Weekly College Update

Friday 13th May

A big thank you this week  must go to our Mental Health Lead Catherine Pennington. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and students and staff have openly talked about their mental health and  have celebrated and considered how we can all be active citizens in supporting each other.  We recognise the ongoing need to openly talk and support each other, so if any parents or carers feel they need any advice then please do reach out to Catherine at cpennington@s6c.mlp.college.

On Thursday this week we held the first day of interviews for the new Head of College. This was a busy day with 10 panel members including the Trust CEO, Director of Education and Trustees along with our governors, governors from other MLP academies and an S6C parent volunteer.  I could not be more proud of how amazing our students and staff were.  As a result the candidates received a very clear message about how special S6C is.   I would like to say a massive thank you to all staff who were involved in the day as well as the following students who showed our college in an amazing light;

Emma B, Angus A, Abi L, Elizabeth G, Isabella B, Rafia M, Nick M, Chloe A, Immy C, Miranda P, Alanaha E, Evan H

The Trustees will be finalising their decision about the new appointment later today, and Sarah Busby, our CEO will share that decision with our community next week. 

I hope that students enjoy a restful weekend and that final preparations for first examination papers being sat next week go really well. If you haven’t already done so, do check out the document of how to prepare for exams which includes some great tips for your wellbeing including breakfast choices, sleep patterns and preparing for the exam day.  Here is the link to the S6C Exams page.

Best wishes, 

Louise

Head of College

Mental Health Awareness Week

Catherine Pennington, Mental Health Lead

 This year the theme is Loneliness which affects millions of people across the UK. 

Monday 9 May 2022 marked the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health.   Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, it is in its 22nd year. 

This year, the theme for the week is ‘Loneliness’. Across the country, people will be reflecting on loneliness and how it impacts our mental health. Many of us know people in our communities and families that have found the last 2 years really difficult to manage with the increased isolation and reduction of personal contact.  Long-term loneliness is closely linked to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. In Salisbury, S6C will be getting involved and posting our activities every day this week on our instagram Twitter, Facebook and our college weekly updates. We are aiming to raise the profile of ‘togetherness’ and and looking out for others in our communities. 

On Monday students decorated the college with green balloons and we handed out 200 green ribbons for bags, lanyards, hats and shirts; students said they were really glad to receive a ribbon and the balloons cheered up our environment and got our staff and student community talking.

On Tuesday, students designed informative posters and distributed The Student Guide to Loneliness.

On Wednesday students shared some green jelly over an open chat room to talk about their stress of the moment.

Thursday, lots of people in the college community wore Green and continue to spread the word.  

Friday we are actively encouraging everyone to connect with someone and remind them that they are there for them. We want our students to support our collective message,  sharing it on social media using the # I’ve Been There and Mental Health Awareness.

If you want to receive further information about this area of the curriculum please contact cpennington@s6c.mlp.college.

S6C Exams Update

Lisa Lucas, Exams Officer

Next week we have the following exams: 

Please continue to assist your young person in getting into college on time, calm and ready for their exam.  Please ensure they have a bottle of water with no label, a clear pencil case and wear something that is comfortable. Students will be supported by staff beforehand to prepare for their Energiser session.   If students are ill or late please ensure parents phone reception as soon as possible. 

S6C Careers

Rosie Roberts, Careers Lead

The careers programme this week has focused on matching skills and passions to students potential career pathways. Year 12 students received a talk from Charlotte Harrison, Director of Employability from the University of Portsmouth on Personal Brand and why it’s important to consider your core values and purpose as well as your skills and strengths when preparing to present yourself to employers. She encouraged students to consider their values and purpose when choosing a work experience placement to explore careers that they will find fulfilling and be passionate about. 

This would be a great conversation to continue at home, getting your young person to reflect on their strengths and to build confidence in being able to articulate them, rather than being too modest.  Our young people will be entering many competitive fields for their future careers and they need to project confidence in who they are.  

To increase our careers guidance on Apprenticeship pathways, we had a visit from 2 local apprenticeship employers on Wednesday this week. Sopra Steria and Fawcetts had stands at lunchtime with information about their apprenticeship vacancies and students were invited to talk to them about current and future vacancies. Further guidance about Apprenticeship pathways and opportunities will continue to be provided in the Careers Classroom as we are made aware of local opportunities that are being released. 

Year 13 Prom – Friday 1st July

A reminder to Year 13 that the Prom final ticket payment is due on the 6th June.  If you have not yet purchased your ticket, there is still time to book on.  Please speak to reception. 

Year 12 Fine Art

Sophie Bellars, Teacher of Art

Year 12 Fine Art students took a sunny stroll down to the Vanner Gallery this week. NO WOMAN IS AN ISLAND, is a multidisciplinary exhibition featuring sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, collage and ceramics. With the start of their Personal Investigation, worth 60% of their A Level, it was fantastic to see the students chatting, sketching and engaging with the artwork on display and chatting to the Director of the gallery David Christie.

“a standout for me was how the female nude was depicted through a series of three different paintings. This could help me develop my starting points in my own project”

Ash Capon

‘’The gallery was a great experience and a lot of the artwork there was beautiful’’.

Imogen Tan

A huge congratulations to all of our Year 13 Art and Photography students who completed their A Level this week. Our students produced a wide range of personal and thought provoking projects such as the meaning of desire, epigenetics, hidden mental health, phobias and our relationship with pets to name a few. You can see some of their work over the next few weeks on our instagram @s6cart