Education

04th Apr 2017

MK College offers Aspirational Alternative to Traditional Sixth Form

Following the announcement in January that Milton Keynes College has revised its Sixth Form offer, it can now reveal the exciting alternative routes available to students looking to accelerate their academic and career progression.  From September 2017 the College will replace GCSEs and A Levels as full time programmes of study with a bespoke selection of alternative courses, including Applied and Forensic Science and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.  Two new one-year qualifications will replace existing GCSE pathways; the BTEC First Diploma in Applied Science at Level 2, which is a practical, work related course, and good preparation for a career in science or for progression on to further study, and the BTEC Level 2 Award in Enterprise, providing students with a practical introduction to life and work as an entrepreneur.  For students wishing to study at Level 3, there will be three two-year pathways, including two single-subject qualifications; the BTEC Level 3..

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29th Mar 2017

Community Learning MK to offer leading accounting qualifications

Community Learning MK (CLMK) has been accredited by an internationally recognised body to deliver its accounting qualifications. AAT (The Association of Accounting Technicians)  is the UK’s leading qualification and professional body for technical accountants. Its range of qualifications is open to all regardless of previous qualifications or age, and includes the AAT Accounting Qualifications, as well as bookkeeping and other finance qualifications. CLMK, which is responsible for the council’s adult learning programme, will have room for up to 30 learners to study for Level 1 and Access courses in the AAT Accounting Qualification suite at the Rivers Centre in Bletchley. Courses start running from April 2017. Only AAT Approved training providers are allowed to deliver AAT qualifications and courses, and they must first go through a rigorous verification process. Students therefore know that registering with an AAT Approved training provider will ensure they receive the highest standard of teaching. Commenting..

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29th Mar 2017

MK College is named as one of the government’s first top-quality apprenticeship training providers

Milton Keynes College is proud to be one of the first organisations to be listed on a new register of top quality training providers, announced by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).  The register, which has been established to ensure that all training providers listed deliver courses with the needs of apprentices in mind, tailoring training to the requirements of the businesses in which they work.  The College undertook a rigorous assessment process in order to apply for a place on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP), and as a result of their successful application will be able to deliver apprenticeship training to levy-paying employers from as early as 1 May 2017.  The register is the first step in delivering the government’s wider reforms to make apprenticeships more rigorous, better structured, independently assessed and more clearly aligned to the needs of employers.  Anna Clarke,..

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27th Mar 2017

MK College catering courses awarded top industry accreditation

A culinary launch pad for many chefs who have moved onto prestigious restaurants, including Le Manoir, The Brasserie, the restaurant within Milton Keynes College’s catering department, has been awarded the coveted People 1st Gold Accreditation.  The accreditation, which is the highest standard for college catering excellence, follows The Brasserie’s AA College Rosette status of Highly Commended, awarded just last month.  The Gold Accreditation recognises the outstanding work and dedication placed on training students to be the hospitality staff and chefs of the future. It is awarded to colleges that achieve the best in their class and demonstrate a progressive and sustainable commitment to matching learners’ skills with employers’ needs.  Based within the catering department at Milton Keynes College, The Brasserie is a commercial restaurant open to public, staff and students alike. Using local ingredients, dishes are freshly prepared and served by students, under the watchful eye of a professional Head..

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21st Mar 2017

Acorn Childcare awarded Silver Food for Life catering mark

Acorn Childcare achieves the Soil Association’s Silver Food for Life Catering Mark for serving fresh and healthy meals in its day nurseries across Milton Keynes More and more, parents are keen to know where the food they serve to their children comes from and how it has been made.  As a Silver Food for Life Catering award-holder, and after a rigorous on-site inspection, Acorn Childcare  have proved that they prepare meals using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients, free from controversial e-numbers (at least 5% of ingredients are organic). They are also making healthy eating the easy option. Acorn Childcare have worked hard to build a sustainable supply chain, keen to ensure that they are using local producers, that the meat they buy is from farms with animal welfare standards and the fish is from Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) sustainable fish stocks. Commenting on their achievement, Zoe Raven, CEO of Acorn Childcare..

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19th Mar 2017

Alistair Patrick-Heselton, Paralympic Silver Medallist delivers Sky Sports’ Initiative Living...

Alistair Patrick-Heselton, Paralympic Silver Medallist visited The Webber Independent School last month to deliver Sky Sports' Initiative Living for Sport. The Living for Sport initiative, delivered through Sky Sports and in partnership with Youth Sport Trust, is designed to help young people develop valuable skills that will help them in and outside of school. The programme explores the six keys to success through interactive discussion and games; it focuses on building skills through using various learning techniques, and is delivered by mentors like Alistair that have had experience in sport and overcoming adversity. The six keys to success are: 1.      Mental toughness 2.      Hunger to achieve 3.      People skills 4.      Sports and life knowledge 5.      Breaking barriers 6.      Planning for success The interactive skills based training, which put the theory session into practice, demonstrated to our young people that through the use of problem-solving, communication and people skills they could achieve success of their shared goals. The interactive..

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19th Mar 2017

Former Student picks up £2,000 to Support Training towards Tokyo Paralympics

Emmanuel Filson, former Milton Keynes College Student and Tokyo 2020 hopeful, has been awarded a cheque for £2,000 from Milton Keynes Sporting Lunch Club, as part of its funding for SportsAid.  The Wheelchair Basketball Athlete, who was a London 2012 Paralympic Flag bearer, was presented the cheque by Jeff Probyn, former England Rugby Union player, and Jane Horridge, Commercial Director at MK College, at the MK Sporting Lunch on Friday 3 March.  The lunch club raises money for the national charity for sport, which works with sports governing bodies to support more than 2,000 talented young sports people each year.  Jane Horridge was thrilled to present the funding to the former MK College student and explained: “I was very proud to hear of the fantastic achievements of one of our former students, and of his ambitions for sporting success in the future. I hope that the money from SportsAid will..

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08th Mar 2017

March is Apprenticeship Month for MK College

With National Apprenticeship Week in full swing and Milton Keynes College looking forward to The National Apprenticeship Show on 13 and 14 March, this month is all about apprenticeships. Anna Clarke, Head of Apprenticeships at Milton Keynes College gives us an insight into the new Apprenticeship Reforms.  We are entering an exciting year in the world of apprenticeships, marking the transition from existing frameworks to new apprenticeship standards. With employers now firmly in the driving seat, the new reforms look set to take the quality and quantity of apprenticeships up a gear.  The reforms, which come into force in April 2017, will give employers more control over designing, choosing and paying for training, and for small to medium-sized enterprises there are now huge economic advantages to employing apprentices.  With 90% of SMEs paying just a 10% contribution towards the cost of training and those with fewer than 50 employees being..

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24th Feb 2017

MK College 2017 Ambassador and Partners Programme announced

Milton Keynes College has unveiled the identity of the local individuals and organisations who will be joining its prestigious 2017 Partners’ Programme. Offering a route for local organisations to strengthen their business capabilities by tapping into the vast learning opportunities and provision of sustainable employability skills the College has to offer, the Partners’ Programme supports businesses of all shapes and sizes across the City. Created in 2014, the Partnership Programme also underpins MK College’s corporate social responsibility bid, which was recently recognised by the Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards under the Community Impact category. As the leading Further Education provider in the area, MK College’s Partners’ Programme offers a variety of options and benefits to organisations including discounted room hire, preferential options on major sponsorship events and use of the ‘Official Partner of MK College’ logo and name. With three defined routes leading into a partnerships with the College, each..

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24th Feb 2017

Call for aspiring teachers to join ‘Train to Teach’ roadshow in Milton Keynes

Aspiring teachers from Milton Keynes with the passion and potential to teach are being encouraged to attend the Train to Teach roadshow when it comes to The Jurys Inn Milton Keynes on Thursday 2 March. Visitors to the event, organised by the National College for Teaching and Leadership, will be able to meet representatives from schools and universities that provide teacher training, gain insights into how to make a strong application, and receive one-to-one advice from current teachers and teaching experts. The event will provide information on the competitive starting salaries, as well as the rewards that teaching has to offer. It will also showcase the financial support available - you could get a £25,000 tax-free bursary to train as a teacher. Applications for teacher training are open and popular courses fill up fast. Roger Pope, Chair of the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), an executive agency of..

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05th Feb 2017

Portfields School encourages pupils to walk or cycle to school

Cllr Liz Gifford, Cabinet Member for Place met with pupils from Portfields Combined School in Newport Pagnell to officially launch their Active Travel Maps scheme last week to encourage more walking, cycling and scooting to school. The free active maps are a guide on how to travel to school safely along the footpaths and Redways. It also includes a 10-minute walking zone in all directions from the school. The Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) at the school helped to create the Active Travel Maps – just one of the many road safety initiatives they have been involved with and part of the Council’s Get Smarter Travel programme. Portfields School has earned the title of ‘Silver School’ in the STARS scheme - a national award which recognises their excellence in commitment to active and sustainable travel. The school’s JRSOs have been involved with a number of initiatives at the school including..

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26th Jan 2017

Denbigh Scores ‘Double Top’ as Again it Adds Most Value at A Level

Denbigh School has outperformed all other comprehensive schools in over 850 square miles, in terms of how much progress its students make between their GCSEs and A Levels. The Department of Education (DfE) Performance Tables, published in January, show that Denbigh has doubled its score on last year and is still achieving significantly above the national average. Responding to this fantastic news, Headteacher Andy Squires enthused: “Academic excellence is what we strive for at Denbigh School. It is fantastic that for the second year running our track record of success continues, with results showing that our students make outstanding progress from their GCSEs to their A Levels, whatever their starting point. “Denbigh offers the very best opportunity for students to flourish and achieve in what we believe is an inspiring school environment, giving them the best chance for academic attainment whilst studying and beyond their school years. Last year alone,..

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14th Jan 2017

Milton Keynes Primary PRU Awarded Asthma Friendly School Status

Milton Keynes Primary PRU has been officially awarded “Asthma Friendly Status” which is the first time a school in Milton Keynes has been awarded this accolade. Milton Keynes Primary PRU has developed a strategy to support the whole school community in understanding and managing asthma. To be recognised as an Asthma Friendly School, a school must address a set of criteria that establishes an Asthma Friendly environment and meets current legislation from the Department of Health guidelines. These criteria are: Develop, adopt and implement an Asthma Policy Develop an asthma register – hold a list of all children who have asthma/inhalers in school that is easily accessible, Children to have immediate access to their own inhalers Purchase of an emergency inhaler and spacer as per Department of Health guidelines. The benefits of becoming an Asthma Friendly School include: Improving asthma awareness and management in school Improving support to students with asthma encouraging..

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09th Jan 2017

No better time to start school in MK: Don’t forget to apply...

Parents and carers with children who are due to start school for the first time or transfer from infant to junior school in September 2017 are being reminded to apply for a school place in plenty of time before the deadline on Sunday 15 January 2017. The easiest way to make an application is by visiting the council’s website at  www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/schooladmissions  The process is quick and simple, and once it is started you can revisit your application and make amendments at any time before midnight on 15 January. Councillor Zoe Nolan, Lead Member for Children said: “There has never been a better time to be at school in Milton Keynes. Our schools are performing better than ever with the majority rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, and recent figures show that by the end of primary school, pupils are performing better than the national average. “With the festive season behind..

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03rd Jan 2017

Talented Brothers Taste Taekwon-Do Success

Talented St Paul’s pupils Hamzah and Dawud Malik are making a name for themselves in International Taekwon-Do with both of them winning bronze medals in this year’s ITF World Championships in Brighton where 45 countries competed. The brothers, who were inspired by their dad and by watching martial arts films, took up Taekwon-Do when they were aged just eight and six.  They are both members of the Chand Institute of Taekwon-Do where they train for six hours every week.  Hamzah is in Year 10 and Dawud is in Year 8. Dawud said:  “I like the fighting and the technical side of Taekwondo – you’re always learning something new.”  Hamzah added:  “Taekwon-Do also builds respect for elders.” Speaking about their achievements, Miss Sarah Wainwright – PE Teacher, said:  “I am so impressed by both of their achievements and the commitment they put into the sport, on top of the work they..

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