS/A Critical Thinking, executive work placements and extensive careers and university preparation.

Eight Totton College Lower sixth students studying AS /A2 Travel & Tourism attended the Speak Easy Conference 2006.

The Right Reverend Paul Butler the Suffragan Bishop of Southampton visited Totton College for an eventful and challenging day. In the morning Bishop Paul met the Principal, Mark Bramwell, and the executive team as well as the college Chaplain, Chris Rowberry.

Students at Totton College have raised

Totton College is delighted to announce that Vanessa Moore was amongst the top scoring candidates in the summer 2005 examination.

Do you want a career in the RETAIL SECTOR?

In a report on the performance of students on Vocational Courses ending in 2005, Totton College has achieved high results.

Totton College Arts and Crafts courses now offer adults the opportunity to gain the NCFE Certification in Creative Crafts. College Staff are delighted with the September take-up of this new qualification by around 300 new and existing students. With changes in Government funding to skills development, subjects previously offered under the Leisure programme have been severely cut but students can now access a variety of art and craft subjects via the NCFE programme.

Professor William Wakeham, Vice Chancellor of the University of Southampton, attended a very successful Awards Evening at Totton College on 4 January 2006. Professor Wakeham presented special prizes and awards to over 30 students and A Level examination certification to many more.

A group of enthusiastic local learners enjoyed a FREE full day of Beauty skills training at the Waterside Skills Centre, Lunedale road.