Trying paid off for Richard Huish College’s rugby team after it was propelled over the line into the last 32 of the Natwest Under 18s Cup for the first time.

The Somerset college’s team will now face Truro School, Cornwall, in a battle for a place in the last 16 of the competition for schools and colleges.

After successes in early rounds, Richard Huish continued its winning streak, beating Gryphon School, in Dorset, 22-18, Millfield School, in Somerset, 19-12 and Beechen Cliff, in Bath, 34–0.

A college spokesperson said the success stemmed from the quality of its rugby performance programme.

First team coach Chris Heal said: “It has been an exciting journey for the players, who have done exceptionally well to have got this far.”

Motor vehicle engineering students feel driven to succeed after visiting the training academy of one of the UK’s largest car firms.

Staff from the Jaguar Land Rover academy, in Warwick, Warwickshire, showed learners from City College Southampton around the site, which has 16 training rooms and a fully-equipped workshop.

They also spoke to learners about the latest technology used for cars, including the new Jaguar F-Type.

Peter Leech, tutor at City College, said: “The visit really helped to reinforce what students have been learning at college.

“The students left with a reignited passion for the industry, which will help them in their studies and careers.”

The visit was arranged for the students by the Institute of Motor Industry, the professional association for individuals  working across the motor industry.

Main pic: Students and staff from City College Southampton at the Jaguar Land Rover academy

Painting a school in an Indian desert may not be every college 16-year-old’s idea of a dream holiday, but brothers Lewis and Eliot Coble thought it beat lounging around on a beach in Spain.

The twins, from Chafford Hundred, Essex, were allowed time off from their A-level studies to travel to Bikaner, a small town in the Thar Desert, North West India.

The students from Palmer’s College, in Grays, Essex, spent three days re-painting a local primary school as part of a team of 20 British youngsters.

Lewis said: “The school was literally a box of a building made of concrete with nothing much in it. They didn’t have access to the internet, chairs or even desks.

“The children sat on the floor to study and they weren’t taught by a qualified teacher — it was just people from the town who would come in and teach them as much as they could. It makes you think about how lucky we are to have computers and so much modern technology in classrooms in this country.”

The brothers found the experience rewarding despite having to work most of the time in temperatures above 30C (86F).

“You can have fun on a beach holiday somewhere like Spain, but it doesn’t compare to what you see and learn on a trip like the one we went on,” said Lewis.

Eliot said: “It was really hot, but no-one minded because we were having such a good time together. We got a good suntan.

“It felt great when I thought about how the school looked before and how it looked after we’d finished. There was no doubt we’d made a big difference.”

The twins painted the outside of the school plain white, but, added Lewis: “We painted things like palm trees on the white walls indoors, and a house with children in it, a large world map, and a space rocket with planets around it.”

Mark Vinall, principal of Palmer’s College, said he was proud his students’ efforts to help improve learning conditions for Indian pupils. He said: “Community service, locally and internationally, is an essential part of a Palmer’s education and Lewis and Eliot are a terrific example of this commitment in action.”

After the twins had finished at the school, they were taken on safari riding camels across the Thar Desert.They also visited Indian landmarks including the Taj Mahal and moghul forts in Jodhpur and Jaipur.

Eliot said: “I didn’t really know what to expect from India, but it’s an amazing country. The Taj Mahal and all the sights were unbelievable. We also saw quite a few elephants on the side of the road as were driving along. Cows are sacred and you just see them everywhere walking the streets — no one stops them.”

After their incredible experiences in the desert, Lewis and Eliot admitted they were happy to return home and see brother Daniel, aged 21, and parents Joanne, 42, and Barry, 45.

The trip was organised by the twins’ 282 Squadron East Ham air cadets and cost £1,600 each.

Lewis and Eliot raised more than £500 to help pay for their travel and accommodation through being sponsored to travel to every station on the London Underground within two days.

The remaining cost was covered by the squadron.

Main image: Lewis and Eliot Coble outside the Taj Mahal

Apprentices hairdressers were dyeing’ to show-off the skills they have learned to Carshalton and Wallington MP Tom Brake.

The Liberal Democrat MP met learners training in hairdressing, hospitality and catering, motor vehicle repairs, and accounting, during a visit to Carshalton College.

He even helped level two      hairdressing NVQ apprenticeship students Shanley King, aged 17, and Abigail Machin, 18, to apply dye to another woman’s hair.

The students made sure the MP wore gloves and explained to him how to apply colour.

They also demonstrated the benefits of massaging a client’s scalp as the dye is applied.

Abigail said: “It was actually the first colour correction we had ever worked on as a team, which was great fun.”

Mr Brake said: “It was great to meet the apprentices and experience first-hand how they gain their skills and knowledge.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for students to start their career.”

Main pic: Students Shanley King and Abigail Machin applying colour to a woman’s hair with MP Tom Brake

City College Plymouth learner Rachel Edwardes is the new poster girl for a scheme to bring the city’s disused landmarks back to life.

The 24-year-old business administration apprentice won a competition to design a poster advertising the initiative, called Plymouth Your Space.

The idea is to bring disused landmarks back to life through making them available for use to entrepreneurs looking to launch businesses such as pop-up shops, temporary cinemas, and even floating restaurants.

Rachel’s prize was £100-worth of shopping vouchers and her poster will be seen all over Plymouth.

She said: “I was delighted to win the competition and hope it helps inspire the same excitement for others.”

Fellow college learners Sophie Lee, aged 21, Billy Edwards, 19, and Rachael Thomsen, 21, also took part in the competition.

Main pic: Adam Hickman, economic partnership and strategy officer at Plymouth City Council, with Rachel Edwardes

Nott rider David Hasselhoff rolled back the years when he arrived for a talk with students in a stunning sports car.

The TV legend, widely known as “The Hoff”, made his name in the 1980s by driving a black Shelby GT500KR Mustang in cult-series Knight Rider.

He arrived outside Nottingham Broadway Cinema in a blue E-Type Jaguar to launch New College Nottingham’s Jamcon creative careers conference.

The actor, who has been appearing in The Theatre Royal Nottingham’s pantomime Peter Pan, spoke more than 300 students about his life and career in the media.

He said: “I’ve been around the block, I’ve been at the bottom and I’ve been at the top. If you have natural talent, you just need to get on it, never give up.

“You’ve got to show up in life, you’ve got to show up for your parents, show up in business and show up for yourself.”

Main pic:David Hasselhoff with his impressive blue E-Type Jaguar being greeted by Michael Wisher, from Nottingham Motor Company