OSFC Newsletter

Welcome to the last newsletter of 2024!

For the students and staff here at the Sixth Form College it marks the end of a very long term, and it might be a trick of the mind, but I am sure the days get fuller as the nights grow longer!

As you can imagine, there is a lot happening in the longest term of the year and we only have space here to give you a 'flavour' of what has been going on. This term is always full of trips, which is something we encourage all students to participate in, and over 40 of them, so far, have sent students far and wide: Berlin, London, Chester, to name a few (even Huddersfield!). We have also hosted some very interesting speakers who really caught our students interests.

An enormous task this term is getting over 1000 UCAS applications processed, which demands a huge team effort from students, their progress tutors, subject tutors and, I am sure, parents as well! Now that we are closing in on the official UCAS deadline the majority of students have completed their UCAS applications. We are delighted to learn that 17 of our Year 13 students have been invited to interview by either Oxford or Cambridge University in mid-December.

Thank you to all the Year 12 parents who made appointments to speak to subject teachers on parent’s evening - it is such a pleasure to give feedback on how new students to the college have settled in and started to make great progress.

Looking ahead, we have already begun interviewing next September's new students, with many more interviews taking place in January. If you are a current Year 11 student and have not yet completed your application form, please submit it soon so we can invite you to an interview and our Parent Conference/ Student Taster Day in February.

Also in the new year, we look forward to the Resit Maths and English GCSE results day! There are external exams for students on most vocational programmes starting the first week back (6th January) - please check CEDAR and emails. Year 13 parents evenings take place on the 16th and 21st January, then, to take us up to 1/2 term in February we have mock exams for Years 12 and 13, by which time the days will start getting longer again.

Enjoy scrolling

Residential trips give The Sixth Form College students life changing and transforming experiences. Time away from home, an intense schedule of activities, some pretty awesome sights and usually lots and lots of walking makes for character building stuff. This term our students have visited Berlin with the History Department and London with the Drama Department, the Psychology Department and the Business, Economics and Law Department.

After a covid-induced hiatus, our long running History trip to Berlin has returned! Year 13 Historians have recently spent two nights in Berlin and it was an incredible experience exploring key sites of 20th century German history. It is very much a trip of hard truths: the Sachsenhausen Memorial and the sobering realities of the Holocaust and Nazi terror, the House of the Wannsee Conference and the German Resistance Memorial Centre, and the Olympic Stadium tour providing important context about the 1936 Olympics and Nazi propaganda. Meanwhile the Topography of Terror exhibition offered crucial perspectives on the Nazi regime's apparatus of persecution.

Despite such challenging subject matter, students approached each site with remarkable sensitivity and intellectual curiosity, offering pertinent questions and thoughtful observations throughout, demonstrating just how much they absorbed from this powerful educational experience. Year 12 Historians should look forward to finding out about next year’s trip in the new year.

A visit to our capital city, the centre of political, financial and cultural power, always promises to be eye opening. First out of the blocks and onto the train were our Drama, Performing Arts and Dance students. They were off to see Stranger Things, Guys and Dolls, visit Rambert Dance Company, the V&A and even found time to pop into the National Theatre. Close on their heels were the Psychology students, who found themselves embroiled in the criminal underworld of Victorian London on the Jack the Ripper Tour, before investigating biopsychology and forensics at the Science and the Natural History Museums, and finally the Royal Courts of Justice. Last, but no means least, were the Law, Economics and Business students whose London adventure took them on a tour of Parliament, including a policy workshop and a meeting our local MP Debbie Abrahams. They also came face to face with fiscal heavyweights at the Bank of England before testing out the theory of commerce and market forces (quite literally) at Harrods, and the Winter Wonderland.

Our students gain specialist knowledge and expertise when taken on a visit, bringing the context of a subject to life. This autumn term students have participated in 40 trips and visits

Law students visited Manchester Metropolitan University; Science Ambassadors attended a Sustainability Conference and Electronics students visited the Science and Engineering department at Huddersfield University; Spanish students took part in a study day at HOME; Science and Health students visited to Manchester Foundation Trust Hospitals; Business students found out about the Business School at Salford University; Sports students experienced the Bolton Arena facilities and the National Football Museum; Music students had a look round Spirit Studios in Manchester, Ancient History were treated to Gladiator at the local cinema, and Politics students investigated social history at The Peoples' Museum. There are more trips to come in the 2025.

25 Year 13s have applied to Oxford or Cambridge and a fantastic 17 have been invited to interview. Pleasingly, in preparation for their interviews, we have been able to draw upon a number of our alumni, who are either Oxbridge undergraduates or graduates, to provide mock interviews for our current students. Equally, for over 30 of our Year 13s who have applied for Medicine or Dentistry, we have arranged for a full practice MMI at the college, as well as drawing upon the experience of external organisations, such as Medology and Manchester Outreach Dentists, to ensure they are as well-prepared as possible.

Our Year 12s are earlier on in their progression journey, but 120 have joined our Varsity+ initiative and have already begun to learn more about the routes to Oxbridge, Medicine and Dentistry, and Law. In January 2025, they will attend sessions delivered by our Oxford link college, Corpus Christi, to discover more about the benefits of Oxbridge and how to prepare themselves best. They are applying for external initiatives, such as MAP, OxNet, Pelican and HE+, among others.

In addition, Richard Lee, Assistant Principal and Careers Leader, has been nominated for the University of Cambridge’s Inspiring Educator Award, by an ex-student of the college, and we will learn the outcome from this process in January 2025. Good luck Richard!

Our award-winning Varsity Academy programme, for high-achieving Year 10s and 11s in our Oldham partner schools, continues to thrive. In the week before October half-term, we hosted the Graduation Evening, for the 2nd cohort, who came to college with their parents/carers to receive their certificates and to celebrate their success. At the other end of the process, we held the launch event for the 3rd cohort on the 28 November, with over 200 students and parents/carers in attendance. The students then enjoyed their first sessions with us in mid-December - getting fully involved in their ‘stretch and challenge’ sessions with us - and were a credit to their schools.

We were privileged to be visited by Kerry Daynes, a leading forensic psychologist and author of ‘What Lies Buried’ and 'Dark Side of the Mind’. Needless to say our student criminologists and psychologists were enthralled.

.. how he became an author. With over a dozen novels to his credit and spanning almost every genre of fiction, Hussey gave students a valuable insight into the construction of a successful novel from plot and character development to narrative arc.

On December 4th students attended the Christmas lecture at Manchester University delivered by the Hon. Dorothy Wedgwood OBE on the subject of 'Humanitarian Medicine: What is it? Where does it come from? Why do we need it?' A dialogue on the past, present and future of humanitarian medicine.

Our Year 13 students have been working hard, in collaboration with their Progress Tutors, to submit their university applications in good time. At present, over 500 UCAS applications have been submitted, with a further 600 in the process of being finalised, checked or submitted. Students have seen the benefits of making early applications, with 271 now holding at least one university offer. Students who are considering other routes, such as apprenticeships or employment, have been receiving bespoke information, advice and guidance from our experienced Futures Advisers.

Please note that although the official deadline for UCAS applications is 29th January 2025, if your son or daughter hasn't yet submitted theirs, they need to do so as soon as possible to allow staff adequate time to check and finalise them.

Since October, around 40 year 12 and 13 students have been working with Screen Manchester (the film office for the city of Manchester) on our Connected Campus project, in which they are making 5 - 6 minute fictional short films, showcasing 3 standout locations across Greater Manchester. It doesn’t stop there though, as this film will then be used to spotlight the locations chosen by major production houses, we’re talking about production companies such as Amazon Prime and Netflix! And so many tv shows have been filmed in Greater Manchester by Screen Manchester, from Waterloo Road and Peaky Blinders to The Crown, Captain America and Stay Close.

They aren’t thrown head first into these roles, they undergo “masterclasses” where Screen Manchester send specialists from different fields to demonstrate how to perform their roles effectively. So far they have worked with a TV Producer, a Locations Manager, a Production Accountant, and a Scriptwriter (Steve Rawlings, below).

Year 13 student Mehek Khalil has recently been crowned Youth National Boxing Champion after entering her first ever championship. Mehek boxes at Team Greaves Boxing Gym in Chadderton training for up to 2 hours everyday. She also enjoys helping the younger boxers when she is there with their training. Mehek recently competed in a tournament in Sweden too where she won Gold and was named ‘Best Female Youth Boxer of the Tournament’.

Mehek progressed onto OSFC from Great Academy Ashton, currently studying A Levels in Law, Sociology and Psychology but her big dream is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Mehek is also a keen footballer playing for Oldham Athletic under 18s girls as well as regularly undertaking acting work across the country for commercials and TV shows! A phenomenally talented student - one to watch in the future!

OSFC has entered the Arts Council England’s Artsmark programme, acknowledging the college's proven track record and future commitment to creativity, culture and arts in education.

We are proud to announce we are currently developing brand new and bespoke sports/training facilities for our students. More details to follow very soon...

Year 12 students have again taken advantage of the Student Leadership Academy run by Airwalk Reply. Dave Otter, Head of Talent and Recruitment says "when we interview candidates for roles at Airwalk Reply, it is the ability to communicate, lead, work effectively in teams and to take the initiative that we truly prize. Leadership skills are what make a candidate stand out from the crowd.” Airwalk Reply support the students at Oldham Sixth Form College in building the knowledge, skills and contacts needed to become successful graduates with promising careers.

We said a very big thank you recently to our fantastic Y13 Student Ambassadors for 2024 with a farewell get together where they all received a certificate of recognition alongside a lunch of pizza and cookies. They have done a marvellous job all year of helping out at college events such as Open Events, Y11 Interview Evenings, Varsity events and more and their support has been invaluable in and around college.

Zoya, one of our Student Ambassadors said that she has most enjoyed, "helping out on open days and interacting with prospective students and helping them around the college."

Taha, Year 13, enjoyed " being able to meet people from different backgrounds and representing OSFC. "

The application process for our current Y12 students has already taken place and we are excited to announce that we have just appointed 45 new recruits, some of whom have already stepped up to the mark in representing OSFC really positively at our recent events in college. We look forward to working closely with them over the coming year!

Students have been leading the learning this term through our various mentoring projects. Ex Hathershaw College students currently studying at OSFC have been working as Saturday student tutors this term, helping to prepare Year 11 pupils for their mock GCSEs. Each Saturday morning Year 11 pupils attend a two hour revision session in English, Maths, Science, Humanities or MFL. During this time a Year 12 student tutor runs the session, often planning the activities and making the resources. Our students have also been mentoring reading, science and maths groups at Werneth Primary School and Hathershaw College on the Reading and Maths Buddies programmes.

COMING SOON! Further details this January...

This term has been packed with so many exciting events and we warmly thank all students and staff who have participated!

An update on our Pink Day collection which raised £508.32 for breast cancer awareness through activities like a bake sale, a "guess the sweets" challenge, and lots of pink outfits.

In our Wrap Up Campaign we donated winter coats, while earlier this term Sustainability Week spotlighted OSFC's eco credentials. We continued our support for Oldham Food Bank , collecting donations throughout December.

This term's Christmas-themed events included a festive quiz, live music from our college band, Christmas jumper day, and a chance to add a meaningful message to the Christmas trees around college. There was also raffle, with proceeds going towards supporting the foodbank

The Sixth Form College’s Sustainability Week focused on 3 priorities:

Reduce! Recycle! Re-use!

We also focused on plastic pollution and plastic use reduction. We have a water dispenser which calculates the equivalent plastic bottles ‘saved’ between the start of the academic year and Sustainability Week. We have saved the equivalent of 1709 plastic bottles so far.

If we scale that up to a week - 1745 bottles sold in a week but an additional 250 bottles 'saved' by using the water dispenser.

In the lead up to the most wonderful time of the year, students and staff have been spreading cheer in a number of ways!

Music students played tunes to delight the ears, our annual Christmas jumper day was held, department Christmas Trees we judged by the Students Union. The week was ended with a gathering and sing-a-long of all our Christmas classics.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Students and staff have been donating to Oldham Foodbank.

If you can, please make a donation here:: https://www.trusselltrust.org/make-a-donation/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlriM88eggwMVyZRoCR05BQkyEAAYASABEgICOfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

OSFC are delighted to be awarded the Quality in Careers Standard. This is in recognition of excellent Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance provision (CEIAG). The Quality in Careers Standard is the national quality award for careers education, information, advice and guidance in schools and colleges. To achieve the award colleges are required to undertake a rigorous assessment process, similar to OFSTED, this ensures that students will receive the best possible support to plan and achieve their future aspirations.

This award is presented by Positive Steps, which is a Licensed Awarding Body for the national standard, delivering the award using the Inspiring IAG approach. It is a well-deserved achievement that recognises the hard work of the college and all of its staff, in particular the Futures Team.

The award particularly noted Kevin Reece, Careers & Employability Manager (pictured), who demonstrates a commitment to designing and delivering high quality CEIAG to the students at OSFC. Students are presented with a range of activities, opportunities and events that support their career development and their understanding of the wider world of work.

OSFC is proud that its investment and belief in a strong and comprehensive careers guidance programme has been recognised and will continue to deliver engaging and empowering programmes to its students.

Please note The Know, our learning and resources centre, will be closed to students during the Christmas holidays.

We have just completed the second College Assessment Point (CAP 2) for all students. This report is more detailed than the first and gives an overall picture of how things are progressing at college.

CAP 2 grades have already been shared with students and parents via Cedar, to re-familiarise yourself with accessing the report full details were sent in this letter earlier this month. If you need any help with your Cedar account please email info@osfc.ac.uk or telephone College reception on 0161 287 8000. Or use this handy guide to Cedar.

The next assessment point, CAP 3, will take place after the February half-term.

College attendance this term has been excellent. Well done! There is a clear link between high levels of attendance and high academic achievement. We expect all students to attend 100% of their lessons, unless there is a genuine reason for absence. Missed lessons lead to missed learning and we expect students to take pride in their attendance.

As vocational students continue preparing for external exams in January (exam timetables can be found on Cedar), and those studying GCSEs and AS/A Levels look toward their internal assessments (mock exams) in the week beginning 10th February, students have been given revision checklists in their tutor groups which they can also access on the Tutorial site. They will find advice and help here in planning a range of effective revision exercises, exam related practice and time management. Please encourage sons and daughters to check and use this information.

Exams for many vocational students are taking place in January 2025. Students should know if they have been entered for these exams and should check Cedar, under ‘Exam Timetable’. This will show students (and parents) what exams students have been entered for. All exams should appear here along with the room and seat numbers. Students should check this and report any errors to their subject teacher, or a member of the Examinations Team (exams@osfc.ac.uk).

Exam Regulations

Oldham Sixth Form College must implement a very precise set of requirements in all exams. We can be inspected by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) at any time throughout an exams series, to ensure that we are setting the expected standards. Therefore, students must familiarise themselves with the required JCQ documents before their first exam which can be found on the College’s Exam Website (accessible to students only).

'Must Read' information

Information that students must read before entering an exam can be found on the College’s Exams Website.

Essential things to remember

• Punctuality - arrive 30 minutes before the start of your exam
• Bring your student ID
• Bring the right equipment
• Remove all phones watches and electronic devices, and labels from clear plastic bottles
• Do not wear caps, hoodies, hats or anything that might obscure your identity

Illness

Students should make every attempt to attend an exam, however if a student is too unwell to attend, they should report this to Oldham Sixth Form College by calling Student Services on 0161 287 8000 and complete the form on the College’s Exam Website (accessible to students only).

Summer 2025 Exam Contingency Days

Contingency days are put in place in the event of national or significant local disruption to exams in the United Kingdom, and are part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning for exams.

The dates that have been set aside as the contingency days for Summer 2025, in the event exams need to be rescheduled, are the afternoon of Wednesday 11th June and all day Wednesday 25th June 2025. This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams from the date of their first exam until Wednesday 25th June 2025.

The Ofqual Students Guide to Exams - Summer 2025 can be read here.

Year 13 parents' evenings will take place next term on Thursday 16th and Tuesday 21st January 2025. This is an online event using the SchoolCloud platform. This email has been sent to all Year 13 parents that includes further details and instructions on how to book.

Year 12 and Level 2 parents' evenings took place on Thursday 5th and Tuesday 10th December, and were very well attended, allowing helpful and productive conversations to take place between teachers and parents. We thank all parents who attended.

Oldham Council has been allocated money via the Government’s Household Support Fund to support vulnerable families and individuals for 2024/25. Oldham Sixth Form College has been allocated some of this funding to support our students entitled to free meals over the Christmas holiday. If your son or daughter has been approved for a Free College Meal this year, they will receive a £40 to cover the holidays, which will be paid into their account on Wednesday 18th December. For bursary students this will be in addition to the usual weekly bursary payment.

For any families that are really struggling for food and provisions, please visit the Oldham Council website (www.oldham.gov.uk/wecanhelp) which lists the support and benefits that are available.

Don't forget - it's never too late to apply for the bursary - we accept applications throughout a student's time at college. All students can apply via the Student Portal. However, please note payments will not be backdated.

Term dates can be found here and our key dates can be found on the calendar on our website in addition to the back pages of our Information for Parents booklet.

If you have changed your contact details such as mobile number, email address, home address and/or telephone number, please remember to update these with College via Cedar or info@osfc.ac.uk. It is really important that we hold your correct contact details in our records so we can send important communications to you when required or contact you in an emergency.

I hope you found this edition an engaging and useful read. Have a peaceful break over the holiday period and a very happy New Year! As ever, if you have any feedback on this newsletter, or any other aspect of college, please email me at parentfeedback@osfc.ac.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Suzannah Reeves

Principal