Farm and dairy herd brings in the cream

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Our farm staff were over the mooooooon last week after receiving one of the most prestigious awards in the Cheshire County Farms competition.

We won the category for best farm over 500 acres, a tremendous accolade as we were judged against some of the best commercial farms in the county. The farm was judged as a whole, with the judges inspecting our dairy herd, pig unit, sheep flock and arable and growing crops.

Awards in this competition are particularly welcome, as the judging panel are made up of farmers who really know the industry.

Reaseheath Holsteins were awarded third place in three categories: premier dairy herd, in calf heifers and maiden heifers.

Farm Manager Mark Yearsley said: “gaining these awards against competition with the best shows what a great farm and great staff we have. We were delighted to win the awards and I’d like to thank the team for all the hard work they put in to make it happen.”

The awards, which were handed over at a dinner at the Civic Hall, Nantwich,  also included a new category ‘Competent Young Person in Agriculture’ which is sponsored by Reaseheath.

This is open to young people aged between 16 and 24 who work on a Cheshire farm. Marks are awarded for enthusiasm, passion, competence, responsibilities and future aspirations. The applicants are judged at their workplace as they carry out their job.

All the young people in the top four places were trained at Reaseheath. The winner, David Marrow, completed his agricultural apprenticeship with us as did second placed Andrew Dodgson and equal third Richard Venables. Will Mansell, also equal third, is a current Level 3 student.

 

Grass track racer in pole position

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Reaseheath College motor vehicle  student Aidan Arrowsmith certainly hasn’t been allowing the grass to grow under his wheels.

The 17 year-old is one of the UK’s most  promising young grass track racers and he’s just finished a successful year in sixth position in the British Autograss series. He was also third in the North of England championships.

Aidan, who lives in Wem and attended the town’s Thomas Adams School , has been racing autograss cars in the Junior Special class since he was 12 years old. He’s now looking forward to handing over his race car to his 13 year-old brother, Jordan, and is moving on to his first season in Class 1 racing a Mini Cooper.

Thanks to the support of his parents Alan and Katrina, both boys compete at UK wide meetings every weekend during the March to November season.

Aidan’s also been first off the grid in choosing Reaseheath College in Nantwich for his future career. Reaseheath’s motor vehicle department has just undergone a substantial refurbishment and offers top of the range automotive workshops, kitted out with cutting edge diagnostic equipment.

Next generation motor vehicle technicians learn their skills on a wide range of modern road cars including performance and off road vehicles. They also gain highly relevant work experience at local garages and during workshop sessions at college when they deal with real life scenarios.

Aidan is an IMIAL Level 2 Diploma in Light Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Principles student. He is planning to progress to Level 3 and eventually wants to build race cars, possibly eventually joining an F1 team.

As part of his course Aidan has enjoyed study trips to RAF Cosford, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, Deeside Karting circuit and the World Rally Championships. He’s now looking forward to his next  trip to the Autosport show at the NEC in January.

He says: “We looked round local colleges and decided that Reaseheath was definitely the best place to study. The workshops are very modern and the staff have all worked in the industry so they really know what they’re talking about. The classroom sessions are good too, because you learn how things work before you go into the workshops.

“But the best thing is that the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. We work hard but we all have a good laugh too.”

 

Reaseheath Vehicle Technology reaches into the future

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Reaseheath College at the Forefront of Hybrid Technology

Our Motor Vehicle Technology team have taken steps into the future of motor vehicle training with the purchase of a Toyota Prius Hybrid. The car has come from Toyota RRG Stockport and will support our learning programme for level 2 and 3 Vehicle Technology students.

Motor Vehicle PriusThe purchase of such an advanced car gives us an exciting opportunity to take forward out vision – to provide vehicle technology training of the highest technical level in Cheshire and North West of England and to become a centre of excellence in the region and the centre of choice for current and prospective motor vehicle students.

We will become the only FE College in the area able to offer students a combination of Hybrid Vehicle, Oscilloscope training, electronic fault diagnosis, digital 4 wheel alignment and F-Gas (Air Conditioning) certification that will support their main programme of learning and Functional Skills. Our learners will gain more from training here at Reaseheath than the local competitors. Together with our brand new practical workshops, links with motorsport, and action packed study trips to science and industry venues and motorsport events, we offer a programme of learning that is very attractive to learners.

Motor Vehicle at reaseheathFuture course development work will include delivering training to mature learners at Level 4 (Master Technician). We’re also hoping to increase our income generation by providing training in F Gas Certification, Advanced Diagnostics and Hybrid technology to local and national repair establishments.

Sales of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles have increased significantly over the past three years. The purchase rate of these vehicles continues to gather pace year on year. Renault, Nissan and BMW have entered the full electric vehicle market with vehicles capable of more than 100 miles driving range on one charge at the cost of approximately £1. Tesla offers a vehicle that can drive from London to Paris and back again on one charge. Charging times for these vehicles have dramatically reduced as charging technology improves. The role out of the national recharging network continues to spread north offering the opportunity to charge your vehicle away from home.  Because of this Reaseheath College must keep pace with industry and purchasing the Hybrid Vehicle has helped us towards meeting our future objectives.

Students gaining experience of this high level technology will be increasingly more employable over those trained by our competitors.

Expect this new vehicle and the new technology and equipment to be making a presence at many of the shows and events that the marketing team attends.  The vehicle will also act as a marketing tool in its own right, as it will be used to replace hire vehicles for assessor and lecturer visits by the Engineering team to industry.

The future is bright and full of technology. Would you want your training from anyone else?

 

Talented James is Apprentice of the Month

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Talented Crewe Alex Under 18s captain James Jones has been selected as apprentice of the month in a national competition ‘The 11’ run by the Football Education (LFE).

James was chosen over entrants from clubs nationwide for the excellent progress he has made in both his sport and academic studies and for making a positive contribution to his football club.

James, 17, will be one of 11 football apprentices to go head to head in a national final at the end of the season. He was put forward for the competition by Reaseheath College Lecturers in Sports Performance Nina Ross and Louise Finney,  Head of Education at Crewe Alex Dave Whiteside and regional officer for the LFE Keith Leighton, all of whom were impressed with his all round abilities.

Apart from captaining the Crewe Youth Team James, who lives in Winsford, has played a number of fixtures for the Under 21 reserves. He also coaches the under 12 and under 10 age groups at the Crewe Alex Football Academy two evenings a week.

Apart from his sporting excellence, James is a triple distinction student at Reaseheath College in Nantwich, where he and fellow apprentice study for one and a half days each week.

A former pupil at Hartford High School, James joined Crewe Alex straight from school and is in the second and final year of his scholarship. He is hoping for a professional contract when he completes.

He said: “This competition is a really good thing to be associated with.  It reflects well on me and the club, and particularly on the education the apprentices get.”

Nina Ross added: “We selected James because of his all round achievement and ability to do well. His general conduct and attitude is outstanding in both his academic work at college and in his football training.  And he’s proved through his coaching that he’s willing to put himself out for the sport.”

Horticulture industry professionals visit Reaseheath

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On Saturday 30th November the College welcomed leading professional horticulturists from the Institute of Horticulture. The Institute, which has recently been granted a Royal Charter by The Queen, came to see for themselves the award-winning work of our horticulture department.

ioh 2The group were welcomed by Curriculum Area Manager for Horticulture Iain Clarke, who delivered a presentation on our successes at events such as RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, the wide range of programmes we run, and also on the exciting future plans for the department with the investment of £8million in a National Centre for Food Futures and Environment which will provide cutting edge horticultural production, environment management and design facilities for our students.

Horticulture lecturer Harry Delaney conducted a tour of Reaseheath’s historic landscape, which was followed by a tour of the College’s state of the art anaerobic digestion facility by farm manager Mark Yearsley.

Susan Nicholas, who is the Chairman of the Institute’s North West and North Wales Branch commented on: “An excellent visit to Reaseheath, Harry Delaney wowed us with his knowledge and history of trees, and Mark Yearsley gave us an insight into the workings of the college’s anaerobic digestion plant. A big thank you to all college staff involved for an interesting and informative day”.

Speaking about the day, horticulture lecturer Craig Bailey said: “It was a privilege to host the visit, and we have extended an invitation to the Institute to visit Reaseheath again when our new centre is completed in 2015”.

The Institute of Horticulture organises the prestigious Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, which all our horticulture students have the opportunity to enter each year.

 

Students help to bring cheer to disadvantaged children

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Reaseheath College students have been helping to spread festive spirit by filling shoeboxes with toys and treats for Operation Christmas Child.

Students from all departments at the Nantwich college prepared 40 boxes which were delivered to St Mary’s Church in the town’s centre by College Chaplain Drew Walker. Teams of equine and construction students were particularly enthusiastic in collecting gifts.

The boxes will join a larger collection in Crewe and be sent out to less fortunate children throughout the world in the two weeks before Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project and is run by the Christian charity Samaritans Purse. The charity has brought Christmas joy to over 100 million children in over 130 countries since its establishment in 1990.

Said Drew: “Forty lives have been changed thanks to the students’ kindness. There are so many disadvantaged children throughout the world who would otherwise not receive anything on Christmas morning.”

 

Reaseheath Florists decorate Arley Hall for Christmas

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Arley Hall decorated by floristry students for christmas 1

On Thursday 28th and Friday 29th November, Level 2 and 3 Floristry students at Reaseheath College decorated the grand Gallery at Arley Hall near Northwich in preparation for Arley Hall’s Christmas Floral Extravaganza.

Students put together many arrangements they had previously designed and chose the flowers for the event. Designs were hung over the marble fire place and scattered amongst the antique furniture. In prize place was the 15ft Christmas tree; also decorated by students. Helen Robinson, Events Manager at Arley commented that the finished Christmas tree in the Gallery is the best they’ve ever had. Lady Ashbrook herself personally thanked the students for their wonderful Christmas tree display.

Arley Hall decorated by floristry students for christmas 2

The standard of work by students at Arley Hall was recognised to be very high and has received fantastic feedback. So much so that Reaseheath Floristry Department have already been asked to be involved in this fantastic event again next year.

 

 

 

 

Reaseheath bake-off competition hots up

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Entries are streaming in for Reaseheath College’s Year 9 Schools Bake Off Competition.

The first heat of the cooking challenge is well under way, with teams of pupils from 42 secondary schools throughout Cheshire, Staffordshire, Manchester, Wirral and mid Wales making final touches to their tasty treats before submitting their ideas before the December 6 deadline. Kings Grove School, Crewe, and Sandbach High School are among local schools who are actively involved.

The schools can enter up to three teams of pupils which must produce a savoury or sweet cake or pastry with a Royal theme. The pupils must put forward their concept on a mood board, backed up by photos of the finished product. Their work will be judged by a panel of Reaseheath food technologists, with marks awarded for presentation and appearance.

The semi finalists will have to reproduce their product in school early in the New Year under the watchful eye of another Reaseheath panel. The finalists will be invited into the college’s specialist  Food Centre on March 20 to recreate their dishes once more in front of a panel of celebrity judges.

The winning team will receive £100 in cash plus two tablets pcs for their school. The second and third prizewinners will receive cash.

Julie Bent, Reaseheath’s Food Training and Communications Co-ordinator, explained: “We invited schools to take part in this challenge, partly because home baking has become so popular and partly to encourage pupils to look seriously at careers in the wider food industry. We’ve had an amazing response. Although many entries have come from food technology departments, in some cases pupils from the whole year have become involved.

“We’re looking forward to judging some amazing entries.”

 

Zoo trip prize for Bury budding scientists

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Budding scientists from Bury Church of England High School saw some of their lessons come to life during a behind-the-scenes visit to Reaseheath’s zoo.

Twelve pupils from Years 9 and 10 helped to feed ring tailed lemurs and meerkats and flew birds of prey during an action packed trip round our animal management department.

Pupil Lucy Tyrer, 15, won the chance to spend time with Reaseheath’s zoo keepers after becoming one of the top prizewinners at The Big Bang Fair in Liverpool, a north west event aimed at encouraging young scientists and engineers.

Her project, ‘The Perfect Cup of Tea’, was awarded top marks for enthusiasm and commitment to STEM (education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The category prize was sponsored by Reaseheath College.

Lucy chose to bring 11 fellow science enthusiasts on her day out. All the pupils have completed CREST (Creative Science and Technology) awards. Lucy, who wants to become a vet said: “This was a really good experience. All the colleges near us are in towns so being out in the country and meeting all the animals was amazing.”

Chemistry teacher Amy Jackson, who accompanied the group, said: “Our pupils, particularly girls, are become more and more interested in science. This was a great opportunity to come to Reaseheath and spend time outside doing practical activities. The facilities here are stunning. The whole group had a really good learning experience and loved every minute.”

 

Career chat inspires herpetological students

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Former animal management students Luke Harding and Simon Maddock described their adventures with some of the world’s rarest reptiles and amphibians during a talk to Reaseheath’s Herpetological and Entomological Society (RHES) yesterday.

Both Luke, 25, and Simon, 24, have gone on to become specialist herpetologists since completing their Level 3 Diploma in Animal Management in 2007. They have remained close friends since their schooldays and regularly share and discuss their research findings.

Luke has just returned from the Caribbean where he has been involved in a project to reinstate an endangered species of frog to the islands of Montserrat and Dominica. Called the ‘Mountain Chicken’, the frog used to be Dominica’s national dish and gets its name because it tastes like chicken.

The frog population on both islands has been drastically hit by disease, illegal hunting and habitat loss. Scientists are desperately trying to save the species through a captive breeding programme and by raising its profile among the local population. Alongside working closely with London Zoo, which has a captive breeding facility, one of Luke’s key tasks was to help run Dominica’s first highly successful Mountain Chicken Day last September.

As well as describing his Caribbean adventures, Luke also talked about his part in a research project  on Komodo dragons in Indonesia…and how he got to follow his dream.

On leaving Reaseheath, Luke began a degree in zoo biology at Nottingham Trent University but left after he was offered an internship at Chester Zoo. He completed his degree later via the Open University. Following his internship he worked as a herpetologist for Marwell Wildlife in Hampshire and then at Colchester Zoo, where he became Deputy Head of the herpetological department. He then transferred full time onto the mountain chicken project.

An equally well travelled Simon outlined his involvement in active research projects in India, Ecuador Papua New Guinea and the Seychelles. He is currently based at the Natural History Museum in London, where he is researching for a joint PhD on the evolution and conservation of amphibians and snakes in the Seychelles in collaboration with the University College London.

Simon says that his Reaseheath experience prepared him well for his academic career. He gained a degree and Masters degree in zoology at Bangor University before moving on to study for his doctorate.

Both former students took part in a lively Q and A session after their talk. Luke said: “It’s great to be back here. Reaseheath has always been a fantastic institution with great staff but it’s been good to catch up with all the new, top end facilities. Hopefully we’ve shown the current students what they can achieve through hard work, determination and drive.

Advised Simon: “It’s really important that you attend events, gain contacts and keep networking. There are loads of opportunities out there but they won’t just be handed to you.”

Luke Harding and Simon Maddock with Josh Flood and Nathan Brookes-Bennett, chairs RHES

Luke Harding and Simon Maddock with Josh Flood and Nathan Brookes-Bennett, chairs RHES