March 2023
On 10 March a group of eight, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) A Level students were invited to take part in the self-titled 'toughest debate in the world' competition by Debating Matters charity.
RuTC's first year A Level students, Emily Johnson, Peyton Lewis-Williams, Eve Wilson, Evie March, Akash Rehinsi, Alice Mockett, Keira Napier and Cat Hay were chosen to take part in the national debate and faced Burgate School from Fordingbridge, Hampshire in the second semi-final round.
The topic of debate for both teams was, “Skills Gap: Too many people are going to University.” With Burgate answering for and RuTC against.
Burgate School won the debate against RuTC and went onto win the final against Queen Elizabeth Grammar School from Faversham, Kent debating “Tech companies should act to stop online misinformation.”
Kasim Agpak, Government and Politics teacher at RuTC was extremely proud of the participating students, he explains “When I first heard of this opportunity, I thought it would be a wonderful and useful experience for the students.
“Taking place in the House of Lords, the centre of political decision-making, there is nowhere more relevant to have these conversations.
I was so proud of their courage and enthusiasm to debate topics that are both currently affecting their lives and those that will do in the future, so all in all this experience was invaluable, totally priceless.”
Debating Matters is part of the Ideas Matter charity that seeks to renew social life through debate, discussion and education about the big ideas that have inspired humanity throughout history.
Learn more about studying A Levels at RuTC here
Images © House of Lords 2023 / photography by Roger Harris.
Earlier this month, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) student, Harshita Thakur who studies A Level Maths, Graphic Design and Physics, won a much coveted nationwide competition held by the Bank of England.
The competition offered a paid internship to a small group of students aged 16+ within the Bank of England's data and innovation team this summer.
To enter, students needed to create either a five minute video or a five-slide presentation, answering the question, 'How can artificial intelligence (AI) shape the mission of the Bank of England?'
Harshita created a brilliant five minute video which can be viewed here
Harshita's tutor, Kasim Agpak, was delighted with Harshita's accomplishment, saying “What a fantastic achievement for Harshita. Though, I am not surprised she has won, Harshita really is a perfect student.
“She attends all her lessons and her presence in the classroom makes a massive difference.
“Harshita absolutely deserves this experience and I am proud to be her tutor. I am certain this will be the start of an illustrious career for her.”
Harshita's internship will last 6 weeks and will be the perfect opportunity to prepare her for the world of work. She is overjoyed to have won the competition explaining, “I am extremely excited and grateful to have won the Bank of England's innovation competition.
“I plan to have a career in IT/AI and what better way to start off than by being a part of the Bank of England's data and technology team?
“I am looking forward to this internship and I hope that it will be fruitful.
Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Work experience co-ordinator at RuTC, arranged the college's involvement in the competition and was a key factor in Harshita's participation. He is extremely pleased that Harshita was able to attain a place in the competition, saying,
“Harshita is very focussed on what she wants to achieve both during her stint in the college, and in the future.
“She proactively worked on the Bank of England's Innovation Competition 2023, carrying out extensive research and attending the session with a bank data scientist in November.
“The content and the production of her presentation for the competition are testimonies of clear understanding and of the subject and digital skills. The role will also add to her confidence and boost her aspiration.
“Coming from India, Harshita has done well to adjust with the new realities of life and education. She has already completed a successful work placement with the global networking major Cisco in February.
“Harshita is a self-starter and quick learner with excellent communication, teamwork and inter-personal, and problem-solving skills. She will go far in the future.”
Learn more about studying A Levels at RuTC here
A packed Spirit of Rugby at Twickenham Stadium Friday raised the roof for the 'best of the best' businesses and charities in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Directors and their teams gathered for the Richmond Spring Ball and presentation of 2022 Awards by BAFTA's Anne Morrison and what a memorable evening it was!
Richmond Chamber of Commerce's Chief Executive Anne Newton who organised and hosted the event, thanked the independent judging panel for their professional and thoughtful deliberations, the sponsors for their incredible support and the many directors and their teams who had participated in this iconic event and celebrated with such gusto.
Twickenham MP Munira Wilson and Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney assisted on-stage with trophy presentations, Richmond Council's Leader Gareth Roberts and his Cllr colleagues stood 'shoulder-to-shoulder' in their praise of the winners' achievements and The Worshipful Mayor of Richmond upon Thames Cllr Cambridge kindly assisted winners in Oscar-worthy photo shoots on-stage.
Anne Newton Chief Executive of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, "We congratulate Richmond Upon Thames College on being awarded Highly Commended for Best Training and Development and Best Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility.
"There was such stiff competition and Richmond upon Thames College proved themselves worthy of these fantastic awards.
"Thank you to Richmond upon Thames College for sponsoring the 'Best Start up' Category and to Gavin Hughes for presenting the award to The Fat Badger Restaurant and Farm Shop.
"We all had such a good evening of celebrations and are very much looking forward to the next 2023 Awards Richmond Christmas Ball on 24 November at Twickenham Stadium." Tickets are bookable here.
Richmond upon Thames College has recently merged to become London's newest college group HRUC, Harrow Richmond and Uxbridge Colleges. To find out more about studying at RuTC, click here
On Wednesday 8th March Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) students celebrated International Women's Day 2023 (IWD) with this year's theme #EmbraceEquity.
Students visited the atrium to chat to staff members about their thoughts on how we can encourage change at RuTC and celebrate women.
RuTC's Student Engagement and Equalities Lead, Beth Pattison, and Equality and Diversity Champion, Shahbaz Hasan spent some time engaging with students and discussing the main themes around this year's IWD.
International Women's Day is important to celebrate as it supports social, economic, cultural and political advancement for women.
Each year, the day shows the progression we have made as a society but also further highlights what still needs to change.
At RuTC we are proud to have four female Heads of Schools/ Assistant Heads of Schools in our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) provision which is typically considered a male dominated area.
With the imminent start of our new STEM building which will house the latest industry standard state of the art equipment we hope to welcome more female students onto our STEM courses and help them on their STEM career journeys.
To find out more about the development of our new STEM building, click here
February 2023
At the beginning of February, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) and AFC Wimbledon launched the perfect way for students to map out a career in the sports industry.
Eighty students were given a glimpse of a new partnership that could open the door into an exciting world of opportunity.
As part of their visit, we announced the official link-up between the AFC Wimbledon Education Hub and Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges, London's newest college group. “Better together, stronger together”
The centrepiece of this exciting link-up is the AFC Wimbledon and HRUC Men's Football Development programme and Women's Football Academy.
Students enlisting for this course will benefit from our elite coaching and games programme, utilising the expertise of AFC Wimbledon Academy and our successful Women's team and staff.
In addition to this course, the Club will work closely with the college to develop work placement opportunities for those seeking careers in the industry to do with marketing, media, event management, commercial business, retail and catering and hospitality.
As well as being given stadium tours, students got to hear from Dons first-teamer Jack Currie, who combines playing with studying for a degree, and club staff about careers in sport.
AFC Wimbledon's Managing Director Danny Macklin said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Harrow, Richmond & Uxbridge Colleges.
The Club has at the centre of its planning a number of exciting educational projects and initiatives underway. After the launch of our partnership with HRUC we are very much looking forward to welcoming the first cohorts of participants.
“Through our set-up at the Cherry Red Records Stadium we believe we can provide an educational hub that inspires the local area and allow students, both young and old, to achieve their best.”
After earning a reputation for educational excellence, Richmond upon Thames College recently merged with Harrow & Uxbridge to become HRUC, a newest merged London College offering outstanding academic opportunities for thousands of students.
Sijul Miah, Head of School of Business and Industries at RuTC explained, “We are delighted to be working with AFC Wimbledon in this partnership to bring new opportunities to our students.
“Our partnership is designed to give students access to industry leading training and education tailored to individual needs with clear sights of career progression and development. We aim to nurture and develop students into professional athletes of the future”
A key aim of the partnership will be to pool expertise, resources and connections to support and develop young people to realise their potential. Students will be able to gain practical experience within the sports industry, therefore building upon skills gained in the classroom.
Sheila Fraser Whyte, HRUC Group Director for Partnership and Innovation at the College, added: “We are looking forward to working with AFC Wimbledon Education Hub and giving our students these exciting opportunities to engage in a wide range of skills development and career focused activities which is crucial for ensuring that students achieve their full potential and have the essential qualifications, skills and behaviours to progress”
For more information about courses offered by the partnership, please see the link below
Richmond upon Thames College | Top Academic and Vocational London College | Sport (rutc.ac.uk)
Sophie Millbank joined Richmond upon Thames College's Supported Learning department in September 2015 as part of Clarendon School Link, where she completed a Cookery and Recycling Course.
The course allowed Sophie to grow academically and socially and thanks to this, Sophie joined RuTC full-time in September 2016.
Sophie was also an instrumental member of sports teams competing in wheelchair basketball and football for the students with additional needs.
She progressed from Supported Learning and went on to complete Level 1 and Level 2 in both Food Preparation and Food Service.
Her attendance and punctuality were outstanding and her commitment to the course was second to none. She particularly excelled in front of house where she was very well liked, both in the canteen and the restaurant for her smile and politeness.
Daniele Giraud RuTC Catering teacher says “I am very confident Sophie will achieve a lot in her career as she has a great attitude and work ethic. Sophie tries her best in everything she does, with a smile every time. She will go far!”
Sophie decided to broaden her experience and she completed the L2 Health and Social Care programme and is currently a L3 2nd year Health and Social Care student.
She has had work experience at Clarendon Primary School as a Teaching Assistant and they loved her so much, she has now secured a permanent position. In addition, Sophie volunteered at Capella Speech and Language Primary School.
Shona Corben, ILS tutor at RuTC explains, “Sophie is a quiet joy. An extremely caring, attentive young woman, who goes the extra mile as a talented Teaching Assistant.
“Sophie became renowned to the Supported Learning team as a brilliant mentor, whilst supporting her peers in the classroom on work experience as a teaching assistant.
“Sophie is calm and knows how to get the best out of students, using quiet praise and comforting and encouraging words. I cannot wait to see what else the future holds for her.”
Learn more about studying Catering and Hospitality at RuTC here - Richmond upon Thames College | Top Academic and Vocational London College | Catering and Hospitality (rutc.ac.uk)
Last week, (6-12th February) Richmond upon Thames College, along with colleges around the country, celebrated NAW 2023. (National Apprenticeship Week)
National Apprenticeship Week is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of apprentices around the country and noticing the positive impact they can make to communities, organisations, individuals and the wider community.
As well as celebrating apprentices, the week also looked at the benefit of apprenticeships and what positive affect they can have on businesses, employers and educational institutions.
The theme of this year's NAW was 'Skills for Life' and on each day throughout the week, students at RuTC were given the opportunity to learn more about varying aspects of apprenticeships, the themes given were 'Employer Tuesday' 'Apprentice Wednesday' and 'Celebration Friday.'
On Wednesday morning, (15th) RuTC hosted an employer's breakfast event at the college, inviting the employers of the apprentices into the college to engage with others, learn more about what RuTC can offer and to discuss the many benefits of apprenticeships.
Sheila Fraser-Whyte, Director of Strategic Partnership & Innovation at RuTC enjoyed this year's National Apprenticeship Week, explaining “National Apprenticeship Week is an amazing opportunity for us to showcase our many brilliant apprentices and the employers that make it possible.
Apprenticeships are great for businesses, individuals and the economy and we often hear from apprentices how pleased they are to have chosen this path."
On Friday 3 February, RuTC's (Richmond upon Thames College) Supported Learning students won the Supported Learning Football League.
The Supported Learning Football League is hosted by Brentford Community Sports Trust.
However, this year the finale tournament took place at West Thames College, where RuTC's team played 4 group stage games against West Thames College and Burlington House.
The team finished second in the table, which saw them progress to the final of the tournament against West Thames.
The RuTC team worked hard for their win, training each Friday and working hard to make sure they were at the top of their game.
The team won the final with an excellent 2-0 win and deservedly lifted the trophy after playing fantastic football throughout the tournament.
Following their win, the team have been invited to play a match for the Brentford Community Sports Trust team as they face off against the Leicester City Community Sports Trust team on 18th March, after playing this match, the team will be watching the Brentford vs Leicester premier league fixture at the Brentford Community stadium.
Supported Learning teacher, Ryan Beard is thrilled at how well the team performed on the day, explaining 'I am very proud of the team and the way they carried themselves throughout the tournament. They have been working very hard in training and all their hard work has paid off".
Learn more about our Supported Learning Programme here - Richmond upon Thames College | Top Academic and Vocational London College | Supported Learning (rutc.ac.uk)
At the end of January, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) hosted the second Sightlines to Careers Week of 2023 which took off with an enthusiastic start, with several guest employers and professionals providing students vital and important information to enhance their skills and prepare them for the world of work.
The week was attended by several employers including Oxfam in the Third Sector, Cisco, a leading international networking company, Transport for London (TfL) and the NHS. Charles Horsey, a former TfL employee with over four decades experience in engineering, narrated his story to the Level 3 Engineering students.
James McLaverty from Oxfam also had an interesting narrative, telling students how he shifted into charity work from being a teacher. Like many of the teenage students, James was unclear what he was good at and instead listened to his heart in deciding his career pathways. For James, passion drives a person to a dream job. He underscored the importance of work experience as a precursor to apprenticeship and jobs.
Two practicing architects, Max Rengifo and Jo Peychava, from local firm WR-AP took the students on a journey down memory lane about how they reached the place where they are now.
Krzysztofa Gosk and Karina Boer from The Lensbury Hotel asked the Travel and Tourism and Catering students to be work-ready, with a good CV in place. While underlining the opportunities available in their companies, they advised the students to stand up to the challenges of a new world of work, post-Covid19.
For Mark Ormiston, from family-run company, Ormiston Wire, which has been in operation for over two centuries, it was an exercise to reminiscent the bygone days. He spoke at length to the Level 2 Engineering students, providing them a social history of how the trade has transformed over the years.
While Zoya Lodhia from Cisco was precise on the skills, qualities and qualifications necessary to step into a technology company and the digital age. She highlighted the Work Experience and Apprenticeship programmes run by Cisco. Last year two RuTC female students were selected for work experience in Cisco through a competitive process. In the current academic year, another two female RuTC students also saw the same success.
The week ended with a talk by Christine Caitlin, Deputy Director of NHS Trusts, Chelsea & Westminster and Hillingdon. Through engaging with the students, Christine was able to talk about what she has achieved from being a nurse and her rise to a directorial role in human resources and also promote the 60-hour volunteering scheme available in the two trusts she is associated with.
Tirthankar Bandyopadhyay, Work Experience Co-ordinator at RuTC, explains “Sightlines to Careers is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn from and find out more about the organisations which operate in various industries and how their subjects are relevant.
"These experiences can help students to secure their first role as well as offering them the chance to conceptualise in real life the subjects they have studied. It is also a great chance for employers to develop their social responsibility, by helping their community and inspiring students for the future.”
January 2023
Last week (16th - 20th January) Richmond upon Thames College is celebrating 'Wellbeing Week' during which, students and staff will engage in a number of activities to boost mindfulness and wellbeing going into the new year.
The week began with a swap-shop market in the college's atrium.
The swap shop is as it sounds, an opportunity for staff and students to swap unwanted Christmas gifts for something they prefer. Many donations were made, including candles, biscuits, panettone, chocolate, mugs and body wash kits and all were happily swapped for one another.
During the week, students also got involved in some art workshops including a 'positivity tree' and relaxing music was played throughout the week to encourage positive moods.
Beth Pattison, Student Engagement Lead at RuTC (Richmond upon Thames College) was thrilled at how students engaged with the week saying “This year's wellbeing week was a positive start to the new year; it allowed students a space to unwind and decompress in a calm and relaxed environment.
“Giving students the space and opportunity to share and learn is really important to us and we want to encourage as many healthy dialogues around mental health as often as possible.”
Wellbeing week kickstarted important conversations regarding mental health, including how to manage stress, how to keep your mind healthy and more, with students getting involved at each turn.