Come along to our first open event of the year on Saturday 13th October 2018 from 10am-2pm.

Come and see why we consistently achieve outstanding results and see why we are one of the top 5 sixth form colleges in the country for student achievement! In 2018 our results were:

100% pass rate for A-Level with 55% A*-B grades and 82% A*-C.

100% pass rate for BTEC with an incredible 91% achieving Distinction or Distinction*.

Hear the Principal’s presentation, explore our wide range of A-Levels and Level 3 BTECs, meet students and staff from all our departments, find out about our extensive enrichment programme and independent learning culture, see our fantastic modern campus, see our expanded social spaces, meet our support teams including Progress Tutors and Study Support, take part in classroom activities, be entertained by our music and performing arts students, grab a drink including Starbucks coffee, plus much more!

Arrive early as on-site parking is limited. The college is only moments away from Pontefract Park and Pontefract Tanshelf train station:

New College
Park Lane
Pontefract
WF8 4QR

We look forward to welcoming everyone!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media @ncpontefract

7 music students from New College Pontefract have excelled themselves in their ABRSM and RockSchool music examinations in the Summer session. The students study music, have instrumental lessons, or have attended a music enrichment offered at the college.

The achievements include:

Alfie Harding – Drums Grade 6

Alex Wardle – Drums Grade 6 with Distinction

Amelia Thackery – Grade 8 singing with distinction and passed RSCM gold award.

George Evans – Grade 5 theory with Distinction

Charlotte Lister – Grade 5 theory with Merit

Ruby Oldknow – grade 7 Flute with Distinction

Lauren Prideaux – Grade 8 Flute with Distinction

Shona Fitzpatrick – Piano Grade 6

Lucy Mulheir – Grade 7 Flute

Amelia Thackery, who was awarded the RSCM gold award, which is the highest award within choral music, said, “The grade 8 singing went really well, it was a long awaited exam, so I am very pleased to have gotten such a high mark.

Head of the school of Performing Arts at New College, Michelle Colville, said, “They have worked really hard and spent many hours rehearsing to achieve these grades in addition to their college studies. We are really proud of all of them.”

Photo left to right:

Lauren Prideaux, Charlotte Lister, Amelia Thackery, Alfie Harding, Shona Fitzpatrick, Ruby Oldknow and George Evans in the Music department at New College Pontefract.

New College Pontefract’s parent trust has won a national award for leadership in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

The New Collaborative Learning Trust won the Leaders in Diversity Award following a rigorous assessment based on various criteria, including staff interviews and student surveys. The trust’s staff were praised for a commitment to building a culture of fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion and engagement.

Solat Chaudhry, Chief Executive of the National Centre for Diversity, commented “We are delighted that the New Collaborative Learning Trust have achieved the highly sought-after Leaders in Diversity Award, and I would like to extend our congratulations to their leaders, staff and learners on their success to date.”

Lauren Walker, Director of Human Resources, said: “As New College Pontefract, we held the Leaders in Diversity Award for a number of years and I am really pleased that we have now been successful in replicating this good practice and achieving the standard as New Collaborative Learning Trust. This demonstrates our deep commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion across all our colleges and as fundamental core values of our Trust.

“The Leaders in Diversity standard has helped New Collaborative Learning Trust to focus on developing real measureable change and has set us on a strong journey towards becoming a leader in this area.”

Equality, diversity and inclusion are issues that are regularly discussed amongst staff and between teachers and students, whose enthusiasm for engaging with real-world issues marks them out as rounded and mature young people.

Tickets are on sale for our variety event (Lest We Forget)on 8/11 to commemorate all those who lost their lives in war. Dance, Drama and Music students are involved, mainly from our enrichment groups. The Corps of Drums from the “Yorkshire Volunteers Band” are also making an appearance. Tickets are £3 and £1.50 and all money will go to Help the Heroes. Please support our students and this brilliant charity.

The trust behind two of the region’s key sixth form colleges has been recognised by a national body responsible for raising standards in leadership.

The New Collaborative Learning Trust has been awarded the Investors in People standard, a signal that the trust is matching the highest standards across the country. The award followed an intensive two-day assessment of staff and systems at both New College Pontefract and New College Doncaster.

“We are extremely proud that New Collaborative Learning Trust has been awarded the IIP standard,” said Director of HR, Lauren Walker. “We strive to be an employer of choice, and this award recognises us for investing in and valuing our staff, and embracing continuous change and improvement in the pursuit of continued high performance.”

The IIP was established in 1991, and is an independent, not-for-profit company that works with thousands of organisations across the country.

Visit us on our open evening on Wednesday 14 November from 5pm-8pm.

After an A-Level review of marking, our 2018 results are now:

100% pass rate for A-Level with a college record 57.4% A*-B grades and 83% A*-C.

100% pass rate for BTEC with an incredible 91% achieving Distinction or Distinction*.

Come and see why we consistently achieve these outstanding results and see why we are one of the top 5 sixth form colleges in the country for student achievement!

Speak to students and staff from all our departments, hear the Principal’s presentations, explore our wide range of A-Levels and Level 3 BTECs, find out about our extensive enrichment programme and independent learning culture, see our fantastic modern campus, see our expanded social spaces, meet our support teams including Progress Tutors and Study Support, take part in classroom activities, grab a drink including Starbucks coffee, plus much more!

Arrive early as on-site parking is limited. The college is only moments away from Pontefract Park and Pontefract Tanshelf train station:

New College
Park Lane
Pontefract
WF8 4QR

We look forward to welcoming everyone!

Don’t forget to follow us on social media @ncpontefract

Parents’ Evening is taking place over 2 sessions on Tuesday 20 November. 1:00pm-3:30pm and 4:30pm-7:30pm.

Students will be finishing at 12:10pm with buses departing at 12:15pm.

If you haven’t booked already then you can use the online booking system at:

Parents’ Evening system guide

New College Pontefract has seen a significant increase in the number of female students taking up their BTEC Games Design course. Students at the top-ranked sixth form college have been challenging gender stereotypes about the gaming industry, making in-roads in an area once seen as an almost exclusively male domain.

“We have seen the largest number of female students enrolled on our Games Design courses. We are thrilled with this because it reflects the growing trend within the industry of the increase in female game professionals,” said Anna Levick-Briggs, Head of School, Creative and Digital Technology School. “Traditionally careers in the games industry have been seen as jobs for the boys and our female students are leading the way in dispelling that myth.”

The increase in female students is one of the first steps to changing the industry, something recognised by local employers.

“It’s fantastic that New College have a higher intake of female students this year, because it’s really important that the industry grows to have a greater representation of female developers,” said Sitara Shefta, Head of Production at Dream Reality Interactive. “The best games are made by diverse teams, because you get input from so many different perspectives and so reach out to much a wider audience.”

Sitara regularly comes back to her former sixth form college to talk to students.

“It’s still not a well-known prospect for many students and parents, despite it being a huge creative sector in both the UK and Yorkshire.”

Back Row left to right

Grace Thorp

Hannah Bellwood

Megan Middleton

Elysha Ross

Lana Burke

Emily Viney

Olivia Gowland

Front row left to right

Orsolya Klimo

Lily Scarr

Olivia Foster

Emily Wood

Saffron Higgins

Sophie Barnard

New College’s Performing Arts department commemorated the 100 year anniversary of the end of WW1 this month with a moving performance for parents, staff and students.

Commemorating the men and women who have lost their lives in war, the performances involved both curriculum and enrichment groups, giving them a platform to demonstrate their musical, dramatic and dancing abilities. There was a huge variety of acts consisting of tap dancers, brass group, choir, sketches from “Oh, What a Lovely War” and “Dad’s Army”, along with communal singing of World War I songs for the finale number.

The Corps of Drums from the Yorkshire Volunteers Band made a special appearance, whilst the evening culminated with “The Last Post” played by Charlotte Atkinson, giving the audience and students time to reflect on the reason for the evening.

Michelle Colvill, Head of School for the Performing Arts, said: ‘This was an inspirational evening, with moments of comedy, sadness and enjoyment. The students were superb and their commitment to remembering those who died in war was commendable. We have some truly talented students and it is a pleasure to work with these young people.’

The event also raised £222.20 for Help the Heroes, a British charity helping to provide better facilities for British servicemen and women who have been wounded or injured in the line of duty.

New College Pontefract student, Paul Brennan, 16 from Normanton, has won a prestigious national cyber security competition. Paul, along with his team ‘The Breachy Boys’, came first in the Cyber Discovery Manchester event. There were 170 students at the event in Manchester, who were selected to compete from amongst thousands of students who applied across the country.

Cyber Discovery is an integral component of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy, providing young people with an opportunity to begin the journey towards an exciting and challenging career in a field that is facing a significant shortage of trained professionals.

Paul, who studies Mathematics, Computer Science and Information Technology at New College, said: “ Cyber Discovery is like nothing I’ve seen before, it was a incredible opportunity and I’d recommend it to anyone who is looking to go into the cyber security industry. “

Lee Paton, who teaches IT at the college, said: “It’s a great achievement for Paul and his team. At a time when the media is full of stories about hackers and digital espionage, it’s great to know there are those who choose to educate themselves in cyber security so that one day we may be completely secured from these threats.”

New College Pontefract students, Charlotte Atkinson and Mikey Foley-Hall, have been successful in gaining entry to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

The two students were among many hundreds of young people to apply for a place at the new £57 million teaching and performance facility, the first of its kind in the heart of Birmingham.

“I am so thankful to have been awarded a guaranteed conditional place to study cornet at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire,” said Charlotte. “During the audition I performed the first two movements of the Denis Wright Concerto, a polka by Allen Vizzutti, and sight reading.

“I then had an interview which provided me with the opportunity to express my passion for music and explain why I believed I deserved a place.”

Charlotte is looking forward to joining various ensembles in Birmingham, in order to continue her development as a performer. This will provide her with the experience she needs to take the next step in her career as a musician.

“I cannot believe that I have been awarded a guaranteed conditional place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and I am so thankful for the endless support provided by my teachers which enabled my dream to become a reality.”

Head of the School of Performing Arts at New College, Michelle Colvill, said, “Both Charlotte and Miley are extremely talented musicians and fully deserve their places at the Conservatoire. We are really proud of all of them.”

The conservatoire was granted Royal status by Queen Elizabeth II in September 2017

(Photo – Charlotte Atkinson left,   Miley Foley-Hall right)

Music, Performing Arts and Music Enrichment groups came together at St. Giles Church in Pontefract today to put on a Christmas concert. Check out our gallery of photos from the event here:

Developing strong links with the wider community helps New College students grow into mature young adults. Students and staff contributed a range of items to a gift drive, which members of the Student Executive at New College Pontefract then delivered to Pinderfields Hospital Children’s Ward in Wakefield.

As part of the group’s charity fundraising events, members of the college were asked to donate gifts that could be then given to children who would be spending Christmas in the hospital. Organiser Jack Berry said, “We received over 70 gifts. All the hard work put into making this happen paid off when we saw the children smile.”

Gareth Dodson, Marketing Manager at New College Pontefract, said, “The Student Executive group have worked incredibly hard with their fundraising activities over the last couple of months. The generosity shown by students and staff has been wonderful and really shows the community spirit that exists here at the college.”

Students of the Executive donating gifts to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield

New College Pontefract Textiles students have been working on a catwalk brief to produce ‘Objects of Desire’ for a project inspired by the company ‘Anthropologie.’ Cath Gray, Textiles tutor said “We get the students to discuss employability and where their studies could lead them. Currently we have past/ex students who design for big name companies such as ASOS and Charlotte Tilbury and it’s good for the students to think about their creative futures. The students have been working hard over the past few weeks to create one off pieces for a catwalk show using techniques taught in the first half term. There was a real mix of production on show from clothing, bags, scarves, footwear and jewellery to homeware pieces.”

Year 12 students, Ellis Howell, Evey Kozlowski and Rachel Hobkinson said “It made everyone in the group bond. We helped each other get ready with hair and make-up. We loved how much freedom we got and how we could really showcase the different types of making possible in Textiles. 

Kiran Graham and Illisha Aldridge said “The catwalk event showcased every student’s creativity. It allowed us to work independently or collectively to make something we could be proud of. The catwalk was a very exciting experience, It was a brilliant way to bring the class together.

Cellist Richards, Jade England, and Sophie Glew said” It was interesting to see everybody’s end creations  being given we were all using inspiration from the same two or three artists. It also gave us an insight into possible career options in the future. Next stop we could be showcasing in London, Paris or New York. Watch this space!

Students at New College Pontefract had a great opportunity to learn and develop their skills when PhD students from the University of Leeds paid them a visit to present a STEM challenge. Y13 students studying both Maths and Science courses were treated to the guest lecture, and then presented with an engineering-themed challenge which was centred around developing their skillset for future growth. A big thank you to Leeds University for giving up their time, our students will really benefit from the afternoon.

New College Pontefract’s Y12 students of Business made the most of a fantastic opportunity on Wednesday when they were visited by representatives of the National Skills Challenge for 2019 in partnership with Natwest. The aim of the campaign is to develop individual and interpersonal competencies of students by designing tasks that require a vast number of skills to be applied to complete challenges. Students worked in small groups throughout the day, and pitched their final projects in front of a panel that included last year’s winners. After some debate between the judges, the winning group were selected to come up and receive certificates, and will visit London for the next stage of the challenge in April.

New College’s consistency as a provider of excellent post-16 education has once again come into the spotlight with the release of the latest figures from the Department for Education (DfE).

The figures, based on last summer’s A-Level results, show that whatever post-16 option you are considering – school sixth forms, FE colleges, a sixth form college or a private school – New College Pontefract has the highest value added score of any provider in the Wakefield area.

Value added scores are used by the DfE to measure how much progress students make above and beyond what they would be expected to achieve given their previous GCSE results. They provide a good way of comparing how well students are likely to do at different schools and colleges.

New College’s value added score compared to the national average for A-Levels was +0.17. This means that not only was New College’s performance in 2017-18 above other local providers, it is also above the national average.

“We’re delighted by the DfE’s data,” said Richard Fletcher, Principal of New College Pontefract. “It confirms the message we have been giving parents and students for several years, which is that if you want a specialist provider of post-16 education, we are the best in the Wakefield area for A-Level provision.”

The full tables can be found by visiting www.ncpontefract.ac.uk/how-do-we-compare

New College’s final Open Evening of the academic year is Thursday March 21st, from 5.00 to 7.00pm.

New College’s Public Services student, Stephanie Fishwick, 17 from Pontefract, is currently starring in Channel 5’s ‘Raw Recruits’ which follows the basic training course taken by Britain’s junior soldiers at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.

Stephanie said “I signed up to the Army at aged 15 and started [at the Army Foundation College] on March 4th 2018, and began the roller coaster you can see on TV.”

Stephanie’s time in Harrogate was not always easy.

“After a gruelling 5 months, I was held back due to injury and wasn’t able to progress onto phase two. I was then told I would have to re-do the whole course. I then made the decision to leave the army and come to study the BTEC Level 3 Public Services course at New College Pontefract.”

Attending New College means that Stephanie will be able to gain the required UCAS points needed to attend The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and commission as an officer.

“New College have been very supportive of me between my transition from regimental life to life as a student.”

New College teacher of Public Services, Ellie Smith, said, “Stephanie is a fantastic student to teach. She has an excellent attitude towards lessons and will put 100% effort into every task or practical she is involved in. Her involvement with ‘Raw Recruits’ has provided her with skills and knowledge which she can apply to her coursework. I’m certain she will excel at any career she chooses to pursue in the army after she has gained her expected high grades at New College.”

Our final open event of the academic year takes place on Thursday 21st March 2019 from 5-7pm.

This is a great opportunity to come in and speak to students and staff in all of our subject areas. Come and find out about our wide range of A-Levels and Level 3 BTECs and sample the unique atmosphere that makes New College the outstanding choice to study post-16.

Have you already applied but are unsure about your subject choices?

Don’t worry, there will be a specialist team set up and ready to assist you on the evening. You can also apply on the night if you not done so already.

Even if you have already visited us before, it’s a great chance for a last look around and cement your subject choices.

Our support teams will be on hand for information regarding careers, work experience, SEND, plus much more.

We look forward to welcoming you.

New College
Park Lane
Pontefract
WF8 4QR

01977 702139
enquiries@ncpontefract.ac.uk

Business students from New College have reached the semi-final round of a national business event. They achieved 47^th place out of over 5600 groups, gaining them automatic qualification to the semi-final round. Student

Thomas Bartle, Louis Skerrett, Joshua Rodriguez and Victor Tang form the Electronic Smarts team, and they will compete over four weeks starting from the 18th Feb in a set of challenges that requires them to assess and predict what the price of a variety of stocks and shares will be. If they are part of the highest scoring teams by the end of this, then they will go to the Live National Finals. If they win this, they receive a week long all expense paid trip to New York.

“I think that the best part was the excitement of seeing our position go up and down,” said Louis Skerrett. “We were practically at rock bottom during parts of the practice game. We learnt a lot about looking into stock stats through Bloomberg to predict future performance as well as developing our teamwork.”

Victor Tang agreed. “I found the experience very useful as it help our communication skills. The experience greatly strengthened our cooperation with each other.”

Business Studies teacher Paul Hunt has been delighted with their progress. “I have found them to be enthusiastic, keen to learn and willing to give it a go. What has been pleasing to witness is the speed at which they have adopted specific strategies that have proved to have the biggest payoff. Regardless of that outcome, this is a fantastic achievement to reach this stage of the competition and I am very proud of their efforts. Good luck gents!”