UTC Portsmouth: Excellence in STEM Education
Life after College
When the Year 13 students have completed their exams it will be time to say our fond farewells. Its is hard to believe just how quickly time has passed by. When the college opened in September 2017 I never thought that this time would be upon us so soon. However, we are proud of what our first ‘leavers’ have already achieved. The vast majority are set to reach or exceed their targets and many can boast having had 100% attendance. We are sure they will do well in their exams but, more importantly, most have already secured such exciting next steps for themselves. Here is a break down of intended destinations so far, which means that there will be no ‘NEET’ leavers (this means Not in Education, Employment or Training):
50% will go to University
25% will join an apprenticeship course with one of our employer partners
15% will either go to university OR enrol on an apprenticeship with one of our employer partners having made multiple applications
10% will join the Royal Navy at varying levels
In addition, many students have gained high grades in the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)- worth half an A Level. Also, six students have completed the requirements of the Duke of York Gold Award- they will be receiving these special awards from the HRH The Duke of York in person at St James Palace.
Year 12 work experience round up
Our Year 12 students enjoyed a week of work experience during March, which helped them each gain valuable experience of the workplace as well as shape their future career plans. A big thank you to all our employer partners who took on students- we are extremely appreciative of every placements that our partners offer, from huge multinationals to SMEs. Our students made great impressions at their placements and have been inspired by the experience to keep working hard towards their future plans.
Here is a typical example:
Tecsew welcomed three work experience students, representing a quarter of their usual staff levels. The South Coast based boat cover business was impressed by students Patricia, Alec and Joe, due to their ability to pick up new tasks and software quickly and efficiently. Directors John & Ally Bland said, “It has been fantastic having Patricia, Alec and Jo with the company this week. These students are credits to UTC Portsmouth and have embraced the challenges we gave them. It has been a real pleasure to have such vibrant, high calibre students in with us and we wish them all the luck in the future.”
Public Examinations
It is a very intense time for many of our students, particularly those in years 13 and 11, preparing for A Levels and GCSEs. It is great to hear from so many students just how dedicated they were to their revision over the long spring break. The public examinations season starts this year on 13th May and lasts until the end of June. I am really proud of the organisation, commitment and resilience students have shown already and we wish them all the very best. There are important results days in August and it is a really special and memorable feeling when you open the envelope to reveal results that you were hoping for.
Year 12 and 10 students have also been working very hard in their mock exams. Year 10 completed these in April and Year 12 have just completed theirs. Early indications show that they have done very well overall and the signs are very positive indeed for when the real ones come around in just over a year’s time
Sporting Excellence
Congratulations to Freya J who was selected to represent the England U15 football team in their match against Belgium over the Easter break. It was a debut match for Freya and we are proud that she scored a great goal and was awarded ‘Player’s Player’. After such a solid first international performance the future looks bright for further selection for Freya.
Ciaran O’Dowda
Principal