LeSoCo College in South London has launched its first ever student newspaper.

The first edition of the LeSoCo Times was written and created by students and covered everything from funding cuts to fashion, food banks and film reviews.

The newspaper’s sponsor Michael Buckmaster-Brown, founder of Emblem publishing, provided help and advice.

Principal Maxine Room said: “LeSoCo is about creating experiences for students, not just giving them qualifications. The students who have been a part of the creation of this newspaper have had their horizons broadened. They’ve had to be entrepreneurial, creative and imaginative to make this project happen.”

The college was formed in 2012, through a merger between Lewisham College and Southwark College.

Cap: Students who worked on the newspaper with principal Maxine Room (back row, third from left) and sponsor Michael Buckmaster-Brown (front row, centre)

 

 

The first person in the UK to qualify as a sports massage therapist using just her feet demonstrated her techniques to students studying for a level three diploma in spa therapies at Doncaster College.

Sue Kent was one of thousands of people across the world born with disabilities in the 1950s and 1960s because their mothers were prescribed the drug Thalidomide while pregnant.

She uses the heels, balls and toes of her feet to massage and passed a level four diploma in sports massage at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2010.

Ms Kent, who now runs her own sports therapy business, gave a talk at the college on disability in the workplace and demonstrated her massage techniques, before inviting learners to try them out too.

Hair and beauty lecturer Karen Gregory said: “Sue is a great motivator and her drive and motivation was infectious.”

Ms Kent provided massage for paralympic athletes during London 2012 and Channel 4 showed her in action during its coverage of the games.

Student Brogan Bush said:

“I had a really good afternoon with Sue learning to massage with feet.

“Sue was very friendly and the experience was great.”

Cap: Sue Kent demonstrates her massage techniques to staff and students

Barnet and Southgate College BTec student Marcel Thomas Lee secured a basketball scholarship at an American university.

The 19-year-old level three sports and basketball learner sent two video clips — one of him training and one of him playing a game — along with his academic results to Hardin Simmons University, in Texas, to secure the placement.

He is flying over to the US in July for a four-day training session and will be starting the four-year degree course in sports fitness in September.

Hara Markos, sports lecturer at the college, said: “Marcel trains for three hours every day and is equally committed to his studies, playing basketball has kept him motivated to attend college and he has scored 100 per cent attendance over his three years here.

“Marcel is polite, loyal and respectful to his teachers and peers, he’s a great role model and thoroughly deserves his scholarship.”

Cap: Sports and basketball student Marcel Thomas Lee

 

Chemistry A-level and level three applied science BTec students from South Cheshire College went underground in a former working mine to collect rock samples.

A group of 24 students visited the site at Ecton Hill, in Staffordshire, which was mined for copper and lead for more than 3,500 years up to its closure in 1891.

The learners were taken tens of metres underground to see the conditions miners would have worked in.

They also collected rock samples and used chemical tests to identify different minerals present.

Chemistry lecturer Neil Hewitt said: “The group very much enjoyed collecting samples in this beautiful location and hearing about the geology and history of the area. It was a fantastic opportunity for them to take their chemistry skills out of the college laboratory and use them in the field.”

Cap: South Cheshire College students wearing mining hats.

 

West Cheshire College performing arts student Macaulay Cooper’s face will be familiar to millions of football fans across the world. He starred in a Nike advert with several of the world’s greatest players that was screened for the first time during the Champions League semi-final, writes Paul Offord.

Fancy a kickabout with soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Wayne Rooney, Gonzalo Higuain, and Gerard Pique?

It may be the stuff of dreams for most teenagers — but fantasy became reality for level four performing arts student Macaulay Cooper when he was chosen to star in the latest Nike advert.

The star-studded four-minute film, which was screened for the first time last month at half-time on ITV during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid on April 29, featured a kickabout between a group of boys.

They all transform into their favourite players during the match, with 19-year-old Macaulay changing into Barcelona and Brazil forward Neymar.

Macaulay said: “All the boys got to meet the stars they turned into in the advert.

“I met Neymar and we did a photoshoot together. He could only speak the odd word of English, but he was a very nice guy.

“He was dead chilled out and had a bit of a joke with me.”

Macaulay also mingled on-set with Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, Barcelona stars Iniesta and Pique and Napoli striker Higuaín.

Macaulay said: “It’s mad because you see them on TV playing week-in week-out and all of a sudden you’re with them.

“I would be at college one day, then on set the next. I watched them do all the tricks from the advert and more close-up.

“It was all like a dream really.”

Macaulay had West Cheshire College head of music, theatre, and performance Paul Moss to thank for helping secure his big break, as he invited acting agent Elizabeth Stocking to watch him perform the lead in a college production of Peter Shaffer’s play Equus in June last year.

She was so impressed she agreed to represent Macaulay and arranged for him to audition for the advert in Manchester.

He said: “They didn’t tell us what we were there for at the first audition, but we had our suspicions as it was called Project Kick and they said it was for a major sports firm.

“We had to say some words and they wanted to see what we could do with a football. I’m a striker with my local team Connah’s Quay Tigers so it was ideal.

“It was only at the third audition that we found out it was for Nike.”

Macaulay was told he had the role in December and spent much of January and February filming in Madrid and Barcelona.

He said: “All our movements on the pitch were choreographed and we had training sessions to make sure we were on top form with our ball skills and able to deal with the physical side of running around filming.

“It was unreal. There must have been about 100 people in the crew working on lighting, cameras, costumes, make-up and things like catering. I must have said my lines ‘winner stays on’ and ‘yeah, well I’m Neymar then’ 50-odd times, as there was a lot of changing of camera angles and I had to try saying it different ways.”

Mr Moss said: “We are so proud of Macaulay’s achievements. For him to land a speaking role in a high profile advert with an internationally leading brand is incredible.”

Cap: Macaulay Cooper holding a football

 

Creative arts teacher at Bristol-based St Brendan’s Sixth Form College Richard Twose was a picture of happiness after being shortlisted to the final three for the BP Portrait of the Year Award.

The 51-year-old’s painting was one of 2,377 entered in the competition worldwide and will be exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery.
If Mr Twose wins, he will be awarded £30,000 — one of the largest global art competition prizes — and be commissioned to paint a portrait for the gallery’s permanent collection.
The shortlisted portrait is of Jean Woods, who was featured on Channel 4 documentary Fabulous Fashionistas as an example of stylish pensioner.
Richard first spotted the 76-year-old working in a local shop and chose to paint her portrait after being impressed with her “contemporary, edgy style”.
College principal Michael Jaffrain said: “We are very proud of what Richard has achieved, he is a hugely talented artist and all of his colleagues and students are rooting for him.”

Cap main image: Creative arts teacher Richard Twose painting at his easel. Inset: His portrait of Jean Woods

 

 

Hairdressing students at Blackpool and the Fylde College were given a master class by celebrity stylist Lee Stafford.

Around 70 level one, two and three hairdressing students and apprentices were invited to drop-in and ask Mr Stafford for tips and advice, while he prepared student models for the main cutting and finishing demonstration.

During the demonstration, which was attended by 90 students, college staff and local employers, Mr Stafford showed how to create some of the latest styles — including the disconnected bob, where hair is left longer at the front than the back.

Davina Doherty, hairdressing lecturer, said: “It was extremely inspiring and motivational for our students to spend the day learning from a top industry expert.

“Lee was great with the students and took time to answer any questions they had. I know they have learnt a lot from the visit and many of them are looking forward to trying some of the new styles in client sessions.”

Mr Stafford’s career took off in 1997 when he won the Men’s British Hairdresser of the Year award.

He gained national fame after appearing on the BBC TV series Celebrity Scissorhands in 2007, where he trained celebrities such as Tamara Beckwith and 1980s pop star Steve Strange to cut hair.

Cap: Model Lucy Fisher, aged 18, has her hair cut by Lee Stafford during the cutting and finishing demonstration.

BBC apprentices showed they are on the right frequency by creating podcasts looking into how more young people could be encouraged to listen to talk-orientated radio stations.
The BBC launched its level three radio journalism apprenticeship scheme last September. It involves them splitting their time between studying at Lambeth College, and working with production teams on shows including Desert Island Discs on Radio 4.
The scheme’s six learners have just completed their first major project — which involved them creating podcasts looking into why younger people prefer music stations such as Radio 1 to talk stations such as Radio 4.
Apprentice Olivia Cope, aged 19, said: “It was a huge learning curve for all of us from the day we were set the challenge to make the podcasts, to the day we presented our editors, family and friends. Having a piece of audio I made from scratch being on the BBC website is an amazing achievement and an even better feeling.”
Visit www.bbc.co.uk/academy/production/article/art20140206113729859 to listen to the podcasts. Anyone interested in applying for apprenticeships starting in September can Tweet @BBCTrainees from March 10.

Cap: BBC apprentice Olivia Cope. Below: Olivia (back centre) with, from left, fellow apprentices Nadia Youssef, aged  22, Sally Garwood and Edward Jankowski, both 18, in a BBC studio