School Pupils Graduate from Vocational Programmes at @DerbyCollege

More than 100 pupils from schools across Derby and Derbyshire have graduated from vocational study programmes at Derby College.

Pupils were joined by more than 100 guests, including their families, teachers and head teachers from the schools for the Pre-16 graduation ceremony at Derby College’s the Roundhouse campus in Pride Park to celebrate their success.

Year 11 graduates were from Murray Park Community School, Allestree Woodlands, Merrill Academy, Landau Forte College, The Ecclesbourne School, Brookfield Community School, Brackenfield School, Tibshelf Community School, St Martin’s, Wilsthorpe Community School, The Bemrose School, Da Vinci Academy, Lees Brook Community School, Saint Benedict Catholic Voluntary Academy, John Flamsteed Community School, Littleover Community School and John Port School.

They were presented with certificates to mark the end of two years’ work at Derby College and many of the students will now be returning to the College on full time programmes in September.

Special recognition certificates were awarded to the ‘Most Outstanding’ and ‘Most Improved’ pupils in each vocational area and a Year 10 pupil from each academy was also honoured under the ‘Rising Stars’ awards.

In Hair and Beauty, the Year 10 Rising Star award went to Chloe Farrant from Ormiston Ilkeston Enterprise Academy.

Brackenfield School pupils Chloe Robinson and Lewis Stocker were awarded most outstanding and most improved awards and fellow student Elliot Brown won the Rising Star award in the Foundation Skills Academy.

In the Land-based academy, Connor Parker from Tibshelf Community School won most outstanding, with Charlotte Binks from Merrill Academy awarded most improved. Rising Star awards were presented to Maya Dinnall from Wilsthorpe Community School and Jack Netting from St Martin’s School.

Student successes were also highlighted for the work they have achieved in the Rolls-Royce YA Engineering Academy which is delivered by Derby College staff at the company’s Learning and Development Centre.

Most outstanding student was Aditi Singh from The Bemrose School, with most improved named as Caspian Mansell from Allestree Woodlands. The Rising star was Ashryn Rigby from John Port Spencer Academy.

In the Motor Vehicle Academy most outstanding student was Ben Outten from Allestree Woodlands. The Bemrose School pupils Gareth Woods was awarded most outstanding with Matthew Sims named as the Year 10 Rising Star.

Merrill Academy pupils Shannon Bestwick and Hannah Tari were most outstanding and most improved from within the Travel & Tourism academy.

John Flamsteed pupil Max Bowler won the Construction Academy’s most outstanding student award, with George Arnold from Murray Park awarded most improved. Rising star awards were presented to Daniel Jones from Murray Park and Robert Naylor from Ormiston Ilkeston Academy.

The graduates were congratulated officially by Helen Shepherd, Headteacher of the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, which has a long association with the College.

Pre-16 programme alumni, Matthew Woodhouse and Tom Dakin, who have now progressed onto full time programmes at the College also spoke about their experiences and how that has helped them since leaving school.

Derby College Vice Principal Kate Martin concluded: “Our role as a College is to prepare individuals for the next stage in their lives. It is wonderful to see how much these young people have achieved during their time at College through our pre-16 Schools Partnership programme.

“I want to wish all the Class of 2018 the very best of luck in the next stages of their education and training.”