‘Getting to the summit was a mixture of sadness and celebration’

A Stourbridge lecturer tells Chris Henwood why he decided to climb Mt Kilimanjaro – and why his successful ascent wasn’t as celebratory as he thought it might be

Midland lecturer Steve Woollock was prepared for a gruelling trek up Mt Kilimanjaro. What he wasn’t prepared for was the death of a fellow climber.

The fatality happened as 41-year-old Steve reached the summit — 5,895m above sea level — leaving him with mixed emotions.

“It was awful. He collapsed two or three hours into the last day,” said Steve, a carpentry and joinery lecturer at Stourbridge College.

“I passed him as they were trying to bring him back to life. I didn’t know him, but I’d spoken to him briefly earlier in the trip. There were 30 of us in the group but, like me, he was doing it by himself.

“He died due to altitude sickness so getting to the summit was a mixture of sadness and celebration. It was very subdued.”

The Tanzanian adventure, between February 22 and March 3, helped Steve, who has been at Stourbridge College for around seven years, raise £4,000 for Prostate Cancer UK.

However, it also took him away from his 41-year-old girlfriend, Becca Knowles — whose father, David, died of prostate cancer three years ago — and their six-month-old daughter, Daisy.

“It was tough leaving Daisy,” he said.

“I took a picture of her with me. I wanted her to be with me at the top.”

Steve, who is on paternity leave until June, added: “As I approach the age when men are diagnosed with the disease, it seemed fitting that I do something to help cure and care for those suffering with prostate cancer.

“Becca’s father died of prostate cancer and she’s got a few friends whose fathers have also died from it.

“I work in construction, which is quite male-dominated, and spend a lot of time with students, so I thought it was important to raise awareness about the disease.”

Steve said his aim was to raise £4,000 through a variety of small events in the run-up to the climb. He was “really pleased” to have achieved both goals.

“The ascent was a lot tougher than I thought it would be, with six days of between six and 14 hours of constant trekking uphill,” he said.

“I’d like to thank everyone who supported me in my efforts, including staff and students at Stourbridge.”

And fundraising for Prostate Cancer UK looks unlikely to stop at Mt Kilimanjaro for the adventure sports fan from Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham.

“I’d like to climb the Old Man of Hoy sea stack in Scotland for charity next,” said Steve.

Funding rate for 16 to 19-year-olds announced

Providers delivering education to 16 to 19 year olds will receive a national basic rate of £4,000 per full time student the Education Funding Agency has announced.

The agency published the national funding rate for 2013/14 in a letter sent out to schools and colleges across the country from Peter Mucklow, national director for young people at the agency.

Up until now providers were funded per qualification rather than per student and providers have eagerly awaited the final figure working on the basis it would be around £3,900.

The new rate is based on an average programme of 600 hours per year for a full-time student, says the letter dated March 21.

From September the sector will also be expected to deliver study programmes to develop the needs of each 16 to 19 year old student, including English and maths for those who have not already achieved grade C at GCSE.

The letter reveals how “monitoring reports” will be introduced by the agency over the next 12 months, to “alert institutions where this requirement is now being met”, the letter says.

Mr Mucklow says in the letter: “We are putting together more information on possible approaches to designing study programmes which we will make available from mid-April onwards. We will be inviting bids for shared learning grants to support good practice. Further details can be found in the DfE response to the consultation.”

The document adds that the agency would “shortly” publish a detailed “Framework for Delivery” setting out how Traineeships would be introduced in 2013/14. Traineeships — study programmes for 16 to 24-year-olds with work experience placements and English and maths where appropriate — were created in response to Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education.

The year ahead will also see providers plan for “rigorous linear A-levels and a standalone AS qualification” to first be taught in September 2015 as well as the introduction of the government’s recommendations following the Richard Review on apprenticeships.

New funding arrangements for high needs students aged 16 to 18 and 19 to 24 for those with a Learning Difficulty Assessment were also revealed. The first £6,000 of their additional support costs would be allocated to providers by the agency for a specified number of students, the letter says, with additional places being met by the student’s local authority through top-up funding.

The letter also says how funding reforms would mean eligible FE and Sixth Form colleges could enrol full time 14 to 16 year-olds from schools and be directly funded by the agency.

 

The future of FE leadership services

Leadership, management and governance will be “a priority” for the FE Guild — but the future training for such skills remains in question.

With the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to cease operating at the end of the current academic year, the future of senior FE management development programmes has been thrown into doubt.

David Hughes, chair of the guild steering group, said it was “too early to be very specific” about the new organisation’s role.

But he suggested it was unlikely the guild would be a major provider of leadership and management development.

Mr Hughes, also chief executive of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, said: “It is a bit too early to say yes or no to this or that programme, but what we can say at this stage is that it’s really very clear that leadership, management and governance are a priority for the guild.”

He added that the two–week consultation on the sector’s expectations of the guild had confirmed how essential leadership, management and good governance were for the health and professionalism of the sector.

However, Mr Hughes said the guild was likely to play a role of guidance rather than provision of training.

“We don’t see the guild as the provider of all leadership and management development in the sector because that doesn’t feel like the right thing to do, or realistic given the amount of money the guild might have available,” he said.

“So the guild might play a role to promote good leadership and management, provide opportunities to discuss what good leadership and management looks like and what good leadership and management development will look like, possibly sign posting providers that do it really well, or providing forums for people to discuss how to improve.”

Mr Hughes pointed out that there were commercial programmes available, such as a level five diploma and an MA in FE sector management provided by the Association of Colleges.

“All the best colleges should, and do, have their own programme for leadership and management, and their own development of good governance.

“What we want to try and do is to provide as much guidance, support and promotion of that as possible,” he said.

However, he agreed with LSIS chair Dame Ruth Silver, who said continuity between the two organisations was vital for the sector.

“We’re very keen to pass on what we’ve learned, and very ambitious for the next phase of the sector and its improvement bodies, its improvement, and hopeful the sector can build on the systems that do well,” she said.

Mr Hughes said: “LSIS has done really good work around leadership, management and governance and what we’re doing is working very carefully with them to ensure we learn from that and try to create continuity where we can in terms of the work they’ve been doing around the sector.”

Caption for featured image: From left: Martin Doel, Peter Davies, David Hughes and Graham Hoyle on the FE Gulld panel at the  Association of Colleges annual conference and exhibition in Birmingham last year

Ofsted boss commends ‘high standards’ at MidKent College

Kent media production learners got to quiz the chief inspector of schools when he was shown around their campus.

Ofsted head Sir Michael Wilshaw was interviewed by media students, and spoke with staff on his two-hour tour around MidKent College.

MidKent principal Stephen Grix said he invited Sir Michael to Medway to gain valuable feedback on the college’s initiatives.

He added: “We were delighted to welcome Sir Michael to MidKent College and are pleased he enjoyed his visit.”

Sir Micheal saw the college’s state-of-the-art facilities including its kitchens, beauty salons and engineering workshops.

He said: “The college has high standards of accommodation and great facilities, and it’s clear from the teachers and students I’ve spoken to that they seem happy and are having a good experience.

“I think the College is heading in the right direction but what’s important is that it doesn’t take its eye off the ball and continues to focus on the quality of provision.”

Hull College in a league of their own

Hull FC League have given Lincolnshire sports students the chance to tackle a day’s sporting skills and leadership training.

North Lindsey College students on a range of sport-related courses took part in physical and classroom activities to gain a rugby league leadership award.

Chloe Myers, 17, who is studying a level three subsidiary diploma in sport, said: “I want to go on to university and then
become a physiotherapist or PE teacher. Today’s course has been really useful —
and good fun.”

Danny Scott, ‘Grow the Game’ officer with Hull FC, said:  “Everyone gains a vocational qualification in a day, enabling them to assist with coaching in the community.”

He said the lessons learned could be adapted to any sport or job, and would enable the students to develop their leadership skills. “As well as learning coaching skills, individuals develop their confidence and gain transferable skills, which are great to put on a CV,” said Mr Scott.

‘Brilliant’ event backs Fairtrade

High street names such as Sainsbury’s and  cosmetics brand Lush took part in a Devon college’s Fairtrade Festival.

Second year hospitality and event planning students at City College Plymouth, which is committed to using Fairtrade products, hosted the event late last month.

Other departments that took part included hair and beauty and skills for life.

Student Robyn Lockhart, 19, helped to organise the event, which  featured live music, cooking demonstrations and face-painting.

She said: “We are all thrilled to have had the opportunity to plan and host such a brilliant event.

“We have never planned such a big event before. It gave us invaluable experience that we can take into the workplace.”

Somerset students feel the Commons touch

A new generation of legal eagles and lab boffins from Somerset have visited the Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court in London.

As well as an interactive ‘making laws’ workshop, the 26 law and forensic science students from Weston College met their local MP, John Penrose, in a visit organised by Parliament’s Education Service.

The students also watched the Lord Speaker’s ceremony in the House of Lords and listened to a debate in the Commons led by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith.

Law student Gemma Dillon, 19, from Weston, said: “We met our MP and asked him questions about local issues.”

Law lecturer Alexandra Sermon said: “It was a fantastic educational visit. Students were fascinated by the history and atmosphere of the Houses of Parliament and the combative debating style between MPs.”

Knockout visit from a former champ

Billy Schwer, a former British, Commonwealth, European and International Boxing Organisation title holder, recently spoke to youngsters at Barking & Dagenham College as part of its Inspiration 2013 event.

More than 40 students attended the talk, in which the Luton-born 43-year-old discussed topics such as how to deal with fears and setbacks, how to aim for success and how to keep sight of goals in life.

Student union vice president Muktar Teddy Nur, 18, from Ilford, said: “Being a sports studies student and a big boxing fan, it was great to meet Billy. His talk was really inspiring and we all took a lot away from what he said.”

Other workshops in this year’s Inspiration event included a Dragons’ Den session in which students pitched business ideas to a panel of experts, giving them the opportunity to practise their presentation skills and gain valuable business advice.

Pershore hopes to make it a double

A Warwickshire College student has dug deep to make the final line-up for the Young Horticulturist of the Year award.

Owen Groves, 23, who studies at Warwickshire’s Pershore College, will be cheered on by classmate Douglas Mackay, 22, who won top prize last year.

Owen, a BSc horticulture student from Cardiff, said: “Douglas and I have been on the same course for the past three years. He has told me what to expect and the kind of questions they will ask, which is handy.

“I’m hoping to go up the final with a few friends for support.

“I’m going to do my best. Everyone’s hoping Pershore can win two years in a row.”

Julie Page, assistant principal for land-based studies at Pershore, said: “We’re really proud of Owen winning the regional final of the competition.”

The national final will be held at the University of Liverpool on April 13.