A lecturer who still has a copy of hand-written verses his grandfather dedicated to friends who died in battle is launching a part-time course on war poetry.

Simon Fletcher, who is a poet himself, will launch the eight-week course at Walford and North Shropshire College on reading war poetry next month.

It will cover works by Homer, Shakespeare, Tennyson as well as the famous First World War poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen.

Simon has a personal connection to the First World War through his deceased grandfathers.

One of them, Gilbert Fletcher, fought on the Western Front in France before he was sent home in around 1916 after being critically injured in a gas attack.

His other grandfather, John Tipton, was not called-up for military service due to a spinal injury but wrote poems dedicated to friends who died in the war which Simon still has a copy of.

Simon said he was inspired to start the course by his grandfathers. He added: “I think it’s fascinating that they had such different experiences of the war. The one who didn’t go to war wrote about it and the one who fought, and lost his older brother Harold on the Somme, hardly ever spoke of it.”

 

Cap: Lecturer Simon Fletcher with the book of poetry by his grandfather

Bosses at Bracknell and Wokingham College have waived a £129 course fee for grandmother-of-four Gen van den Heuvel as she marks 25 years of study, writes Paul Offord.

Gen van den Heuvel felt she might reconnect with the country of her birth when signed up for a French literature course at Bracknell and Wokingham College a quarter of a century ago.

Born and raised in Paris, she experienced the Nazi occupation before moving to Britain in 1945.

And the studies proved more than a brief comfort, with Gen, now aged 82, going on to take courses in Russian history, pattern making for dresses, sugarcraft — even Christmas cracker making.

She puts the cost of all her studies over the years at around £2,500, plus £250 for books, but her impressive adult learning effort — and loyalty to the college — have been rewarded with 15 weeks’ free (worth £129) as she prepares to embark on another French literature course.

Gen told FE Week: “I still see friends I made there 25 years ago and plan to keep going to college for as long as I can get to classes.”

She added: “I used to get an old age pensioner discount for the courses but that stopped [five years ago] so the free lessons are much appreciated.”

Gen’s tutor, Marie-Chantal Brault, said: “I think it’s amazing, but then Gen is an amazing person who offers a great deal to the class. People in the class come from different generations and backgrounds and it gives them an opportunity to bring their personalities and opinions out when we are discussing the books.

“We also use other forms of learning to support the books we read including the internet, film and the theatre and we have been on a number of trips to see plays such as Les Miserables over the years.”

As a young woman, Gen worked as a bilingual secretary for security firm Bradbury Wilkinson.

She became a full-time housewife and mother after marrying Michael, who died 14 years ago, and giving birth to daughters Catherine, now 56, and Sarah, now 50.

Gen, who was an only child, said: “I never went back to work after having children and suppose part of the reason for returning to education was that I needed a bit more mental stimulation.”

She added: “I studied quite a variety of courses during my first 15 years there, but always stuck with French literature and just concentrate on that now.

“I didn’t want to have to sit any exams, so all the courses I chose did not lead to qualifications.

“That wasn’t the idea for me. I went along for social reasons and to keep my mind active, which attending college really allowed me to do.”

Principal Campbell Christie said: “It’s really rewarding to meet an adult student who has gained so much from their college experience.”

Gen’s latest class will be studying a book set in the First World War, called Un Long Dimanche De Fiançailles by Sebastien Japrisot.

Classic books previously studied by Gen included La Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky, Le Perre Goriot by Honoré de Balzac, La Bete Humain by Emile Zola, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, which inspired a class trip to watch the West End musical.

 

Cap: From Left: Course tutor Marie-Chantal Brault, principal Campbell Christie CBE, long-serving student Gen van den Heuvel and languages co-ordinator Karen Miller

 

Tottenham Hotspur players took part in a question-and-answer session with football hopefuls from Barnet and Southgate College.

Youth team defensive midfielder Anton Walkes and first team central defender Eric Dier met students on level two and three BTec and NVQ courses run through the education and football development programme that the college runs with the Premier League club.

They explained how they prepared for big matches and reflected on their careers so far, before taking part in a training session with learners.

Mr Dier said afterwards: “You can see how passionate the students are about football, but it’s also important to work hard in the classroom and get the qualifications you need for later life.”

Level three BTec diploma in sport student Nabil Hasheem, aged 18, said: “I had a great time learning new football skills with the Spurs players.

“It’s great knowing that one day I could be one of them.”

 

Cap: From left: Barnet and Southgate College students Nabeel Hashim, aged 18, Amy Sinden, 17, Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier and students Shakira Waithe, 19, and Mardochee Mboliko, 17

 

Skills Minister Nick Boles spoke to staff, students and employers at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College about the importance of promoting apprenticeships to their local communities.

Mr Boles was full of praise for vocational training during a visit to the college with Ealing and Acton MP Conservative Angie Bray.

And he said it was important that providers made sure that everybody in their local area understood how apprenticeships, and not just academic qualifications, could transform young people’s lives.

Mr Boles, who replaced Matthew Hancock as Skills Minister in July, said: “There is no cap to where you can progress if you do an apprenticeship.”

Principal Garry Phillips said: “It was great to see the Skills Minister and Angie Bray talking directly and listening to our apprentices and employers.

“The college offers a number of excellent apprenticeships.

“We look forward to meeting with the minister again.”

 

Cap: Ealing and Acton MP Angie Bray, level three business administration apprentice Casey Ruff, aged 26, and Skills Minister Nick Boles

Pic: Get West London

 

A sprinter with special educational needs from New College Durham hopes he will qualify for the 2016 Rio Paralympics after winning nine gold medals at high level events this summer.

Reece Palmer, aged 19, who competes in the under-23 T20/ F20 intellectual disabilities class, began his winning streak in June at Mencap’s Open National Athletics Championships, in Manchester, where he took the 100m and 200m titles.

Reece and his college classmates then organised ten sponsored challenges, including a penalty shoot-out, Wii bowling and tug of war, to help fund his travel a month later to the French Championships, in Evreux, where he won the 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m.

He then returned to England for the British National Championships, in Warwick, and won 100m, 200m and 400m.

Reece, who is studying for a supported employment course combining maths and English with work placements, said: “I couldn’t have done this without the support of my brilliant classmates and staff. I love running and my goals include being selected for the upcoming Open European Indoor Athletics Championships in Russia and the Rio 2016 Paralympics.”

 

Cap: New College Durham learner Reece Palmer

 

Winstanley College celebrated 60 years of education at its Wigan campus.

Upholland Grammar School, which first launched in the Lancashire village of Upholland in 1661, moved to Winstanley Road, Wigan, in September 1953.

It was renamed Winstanley College in August 1977 and gradually converted into a sixth form college by 1981, which it has remained ever since.

The college marked the anniversary by inviting former grammar school students to ‘diamond jubilee’ celebrations on September 9, which included guided tours of the college and a 1950s-themed dance show by current performing arts students.

Biology, maths, chemistry and physics A-level student Bethan Critchley, aged 17, said: “It’s been really interesting meeting former students and hearing their stories.

“It was obviously a fantastic place to study and still is.”

David Robinson, 61, who attended the grammar school from 1961 to 1966, said: “Everyone loved seeing the parts of the college that were still recognisable from the old school and were amazed by the new facilities that transformed it into a modern sixth form.”

 

Cap: Current students who performed in the 1950s-themed dance show.

 

A designer from Cleveland College of Art & Design (CCAD) who suffers from severe dyslexia and left school without any qualifications has secured a place at the London College of Fashion.

Thomas Walker convinced CCAD tutors to allow him onto an introductory art and design course, despite his lack of GCSEs, after attending an open day three years ago.

He excelled at this before transferring to a level three BTec extended diploma in fashion and textiles course he completed this summer.

He started this month on a degree in menswear fashion design technology at the London College of Fashion whose famous alumni include Jimmy Choo and Patrick Cox.

Thomas said: “I never thought this would happen. I thought I’d struggle just to complete the CCAD courses, so to realise how far I’ve come now is a dream come true.

“I want to turn menswear fashion on its head.”

Tutor Stephen White said: “I’m blown away by Thomas’ talent. He is definitely one to watch for the future.” 

 

Cap: Cleveland College of Art & Design graduate Thomas Walker, aged 20, with a mannequin wearing a jacket he designed based on the shape of a stingray