On 21 September, RuTC students enthusiastically started the new term and their new college by joining in RuTC’s annual Freshers’ Fair.

Freshers’ Fair is a chance for both new and current students to reintegrate into college life, by learning about what the college has to offer in terms of extra-curricular opportunities including sports teams, clubs and many more.

The Fair included stalls by Virgin Active, Heatham House, Metropolitan Police, METRO charity and highlighted what resources and opportunities are available to young people in the local area.

Students also had great fun racing one another in the Sports Hall on the college’s inflatable assault course.

Rachel Scarborough, Director of Student Services at RuTC, was pleased with the strong turnout and buzzy atmosphere and said, “This years Freshers Fair has been amazing!

“We’ve had a brilliant turn out of students looking to get involved and plenty of sweets, stalls and activities to go around.

“The Fair is a great chance for students to meet new friends and get a real taste of what is on offer here and in the local area during their time at RuTC.”

Learn more about studying at RuTC here 

Last year, Richmond upon Thames College (RuTC) welcomed long awaited therapy dog, Fred, to its new campus building.

Thanks to his owner, Tina Ball (Attendance, Engagement and Outreach Lead at RuTC), Fred soon became a friend to students and staff alike.

One student who particularly bonded with and benefited from interacting with Fred and the rest of the Student Services team, was Alex Johnson.

Alex joined RuTC in 2020 but due to anxiety, only began engaging with the Student Services the following year.

Alex immediately bonded with Fred, finding his calming presence kept them feeling positive about his studies and personal life.

With this assistance, Alex’s attendance and grades greatly improved. Fred sat with Alex, who was feeling stressed and anxious during their final exams, helping them to relax and ultimately, assisted them in doing their absolute best.

Alex did brilliantly in their exams, achieving a C and A in his A Levels and in late September they are heading to their first-choice university, St Mary’s, Twickenham to study Criminology and Sociology.

Alex looks back at their time at college and the impact Fred had on them fondly, explaining, “Looking back, there is a big difference between me when I started here and when I left.

“I have become more confident, and my attendance improved as I knew there was always somewhere safe for me to go if it all got too much.

“I really would not be where I am now and wouldn't feel as hopeful for the future without the support I had from the Student Services team including Fred.

“It was like having your own set of cheerleaders, they support you, no matter who you are or what you’re struggling with and they have made an enormous difference in my life.”

Learn more about studying A Levels at RuTC here 

Richmond upon Thames College’s Teaching and Learning Manager, Kirstie White, alongside the rest of the Oval Invincibles team, won the women’s ‘The Hundred’ championship on Saturday 3 September at the famous Lord’s cricket ground in London.

The Oval Invincibles, won the championship title for the second year in a row, beating the Southern Brave ladies by five wickets in a repeat of last year's final match.

Kirstie was both overjoyed and proud of her experience of the championship with the Oval Invincibles for winning their second Hundred in a row.

She explains, “Playing in The Hundred has been a phenomenal experience. It has been really amazing to see how much the women’s game has grown, especially winning the competition in front of 20,00 people at Lords.

“August has been a month of hard graft, intense training and coach journeys, but alongside this I have made some seriously good memories with an amazing group of girls. Playing against and alongside some of the best players in world cricket will be an experience I will never forget.”

Learn more about studying Sport at RuTC here.

All photo credits belong to Dave Vokes Photography.

• ·         Representatives from Richmond upon Thames College and University College Union            attended two meetings at ACAS to resolve a trade dispute concerning changes to                  Terms and Conditions.
• ·         Both UCU and College colleagues engaged in the discussions. 
• ·         No agreement was reached.

Proposals were discussed after the consultation period closed in May and the sole proposal made by UCU in August 2022 had significant financial and recruitment-related implications that the College does not feel are in the best interests of our teaching staff or students. Furthermore, the College has a moral obligation to honour the new contract to which the significant majority of current RuTC teaching staff have signed over the last three months. In addition, all newly-appointed staff have been recruited on these more favourable terms and conditions and the College must honour this. This contract has an increased new salary scale, benchmarked with the sector, without an associated increase in workload. RuTC now offers a competitive salary in this very difficult recruitment climate which gives a welcome increase in earnings at a time of significant cost-of-living rises. We are implementing an exciting new teaching staff development programme and we have created space for teachers to collaborate and reflect, with additional time for planning, preparation, assessment and support for students for which teachers will be fully remunerated.

The College is disappointed that UCU colleagues are striking on Monday 5th September, which is the beginning of the term for new students who have secured their college place. For our students this an exciting opportunity and a new future and a time to immerse themselves in our vibrant and diverse student community. We hope that UCU will recognise how important this time is for our students whose education and learning experience have already been penalised through the impact of the pandemic and that they cancel the strike action. 

It is the leadership team’s sincere hope that we can now move on and begin to rebuild morale and relationships with a view to working together to achieve whole-college improvements in the student experience.